Madagascar

Well, my dear Pet Bird, looks like my work here is done. But you didn't actually do anything, Mad. Didn't I, Birdy? Didn't I?

The ... the torture didn't work? But it always works. HOW CAN THIS BE? I think anyone who's left should really focus more on wilderness clues than things like rioting and rifles, but also that we're probably all going to have a lot of trouble accounting for this on our resumes in a way that portrays us as effective when we have to start job-hunting again.

Well, I get to be right about something. Edit: Not that I know what I'm doing, as is clearly demonstrated, but I'm not sure a rifle sounds like an accident.

*throws down Pet Bird dramatically* I think that the oracle may have accidentally stumbled upon a trap that Fourth of Twilight/Devotary made of Cutaway Vines while wandering the wilderness. Falling from above, it would naturally land on their head, and the painful struggle as they tried to escape would naturally leave their corpse in a terrible and untidy state. Fourth of Twilight probably set this up so he could prey on travelers and steal what he could from them before fleeing and leaving them to die alone in the wilderness, a despicable act driven out of desperation. Then he ran from the scene but stepped in something as he fled, leaving a Wetleek Sap Trail behind him. Therefore I nominate him for brutal and unmerciful torture, in the name of justice, of course. If it's not that, which is probably isn't, then, well, I was probably never getting back on the force anyway. Because of all the torture. @Herowannabe

I'm thinking of guessing Cutaway Vines or Highstorm and Wetleek Sap trail. I mean it's my guess but I'm open to feedback. I think cutaway vines or highstorm fit accident/wilderness and I don't actually remember why wetleek sap trail kept coming up but it has for some reason. I clearly need to torture more people to keep ahead of my game. I'm not super enthusiastic about those guess possibilities though so I might just torture someone else at random.

Nooooo! My dress! My Fancy Dress! It was the most valuable thing I possessed! My mother gave it to me! I was going to sell it!

Well, I think accomplices technically count as murderers too, for legal sentencing/torture purposes. You know, on the very, very slight barely worth mentioning off chance of a possibility that's relevant to the situation somehow.

Sorry, I left some bits out, so to be clearer, I am definitely not the murderer, I would never try to lead anyone astray by pretending to be helpful, my confusion is 100% unfeigned, and anyone who just takes my word for any of those things is a birdbrain. And the way I "play," by which I mean torture, is to be wary of jumping conclusions and ruling things out in favor of glowering at everyone suspiciously before dumping them in a pit full of hungry, acid-spewing birds, which like 9 times out of 10 gets the job done, and 1 times out of 10 creates a new race of feathered, acid-spewing zombies.

I'd be happy to help give suggestions to help you figure out what to pick if you're busy. I'm definitely not the murderer and I would never try to lead your accusations astray with fake helpfulness and double-faced shows of friendliness.

Or maybe he shuffled around footprint because we'd already gotten what we needed from that but still wanted us to focus on things like Despicable instead. I cannot read the Oracle's mind, especially since he's too far away to torture and society frowns on torturing crime victims for some reason, and nor can anyone else here, so I think that either explanation is likely.

Next round, I'm thinking of torturing Fourth of the Twilight based on cutaway vines and either crab legs or wetleek sap trail or something else entirely in the hopes of getting a confession. Or perhaps Dehydration/Hoofprints. Open to suggestions.

Ruling out everything that would be better described by the other methods is definitely good. People have done this, right? I think people have done this but I'm not sure because currently Mad's head is exploding from all her very important chemistry forensic piggology. Luckily there's no rush so I can have the Pet Bird keep pecking away at it in the meantime.

The Pet Bird and I wholeheartedly approve of Itiah's unexpected witness reveal. With all this extremely serious head scratching and torture preparations going on, it's so refreshing to have something properly dramatic happen. I mean, I know he's lying, because I'm the Witness, but I can't help but appreciate his guts. If only we had more men like him on the force. The Forensic Pig has a more critical view of the development, but he is notoriously fussy when he hasn't eaten for a few days. Don't worry, dear, we'll pick a suspect soon enough, and you can have his toes.

