Rules for life in a murder mystery, #87

[mrissa]

If A is under suspicion of committing murder (or really any other crime), and B tells you very earnestly that A could not possibly have done it, become immediately and comprehensively suspicious of B. There is at least one very easy way for B to know that A could not possibly have done it, and it does not reflect well on B.

Comments

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's way too obvious, no author could do that!

In one of my books, the body of the guy they're looking for, who according to DNA evidence killed somebody last week, was pulled out of the river. Where he had been for at least a month. The police are finding this somewhat embarrassing, as is the lab manager (he swears they don't ever check for signs of the sample having been frozen, it wasn't a mistake they made specially for this test).

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

No, I swear to you, I said this to markgritter when he came into the room as I was watching Inspector Lynley, and then they showed a building, and I said, "Now they're going to go talk to B," and in fact they did.

(They had other reasons to suspect B, though.)

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

People do get scrambled up, creating their story on the fly. Much better to get it laid out in advance!

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

I <3 you.