A Classic, “Whodunnit?”
“Order! Order in the court! All vote to take a recess?” Shouted the warden. The court was there today on behalf of a murder; Malcom Rogier, 47. There are four suspects in the room: The attorney, the accountant, the grocer, and the sailor; but one of them had to do it. Each of them had a motive, and here are the specifics.
The attorney testified that the accountant, their sister, did it. The attorney couldn’t have committed the murder; they were out with friends that night. Going bar hopping. How would they have committed a murder when they couldn’t even think about what the word ‘murder’ even meant. A load of rowdy people had come in and out of the bars they went to, though. The number of drinks the attorney had had that night was unspecified.
The accountant testified he had no brother, though. How would the attorney have testified that the accountant did it? Plus, the accountant knew exactly how her night went- so did her cat. Having been extremely stressed out from numerous long days at work, she stayed home and read books all night. The only time this ever broke was when she got up to use the bathroom, or get more ice cream. How would she have committed murder? The only thing she had killed was several pounds of Mint Chocolate Chip.
The grocer was at the grocery store all night working overtime. Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day, and he really wanted to get his girlfriend something sweet. However, times had been tough, and he ran low on funds. He coaxed his manager into letting him pull an overnight shift; preparing fresh biscuits, fussing about with the beef, rearranging the frozen foods aisle, cleaning the pop can return bins, and all sorts of other handy jobs. The closest thing he could’ve thought to be a murder was how killer the stacks of ice cream looked. Inexplicably, there was a bloodied knife located around his workplace. The grocer had refused to tell the court what he had used it for.
Finally, we have the sailor; he went on a late night fishing trip with his dog. Having owned an Albemarle fishing boat for a staggering three weeks, he hadn’t gotten an open option to actually go out to the port and fish. All of his buddies had gone out and caught loads of marlin and other fish. He had gone out that night looking to catch fish. The morning of the crime, another bloodied knife, one similar to the one associated with the grocer, was found near his tackle box in that port. Along with the tackle box were numerous fishing rods, a few used medical supplies, and loads of bait used to catch certain fish. A small pool of blood was found near where the boat was stationed. The fisherman was unable to explain the pool of blood, but claimed the knife and medical supplies were used to patch up a wound of his own.
Over at the victim’s house, things told a different story.
In the dead center of the kitchen was his body; Malcom Rogier, age 47, had fatally died of blunt force trauma to the back of the head. Autopsy was unable to determine the cause of how he had died, but a massive red-orange clot near the bottom of the head had told them why. Internal bleeding in his brain; but what could’ve knocked him out? Multiple kitchen utensils were at the scene; knives, spoons, and forks. There was no actual blood located. Only internal bleeding, from what it seemed.
After recess had concluded, the judge determined who had committed the murder. Who did it, and why? (answers + writer’s notes below)
Conclusion: The Accountant.
The accountant killed Malcom with her spoon; whacking him in the back of the head, specifically with a blow to the occipital lobe. Causing internal bleeding, he had died cleanly; no blood was at the scene other than inside his head. Additionally, the accountant claimed she had no brother; and she didn’t. The attorney’s gender was never revealed; only classified as ‘they.’ The attorney was female.
Red Herrings:
- “-there was a bloodied knife located around his workplace” – he’s a grocer; it doesn’t directly imply that he was the murder, but if common knowledge of stores strikes your fancy, you’d know some grocers work in the meat sections.
- “The morning of the crime, another bloodied knife, one similar to the one associated with the grocer, was found near his tackle box in that port.” – any common fisherman would know gutting fish requires a knife. In a rush, the sailor forgot to clean it.
- “-a few used medical supplies” – the sailor, while gutting the fish, accidentally cut off part of his thumb. The medical supplies were used to help stop the bleeding.
- “A small pool of blood was found near where the boat was stationed.” – the sailor’s dog got a little overexcited while the sailor gutted the fish, picking up one and playing with it like a squeaky toy. Blood went everywhere.
- “knives, spoons, and forks” – this assists the reader in the conclusion that the grocer / sailor did it; knives were clearly on the scene.
Clues:
- “The accountant testified he had no brother, though.” – who ever said the attorney was male? it only ever uses gender-neutral pronouns to identify HER.
- “-blunt force trauma” – whacking someone over the head with a knife wouldn’t have been blunt force trauma; it’s likely it would’ve caused blood. But, there was no blood, was there? The accountant whacked him in the head with a spoon and ruptured an artery in his brain.
- “-no actual blood located. Only internal bleeding, from what it seemed. “ – hit someone with a knife, they bleed. Stab someone with a knife, they bleed. Hit someone with a miniature shovel known as a spoon? They don’t always bleed, unless they’re hit in certain places; but that doesn’t count the brain.
