[ 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

A NEW ANGLE

[thatsthespirit]

[hokay, after Percy and Xion are done speaking with the Sheriff, Milla speaks up again!]

All right! Let me summarize what we know so far.

Three people were murdered this week: Annabeth, Nui, and Riku. According to the Sheriff, none of them had any roles in this game. They weren't Bandits, they were merely participants. The consensus seems to be that Nui murdered Riku and Annabeth, due to her parasol being found in Riku's room and the fact that her clothing was partially burned when Annabeth's corpse was also burned. It seems as though Nui was then shot in the head from a distance, possibly from somewhere near the station or the saloon. The blood spatter near the bonfire and restaurant supports this, as does the state of her skull. [according to Jason] Nui's body was then taken and dumped in the chemical bath the Sheriff set up earlier that day.

Also of note is the fact that a bear trap was found on the Sheriff's porch a few days before the murder. The Sheriff confirmed that we could have used the bear trap to assist us in this week's killing, but we didn't. He then stated we should have used the bear trap to capture whoever stole the camera from Xion and Tarvek's room.

[and here is where her theories get interesting]

I think that's confirmation that the Sheriff is not the one who took the camera and locked it up. And that brings me to another thought: the person who took the camera from Tarvek and Xion's room could have, quite possibly, shot Nui when they went to lock the camera in the jail cell.

[and then she shakes her head]

. . . I can't guess a motive at this point, other than one of revenge. But maybe if we focus on the crime that occurred in Xion and Tarvek's room. . .

[we'll get somewhere??]

[insincerely]

... In other words, you want to talk about who might've stolen the camera—aka who would have had a reason to and slash or who could've done it?

[expelliarmed]

Everyone know Xion and Tarvek had the camera after last week, didn't they? So whoever stole it must've thought there was something on film that incriminated them - or that it was going to capture them doing something incriminating.

[thatsthespirit]

That's what I'm supposing as well. We all know, after all, that the camera captures images of the first floor.

[though not any of the windows, sadly]

But Xion insists that the windows and door of their room remained locked. So either someone had the ability to open their locked door from the outside, steal the camera, leave and lock the door again, or. . .

[annnnd we're back to her suspecting Tarvek of faking sleeping, I'm sorry Tarvek]

[ceded]

No! I ... I wasn't with Tarvek last week! And I didn't tell anyone that I was going to be with Tarvek this week. No one.

[ This has been frustrating her all day. ]

[thatsthespirit]

[-- ah]

So. . . no one but you two knew that you would be staying with Tarvek to watch the camera this week?

[because if so, then. . . how would the thief have known to sneak into Xion's room for said camera. . .?]

[insincerely]

[Shinnosuke pauses, before:]

Well, I did. Not so much the Tarvek part explicitly, but Xion told me last week she was keeping the camera.

[thatsthespirit]

[sheeee frowns]

You can see where I'm going with that question, yes?

[ceded]

[ .....

Xion just ... kind of looks at him.

She nods in confirmation of what he says, but her eyes don't leave his face. ]

[ceded]

No one but us should have known I was going to spend the night with Tarvek in our room, no. Since I wasn't in my room with the camera last week, I ... don't know how they figured out where I was going to be.

[thatsthespirit]

[glllances at Shinnosuke]

[but she really isn't sure what she thinks at the moment]

Do you think it's possible the Sheriff shared that information?

[impulsiveness]

But if they saw you going into your room that night, it wouldn't have been far-fetched to think you still had the camera in your possession. [... He frowns, troubled.] Not that thinking that way will help us narrow down our list of suspects, though.

[dubiousalignment]

I didn't tell anyone either.

[thatsthespirit]

Tarvek, can you describe the way you suddenly fell asleep to me? And what you felt like when you woke up?

[wtf Milla]

[dubiousalignment]

[Tarvek shrugs, uncertain]

I'm not sure. One moment I was awake, sitting on my bed, the next moment I realized I had my eyes closed and was waking up, I was lying down. My head felt...heavy, I was a bit disoriented.

[It's all vague, yeah, he doesn't really remember anything]

I don't remember anything besides that.

[expelliarmed]

[ A slight wince. ] Sorry. I guess I just assumed. As did the thief, most likely.

[sating]

[ When Hannibal speaks up, it's definitely gently ]

...Instead of Tarvek, it may have been you, Xion. Considering you were the one to find the camera and were willing to put yourself in harm's way to protect it, it would be a reasonable assumption that you would stay with it. They may have only needed to find you.

[hydrokinetics]

[...]

That's a good point. And maybe by killing Riku...they were hoping to draw her attention off of what happened to the camera and focus more on him. [Just a thought.]

[ceded]

[ ......... ]

[sating]

[ Hannibal nods in agreement, though he does have one question with that theory: ]

If so, then why not destroy the camera, though? Or at least hide it.

[ceded]

... but how did they know ... where I would be?

[ She bows her head. ]

Was I too obvious...?

[impulsiveness]

You were in your room. Even if they didn't know where you were, it wouldn't hurt to check there first before anywhere else.

[Just... places a hand on her shoulder? Oh, Xion.]

It's not your fault.

[flippity]

Sorry about the bear trap...

[ sorry they stuck a shoe in it instead of a killer ): ]

[thatsthespirit]

Why are you apologizing? You didn't know what it was to be used for at the time.

[flippity]

We still might have been able to stop someone with it.

[ like, in theory, she knows it's not her fault but also. SORRY THEY STUCK A SHOE IN IT INSTEAD OF A KILLER??? ]