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The sound of arguing woke Arden out of a deep sleep. Momentarily confused as to where she was, she laid there drifting in and out of sleep as the storm raged outside and the voices grew louder and more strident. The sound of a door slamming and footsteps caused her to lift her head up and pay attention to what was happening just outside her door.
“Don’t threaten me,” Zeke said, his voice harsh. “I’ve got nothing to lose.”
A softer voice, barely audible, followed his.
“Go ahead and tell them,” Zeke answered back. “Tell them all and then I’ll tell them all about you. You set me up.”
There was a moment of silence. Then Zeke said, “No, it’s not a bluff. But you know, maybe, I won’t say anything after all.” His voice dropped lower, and Arden struggled to hear, just making out the words, “Tell me something, just how much is my silence worth?”
Arden started to swing her feet to the floor, but stopped as the footsteps retreated and the house grew quiet once again.
* * *
ARDEN SLEEPILY OPENED her eyes, then quickly closed them, burrowing underneath her covers trying to escape the sunlight streaming into her room.
She had left the curtains open the night before, thinking how pretty the view from her bed it would be as the sun rose above the ocean in the morning.
While it was very pretty, it was also very bright, and after a restless night, tossing and turning, she would much rather sleep in. She’d have to remember to shut the curtains tonight or at least close the ones that surrounded her bed, she thought, rolling over on her side and facing the door.
The sound of running feet outside her door, followed by a thump and a swishing noise woke her up fully. She tossed the covers off her head and sat up, listening for any other sound. When she didn’t hear anything else, she slid her legs over the edge of the bed. That’s when she saw a large, white, 9” x 12” sized envelope lying on the floor in front of her door.
A giddy smile broke across her face as she threw off the rest of her covers, raced across the room and picked up the envelope.
A single piece of paper was inside and she quickly flipped it over and began reading the typed message.
Congratulations on becoming an extra on the set of the Sutton & Grimes Reunion Mystery, Catch Me if You Can!
Unfortunately, it’s with a heavy heart that I must inform you of a death on the show. Zeke Tapper, the head writer and co-creator of the show, was murdered during the night.
Her smile fell as she continued reading.
It’s up to you to figure out how he was murdered, why he was murdered and most importantly, whodunit. So, wake up and get moving. You need to gather clues, interview suspects and catch me before I catch you.
The Executioner
There was a knock at the door. Paige, dressed in a robe and slippers, stood on the other side, looking none too pleased. She glanced down at the letter in Arden’s hand. “Ah! I see you got one too. Are you an extra?”
Arden nodded. “It’s rather strange.”
“I’m kind of disappointed. I was hoping to be someone glamourous and exciting. I don’t want to be an extra.” Paige glanced over her shoulder. “Here comes Savannah.” She did a double take. “What in the world is she wearing?”
The normally stylishly dressed Savannah appeared behind Paige, dressed in a white t-shirt, an oversized green flannel shirt, stone washed jeans, and combat boots. A black choker and dark lipstick finished the look. “What are you two still doing in your pajamas?” She shooed them with her hands. “Come on, girls. It’s time to play.”
Paige frowned at Savannah’s outfit. “Where did you get that outfit?”
Savannah smiled. “Do you like it?” She turned a little circle. “This was lying in a box outside my room.”
Paige looked aghast as she continued to stare. “Why?”
Arden gasped in recognition. “Sunny Sutton wore that same outfit on episode five of season two.”
Savannah blinked. “Really? Huh, I thought it looked familiar. Well, it’s good to know I can still fit in my old clothes.” She clapped her hands excitedly. “Okay, so who are you two playing?” She held up her finger. “If one of you is The Executioner, don’t tell. Kevin played the killer the third time we played this game. Bless his heart; he was so excited that he blurted it out over breakfast. He just can’t keep a secret to save his life.”
Arden showed her the letter. “I’m an extra.”
“Me too,” Paige said.
Arden noted that Paige hadn’t shown her own letter as proof but didn’t say anything. She glanced at Savannah. “I guess you’re playing yourself...playing Sunny?”
