[ 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

[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?

[insincerely]

I didn't mention it to anyone, if that's where you're going with this.

[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?

[ceded]

[ ... ]

I don't know how he would have known, either. The only people who should have been able to tell anyone where the camera was were ... me and Tarvek.

[ Xion frowns. ]

Maybe they just assumed I'd be in my room this week, after I wasn't the week before...? But ... I only made that decision a few days ago.

[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.

[uraniumnumnum]

[ unusually, Ash offers a comment. ]

You assume the killer has access to the same limited information we do. But we already know that there's a network of cameras in place here... and that it's likely they have a master key of some sort to unlock doors in the hotel. I doubt they needed to hear anything from you to know where you'd be.

[sating]

[ He's. Not going to say that staying in your own room was a little obvious, yes. So he just gives her a sympathetic look and a slight incline of his head. ]

At this point, I would suggest swapping the camera around, assuming we get it back. But at that point, you also risk putting it in the wrong hands.

[ He shakes his head, sighs, then adds: ]

If it is returned, we may need to discuss what to do with it again.