When Murder Isn't Enough

Another twist that tends to nicely obscure the Villain’s motive is called The Frame’s the Thing. In this twist, the Villain isn’t so terribly interested in the murder itself. Yes, he kills someone—but this death won’t help him gain Money, Love, Power, or relief from Fear. Rather, to reach his goal, he must frame someone—a character whom we’ll call the Patsy.

Let’s take a look at this twist in an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine called “A Man Alone.” This show takes place aboard a space station protecting the planet Bajor. Tensions are high on Bajor, which is just coming out of a 50-year period of brutal occupation by the militant Cardassian Empire. Bajor has gained its freedom only with the assistance of Starfleet (our heroes in their smart, color-coded uniforms). As the show begins, the station is under the joint control of Starfleet and the new Bajoran government, having just been abandoned by the Cardasssians who once manned it.

This post contains the 24th chapter of my work in progress, The Tangled Web Twists the Plot. Looking to catch up on previous chapters? Start here.

One man, though, hasn’t abandoned the station: Constable Odo, who served as the Cadassians’ chief of security. Although he worked for the Cardassians, he has retained his position because he has earned community trust. The Bajorans see him as a neutral arbiter of justice, rather than a Cardassian loyalist.

But we’re about to see how deep that trust really runs. Into this stewpot of social change steps Ibudan, a Bajoran whom Odo once sent to jail for murder. The two men clash publicly; hours later, Ibudan is stabbed to death. As the station crew begins to investigate, a case starts to form against Odo. And with Odo on the hook for the murder of a Bajoran, the station’s community starts to turn against him. A mob forms, and just when it seems like Odo’s done for, the station doctor arrives to announce a startling break in the case: the murdered man wasn’t Ibudan.