Savannah grinned. “Isn’t it great?”
“And this doesn’t seem odd to you?” Arden asked with a worried frown.
“No, why would it?”
“It just seems strange that Zeke would write a murder mystery game that centers around his own murder on the set of a Sutton & Grimes reunion movie. Especially after Yvette and Dennis’ announcement last night. It’s kind of creepy.”
“That’s just Zeke,” Savannah said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Not that Zeke’s creepy. He probably thought it would be funny.”
“Mmmm.” She thought about the conversation she overheard last night and debated telling her friends about it. The game wasn’t exactly a team sport, but she knew from past experience that you sometimes had to give up information to uncover more. Deciding it wasn’t worth keeping the information secret, she said, “I overheard something interesting last night. Zeke was arguing with someone out in the hall. I couldn’t hear the other person’s voice, but apparently, they threatened to tell someone something about Zeke. Then Zeke accused them of setting him up and then threatened to tell someone something about them. Then he asked them how much his silence was worth.”
Savannah grinned. “Ah, the game’s afoot.” Bursting at the seams in excitement, she did a little patty cake clap. “So, how excited are you?”
Arden looked up from the letter and forced a smile to her face. “Oh very.”
Savannah hugged her. “I knew you would be,” she said stepping back into the hallway. “Okay, you two get dressed. We’ll meet back here in the hallway in thirty minutes. See you soon.”
Paige pursed her lips together. “I don’t know why I couldn’t play a guest star or something,” she grumbled as she stepped out into the hallway.
Smiling, Arden shut the door and laid the letter on the dresser. She would have preferred a Miss Scarlet in the library with a candlestick kind of murder mystery, but this could be fun. The thought of pretending to be an extra on the set of one of her favorite shows growing up intrigued her. By the time she had joined her friends out in the hallway, wearing jeans and a simple gray blouse, she had pushed any reservations about the mystery to the back of her mind and was eagerly looking forward to getting started.
Paige, opting to wear a sundress and a pair of heels, fussed with her halter-top. “So where do we start?”
Savannah chewed on her bottom lip. “Usually it’s at the scene of the crime, but I’m not sure where that is.”
The door at the end of the hall opened and Reese stepped out. He took one look at Savannah and snorted. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Savannah frowned at Reese’s tailored white silk shirt and black trousers. “I don’t remember Luke dressing like that. Didn’t you get something to wear too?”
“Yes, I did,” he said as he breezed past, “and I promptly threw it in the closet where it will stay.”
“Jean overalls?” Savannah called out.
Reese’s voice floated back at them as he descended the staircase. “I refused to wear them then and I will not wear them now.”
Savannah’s voice rose even louder as Reese’s voice faded away. “I don’t suppose you know where the scene of the crime is? Reese?” She smirked as she called out Reese’s character’s name. “Luke?”
The door across from Savannah’s room opened.
Arden’s jaw dropped as Kevin stepped out in ripped jeans, black t-shirt and leather coat, looking almost exactly like he had so long ago. He held out his arms wide. “Is that the dulcet tones of my partner-in-crime?”
Squealing, Savannah launched herself into his arms.
He swung her off her feet and around in a circle.
The door next to the staircase opened and a blurry-eyed Walter stepped out. “Do you people know what time it is?” He took a step forward, accidently kicking his envelope out into the hall. “What’s that?” he asked sleepily rubbing his face.
Arden picked up the envelope. “It’s your packet of information about the game,” she said, handing it back to the red-eyed former stunt man.
Walter blinked at it for a moment before stepping back and slamming the door shut.
Still holding Savannah, Kevin said, “He was never a morning person.”
Paige walked up to a console table next to Walter’s door. It was then that Arden noticed the gargoyle was missing. “What happened to the gargoyle?”
“Hopefully, someone shoved it into a closet somewhere,” Kevin said. “Those things give me the creeps.”
Paige dropped to her knees and glanced underneath the table. “Maybe someone took it out to be cleaned. The thing was filthy. Speaking of filthy, those cleaners Zeke hired didn’t really do a very good job. You should see all the dust bunnies underneath here.”
