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

[pandacea]

Could you not simply have taken the shoes off? Though you may be right in that our killer would likely have to be someone fast enough to kill her and get away before the body was discovered. Still...if she was killed between 3:00 and 3:15 and the body was not discovered until 3:30, fifteen minutes is enough time to hide yourself before anyone could catch you.

It is strange that anyone would choose the mystery box without knowing whether what was inside would be useful. But then why leave it there at all? If it was meant to be a - a red trout, they couldn't have thought such an item would distract us for long.

1/2

[aozaki]

And run barefooted?

[She winces visibly at that...]

Then Yuzu or Susan would've caught me going outside, although that's meaningless, if you doubt that I went out at all that afternoon. Actually, wouldn't Susan know, given her tracking abilities? I'd rather not burden her, she's already working so hard to keep tabs on everyone. But my choices are limited too, if my lack of a solid alibi would put that much into question. With any luck, as a dispensable, she may remember me at the conservatory before heading out...

2/2

[aozaki]

It's working, though. People are dismissing it as useless, and assuming the killer must've thought the same. The beaker also looks familiar, aren't they similar to what can be found in the study on the third floor? [She eyes the door to the smoking room, where the list of tools is attached.] I suppose we wouldn't know how the poison may be delivered and what the bottles could look like, if that was truly it, but it does say "assorted" on the list. I'd expect more bottles, and perhaps something more complex.

[...] Although if it's intended as a false lead, and only assuming based off of that hypothesis, then the alternative would be that it's planted to detract attention from the true second item, wouldn't it?

[pandacea]

Ah, that's right! We can ask her whether you were outside at 3:00 and 3:15! It would have been quite difficult to run into the music room from outside, kill her, and then run back.

Yes...it does seem strange that the objects within this box seem to be objects that could be found around the manor. And rubbing alcohol is not exactly a poison.

The true second item? But why would they need to hide it?

[aozaki]

I'll check in, then. Would you like to bear witness?

Ah, that's what it was? You are good with chemicals, so thank you for clarifying. But knowing that, isn't it even more unusual? Rubbing alcohol is a run-of-the-mill cleaning product, and while overdose is lethal, it ought to take one cup in an adult male while chloroform can also kill for far less. Going at it systematically, it wouldn't help the investigation like the fingerprinting kit or the poison detecting kit. It can't be used for sustenance and health like food, water, and medical supplies either, and while it can be tweaked to kill, it's nowhere near as straightforward as poison, rifle, sword, or crossbow. Finally, it also can't exactly assist, in the cases of extra chloroform, skeleton key, map of secret passageways, and hidden storage compartment.

[She finishes the list, hands now resting over her hips.]

That's like asking why the culprit would want to hide crucial evidence, May. If the box wasn't found, people would make guesses, continue searching, and keep theorizing. This happened last week, before the skeleton key was brought up. If the box was found, however, people may grow complacent and accept the content without asking further questions, especially if the item isn't useful and doesn't very much fall in line at all with the rest of what's provided on the list. The other possibility is that it could've contained other things alongside the rubbing alcohol, and some people have gone out searching, I'm aware, but keep in mind that the smaller the object is, the easier it is to hide.

[She shakes her head, straightening her back.] Either way, assuming the innocuous would be to the killer's advantage. It's a smart move, although if it was me, I wouldn't go for rubbing alcohol. It sticks out too much like a sore thumb. [Rubbing alcohol not fitting in with the rest of the type of objects the tools list has is a legit observation, okay. ...So is admitting that you wouldn't go for that sort of decoy too, but hush.]

[pandacea]

Ah - I'm sorry, I should have been clearer. I have not checked the chemicals found yet, I simply assumed it was rubbing alcohol based off of Poland's notes. But it may very well be something else, there are many compounds out there that would give off a similar smell.

[aozaki]

Hm, that's true. Do you think it's worth an attempt, to analyze what may really be inside?