101. JJBiener - July 15, 1999 - 7:33 AM PT
Diva - NO.
102. theDiva - July 15, 1999 - 7:34 AM PT
Killjoy. See if I let you play my maracas.
103. BunEBear - July 15, 1999 - 7:41 AM PT
I would like it if Mr. Snodgrass (or his stand-in) would recount for us, as best he can remember, the details of his argument with Mr. Kinsley on the airplane.
"In fact, now that I think about it, he seemed a bit unsteady on his feet too, and was perspiring quite heavily." Do you mean over and above the normal male reaction to MsTower's charms? (smiley)
104. cllrdr - July 15, 1999 - 7:41 AM PT
J.J. -- Rush off to see "Eyes Wide Shut" this weekend, ASAP. It's crucial to the *mise en scene* of this thread.
105. Marlow - July 15, 1999 - 8:23 AM PT
The autopsy report arrived by courier as I sat in the bar last night nursing my third Anchor Steam. It confirmed my suspicions of murder and provided some light on how the murder was committed.
The autopsy showed the Kinsley suffered from chronic low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia. His behavior the night he died showed the symptoms clear as a bell to anyone who knew what to look for.
His blood alcohol level was consistent with the two or three drinks MsIvory said he consumed in her presence. Those drinks, though, may have cost him his life. Alcohol has the effect of further suppressing blood sugar making him even more disoriented.
The report also noted a tiny puncture wound on Kinsley neck near his carotid artery. There was also an unusually high level of insulin in his blood stream. Based on his blood chemistry, the coroner believes he must have been unconscious when left the balcony. Apparently the murderer used an injection of insulin to render Kinsley defenseless then used the fall from balcony to make it look like suicide. The empty medicine bottles were a plant to support the suicide theory.
The report placed the time of death between 10:00 pm and 10:25 pm when the body was found. The police interviewed the man in the room beneath Kinsley. He said he heard a scuffling sound coming from balcony above. He placed the time at 10:12 pm because he had just set his alarm clock to wake him the next morning and turned out the light. He was able to hear the scuffling because he had left his balcony door open to get some air.
My next step is to take another look at the police report of the murder scene and interview the potential suspects. If can narrow down the list based on alibis, maybe I can find a motive.
106. JJBiener - July 15, 1999 - 8:29 AM PT
BunE - The argument between Irv and Kinsley was about the future of the Fray. Kinsley saw it as a luxury that could be disposed of if necessary or if it became more trouble than it was worth. Irv saw the Fray as a real online community and he was pushing Kinsley to allocate more resources to improve the Fray and solve some of the persistent problems. Kinsley was being very bottom line about the whole thing and became angry when Irv continued to press his case.
107. JJBiener - July 15, 1999 - 8:31 AM PT
Cllrdr - I have been seeing the hype surrounding Kubrick's swan song. It has been getting mixed reactions locally. Did you see it? What were your impressions?
108. cllrdr - July 15, 1999 - 8:32 AM PT
Hmmm. Looks bad for Irv.
109. BunEBear - July 15, 1999 - 9:09 AM PT
It would be interesting to find out if any of the suspects is diabetic (thus having easy access to insulin).
110. benear - July 15, 1999 - 9:13 AM PT
My advice, Marlow: lay off the Anchor Steam. One of the worst beers ever made. That shit'll kill you.
111. benear - July 15, 1999 - 9:16 AM PT
So far, it still looks like an accident to me. Kinsley was doing some sort of hypoglycemic mambo with Diva when he got dizzy and accidently fell over the rail.
OTOH, maybe Ricky Martin did it.
112. JJBiener - July 15, 1999 - 9:26 AM PT
Benear - Diva was going on stage with the band at 10:15. There is no way she could have killed Kinsley at 10:12, taken the main elevators down to the lobby and made it to the stage in 3 minutes.
113. theDiva - July 15, 1999 - 10:56 AM PT
Mambo with *Kinsley*? MOI?!?!?!
Please. I have my standards.
Besides, I'm deathly afraid of needles.
114. cllrdr - July 15, 1999 - 11:44 AM PT
"Cllrdr - I have been seeing the hype surrounding Kubrick's swan song. It has been getting mixed reactions locally. Did you see it? What were your impressions?"
