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

[madgiganticfeelings]

I'd assume that that would have been where the murder was... what with them cleaning up the blood.

[musacal]

Mmm...

The barn is multi-level, with hay on the upper level... and that thing looks like it could be useful for getting hay if you had a hard time getting some.

Is it possible... that it fell or was dropped on her?

[heathencall]

And here I thought you were going to suggest that the killer encouraged the horse to press the fork into her back

[musacal]

.........................

...I'm not even sure how that would work, Mephy.

[ oh no when did she pick that nickname up ]

[heathencall]

[Makes a face!!! He's going to have words for Christine about that nickname]

[madgiganticfeelings]

I never told her about that! Just Stephen!

[holyspit]

[Stop besmirching the horse's good name, the horse is an innocent in all this probably.]

[Or it's somehow the mastermind.]

[One of those.]

[holyspit]

Oh. Or- she fell on it?

[Or was pushed.]

[musacal]

Oh! That could also be possible!

In which case it might not just be the wounds that caused her death.

[holyspit]

Hitting her head on that floor AND getting stabbed...

[That. Would really suck?]

[musacal]

There's a reason for her to be up there too, if she liked our horse friend... [ since its. food is right there. ]

[holyspit]

She did really like the horse. She came out to check on him last week after- you know, everything.

[heathencall]

That. Seems far more accurate.

I don't know that a the weapon falling would be accurate enough to pierce her in such a way.

[A beat.]

... The other option is that the killer leapt from above to strike her? The could have been smaller and needed help in increasing the force of the attack?

[justmeheere]

Yeah but. How. The wounds are on her back?

[If you come from above, like. You'd hit shoulders or something.]

[likemypicture]

Or.... the weapon was nailed to the wall, and she backed into it?

No, that feels too ridiculous.

[holyspit]

...Were the nails Santana found all straight, or did some look like they'd been hammered into something?

[stagemanagers]

[They were all straight!

the only straight things here lol]

[justmeheere]

No, that - just, like. Statistically there's not enough. You'd need force.

[musacal]

Oh... yeah that's a good point. I guess it wouldn't be high enough to create enough force...

[ listen she goes to a theatre school, you think they learn that stuff there ]