Once again, the contestants are ushered into the drawing room, this time at 9AM Friday morning. This trial, they will be investigating the deaths of Belarus and Michael Altman.
Upon everyone's arrival in the drawing room, the doors are shut and the week's suspects are revealed. This week, the suspects will be Alice, Clyde Barrow, Gundam Tanaka, Latvia, Rapture, and Touko Aozaki.
No one is in the best of spirits today, least of all the Hostess, what with the horrible stench of Belarus' corpse. Poland suggests someone confess right away, but no one does, and instead the trial must begin.
Susan gets the ball rolling right out the gate with a theory. Susan argues the killer must have killed two people either unintentionally or out of necessity. Belarus may have been the 'extra incentive' target of the week. Susan suggests the killer could have intended to poison her, but also poisoned Michael Altman by mistake and unaware. After poisoning Belarus, the killer went to her room to dismember her, but found her still alive and there was a struggle. She was then taken to the kitchen and dismembered. However, Susan acknowledges this theory leaves the mystery of how the killer obtained access to Belarus' room. After all, Belarus was on the dispensable list, so the killer would not have received tools in advance to help kill her, unlike Altman.
This may require Belarus willingly allowing someone into her room, perhaps because they feigned concern. Rapture suggests this could have been someone she knew, who was close by her, referring to Latvia. Stiles doubts Latvia seems like the type to dismember, but Susan points out that no one on this list seems the type, so they should not make character judgments.
Stiles points out Belarus was not the type to let someone into her room, and counters with the theory that the killer targeted Altman intentionally to obtain the deadweight tools, which they used to gain access to Belarus' room. However, that theory leaves the question of why the killer decided to leave Altman alone but dismember Belarus.
Susan puts forward a third theory, that the killer intended to target Altman, poisoned Belarus by mistake, and dismembered her to create a red herring. Poland believes the killer may have tried to hide Belarus' body by burning it, based on the charred leg he found. But Susan finds it unlikely anyone would think burning the body was realistic, and Stiles suggests the charring may have come from the electric fence. Susan and Rapture debate what the ash found by Poland could signify, but conclude it is too little to be burnt clothing.
Finally, Sonia argues against the theory that either Altman or Belarus was an accidental victim. Belarus preferred vodka, while Altman only drank rum. The killer would have been unlikely to poison either by accident, as they were likely drinking two different liquors. Rapture suggests the two victims was just to waste time to help the culprit. Kaoru proposes this was the work of two killers, necessitating two victims. Sonia points out the similar clues and thinks it was one plan, which Kaoru does not disagree with, but the number of killers is not determined. Alice also thinks this was a distraction tactic, while Sonia believes it may be the work of a thrill killer, who would dismember the body for pleasure.
Now, the suspects begin to speak for themselves. Rapture invites questions, while Gundam invites challengers and insists he had no incentive this week. Heclarifies that he doesn't know anyone who would be used against him, and doesn't believe he forgot anyone like that, because he's on his own. Sonia and Susan are still skeptical for different reasons. Rapture and Gundam, meanwhile, discuss the nature of good and evil.
Stiles points out no one has found bloody clothes, which would be hard to avoid with Belarus. Alice suggests they were burned. Poland connects this to the ash found out near the chapel. Susan suggests they wore Belarus' clothing, but this would indicate they ran around dispersing body parts completely naked. Belarus' dress remained on her torso, and the ash doesn't seem like enough to be a lot of clothing, or why it would be out on the grounds if it was from clothing.
Searches get under way. Lithuania and Poland are on corpse recovery duty. Poland and Anya then go to the bar to see what they might find. Kaoru suggests examining the wounds. There is lively debate about Belarus' appendages, whether Stiles is using crass excuses to examine dead women's bodies, and the merits of the Saw franchise. Gundam and May actually examine the body, and find Belarus probably was dismembered with knives.
