Unsolved Murder: Mark's Manor

[Sakume]

OoC: I just love making the titles easy to refer to. It's fun. It actually sounds like a case name in a video game or something. By the way, for those who may be confused, Con has just met Mark for this roleplay, and Mark would not know anything about Con.

BiC: *------*

“What are you doing? What? No, don’t! Stay away! I-” Stars glimmered in the dark recesses of the night, their faint shining the only witnesses to the horrors that followed. Silence echoed throughout the corridors of the huge mansion, a faint sense of dread penetrating those that were sensitive to it.

*------*

He knocked lightly, opening the door cautiously. After all, he wouldn’t want to wake her up if she still slept, right? His head still throbbed from the lack of shut-eye he had been getting. He knew his share of troubles lately dealing with his insanity and the urges of destruction it sent through his blood. Sometimes he didn’t know what he did. He tried to calm himself. He just needed to check on her, as she was all he had left.

Sure, currently Mark had several others for company in his mansion, as he secretly enjoyed hosting people in the spare rooms, but above them all, there was his sister. He loved her so much, more than anything else in the world. She even rivaled his love for Annabelle, despite this being brotherly, and his feelings for Annabelle romantic.

Mina loved her brother equally, always eager to make him pleased as she brought him home wildflowers, stating, "maybe you can be happy again when you see and smell them like you were. You can think of me while you work and remember I love you, big brother." Her naive and pure intentions melted Mark's own heart every time he looked at her.

“Mina?” he whispered, knowing full well it was quite early in the morning, despite the darkness outside. “Mina, are you awake? I brought you some milk to help you sleep if you need it… Mina?” The glass slipped from his hands, shattering on the ground below, sending shards flying across the wooden floor.

She always loved the cool white drink at night, as it helped her to drift off to her dreams. Mark would sit next to her bed as she drank it, and as long as no one else was around, he sang to her. Mark didn’t have the greatest voice, either. He knew this for sure. Mina, however; seemed to love it, so Mark did everything he could for her. The song she chose was a lullaby their mother would use to lull them to sleep when they were young. He would hum softly as he rubbed her head, running his fingers through her smooth hair, much as he did now.

The only difference between those times, so beautiful and filled with hope, and these, was the pool of blood Mark cradled her in. “Mina… Mina…” He ran his hands through her hair as he always did every night, his fingers becoming shades of red as he did so. “Mina…” He rocked back and forth, clutching her body close to his chest, tilting her back for a moment to look at her face. Oh, her face… “It’s okay, Mina… you’re okay… you’re okay…” his voice cracked as he gritted his teeth, his lips trembling into an expression of untold grief that had not yet been accepted.

“Mina… you’ll be okay… just hold on. Please don’t leave me… please,” he begged in a harsh whisper, clutching her tighter as tears began to escape his eyes, squeezed shut. “Mina, please don’t leave me. I love you so much… I promise that everything will be okay, I promise. You’ll be okay… you can’t… di…” his voice left him into a choked sorrow. He panted in an effort to catch his breath between holding back more sobs. Nothing could express his suffering at this moment, nothing. Finally, unable to hold it in any longer, he tightened his grip on her frail, cold body.

He wailed out loud, tears flowing freely down his cheeks as he rocked with her form in his arms, these arms that should be holding her safely. The heart-wrenching, unintelligible cries of agony that continued from the room were such that Red Hill never had and never would hear again.

He shook violently as he continued to cry, his body wracking with the howls of pain that escaped his lips. “Mina… Mina… Mina, no…” He took her top half of her body into his lap, his legs limply sliding in the blood, staining most of his clothes and his hands. “No…”

*--------------------------------*

“What’s going on?” Selene asked urgently, rocketing up from her sleep and shaking Zorlo, although he seemed to have awoken as well at the horrible sounds a few doors down.

“I don’t know!” Zorlo exclaimed, already up and leaving the room to inspect the mourning sounds of such explicit pain. Along with Zorlo, several others popped their heads out of the doors lining the hallway, following him.

Selene flew past Zorlo after a moment, becoming the first to see the scene. She held a hand to her mouth, gagging as she turned away. She had sensed such a profound hurt, one that overcame her. She fell to her knees, whimpering as tears escaped her eyes, unable to take on the weight of the sorrow that emanated from the room.

Mark still rocked back and forth, holding his sister in his arms; his face caked with tears and blood mingling together, his eyes unable to see and his voice nearly gone from the lamentations, the occasional gasping gurgle noise rising from his throat.

Zorlo just stared at the scene, unable to think or react, as did the others that watched, no one daring to do anything, but all of them probably feeling helpless. This went on for a long time, one which nobody moved in. “Somebody get a doctor!” the fencer finally cried, watching as Con sprinted off. No one would be open this time of night, but someone had to do something.

Selene stood after a few moments. She couldn’t… take this for long. The pace at which she was feeling this overwhelming wave of emotion was causing her uncontrollable pain. “Mark…” she took a step into the room, extending a gloved hand. “Mark… what… come on…” She knew he couldn’t talk about what happened now, but she couldn’t just let him stay here hugging his dead younger sister’s body sitting in her blood, could she? “Mark…” She rested a hand on his shoulder. “Come on… we’ll get this sorted out…” She pulled a little. “But you have to let go…”

“No! No, no!” Mark screamed, clinging to Mina’s body as if it were the last safeguard on the earth. “I won’t leave her! No!” his voice came as cracked squeaks, his breath wheezing. “No! I can’t leave her! No!”

