AnimeOtakuDrew

Yeah, a kid. Don't worry, you'll grow up someday. That's why I like you. Potential.

WAIT

It's true that I have trouble getting up in the morning, but I seldom have anything to be late for. I often wish I did have stuff going on. Doesn't watch much tv?

Because, who doesn't like little kids? They're adorable!

If you refuse to say who you are, you MUST be Alice and just trying to trick us. You are caught, Alice!

RIFT

You need to get your eyes checked then, you might need glasses. But, even without my own glasses, I can see that I'm winning.

@gg1998 What happened is that you posted that on a forum game that already has its established rules, and which this is not related to. If you are looking for people to participate in your mystery game, try posting it as a new thread. I might even join in, but I won't bog down an established game by continuing it here, so, to get this game back in point, here was my previous guess about the person below me:

I like to think so. Not into sports?

*Catches it and chows down!* Lasagna is my favorite dish! *throws back empty bowl* Seconds please?

I only dismissed it initially because I misinterpreted the sequence of events. Like I said before, the typo of "by the time they came back." As I explained before, when it comes to typographical errors, figuring out the intended meaning out of the possible variations is usually as simple as finding the solution that least changes the structure of the sentence. "By the time she came back" entails less structural change than "when they came back," so that was how I interpreted it, and that is what I based my initial deduction on. Had the verbiage been more clear, I would not have so easily dismissed the possibility of Irene. Indeed it was. I enjoy using my brain. I wouldn't mind coming up with one, but I would need a day or two to put it together. If anyone has one ready in the meantime, by all means, go ahead. I should also note that Magic Kaito. made a case against Irene long before I did. He may have been incorrect on a couple details, such as suggesting that the sound of the flushing toilet was a recording device, but he had correctly identified the killer. The only thing he didn't do is formally declare it was her. He merely stated that he was suspicious of her.

Everyone suspects the Cheshire Cat, even when I do nothing. Perhaps because I am strange? Ayuna is Alice and Rye is the Mad Hatter. Now, if you will excuse me, I must depart. The jabberwocky is near!

LILT

Where were we? The place where I'm winning, that's where.

Catches the barrel and uses the acid in mad scientist experiments (*best evil scientist laugh*). Throws Frankenstein's monster.

Kiss on the forehead because she's a nice kid.

Carbon dioxide comes out Inserts an empty cigarette pack.

*throws a water balloon*

Okay, now that the original poster has clarified that the intended meaning was that Mycroft found the body after returning from the walk with Irene, that changes my line of reasoning. Point #1 is still valid. John was on the phone at the time of the murder, and the person to whom he was speaking did not hear the gunshot nor did he report that John left the phone, so it cannot be John. Point #3 is also still valid. Mycroft did have the key to the room and the gun was found in his possession. Also, if he surreptitiously returned to the room immediately once Irene was out of sight, he would have been able to commit the crime and return to the entrance before Irene's return. The hint about the killer musing on an alibi is also suspect, considering that to muse could mean a few different things, along with the thought that Mycroft's statement is the only one that contains the word alibi. He would have mused on the fact that his only alibi is that he was at the entrance waiting for Irene. However, now that we know Irene had returned before the body was discovered, she becomes much more suspicious. Since we do not have times listed for anything, we don't know how long before Irene's return it was before the shot and the footsteps were heard. For that reason, it is possible that Irene could have committed the crime just prior to returning. While her statement does not contain the word alibi, she too mused on what she claimed to have been doing at the time of the crime. There are two primary roadblocks in the way of making a definitive deduction in this case. First is the absence of times; something that real police reports would have made certain to list, at least in estimation. Estimated time of death, estimated times the witnesses heard the shot and footsteps, the exact time John's call started and ended, and estimated time that Irene returned to the entrance. This is information that would be present in a real case, and is extremely relevant (even important) to accurately identifying the perpetrator. The second roadblock is that we are not given complete information. A major hang-up for each suspect is what knowledge they would have had regarding the movements of the victim and each other. With the information given, John had no way of knowing that Sherlock wasn't walking with Irene and Mycroft, Mycroft had no way of knowing that Irene would be delayed in the toilet, and nobody had a way of knowing that Sherlock would be too ill to go for the walk thus granting the opportunity for this murder in the first place. The obvious answer is that Sherlock was given something to ensure he would be so ill as to bow out of the evening walk. This could have been anything from a heavy laxative to some form of poison. In a real case, a tox screen would have been run on the victim and investigators would know if any such chemicals were present in Sherlock's system. As with the times, this is very important information. John still couldn't have committed the crime because he was on the phone. If Sherlock was drugged by Mycroft to ensure he would bow out of the walk, it is just as likely Irene was given a smaller dose to ensure she would be delayed in the toilet thus granting him enough time to murder his brother. However, because there is no information given on a tox screen, we must take it at face value that neither Sherlock nor Irene were drugged in any way, meaning the murder was a crime of opportunity. In light of that, Mycroft's guilt becomes less likely. For all he knew, Irene would only be in her room for a very brief moment, so he could not be certain that he would have time to commit the crime and return to the entrance before she emerged from her room. With that in mind, the only possible suspect left is Irene, therefore, she must be the killer. Likely scenario: Before departing for her walk with Mycroft, Irene excuses herself with a lie about needing to visit the toilet. She instead goes to Sherlock's room. Since she is his ex, it would not be difficult for her to convince him to grant her entry (mentioning the possibility of getting back together, suggesting they have a quick romp while Mycroft is out, etc.). Because Sherlock had already made it clear he was suffering from an upset stomach, Irene could be fairly certain that he would indeed need to use the toilet soon, so she stalled until then. The likely reason she was delayed before returning to Mycroft at the entrance was because he took longer than she expected before doing so. When Sherlock finally went to the toilet, Irene quickly found Mycroft's gun and she entered the toilet and shot Sherlock. It is probable that Mycroft's call came in at this time, which she answered to explain that she would return momentarily, then flushed Sherlock's toilet for effect. She then quickly stuffed the gun into a bag belonging to Mycroft and rushed toward the entrance. These were the running footsteps heard by John's caller. Later, when questioned by the police, Irene would muse on the fact that she had been in her own toilet when she heard the shot and claim to also have heard footsteps to add plausibility. That seems the most likely possibility with the scant information given. If the original poster wishes to expand the case information to include times and the results of a tox screen as a real case file would contain, I may revise my deduction yet again, but for the moment I must contend that Irene was the killer.

Actually, I've been collecting keychains since I was about 10. Enjoys karaoke?

Whatever. *takes crown and dons it at a cocky angle*

KILT

VILE

"Nazo" (One of the opening themes)

At least there's good music on the radio. Your doctor tells you that you have an incurable disease and you have less than three months to live.