FOURTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

Alright, that's quite enough time. Move along towards the trial, if you would all be so kind. You know what's coming.

[ It's routine by now - go to the vault door, get let into the elevator by Angel, head down to the trial room... it's hard not to notice the losses on the ride down by now, though. Your numbers are starting to really dwindle, even if you're often spread out enough not to notice as much normally. The trial room and its podiums, too, seem more than ready and willing to remind you of the same. The red glow of the empty spaces is constant, potentially unnerving. ]

Remember that as there are two victims to consider, up to two votes may be counted at the end of proceedings. As always, I am but a direct address away, however rude you choose to make it.

Find the party or parties responsible for the deaths of your comrades. And to those parties: Good luck.

[ The screens rise!

Welcome to your fourth trial. ]

Comments

[reallyhatesharks]

I examined the [She hesitates for a moment.] shark tank. Based on the amount of blood in the water, Ema wasn't killed by sharks.

[Is that better or worse? Honestly, Nova doesn't know.]

She was dismembered by the sharks, though, rather than - well. Anna could tell you more about what she found, but spoiler: the missing weapons aren't so missing.

[philoxenia]

[ Wow, don't like that! ]

... It's certainly a way to cover up the cause of death.

[emberserker]

Precisely. They emptied out a fish tank, fed the fish to the sharks, and tossed the weapons in the empty tank. Of course, that means there's no blood on them.

[bogwife]

But why get rid of the fish? They could have just dropped the weapons in the tank and been done with it.

[emberserker]

I suppose to encourage the sharks to eat Ema. Nova, you're the one who knows about sharks, tell us.

[reallyhatesharks]

Oh, they didn't feed the fish to the sharks. They used them like bait.

[bogwife]

Oh. [Yikes.] I see, bait the sharks with an appetizer and then- [ Zaza, do not let your mouth finish that sentence in regards to your dead friend.] Put get rid of Ema then get to the rest of the clean up.

[bogwife]

[Honestly? That is better.]

So someone killed her and then put her in the shark tank to cover their tracks. Do we know her actual cause of death?

[reallyhatesharks]

Gonna guess there was some kind of struggle? Therion found some blood with Ema's luminol.

[bolderfell]

Yeah. Think she was killed in the hall between the maps and the fish, then carried to the tank. There was a blood trail that got mopped up.

[ladygeryon]

...did anyone find a bloody rag or mop?

[bolderfell]

No, but... Ema's coat could've... It was impossible to tell if she was still wearing it or not, in there.

[reallyhatesharks]

Honestly, given that it was still pretty recognizable? Gonna guess she wasn't.

[nothingcanstop]

...There was blood splatter on the wall there. Like...someone got very hurt.

[reallyhatesharks]

Wait, blood spatter? That - was Shelley killed in the hallway and moved, then?

[mouflon]

[ Rin shakes her head. ]

There was no sign that she bled anywhere but where she fell. Just... a puddle under her body, without any sign it had been dragged or stepped through.

[mouflon]

[ hmm!! ]

So why just her? If it was one killer, you'd think they'd dispose of both of them in the same way.

[bolderfell]

We don't know there's only one, but... that's not necessarily why.

[emberserker]

Perhaps they only meant to kill Ema at first, but then they found Shelley later. I doubt there were two killers, since the weapons were all in one place.

[archboxer]

Why not dispose of Shelley in the same manner?

[emberserker]

Perhaps they liked her too much, for whatever reason.

[mouflon]

...The only thing I can come up with is that the evidence on one body was more incriminating than the other. Like, say there was another vampire here... If there were teeth marks on Skye, that would direct us to look to people who aren't human again. So, obviously, the killer would want to make it impossible for us to tell that they were there.

I don't think that's exactly it, but you get the idea, right?

[bolderfell]

...I think it might have been the opposite.

[emberserker]

Why's that? Ema's been invaluable in investigations. Wouldn't anyone want to get rid of their biggest threat to escape?

[philoxenia]

... Shelley was killed first, and Ema walked in on the scene?