It's really quite an extraordinary piece of work. I've been posting about it in "Movies and Television" this morning. My only regret (outside of the "obstructed view" problem, which is a whole kettle of fishiness in and of itself) is that Kubrick cast Chipmunk Boy rather than 109 who would have been ideal for the part.
115. colossus - July 15, 1999 - 11:45 AM PT
Solved by a simple syllogism.
All Slerbs are killers. RosettaStone is a Slerb.
The killer is the balefule Rosie 'o Slerb
116. colossus - July 15, 1999 - 11:47 AM PT
Cllrdr,
I noticed in the trailer that Tom Cruise has protruding nipples.
By virtue of vast experience in this area, such men are usually gay.
Perhaps you should think of a sequel?
117. cllrdr - July 15, 1999 - 11:48 AM PT
Ah, but Rosie has gone and changed his handle again, you know.
In Table Talk he's "Ned Flanders" these days. "Ned" has yet to make an appearance in The Fray. I await him with baited breath and gat at the ready!
118. cllrdr - July 15, 1999 - 11:51 AM PT
"Protruding Nipples with Titclamps" might do for a title for such a sequel.
In my experience I've found it's not how much your nipples protrude so much as what you do with said protrusion. That's where the gay part comes in.
119. JJBiener - July 15, 1999 - 11:57 AM PT
BunE - The best thing to do would be to question the witnesses/suspects. I don't think the killer is likely to just volunteer the information.
120. colossus - July 15, 1999 - 12:20 PM PT
"Protruding Nipples with Titclamps"
Absolutely. Such devices lead to protruberance. Now MAYBE Kidman uses these devices on Tommie, but then again, maybe he sneaks away to the Gauntlet.
But I digress...
121. bubbaette - July 15, 1999 - 3:51 PM PT
the adams mark doesn't *have* balconies. what gives here?
122. JJBiener - July 15, 1999 - 7:15 PM PT
Bubbaette - Haven't you heard of poetic license? This is fiction, if I want the Adam's Mark to have balconies, it has balconies.
123. OhioSTOPAS - July 15, 1999 - 7:22 PM PT
Where's DanDillon?? Kinsley was arguing with someone on his cell phone the afternoon of his death. I didn't hear what Kinsley said, but Dan was right there and I'll bet he heard everything.
124. JJBiener - July 15, 1999 - 9:52 PM PT
Ohio - I'm not sure Dan would have heard much. I'll talk to Marlow and see if he can track down any calls to and from Kinsley's cell phone.
125. bubbaette - July 16, 1999 - 8:01 AM PT
there were two keys to kinsley's room. diva and i were the first to arrive and found jj arguing w/ the desk clerk. he was picking up the keys for *all* the guests and we heard jj tell the clerk that kinsley insisted on a room w/ a balcony and wanted two keys. jj appeared startled to see the deev and i behind him w/in ear shot.
btw, deev and i are really put out w/ this whole thing. we had been working on new renditions of "soldier boy" and "going to the chapel" for our singing debut that night, but never got the chance to try them out.
126. cllrdr - July 16, 1999 - 8:06 AM PT
The fact that JJ has all the keys is the most disturbing aspect of the story so far.
127. JJBiener - July 16, 1999 - 9:41 AM PT
Checking out alibis ran me straight into a dead end. All of the potential suspects were in the banquet room at 10:25 pm when the body was found. If we use the statement of the man in the room below Kinsley's we can place time of death as early as 10:12 pm. The street below is seldom used at that time of night especially on a Sunday night. It is possible that the body had lain there for 13 minutes before being discovered.
The band took a break at 10:00 and returned to the stage at 10:15. There was a fair amount of milling around during the break, so someone could have slipped out and gone up to Kinsley's room shortly after 10:00. I decided to time how long it would take to get from Kinsley's room at the back of the hotel to elevators at the front, travel down 14 floors and get to banquet room. Even with the elevator waiting, I could not make the trip in less than 5 minutes. This means the killer should have entered the room after the band had started its second set. None of the witnesses could remember anyone coming in after the band had started.
Dead end.
Maybe there was something in the police report I had missed. I took the report up to the murder scene and tried to picture everything as it was described in the report.
The door locked automatically, but it wasn't bolted or chained.
