The Science of Deduction, Friday - 9/17

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

Class was once again held in the danger shop today, but it was a different scene. Gone was the woman in pink and the worn down room from last week.

Instead, there was an unmoving man sitting at the table. It was as if the scene was paused for closer examination.

"Last week you looked at the crime, today you look at the criminal behind it," Sherlock said, taking a seat across from the frozen man.

Ah, yes. Because John really needed to relive this one. (Part of him did. It had been exhilarating. Still...) He darted a quick smile at the audience from where he was still standing, upright. "And thank you for introducing me, Sherlock."

Sherlock sighed, settling back in his seat again. "My colleague, John Watson, class. I assume many of you have already found his blog."

"Yes." John flashed what he hoped was a second, warmer smile at everyone watching; it came off slightly awkward. Then he turned his attention back to Sherlock. "So the cabbie."

The class better enjoy it. John was the friendly, personable one of the pair. "Yes, the cab driver. He used his profession to hunt lure victims into his cab in order to take them to a private location in order to force them to murder themselves. Rather ingenious, I must admit."

"And terrifying for the victims," John filled in, because he knew Sherlock wouldn't. He was a little crap at being the 'kind, personable one', but he was as close as they were going to get around Sherlock. Alas. "The same murderer almost got to Sherlock," he said, glancing at the man. "He put forward two pills, one deadly, one not. The victim had to choose which is which."

Sherlock smiled in a way that was hardly kind or personable. "I played his game and now it's your turn. Discuss which pill you would take and why."

John didn't add anything to that, though any would-be deducers might be able to glean something out of the way he was rubbing his temple.

Or not. Still, it seemed hardly sporting to offer them 'or wait until your friend shoots the killer' as an option.

Comments

Sign In

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

Life or death!

Re: Sign In

[faithandscience.livejournal.com]

William Murdoch

Re: Sign In

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Dana Scully

Discuss the Problem

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

Is there even an answer? Dear god, there is someone out there who put up with Sherlock? How does he get his hair so curly?

Re: Discuss the Problem

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Scully stared at the pills, and frowned. There had to be a way to tell them apart.

Unless the murderer was also a lying liar who lied, and was going to palm one and substitute the poison no matter what.

Re: Discuss the Problem

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Based on last week's class, it sounds like you knew what kind of poison the murderer was using," Bruce said after a few moments of consideration. "It was the same kind of poison used in three previous murders, so he probably didn't change his pattern here."

"What was the poison? And did you have time to prepare an antidote for it before confronting him?"

It was probably clear how Bruce would have solved the problem if he knew the poison. Prepare the antidote, hide it in an insoluble capsule in his mouth, break it after picking whichever pill he randomly decided to swallow, look like a complete badass if it was the poisoned one. This would be the protocol from the moment he came onto the case, really, even before there was a good lead on the suspect.

Re: Discuss the Problem

[squire-hand.livejournal.com]

'Stab the Cabbie' wasn't an option? That's the option James would take.

"Are both pills poison?"

Re: Discuss the Problem

[onlymistaken]

"Why would I take either?" Cally had to ask, shaking her head. "I consider myself an intelligent person, but I'm not so vain as to risk my life on the chance that I can deduce this man's intentions if I don't have to."

Re: Discuss the Problem

[she-sheds.livejournal.com]

"I agree," Joolushko said. "Taking either pill is an unnecessary risk."

Re: Discuss the Problem

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle frowned very hard at the pills, tapping one fingertip against her lips. She was sure in this situation Xena would be able to tell just by narrowing her eyes and looking at both pills for a minute or so. (Or, barring that, just make the poison work its way out of her system through some inexplicable brand of Warrior Princess bad-assery. She'd done it before.)

As for her . . .

Eeny-Meeny-Miney-Moe was not an option or even chronologically plausible for her. But it was looking like her best option short of trying to sweet-talk the cabbie into giving up a clue, and considering how her sweet-talking attempts usually went . . .

Re: Discuss the Problem

[momslilassassin]

"So there were victims who had escaped by choosing the non-poisonous pill?" Ben replied, looking slightly unconvinced. "Why didn't they report the super-creepy cabdriver, then?"

Re: Discuss the Problem

[dontvotemeout]

"I don't think there's a safe pill either," Jason said, nodding to the others who seemed to have the same idea. "If I was a serial killer, I don't think I'd run the risk of capturing people and luring them to their deaths only to leave their actual death up to chance." That sounded like the kind of crazy Two-Face would support with that damn coin of his, but he probably wasn't someone Jason should have been thinking about, and when he refocused, he tried to cover the fact that he'd drifted off and gotten quiet for a few seconds. "I think both pills are deadly, maybe not in with the same poison, but somehow."

Re: Discuss the Problem

[oops-mbad.livejournal.com]

Diana crossed her arms. "Can we use magic? Because then I just shift the probability that I choose the non-poison to one hundred percent. Or if that doesn't work, shift the probability of the table rocking just so to knock over only the poison."

Re: Discuss the Problem

[mania-endless.livejournal.com]

Delirium wanted to poke the frozen man. He looked like he would like someone to unfreeze him!

And yes, the teacher was talking.

Re: Discuss the Problem

[icecoldfrost]

"I read his mind and palm the non-poisonous one. Or take the poisoned one and wait for him to flip out just for fun," Emma admitted. "But if it was as filthy as this place, I'd just zap him to start with and leave him thinking he's a toad for the rest of his life."

"I don't play other people's games unless they're to my benefit."

Re: Discuss the Problem

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa was squinting at the pills. They seemed identical.

"Do they weigh anything different?" she asked. "Can you tell if one of them has been tampered with? Opened, and resealed? If not ... if not, then ... I think I'd say they're both poison. He can't run the risk of you picking right."

Re: Discuss the Problem

[heromaniac]

"Why can't we just capture the criminal? He's right there! Why waste time agreeing to something like that?" Momoko totally couldn't see the benefit. "You have the evidence, right? And that way no one else gets hurt."

Talk to the TAs

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

When they tag in!

Re: Talk to the TAs

[faithandscience.livejournal.com]

William was here, of course, and absolutely available to be talked to!

Re: Talk to the TAs

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

Bruce was also here and a little less enthusiastic about being available to be talked to. He was thinking, damn it!

Talk to Dr. Watson

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

When he tags in!

Re: Talk to Dr. Watson

[justhisblogger.livejournal.com]

Dr. Watson was present, still, and doing his best to look approachable.

He still looked fairly standoffish, but at least in a kindly manner.

Re: Talk to Dr. Watson

[faithandscience.livejournal.com]

Oh please, like Will wasn't going to take the opportunity to talk to him?

"Dr. Watson, sir," he said as he approached. "I've heard- things. About you." Oh brilliant conversational opener, William, 'I've heard things', he berated himself inwardly.

Talk to the Teacher

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

Who was still eying the murderer speculatively. He'd totally been right, you know.

Totally.

OOC

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

Maaaaad thanks to justhisblogger for putting up with meeee.