TRIAL ONE

[mayorityvote]

TRIAL

Once the various investigations have concluded, and the majority of the evidence has been dropped off with Makima and the ducks -- said ducks will scatter to start shepherding any travelers along to JojaMart, for some reason! Those already at JojaMart have a little less walking to do. Meantime, Makima has loaded the evidence onto the daycare wagon -- carefully packaged, because who wants a spill here -- and driven it off after the ducks.

There is, in fact, a back entrance to the JojaMart -- almost like a loading bay, but once it's opened and the wagon has been driven in, you can see that there's a small podium there along with a number of chairs and small tables. It looks like extra pieces used in either the Community Center or other areas around town may be stored here. The ceiling is tall and it's roomy, there's a scant few windows, but the white LED ceiling lighting and rather bare interior is only livened up by some larger spare whiteboards, extra shelving containing tools and knickknacks and a plant or two.

Once everyone is in -- Adela, Makima, a number of assistant ducks and the current inhabitants of the village -- the loading bay door is tugged closed by some enterprising assistants. There's a small door that probably leads into the front of JojaMart, but that's it. One of the ducks sets about serving tea in the slightly gloomy atmosphere.

You're welcome to examine the evidence in the wagon, discuss amongst yourselves, and figure out whodunnit in these first murders.

(( OOC: Welcome to your first trial! You'll have 7 hours (until 8 PM EST/5 PM PST) to vote one (1) person guilty of murder. As this is scapegoat style, a correct vote is not necessary. Please remember to vote unless otherwise discussed with the mods, as that is our AC for this game. ))

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Comments

[theotherww]

Aha. Most likely the tools used to tear down and rebuild the drywall.

[driftingknight]

... is rebuilding drywall something that takes much skill or knowledge?

[He's used to wood, so! He has no clue.]

[theotherww]

If you don't worry about the finer details, you just need to know how to make drywall mud and mix it, and then use a spackle knife to spread it over the wall and put the pieces back into place. Some kind of knife or saw and a sanding tool would also be helpful.

[driftingknight]

And does this also require a considerable amount of time?

[Trying to establish some sort of timeline here, go...?]

[theotherww]

Depends. If you know what you're doing you can cover a room with drywall in around an hour. This was just one section of the wall, but if they have to create their own mud and possibly craft the tools-- [Unless they have spackle knife sets in the Jojamart, Walter didn't check] -it'd still take at least an hour if we're being generous.

[driftingknight]

Thank you, Walter-san. So the killer would have had to take at least an hour after killing Keito-san to inter his body in the wall...

[truthdefiler]

Not to mention the time needed to carefully cut off the limbs.

[driftingknight]

Yes. Even if they were skilled with a sword, cutting through bone like that would take time.

[liberazoth]

[ vayne looks distinctly uncomfy at the subject of dismembered roommates, but, ]

You'd either need to be pretty strong or for the sword to be pretty sharp to manage that, I think, because the swords in the guild weren't that heavy...

Did they cut through bone, though, or was it more- at the joints?

[driftingknight]

Erika-san said that the cuts were anatomically precise but still had evidence of mistakes, which would seem to indicate the cuts were done at the joints. Even so, that would take a certain amount of strength, as well as knowledge of where the easiest places to cut would be.

[and of course we have multiple JRPG swordsmen here--]

[liberazoth]

So they might know a bit about the human body, but not really how to use a sword, right...?

It was just ... the most convenient sharp object they could find that was bigger than a knife.

[ unless there's bonesaws lying around somewhere in this very normal farming town. ]

[driftingknight]

It's hard to say. I'm afraid I haven't looked to see what other sorts of sharp tools are available here... but if there are things other than swords, then their choice of a sword could mean that it is something they know how to use.

[b_reave]

Would this be a skill one could learn in our week of captivity?

[A couple days to learn and a couple hours to actually complete, at a maximum. Not exactly a good trade school timeline]

[truthdefiler]

Theoretically possible. But it would take a special kind of moron to incorporate something like this into a murder when they barely understand it.

[Not to say it's impossible, just seems unlikely.]

[b_reave]

Should that not narrow our suspects down then? There can only be so many humans here who either already have the knowledge for this, or have the crafting skills to perform it within the week.

[theotherww]

Hm. You have a point. I doubt anyone who needed to ask me what drywall even is would know how to repair that wall.

[Assuming they're telling the truth, at least, but eh.]

[b_reave]

Perhaps that should be our next option then. You would be, of course, on the list considering your expertise.

[Does he fit the rest? Who knows. He certainly knows drywall at least.]

[theotherww]

Technically, yes, I would meet those requirements.

But it'd be incredibly stupid of me to show off my knowledge of something involved with the murder if I was trying to get away with it.

[illprotecteveryone]

I didn't look at that wall of the doggie daycare before today so I dunno much, but if they hid someone there then they had to break open the wall, right? Is drywall easy to break or does it get stronger with time?

[Colette assumes Erika managed to break it easy because it was all freshly made, but if the wall was intact before this all, then maybe someone needed a certain amount of strength to break the wall open enough to put a dismembered body in there?]

[truthdefiler]

(Bingo!)

[She snaps her fingers and grins in a way that is... well... distinctly nasty.]

[unenvying]

What's drywall?????? Is it something you have to take apart specially?

[ explain for the ancient person ]

[faildeus]

It's modern construction material. Much cheaper than wood or concrete, but less durable.

[provocatives]

[hi what's drywall pt 3]

Is that a material that can be found in one of the shops?

[faildeus]

I'll be honest with you, I haven't looked.

[ he shrugs. ]

But back home, they're usually sold by the sheets. Like... you can find it in any common hardware store.

[theotherww]

[Walter sighs. How dare you remind him that his experiences aren't universal.]

What Faldeus said. It's less time-consuming to build than lath and plaster, but it comes with its own problems. And frees up hollow space to hide a body, in the case of our culprit.