Third Trial.

[withthemost]

[The Mayor is oddly silent today. Contemplative. It may have something to do with the wallpaper here now being very obviously reinforced. Don’t try to tear it down again, kids. You won’t like what happens.

Both Martin and Alfred’s podiums have been smashed to pieces, one of those might come as a shock if you weren’t around when the other body was found. But in the end, you’ll have to press onwards regardless of how many people have fallen today.]

Trial start.

Comments

[hydrazine]

But if Alfred killed Martin and there was a bystander who followed him back to the clinic afterwards... Why would the bystander follow him and kill him, instead of just reporting on what they saw here? If they were worried about Alfred trying to go after them, they could have incapacitated him somehow after he was wounded.

[pegathesis]

[...]

Alfred...could have had an accomplice.

[As much as she doesn't want to assume that to be true.]

And when you say it that way, it makes me wonder...if Alfred was working with someone, there's a possibility that they killed him once Martin was out of the way. That way, there would be no risk of word getting out about what happened...and they would be guaranteed the benefits alone of getting to leave and having a wish granted.

[spiritoso]

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe Alfred thought the accomplice would help treat him when they got to the clinic, but he ended up getting killed instead.

[hydrazine]

You have to wonder why they would have worked together in the first place, though. Even if both of them could get the reward... It's been established that whoever kills get executed if we vote correctly, and if we vote incorrectly, everyone else dies. Either way, one of them would have died, right?

It would make sense if the accomplice agreed to those terms if they were planning to kill Alfred regardless, but why would Alfred agree?

[pegathesis]

I don't know. But it's obvious that there was more than one person here for all of this, given all of the footprints.

I mean...it's very possible that Alfred had the same idea to kill his accomplice, but hadn't planned for the fact that he'd get so injured in the process.

[hydrazine]

In that case, what we should focus on is how Alfred died. Based on what Noctis and Prompto said, he was most likely smothered with the pillow, since there weren't any strangulation marks.

I'm also assuming the burnt objects were there because they needed to build a small fire to cauterize the wound, but... Where does the costume come into that?

[junosteel]

Maybe they just needed something to burn. Those costumes were pretty ugly, after all.

[hydrazine]

Fair enough, but had anyone seen it before that? Where did it come from?

[tenrules]

That costume...who owned it?

[junosteel]

I think I saw Martin walking around with it earlier in the week, trying to give it away or something. He must've given it to someone else.

[hydrazine]

...And I doubt anyone is going to admit to having it, even if he did manage to give it away.

[pegathesis]

Well that answers where it came from. It was something Martin had on his person...but is it consequential? Did it actually get burned or was it just...there?

[hydrazine]

If he had it on his person... Why would he have been wandering around the woods with a baby costume?

[pegathesis]

[NVM Sounds like we got an answer on that]

[dearboswell]

The costume... Martin left it in the clinic earlier this week. He wanted nothing to do with it, so I was making use of it- cutting off strips of cloth for bandaging purposes.

Whoever did this. Must have seen it there with the rest of my supplies.

[junosteel]

...

That would explain a lot, actually.

[hydrazine]

Ignoring that, though - his profile doesn't specify that he knows much about medicine, and he didn't strike me as someone from an advanced time period. If he had an accomplice, maybe we should be considering people who would know enough to cauterize the wound for him.

Also - if he was smothered in the clinic, how did he get to Town Hall?

[spiritoso]

Maybe the culprit took him there? But I don't know why they would do that instead of just leaving him in the clinic.

[hydrazine]

That's what I can't figure, either. What reason would they have to move him, if they did?

Maybe figuring out when and how he got the bruise on his head would help.

[junosteel]

Anyone with a basic knowledge of medicine could know how to cauterize a wound. Maybe they wouldn't do it well, but they'd still be able to accomplish it.

[His expression is incredibly focused--it seems like he's in deep thought, his hands shoved in his pockets.]

[hydrazine]

Right. So... Let's think about this. Martin was in the woods when Alfred and an accomplice came across him, and killed him. In the process, Martin wounded Alfred. The accomplice took Alfred back to the clinic, cauterized the wound, then smothered him.

[She frowns.]

I think we might need to think harder on this. We might be assuming things we're not sure of yet. I mean, why cauterize the wound if they were just going to kill him? Maybe he was alone in the clinic and tried to get back to the Town Hall on his own, and ran across the accomplice again on the way.

[junosteel]

...Maybe there weren't enough supplies.

[As he speaks, he briefly takes his hand out of his pocket to scratch the back of his head. Suddenly, an alarmed expression flits across his face, and he quickly shoves his hand back into his pocket.]

[hydrazine]

...Something the matter?

[dearboswell]

Time period has nothing to do with it- cauterization dates back as far as the Middle Ages. And it doesn't take much knowledge to heat up a blade and press it against an injury.

[tenrules]

It is also possible the culprit responsible for Mr. Alfred's death intended to avenge Mr. Septim -- and claim the reward once they realized they were destined to die if they were CAUGHT.