With rooms taken care of, Sonia offers her serial killer expertise, and profiles the killer as intelligent, arrogant, and probably affable enough to deflect suspicion. She suggests this may rule out Latvia, who does not have much charisma. However, Rapture reveals Latvia pulled a knife on her and threatened her earlier in the game. Still, Sonia doesn't think the killer would be someone so nervous. Stiles agrees with Sonia's assessments, and says that serial killers tend to be great actors who enjoy taunting others, but may slip up if they are too cocky. With this assessment, Susan and Sonia think this sounds most like Clyde, Alice, or Touko, although they are unsure about Alice's display of empathy for Annie. Still, Susan points out the profile should be a guideline, since not all sociopaths would fit. There was somedissentabout the relevance of this kind of profile.
Felicia suggested the suspects talk about the person who is their incentive. Stiles argues people may lie, but they press ahead. Alice does not recognize her person. Clyde's is a friend he owes a debt, Touko's an apprentice, Latvia's a fellow nation. Rapture would give the world for Riot, but doesn't believe it's truly him. Gundam does not believe he knows anyone there.
Sonia returns from Altman's room search, having found a bloody set of clothes. The men's clothes are the right size to be Altman's, prompting discussion of whether Altman killed Belarus or the killer was trying to make it look that way. However, Lithuania's explanation that the killer borrowed Altman's so their own wouldn't get dirty seemed simplest.
Stiles pointed out Altman's clothes mean we know the killer targeted Altman intentionally, since they knew he would be dead when they went to get the clothes. Touko wonders if poison and a skeleton key has yet to be found, while Rapture thinks it could have been a skeleton key and a weapon. Latvia wonders if the pink fluid could be the poison, but Felicia suggests it's just blood, which may be a clue to the poison itself.
Kaoru examines the bloody clothes and finds dirt on the left shoulder and a burn mark on the right cuff.
Following that discovery, the bell rang, ending the day.
The second day began on a far better note. The room was freshened up overnight, and the body moved to a scent-proof body bag. Sonia and Rapture brought a piano into the room to put on a performance, which was well received by some and criticized by others.
Felicia summed up what was known so far. It seemed both Belarus and Altman were poisoned intentionally, and the killer went to Altman's room first, changed into his clothes, dismembered Belarus, and returned to Altman's room to leave the clothes. It seemed likely a skeleton key was used. Susan pointed out that three of the suspects - Clyde, Alice, and Touko - were in the bar at the suspected time of poisoning. Kaoru did not notice a time when anything was slipped in the bottles. Clyde, Alice, nor Touko drank rum or vodka. Kaoru and Felicia discussed timing. Altman drank at the bar regularly, giving the killer ample notice to poison him, but Belarus is less clear. It's suggested either someone she knew did the poisoning or she refilled her flask regularly. Touko argues it wouldn't be so difficult, as you could put the poison in the bottles at any time. Annie wonders if the flask itself was poisoned.
Lithuania went looking in the kitchen, and discovered some strange vials that everyone seems to agree were likely the assorted poisons. One vial was empty. Felicia and Susan discussed the dirt on the bloodied clothes, and theorized it may have been a result of an altercation involving the flower pot.
Susan decides to investigate the ash left behind at the scene and finds it looks and smells similar to ashtray ash from Touko's room. Sonia agrees it smells like cigarette ash. Susan announces this finding and asks Touko to explain herself, and Poland confirms the location of the finding and order of events, or at least that's what it seems like he's saying. Stiles points out it would be easy to frame Touko this way, perhaps by using ash from another ashtray. Touko suggests the killer could have gotten from her room, through use of a skeleton key. Sonia suggests this would be difficult to do at night when Touko was in her room, but Touko points out they don't know when the culprit receives the key, and it could have been done during the day. Sonia takes issue with the framing theory since there would be a risk the ash wouldn't be found, so why not use a cigarette butt? Kaoru suggests a cigarette butt may have been too obvious.
Now is the time of the trial where everyone gets desperate and mutilates corpses. Susan and May burn Belarus' arm with a lighter and cigarette, but find it would be pretty difficult to replicate the burn pattern on the leg by the fence this way. Stiles suggests frying body parts with the fence, which he, Felicia, and Lithuania go to do. Felicia throws the leg, and the fence, seemingly somewhat unusual, chars it.
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murdermanor2013-10-24 10:19 am
The Trial So Far
Re: The Trial So Far