《Whodunnit ?》Chapter 5 - A Morning Riddle
Advertisement
It was now the next morning in Rue Manor. The twelve remaining guests all woke up peacefully and made their way to the dinning room. Which was a very spacious room with an extravagant long table which could seat fourteen people at a time.
"Morning everyone." Michelle greeted the last of the twelve guests to make their way down to breakfast.
"Did anyone sleep last night?" Nelson questioned the group. Curious to find out if anyone actually slept last night, considering the circumstances.
"Nope." Jamie shook his head.
"Not a blink." Talia rubbed her eyes groggily.
Once all the guests were seated the maids served breakfast to the twelve guests. Fried eggs on toast with an endless amount of condiment sauces.
"This barbecue sauce is pretty good!" Alec grinned, being able to be happy about something since Justin's murder.
Talia offered Dan some of her oranges which she brought from her local store. Which Dan heavily refused, being highly allergic to even the juices of the fruit.
"I'm not really hungry." Hannah pushed away her plate after only a few jabs at her fried egg.
"I lost my appetite last night." Greg frowned at his plate.
Suddenly Giles burst into the dining room. "My dear guests I am sorry to intrude on your breakfast. But I have a note from the killer .."
The guests that were eating immediately stopped in their tracks.
"Dear Mortals. Today the first riddle will take place. After each murder, a riddle will be introduced so you can be one step closer to solving the murder and finding out who I am. Meet Giles at the front doors of the manor in ten. The game is officially beginning."
"It looks like the killer wants you all to follow me .. " Giles said to the group before casually walking out of the dining room.
Some guests were confused by the note and continued eating.
" Guys come on! " Courtney's harsh voice rang through the dining hall and everyone followed.
" We don't have to go yet, Y'know. " Natalie argued with Courtney.
" Yeah, but people might want to confer what they investigated yesterday." Greg backed up Courtney. Knowing what the lawyer's intentions were.
" Fine. " Natalie sighed before rising from her seat.
"Let's just all go." Reynold sighed in frustration. Almost knocking Brianna over as he stormed out of the dining room.
-
The twelve guests were met with the blistering California sun immediately as they stepped outside the manor. "God it's hot." Jamie complained, tugging at his day shirt for some fresh air.
"Dan, Jamie. Can I talk to you?" Courtney pulled aside Dan & Jamie from the group and talked to them in private. Near some of the carefully trimmed bushes.
"I think that if you want information in this game. It's crucial to get two people from different scenes so we can compare what we found. So if I give you what I found at the last known whereabouts. Will you be willing to trade your information with me?" Courtney asked. Trying her best to convince Dan & Jamie to an 'Alliance' of some sort.
"Yeah totally. I think that's fair." Jamie nods, accepting Courtney's alliance.
"Sure." Dan replies quickly.
"Ok well, when me, Greg & Brianna arrived at Justin's room we didn't find much at first. Just a few ruffled bed sheets. Some towels laid out on the floor. That was until Brianna found a note on Justin's bed side table."
Dan & Jamie rose their eyebrows in surprise.
Advertisement
"Please do continue." Jamie encouraged Courtney to carry on explaining.
"And it said 'These would look great on you tonight at the ball'." Courtney explains what she stumbled across last night in Justin's room.
"Were they earrings?" Dan asked remembering the glow in the dark earrings that Michelle had pointed out last night during the light flickers.
Courtney breathed a sigh of relief."Yeah they were. He was wearing them at the morgue then ?"
"Yeah. But here's the weird thing. They were glow in the dark earrings." Dan explained the glowing accessories features.
"I can see where this is going." Jamie caught up on Courtney & Dan's discussion.
"The killer sends the note to Justin. He wears them at the ball. Then the lights went out." Jamie said confidently. "At the morgue did you see any stab wounds or something?" Jamie asks Dan. Wondering if there were any marks on Justin's body from the mace that his group found at the crime scene last night.
"Yeah, there was some really strange stab marks on Justin's lower right leg. I don't know what weapon can make that kind of impa-. "
"It was a mace. Talia found a mace at the crime scene yesterday." Jamie answers Dan's question before he even had to finish.
"That's perfect, we've got everything! " Courtney celebrated loudly, hoping
the other guests didn't hear her.
However, Dan dampened on Courtney's spirits. "Actually not quite Courtney."
"What do you mean?" Courtney asked back, confused by Dan's remark.
"After my group saw the wounds on Justin's leg. I noticed that he had a white, bubbly substance frothing from his mouth."
"Are you sure !? There was nothing at the crime scene that pointed to a white liquid anywhere !" Jamie voiced his concern if Dan was actually telling the truth to Courtney and himself.
"I'm positive." Dan nodded confidently.
