Part 43: Butcher's MO

[BGM: Fire Breath]


Up the stairs, up the stairs, up the stairs. I started rushing through the third floor hallways, trying to look for any suspicious looking spots. Eventually, I ran across Monkey.

Monkey! Do you know any thing about that gunshot? Maybe where it was fired?



No, I'm just as surprised as you. I think it came from downstairs though.

Downstairs?

Yes, second or first floor.

Second then. Quickly, let's look.

I shall hurry.

Monkey sprinted ahead of me, surprisingly quick, in search of the elusive gunshot. I made my way down the other staircase, onto the second floor. I started spreading out, trying to find any sign of trouble. Instead, I heard Monkey shouting out for me, calling me over to the crime scene. Because of course it was a crime scene. What else could a sound like that lead to? There were no fireworks inside this building, so there was really only one option.

[BGM: Silence]


And sure enough, lying dead on the ground, the body of Dragon was found lying in a classroom's doorway.

At this point, I didn't even feel sorrow or panic. Looking at all these deaths had a numbing effect. All I felt was emptiness, a bitter sting for what might've been. Dragon wasn't the easiest to get along with, but something told me she had a really big heart.

Something told me she would be sorely missed by some.

Eventually, Bunny, Sheep, and Ox all made their ways to the scene. Evidently, my sprint had caught them all off guard, and none of them were exactly able to keep up.

[BGM: Stampede of Truth]


Not again! Not another!

At the mere sight of the body, Sheep started curling up and turning away. Almost absentmindedly, she started wandering down the hallway, unable to take the sight of another corpse. Someone really should've gone after her, to make sure she was safe.

No one did.

Dragon, huh? I thought she might try and confront the butcher, but to end up like this... It's sobering to see.

It's expected to see at this point. How many people is this butcher going to take from us? Why don't they show their face?!

Even though I hadn't realized it, Monkey had also begun to look unwell.



Apologies, everyone, but I'd very much prefer not to be here. I'll keep looking for Trinkets.

And like that, she just walked away. Monkey... She was always so calm in our sessions, so steadfast. Seeing her freak out more than me, it really stopped me in my tracks. Was I becoming too numb to all of this? No, focus. Not the time to be thinking about stuff like that.

I should make sure she doesn't get in trouble. With this crazy killer, it's probably not safe to go off alone like that. I trust you two to take care of any detective work.

Hold up a minute, you don't seriously expect me to let you go like this, do you?

Why not? You don't suspect me, right? We were together ever since the start of the fifth round.

You're right, but-



Relax, I'll be fine.

Without further discussion, Bunny walked away, leaving Ox alone with me.

Sigh.

This has well and truly become a total mess at this point. People are all over the place. The deaths are starting to get hard to track. It's not even worth looking over the scene.

Why?!

What, do you really think there's anything to be solved at this point?



We don't even know if this is the work of one culprit, everyone's alibis and whereabouts are all over the place, there's al most no physical evidence, I just can't see how we're going to be able to find anything to narrow down who did it!

If you think like that, you certainly won't! Is that why you didn't bother investigating Pig's murder? I believe that there's no mystery humans can't solve if they put their mind to it!

Aren't you the optimistic one.

No, you're just pessimistic. Now come on, if you have time to complain, you have time to examine the scene.

Fine. I guess it's worth noting Dragon's body as the first peculiarity.

Dragon's body?

I mean her cause of death.



We heard a gunshot, so I expected someone to be shot, but this is another case where the victim was stabbed in the neck.

I don't know if its relevant, but judging by the location the victim's windpipe should've been punctured, meaning the death would be near instantaneous. That would definitely get blood on the perpetrator, so we can assume they would've had to wash it off.

Again, blood comes up as a pretty big clue determiner.

It tends to be in crime investigation.

I still don't know what to think of the blood situation with Pig's murder. Yes, someone could wash off blood off themselves, but that would take some time, wouldn't it?



I guess Dog did it then. He has no alibi.

Are you sure? That doesn't sit well with me.

Then it must've been a suicide.

Now you're just being ridiculous on purpose!

Is it so ridiculous?

There was no knife by the scene!

Well then, where does that leave us?

I don't know. That's what we have to figure out.

What a joy.



I moved in to examine the cut to Dragon's throat. Yup, it was definitely a knife cut. Didn't seem too clean, though. The killer definitely struggled with the 'slashing' motion.

This was probably made by the Butcher's Knife, right?

Probably. There, on the ground- there's a bullet shot right by Dragon's head.

But not through it.

Indeed. Perhaps we can take this as some sort of warning shot. Say the killer pushed Dragon to the ground, was holding a gun at her.

Dragon made some sort of move, the killer fired right at the side of her head. Then, for some reason, the killer decided to cut things short with the knife.



When you put it like that, it almost sounds as if the killer was interrogating Dragon, trying to get information out of her. But what could that be?

Who knows?

I pushed the door fully open with a shove, and I noticed what looked like water drip down. Drip down? It didn't make much sense to me at first, but then I realized where it came from. I got on my tip toes and pressed my hand to the top of the door. Sure enough, the very top of the door seemed to be... wet.

Wet?

Yeah, wet.

Huh. I've no idea what that could mean.

Maybe it means nothing.

Maybe.



But seeing how water tends to evaporate, I don't think that's the case.

Then how on earth is it relevant?

I don't know, it just is, probably.

Hm. I'm not convinced.

Good for you. Any other bright observations you want to dismiss?

Are there? Um, let's see... Okay, this could be nothing, but this isn't an arts and crafts classroom, right?

Right.



Then why's there a bundle of string over there?

Where?

There, right between the tape dispenser and the pencil sharpener.

Oh, I see it now. I don't know, it could be used for weird math measurements, maybe some student's project.

I think you're the one reaching for straws now.

I guess. If we're done with the investigation, we should get out of here. Standing in a room with a dead person is giving me the creeps.

Agreed. Come, we can have a discussion in the hallway.

…

[BGM: Silence]


I feel like we don't know anything more than we did when we started this thing.

I thought you were supposed to be the optimist.

I'm the realist. And I really think we're boned.

I agree. At this point, it might just be most effective to just find enough Trinkets and stay as a group.

So that's it? We just give up on thinking?

It was your suggestion!

I know... It's a bad one.



We can't give up. The butcher's identity... when we put together all the clues, it's got to give us an answer.

Oh? Then enlighten me. Who should we be afraid of?

Let's look at this logically. Horse was shot at the beginning of this game. Pig was choked to death at some point after we all split up to input our moves for the fourth round. Dragon was then stabbed some time after that.

You and Bunny have been together ever since the group got back together, so there's no possible way either of you could've killed Dragon. And of course, I'm not the killer. And if we trust Brian, then there should only be 12 people in this building.

Given all the available suspects, all the clues found at the relevant crime scenes, the alibis of the people involved, and the motivation behind that piece of evidence, I think only one person fits the butcher's MO.