Selene released her hand, backing away. “Mark… oh, Mark… I’m… so sorry… so sorry.”

Time passed, minute after minute, Mark shaking silently, his sobs hardly audible now since he had so little energy left. Zorlo realized Selene was right. They had to get to the bottom of this… to do so… Mark would have to leave Mina. “Mark…”

“I won’t leave her… I can’t…”

Con returned, looking at Zorlo. The two would have to drag Mark away… for his own health, both mental and physical. They approached and each hooked an arm under Mark’s, pulling with a firm, yet sympathizing grip.

“No! No! I can’t leave her! Let me go! No!” Mark extended a hand towards Mina’s body as it slumped lifeless in the pool of blood next to her bed. “Let me go!” Jackie shut the door as they passed, Con indicating to her to do so, locking it. His eyes widened as he dragged Mark to the hallway, letting him fall.

Mark pushed Zorlo and Con aside, hurling himself at the door, clawing as if he were a wild animal. “Mina! Mina, no! Mina! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Mina… Mina!” He finally slumped, gagging. He threw himself at the opposite door which was the bathroom, promptly throwing up in the sink from all the sorrow and trauma he endured.

The party remained silent still, hardly able to believe the truth. Mina was dead.

*----------------------------------------------*

“How did she do it? Why would an eight-year-old commit… suicide?” Selene whispered to Zorlo as they all sat in the lobby of the mansion, the room still locked after about two days. No one spoke of it, but they knew that the room itself would start to smell badly soon, as if it didn’t already.

“Murder.”

Everyone turned to look at Mark, who, after two days of complete silence and solitude, had spoken.

“What?” Con asked, blinking. “What did you say?”

“Murder. Mina did not commit suicide.” Mark lifted his head up, surveying the party, a cold glaze over his usual vivid eyes.

“Then… who? And why? And how?” asked Zorlo, wringing his hands a bit and shifting.

“Who… one among us. It had to be. No one enters my mansion without my permission. Someone. Right here, right now, murdered Mina.” He scanned over the group of onlookers. One of them had slaughtered his innocent sister.

Was it Zorlo? The fencer of Tasogare? He usually didn’t stay in the mansion… strange that he would choose to come conveniently close to the murder, perhaps a week before. However, many others shared that fact. He would easily overpower Mina, and knew the layout of the mansion, thanks to Mark showing him around so much.

Perhaps it was Selene, his lover. The angel had admitted before to absorbing emotion, and that too much gave her pain. Maybe Mina’s happiness was too much for her, even if it was positive. Too much of a good thing…

It could be Con, the mysterious stranger who showed up at Mark’s door just short of Selene and Zorlo, asking for shelter. He hadn’t spoken much to Mark, and had been poking around things lately. He certainly seemed capable.

Maybe his girl friend that accompanied him, Jackie was her name. She hadn’t seemed dangerous to Mark, and was very friendly to Mina. She was very quiet, though, and hung around a lot with Con. It was possible they were accomplices….

It would be another chance if it were the newest person Mark befriended, Sarah, the writer. She had come with Jackie and Con, and seemed to be thankful for the shelter. She would be the least suspected, since Mark knew her the least. It would be simpler for her to pull it off.

The blonde then had a revolutionary thought. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw Mina before she had… died. Why couldn’t he? No… it wasn’t possible. Just as if he had been slapped in the face, Mark realized he, too, was a suspect.

The scientist snapped out of his thoughts for a moment. “One of us right here killed my sister. I’m not going to rest until I find out whom. No one leaves this mansion until then. I don’t care if you have to eat each other when and if we run out of food; no one is stepping foot outside.”

“The room is still there, then…” Selene said softly. “Locked and all. If an investigation took place, everything should be in basic order as it was when this… murder took place.”

“You’re right.” Mark heaved a long sigh and shuddered as he rested his chin on his hands. “Alright. I…” He released a slow, tremor-filled breath. “I’m going to perform an autopsy on the body… then I’m going to bury her. After I figure out who did it. I’ll prepare her for burial in my lab… first, I’m going to go get her.”

“How, then, do we know you won’t do something to remove evidence?” Con asked, narrowing his eyes and crossing his hands about his chest. He felt he had a valid point.

“Alright. You come with me. Make sure… that I don’t… move anything but the body, alright?”

“I will.” Con nodded slowly, a solemn look on his face.

“We know that someone here did it. If you tell me now, then maybe I’ll let you leave without killing you.” Mark spat, his eyes staring daggers into all of them. “Alright… then we know that one of us did it, and the person isn’t going to own up easily.” He did not forget that he was also a suspect. Someone had to have done it…

But who, was the main question? And how to find out? Mark wasn’t a detective, after all.

[Zorolo]

The Aura Master sat in the chair, completely absorbed in thought. Who would have done this to that poor, cute little girl. She had done nothing but brighten the fencer's day when he spoke to her, and she never seemed to offend anyone at all. So who? What heartless cur had killed that innocent girl? Whoever it was would pay for their unjust crime.