The room was dark when the police first entered shortly after arriving on the scene. The only light in the room was the glow from Kinsley's laptop. The curtains and the door to the balcony were open.
There were two full sized beds in the room. Kinsley's suitcase was open on one of the beds. The clothes Kinsley had been wearing were laid out on the same bed. The pockets of his pants held his wallet, a card case, keys to his home, office and two cars, $3.52 in change, and a key card for his room. A second key card was found on dresser.
128. JJBiener - July 16, 1999 - 9:43 AM PT
Kinsley's laptop was open and on and sitting on the table when the police found it. Kinsley would have had his back to the door if he had been sitting at the table using the computer. The program running was his email program, Microsoft Outlook. It was in this program that he had entered the note that the police mistook for a suicide note. No address was filled in, and program confirmed that it had not been sent. The only fingerprints on the computer were Kinsley's.
There was no sign of forced entry, and no sign of a struggle.
Surgical gloves and an empty insulin syringe were found later in the dumpster behind the hotel.
I was getting frustrated. I decided to follow up on JJ's request and get a copy of Kinsley's cell phone records. The call witnessed in the lobby was to a woman in Kansas City, Kansas. It wasn't a name I recognized, so I called her to find out if there was any connection. When she answered, I told her who I was and why I was calling. She immediately hung up, and refused to answer any more calls. I gave her name and number to the police to see if they could get any better information from her.
I went to the bar and ordered a double Glenfiddich. I hated like hell that someone had died on my watch. I hated it even worse that I could nail the one who had done it.
129. JJBiener - July 16, 1999 - 9:45 AM PT
Sorry, guys. Those last two posts were Marlow's. He was using my machine and forgot to change the login.
130. wabbit - July 16, 1999 - 10:30 AM PT
OhioSTOPAS,
I thought you might have overheard me ask DanD what was up with Kinsley. DanD told me he didn't know.
Of course, DanD could be a lying weasel.
131. Marlow - July 16, 1999 - 11:14 AM PT
One additional note. About halfway through my second Glenfiddich, I noticed JJ at a table at the far end of the bar. He was having a tete-a-tete with a woman who looked vaguely familiar. It took me a minute but I finally identified her as Ann Wagner. She had hired me several years ago to do some background checks. The last I heard she was the Missouri State Chairman for the GOP. She had a legal pad out on the table and she seemed to be taking rather detailed notes. They talked for about 45 minutes. Wagner then glanced at her watch gathered up her things and left. JJ finished his drink, paid the waitress and left a minute or two after Wagner. If he saw me, he gave no indication.
I couldn't connect this with anything, but it seemed to be an interesting detail that might be useful. I made a mental note to ask JJ about it the next time I had an opportunity.
132. bubbaette - July 16, 1999 - 11:23 AM PT
marlow
i think you're making a mistake by running all this info by jj and taking his suggestions. if jj aint the murderer, then i bet he's in cahoots with the murderer.
133. Marlow - July 16, 1999 - 11:37 AM PT
Bubbaette - That thought had crossed my mind, but JJ has a good alibi. He was on stage in front of a room full of people at 10:15. As far as I know he doesn't have a motive. He may have set all this up, but I am at a loss to know how he did it.
134. wabbit - July 16, 1999 - 11:43 AM PT
I heard that JJ is considering a move into politics and that he had discussed this with Kinsley. I don't know any of this for sure, of course, but it would explain Wagner's presence.
135. bubbaette - July 16, 1999 - 11:48 AM PT
marlow
well jj *did* have access to the room keys. just becuz both keys were in the room at the time the cops checked the place doesn't mean that the killer didn't leave the key after he'd finished the dirty deed.
jj could have pulled a batman stunt and left kinsly hanging by a fuse or something that would have kept kinsly aloft long enough to give jj time to get back downstars and establish an alibi.
as to motivr, jj seemed to think that most everybody, including kinsley was too liberal, and we all k now that those right wing types are really murderers at heart.
136. benear - July 16, 1999 - 12:15 PM PT
Congrats, Marlow on kicking that nasty Anchor Steam habit.
hmmmmm, the only light in the room was the glow from the laptop.
Don't all laptop screens automatically shut off to preserve battery power? What was the time interval set for on his laptop? You know, the time between the last keystroke or last mouse click and the time the screen goes dark.