"This is so confusing." Courtney shakes her head in confusion.
-
Meanwhile another group. This time of six had been formed, the group consisted of Nelson, Brianna, Greg, Alec, Talia & Reynold.
"This is perfect! We've got three people from the crime scene. " Greg pointed to Nelson, Talia & Reynold. Who were three of the five people who investigated the crime scene last night.
"Me from the last known whereabouts." Greg pointed to himself.
"And obviously Alec from the morgue." Greg pointed to Alec.
"If we all stay together, we can just watch the others fall to the ground." Nelson nodded.
As the group of six conferred with what they had found from their areas last night. Michelle, Hannah & Natalie formed a pact.
"Who do you think we could convince from the last known whereabouts to say what they found?" Natalie asked the two younger girls of her alliance.
"Greg or Brianna?" Michelle shrugged.
"Yeah, I agree. Courtney wouldn't give us any information. She's made it very clear who she's with in this game." Hannah points out to the girls. Determined that Courtney is the killer.
"We'll have to see after this riddle, whatever that's going to be about," Natalie said.
After the group of girls discussed what they found at their locations, Giles appeared with the two maids by his side.
"Ladies and gentleman it is time for the riddle from the killer."
The guests all jogged over to Giles, preparing themselves for the riddle ahead.
" Drink, Drink is all we did last night.
Shame Justin had to drop with a fright.
Every household has one of these.
Advertisement
You should find it with ease.
But please be aware, because nothing is as it seems.
The clue you find will help you tonight.
And will provide a much needed further insight. "
Once Giles finished the riddle provided by the killer the twelve guests dashed off back inside the manor. Greg & Hannah ran straight through the manor and went out to the backyard. Knowing that a garden is something that all households typically have.
Once in the garden, Hannah started furiously flipping over plant pots, wondering if a clue would be In one of them. "See anything, Greg !?" Hanna called out to Greg. Who was investigating the manor's pool.
"I see a note." Greg exclaimed as he saw a note at the bottom of the manor pool.
After hearing Greg's find Hannah rushed over to him. The calm and peaceful water of the Rue Manor pool was abruptly changed as Greg dived into the pool, to retrieve the note.
Hannah watched on as Greg rose from the bottom of the pool. The only words on the laminated sheet were "You're getting cold".
"Dammit" Greg yelled before placing the note carefully on the pool side.
"What did it say?" Hannah asked Greg, who had now made his way out of the pool and was running back to the Manor.
"It said that 'We're getting cold' Greg exclaimed before disappearing away from the Jeweler.
-
Brianna, Alec, Talia, Nelson & Natalie started rummaging through the great room, knowing that the great room could be interrupted as 'The living room' in a normal household.
"Could it be something to do with all of these clocks?" Brianna whispered to Nelson, who she trusted since he was in her alliance.
"Maybe." Nelson nodded, looking carefully at a certain clock which was above the very draw that the mace was found in yesterday (at the Crime Scene).
"We've gotta try our best to make sure Natalie doesn't see anything important." Alec suddenly approaches Nelson & Brianna.
"We know." Brianna nods before touching the clock Nelson was eyeing up.
"Maybe if you turn the clock hand it will somehow give us a clue?" Alec suggests to Brianna. Brianna turns both of the clock heads clock wise but nothing happens.
"Does it go anti-clockwise?" Talia asks, suddenly appearing in the conversation.
"No." Nelson groans, upset that he couldn't find a clue from the clock.
-
"Every household has a room !" Dan cheered to the group of Courtney, Michelle, Reynold & Jamie who were hanging out of the steps of the great room.
"You're right." Michelle exclaimed. Before racing up the stairs to head for the first bedroom closest to stairs, Justin's bedroom.
Michelle busted into the room and started looking for clues. Dan, Reynold, Jamie & Courtney filed into the room after Michelle respectively.
"There's got to be a clue in here guys, I'm positive!" Michelle started rummaging through Justin's luggage just like Courtney did only last night.
"I'm going to try some other bedrooms." Jamie announces before swiftly charging out of the room. Dan & Courtney followed.
"Looks like its just me and you." Reynold paused to talk to Michelle but didn't get far before he a got a shirt of the deceased Justin thrown at his face. By a clueless Michelle who just carried on throwing cloths out of Justin's case.
-
Greg had now returned from the pool and joined the group of Natalie , Talia , Alec , Nelson & Brianna in the great room.
"How did you get so wet?" Natalie asked Greg, who was still dripping from the chlorine of the Rue Manor pool.
"I went into the pool." Greg breathed, out of breath from all the running he had done.
"OK well now that you're here you could actually help us out. " Nelson laughed slightly, knowing that five heads were better than four.
