Morning Birds Sing Deep into the Night

Chapter 8

December 13, 2020:

Jolene died this morning. At first, we were all confused as to whether or not she had killed herself. The blood spatter on her knuckles, most likely from the backlash of the swinging frying pan, was the evidence that sealed the case. At least, part of it. Everyone established their alibis, Christopher had gone out to get the mail and everyone else was in their work rooms. Her motive is the only thing left to question. I know that Christopher feels guilt over leaving her alone temporarily, but no one even knows that I talked to her just a few minutes before he did. I shouldn't have left either. Not right after we discovered the identity of the murderer. Now I'm the only one who knows... let's hope he doesn't find out. The main issue is, I have a strong belief on who the murderer is, but not much evidence. I'm going to compile a list of all the evidence I've gathered so far. It might not be enough for the police, though.

Collected Evidence:

. No alibi during the murders.

. Refuses to answer any questions relating to the murders.

. Won't tell anyone what the police told him.

The most important detail that I'm missing is the motive. If I can figure out what his motive is, then the rest of the pieces will fall into place. But what could drive such an honest man to kill? I don't believe telling Harold and Christopher about any of this will be possible. After all, William isn't the only one without an alibi. I wouldn't want to interfere with their buddy system they have going on. With those two sticking together, they won't be easily targeted. The murderer would have to forcefully drive them apart in order to get one of them alone. William mentioned in the meeting room that the type of equipment Christopher uses is heavy, and would cause a loud clanking sound if dropped or set down. That's how Harold always knows when he leaves. Honestly, those two are in good places, especially considering their work rooms are right next to each other. Despite the walls being insulated from the cold, Harold can hear Christopher's work equipment being set down through the door. I wonder if they suspect him of being the murderer, the only evidence they have against him is his lack of an alibi. The same could be said for me.

Well, at least I wrote something down. I still can't think of anything that could possibly be a motive, yet. Hopefully a hint will show itself soon.

December 14th, 2020:

People are beginning to question the motive for the murders now, even more than before. Jolene's actions took all of us by surprise. Was she trying to get the killing to stop, was that her motive? If so, there was no reason in doing so. The only people who get killed are the ones who are suspicious of the murderer. The ones who tell on runaways and seek out their record, warning others. Speaking of which, I don't think everyone knew that Tara and Lucinda were friends. Lucinda was friends with Ashley, too. They knew each other well. After I started visiting Ashley, Lucinda started hanging out with her less. Began speaking with Tara, listening to her. Both of them became more cautious and seemed to avoid me. I don't know what Tara spoke to Lucinda about, although I knew she didn't trust me. The day before her sudden death, she tapped me on the shoulder after break. I followed her into a corner in the hallway, and she spoke with a hushed voice. I found your record. Why are you hiding? Tara had blatant curiosity in her eyes, gaze tight-knit and feet planted steady. I remember giving her a smile, no doubt filled with some form of wry, which she was able to sense. With a huff, Tara had backed away without sparing another glance at me.

Ever since that moment, we both knew. Tara was the planner of our group, she couldn't run or hide, and neither could I. In a sense, she had backed me into a corner first. She called me an actor on the way out of work that day, said I knew how to turn tables like tossing coins. The next day, she was pronounced dead. Was it karma or the skills of an actor? Who knows. If she had never looked deeper into things and started her own research, perhaps the past would have changed. Come to think of it, we were both trapped in a way. With the boss in another country, there was no way of quitting her job. Not to mention the guilt would outweigh that factor even if it was possible, leaving some runaway life thief behind. Mingling with innocent people who hadn't a single notion of their secret. Evading the police out of pure luck, unable to run or hide anywhere else in fear of being captured. Both of us were trapped in separate ways. Although, Tara's fate was bound to lose that connection, so my own could loosen strings with another. As for Lucinda, she knew the reason behind her friend's death. She knew me, too.

Would it even be worth burning the page, at this point? Perhaps I'll leave this as a farewell letter. I wonder how many of them will be shocked.

December 15th, 2020:

Ashley and William are the only ones without alibis, Harold and I are the only ones with alibis. We're split down the middle. There was a truth that Harold and I came to, however. Lucinda was a good friend of Ashley's, not to mention she looked ready to cry when her body was found. Despite Tara's words, how killers can be good actors, that reaction was completely raw. Unfiltered and real. There's no way Ashley could have killed Lucinda, and I know she always stood up for Tara whenever someone mentioned how strict our planner was. There's only one other person without an alibi... William. Harold agrees with me, and Ashley has to know since she's the only other person without an alibi. Now we just have to tell her that we know.

As long as William doesn't suspect her of knowing, Ashley should be safe. Let's hope we're able to talk with her before he does.