Well, for now, the fencer didn't really think about this situation too much. After all, it wasn't like he could simply, by looking at people, tell who was guilty. Sadly, he couldn't read minds either, so there went that option. That left only one option: Solve this problem the old fashioned way: interrogation!

The only thing left to figure out was who would do the investigating and interrogating. That was in the air, since everyone in the mansion was a suspect. How could these people figure out who did it without killing each other over who would choose who did it? That whole situation seemed to suck, but who knew, maybe things would get better. If not, Zorlo was clearly the strongest person here, so he could simply defeat the others and protect Selene. Simple enough, but not something he wanted to do.

Knock, knock, knock

The rapping at the door drew Mark towards the structure, and he reached his hand towards the knob, mumbling something along the lines of, "Who could it be at a time like this?"

The door opened, and a familiar, dark clad figure stood there. "I'm back," Monroe stated as he looked at the very ghostly looking Mark. "What's wrong?" the modern fencer asked, raising and eyebrow to the man.

"Mina's dead. That's what is wrong," Mark said as he went back into the house and sat at his chair.

"She's... Mina's... what?" the former assassin asked as he rushed into the house to see the dead body of the girl. "Who did this?!" he asked, demanding an answer. "WHO?!"

"We're not sure," the Aura Master replied.

"YOU!" Monroe said as he leapt at Zorlo. "You did it you bastard!"

The fencer sighed and elbowed Monroe in the chest at a very fast speed, returning to his seat in the blink of an eye. "Don't pass your judgment based solely on your opinion. Especially if your opinion is on false information," the green haired man stated.

Monroe fell to his knees, his eyes watering in pain. "All right... if you don't know who did it, then I'll get an investigator." The entire party's eyes went wide as they stared at him as the dark clad man cast his gaze back upon each person individually. "I'm calling in a detective to find out who did this. First person to move will automatically be placed as the assailant and shot dead on sight," Vossler stated as he reached into his jacket and pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number, not moving his eyes.

The phone rang a few times before someone answered. She was the only person he could trust. She was smart; she was calm; she was a detective; best of all, she was sexy. What luck! "Hello, is this Tracey De Carlo?" the fencer asked. The voice replied and he hung up the phone. "Whoops, wrong number," he said with a slight blush. "Sorry."

The modern fencer hung his head for a moment before typing in another number. How could he call his favorite pizza place rather then Tracey. Well, then again, their numbers were only one digit different from each other. Again, the phone rang, and the silence and tension in the air grew. Now everyone waited.

"Hello, is this Tracey?" he asked as someone picked up. A distinctly female voice answered, and Monroe's shame turned into pride as his face lit up. "Hey Tracey, how are you?" After a few moments of the female voice speaking, Vossler finally responded. "So, you're good then? I've got two things to tell you: One is that I've spotted that Cadenza woman you're looking for. I'll give you the details when you get here. Second is I've got a murder mystery for you, if you're up to it. There are a bunch of people here, most of which are unsavory, that I need you to help me discern for the murder of my friend. What do you say?" he asked her pleadingly, mostly because he wanted to see her.

[Altamira]

Enter Inspector Tracey de Carlo--on call to the scene of a malicious murder--a bloodhound set upon the scent of a scoundrel, depended upon to sniff out the cold hard truth! Ah, what a great chance to lift my spirits during this slump!

...If only I could find the place that matches this address.

The detective had agreed to her friend's request, and, confident in her knowledge of the world, asked for nothing more than the plainest directions--but now that seemed to be proving an imprudent act on her part. There she was, in the farthest reaches of Florheim's swamps, without any concrete sign of a great manor in sight. She had tried looking through the decayed foliage forming a web of a canopy overhead, and could see that something beyond the flora was obscuring the rays of the sun far out on the horizon; but that was dismissed as inconclusive just as quickly as it had been noticed. The glint cutting through the tops of the trees from whatever was there was mostly definitely being reflected off glass.

Tracey pried her boot from a pool of mud and turned to leave; but then something soaring through the sky grabbed her attention, and would not let go. It darted low and high, through the wisps of clouds, a silhouette in the setting sun; she could only catch brief glances of it through the leaves, but she was positive that the flying object was reptilian. All her rational little "cells", as she called them, began working feverishly for an explanation.

A...mutated komodo dragon, perhaps? The idea requires a good deal of imagination to believe, but...it doesn't completely defy science. My my, though--that body really is quite large and shaped oh-so differently...just how much mutation would that sort of thing be the result of? Eons' worth?

Her results were unsatisfying at best for her standards--and so she did the only thing she could do to improve upon her theories--she followed the creature.

Hours of trekking through the tangled swamp after her subject brought her to a gently-rolling hill; and standing atop this knoll was a structure that took the sleuth's breath away; an immense, clear dome rose up countless meters into the stratum of clouds, surrounded on all sides by gilded columns and fences covered in etchings of gypsy spirits, and stretching out arms of myriad green-colored corridors, gardens, and wings full of rooms. It gave her a mystical, otherworldly feeling that was both parts discomforting and alluring, like nothing she had ever felt before.

A hint of intuition came to her at the sight of it, telling her that this was certainly the way to where Monroe had beckoned her.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Once she had entered the dome, all of her friend's directions made immediate and complete sense. Taking care not to lose herself for an instant, Tracey followed the directions to the letter, and soon arrived on the front step of the manor, her magnifying glass in hand and her mind alert to all details from that point on.