"What does every household have?" Hannah pondered the note over and over in her heard as she too entered the great room. Natalie snatched Hannah away and ran to the dining room before the other group could notice.
-
"Do you really think that there would be a clue in my room?" Courtney debated to Jamie and Dan. Who was interrogating her room deeply?
"I don't know Courtney. There could be a clue in anyone's room!" Jamie debated back. Clearly stressed he was not finding the clue as easily as he thought he would.
-
"Wait Reynold lets think here." Michelle stopped the chaos in Justin's room.
"Hmm?" Reynold stuck his head out from under the bed.
"Every household has a bathroom-".
"I've looked in there." Reynold scrapped away that possibility.
"How about ... " Michelle went into a train of thought. Trying her best to structure together a reasonable answer.
"The kitchen! " Both Michelle & Reynold said in unison before charging out of Justin's wrecked room.
-
"Look under those plates, Hannah." Natalie pointed to the plates that everyone had been eating from only about an hour ago, While Natalie inspected the wine glasses.
"We have to be missing something here! " Hannah frustratedly threw one of the plates against the wall. Shattering it instantly.
"Why the fuck did you do that!" Natalie rose her voice to Hannah.
"I need to take my frustration out on something! It's not like I can take it out on anything else." Hannah shrugged back before looking carefully under the other plates. This made Natalie start to become suspicious of the twenty-seven-year-old.
-
Michelle & Reynold ran into the kitchen of Rue Manor and were overcome with joy once they saw three big stands of beans rested on one of the kitchen counters.
"There is defiantly a clue here." Reynold grinned.
"Look! It's a note." Michelle exclaimed to Reynold, pretty much jumping with joy at this point.
"Read it, read it!" Reynold yelled in a low voice. Not wanting anyone else to intrude on in the find.
"JJustin took quite a deadly dose.
And what it was is likely to make you scream 'gross'.
Before you are three stacks of different beans.
Crush them to find out the means.
But beware not to chew !.
As one of these beans will provide the all important clue."
" Ok let's get looking," Reynold said encouragingly to Michelle as they started to look through the different beans.
Michelle & Reynold started at the stack closest to them. It was labeled. Cannelloni Beans
"This wouldn't have killed Justin. I mean it's cannelloni beans. Do you even think we should waste time crushing these? " Michelle asked Reynold.
"No your right. They can't kill people." Reynold chuckled before moving onto the next bean.
Adzuki Beans
"I've never heard of these." Michelle admitted to Reynold before taking a few in her hands and placing them in the mortar and crushing them with the pestle (which were resting on each stack of bean).
"I mean they look pretty dangerous as they are. They are red. And red isn't a good color here." Reynold took his memory back to the red blood stain on the dance floor from last night.
After a few moments of good crushing from both Reynold & Michelle. They both finally saw the outcomes for crushing the Adzuki beans.
The Adzuki beans made a raw pink colored paste.
"If the note said that Justin took a dose. It had to have been from his Cidre!" Michelle cast her mind back to the ball.
"But Justin would have noticed if there was paste in his drink. I don't think this is the bean were looking for." Reynold shook his head, positive to leave that bean out of the important things in Justin's case.
The thirty-four-year-old and the twenty-six-year-old then moved on to the third and last bean.
Caster Beans
"Oh my god!" Reynold gasped, almost stumbling backward from Michelle.
"What is it!" Michelle asked Reynold.
Reynold as a doctor knew that caster beans, when crushed made a deadly poison called Ricin.
"Caster beans when crushed make Ricin, the deadliest poison there is today. But there's only one problem-"
"What's the problem?"
"They take a few hours to kill you. Half an hour at least. Expect if .. " Reynold went into a deep trance of concentration. Taking his mind back to medial school and learning about poisons.
"When your heart rate increases dramatically. Depending on the dose, the ricin will do its job quicker. But what would have increased his heart rate for it to kick in that quickly? " Reynold mumbled to Michelle. Trying his best to think of what could have caused a dramatic heart rate increase from Justin.
Suddenly Michelle & Reynold met glances, finally coming up with the answer.
"The mace!" Both said before the estate bell rang throughout the whole manor. Symbolizing the riddle was over.
"Yes, we did it!" Reynold gave the cheery Michelle a hug.
"I'm so happy." Michelle teared , on the verge of tears.
"You'd be a good asset to my team Michelle. " Reynold complemented Michelle's investigative skills.
"Trust me I'd join if I could." Michelle sighed before taking a seat on the same kitchen counter holding the beans.
Reynold furrowed his eyebrows. "What's stopping you ?."
"I made a pact with Natalie & Hannah." Michelle explained.
"Can't you just cut the alliance off?" Reynold questioned Michelle.
" I mean I could but - ".
