first trial

[stagemanagers]

[Within a few minutes of the performers is finishing their investigations, the lights in every room flicker on and off several times. For those in or close to the lobby, they hear a faint rumbling. The gilded doors across from the heavy wooden front doors (which have always been there, the showrunners may have gotten to indicate them on the map) have opened.

Your intermission is ending. The show is about to begin.

The space behind them is lit; you're free to enter. It's a very short hallway, decorated in the same way as the lobby with the light walls and red carpet. There is one more set of doors to pass through and then you're all, finally, in the House. There's one grand chandelier above, glittering crystal, and the seats around you are made of fine, if dust-caked, red velvet. Those don't seem to be for you though - all the way down in front of the stage, where the orchestra might sit, there's a circle of wooden podiums. They're arranged so that everyone can face each other and are fixed into place. Each one bears a metal plaque with a cast member's name engraved on it. There's also a metal panel on top, with twenty ivory buttons paired to everyone's name.

Among these, only Jonny's podium is different - that one is draped in black crepe, with a larger grey-scale version of his headshot from the playbill framed and sitting at on top like a funerary portrait. Standing where he might have stood, a bare light bulb glows faintly atop a metal pole.

Right here, you're very close to the stage. But the curtain is closed, and it's a little too high to easily clamber up. You may not want to try. You've got more important business right now, after all.

As everyone is finding their places, the Phantom's voice suddenly sounds loud and clear throughout the space. If anyone is to look up, however, they'll see the dark suited figure of him and the whiteness of his mask peering over the edge of box 5.]

You must now determine who was responsible for the death of Jonny D'Ville. Submit your vote on the podiums when you are certain of your choice.

Comments

[reassuranceandrevolution]

He had mentioned before he heals very quickly. Could the healed cuts on his knuckles be from a fight with his killer?

[mcfife]

Now that you mention it...that's a possibility. I was thinking that he got those a while ago, as it would have been impossible for a fight with the killer to last that long.

[etincelledefierte]

That makes sense, actually. There was a mannequin that was knocked over in the costume room. If there was a fight in there, the mannequin could have been knocked over during it.

[isawallflower]

Could you...tell what knocked it over? [ She winces. ] That's probably a stupid question. But- he was fighting it a lot yesterday. To...I think get out his aggression? Maybe he was there, first.

[etincelledefierte]

I couldn't tell at a glance, no. If Jonny was fighting it a lot yesterday, it's entirely possible it was knocked down during that. It's just as possible that it was knocked down during...

[She shudders, shaking her head.]

...whatever happened in there, but based on the bloodstain, I think that's where he was actually killed. Unless there was a bigger stain in room 20.

[revelfree]

There was not. Save for the residual blood left on his person -- [Rather than. You know. In it.] -- there was not much blood to be found.

[mcfife]

Then how was he moved all the way to the closet?

[Looking at Claudine.]

Could you find any drag marks?

[37773972]

[Stephen's been mostly quiet during all this, but finally clears his throat]

For what it's worth. I think whoever did this was strong enough to carry the body.

There weren't any drag marks in the hallway, but there were a few blood droplets. Which means either he walked himself after being stabbed, or...was carried.

[mcfife]

I wouldn't discount either possibility, but... [Considering the makeup of this group] There aren't many of us that are strong enough to carry him.

[37773972]

Yeah. Most of the kids are out of it.

[...]

Carrying him...might cause some blood to go on you. Should we check for that?

[herwiggles]

Hmmmmmm.... Should we check?

[etincelledefierte]

There was the blood trail from the costume room to room 20, but no drag marks that I could see. The murderer might have been strong enough to carry him?

[etincelledefierte]

[She nods.]

The bloodstain in the costume room was a pretty large one. I think that the murderer must have taken him from the costume room down to room 20, which explains the trail of blood in the hallway.

[Claudine hates this so much, and she's still only as calm as she is because she's doing her damnedest to act like she's in a murder mystery play. The way she's started to hold on to the sides of her podium indicate just how stressed she actually is.]

[musacal]

...But then why no signs of dragging? Jonny wasn't the tallest man here but he was still on the taller side... most of us would to drag his body to room 20, right?

[holyspit]

Maybe they couldn't get in?

[mcfife]

Why Room 20? It's a long way from the costume shop to there.

[reassuranceandrevolution]

Unless the culprit didn't bring out the knife immediately.

[mcfife]

They would have to, in order to stab him from the front. It's difficult to pull out a different weapon in the middle of a fight.

[reassuranceandrevolution]

Unless it was already in the room and they grabbed it off of a table.

Can you pass the ring over?

[mcfife]

[He walks across the trial room to hand it to Sigyn.]

mods?

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[She takes it carefully and inspects it closely]

Was it his or could he have gotten it from the merchandise booth?

Re: mods?

[revelfree]

[Ariel is also peering over. He's gotten three rings from the booth, does it look anything like the ones he's received?]

[stagemanagers]

[It does not. The other three are cubic zirconia while this one looks to be an opal.]

[stagemanagers]

[Jonny did have a ring he wore on his finger but it was a plain band without a stone.]

mods?

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[Is there anything distinct about the ring?]