Savannah tapped Kevin’s shoulders. “Honey, put me down.” Once on the floor, she walked over to where Paige was. “Paige, just what are you doing?” she drawled.
“Looking for clues,” Paige said rising to her feet. “Did you notice? There wasn’t a box or any kind of costume in front of Walter’s door?”
“There wasn’t one in front of mine either,” Arden pointed out. “Did you get one?”
“No, but we aren’t supposed to be here,” Paige said. “Late notice and all.” She looked up at Kevin. “If he was your stuntman shouldn’t he have gotten clothes like yours?” She looked hopeful. “That’s a clue, isn’t it?”
Savannah planted her hands on her hips. “Possibly. Possibly. But now we have got to figure out where Zeke was murdered.”
A throat clearing caused them to turn around as a group. Haskell, who stood only inches from Arden said, “Perhaps, I may be of assistance.” He stared down at her, his intense blue eyes glittering. “I received instructions to lead you all to the murder room.”
She instinctively backed up a step and into Kevin who gripped her upper arms. “Oh, well, lead the way then.”
Nodding, Haskell produced a skeleton key out of his pocket. “Follow me.”
He led them past the staircase and toward the opposite end of the house. “Mr. Tapper’s room,” he announced as he opened the door. “If you will excuse me, I must attend to breakfast.” He started to turn away, but stopped. Leaning into Savannah, he said. “I’ve made your favorite.”
“Oh, how sweet,” Savannah said leaning back. “Thank you.”
He nodded once before spinning on his heel and striding away from them.
Kevin stepped in front of the door, dropping his voice low, he said, “You know, I think there might be something wrong with that guy? I don’t think he’s a real butler.”
“He’s not,” Savannah said. “Zeke hired him.”
“Oh.” His brow furrowed. “I guess I don’t need to tip him then, but if he’s not a real butler, why did he take my money?”
Savannah affectionately patted him on his arm before dragging him across the threshold and into the room. Arden and Paige quickly followed and they all spread out each searching for some kind of clue.
For only having recently purchased the mansion, Zeke’s room looked surprisingly well lived in, Arden thought as she turned in a circle taking everything in at once. Stacks of paperbacks stood in a tower next to the bed and on every available surface. A hamper full of dirty clothes stood next to the door and framed pictures from the Sutton & Grimes TV show filled the wall across from the bed.
Paige stood at the end of the bed and looked around. “What are we supposed to be looking for?”
“Something that will tell us how Zeke died, I guess,” Arden said wandering around the room. After five minutes of fruitless searching, she asked, “What are the rules to this game? Can we, like, phone a friend?”
“Sure,” Savannah said with a shrug. “There aren’t really any rules except to have a good time, but don’t tell anyone where we are or what we’re doing. We’ve been out of the limelight so long it probably won’t matter, but the last thing I want is to become tabloid fodder.” She pursed her lips together. “It’s bad enough that cop that gave me a ticket yesterday knows. He and his daddy are probably online right at this moment.”
“Maybe he’ll be discreet,” Paige said, opening the closet door.
“I hope so. We had to end the last game we played early because someone leaked out where we were. Suddenly, we were surrounded by paparazzi, making a mess of everything. It was awful.” She glanced back at Arden with a worried frown. “Who do you want to call?”
“Well, maybe not call,” Arden said, reaching for her cell phone in her back pocket. “How about I just text a friend?” Smiling, she selected Max’s name from her contacts. Knowing a mystery writer had certain benefits, she thought as she typed out a message.
I have a hypothetical question, she texted. If you knew someone was murdered but don’t know how and can’t find the body, what sort of evidence would you look for at the scene of the crime?
A second later a message appeared. What’s going on?
Her grin grew wider. Can’t tell. I’ve been sworn to secrecy.
Where are you?
I told you. It’s a secret.
“Who you texting?” Savannah asked suspiciously.
Smiling, Paige dropped to her knees in front of the closet. “I know who,” she said rummaging through the boxes on the floor. “She’s texting Max.” In a teasing voice, she asked, “Are you sending him a love note?”
