week 4 - trial

[productions]

week four trial



[At 9 AM precisely, the old grandfather clock chimes once again, and the doors to the drawing room are opened. They will remain open until everyone has come inside, after which they will shut behind them. It is not possible to leave on your own, although perhaps if you have a specific purpose the hostess will allow you to go, as long as you are accompanied by a partner.

The room is set up comfortably, with several tables by the fireplace set out to assist with the trial. The Hostess will also remain in a seat near the fireplace, next to the scales on the mantle. At lunch, the doors will open to bring in a large meal on an automatically rolling buffet, and at 3 PM, tea and finger sandwiches will be served. You'll be able to enjoy the trial in comfort, of course, but the information cards set out on tables will not allow you to forget your true purpose here.

At 7 PM, the trial will adjourn for the day. Players will be escorted by the Hostess to the ballroom, where dinner and wine will be served until 10 PM, at which point players will be required to return to their wings in groups with their wingmates and will be locked in their bedrooms until 8:30 AM the following morning.]

victim



suspects



Character Statuses
Setting
Manor Rules
Cheat Sheet
Voting

Comments

[balzams]

[Hearing this Latvia chimes in with his own addition]

Do you think that might be where our third person comes from? Perhaps they tampered with the scene by hiding the poker and replacing it with the sword. The rapier wasn't hot, was it?

[inthebones]

[A slight frown as she considers that possibility.]

Only the person directly targeting Rin could have gotten their hands on a sword, though. In which case, our third person must have been working directly with the murderer.

But yes. I think we should see if it's possible.

[balzams]

Even if it seems unlikely I don't think we can entirely rule out collaboration.

Although I'm not sure why switch the weapon. Do you think... I know it's a long shot but do you think it was to give the culprit time to make an alibi and mask the exact time of death? For a murder to occur so late in the day, I really think the time is crucial in this trial...

[inthebones]

...I would agree with you - our alibis are generally much too good for the time of 3:00 to 3:30. With the exception of Touko, we were all in the company of someone else during the proposed time of death.

But there's no vagueness on the autopsy this time concerning the time of death. And they aren't allowed to lie.

[thoughtful pause...]

If we have another situation where the crime took place an hour or two before the death...

But being stabbed isn't the same as drowning at all.

[balzams]

...Really?

I think the time might be a bit vague. There's a half an hour time frame and considering the method... I don't know a lot about machines but I would think if you destroyed the right part if it it would stop working in an instant.

[inthebones]

That was my impression as well. One stab wound to the torso and she simply shut down is what it looked like. None of this wounds all over the body and being dropped from an elevator shaft business.

But how could a stabbing possibly be set to a time delay?

[balzams]

No, I mean...

[He was really bad at explaining, especially since he didn't really know what he was talking about]

What if she was killed closer to 3:00pm but it was made to look closer to 3:30pm... Or something like that. S-sorry that probably doesn't make any sense! There was nothing to make it seem like it happened just before the body was found. Don't mind me...

[inthebones]

...[Susan ignores the apologizing.]

The thing is that I noticed her gone already at 3:15. It does seem most likely that the murder happened in that 15 minute time period, although I suppose it's possible that someone closed both doors to block me out for a bit.