She rang the bell twice, and stood waiting, eager to begin.

OoC: That was the first time I've returned to that swamp since the first post of Cadenza's training nearly two years ago--writing that was fun. And now I've finally gotten Tracey access to the Dome (although she doesn't realize the significance of that yet)! XD

(For any who don't know, that flying creature was Cadenza's dragon Avello returning to the Dome. ;P)

[southern belle]

OoC: Yaaay reposting. x3 And YAY for Alta! <3

BiC:
They sat in the lobby still, awaiting the detective's arrival. None of them talked much, each absorbed in their own thoughts. The strange man, Monroe, seemed to have taken charge of things. He stood near the door, ready to answer it once De Carlo showed up. In the mean time, he was watching them all, making sure that no one left or did anything suspicious.

Sarah sat by herself on an old, heavily-cushioned armchair. Who could have killed that sweet little kid? She looked around the room... most of the people here were strangers to her, which didn't help matters much. It also, she realized, made her much more suspect in others' eyes. Hmph. Like I'd pull a dagger on an innocent little girl.

Who was it though? Her gaze fell across Con, but didn't linger there. That he could be responsible was not a thought that even entered the young writer's mind. Jackie, however... She's already proved that she has and is willing to torture... Who's to say she wouldn't kill, if she thought it could help her? But... what was the motive?

There was also the couple, Selene and Zorlo... she didn't know a thing about them, and so could neither rule them out nor condemn them. Selene *had* been the first to suggest it was suicide... "Guilty dog barks first" and all that... but again, why?

Mark was another that she did not spend much time considering... he seemed genuinely heartbroken by all this. He *could* be acting of course, but Sarah doubted any actor could be quite *that* convincing.

Which left her...

Absolutely nowhere. Sarah sighed to herself, fidgiting slightly in her chair. She could learn nothing this way! Why is that detective taking so long?

As if in answer to her question, the doorbell suddenly rang out. A few people jumped a bit, and Monroe rushed to get the door. Finally... maybe now we can start getting some answers.

[Sakume]

OoC: For those reading the poll, the mystery witness will be revealed all in good time, and is a perfectly good suspect. Thank you, Alti. <3

BiC: "Tracey!" Monroe exclaimed. "I'm glad you could make it! Look, here's the suspects, all lined up already. No one's left the house or my sight since I got here."

After tapping her chin with her magnifying glass once, Tracey nodded. "I got here as quickly as I could. What's the story on the murdered person?"

"It was my sister..." Mark replied lowly, his head hung and his hands grasping his hair.

"I'm... sorry for your loss." Tracey approached with a solemn few steps, seating herself across from him after a moment. "But you're going to all have to cooperate, if we're going to do this the easy way. Now, where did the murder take place? Anyone can answer, as long as it's the truth. The truth shall always be revealed." Even though it was a rather sad time, Tracey seemed to keep a determined attitude. "Justice shall win out."

"It was in my room." Mark shook his head slightly. "No, I mean Mina's room." Anyone could see he was a bit confused.

After a moment, the others nodded. "Right... Mina's room."

"Is it left the way it was?" Tracey asked her next question, already taking mental notes of the way they all acted.

"It is, indeed." Con this time answered, face unreadable.

"I'll be inspecting the room for clues, first." Tracey concluded, deciding that this seemed the best course of action.

"Miss... Tracey?" Mark lifted his head, his overwhelmed eyes searching the new woman. "Please... find out who did it... if you have need of any fingerprints or any DNA examining after you find evidence, please... let me know. I have anything and everything you need in my lab. Anything... to find out who did this. I'll give you whatever you want. If you solve the case, I'll reward you handsomely... I'm going to perform an autopsy of my sister's body..."

"But how do we know you won't do anything to the body?" Selene asked softly, not wanting to accuse Mark by any means, but trying to think logically.

"Is it not enough for you that I had to see my own sister mutilated?!" he screamed out loud, making several people jump. "Is it not enough that I'm currently stained in her blood?! For God's sake, let me take care of her on my own! Have I not been through enough for you?!" Tears streaked his cheeks once more, what little he had left.

Selene shrank back, looking hurt. "I... I'm sorry."

"Of course you can, Mark." Zorlo replied, noticing how unstable the man was currently. "Go ahead. None of us will go with you."

Mark cast one look at Tracey and then nodded, taking the body of Mina down to his lab to perform the autopsy. He would have the results before long. Maybe that would assist this new detective in helping him find the murderer. No matter who it was... Mark would kill them. As he stepped forward, into his study which led to his lab, he failed to notice the tiny dried drops of blood before his door...

Jackie turned to look at Con before turning her attention to Tracey. "So, what now?" she asked. "You want us to all testify, I guess? I don't think we're going anywhere, anyway... you can go ahead and look in the room like Mark suggested, if you want."

Con nodded in agreement. "Monroe here has a good eye on us, don't you, Monroe, old buddy?" he asked in a mock friendly voice. He didn't like the guy already.

Before Monroe could reply, Selene stood up. "Well. I know something that will make everyone feel better while we wait for Miss Tracey to finish her examination of the scene..." Selene made her way to a nearby closet, opening it and fidgiting out a large box, returning to set it among the company. "Let's play Clue!"