“I’m just asking for his advice,” Arden said. “He’s a mystery writer, so perhaps he knows what to look for.”
Turning towards the balcony, Savannah nodded approvingly. “Good idea.”
Arden returned to her phone, repeating her question once again. What would you look for?
Signs of a struggle, he texted back.
Arden looked around with a frown. The room was a little untidy but it didn’t look like there had been a struggle. What else?
Blood or weapons.
She glanced around again, taking in the whole room at once. No and no.
Anything out of place or that looks like it doesn’t belong.
She walked around the room, inspecting every nook and cranny trying to spot anything that looked out of place. It wasn’t until she lifted up the bed skirt that she noticed something odd. Bingo! Thanks, bye, she texted before returning her phone to her back jeans pocket. Kneeling down, she retrieved an empty glass lying beside the bedside table. Sneaking a peek under the bed, she also noted a few empty wine bottles in addition to a few dust bunnies. “This looks suspicious,” she said holding up the glass. “It was lying under the bed. Maybe this means he was poisoned.”
“Good catch,” Savannah said from the balcony. She picked up a pair of boots and held them up. “Hey, Kevin, do you remember that episode about a writer in some old creepy mansion? We ended up finding his body in a well, didn’t we? I can vaguely remember something about a pair of boots being important. Do you remember?”
Kevin looked at her blankly for a moment. “No.”
Arden snapped her fingers. “The Mystery of the Missing Marbles. It’s all about a TV writer who goes mad and gets revenge on the cast and crew.” Frowning, she planted her hands on her hips. “I don’t think I like where this is going.”
Savannah tilted her head to the side. “That was in the first season, wasn’t it?”
Kevin scratched his head. “Third, I think.”
Appalled at their memories, Arden’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, for goodness sakes,” she said. “It was the second to last episode of the fourth season. It’s the one where you two almost kissed.”
They looked at her blankly.
“Oh, never mind. The writer becomes convinced his characters are now alive and are trying to kill him, so he ends up inviting the actors who portrayed the characters in the movie to his resort for the weekend. Then he begins to kill them off one by one. The only reason Sutton and Grimes was there, was because Grime’s brother, Luke, had played a character in the movie.” She pointed to the muddy boots. “A pair of muddy boots led you two to the library where the killer was waiting to kill you both.”
Savannah tilted her head. “And that’s where they found the first body.”
“No, the first victim was found in the dumbwaiter,” Arden said. “The writer had poisoned one of the actor’s drinks with arsenic.” She held up the empty glass again. “Then he moved the body to the dumbwaiter where it was found by Grimes the next morning.”
Savannah smiled in remembrance. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. That was a good episode.” She looked back at Kevin. “Didn’t we win an Emmy for that one?”
Kevin nodded. “Yeah, I think we did.”
Arden closed her eyes with a sigh. Shaking her head, she began opening the bedside table’s drawers. A yellowed dog-eared script lay on top of a dozen notebooks. She gasped in excitement. “The Murder of Sunny Sutton, Part 2.”
Kevin cringed. “That one I remember. We were filming that one when I got hurt. We never did finish it.”
Arden climbed onto the bed and sat back against the headboard.
Savannah arched an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“Reading,” Arden said setting the script in her lap. “I’ve been waiting twenty-five years for Clay to rescue Sunny and I’m not giving up this opportunity. Besides,” she said flipping to the beginning of the script, “this has got to be a clue.”
“Hey, I’ve got it,” Paige said. “What if Zeke’s playing the part of the mad writer who has decided to kill off his characters?”
Savannah shook her head. “Can’t be.”
“Why not?”
“Because Zeke’s dead. He’s always the first victim, remember?”
“Oh.” Paige tapped her finger against her chin. “Does this place have a dumbwaiter?”
Kevin gasped. “That’s it! Maybe Zeke’s in the dumbwaiter.”
Savannah smiled at him affectionately. “Honey, I doubt Zeke is hiding out in a dumbwaiter waiting for us to find him.”