137. Marlow - July 16, 1999 - 12:17 PM PT
Bubbaette - I agree with you that the killer could have left the key card. I had assumed that Kinsley was expecting someone who was going to be staying with him, which is why he asked for two keys. It is likely that whoever he gave the second key to is the murderer. How do we determine who had the second key? There were no usable fingerprints on the card.
As far as the Batman device, I would think there would be some evidence left behind either on the body or on the balcony. There was nothing to indicate the use of a device or a fuse.
If JJ is the killer, I am confident that he didn't kill Kinsley for being liberal. There would have some overwhelming reason for him to do it.
138. Marlow - July 16, 1999 - 12:24 PM PT
Benear - Most laptops can sense when they are plugged in go into a different power saving mode from when they are operating on batteries. The laptop was plugged in the wall and the internal modem was attached to the data port on the telephone.
139. benear - July 16, 1999 - 12:34 PM PT
Aha! He was surfing the net. Was reading the Fray. Accidently came across my Modern Drama thread......and died of boredom.
Case closed.
140. cllrdr - July 16, 1999 - 12:46 PM PT
Actually the killer found him reading the "TOM CRUISE IS AN ASSHOLE" thread in Table Talk -- and offed Kinsley for deserting the Fray.
141. alistairconnor - July 17, 1999 - 10:54 PM PT
To continue on the antipodean lead (see Message #85), I have checked out the S***o family's itinerary in more detail.
As I had surmised, Mr.S himself had flown straight from New Zealand to St Louis, changing planes at LAX, and arriving the day before the Frayunion. I have no way of knowing what he did once he arrived. Again, I appeal to those present at the Frayunion. He must have been skulking around somewhere, and he's not exactly inconspicuous. In fact, he is such a suspicious-looking character that I'm amazed he ever makes it through airport security without a body search.
Mrs S, however (a beautiful American), left a week earlier, in the direction of... Seattle.
142. alistairconnor - July 17, 1999 - 11:41 PM PT
It was plausible that Mrs S had gone to Seattle as an intermediary for M*****h, to negotiate the Slate buy-out with Gates. But in view of what happened, perhaps there was more to it?
I decided to check with the only reliable person I know in Seattle, namely Kurt Mondaugen, to see if he knew anything of the whole affair.
In fact, he had seen Mike Kinsley a few days before the Frayunion, in one of Seattle's avant-garde night spots. Kinsley was jerking around awkwardly to a techno beat in the company of a strikingly beautiful young woman. Kurt greeted him, and Kinsley, laughing excitedly, presented him to his companion as "Kurt Mondaugen - the fraygrant". This irritated Kurt, particularly as Kinsley made no effort to present his companion. He could see that she had recognised his name however. Kurt mentioned the impending Frayunion, asking Kinsley to send his regards to his friends there. Kinsley hardly seemed to register this, he was too intent on gazing at the young woman, stroking her arm and giggling. She cut the conversation short by literally leading him away.
143. alistairconnor - July 17, 1999 - 11:54 PM PT
Kurt told me that his initial impression was that Kinsley was head over heels in love with this woman. However on reflection, he considered that Kinsley's behaviour was also consistent with that of a user of ecstasy, particularly a first-time user.
This encounter may have nothing to do with anything; neither Kurt nor I have met Mrs S, so we have no proof that the woman at the night spot - and by extension, the woman sharing Kinsley's hotel room in St Louis - is indeed she. She does however fit those elements of description that Mr S has let slip over the years.
144. cllrdr - July 18, 1999 - 6:54 AM PT
Hmmm. "Mystery Woman"! Not any of us Fraysters I would imagine.
Or could it have been CalGal in disguise?
145. thoughtful - July 20, 1999 - 9:27 AM PT
Of course, the killer did *have* to know MK was hypoglycemic -- a good dose of insulin will kill anyone.
146. Marlow - July 20, 1999 - 12:02 PM PT
I met the police detective in the lobby of the hotel to exchange information. He said it had taken a bit of doing but they finally got some information from the woman Kinsley talked to in KC.