[Zorolo]

Monroe's jaw nearly dropped at the suggestion. "At a time like this, you suggest playing a game that involves someone being murdered? Is there something psychologically wrong with you?" the dark clad man asked in a belittling manner as if Selene had just said something blatantly stupid.

Zorlo shook his head, smiling still. "Mr. Monroe, why are you here?" the fencer asked the modern fencer, looking up at the man.

"I'm here because I need to talk to Mark about something. Want to make something of it?!" the dark clad man asked, becoming rather defensive.

"No, I was just wondering why you would come here at such a convent time. How do we know you didn't sneak into the house and kill Mina while we were all asleep?" the fencer asked in a nonchalant tone.

After all, it wasn't much like he was too worried about this. The truth would be revealed eventually, and there was no reason to sweat the small stuff or point the finger. If you do those things, you only appear more guilty.

Monroe's eyes went wide as he stepped back slightly, pointing at himself and laughing. "Me? How can you accuse me?! I just got here!" Monroe began yelling.

"Quiet down, Mr. Monroe, you'll bother the stiffs," the fencer said jokingly as he looked around the room.

The fencer had a personal dislike of Con, for some odd reason, but didn't really think too much on it. It could have been, but it might not have been him. Who knows, it could have been anyone.

Monroe took a few deep breaths before finally calming down and narrowing his eyes at Selene.

"Fine, let's play clue," Vossler said in a forced tone. He didn't like this, but what he do to find out what really happened?

Zorlo rubbed Selene's back and smiled at her. "There now, let's play this game you've been telling me about, I'm sure it shall be fun," the fencer said as he cast the angel his serene smile, trying to ease her heart.

After all, Zorlo could tell Monroe had a bit of emotional instability from how he reacted to everything. Wasn't too hard to see that Monroe had a bit of an anger issue, after all. Still, both fencers cast their guess upon a person.

Monroe figured that Zorlo was the most likely person, given the Aura Master's status as a bounty; however,

Zorlo, in fact, did not believe at all it had been Monroe. Rather, the fencer guessed at it being either Con or Jackie, given how little he knew about them, and the oddly evil feeling he picked up off of them. Something here was simply amiss.

This felt almost like a part from Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Fall of the House of Usher" in set up. However, the fencer didn't believe poor Mina would be returning from the dead to kill her brother or the true killer, which made a nice deviant in this case. What luck, mysteries always made the world a bit more fun, as Zorlo saw it.

[Altamira]

OoC: Reposted and we're back in action! : D

IC:
An interesting company has gathered here, Tracey thought, heading down the hall to the bedroom where the murder, shrouded in mystery, had supposedly taken place. From the moment she had seen those in the house, suspicions arose; and after hearing some of them speak, and watching their behavior for the few moments she had been in their presence, those suspicions only grew stronger. But as she had learned from years of studying the greats--especially Holmes--one should never go into a case with preconceived theories. Then, you're trying to make facts fit into your theories, when you should be making your theories fit the facts.

It was in this clear, objective mindset that she entered the dead woman's room, pulled on her gloves, and took in the scene; blood coated the floor and the once-pure white dressings of the bed, and outlines of the lady's body were imprinted in the various places where she had laid or been placed in the room. Laying conspicuously in the center of this grim sight was a long whip; which, upon closer examination, was confirmed to have human blood upon it, and which was apparently crafted of strips of leather interwoven with shards of glass, points of nails, and splinters of bone and other gruesome objects. Most humans would have been too afraid of such a weapon to even approach it; but Tracey found it intriguing in a grotesque sort of way, and deposited it into her bag for further inspection. Even if it turns out to be irrelevant to the case--or even just a distractor--this unique weapon should surely prove informative if I'm ever faced with something similar.

Her interest piqued, the detective moved on from the spot where she had found the whip to take another searching glance about the room. As her eyes fell upon the bed once again, she noticed the mattress was slightly off-level--perhaps nothing serious, but it was worth checking nonetheless. A thorough search underneath it found white strips of cloth, soaked, just as the whip had been, in human blood. This crime becomes bloodier and more violent by the second.

The fact that this cloth had not been out in the open, as the whip had, drew Tracey's attention to the more discreet potential hiding places around the room. She began making her way back over to a dresser near the door, one of the few pieces of furniture in the entire modest room, when she heard a crunch under one of her boots and dropped down onto all fours to find the source; a single, transparent glasses lens, without its pair or frames. From there, her eyes were irresistibly led to something under the dresser that had registered in her peripheral vision. She stuffed her bits of new evidence away in her bag, and then crawled over to it, reaching a tentative hand underneath the dresser, and pulling back a fragment of a blue-print china saucer. Unlike the glasses, the rest of the piece was there along with it--but like the lens, the saucer was blood-free. Curious. Very curious.

Tracey rose and cracked her stiff back, casting her eyes forward as she did so; a splash of color caught their attention, and soon her feet were moving forward to see the cause. Behind the door, there was a single, bright red feather, which was splattered in blood--and beside it, a pair of scissors lay among scraps of what could only be, judging from its thickness and texture, construction paper. After a minute examination of them all with the aid of her magnifying glass, she stored them away with the rest of the evidence, and gave one last search of the room.

Finally satisfied, she left the bedroom and headed back down the hall to the others.

Many interesting threads to follow here--now if I can get some DNA and fingerprint work done on these items, we may have a definite idea of which to follow.

