Call It Murder: A Group Novel

Day 5

Missy was aware that the sun was rising as she stared at Mrs. Jackson. She clutched the phone in her hand--the stupid, idiotic phone--and resisted the temptation to throw it. She put it into Mrs. J's outstretched hand. "Take it," she said, her voice trembling. "I don't want the stupid thing. Smash it, for all I care. It's probably killed my... it's probably killed them anyway." She broke off, tears--real tears--spilling down her cheeks. She covered her eyes. "Mrs. Jackson, am I... am I going to go to prison?"

David hadn't gone to bed that night. He figured that everyone had died at night in their beds--except for Red. Grimacing, he went to the kitchen. Maybe he could find something to eat, preferably not poisoned. He wandered in there, grabbed a bowl of cereal, and meandered around with it. He stopped in front of the cellar door, frowning. There was a strange scent in the air. Looking down, he saw a spilled bottle of... was that beer?

He knelt down, sniffed it and recoiled. Almonds. Cyanide poison! Someone had poisoned the beer. David ran through who was old enough to drink in his mind. Alan, Denzil, Mrs. Jackson, and... maybe the being, though David hadn't even seen him for a while. He recalled that Missy and Mrs. J were still in the lobby, which left Alan and Denzil and maybe the being. But where was the body?

Mind racing, David ran up the stairs, yelling, "Denzil! DENZIL!"

Why was he the one who always found these things?

To Missy's surprise, Mrs Jackson enfolded her in a warm hug, saying "Not if I can help it. The only person who belongs in prison is the one who's behind all this. You were dragged into it like all the others. You did what you did to keep your loved ones safe and no-one can blame you for that. Any of us would have done the same, myself included. Now, pick an apartment and try to get some sleep". She held out a bunch of keys.

Missy was about to take the keys from her, but the sound of shouting made her pause. Both women looked at each other in alarm, realising that the shouting could only mean more trouble.

"Not another murder, I hope" Missy commented, dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief and breaking out of her self-pitying state.

Mrs Jackson kept her arm around Missy, covertly checking the phone, which remained annoyingly inert. "Ain't that many of us left now and we still haven't worked out any motive, beyond someone getting their jollies from picking us off one by one".

"That's not reassuring" Missy said.

"We're way past reassurance, unfortunately" Mrs Jackson told her. "Let's find out what's happened. Looks like we won't be catching up on our sleep after all".

Leaving the lobby, they caught sight of David disappearing rapidly up the stairs, yelling for Denzil.

"Wrong direction if I know Comrade Denzil" Mrs Jackson remarked, steering Missy in the direction of the staff quarters and the basement.

Missy allowed herself to be led along, reasoning that she would be safer staying with the wily old woman.

"By the way, have you noticed anything strange about young Comrade Finn?" Mrs Jackson enquired.

Missy shook her head, not sure where this was leading.

Mrs Jackson continued. "He ain't himself. Last day or so, he's been smiling and waving, acting all sociable. I know we've not had any chance to get to know the real Finn, but to my mind, his behaviour doesn't fit the pattern that I previously observed. His default state was always on the reticent side, unwilling to interact with the rest of us. Coincidentally, the mysterious robed person seems to have vanished".

"I don't understand" Missy confessed.

"Neither do I for now" Mrs Jackson replied, "but I'm determined to find out".

They met up with Denzil in one of the basement corridors. The investigator looked much the worse for wear, due to lack of sleep and guilt at not being able to discover the identity of the murderer.

Mrs Jackson hastily regaled him with the important details which she had learned from Missy. She also mentioned that David was running around and calling for Denzil.

"You two go back to the lobby" he suggested, patting both women on the shoulders. "I'll catch up with David and find out what the trouble is".

Mrs Jackson waited until he had gone. "We're not going back to the lobby just yet. How about you show me where you left Comrade Finn?"