Do people frequently get murdered in duels by accident that often? I suppose you go out into the woods often to do those, ever since the legal system started frowning on people clearing their names with honor, but I usually picture those deaths being extremely purposeful. Unless you're trying to throw away your shot. Which I am not. Back in my old job as Oracle, before I was disgraced and thrown out of the Oracle Force for being a violent lunatic, I did kill quite a lot of people by accident while torturing them them for information... damnation suspects always ceasing all bodily functions just to spite me. The pigs didn't even nibble on them for that long in some cases. That said, I'm not quite sure death by torture fits my idea of an "accident" either. Judging from all the murder indictments waiting for me back in my home city, the local legal system doesn't consider it to be so. Though it is certainly despicable. My old eyes find all these spreadsheets being thrown around a bit overwhelming to try to absorb at once. I'm going to consult with the pigs and birds and make my own ... no offense but at least a few people probably aren't being 100% frank with their interpretation of the evidence *beady little eyes look around suspiciously*

Mad nods in approval upon noting how much of the evidence in her possession could have been used to kill the Oracle. If they could be used to kill, surely they could be used to torture. She looks forward to applying her incredible logical mind (well, that or outsourcing the thinking to the Pet Bird and Pig) to the problem, assuming the case actually lasts long enough this time for her to do that. When she had first looked at the evidence, she had found herself most suspicious of Cutaway Vines. Admittedly, that might just be because of how many times they had killed all her tomatoes.

Another "accident," eh? Sounds like we may have a serial killer. Or at the very least a copycat with a similar modus operandi. Time to start torturing people, I say.

Last time I got a Pet Bird, now I've got Acid, a Bow and Arrow, AND a Dueling Cane? I should come to these conventions more often just for all the goodies. Ever since I was fired from the force for torturing suspects I've been strapped for cash financially. I can barely afford anything to torture people with, can you believe it? Uh, I mean, the job itself is payment enough for me. Okay, now I must go figure out a new torture interrogation method using a dueling cane, acid, bow and arrow, and pet birds. I'll need a volunteer to test it on, of course.

Mad nobly bowed her head and walked off into the sunset. Her work here was done.

Mad, grizzled, torture-obsessed former Oracle traveling back from a different case which she totally would have cracked open, she just didn't want to steal the thunder of the other less talented investigators, because she is so incredibly giving and humble. In terms of luggage, she brings only her well-used medieval rack. She is traveling with her pig and PET BIRD.

(I'm going to be honest, I am 100% rooting for Metaspren to succeed on an amazing 1/17 guess and successfully kill the witness and win the game just because that would be hilarious) Mad's headlock on Selksi is broken and the murderer runs toward the crowd, bloodthirst in his eyes STORM IT I TOLD YOU I NEEDED BACKUP NO I DON'T MEAN MORE PET BIRDS

I'm not the accomplice, I'm the witness. I'm not the witness, I'm an investigator. I'm not an investigator, I'm the oracle. I am definitely too old for this [REDACTED]

No but I am totally the Accomplice.

Mad struggles to keep the crazed murderer restrained. Suspect is ARMED and DANGEROUS! Repeat, armed and dangerous! Where's my storming backup!? With a loud oink, Scarry the forensic pig lunges forward and sort of awkwardly trips up Selksi. Uh that was useful. I NEED ACTUAL BACKUP! With a loud squawk, the PET BIRD flutters down from the ceiling and poos on Mad's head. *sigh* I'm too old for this [WORDS DROWNED OUT BY ANIMAL SOUNDS]

Well leaps forward and tries to put Metaspren in a headlock BZZZT WE NEED A UNIT HERE AT INVESTICON REPEAT WE NEED A UNIT HERE AT INVESTICON SUSPECT IS VIOLENT, REPEAT, VIOLENT

I'm not making any accusations today. I would hate to end this little getaway prematurely and shame you all with my incredible, awe-inspiring competence. Yes, that's definitely the reason, and not that I have no idea what's going on.