[Sakume]

OoC: Saved, just in case. ^_- And so we begin the fun part…

BiC: “Alright. I think I have all the evidence I need,” Tracey responded as she entered the main room, coming down the stairs tentively. She carefully eyed all the participants in the game just in case one of them should give off any body language that she deemed suspicious.

“It was me! I did it!” Con suddenly shot up from his chair, gasping while wringing his hands in his hair. “How could I have done such a thing?”

“You… you killed her?” Tracey suddenly responded in shock, reaching for a pair of handcuffs she possessed in her bag. No way it was this easy… the murderer was confessing just like that? The rest of the company stared on, completely in shock.

“I can’t believe it was me that murdered the person! This game sucks!” Con exclaimed, bending over and flicking his green game piece off the board. “Huh? What? Me killed…” He suddenly seemed to realize what he had implied. “No, no!” His normal poker face lost validity for a moment, taking on a sense of panic. As quickly as it came, it left once more, leaving no reflection of emotion in its wake. “I’d never kill… her… or anyone in real life.”

“Well…” Mark returned from his study moments later, before anyone could make remarks on the awkward moment. “I’m done with the autopsy…” He seemed to look a little pale. “Miss Tracey, did you find any evidence?”

“I did, indeed. Can you run a few DNA tests and such on it for me?” She handed her bag over to him after a moment, which contained the items she picked from the room.

“Yes, I can.” Before anyone could object, he turned to Monroe. “He’ll come with me to make sure I don’t tamper with any of it. Just so all of you can believe me. It should be done shortly. My technology and chemicals will provide the answers quicker than you can believe… especially since… I must know.” Giving a short nod to Monroe, he handed Tracey a small vanilla folder containing the report. “Here’s the autopsy. I did what I could, even though I’m not a doctor. I also need something from all three of you.” He pointed at Con, Jackie, and Sarah. “I need your blood… or a lock of your hair. I have to have some DNA to test. I already have DNA from Zorlo and Selene. They've been here before. I make it a habit to collect DNA from visitors for testing...”

“DNA?” Con asked, seeming to act a little uncomfortable.

“Yes. Why, do you have a problem giving me your DNA?” Mark asked, narrowing his eyes a little. “A lock of your hair will do, even that will work.”

“Fine… here.” Con sighed and reached into his jacket for a moment. He took out a comic book and began to flip through it. After a moment, he scratched his head, pulling. He then revealed a few strands of hair. “You can take them.” Jackie did the same after a moment, followed by Sarah.

Mark accepted the strands of follicles and put them inside different plastic bags, handing them to Monroe. “Let’s go and get this done so we can figure out a few things.” The two left the scene for the time being.

Tracey flipped open the report the scientist had given her and read it to herself, briefly, intending to use every angle she could find. Her eyes intimately scanned the words on the white page.

Autopsy: Cause of death determined to be punctures and lacerations to face and body, also evident strangulation by unknown item.

She stopped there, eager to go on to the next part. “Alright, let’s start testimonies.” She nodded, crossing her arms with a determined look on her face. “Who wants to go first?”

“Oh, I will!” Selene exclaimed, waving a hand wildly in the air. “Can I? Oh, can I, please?”

“Certainly… will you step up to the podium, please?” Tracey waved a friendly hand towards a small desk and chair that had been set up facing the couches, just as if it were a real court case.

“Okay!” Selene chirped, leaving the game and seating herself before the company.

“You may begin.” Tracey waited for the angel to speak, but she said nothing. “I said you can go… what’s wrong?”

“What? Begin what?” the speaker asked.

“Your testimony, of course…” Tracey seemed distraught at the fact that Selene seemed so naive.

“What’s a testimony?” Selene blushed a little. “I’m sorry; I guess I just got excited. What do I do?”

Zorlo took charge for a moment, knowing he could explain it to Selene in a way the angel could understand. No one really blamed her, since she obviously was still innocent in mind. “You tell us where you were that night of the murder and what you were doing, or anything you think was suspicious. Just explain things like that.”

“Okay, then what?” Selene asked, smiling lovingly at her future husband.

“You… well, normally, someone cross-examines you. I’m not sure if Tracey will be doing that or not, though.”

“I think I’ll listen to them all first, and then I’ll see what I want to do.” Tracey figured it was better, since there were so many, to listen first. She took out a notebook and a pen, ready to scrawl notes as the angel spoke. “Okay, so now that you know what to do… tell us, what happened on the night of the murder? First, give us your name and relation, or when you came to the mansion.”

Selene put a finger to her lips, her other hand holding her elbow across her chest. “My name is Selene Vlaxen. I’m not related to the victim, but I’ve known of her for a few months. Both Zorlo and I came here probably four or five weeks ago. Hm….”

“It was late that night, and I wanted to go for a walk outside without Zorlo. I left my room and met Mina in the hallway. She said she was thirsty. I didn’t think she should have been up that late, so I offered to get something for her. I made a cup in the kitchen. I heard some noise and went to see what Mark was doing in his study, because I figured it was him. When I got back, I had completely forgotten about the cup. I would have gone back to bed, but I didn’t want to wake up Zorlo, so I went to the library to read, instead. After reading for about an hour or two, I returned to our room, calmed and ready for sleep.”

