Under The Mistletoe

Christmas Day Murder

I reluctantly cancel my family Christmas plan when I get a last-minute invitation to a destination wedding on an island. I cannot say no, because Maggie, the bride-to-be did me a huge favour once, so I buy my ticket.

I arrive at the venue fifteen minutes late, and instead of a ceremony, I meet a commotion. I squeeze my way through the small crowd and overhear someone say that the groom, Kevin is dead and Maggie is nowhere to be found. The police are on their way, and while waiting, I decide to put my private eye skill to use.

After flashing my ID, I enter the groom's backroom and see Kevin on the floor. I examine his body and instantly identify the cause of death; a stab wound to the gut, with evidence of a struggle, as his shirt is ruffled. I carefully raise the shirt and see that the wound was caused by a sharp two-toothed object, which I don't find when I look around.

I replace the blood-stained shirt and notice dried patches of liquid on it. I stand up with the help of a table, and my finger touches a dent that's curiously the same pattern as the stab wound. It screams "Crime of Passion," and at this point, Maggie is the main suspect.

I leave the room and ask to speak with the person who found the body, and the priest approaches and recounts what happened.

It's two minutes past the scheduled time, and Kevin and his best man are not yet at the altar to await Maggie. He goes to check on them and overhears a male and female talking outside the backroom, but only picks a sentence from the male voice: "You deserve better." He returns to the altar and later hears slamming of doors, then goes to check it out. There's arguing inside the backroom this time, and he hears a question from a female voice: "You told her about it?" Concurrently, someone flushes the toilet right beside the backroom. He returns to the altar, and moments later, the best man comes out alone and says that Kevin needs some time. When he goes to check on Kevin again a few minutes later, he finds him dead.

I speedily analyse the information, then ask for those with access to the groom's backroom who were in or around there in the last twenty minutes. Apart from the priest, George, the best man and Kevin's older brother, who looks like he has been through hell, surfaces, and so does Amy, the maid of honour, who cannot hold back her tears. I start with George.

He didn't see or hear anything. Kevin asked to speak with Maggie, so he called Maggie, then went outside briefly. When he returned, he used the restroom, checked on Kevin, who needed some time, then went to wait at the altar until the priest went to call Kevin and raised the alarm.

I ask what their relationship was like.

He says they were very close. Kevin never kept any secrets.

I thank him, then turn to Amy.

She didn't set eyes on Kevin, but George had come to call Maggie in their backroom. She later heard two people talking outside but didn't make out the words. Moments later, Maggie stormed in with her veil in one hand and her engagement ring in the other and threw both against the wall before leaving and slamming the door. Amy was in their backroom when the priest raised the alarm.

I notice a cut on her hand and ask about it.

She had a minor accident while retouching Maggie's wedding bouquet.

I ask from what.

A pair of scissors, which she took from the groom's backroom and returned later.

I don't need to ask further questions. I already know who the killer is, and it's definitely not Maggie.

Kevin never kept any secrets. He tells George one and also wants to tell Maggie before the wedding. George tells Maggie first and also says "You deserve better." He didn't remember to add this conversation to his account of events since he's the one having it. And contrary to what he recounted, he heard a lot because he was in the restroom most of the time.

Maggie storms into her backroom and throws her veil and ring at Amy, who's retouching the bouquet and consequently hurts herself. After Maggie leaves the backroom, Amy storms into Kevin's backroom with the scissors in hand. She stabs it into the table in anger, leaving a mark, as she asks, "You told her about it?" She, too, doesn't remember to add this conversation to her account of events because she's the one having it. George flushes the toilet at this point, and the priest heads to the altar.

Amy returns to Maggie's backroom to wait while George hurries to Kevin to gloat, having heard everything from the toilet. Kevin is livid, and they get into a scuffle, ruffling their shirts. George fights Kevin off, leaving wet handprints on Kevin's shirt. It's uncertain who first grabs the scissors Amy left in the backroom, but it's clear who receives it last.

After I confront George with my theory, he corroborates the story and adds that he once loved Maggie, and Kevin beat him to it. He was still trying to get with Amy when Kevin told him the secret of his affair with her. He didn't want to kill Kevin, he only wanted to ruin his happiness. Though Kevin picked the scissors first, he used them last and dumped them in the toilet tank.

At this point, the police arrive, led by a man in summer clothes and a straw hat, who looks like he was pulled out of a beach party. I describe everything to them, and they thankfully take George away. Maggie comes back to talk to Kevin but meets his body being taken away. She collapses in my hands in tears as I relate what happened to her.