Kevin smiled. “Oh yeah, I guess not.”
“Besides, he’d never fit in one,” Savannah said, shutting the balcony door. “We need to focus on who supposedly killed him.”
They returned to searching while Arden read.
When she reached the last page, she frowned. “Does it really end with Sunny dying in that mansion all alone?”
“No, of course not,” Savannah said.
“I remember rehearsing the scene where my character first finds Sunny lying in the secret passageway unconscious,” Kevin said. “I was supposed to take her in my arms and tell her how much I loved her while sobbing my heart out. It would have been so epic. I probably would have won another Emmy.”
Arden stared at the back of the script with a frown. “It just ends there. What happens after that?”
Savannah’s brow furrowed. “I think we were supposed to go to the hospital.”
Kevin shook his head. “No, I think Clay loses Sunny and then finds her again in the basement.”
Arden’s frown deepened as she rummaged in the drawer looking for the last half of the script.
“No,” Savannah said. “She definitely wakes up in the hospital.”
Kevin’s eyes glazed over. “Maybe it was the hospital’s basement.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Savannah grinned. “I remember now. The killer faked Sunny’s death and she ends up waking up in the morgue with Clay crying over her body.”
Arden removed each notebook from the drawer until all that remained was Zeke’s ruby cufflinks. “Why would the last half of the script be missing?”
Savannah and Kevin shrugged.
“It just ended with Sunny’s death. That’s so strange. Who was the killer?”
They gave her a blank stare.
“Oh, come on,” Arden said. “Surely, you remember.”
“It was twenty-five years ago,” Savannah said. “Besides, we never got that far in filming.”
Kevin lifted his hands to his temple. “Wait, I think I remember. I think it was...wait, no...yes. That guy that went on to star in that sci-fi movie a few years later was the one. You know the one; he had red hair. Nice guy. Really friendly. Bill, something or other.”
“Wait, I remember,” Savannah said, “he played an author who was obsessed with Sunny. It was the author.”
Arden frowned as fiction began to merge with reality in her mind. “I don’t think I like this game.”
Paige reached for one of the notebooks and flipped through it. “Oh, I think I just found a doozy of a clue,” she said with a smile. “Savannah, I think you should probably see this.” She turned the book around and displayed the inside to Savannah.
Savannah’s eyes widened in horror. “Is...is that a drawing of me?”
Paige’s lips twitched. “We’re you and Zeke...you know?”
“He’s old enough to be my father,” Savannah said in an outraged tone of voice.
Kevin, who had been peering underneath the bed, lifted his head up and looked at them curiously. “What do you have there?”
“Oh, never you mind,” Savannah said snatching the book out of Paige’s hand. She retreated to a leather chair by the corner where she busied herself ripping every drawing to tiny little shreds. “Obviously, this is Zeke’s idea of a joke.” Her eyes flashed in anger. “I swear that man and I are going to have words when all this is over. I can’t believe him.”
Kevin stood and started walking toward the bathroom. He stopped suddenly and backed up a step, then forward once again. Kneeling down, he ran his hand over Persian rug. “The carpet’s wet and there’s sand all over the floor too.”
Savannah ripped another page from the book. “Oh, good job, Kevin! You found a clue.” She tore the page into two. “I don’t know what it means, but it must mean something.”
Arden lifted the script up, and then dropped it down on the bed. “The first victim found wet carpet and sand in his room too at the beginning of the script. It was right before the killer knocked him out and drowned him in the bathtub.” Bypassing Kevin, she opened the bathroom door and walked inside. Her tennis shoes squeaked as she walked across the tiled floor. The slow steady sound of water dripping from a faucet drew her toward the back of the room and to the moldy curtain surrounding a claw foot tub.
Her heartbeat began pounding furiously against her chest as she tentatively approached the tub. Suddenly, images of horror movies flashed through her mind as she hesitated in front of the tub.
This is silly, she thought, rubbing her clammy hands down her jeans. She reached for the edge of the curtain. This is just a game. This is just a game.
She held her breath as she shoved the curtain aside and gasped.
