FOURTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ Well! That's sure something, isn't it? There may or may not be a lot of you excited to get down to business, but Jones does eventually move to collect you all and bring you to the theatre. It's a familiar routine by now, perhaps even comfortingly so given the irregularities of this particular killing.

Two of you gone this week. The elevator is started to feel downright spacious, don't you think?

A shanty, as usual, echoes from the crew of the Dutchman as you enter. The room is the same as it has ever been before you as the elevator settles into position. ]

To yer positions, passengers. Chins up.

[ Three more podiums claimed by the rust and wear.

You have your evidence, and you're going to need it before long. The music outside dies down.

Welcome to your fourth trial. ]

Comments

[scouserer]

The spa was on fire.

[He says that as casually as he might recite what he had for breakfast that morning. His clothes definitely at least smell like smoke, at the very least.]

Seemed like someone went and knocked over a buncha candles and essential oils--probably settlin' down for a relaxing evening before being interrupted. The others there could probably tell you more, but I also found this.

[He pulls out the charred sketchbook, setting it forth on the podium.]

Anyone know who this belongs to?

[jibunwo]

[just checking his phone because that's the kind of person he is.]

Albedo enjoyed drawing, according to his profile--it might be safe to say that's where he was when all this started.

[scouserer]

That'd make sense.

[He thumbs through some of the pages.]

If he'd been there, though, there would've been the smell of soot and essential oils on him. Right?

[dokkalfheimr]

Perhaps so, but his hair was wet and we aren't sure why. Wouldn't being there account for that?

[scouserer]

[Constantine perks up.]

Ah, now that's definitely somethin'. That'd line up with everything we've got, so far.

[ahelpingpaw]

Doesn't sound Albedo was killed in the spa because...you know, there was a sword slashing the walls in the bowling alley. Does that mean the killer came later to set the place on fire for some reason?

[The killer probably didn't have time to go setting fires with oils and what not before pursuing Albedo to kill him one floor away]

[scouserer]

Most likely scenario is that they accidentally knocked over some candles in a fight. Since we know they probably ended up at the lounge or bowling alley later, they probably didn't notice at the time.

[He shrugs.]

I do have to note, though--the fire probably wasn't burning for hours on end. Sketchbook's still pretty intact, as you can see.

[scythegun]

I did see him drawing a few times - he was quite good! His hair was wet as well, so that could explain that much, at least.

[ahelpingpaw]

I did find out there were essential oils missing! Everything smelled like it was from them, probably. And also there were wet sooty footprints, kinda, so...I suppose the killer was with the fire for a short while before leaving.

[scouserer]

[Constantine frowns, scratching the back of his neck.]

Did you happen to see what kind of footprints they were? Like...how big they were, so on and so forth.

[ahelpingpaw]

[Oh darn, sorry for not seeing this until now]

W-Well, uh, it's not like I tried to measure them exactly, but from what I remember they were kinda...like this? Kinda?

[He shows a size that definitely fits an adult male's size. Thank goodness the prints were well defined. But yeah, they weren't small]

I dunno if by human standards this is big or small or anything. All I know is that they're not paws and it wasn't Magica either.

[scouserer]

[All good!]

I think given what we know, between Albedo's sketchbook and his wet hair, it's probably safe to say that those footprints were his. So things probably started around the Spa.

[deathmagnetic]

[ ...coincidentally, he just got reminded of something. ]

Albedo's feet had soot on them, so they're likely to have been his.

[scouserer]

Could the other person have possibly gotten soot on their own shoes?

[leaveittomother]

Wouldn't we notice if someone had burns?

[ahelpingpaw]

I dunno...soot's probably likelier. There was a lot of soot in those prints.

[And also soot gets around easier, so perhaps finding soot will help more than a burn? He thinks, at least]

[leaveittomother]

If they actually were on fire especially from an oil fire that'd be more than a little difficult not to get burned. Unless, of course, it wasn't the killer that was on fire.

[thisaroma]

I don't think there's any reason to assume someone got burned...? They probably just tracked soot from being in a place where things were burning.

[thisaroma]

Wait, it was??

[ HE DIDN'T... NOTICE THAT......... ]

[scouserer]

It was.

[In a very flat tone.]

I'm surprised that this ship doesn't have sprinklers or a fire alarm system.

[thisaroma]

Huh... I checked the sauna and snow room before I heard everyone upstairs, but I didn't notice any smoke or anything? I guess maybe if the door was closed...

[scouserer]

Is that so?

[Constantine blinks.]

Wouldn't think someone would revisit the crime scene to eliminate the evidence--to be fair, we didn't know it was on fire 'til we opened the door.

[silentscout]

That's Albedo's. He liked to draw.

[Lalli's expression falls a bit there too.]

[scouserer]

It'd confirm that he was at the spa, originally, before he was interrupted by someone.

[silentscout]

He might have dropped it and ran.