Sandy Supposes....

Something's Fishy

Blog Prompt for Day 3 - In today's mystery blog challenge you'll write a detailed description of a MURDER scene. Da - Da - Daaaa

You'll have a victim and a cast of suspects, including possible murder weapons, motive, etc.

End your entry with this challenge to your readers. "It's up to you to solve this murder in a comment on my entry."

Merit Badges will be awarded to the best MURDER scene and the best solution to the mystery.
Nobody leave the building!

         Detective Salmon strode into a dim corridor eerily silent and free of crowds. A few weeks ago, he'd visited this same location with his family and they'd been buffeted along by a teeming throng humming with excitement. Thanks to Covid-19 this tourist attraction had been shuttered to the public. He shook his head. He thought it was a shame, but Ripley's Aquarium would be bustling soon enough. Not knowing what to expect he followed the seemingly endless walls of glass illuminated from within and showcasing millions of fish darting and floating in the clear water. This constant motion created rippling shadows reflected on the rubber flooring. As with most sudden death scenes, he knew when he'd found the spot.

         He suppressed a gasp and the involuntary shiver squeezing his spine. Nothing could prepare him for this. A man's bloated body bumped against the side of the immense tank nudged by rhythmic waves. Dressed in a grey uniform and red sneakers, the D.B. or Dead Body stared through sightless bulging eyes. He appeared to be swathed in a net that wound around his lower jaw and neck. The tips of his fingers were absent and his hands bloodied. Salmon spied several angry open wounds on the legs and arms still oozing red streams that formed a halo around the corpse. Peaking from the torn material were purplish welts. Something glimmered on the coral covered floor and the detective spied a pointed spear. It looked out of place amongst the vibrant reds, pinks, blues, and yellows.

         Tearing his gaze from the surreal scene, Salmon introduced himself to the young policeman standing guard. He appreciated that he'd not been inundated as soon as he'd arrived. He liked to soak up a crime scene undisturbed.

         "Hello Detective Salmon. I'm Officer Law, Marshall Law. I see you pursing your lips and tilting your head. That really is my name. Mom had a strange sense of humour."

         "What can you tell me about the deceased, Officer? Do we have an i.d.?"

          "Yes sir. This is Speckle Trout, a custodian here. According to the manager, who discovered the body this morning, Trout came by his nickname because he dabbled with stock speculation. He planned to make a killing from his portfolio."

         "What's the net worth?"

         "I dunno, maybe twenty dollars."

         "Huh? No, his net worth? Did someone get greedy? Where would a janitor get funds for investing? Could he have borrowed from a loan shark?"

         A shadow passed over their heads and both men looked up to see a sleek shark shimmy through the glass saltwater-filled arch joining two immense fish tanks. It lead a parade of rainbow-coloured fish, big and small. A giant black stingray loomed nearby. Glancing back to the body, the men noticed bobbing jellyfish, translucent and ribbon-legged.

         "Do you think the sea life killed him? Did he drown, or did a shark attack him? I believe I read somewhere that jellyfish sting. Could that be lethal? And what about that huge stingray? Didn't someone famous die from a bite?"

         "Sir, I believe that was Steve Irwin. "

         "Right, right so it was. Do we have any suspects?"

         "Well sir, I never considered the possibility of a loan shark, but yes I have a list of suspects. The manager is also the father of Trout's ex-girlfriend. They recently broke up and according to Dad, it was all Trout's doing. He explained away his leaving by saying there were more fish in the sea and he showed his ex a screenshot of his application to an online dating service, Plenty of Fish. So, she could be angry and seeking revenge. Maybe she and her father tag teamed this murder. The other custodian described Trout as a cold fish, acting all hoity-toity and stuff. He could've had enough. I think that's the list, sir."

         "Well Officer Law all we have is speculation at the moment. There appears to be four suspects and multiple murder weapons. There's not much more we can do here. We'll have more answers after the coroner fishes him out."

         It's up to you to solve this murder in a comment on my entry.