[ WEEK THREE – TRIAL ]

[sheriffexe]

TRIAL

In the morning, the town comes back to life. Birds crow overhead, a snake nearby hisses, a lingering coyote dips behind a shop before disappearing into the wild. It's a frightening contrast to the stillness of yesterday but it doesn't mean it's over yet. After all, today is the trial. The Sheriff stands on the porch of the Town Hall and brings his hand up to his mouth to let out a whistle. He'll thumb back to the Hall behind him and very clearly state -- "Trial time, folks. Get in here and figure out who did it." And then he'll turn to leave before pausing and adding on, "Bring a snack or somethin' too. The Town Hall is set up more like a court house, a Judge's bench at the front but instead of at center, it's off to the side as if more for observation than participation. There's a table at the front of the room already holding a small box and a pad of papers and pen, for voting apparently. A side room containing only a metal gurney is next and today it's obvious why there's a gurney there at all with the corpse, resting right on top of it. Aside from that, there are rows for everyone to take a seat and it's only after everyone is inside and settled, that the doors close and the Sheriff speaks. "Well, have at it. You've got till nine." And then, he points to a clock on the wall that reads 12:00. Good luck. Welcome to the trial post! Characters are free to discuss everything related to the trial here. They won't be let out of the room until 9PM when voting ends. Every character must vote and the voting post can be found here. If there are any questions, please shoot a message to this journal or to robowest.

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Comments

[bittybat]

Your camera is in the Sheriff's jail. It's locked inside.

[dubiousalignment]

In the Sheriff's--

[Tarvek glances at the Sheriff. Did you have anything to do with that, old man?]

Was there something else in the jail?

[bittybat]

No. Just the camera inside one of the cells. I tried to pick the lock, but I couldn't, and we asked the Sheriff for the key, but he wouldn't answer.

But the Sheriff is the only one with access, so he either did it himself, or he assisted someone in doing it.

[dubiousalignment]

But he had said he'd assist someone in a murder, so...

[There's only one answer, isn't there?]

The Sheriff must have done it. Whatever was in that camera may have been enough to crack one or more of these cases open. I believe he'd do something like hinder the investigations not out of a wish to help the culprits, but as a way to make the trial harder for everyone.

[bittybat]

I don't understand the point of it in the first place if he's merely going to keep hiding it from the rest of us. It's useless.

[But maybe that's why.] It's just another fear tactic. He's trying to make things seem hopeless if nothing else.

[ceded]

[ Stares at him in shock.

It's ... locked up?

Actually, Xion also looks at the Sheriff, and for a moment she seems troubled. Like all her emotions this morning, she quickly forces it back down and looks at Damian again. ]

... thanks for letting me know.

[bittybat]

It shouldn't have been kept by any of the civilians. That's why it had been so easily compromised. It may have evidence on it, but we won't be able to see it.

[Sorry you're being scolded by a ten year old piece of shit.]

[ceded]

[ Xion's reaction is honestly just to stare at him with a totally blank expression. ]

If Tarvek and I didn't have it, it would have been locked up in the jail anyway. So it's kind of a moot point either way, isn't it?

[ Her voice is a little cold. ]

[bittybat]

Not necessarily.

If other people know you have it, they will take it for their own benefit. It's likely they used it to record what happened, but the Sheriff won't let us view it now; otherwise, the "trial" will be too easily solved.

You both should have set it up to record where no one could find it.

[ceded]

No one knew! [ she busts out, abruptly frustrated. It's not really directed at Damian, but there you have it. ] I didn't tell anyone where I was going to be that night, and Tarvek didn't, either! He and I didn't have the camera together last week, so how did they figure out where I was going to be?

[ She simmers down, bitter and unhappy. More quietly: ]

I won't keep it after this. It's obvious now that I won't be able to hold onto it even if I want to. Your idea might be best from now on.

[bittybat]

[Damian, at least, doesn't seem too bothered by the outburst, but only because he's been trained extensively not to react emotionally. (Except when, you know, he gets emotional.)] Because the killers have the upper-hand, and if they can roam the town at night, they can easily search every room and every building unobstructed.

And with the Sheriff helping them, it'd be even easier to take something from you.

[ceded]

... I guess I hadn't thought about it that way. [ The killers having that kind of free reign. No one broke in when she had the camera last week. ]

I always just thought that if someone came for the camera, I'd be awake when they broke in, so I could fight back. I still don't know what happened.

[bittybat]

Considering this is a "game," I don't doubt anything can be done to make us sleep. You were probably drugged. A likely convenience when murderers are sneaking around at night.

[ceded]

[ Xion nods slowly. For a moment she just looks so ... defeated, until she can get her composure back in order again. ]

Thanks, Damian. I'll talk to the Sheriff about the camera next week. ... do you think you could come with me, when I do?

[bittybat]

[He gives her a bit of a strange look, feeling somewhat bad for giving her a hard time even if it was just Logic to him.] Fine.

We can use it to our advantage. How did it work again? It recorded exactly what it was pointed at?

[ceded]

[ She makes a soft nn-nn sound. ]

You can switch through the transmissions in the hotel, and record whatever transmission you watch. It can only save that data for a few hours, though. Maybe around seven or eight?

[bittybat]

So it's merely a monitor. [God dammit tHEY NEEDED...] If we get it back, it needs to be hidden. Even at the risk of death, it should be hidden by one person only.

The rest of us will just have to search for it if that happens.