THIRD INVESTIGATION

[whimsicalism]

There was a party on the night of the first murder, wasn't there? That time it had been your hosts hosting it even if they didn't make an appearance. Now, at least the Queen had been able to talk with many of you in public. Surely this sign of goodwill as Halloween quickly approaches will last throughout the weekend.

Neither the threat of memories or the promise of a wish could shake such new goodwill, could it?

Comments

[whimsicalism]

[Okay, working from the shore inward through the playground... let's start with the obvious.

There's a blood trail.]

[battlestations]

[well then, Nagisa's been sent to follow the trail in the direction of the rack and so he'll follow it in the other direction. But while he walks, how does the trail look? He'll tip his shades down slightly because if they're small drops of blood he probably couldn't see their color that well.]

[whimsicalism]

[Well, it's sort of in a zig zag pattern. It leads from the cove, through the playground to the pit. It looks like maybe something was dragged through here? It's sort of hard to tell.]

[battlestations]

[go home murderer you're drunk

He's looking around now - are there drag marks or is it just the blood?]

[whimsicalism]

[There are drag marks, yes!]

[battlestations]

[Interesting. Nigel thinks there would be a pretty big difference in looks if it were Neku vs Lena being dragged, so he'll make a note of if the width of the drag marks seems closer to one or the other. He assumes it's Neku cause who among us could not lift a duck, but we gotta be thorough here.]

[whimsicalism]

[It's on the smaller side. There's also a few feathers. Unless Neku's a chicken, it likely wasn't him.

There's also something with the playground equipment itself.]

[battlestations]

[OK SO AFTER A BIG SQUINT IN WHICH HE UNBLURS THEM LITTLE BLOTCHES, SOME KIDS WEAKER THAN EXPECTED, GOT IT.

He turns slowly to the playground equipment, having seen something in his peripheral vision, and pushes his shades back onto his eyes so he can actually make it out.]

[whimsicalism]

[As he moves... there's a bullet stuck in the wood of one of the slides.

If he goes over to inspect it, the casing is in like the bark or gravel of the playground. He probably can step on it by mistake.]

[battlestations]

[Does it look like that's where the blood trail started then?]

[whimsicalism]

[Strangely? No.]

[battlestations]

[That IS strange. Is the end of the trail within sight?]

[whimsicalism]

[It ends at the pit.]

[battlestations]

[oh good, then he gets to see Neku's body while he finalizes this trail.

He presses his sunglasses a little closer to his eyes, letting nothing escape, as he turns back around. The time has yet to come. It's not clear yet whether his teenage ally died as a hero or a traitor.

One more thing about the trail... are there any indications that the 'chicken' might have crawled? Hand prints, flipper prints?]

[whimsicalism]

[Alas, Neku.

There are some drag marks but no hand prints or flippers here.]

[battlestations]

[hm.

He has a bad feeling about what this suggests.]