She smiled and tucked her hands behind her back, closing her eyes for a brief moment, looking happy. “That’s it!”

“Hm…” Silence reigned for a few moments after Selene finished. Tracey prodded her chin with one finger. Interesting… “This detective calls you to the stand!” She used the same finger to point to Con, who grumbled as he got up and sat in the chair. “State your name and relation to the murdered, if any, and when you came to the house.”

He leaned his cheek against his fist and twirled a piece of his hair with his other hand. “My name is Con. I’m not related to the little girl, I’ve only seen her around a couple times. Never talked to her or the scientist before I came. I came to the mansion about two weeks ago with Jackie for a place to stay. As for the night of the murder…” He seemed pensive.

“I don’t recall much about that night, although I know I didn’t sleep much. I never stepped outside of my room all that night, since I was sort of adamant against meeting other people, but especially those in his mansion. I’ve never been good at making friends or anything… so I first got a glimpse of the body when I saw it dead beside everyone else.”

“That’s fine, Con.” Tracey scribbled a few notes down, thoughtful all of a sudden. “So where does everyone stay in this mansion? Where are the rooms and who do they belong to?”

“Oh, you want me to scribble down a little map for you on a piece of paper? I can do that.” Con reached over and took a piece of paper Tracey handed him, doodling a quick diagram of the mansion. “There you go.”

“Come on, Con, that’s just sloppy.” Jackie snatched the paper and looked at it. “You could do a better map than that. Here, I’ll draw you a reliable sketch. Here you go.” She handed the new drawing back to Tracey. “Look, I’ll even explain it to you from what I’ve seen…”

“Here’s the bottom floor. Think of it like a big rectangle. There’s the stairs in the middle to the next floor, the study in the right top corner, and the kitchen near the entrance of the mansion, across from the study in the bottom right. On the left, near the entrance is the library, and near the stairway is the basement…

If you move to the second floor, it’s more like a square, divided into two sides, each with three rooms vertically. On the left side, nearest the stairs is Mina’s room, of course. Next is Mark’s room. Finally, there is my room. On the other side, Con is the first room nearest the stairway, and then there’s Sarah next to him. Finally, on the top, there’s Selene and Zorlo. They were together. Or at least that’s what I think…”

“Okay… thanks.” Tracey accepted the map, taking careful note of the rooms and their places. “And the murder scene is Mina’s room…” She nodded slowly. “Okay. Well, before we halt for a few minutes, I want to hear one more testimony. You.” She pointed at Jackie as she pocketed the map.

“Alright, then. I see no problem with that. My name is Jaquline Syphera, but everyone calls me Jackie. I have no relation to the little girl, Mina is her name, but I do know people’s names around here, unlike Con. I try to learn about people as I meet them, and places, too.” She seated herself in the wooden chair.

“Okay, now give us your version of what happened on the murder night…”

Jackie cleared her throat, and tilted her head while her arms lay at her side.

“I slept almost all night. I kept hearing noises from below me. I decided to see what was going on down there, so I went downstairs and I saw the angel in the kitchen fixing something. I entered Mark’s study to ask him to be quieter. The noise had stopped, and no one was inside. I went back to bed. No one was in the hall. That’s what happened.”

Tracey’s expression showed she thought it may be more difficult than first anticipated. “Thank you. Okay, now all we need are the testimonies from Zorlo, Sarah, and Mark… and that’s it. Maybe Mark will be finished after Zorlo and Sarah are finished with theirs. Who’s next to testify?” she asked, reviewing the little she had to go with for the time being.

[Zorolo]

The green haired man stood up next and smiled as he walked in front of everyone. He smiled and bowed in his normal fashion, given the fencer wasn't one ever try to appear uncourtious to people, even if they were suspicious about him doing it. The fencer stood up and looked at everyone and began to speak very clearly, and respectfully, as he was trained to do through his long time of formalities. However, there was one slight problem with the legendary Aura Master... that being he, by nature, was long winded.

"First of all, I would like to introduce myself," stated the fencer with a bow. "I am Zorlo, the Aura Master, Fencer of Tasogare, and the future husband of Ms. Selene Vlaxen." The fencer stood up and unzipped his jacket, taking it off and placing it on a nearby banister, hoping the banister wouldn't break. "As for my hair, yes, it is naturally green, before anyone asks that question. Now then, onto my story, I suppose."

"It had been a relatively boring night, and I had felt Selene leave a few minutes before I woke up. You see, I don't sleep very often, and when I do, it is very brief sleeping to recover some stamina and strength. When I noticed that Selene was gone, I decided to go for a walk and do some training. Me, being who I am, felt the need to train, since I must be strong enough to protect those I care about from those that would try to do evil to them, you see."

"So last night, I left out the window into the night, closing the window right after, and heading into the forest to train. I'd heard that a pack of werewolves had taken residence here and that they were attacking a nearby town, so I elected to go deal with them. You see, recently, I recieved a weapon from a very powerful person that has a unique effect, and when I wield it, the weapon fights against me, so I'm training to purify the weapon so it will hinder me less. Whenever I draw it, the sword fights against me, and drains my energy."

"So, last night, during the late night, I hunted down and killed all of the werewolves I could find in order to help the town out, and I got away without a scratch either. After that, I walked home slowly and entered through the same window I had left through. After that, I slipped into bed with Selene and got some more rest, and then, I woke up to this fiasco."

