First Trial

[stagemanagers]

[Just as everyone is starting to finish their investigations, there's a slow ominous sound from the lobby.

The gilded doors on the northern wall have opened.

This time, the space behind them is lit; you're free to enter. There's 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 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 Jean Valjean's podium is different - that one is draped in black crepe, with a larger greyscale version of his headshot from the playbill framed and sitting at its foot like a funerary portrait. Standing where he might have stood, a bare lightbulb 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 Balladeer's voice suddenly sounds loud and clear throughout the space.]

Okay, guys, here's how we do trial. I've...never actually been involved in something like this before, but you can do it. Just take all the time you need to talk it out - I'll be right here the whole time. You don't need a unanimous vote, we go by majority rule.

Oh, and don't mess with those buttons until you're really ready to vote. You won't be able to take it back.

...good luck.

Comments

[sunshineprincess]

[The noise is enough to add even more anxiety into Anna's life. This is all too elaborate. Too pre-planned. Seeing Valjean's podium so close to her own is enough to start bringing tears to her eyes. The only solace at the moment is the fact that she has two people she really likes beside her.

Once everyone is in she takes a moment to let people settle down. Hopefully her sister would be proud of her as she decides to take center stage.]

As everyone here knows already, we're here to figure out who murdered Jean Valjean, also know as 'The Breadwinner'. Which I am highly disappointed in whoever did it! [Anyways.] He was a kind old man in the same situation as everyone else here. So... Whoever has evidence they found should speak up first and we can all discuss it. I found something myself, though I don't know what it is. I can pass it around when everyone's had a turn, alright?

[solomonjihad]

[Unlike, no doubt, most of the cast, Astarte is almost swaggering to her podium. Looking all around, she almost smiles.]

Well. Let's begin, shall we?

I examined the body, and found that Valjean was stabbed repeatedly in the chest and face. However, none of those wounds were the fatal blow.

[sunshineprincess]

That sounds... [Painful? Excessive? Like someone really hated him?]... like someone really wanted to hurt him.

[dontfeedplants]

W... wasn't the only one who wanted to hurt him Javert?

[He doesn't want to jump to conclusions, but...]

[sunshineprincess]

[GUESS WHO LOOKS UTTERLY OFFENDED NOW]

No! He only wanted to keep an eye on him! Sir Javert would never stoop this low.

[dontfeedplants]

[Oh god why.]

Sorry! I just... I just don't know who else would want to hurt him, especially on this level.

[sunshineprincess]

Sir Javert is a man of the law, and everyone knows that killing is against the law. Why would his title be 'The Law' if he was going to blatantly break it by committing a crime.

[Elsa would be so proud right now]

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

You shouldn't yell at Seymour-san.

[D-ne's voice is soft. She rubs her eyes, as they hurt from the crying she's done.]

It's a logical conclusion, if a rushed one, given their history. Shouting won't solve this, Anna-san.

[sunshineprincess]

[Anna just pouts at D-ne.]

Just because they have a history doesn't mean he did it.

[dontfeedplants]

I don't know, maybe he felt like he had to kill someone?

O-of course, we still don't know if anyone could actually grant our wishes...

[Rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.]

[sunshineprincess]

We don't even know if Sir Javert even had a wish. Has anyone even asked him about it?

[solomonjihad]

While it would be easy to say that, there is more.

[Silly humans.]

There were two other wounds. One to his neck, one to his right hand. The slit on his neck was too superficial to be fatal, but, the right hand wound was a deep gash.

None of the other wounds were of a similar nature, even though they resulted in decent bloodshed. So, I must propose that the wound which contributed most to his demise, was the wound on his right hand.

[Dear god she is calm.]

[sunshineprincess]

[Wow. You're way way way too calm.]

But how?

[solomonjihad]

A sufficiently deep injury near arterial canals would cause blood loss, and the heart would need to pump harder to compensate. However, without medical attention, the person can die of blood loss, especially if other injuries impair them as well.

A deep gash like the one Valjean sustained, whether or not arteries were cut, with sufficient time could have caused him to die, especially if the other wounds were inflicted while he was still alive.

[She is not ok Anna help]

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

How will this help us find who did this? Can you determine anything about the identity of the culprit from Valjean-san's wounds?

[the lesson is fascinating and all but]

[irreprochable]

Thank you Princess.

[javer clears his throat a little awkwardly hes right here fam]

I am an officer of the law. I have no use for this kind of blatant carnage.

[catliketread]

Right, right, get everything out there for us all to discuss and all that.

[The Pirate King is sort of out of it, but he snaps himself back to attention at that.]

I examined the dining room, and I found several interesting things! And by that I mean blood. There was a lot of blood. There was a blood trail leading toward the body as well as a smaller one leading to the lobby. The first one looked as though blood was smeared across the floor while the second looked like blood droplets. There was also a pool of blood before the shrine that... that he had set up. It looked as though someone had bled on everything. Nasty business, that. The shrine was also messed up - there was blood across it and it was partially off the table. One of the candlesticks had fallen, but after examining it, I couldn't find any traces of blood or denting, so I doubt it was involved in the uh... that.

[The murder, he means.]

[trettende]

[ Hans has been mostly quiet, murder is serious business and hardly the time for smiles. They could be issuing someone's death here, he watches his words. It won't do to issue undue suspicion anywhere. ]

Perhaps the body was moved? Or is it possible the murderer injured themselves?

[catliketread]

It was a large amount of blood, so that does seem likely. I would assume the body was moved if only because it would take entirely too much effort to move the blood and smear it around in there to make it look like a fight took place in there. I can't see a reason for doing that in the first place, anyway.

[So yeah, probably a moved body and an injured murderer.]

[trettende]

So then the question is perhaps, why would they move the body? Especially if they were injured, you would think they would leave it and tend to their wounds.

[ Suspicious indeed. ]

[catliketread]

I've no idea. It's not as though we wouldn't find the body anyway, so what was the point in moving him to the hall?

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Maybe... They tried to get get him somewhere else? They had, ah...another plan, but had to abandon it.

[catliketread]

Actually, maybe Seymour's got it. If they used that blanket to try to move him, that'd explain why they had to wash it, right? Still doesn't explain where they were going to take him or why they just left him in the hallway, but it's an idea.

[irreprochable]

Perhaps they heard someone coming and had to run.

[solomonjihad]

The murder was a recent one, in relation to our waking up, if what has been found adds up.

It is possible.