Maria+Capetta+Whodunit

__ Original Whodunit __
==== The train moved through the rural country land, only a few passengers were traveling out of the city. A couple, about three rows back sat talking quickly but in whispered tones so as to allow no one to hear their conversation. The woman, typical young blonde with blue eyes, seemed frazzled and angry while the man, brown haired and much too old for his companion, ignored her outrage and focused intently at the back of a blonde woman’s head that sat in front of him. Two rows and on the other side of the train sat a small older man with a cane and glasses. To the front of Lindsey saw a red haired woman is a black coat, stocking and heels with a small brown haired child. ==== ==== Just as the train passed a group of tall trees the lights went black and the train jolted to a stop. The passengers sat captive in the darkness waiting for some sign that the lights would return. Within a few seconds the lights returned and the train began to move along its path. Suddenly a woman screamed three rows behind. The whole train turned in surprise to the sight of the young blonde woman screaming at her partner’s bloody skull. The man’s head slumped against the window and his wide gray eyes stared straight out at the passengers shocked faces. ==== ==== The old man stood slouched over his seat, shocked but trying to move his way up to check the man. The red haired woman stood in the seat across from the now dead man and her child stared over the seat four rows in front of her while the two blonde women cowered away from the dead body. ==== ==== On arrival at the next station, the conductor was notified of the horrific situation and instructed to contact the police. Detective Mitchell Repak boarded the train and examined the body. Upon closer look, the dead man, now identified as Henry Rodgers, was found to have been murdered by a blunt force hit to the head. His wife, the blonde woman who had sat next to him during the ride was identified as Anabella Rodgers, was questioned further. Detective Repak concluded that Mr. Rodgers had been a rich business man and the two had met through a close friend who had recommended Mr. Rodgers try Anabella after a hard break up. Though the two were sixteen years a part, they immediately hit it off and were married within four months. After questioned on if there had been any problems recently or if Mr. Rodgers had any secrets that could have been linked to his death, Anabella reviled that even after six years of marriage, the pair had begun to fight and Mr. Rodgers had been unfaithful in their marriage. The blonde woman who had sat in front of the couple on the train confirmed hearing them arguing just before the lights went out about “another woman” and heard the mentation of “his child” more than once. She also stated that his wife had been hysterical and “very upset” over the topic while her husband acted like this was of no worry to him. When the detective questioned Mrs. Rodgers about this child she stated that she had found letters in her husband’s office from a woman named Cheryl detailing her child which she claimed she shared with Henry from years ago. This woman asked Henry for money to care for his illegitimate child in return for keep the child’s father a secret. Whether Henry paid her or not, Anabella did not know nor did she care. All she cared about was figuring out if her husband had cheated on her or not. ==== ==== Next Detective Repak questioned the older man. He recalled the lights going out and the train coming to a stop. While in the darkness he had heard the faint but quick movements of someone moving down the aisle, which he looked at with disgust because the floors were black with dirt from commuters, coming to his seat and then moving away from him before the lights returned. He reported that his cane had been lost during the whole debacle and cursed his forgetfulness as he hobbled back to his seat on the train. Finally he came to the woman and her child. Her name was revealed to be Cherry Lourde and her son Charles. The pair was traveling home out of the city. Cherry had been there to find work but had sadly not found any and was returning home for the night. The conductor confirmed that Cherry and her son regularly went in and out of the city, looking for jobs and she had become friendly with the crew. Miss. Lourde had raised her son on her own since he was born seven years ago. She said that he had never met his father and that the man had not been involved in his son’s life ever. Miss Lourde had ripped a hole in her stocking and had black feet. When asked why she claimed that it was just from trying to find work all day and walking in heels. She always kept a new pair of stockings and flats in the large shoulder bag she carried close to her side but had forgot to change on her ride home. The two were struggling on their own but had recently come into enough money to keep their house while Cherry sought for work. The murder if Henry Rodgers was committed by blunt force trauma to the head by someone who had a vendetta against the wealthy business man. ====

Captain Capetta,
==== We are investigating the case of Henry Rodgers and his young beautiful wife Anabella Rodgers. The man was murdered on the train when the lights went out and came to a stop. Someone on that train hit him in the head hard with some heavy object. The question is, who on the train had the motive to kill him? In detective work, the answer is usually not the most obvious but the hidden detail left in plain sight. I have questioned all of the passengers and have two suspects that I wish to bring in for further questioning; Anabella Rodgers, his widow, and Miss. Cheryl “Cherry” Lourde. These two women were both on the train at the night of the murder and both have motives to have committed the crime. ==== ==== First, __a woman who believes she has been cheated on by her husband__ will seek revenge for being wrong. The saying there is no wraith like that of a woman scorned could all but be true if Anabella Rodgers killed her husband. She had reason to believe he had been unfaithful in their marriage and had a child with another woman who wrote him and asked for money. After further examination of the body, the weapon that was used in the murder was most likely the older man’s cane, which he reported missing after the whole ordeal. __The fact that__ Anabella could easily grab the cane and hit her husband in revenge when the lights when out suggests that she was the killer, but in fact further evidence proves she is innocent. ==== ==== The older man stated that he heard footsteps as soon as the light went out moving towards him and then away from him again. __A person who is sitting and can reach the object would not run to get it__ but would instead reach around and hit her husband with it, never making the sound of someone running. Cherry on the other hand, from where she was sitting on the train, __would have had to make the sound of barefoot running__ in order to pick up the cane and hit Mr. Rodgers on the head, hide the cane in her large oversized purse, and put her heels back on, while slipping into the seat near the couple without being noticed. ==== ==== “Cherry,” as she introduced herself to me, had a motive to kill Henry Rodgers. He was the father of her son, Charles, and her real name was Cheryl Lourde. Mrs. Rodgers had found letters written to Henry from Cheryl asking for money. Mrs. Rodgers had not known if he paid her or not, which he did, but not enough so that Miss Lourde could stop traveling into the city everyday with her son to find work. Because Mr. Rodgers was a successful businessman he would have paid her to keep quiet about their illegitimate child. __A man trying to protect his reputation would give in__ to black mail and __a woman scorned by her child’s father would have the motive__ to kill him. Cherry also lied about her name and __a person who lies about their name suggests they have a secret,__ like the seven year old son of a wealthy businessman. Miss Lourde also moved her seat and had black feet after the lights went out, confirming the older man’s testimony that he heard someone run towards him and then sit just slightly in front of him. __A person with black feet is likely to__ have ran on the dirty floor barefoot. Also Cherry was friendly with the conductors and could have asked them to stop the train and turn out the lights so she could enact her revenge on Rodgers. __A person with the help of the train operators could__ arrange for the train to be stopped and the lights to be turned off. ==== ==== Miss Cheryl “Cherry” Lourde should be brought in for further questioning and should be considered a highly probable suspect in the murder. She lied about her identity and had a stronger motive than the wife to commit the murder. She is a prime suspect and the most likely murderer of Henry Rodgers in the case. ====