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

[heathencall]

Considering what I was able to do with Jonny, we can either eliminate me if there was a struggle, or consider me a suspect if there was not.

[musacal]

[ nod nod ]

Yeah, she's small enough you could have probably princess carried her if you needed to.

[ a pause ]

Also, for the sake of transparency... I do have some musculature from ballet and other dance practice, as well as my height, but I wouldn't be able to carry her that far so easily I think. But I also don't think it'd be that much of a struggle for me to do so either.

[ like maybe a LITTLE bit of one but like. Not enough to trample, she thinks. ]

[heathencall]

[Hm...]

... They could have needed help.

[musacal]

Help?

[heathencall]

Another person to carry the body.

It's hard to imagine one person could trample the grass to that degree.

[musacal]

Would that mean there's an accomplice?

Like... another mole? Or maybe even the..

[ she pauses and looks up at box 5 ]

Phantom?

[heathencall]

The Phantom told me that he would never interfere directly with a case. I don't know if that extends to his employer.

... If that is the case, whoever did it would have to close enough to be trusted, and willing to die for whoever did it.

[musacal]

Oh yeah... that’s right.

[ It’s been a long month, she forgot. ]

Hmmmmmmm...

Should we try... checking for grass or something? On shoes?

[ Might go nowhere but grasping at straws. ]

[holyspit]

It probably can't hurt, at least?

[heathencall]

That might be a good start.

GRASS CHECK

[musacal]

Okay.

[ SO... SHOE CHECK TIME? Nana’s are clean by the way. ]

[37773972]

[Stephen will mutely raise his shoes - they're clean.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

That I can do.

[Christine takes off her shoes to display the bottoms. There's about the usual amount of dirt on them, considering she's at the cemetery regularly.]

[holyspit]

[Steven was out in the garden with Anne, so his sandals might've picked up some stuff? But nothing that would seem to indicate mass grass trampling.]

[likemypicture]

[Anne's ruby slippers are mostly clean. There is some grass there.]

[justmeheere]

[Jeremy's shoes are clean. Like weirdly clean.

Actually, you don't think you've seen him wear these shoes before.]

[musacal]

[ ??? ]

Are those new, Jeremy-kun?

[garbageface]

Yeah, weird time to suddenly get style, dude.

[justmeheere]

I. I. I. I don't know.

[That's fine.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

...

[Christine looks even more horrified than she did when everyone was accusing her.]

Jeremy... where are your other shoes?

[heathencall]

[Squeezing her shoulders.....]

[justmeheere]

I don't know. I don't.

[Hey fun fact! He's not wearing Michael's jacket either.]

I didn't mean to do anything,
I never meant to hurt anyone!
I try, I try to be a good kid -
Not a good kid
No one's son

[garbageface]

[ Santana shows off her clean shoes! ]

[heathencall]

[Mephisto's shoes probably have mud and hay bits on them considering the stable hunting but... probably not what you're looking for!]

[holyspit]

I'm- usually pretty strong? But my powers still aren't working. So. Maybe?