Murder Mystery Thread

Sgt. Serious · Jan 28, 2017

...ok...so not Mafia but just kinda felt the thread might sit in here better, anyways...

When Colonel Herbert was found dead in his study one morning with a knife through his neck, suspicions fell on the members of his household.

There were no signs of forced entry anywhere in the building, and no public impropriety on the Colonel’s part to make enemies.

As Police scrutiny intensified the Colonel’s sister Vivienne consulted her friend, Mary Miller, who had an almost obsessive interest in mystery stories and made a hobby of deduction.

‘The thing is my dear’ Vivienne said ‘the police are quite right to be looking at the household. William was the pillar of the community but in private he was positively beastly’

‘We were all terrified of him, and he would fly into the most violent rage over the tiniest things. He saw off ever suitor I ever had, even one or two I was quite fond of. If the culprit isn’t found, I fear that I might end up spending my twilight years in prison’

It was therefore agreed that Mary Miller should talk to the entire household, one at a time, about the fatal evening.

‘We’ll have to start with you Vivienne’ Mary said

‘Me?’ Vivienne looked shocked

‘Who else?’

‘Of course’ she sighed ‘Wonderful, please do have a seat. So what transpired?’

‘Well you know most of it. My brother was in his study on Monday night, taking care of some paper work. I left him to it and went to bed about 10 o’clock. Sophie the maid went into the study to tidy a little after seven the following morning. That’s when she discovered the body. She shrieked persistently enough to wake the whole place up. The police said that he must have died before midnight.

Next came the maid Sophie. ‘It was horrible, ma’am. The Colonel was still in his study when I went up before 11. I could see the light under his door, Miss Herbert was already asleep, I could hear her, on account of my room being below hers. Next morning I got up at my usual time, five-thirty, did the fires, cleaned the kitchen floor and started on my rounds. I opened the study door and there he was, dead as a fish. I slammed the door shut and screamed my head off. Couldn’t bring myself to go in the room. Mr. Hunt was the first to get to me.

Mr. Hunt was the family butler ‘I returned from seeing Cook home at nine forty-five that evening. Miss Herbert went to bed shortly afterwards, and the maid wasn’t much later. I went to my bed after she’d retired. I looked in on the Colonel before doing so, to ensure he had no further needs for the evening. I was breakfasting the following morning when I heard the screams. I discovered the maid in considerable distress outside the study. Cook arrived a moment behind me, so while she consoled the girl, I opened the door to investigate. I understood her distress as soon as I got the light on. Colonel Herbert was quite dead, having vented a lot of blood. The carpet is completely ruined, I’m sad to say.

The cook, Mrs. Palletier seemed unbothered by events ‘I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, but womankind is safer without that man walking the earth, let me tell you. I heard Sophie’s screams and made my way to the Colonel’s study. Hunt flicked on the lights, and I heard him gasp a little. The old man was as dead as a doorjamb. Personally, I reckon the gardener did him in’

The gardener, Lou Dotson, was curt about the whole affair ‘I was home on Monday with my wife. When I came in Tuesday the old buzzard was already dead’

With everyone interviewed, Mary called Vivienne back in. She hugged her friend and said ‘Good news, I know who killed him’
Click to expand...

Who is the murderer and what tipped Miss Miller off?

Hint: Light!

King_Kenny · Jan 28, 2017

The maid, she lied saying the light was on at 11PM, yet the light was off in the morning?

Joga bonito · Jan 28, 2017

CTRL-F "Light"
Yes, as KK pointed out, is the discrepancy regarding who said the light was on/off upon finding Col. Herbert crucial?

Sgt. Serious · Jan 28, 2017

Along the right lines but not quite...

Hashtag55 · Jan 29, 2017

Mr Hunt ?

PorkchopExpress · Jan 29, 2017

The maid. Why was she at the study that late if the butler saw her go to bed shortly after vivienne?

Mr Sheen · Jan 29, 2017

It was Andy.

Vote Andy.

