Sleuth Home - Message Boards - Role Playing Stage

Nov-24-2009 20:42

(Everyone's a suspect!)

There was a quite noticeable scuff on the floor.

The creme de la creme of the world's crime-fighting society were at a formal dinner at her modest country residence that evening, and there was a scuff on the floor.

Molly Maltese sighed in tones of great irritation and wondered how she hadn't noticed the mark BEFORE all her guests had arrived. They were in the dining room now, chattering happily and dining on the delicious meal she had hired a cook specifically for. Many of her friends and associates were then, including some new faces. One new face in particular; a Mr. John Harlequin. He was a new politician in the area, determined to take on Joe Hollis for mayor. His past was basically unknown; his favorability extreme. Citizens either loved him or hated him.

Just as she had this thought, someone shrieked.

"He's choking!"

Raising a brow, she hurried from the parlor to look in. All the guests seated at the long table were either standing or sitting with shocked expressions; and John Harlequin was quite shockingly purple.

Even as she rushed into the room and neared him, Harlequin gave one final gasp and died. Silence descended as she grabbed his glass and sniffed at the rim delicately. She turned, and countless eyes bored into her.

"Alright, which one of you poisoned my guest?" she snarled.

Whispers and titters danced along the table, before a very familiar man stood. "We should call the police." he said.

Another raised a brow. "There's a room full of detectives here. I'm sure that's not necessary."

"It is when one of those detectives may be a murderer!"

"We can't send for the police anyway; can't you see its been snowing all this time? We can't go anywhere!" another shouted. Molly went to the window and looked out. Sure enough, snow blanketed everything in sight. The cars parked out front were completely obscured by white.

"Nobody is leaving! If you try, I'll shoot every last one of you!" Molly yelled, pulling out a pistol.

Nov-25-2009 11:59

"I only hope the man is a good shot. If a murderer comes bursting into my room at all hours of the evening, he is closest to the door. If the murderer is able to continue on into my main chambers I shall be verrry displeased."

Like clockwork, she went to the window again and peered out. The mountain of snow was nearing the center of the pane.

"You all may pair up as you see fit and let Elsie know so she can put up the proper dividers. I assure you the rooms are quite large, there really is no need to fret."

"Now, Joseph." she addressed the man in the corner. "How are the fingerprints coming along?"

Nov-25-2009 14:10

While the crowd was talking and pointing fingers at one another, Zeo had rounded up each detective's fingerprints and had tried to match them against the three unknown prints on the Bourbon bottle.

"We have two matches." Zeo finally announced. "The third set of print is still unknown. Molly, I recommend that you round up the servants when we return to our quarter so that I can check their prints as well..."

"If I find out any of my men is involved, I'll sure make his life a living hell!" Molly bellowed.

"I thought their lives were already a living hell, working for you." Someone in the crowd murmured.

Molly was about to explode, so Zeo piped up before she could start throwing fireballs at people, "Well, of course, it is possible that the killer was wearing gloves while he or she poisoned the wine, in which case we'd have to check if our fellow detectives here have got gloves with them or not. Anyhow, for the two matches I found..." As Zeo eyed each detective one at a time, the room fell silent, "Would the following detectives please explain yourselves: Heimlich Von Victor and Charlie Cain. When did you handle the Bourbon bottle, and why?"

Nov-25-2009 14:30

Breathing deeply, Molly raked a hand through her hair and marched out of the room into the kitchen, where she instructed the cook to go out into the dining room. She then crossed into the rest of the darkened house, her footsteps echoing on the wooden floors.

"Elsie?" she called softly, and then saw a shadow dart around the corner.

"Elsie, is that you?" she whispered, hurrying to follow the shadow. As she rounded the corner, however, she was struck full in the face by something. She gave a yell and fell backwards, lifting her hand to her face as a light switched on.

"Oh, miss! I'm so sorry!" Elsie said, helping her up. In her hand she held a vase!

"Elsie, what on earth?!" Molly demanded, wincing as she felt a bump rising on her forehead.

"I know there's a murderer about, I couldn't take no chances ma'am." The man explained. "I didn't know it was you!"

"Well please ascertain that in the future!" Molly snapped. "You're wanted in the dining room."

Elsie hurried by and Molly followed her, rubbing at the tender bump already starting to bruise. She couldn't help but wonder what Elsie had been doing, scurrying around in the dark. After all, all the rooms were upstairs, not near the study.

Nov-25-2009 14:30

*I meant maid, not man. No cross-dressers in this particular story, I'm afraid.

Nov-25-2009 14:35

Charlie stepped up to where Zeo was standing and turned to face the other detectives in the room then said " I tried a glass when I first got here. And Elizabeth watched me do it we were catching up while I poured."