With that, the Aura Master nodded and sat down, resting his right palm on the hilt of Sapphire, keeping a close eye on Monroe, who seemed to have his hand resting on a weapon. If the two were to fight here, many innocent, or worse, the guilty party, could be hurt, and that was what Zorlo wished to prevent, not to encourage. For now, the two would simply need to not get into a fight.

OoC: Okay, just a note, I've upgraded Monroe. He's now much more awesome.

[southern belle]

The detective scribbled something down on her pad of paper and nodded. "Alright, that leaves you then," she said, looking to Sarah. The writer stood and walked over to take the seat the green haired man had just left. She watched him as he walked back to his seat. Certainly odd, that one, she thought to herself. But I don't know that I think him capable of murder...

She sat and faced the detective, paying little attention to the others in the room. "My name's Sarah Hamilton. I've no relation to Mina, nor the owner of the house. I showed up here a few weeks ago, needing a place to stay for a bit."

"I didn't see anything or anyone for most of the night, really... I'd gone up to my room early in the evening to get some writing done, and stayed there for the rest of the night. I heard some noise, but it just sounded like people coming and going normally, and since I share a hall with several other visitors I didn't pay much attention to it. Once I start writing I sort of block out my surroundings... I didn't know anything was going on until the commotion drew me to Mina's room with everyone else."

Sarah stopped. Writing in her room, alone, all night. Not the best alibi, considering no one knew her... but it was the truth. She wondered briefly if the others suspected her, but decided that it didn't matter much. The writer looked to the detective. "Well, that's about it. Do you need anything else?"

[Sakume]

"No, that will do fine," Tracey responded, scribbling the notes of Sarah's tesimony in her notebook. At this rate, a few members of the company wondered whether the little notebook contained enough pages for the mystery. Zorlo, Selene, Jackie, Con, Sarah... that only left...

"I'm back." Ever prudent, Mark swung open his study door with another folder under his arm, nodding to Monroe, who lingered behind the scientist. Mark approached Tracey and handed her the folder to look over, not daring to read anything out loud for fear of spooking the murderer. "Here's the evidence you discovered, and if you find more I'll update it. Also, just in case you're wondering, the DNA I've collected is not complete, since the new guests have yet to process. I'll check and run everything through again soon."

Evidence Collected:

Screamer- The whip located in the victim's room has definite blood soaking from the victim, and belongs to Mark Vandibrough. The afformentioned was the only DNA found with the fingerprints on the weapon. The whip may also be the source of the strangling of the victim. Normally, the weapon hangs on a post just inside the owner's study, beside the door.

Strips of cloth- Previously white before the blood soaking, the material matches the dresses Selene wears and also has her DNA on it.

Lens- Formerly from a pair of circular glasses. No DNA was found on it, unfortunately. It is only one lens; the other piece was not found on scene.

Saucer- Printed in an intricate color, it swirls with a delicate pattern of navy blue. It has no blood and no DNA.

Feather- Red in color, it comes from the angel's back, bursting with her DNA. The construction paper and other supplies seem to have Mina's prints alone and include scissors, paper, tape, glue, glitter glue and paints.

Mark gave Tracey a long look of inquiry. "I suppose it's my turn to testify... isn't it?" he asked in a depression-laden tone.

"Yes, it's your turn!" Selene chirped with pleasure. She enjoyed this game, for as she imagined, it reeked of Clue, the adventure they had just concluded.

"Very well. I suppose it is essential, so I shall tell of what I was doing and so forth." He cleared his throat, stepped slowly up to the podium and faced the interested crowd.

"I was in my library for most of the night, from the moment everyone went to bed until I made the glass of milk in the kitchen. I took my time, working on my potion formulas for life, ironically. I didn't see anyone. I finally decided to take a few hours of sleep, but I wanted to check on Mina. That's when I discovered the body." Silence followed the dull claims of the young man.

"That's it?" Selene asked.

"That's it," Mark replied towards her. "What, did you expect me to say 'I'm the murderer'?"

"No, but that means..." Jackie glanced towards Con, who already figured out the results.

"One of us is lying."

Mark blinked repeatedly in what seemed to be anger. "If one of you doesn't confess to the crime, I swear to the god I don't believe exists I'll rip out your-"

Zorlo grabbed Mark from behind and patted him, dragging him to the couch and plopping him upon the piece of furniture. "Mark, now is no time to lose your temper. Justice will be discovered in the end, this I swear."

Flailing slightly, the scientist tore himself from Zorlo's kind gaze to glare at the fencer. "Fine..." he finally grumbled. "Now..." Brushing himself off and smoothing wrinkles, he looked to Tracey.

"I suppose it's all up to you. If you like, we can go together to the rooms of the mansion, any one you choose at any time, and I'll tell you anything I know about it, since I believe the only one you've actually seen is the murder scene. Other things could be important. Who knows what happened. I think the rooms of the house are the study, the library, the basement, the kitchen, and the murder room, the important ones, anyway. Then there's the bedrooms of everyone else, if you want to see those, I'll even go with you should you decide to inspect any of them."

After a brief period of thought from Tracey, Mark shrugged. "You can either look in the rooms with me, or go back to look over the testimony, or whatever it is you think is best. I suppose the real mystery begins now."