Scumbag

Sgt. Serious · Feb 3, 2017

The murderer is the maid, Sophie. She claims to have opened the door to the study, seen the Colonel then slammed the door shut and started screaming. But both the butler and the cook attest that the study was dark, and that the corpse didn’t become visible until after the light was turned on. If Sophie didn’t enter the room, she couldn’t have turned the light off, so it must have been too dark to see anything in there. She knew the body was there because she killed the Colonel, unable to bear anymore of his abuse.

Sgt. Serious · Feb 4, 2017

Brent Flippance looked decidedly out of sorts. He was unusually pale, with dark smudges under his eyes, and his customary brisk gait had given way to a sullen slouch. Watching him approach, Jon Shurey quickly decided to change plans and suggest a coffee shop rather than the game he had obtained tickets for. Arsenal would probably lose anyway!

‘You look dreadful’ Jon said, by way of greeting. Brent nodded ‘Two hours sleep. Maybe less’ ‘Coffee?’ ‘You’re a live saver’

Ten minutes later, the men were seated at a quiet table in the corner of a café. As soon as the waitress was out of earshot, Brent leaded forward.

‘I’m in a bit of a bind ‘ he said quietly. ‘I could do with some advice Jon’

‘You know I’ll give it my best shot’

‘Thanks, I had a break in at the house yesterday’

‘I’m sorry to hear that’ Jon said ‘did they take anything of value?’

Brent nodded glumly. ‘Well, yes. The thief broke a window in the dining room and made off with a rather precious gold statuette from the hall. But that’s not the problem. I was attending a meeting in town yesterday. Wayne Claridge, my housekeeper, was off sick. My friend Jamie Richardson – he’s been staying for a few days – was there, but he says he didn’t hear anything’

Jon arched an eyebrow at Brent’s curious phrasing. ‘he says?’

‘He’s even wilder than ever, Jon. I get the impression that he's only here because someone is trying to collect on a debt. I don’t see why a thief would know to go straight for the statuette, ignoring some other nice pieces in the dining room. Jamie suggested that the gardener’s new lad might have seen something. Maybe he's right. But I can’t help worrying that he might have taken it himself. If he has, the last thing I want to do is involve the police. Jamie’s a damn fool, but he is a friend. If it’s not him though, I’m risking repeat attacks, and I won’t be able to claim for the losses’

‘I understand completely’ said Jon, nodding ‘Why don’t you show me the scene?’

A little while later, the men were round the back of the house. The broken window was a gaping mess. The flowerbed beneath showed signs of trampling. Jon approached it carefully. There were several large footprints dug deep into the ground, with glass and shrubbery crushed into the soil in a pattern of sole that strongly suggested a work-boot of some kind. The prints were not visible on the grass or the lawn.

‘Size 10 I’d say’ said Jon. Brent nodded ‘Jamie is a size 7 before you ask’

They went into the house and Brent led Jon to the dining room. ‘The thief opened the window through the hole, then climbed in’ Brent said. ‘I’ve left the room alone, in case the police need to see it. There’s still a bit of mud on the sill of the broken window’

Jon knelt down by the window and ran his hands over the carpet slowly. ‘There might be a little mud here, too.’ He straightened up, and put a sympathetic hand on Brunt’s shoulder. ‘Let it drop, Brent. I’m afraid it was clearly Jamie.’
Click to expand...

How does Jon know?

Hint: Window

PorkchopExpress · Feb 19, 2017

The window was broken from the inside, as the glass was in the flower bed outside. If it had been broken from the outside, the glass would be on the carpet.

YYYEEEEEAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Sgt. Serious · Feb 20, 2017

Very good

Any interest in more?

PorkchopExpress · Mar 6, 2017

Sgt. Serious said: ↑

Very good

Any interest in more?
Click to expand...

I love these things. Keep posting them I will keep attempting them.

Hashtag55 · Mar 6, 2017

Sgt. Serious said: ↑

Very good

Any interest in more?
Click to expand...

Yup

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