Kinsley was planning to use the woman to blackmail someone. She was supposed to "admit" to having an affair with the person being blackmailed, unless Kinsley's conditions were met. Then she was to disappear. Unfortunately, Kinsley like to play his cards close to his chest. He had never given her the name of the person or told her what his demands were. The argument on the cell phone in the lobby of the hotel was over the woman trying to back out of her end of the deal. She had suffered a bout conscience and didn't want to go through with it. Kinsley was upset because he said he had already put the plan in motion, and he said it was too late to stop it.
The detective and I discussed the note typed on Kinsley computer and the condition of the room when the police first entered. I told him, "There are a couple of things in the room I'd like to look at again. I keep thinking I've missed something."
He said, "I know how you feel. I feel the same way."
He led me from the lobby past the banquet room to the kitchen. "The service elevator is much faster," he said. When I stepped onto the elevator, I suspected the truth. When I stepped off on the 14th floor, I knew for sure. A handful of phone calls confirmed it.
All that was left to do was to gather everyone together and let them know what I knew. Then it would be up to the police to finish this business.
147. JJBiener - July 20, 1999 - 12:08 PM PT
Marlow has figured out the mystery. Have you? Email me with the who, what, where, when and how at jjbiener@yahoo.com.
148. cllrdr - July 20, 1999 - 12:08 PM PT
Everyone is advised to read (or re-read) Poe's "The Purloined Letter."
The truly ambitious might also want to check out Lacan's seminair on Poe's story, and Derrida's seminar on Lacan's seminar.
In other words, that room had best be examined carefully.
Kurt Mondaugen, btw, is now Mauricio Kagel.
149. alistairconnor - July 20, 1999 - 6:23 PM PT
I don't see that we have any information on who Kinsley might have wanted to blackmail. And I really don't see who we can rule out as blackmailee. I mean, just think of the impact on Diva's image if it was revealed that she was having an affair with a woman. Or Cllrdr's.
The only new element is that with the goods lift business, anyone could have done it, including the members of the band. But that doesn't in itself rule out the possibility that the murderer was not an attendee. And no-one has accounted for MrSocko's movements yet.
150. alistairconnor - July 20, 1999 - 6:29 PM PT
(oops. I let that last bit slip)
One thought : We can rule out Irving as blackmailee, because he's allowed to have three wives anyway.
I see that people are starting to take the Slate sell-off story seriously : This comes from "Today's Papers" :
"Bouyed by news of the verdict and rumors that the software giant
will spin off its Internet properties, the papers report that
Microsoft became the first company to top $500 billion in market
value."
151. cllrdr - July 20, 1999 - 6:34 PM PT
Bill Gates?
Makes sense, no?
152. alistairconnor - July 20, 1999 - 6:48 PM PT
Ah, Kinsley was blackmailing Gates, to sabotage the Murdoch deal? (oops). Indeed. Gates would therefore have a double motive, get rid of blackmailer and eliminate troublesome obstacle to the sale, facilitating the handover to the Murdoch/Socko team.
Although if the hotel and Marlow can rule out the possibility that a non-attendee committed the murder, this would point to a right-wing fraygrant, acting as accomplice of either Socko or Gates, or (wow!) both, who might be be expected to favour a Murdoch takeover on political grounds.
Holden, for example?
153. cmboyce - July 20, 1999 - 8:02 PM PT
Well, I don't know enough about Holden Caulfield to have an opinion about his motives, but he seems suspicious if only because he hasn't appeared much. In fact, I don't think he's been at all present except in the account of Cellar's joke about his Diet Coke consumption. Perhaps he drank so much of the stuff because he was diabetic, and being diabetic had easy access to insulin.
So: hypothesizing the above, can a motive be plausibly delineated on the basis of a marked inclination toward the Press Lord? Or anything else?
OTOH, I don't recall any evidence to tie HC to any time frame, and since Marlow has figured it out, he must have that worked out in detail. Hmmm. Any ideas?
I think I'm buffaloed, pure and simple.
154. cmboyce - July 21, 1999 - 6:52 AM PT
Message #153: "Hmmm. Any ideas?"
Well, I guess not. So, I'll take a stab without benefit of counsel. JJ, an email will be winging its way to you shortly.
155. JJBiener - July 21, 1999 - 7:12 AM PT
CMBoyce - I'll be looking forward to it.
All - If you have any questions about the evidence, Marlow has offered to answer as best he can.
