WEEK 3 - TRIAL

[productions]

week three 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

[vytis]

That's true... Maybe they held him out over the elevator shaft while they stabbed him? Unless they dropped him, walked downstairs, and then jumped down from there to stab him, but that seems--kind of excessive.

[inthebones]

We can ask Yuzu and Kaoru to bring the vials back. ...Of course, the killer would have learned to fill it with alcohol by now, but it can't hurt seeing whose bottle is still full, anyway.

[tsarcasm]

[ Someone has written something underneath Gundam's paragraph... ]

Wow, thanks a lot for crediting me, I really appreciate it.

--Anastasia, the actual discoverer of the body

[souredsweet]

[and that is more than enough desecrating dead bodies for now...! the katana is wiped down with the towel it was brought in with and set to the side.]

The bruising makes it difficult for me to tell much. I apologize, Miss May. [Kaoru's head dips briefly.]

Still, I will tell you my speculations. Between my first examination and this, I can say that this weapon is most likely responsible for the stab wounds, though I cannot determine if they came before or after the fall. The entry points are not all from one angle which suggests movement in general, but I could not see any marks which might indicate that Mr. Strider was the one moving. With that alone, it seems as though it might have been a deliberate attempt at involving the katana post-mortem... However, the bruising along his front may indicate that he was lying on that side after death, which would mean that the attacker either stabbed him before the fall or purposely turned him over in the elevator shaft.

I also cannot discern much by way of how the sword was being held, but the fact that they would use it to stab rather than slash indicates to me a lack of knowledge regarding proper use - but not a lack of strength. A katana is not designed to stab with ease; it is too unwieldy. With so many wounds, I would think that our culprit either has incredible strength and agility, or that Mr. Strider was already dead or unconscious while being struck.

[respecting]

Yo, what if the killer like... smashed him unconscious wit' the sword or somethin' while he was drawin'? And a little blood came out... then they did all that other stuff later. And they tried to bruise him all over so no one's gonna see the bruise from hittin' him?

[inthebones]

...That's a good suggestion. We should check his head for fractures and injuries as well.

[souredsweet]

[guess who's a neat freak it is Kaoru. that's a good thing for Spain though since it means everything will be put back in its place after being checked.

either way, starting at the wardrobe (after stopping to admire those nifty paper flowers)! Kaoru will be opening that and the chest and looking for any clothing that might have blood or obvious markings indicating a struggle on it. also checking Spain's shoes for the same thing!]

[speakveryclearly]

[Her joins gain a distinct meta-whiteness from the restraint it is taking her not to fly into a vampiric rage right on the spot.]

Yes. Let's look at the evidence. Which, this week, unchanged from the last, is what I intend to base my decision on. [Which her tone indicates she thinks Poland may or may not have done.]

[inthebones]

[ENTIRELY UNRELATED TO ANYTHING but very nice deductive work regardless, Susan will step by and ask Kaoru - ]

Do you mind checking his head for injuries as well? The back of his head, specifically.

[respecting]

Yeah! I don't think I even looked at the back of his head...

[souredsweet]

[all this gross corpse touching!! but since Kaoru's already been poking around, Susan's request gets a nod.]

I do not mind. [and Kaoru will proceed to do just that, checking his head from all manageable angles and his neck as well just for good measure.]

[pandacea]

Miss Kaoru, you're amazing! That's incredible, being able to deduct so much information just from the wounds!

[productions]

[There's a gash on the back of his head; examining the area by touch reveals that it's quite swollen.]

[inthebones]

[Susan will nod as she spots the injury from over Kaoru's shoulder.]

...It appears Beat may have been correct.

[inthebones]

We have now. He does have a wound on the back of his head - and as he fell on his front, it wouldn't have been inflicted by the fall.

[humanic]

No idea, I didn't find the body. I think someone would have mentioned it if they were though.

[pasodoble]

( The only thing it would reveal is Spain is lazy at folding and putting away his clothes. )

[souredsweet]

[Kaoru will be gently pressing the area, brow furrowed.]

With such swelling... I can only imagine there was a good deal of blunt force behind this injury. [a beat] What was his suggestion?

[souredsweet]

[a faint smile! it's a nice compliment okay even if Kaoru just got finished re-stabbing a dead person.]

You are far too kind as usual, Miss May. I can only hope that others may find this information of use. Do you still wish to have a look...? [said somewhat hesitantly.]

[inthebones]

That he was struck from behind while drawing, knocking him unconscious and explaining the bloodstain. Additionally, this also provides an explanation for the point you mentioned just now - how the victim suffered so many injuries while apparently not struggling at all.

It may still be premature, but I think it's safe to say that the katana and the planted key were part of an attempt to frame Mr. Strider.

[souredsweet]

[oh good Kaoru won't have to do much work to put things back where they belong...

after that, Kaoru will move to the drawer and search through it, looking for all of the items everyone received upon arrival and the chloroform bottle.]

[respecting]

Oh snap! Then that's gotta be what happened!

[pandacea]

[that's okay it's for SCIENCE]

I don't think I could find anything you have not already covered! I am not exactly familiar with swords. [also there is no point if she can't find the secret of immortality]

[inthebones]

I've never actually seen him without them. Of course, they would interfere with his vision at night, but even still... It may be some indication that he wasn't planning to leave his room again if he had them off.

[herpreciousrival]

((I somehow missed the giant MONDAY label on latvia's comment.... auuuugh))

...Was it Monday?

Oh I think I've misremembered... [She's never been on trial before and now she's messed up the simplest and arguably most important part.] I apologize. It was such an unsettling thing to smell so late at night.