I looked at the door in front of me, there was such grand design etched into the warm wood that loomed over seven feet tall. Before I could knock the door swung open and there stood a man old, his face worried with his cheeks beat red. He wore a nice black suit with a towel on his arm, I knew immediately from the list I was given from Mr. Mason that he was indeed Jeeves the butler. He scurried me into the mansion and led me into the Ball Room. I saw a handful of people there, all dressed for the occasion.
“Ladies and Gentlemen due to the events that have occurred I have called Detective Roger to investigate the crime scene.” Jeeves gestured toward me, and the eyes in the room studied my face and my stance. I started to speak,
“Now this is how the investigation will go, no one will leave this room, absolutely no one. I will interrogate each and everyone of you individually, for the person who murdered Mr. Mason is here in this room.” All eyes scan one another, their minds churn of motives that others could possibly have or who would even have the guts to murder the host of this party. I took this time to measure up all the suspects checking my list to see if I could determine names. As whispers dispersed I faded quickly to the crime scene.
When I entered the Study I saw Mr. Mason’s old crippled body lying in a pool of his own blood. His head was bashed in, the weapon used lay beside him, a candlestick. The wheelchair that he owned was on its side near the fire. I assumed what happened was the attacker came from behind, grabbed Mr. Mason’s wheel chair, yanked him from it, threw it to the side, and while Mr.Mason struggled to get up the attacker bashed his brains in, but for what? This party was to explain to Mr.Mason’s distant family, since Mr. Mason didn’t have anyone close to him, what the details of his will was. This was the meeting time for all of his nieces and nephews and their children.
I returned to the Ball Room and start with the first person I see. I called over a strong, sturdy man ripe in his 50 years, from my list I determined that he was Mr. Hanson, and I simply asked him one question.
“Mr. Hanson, where were you when the murder took place?” His response was even and clear, almost as if he had been rehearsing it.
“I was indeed I was unaware of Mr. Mason’s whereabouts at the time of the crime, I have not left this Ball Room since the time we arrived. My wife can justify my presence.” I dismissed him and wrote what he said in my notebook. The next character I talked to was a fine women, the kind with the dark black hair that was long and lush, Mrs. Hanson. Her response to my question was this,
“I was, of course looking at the beautiful paintings in the Billiard Room, there is quite a show of fantastic colors and painting styles, quite astounding. What really surprised me was the artists he chose, quite unnatural if you ask me, but that’s my Uncle I suppose.” The next suspect was Charlie Hanson their proud, confident son, born to be inside a rich family house hold. Charlie was the spitting image of this father, but just younger and thinner. When I asked my question he replied,
“I was simply here in the Ball Room, I was admiring the confidence of my Great Uncle on how quite respectable it is that he invited all of us here.” The last person I had to interrogate was Charlotte Hanson, the quite, petite girl that looked nothing like her family. Blonde hair swooped across her collar bone while her odd green eyes stared directly into mine. Instead of asking the same question, I asked one that seemed more fitting to her.
“Charlotte, are you adopted?” Her head nodded. I let her go back to do whatever it is that she doing before and presented myself to the Hanson family. My voice boomed through the room saying,
“I believe that what occurred is this, on Mr.Mason’s will he gave all his riches and treasures to one person in this family. That person is Charlotte Hanson. Even Mrs. Hanson stated about her Uncles weird fascination for odd, different things, so why not pick the most unlikely, quite, unsure person of this family? As parents I can presume that you do not think it is acceptable for the ‘weakest link’ of the family to be given everything, so you decided that Charlie should be the one with all the inheritance. But that’s not all that happened, since Mr. Mason was set on giving everything to Charlotte I can imagine that you, Mr. Hanson became enraged at Mr. Mason’s decision. When you tried to converse about his decision making, I theorize that Mr. Mason wanted to hear nothing of it, so in a moment of pure haste you killed him with the candle stick that was in the Study. While this maybe all true there is more to the story, isn’t there Jeeves?” As I called his name, he appeared from the dark corner that I saw him soliciting at. He walked toward me, with a smirk on his face.
“You see what Jeeves has done, is that he went and created motives for you Mr. and Mrs. Hanson. I hope you realize that the only reason that Charlotte was to receive the inheritance, was because Jeeves convinced Mr. Mason to do so. Jeeves purposely set you up so that in a fury you, Mr. Hanson, would kill Mr. Mason and be sent to jail, and as for you Mrs. Hanson you would be sent to jail as well for accessory to murder and premeditate murder. Then when Charlie and Charlotte needed a guardian who better than Jeeves? I mean he is the brother of Mr. Mason himself, it would seem logical since there are no other close relatives to care for these two teens. Then once Jeeves was guardian then he would somehow lose his precious Charlotte and Charlie in some ‘accident’, then all the money would be yours, am I right Jeeves?” The smirk grew into a full smile as he said,
“Bravo, brava Detective Rogers, but there is one thing that you have left out.” Just then I saw him draw something silver from his suit pocket, it was a gun.
“You see, this gun here can take away all the problems you have created. All I need to do is kill everyone here, burn the house down and act as if I am an innocent survivor of a dangerous house fire, then everything will be mine the sweet taste of victory, the inheritance, and power over you. Now stand still all of you.” After he said this he raised the gun to me.