156. bubbaette - July 21, 1999 - 7:29 AM PT
hmm
jj had access to insulin as a diabetic. he had access to the room key, which could have been concealed from the victim. he also was in his hometown and would have had the chance to scope out the scene of the intended crime to determine that the service elevator was quick. he also has motive, 1)as he percieves kinsley as a liberal, and 2) he didn't want to hear diva and i sing that night.
jj is the murderer.
157. cllrdr - July 21, 1999 - 7:36 AM PT
LOL!
158. wabbit - July 21, 1999 - 8:39 AM PT
But JJ *was* on stage, bubbaette, so the three of you are off the hook. Irv is out as well, since it is a well known fact that he wouldn't have any idea how to run a non-Mac laptop. Could have been Cllrdr, though the timing is tight. Nah, too obvious. DanD and OhioSTOPAS were watching MsIT, Holden was getting wasted on Diet Coke, and none of them were noted to have left the room at any time. Let's see, uh, ummm, mmmmm,
nevermind.
159. judithathome - July 21, 1999 - 9:00 AM PT
Holden couldn't develop diabetes from Diet Coke...it's sugar free.
160. cllrdr - July 21, 1999 - 9:08 AM PT
And speaking of Holden -- I'm sure the killer is a devoted reader of "The Catcher in the Rye"
161. judithathome - July 21, 1999 - 9:09 AM PT
cllrdr:
Nice.
162. bubbaette - July 21, 1999 - 9:15 AM PT
where was blaise?
163. OhioSTOPAS - July 21, 1999 - 2:28 PM PT
The solution . . .
Still reeling from the amorous charms of MsIvoryTower, Kinsley staggered to his room. He opened his balcony door for air. When he did, the rocking blues sound of "Just Water" filtered into the room from below, augmented by the angelic backup vocals of Bubbaette and TheDiva. The sound of their lovely voices added to the spell cast by MsIT.
Like a mariner drawn to the sirens, the dazed nerd staggered out to the edge of the balcony to better hear the heavenly harmonies. Closer . . . closer . . . and then tragedy.
Murder? No.
'Twas beauty that killed the geek.
164. JJBiener - July 21, 1999 - 2:39 PM PT
Cllrdr - (Clap, clap, clap, clap. . .) Bravo. Well Done.
Nice try. I actually toyed with a similar idea, but I decided a real murder would be more satisfying.
165. bubbaette - July 22, 1999 - 6:08 AM PT
allright then, whodunit?
166. cllrdr - July 22, 1999 - 6:38 AM PT
Hey, we're just getting started here, bubbaette. It's not "I suppose you're wondering why I brought you all here tonight" time yet.
167. bubbaette - July 22, 1999 - 6:53 AM PT
oh. scuze me and carry on.
168. cmboyce - July 22, 1999 - 11:14 AM PT
Wait a minute! I don't want to interrupt any brilliant exercises in speculation and/or detection (or non-brilliant), and dragging things out is OK with me, but I was under the impression that it just about was such time.
Having begun to post (and being unwilling to trust Slate's momentarily functioning system) I cannot get back to find the post, but I believe JJ said it was over and solved and invited conclusions. And I've *already guessed*! (cmboyce grimaces in chagrin) Well, if any of you guys say anything *really significant*, I'm gonna vote again. ;^P
I guess my verbs give away the fact that I haven't a clue. So don't mind me. I liked Ohio's scenario as well as anything I've considered, anyway.
169. bubbaette - July 23, 1999 - 6:26 AM PT
"I liked Ohio's scenario as well as
anything I've considered, anyway."
Me too -- I've never been considered a siren before, except maybe of the police car or ambulance variety.
170. judithathome - July 23, 1999 - 7:59 AM PT
So when will the culprit be exposed? When will the little grey cells put forth the answer to this mystery? Can I possibly write another sentence ending with a question mark?
I guess my answer is yes.
JJ, how many people have sent you the answer to this mystery, thus far? (Wow, yet another question mark!)
171. cmboyce - July 23, 1999 - 8:03 AM PT
????????????????????
(You're right. It's easy.)
172. JJBiener - July 23, 1999 - 8:05 AM PT
Judith - A couple of people have been close. I am planning on posting Marlow's conclusions later today. That gives you and the others a little while longer to send me your solutions. The email address is jjbiener@yahoo.com.