"Listen Michelle there's a good possibility that one of them is the killer. If you work with them. They could result in you being killed off. " Reynold had a point and Michelle knew it.
After a few moments of thinking to herself, Michelle decided.
"The three of us don't know what happened at the last known whereabouts. So I guess I should just get off this sinking ship then." Michelle officially aborted the alliance she once had between Natalie & Hannah.
"I could tell you what happened now if you'd like!." Reynold offered the piece of the information that Michelle hadn't recovered from the murder.
"Please." Michelle nodded.
"In Justin's room was a note saying. 'These would look great on you at the ball'." Reynold only started explaining before Michelle cut him off.
"Was it earrings !?" Michelle asked.
"Yes," Reynold confirmed. Michelle did a little happy dance in the kitchen. Knowing she now knows everything about Justin's murder.
"Ok let's tell your team what we found." Michelle smiled widely, humble to learn everything.
-
All of the other guests except for Michelle & Reynold had gathered in the great room, as instructed too by Giles,
Jamie, Dan & Courtney stayed on the stairs. Feeling petrified that they didn't get information what so ever from the riddle.
Hannah & Natalie sat down on the couch with confident smirks their faces, convinced Michelle was going to share the information she found.
Whereas the group of Brianna, Alec, Nelson, Talia & Greg was grateful that one of their alliance members had solved the riddle.
Michelle & Reynold walked back into the great room with bright smiles on their face. And got claps from certain people as they rejoined the group.
Giles interrupted before a single conversation could start.
"Ladies & Gentleman. I must inform you that you only have two hours to confer information with the people of your choice. After that you will be forced to return to your room to get dressed for the annual dinner. But before that dinner takes place you must state your case on how you think Mr Ells was murdered. If you do well you will be spared. But Remember , missing out the smallest detail can result in you being scared. And potentially being the next victim of the killer." Giles explained the rules in detail for the first time.
"Oh ! And don't forget to state who you think the killer is when you are explaining your case. Rumour has it, it gives the killer a buzz." Giles smiled slightly after saying the last sentence before leaving the guests to compare information.
-
Michelle broke off with the majority alliance of the guests. Much to the confusion of Natalie & Hannah.
"What is she doing?" Hannah whispered to Natalie.
"I don't know." Natalie shook her head in confusion. "She should be sharing information with us !"
-
Advertisement
The Emperor's Least Favorite Daughter is Kicking Ass
"So, The only person I could have reincarnated into is this loser princess?" "You are to be executed at the dawn of today." "Are you serious, you are going to behead me, your own daughter!" Anna a ball of mischief and grief was shoved into make belief world where everybody wants her dead.
8 97The Land of Aurora
Summary: In a land called Aurora, there was a school student where well behave students attend. Four youth from the Black Wasteland were send in to infiltrate. Characters: Jasper, Golden, Icelyn, Amertyst
8 73Grimoire: Retake
"Reality is different than a story or a game." That's what my best friend used to say to the otaku me all the times and I myself knew full well that it's true. Well, that was until now... Why you ask? Let me ask you instead, what if you woke up one day, remembered your past life, then found out you are a harem member of a RPG game? The harem MC is childhood friend A and the main rival is my brother B. Hah! And that's just the beginning! You are mistaken if you think that's all. How about an amazing finishing touch of having found out later that reality does not follow the original storyline but might actually be the improved sequel version of the RPG? Hahaha, God, I'm laughing tears of despair....
8 167The Tutor // l.s.
[Completed] Louis Tomlinson needs a biology tutor. But will his biology tutor just teach Louis about biology? Or will they also teach Louis how to love?
8 131ʀᴇᴅᴇᴍᴀɴᴄʏ
Redamancy means loving in return.__________________________________Tarnished by her forever counter part and her namesake fiancée, Bani decides to run away from her miseries and she stumbles upon Veeranshu Singhania.She didn't dare to flirt with danger until him.🏅#5 in betrayel of 1.1k stories🏅#3 in Veer of 367 stories🏅#1 in Surbhi Chandna of 285 storiesCover : @xriaholic
8 172Frozen Heart
"She's weird and her eyes are so small.""Huh she can't even look properly through those little eyes." "She acts to be friendly with everyone.""She'll never get her ideal one about whom she keeps talking. She'll just die being a single.""She'll just keep on dreaming and get nothing."Roséanne Simpson, a girl of a different kind. She lives in her own imaginary world. She has many friends including both boys and girls. She's famous even though she does nothing to be. She never wanted to be an attention seeker. Let's see what will happen to such a girl having a distinct perspective of life. Will she be a successful person or just fail everything? Will she find her ideal one who will melt her 'Frozen Heart' or she'll be the way she is till the end?
8 113