Ah! Now we're running at full speed.
It is difficult to single out one thing that I really like about this story so far. If I was pressed, it would be, as stephensmat2 suggests, have to be the classic 'whodunnit' feel to the entire narrative. There is a famous Poirot story where the detective is housebound and his sidekicks have to act as his remote eyes and ears. This story feels a lot similar, especially with Bruce asking seeming irrelevant questions of Selina.
It is pretty clear that Bruce knew something was up and, more importantly, something was likely to happen at the party, which is probably why he, who normally avoids social functions like the plague, had wangled an invitation for himself. It is also pretty typical for him not to mention the likelihood of mayhem to Selina. No doubt, when she later asks, he will tell her that he didn't want to "contaminate" her perceptions with preconceived notions.
There is a big question to ask: Given the quality of the fake gem, was the victim ever wearing it? Selina never got a close look at it before her examination post-incident so, if the quality was good enough, it could have fooled her, especially in the high-distraction environment of the cocktail party. If it could fool a professional jewel thief, it could certainly fool its owner. I am going to go out on a limb now and suggest that the note is a red herring in the tradition of Christie. It is too obvious a clue for a classic detective tale.
What was removed from the excercise bike? I'd wager it was the murder weapon. A diluted poison in a isotonic drink bottle attached to an excercise machine could kill over time without a single incident on which the authorities could focus. You just stand back and wait for it to build up to toxic concentration in the victim's body. It could take days, even weeks, but it would be as certain as as a blade or a bullet. Alternatively, the bottle might have contained the real gem. In an appropriately-coloured fluid, a gem might be invisible to the naked eye. This does not make the people looking for the bottle necessarily the murderers or even accomplaces. They could just as easily be patsies sent to collect an item at another individual's instructions. However, this option does increase the chance of them being the next victim in a standard 'house-cleaning' second murder.
What of Dick? Well, this could all be just background colour of Bruce's situation whilst recovering. However, if Selina needs muscle and a more experienced pair of hands, Dick is the most likely individual, in or out of costume, that Bruce will send to her as back-up.
As you can see, this story has caught my imagination. Well done!
BenRG's Rating: 8.5/10
It is difficult to single out one thing that I really like about this story so far. If I was pressed, it would be, as stephensmat2 suggests, have to be the classic 'whodunnit' feel to the entire narrative. There is a famous Poirot story where the detective is housebound and his sidekicks have to act as his remote eyes and ears. This story feels a lot similar, especially with Bruce asking seeming irrelevant questions of Selina.
It is pretty clear that Bruce knew something was up and, more importantly, something was likely to happen at the party, which is probably why he, who normally avoids social functions like the plague, had wangled an invitation for himself. It is also pretty typical for him not to mention the likelihood of mayhem to Selina. No doubt, when she later asks, he will tell her that he didn't want to "contaminate" her perceptions with preconceived notions.
There is a big question to ask: Given the quality of the fake gem, was the victim ever wearing it? Selina never got a close look at it before her examination post-incident so, if the quality was good enough, it could have fooled her, especially in the high-distraction environment of the cocktail party. If it could fool a professional jewel thief, it could certainly fool its owner. I am going to go out on a limb now and suggest that the note is a red herring in the tradition of Christie. It is too obvious a clue for a classic detective tale.
What was removed from the excercise bike? I'd wager it was the murder weapon. A diluted poison in a isotonic drink bottle attached to an excercise machine could kill over time without a single incident on which the authorities could focus. You just stand back and wait for it to build up to toxic concentration in the victim's body. It could take days, even weeks, but it would be as certain as as a blade or a bullet. Alternatively, the bottle might have contained the real gem. In an appropriately-coloured fluid, a gem might be invisible to the naked eye. This does not make the people looking for the bottle necessarily the murderers or even accomplaces. They could just as easily be patsies sent to collect an item at another individual's instructions. However, this option does increase the chance of them being the next victim in a standard 'house-cleaning' second murder.
What of Dick? Well, this could all be just background colour of Bruce's situation whilst recovering. However, if Selina needs muscle and a more experienced pair of hands, Dick is the most likely individual, in or out of costume, that Bruce will send to her as back-up.
As you can see, this story has caught my imagination. Well done!
BenRG's Rating: 8.5/10
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