Assumption 1: Nick isn't Hazama in disguise, who used the 35 minutes in which he "called the police" to jump through a time vortex and murder Larry

This plot began a while back. Luke married Luna to gain control over Cool Company. However, Luna was secretly having an affair with Larry Butz. Luke somehow got wind of this and decided to act. He devised a "test of courage" for Larry to do, pretending to be Luna. As a result, he knew exactly where and when Larry would be. As a result, he made a third key, and lured Larry upstairs, where Luke was hiding. Before Larry made it up the stairs, Luke pushed him down, resulting in his death. Then, Luke took the candle and left it in the tower, to "show" that Larry was doing his trial of courage. Then, since Luke wears gloves, he opened the window, and dropped the body with the key. Leaving the candle there. While Luke attempted to escape, Peter Burg entered, and hit Luke in the head with the Bible. Then, Peter Burg ran away, and Luke ran away, and we know what happened afterwards.

A third key?

I think if Larry had been pushed down the stairs, he'd have more bruises than just that one.

What evidence is there to support the third key hypothesis?

Van Dine Commandment #1: The reader must have equal opportunity with the detective for solving the mystery. All clues must be plainly stated and described.

(Blackrune has stated that he will follow the basic van Dine commandments in Judgment Seekers, so I'm applying it to this one too. Besides, he and van Dine have a similar mindset.)

But Phoenix and Mia claim to have seen Larry's shadow.

Firstly, the third key is just something I was thinking about. It doesn't necessarily need to be the case. Peter Burg also claimed to hit Larry... But we know that can't be true. Plus, Luke's hair looks similar to Larry's.

Don't worry, I know. Not holding you to it or anything. But if you DID have evidence supporting a key, that would be amazing. Ok, so for sake of argument, let's say that there is a third key.

Also, there's one big problem. They were able to see that silhouette from the back of the church, or... the entire time. When did he leave the room?

Fact: Mia thought she saw Larry arrive at the church at 11:48 with a lit candle
Conclusion: Larry arrived at the church at 11:48 with a lit candle
(Slim possibility it was someone disguised as him >_>)

Assumption: The light Mia saw was Larry's candle.

Fact: The window was closed from the time Larry arrived at the church until the time the light went out
(iirc)

Fact: Mia saw a figure, who she believed was Larry, in the window of the tower the entire time the light was on
Conclusion: If Larry was thrown out the window, he was not thrown out at a time when the light was on

Fact: The light went out at 12:52

Fact: Mia didn't hear any screams, thuds, etc.

Fact: Larry's corpse was found at the bottom of the tower, under the window

Given Assumption: There was not enough time for someone to run down from the top of the tower when the light went out down to Larry's corpse before Mia arrived

Fact: The only objects on Larry's corpse were the key to the tower and a wristwatch

Fact: Larry's wristwatch was on the correct time

Fact: The clock in Larry's house was 10 minutes fast

Fact: The door was found locked

Fact: The only objects that seemed to have been altered recently in the tower were the chair, the candle, and the cage

Fact: The candle was found not lit

Fact: The candle was found with wax running down the sides
Deduction: The candle was previous lit
Assumption: This is the lit candle Mia had seen from outside

Fact: The window was found open

Fact: The cage was found overturned(?) on the floor

Fact: The cage was completely clean

Fact: Larry received the challenge one week ago with the key to the church

Fact: The challenge was signed 'Luna'

Fact: Love letters addressed to Luna signed Larry were found in Cool Company's CEO's office's trash bin

Fact: Larry fell from at least 7m. Any wound he had prior to the injury was located on his head

Fact: The tower is 10m high

Fact: Blood was found on Stickler's bible
Deduction: The blood belongs to the person Stickler hit

The following were heard from Stickler. It's hearsay, but most likely reliable:

Fact: There were only two known keys to the church
Assumption: There are only two keys to the church
(If there is a 3rd key, the 'locked room' becomes trivial, and the criminal becomes nearly impossible to catch since there has since been plenty of time to get rid of the 3rd key)

Fact: One key was taken several months ago by an unknown person

Fact: Stickler saw the lit window

Fact: Stickler hit somebody over the head with his bible while inside the church

Fact: The room in which this occurred was dark
Deduction: If this occurred in the tower, it was after the candle was blown out

The following were heard from Maria. I believe them to be somewhat reliable:

Fact: The challenge had set Larry greatly on edge

Fact: Larry and Edgey fought the day of the challenge. It involved Edgey denying something

Fact: After the fight, Edgey and Larry mostly remained in their rooms until they left

Fact: Edgey was packing a suitcase after the fight
Additional Information: It looked as if he was packing clothing

Fact: He left a little before 11PM

Fact: He was jumpy and nervous
Inference: He had been trying to sneak out unseen

Fact: He said he was going to 'Cool Company'

Fact: Larry left at 11:40PM, when the clock read 11:50

Fact: Larry was carrying a candle and the suitcase Edgey had been packing earlier

Fact: Maria set the clock 10 minutes fast because Edgey told her to

Fact: Larry and Luna Atmey were having an affair

Fact: Larry sent Luna love letters

The following were heard from Luna. They are not very reliable, and have therefore been marked as 'Claims':

Claim: Luna was at Cool Company all night

Claim: Edgey never went to Cool Company

Claim: Luna has never heard of or met Edgey

Claim: Luna did not send the challenge to Larry

Claim: Luke had been out all night

The following was heard from Luke. It also isn't very reliable:

Claim: Luke has never heard of or met Edgey

According to Mia and Phoenix, the window was shut, and they didn't see anybody open it until the lights went out.

Fact: The window was closed from the time Larry arrived at the church until the time the light went out
(iirc)

• Burg said that he never locked a door that night
• Burg is not sure if he opened a door
• When Larry arrived at the church, he likely locked himself in
• When Mia and Phoenix came to the tower, it was locked
• Burg said that he went to the church because of a strange light in the tower
• It was dark when Burg hit Larry with the bible

• Burg said that he went to the church because of a strange light in the tower
• It was dark when Burg hit Larry with the bible
-> Three possible solutions:
1. While Burg was going to the church, the candle went out (12:52) -> Burg arrived at the tower after Larry was dead and before Mia and Phoenix went to the tower
2. Burg never walked into the tower, he hit Larry (or whoever it was) somewhere else
3. Before midnight there was another light that went out, so Burg was there much earlier

• Burg said that he never locked a door that night
• When Mia and Phoenix came to the tower, it was locked
-> If Burg was in the tower, he was not the last person to arrive there before Mia and Phoenix

• If Burg was in the tower, he was not the last person to arrive there before Mia and Phoenix
contradicts
• Burg arrived at the tower after Larry was dead and before Mia and Phoenix went to the tower
(now there are only two of the three possibilities left)

Have to go now, I'll continue after school.