Zeo looked around the room trying to find Elizabeth March. Finally she came from the back of the crowd. Without the stress of living in fear Zeo could tell Elizabeth was alot happier and he could see a beauty that he couldn't the last time they mey.

" Elizabeth is Charlie telling the truth?" Zeo had asked.

" Yes, we did catch up on recent events and Charlie did pour himself a bourbon...but he said it wasnt very good. Thats why he switched to the scotch." Elizabeth replied

"Charlie you didnt like that bourbon? Its a very expensive brand ya know?" Molly asked angrily.

" No I didnt care for the bourbon...Not aged very well." Charlie replied back looking around the room.

" And I will gladly turn out my pockets to show you all I dont have any gloves...H*ll I dont own gloves." Charlie said as he began to empty his pockets on a small table next to Zeo.

The room was in a state of shock...as you could hear a pin drop it was so silent. Charlie pulled out his billfold then his pocket watch, next he turned out his front pockets and his jacket pockets.

Heim stepped forward then and gave his reason for having handled the bottle......

Nov-25-2009 17:29

"The candied yams." Heimlich replied, "I walked into the kitchen and saw that your chef was making them. I informed the dear girl that it would go much better with a little bourbon. She insisted that she knew what she was doing, and absolutely refused to acquiesce. I lifted the bottle to pour it over them, but she grabbed me by the wrist and ordered me to leave her kitchen! The absolute nerve of it! I know how to cook better than most anyone else!"

Zeo let out a chuckle and nodded. "No lie there," he said, "I've had Heimlich's cooking and it's out of this world."

"Though I can't say that I'm fond of it as a drink," Heimlich said pointing to the bottle, "it is indeed a wonderful friend of the culinary arts. No, I'm afraid my drink of choice tonight was this delectable vodka that Molly has provided us with."

The guests were silent. They all stared at Heimlich in shock. If the chef hadn't thrown him out, the bourbon could have poisoned every single one of them! Had he known? Did he do it deliberately?

Someone finally broke the silence...

Nov-25-2009 19:38

Charlie stepped up to where Zeo was standing and turned to face the other detectives in the room then said " I tried a glass when I first got here. And Elizabeth watched me do it we were catching up while I poured."

Zeo looked around the room trying to find Elizabeth March. Finally she came from the back of the crowd. Without the stress of living in fear Zeo could tell Elizabeth was a lot happier and he could see a beauty that he couldn't the last time they met.

" Elizabeth is Charlie telling the truth?" Zeo had asked.

" Yes, we did catch up on recent events and Charlie did pour himself a bourbon...but he said it wasnt very good. Thats why he switched to the scotch." Elizabeth replied.

As she finished speaking, an altercation started and she slid back to her seat, right there in the back of the room.

Talking to Charlie, Zeo and Molly had been really good, but now she needed some peace and quiet to think. Someone had killed Mr. Harlequin, and every person in there was a suspect.

Her mind wandered off for a moment. That was certainly not good. She could almost feel an accusing finger being pointed at her.

She hated being on the spotlight, though it had been happening a lot since she wrote her book. Oh, well, that's life.

The woman stood from her chair and walked up to Molly as she came in.

"In the name of the Holy Mother, what happened to you?", she asked, wondering if Molly couldn't keep herself out of harm's way for a full week.

Nov-25-2009 19:44

"My maid struck me with a vase." Molly said dryly, the sheepish Elsie having trailed in moments ago. "I think she may want a pay raise."

The room at large tittered, and Molly joined in as she made her way to a chair where she rested her chin in hand and fervently wished she had something to quell the pounding headache.

"You haven't by chance found the murderer whilst I was away?" she asked hopefully, then sighed when they shook their heads.

Nov-25-2009 21:24

After a moment of silence, Marc spoke up. "Molly?" He asked, "are you sure that it was an accident?"

Molly gave him a suspicious look.

"What do you mean?" She asked in return.

"Think about it," Marc said, "I mean, someone in here was murdered and now your maid is hitting you in the face with a vase."

Whispers flooded the room.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but does she not have access to everyroom?" Marc said.

A silence filled the room.

Someone spoke up after a minute and said, "You know, he does have a point."

Nov-26-2009 11:29

Molly rubbed her head.

"I fail to see any reason Elsie would have to kill Harlequin. She's just a simple maid. Unless someone put her up to it, in which case we're back to square one."

Elsie spoke, and everyone turned to look at her.

"Please Miss, I don't know nothin! It was an accident, I swear!" Elsie pleaded.

Molly raised an eyebrow. "For the sake of your employment status I should hope so. Be that as it may you have made yourself a suspect in a murder investigation. You'll have to stick close; same rules apply. No going off by yourself until we find the killer. Now, unless those with evidence and/or theories are done, may I suggest we retire? It is quite late after all."