erika, there's also the question: was the crime premeditated?
Because you could take a hollow crutch - say, bought at a Salvation Army or somewhere, paid for with cash, hard to track down that sale - and weight it with something, if you happened to have premeditated the crime, and wanted to draw the cops straight to you right off, so that they could examine your real crutches and see that the amount of damage done to the victim is not commensurate with the person allegedly swinging or the weight of the supposed implement.
Not to mention no hair or blood or brains on the real crutches. It would be a question of safely disposing of the real weapon, though.
If it's spur of the moment, of course, ignore above.
Ericka, how about a nice walking stick of some sort, instead--possibly a shillelagh someone brought home for the victim from Ireland, or a monogrammed, handmade hardwood cane, or something?
Cindy, thing about something that idiosyncratic is that is leads straight to the perpetrator, and there goes your novel.
Deb, wasn't erika talking about the crutches belonging to the victim, though?
eta...
I'm thinking, if they were used as, well, a blunt instrument, could you tell they were the vic's? Probably not. They're probably gonna have to find it with blood on itand stuff. Nobody's ever gonna ask me what I'm thinking ever again, are they?
I have a lot to think of... must not be as close to done as I'm thinking. But eventually, I'll be glad I took the time, right?
I'm thinking, if they were used as, well, a blunt instrument, could you tell they were the vic's? Probably not. They're probably gonna have to find it with blood on itand stuff. Nobody's ever gonna ask me what I'm thinking ever again, are they?
(blink)
You're absolutely right. Not the perp's, the vic's. Huh.
Now I'm madly curious to know the circumstances.
Maybe there's such a thing as trying to be too cute. But it did encourage me to ask the questions "Can crutches be a murder weapon?" and "How distinctive are they?" which are important things to know in this situation.
Oh, erika, have them hold the floor end of the crutch and swing like a baseball bat. Mucho deado.
What would someone a few months away from death of tuberculosis look like? Deathly pallor or hectic bloom?
I'd think pallor, but I know in the Anne of Green Gables series, when Anne comes home from college one summer and learns that Ruby Gillis is dying of consumption, there was something about the roses in her cheeks being too bright.