173. judithathome - July 23, 1999 - 8:05 AM PT
cm:
???????????????????????......AND fun!
174. Marlow - July 23, 1999 - 3:52 PM PT
I had gathered everyone together in the banquet room to tell them the final results of the investigation. They sat nervously waiting and wondering who among them had resorted to murder and why. I went around the room looking each person in the eye. The killer's eyes looked tired and resigned.
"When we first began this investigation, I tried to discover the motive behind Kinsley's death. Generally, if you know why someone died, it isn't hard to find out who was responsible. Unfortunately, discovering the motive proved difficult.
"What proved even more difficult was the fact that everyone who potentially had a motive, the people in this room, had what seemed to be a perfect alibi. I was in this room with you, at least most of you, when the murder took place. The others, the members of the band, came in moments later. The logistics of getting from the murder scene on the 14th floor to the stage in under three minutes seemed impossible using the public elevators or the stairs.
"Following up on the Kinsley's cell phone call in the lobby lead us to the motive. Kinsley was blackmailing one of you. The motive unfortunately didn't lead us to the murderer. The discovery of the service elevator near the banquet room did. Using the service elevator, the murderer could get from Kinsley's room to the banquet room in just under 2 minutes. The band had used the service elevator to bring their equipment up from the parking garage. Since the elevator was in the kitchen, no one else would have known it was there. The band no longer had an alibi. Kinsley was killed at 10:12 pm. The killer was downstairs by 10:14 pm and on stage at 10:15 pm. A few phone calls confirmed that my suspect was in fact diabetic and had access to insulin and syringes.
"This is how I believe the deal went down. JJ can correct me if I get any of the details wrong.
175. Marlow - July 23, 1999 - 3:53 PM PT
"A few months ago, the Congressman in JJ's district, Jim Talent, decided to run for Governor of Missouri rather than defend his seat in the House. Seeing an opportunity, JJ began discussions with members of the state GOP to take Talent's place as the Republican candidate for the seat. The Missouri GOP leaders saw several things in JJ's history and character that would lend themselves to a successful campaign.
"Meanwhile the Democrats had also targeted the seat as a must win in order to regain control of the house. Kinsley saw an opportunity to guarantee the seat even though the district has a majority of Republicans. He was blackmailing JJ to throw the campaign. He knew enough information about JJ from lurking in the Fray to set up the trap. He knew enough to know that the Woman in KC was believable enough to fly with the media. He also knew that JJ would do anything to prevent his family from getting hurt. What Kinsley didn't consider was that when a person has his back to the wall, he doesn't always act in what would objectively be his best interest.
"Kinsley agreed to speak at the Fray Union as an excuse to come to St. Louis and confront JJ in person. They had already been speaking for two months as Kinsley's cell phone bill indicates. My guess is that initially Slate was going to support JJ in his bid and then shortly before the election, it would be used as the instrument of JJ's self-destruction. It was a brilliant political ploy, but it had one problem. Kinsley didn't realize that JJ is not one to go quietly into that good night. JJ found an escape hatch. Kinsley had to be alive in order to carry out his plan. Without Kinsley, the trap disappears like smoke in the wind.
176. Marlow - July 23, 1999 - 3:54 PM PT
"That meant JJ had to get rid of Kinsley without any suspicion falling on him. The easiest way was to engineer Kinsley's suicide. He arranged to hand out all of the keys so that gave him the opportunity to get a copy of Kinsley's key card. He also made sure that Kinsley's room was high enough so the fall would be fatal. Unfortunately for him, Diva and Bubbaette overheard him while he was arranging this.
"When Kinsley arrived, JJ gave him one of the two keys and kept the other. He had already gone out on the internet and found a pharmacy and psychiatrist and created the fake medicine bottles. He had the syringe and insulin with him because he needed it himself. All he needed was the right opportunity.
"At 5:45 pm JJ left the cocktail party in order to give himself an insulin shot. It was obvious to JJ that Kinsley was hypoglycemic since as an insulin-dependent diabetic he has to watch for those symptoms in himself. Even if Kinsley hadn't been hypoglycemic, the shot of insulin would still have rendered Kinsley unconcious.
"The drinks Kinsley had at dinner and the small amount of food he ate, made his condition even worse. By the time he made his speech and made it up to his room, he was fighting to stay awake. Instead of going to bed, he began to work on his computer. I believe he was working on an email to JJ when the band took a break at 10:00.
