[The sound of pages flipping; he's pulling out his notebook, because what use is a detective if he's not organized, huh?]
Victim: Mondial male in his early forties, his corpse found hung from a tree branch behind a local hostel. Victim had been hanging there for seven days. He was eventually revealed to be one Ellis Kortenaer, more often known as Lely, the leader of a local group of mercenaries hired to break up a dockworker's strike. And indeed: the rope used to hang him was a belt from the local harbor union. Heading into the hostel and asking questions proved to be fruitful: a small gang of union members not only openly admitted to the murder, but bragged about it. They called it justice, for they claimed that he had raped a patron of the hostel, among other crimes.
[A small pause, as Kim hesitates, wavering on saying something, but then bites it back.]
However. Inspection of the corpse revealed post-mortem tampering. That the cause of death came from a bullet to his head, small and easily missed. That he was hung as a diversion, and that some witnesses reported that while they had witnessed Hardie and his boys carrying a still body and hanging it, there was no mention of a gunshot, nor indeed any sign of struggle. The hostel manager did not report any sexual assault, and when interviewed, the supposed victim openly informed us that not only was she not assaulted, but had been, ah, "partying" with Lely for several days.
He was shot in the mouth while the two were having sex. Fearing that she would be blamed, Klassje enlisted the Hardie boys to help come up with a less incriminating story.
So. Where did the bullet come from? Lely was not well liked, but nor was he openly despised. Further: he was more than capable of defending himself from an opponent. No one heard the gunshot, and indeed, no one could think of a direct reason why he would be killed at that time, in that place. Most of Martinaise is made up of the poor and the destitute; those who can kill often escape to find work elsewhere.
[A sigh, and he pinches the bridge of his nose. Closes his notebook, and continues wearily:]
We had a few days. After that, impatient, Lely's mercenary friends came to . . . [He scoffs softly.] Dispense justice.
It was a massacre. I was shot, and my partner . . .
[Mph.]
I do not know what will happen to him. If I succeed here, I will never have to find out.
spoilers for like a solid 75% of disco elysium, also rip the essay
[The sound of pages flipping; he's pulling out his notebook, because what use is a detective if he's not organized, huh?]
Victim: Mondial male in his early forties, his corpse found hung from a tree branch behind a local hostel. Victim had been hanging there for seven days. He was eventually revealed to be one Ellis Kortenaer, more often known as Lely, the leader of a local group of mercenaries hired to break up a dockworker's strike. And indeed: the rope used to hang him was a belt from the local harbor union. Heading into the hostel and asking questions proved to be fruitful: a small gang of union members not only openly admitted to the murder, but bragged about it. They called it justice, for they claimed that he had raped a patron of the hostel, among other crimes.
[A small pause, as Kim hesitates, wavering on saying something, but then bites it back.]
However. Inspection of the corpse revealed post-mortem tampering. That the cause of death came from a bullet to his head, small and easily missed. That he was hung as a diversion, and that some witnesses reported that while they had witnessed Hardie and his boys carrying a still body and hanging it, there was no mention of a gunshot, nor indeed any sign of struggle. The hostel manager did not report any sexual assault, and when interviewed, the supposed victim openly informed us that not only was she not assaulted, but had been, ah, "partying" with Lely for several days.
He was shot in the mouth while the two were having sex. Fearing that she would be blamed, Klassje enlisted the Hardie boys to help come up with a less incriminating story.
So. Where did the bullet come from? Lely was not well liked, but nor was he openly despised. Further: he was more than capable of defending himself from an opponent. No one heard the gunshot, and indeed, no one could think of a direct reason why he would be killed at that time, in that place. Most of Martinaise is made up of the poor and the destitute; those who can kill often escape to find work elsewhere.
[A sigh, and he pinches the bridge of his nose. Closes his notebook, and continues wearily:]
We had a few days. After that, impatient, Lely's mercenary friends came to . . . [He scoffs softly.] Dispense justice.
It was a massacre. I was shot, and my partner . . .
[Mph.]
I do not know what will happen to him. If I succeed here, I will never have to find out.