fourth trial

[stagemanagers]

[When the investigation finishes, the lights begin to flicker on and off as that low, gentle rumble echoes through the opera house. Again for those investigating the grounds the outdoor lights illuminating the still night flicker to get their attention.

Your intermission is ending. Please return to your trial room.

The court room looks just as it did before: the grand chandelier glittering above your heads, the dusty red velvet seats. In the orchestra pit your circle of wooden podiums are waiting. Angus, Riley and Shilo's podiums are draped in black crepe with their greyscale funerary portraits, just like your friends before them. The ghost light glows softly behind the podiums.

The curtain is closed, waiting to open when a decision has been reached and the execution can commence.

When everyone is in their places, the Phantom's voice echoes loud and clear through the theatre from his place in box 5. He still sounds distracted, just as he was for his other public appearance this week, like there are other things weighing on his mind.]

You must now determine who was responsible for the death of Shilo Wallace. Submit your vote on the podiums when you are certain of your choice.

[Gather your evidence and let's begin.]

Comments

[37773972]

Like what?

[garbageface]

The fabric? Maybe? I’m not sure why I found those things together.

[37773972]

...

[He holds up the weeding fork]

This looks like it's been cleaned recently. Do your nails, too?

[garbageface]

They looked clean when I found them. Maybe the killer was cleaning them in the bathroom?

[37773972]

[He hates they're getting smarter]

Then why would they leave the hammer there, instead of hiding it with the rest?...other than splitting it up, which...

[Stephen sighs, and runs a hand through his hair in frustration]

[garbageface]

They could’ve needed to bail because they were like, about to get caught or something. Or they’re just messy.

[heathencall]

Why hang up fabric, though? [A moment of thought...]

Do you think the fabric was meant to cover up a wound on the attacker?

[garbageface]

Yeah, or stop the bleeding. Maybe they cleaned up Shilo’s body before it was moved. Was there any blood on the way to or in the garden?

[likemypicture]

Not in the garden. I thought it was strange-- when I found her, it seemed like there wasn't even anything wrong. And when I found the wounds, there... wasn't as much blood, as there should have been.

[heathencall]

Likely washed away, if this happened in the stall.

[Murder horf!!!!]

mods?

[37773972]

Let's assume she...it happened in the stable, which explains why a part of it was cleaned. And that she was moved.

[He's visibly uncomfortable just thinking about this. It's not getting easier, not when he was just starting to really get to know her. But for her sake...]

If everything else doesn't match, we can change it. But...this way, it'd make sense that either the fabric was used to staunch or hide the bleeding, or keep it from getting on to the person who...attacked her.

Which'd mean that they went to the costume room, first, and cut a piece out- and went back to hide the evidence? [He frowns, not sure it's right. But...]

Phantom? Did- whatever that sickness was. [fucking magic bullshit] Did it go away the minute she died?

[inside_yourmind]

It did.

[37773972]

So if they did it while they were sick, they weren't sick anymore.

[He's quiet, then, softly;]

I know I was seeing things. If it wasn't for the pamphlet Jeremy found, I'd wonder if maybe they saw her as someone else.

[heathencall]

... The Pamphlet could have looked different as well.

[likemypicture]

So someone could have thought she was someone else, and--

[heathencall]

If they realized their mistake, perhaps that's why the tools were gone. They wanted to prevent this, any of this, from happening again.

Repenting for their mistake?

[likemypicture]

I don't know about that. Remember all those candles?

[heathencall]

[Uuuughh.]

A wish for peace for us after this trial was over?

[Since when does he argue for the goodness in people! This place is the worst.]

[likemypicture]

Or they think they'll get away with this.

[and since when does she argue for the bad in people???? IS IT OPPOSITE DAY?]

[37773972]

There's eight of us left.

[MINUS ONE VICTOR WOULD MAKE SEVEN CANDLES]

[likemypicture]

They think we won't figure it out

Or--- they think we'd all be willing to lay down our lives, for them to get away with it.

[madgiganticfeelings]

...so whoever planned this is planning to get out without us.

[musacal]

<[ oh

DON'T LIKE THAT... ]

[justmeheere]

Wouldn't you, uh. Hide them? If. If you were trying to. Do that.

[heathencall]

They may not have gotten that far?

[Listen he's still trying to hope that this was all a bad accident. He's not ready for another Riley moment, or to find out that one of you bastards was Angus-ing all along.]