"JJ slipped out and took the service elevator to the 14th floor. JJ knew it was there because the band had used it to bring their equipment up from the parking garage. The kitchen staff saw JJ go through so many times with equipment, they didn't notice when he went through again.
177. Marlow - July 23, 1999 - 3:55 PM PT
"On the 14th floor, JJ let himself into Kinsley's room. Kinsley was sitting at his computer with his back to the door. The TV was on so Kinsely didn't hear him. JJ came up behind and grabbed him covering Kinsley mouth. JJ probably warned him that if he struggled, JJ would break his neck. JJ then injected him with a fast-acting insulin. The insulin rendered him unconscious. JJ planted the medicine bottles, left the key on the dresser, turned out the lights and the TV, and then pushed Kinsley's unconscious body from the balcony. I don't think JJ ever looked at the computer screen and he was as surprised as anyone was when the police considered it a suicide note.
"As soon as the body fell, JJ was out of the room and onto the elevator heading back to the stage. He had blocked the elevator doors from closing so it would be there when he left Kinsley's room. He made his appearance on stage just as the other members of the band were coming on. In the confusion, no one knew he was gone.
"He later disposed of the gloves and syringe in the dumpster not wanting them to be discovered in his room."
I looked at JJ. He was sitting with his head in his hands. I asked him, "Is that a pretty accurate account?"
"Close enough," he replied.
It was at this point that the police detective walked in. We had planned for him to arrest JJ, but he informed me the plans had changed. It seems that the prosecuting attorney was declining to prosecute. Insufficient evidence to stand up in a trial. No one was more surprised than JJ when he walked out of that room a free man.
178. JJBiener - July 23, 1999 - 4:01 PM PT
I hope everyone enjoyed that. No one got everything right but congratulation go to Bubbaette and CMBoyce getting close.
I look forward to any comments and suggestions. What did you like or dislike? What could be improved? Should we do this again in the future?
BTW, has anyone seen my checkbook? I have to make a rather large campaign contribution.
179. cllrdr - July 23, 1999 - 4:14 PM PT
Yes let's do it again!
This time the victim should be Rosetta Stone.
180. IrvingSnodgrass - July 23, 1999 - 4:40 PM PT
JJ:
Well done!! (except for being guilty of offing Kinsley, of course)
I'm sorry I wasn't around to take part, but I've read the thread with a great deal of enjoyment.
I definitely would like to do this again, if you're willing, hopefully when we don't have so many fraygrants on vacation. I'd like to see more people involved. We'll keep the Marlow ID active for next time.
181. benear - July 23, 1999 - 4:49 PM PT
So, is JJ going to be arrested by his alter-ego? Will his superego be his defense attorney? And where was his Id while the murder took place? Was his murderous ways brought on by his overriding sense of guilt that he is a Repug and not a particularly compassionate one at that?
182. IrvingSnodgrass - July 23, 1999 - 7:01 PM PT
I've RIPed this thread, but I'll keep it around through the end of next week so everyone can read the exciting conclusion to the mystery.
183. OhioSTOPAS - July 24, 1999 - 4:59 AM PT
Bravo, JJ! (Uh, not for murdering Kinsley, but for a clever mystery.)
184. bubbaette - July 26, 1999 - 5:08 AM PT
JJ
Is that an example of that "compassionate conservatism" we've been hearing so much about lately?
185. JJBiener - July 26, 1999 - 7:03 AM PT
Bubbaette - You know me better than that. Besides "compassionate conservatism" is redundant.
186. bubbaette - July 26, 1999 - 9:44 AM PT
I thought maybe you were just trying to put him out of your misery.
187. JJBiener - July 26, 1999 - 9:56 AM PT
Bubbaette - If I were to do that, there is a whole list of people who would come before Kinsley. BTW, I have started on the next mystery. I am changing the format somewhat so everyone has access to the same information at the same time. It will be more of a directed short story rather than an interactive event. That is pretty much how the last one ended up even if it wasn't intended to be that way.
I got a post card from Marlow. After he wrapped up the case, he decided to take a few days off and he headed to his fishing cabin in the Ozarks. He says he'll have one hell of a fish story when he gets back.