Merry Sister Mary and the One and Only Killer

13: Sister Mary Punches a Cop

After much deliberation between Sergeant Leblanc, his officers, and the coroner, it was decided that with absolute certainty the case was murder. While I understood LeBlanc's hesitation to call it such and reach out to an investigator, my impatience to leave the hallway and begin searching for clues was driving me insane. Everyone had been asked to stay put and give our written statements. We all accounted the same thing: A quiet morning, a delicious breakfast, a sudden loud and heavy thud, a screaming Pearl, then a dying Mrs. Stanton alone in a locked room. How could she be killed? It seemed impossible. All doors and windows locked from the inside. And then there was the vanishing snake. Why would someone go through all the trouble to place blame elsewhere but then make it obvious of foul play? All I had was questions and an ambition to find answers. A normal person would have left this to the police, but I was Merry Sister Mary. I was bat-shit crazy, and I was not stopping until I knew the truth.

We were finally moved downstairs into the living room. On the wall above the fireplace was a large painting of a man. The plaque at the bottom said, Wilfred Stanton. Must Mrs. Stanton's late husband, I thought.

Mrs. Stanton's body left the house in a white sheet and a stretcher carried by two men. Where one might expect to hear crying from the Stanton family over the sudden tragic event not a single person shed a tear. It appeared as if everyone was relieved that Mrs. Stanton was gone. Michael made a joke, his composure unbroken. Brandon consoled his baby python, Lily, letting her forked tongue lick his cheeks. Pearl leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Giles impatiently checked his pocket watch every few moments. Susan paced back and forth while glancing through windows at the police cars outside. Janet fluffed the pillows and cushions. And finally Gloria pulled out a cigarette and began to smoke in the house.

"You disrespectful child," fussed Janet. "Put that cigarette out this instant. Who gave you a lighter? You know you're not supposed to have fire--"

"Mother is gone now," she interrupted. "So who's going to stop me?" Gloria was right. All authority was gone.

"This is terrible," said Brandon wrapping his snake around his wrist. "Who would do this to mother?"

"Someone wanted her dead," said Pearl, her eyes still closed. "Clearly none of us seem to be bothered that she is gone."

"She was not a nice person," admitted Susan. "I guess the feeling right now is more shocked than upset." Giles patted Susan's back. The two shared a personal moment of reflection.

"So if what Sister Mary said was right and death was administered shortly before we broke down the door," said Giles taking his nieces bad habits and lighting a cigar, "then Denise had to be murdered by one of us. It would make all the sense in the world why none of us seem too upset." We all looked around the room at one another.

"But we were all outside mom's door when it happened," said Brandon. "How could any of us do it?"

"Who was not with us this morning?" asked Giles blowing smoke into the air.

"The only other two people that could have done this was Baines and Mrs. Annette." Gloria glanced out the window. "But Baines is a sweetheart and Mrs. Annette hasn't shown up for work yet. So it must be one of us in this room."

"This is ridiculous!" cried Susan standing up from her chair. "This is getting too complicated and full of impossibilities. I need a drink." Boots stomped outside in the hall. Sergeant Leblanc appeared in the doorway.

"Well, I don't know what to say," he said removing his hat. "I am very perplexed by today's events as well as deeply sorry for your loss. I'm sure all of you want answers. Be assured I will do my best to catch this criminal. In the meantime, I do ask all of you remain in town until we can gather and review all of your stories and evidence. Until further notice, Mrs. Stanton's room is an active crime scene. No one is to enter it."

"Thank you, Sergeant," said Giles standing to shake the man's hand. "We trust you will get to the bottom of this horrific act."

"Of course. Thank you, everyone. You will be seeing a lot more of me in due time." Leblanc turned to me. I was sitting silently, my umbrella resting in my lap. "Sister Mary, may I speak with you privately?"

"Oh certainly, sir," I said standing to attention. Together we exited the home and sat on the porch swing. The chains creaked beneath out weight. Leblanc sighed.

"I wanted to apologize for my words earlier. It appears you were right. This is without a doubt a murder in the highest degree. The coroner confirmed just with a glance that the marks on the wrist were too far apart for the size snake Pearl described slithering from under her bed and the wound was not fresh or deep. Those marks were made long before when Mrs. Stanton was alive. And as you said death was indeed administered with a syringe of some kind behind the ear. What poison was used, I can not rightly say."

"I'm no expert, Sergeant Leblanc, but I do feel that one of these people here killed Mrs. Stanton. I don't believe anyone outside this household had the small window of opportunity to commit this deed as the ones present in that room. Whomever killed that woman wanted all of us to witness her final moments. Everything from the fake snake bite, to the locked room, it all seems to be intentional diversions so as to hide the real truth behind this murder. I feel we are missing something important, something that amongst all the confusion has gone overlooked. This was a well thought out and devilishly coordinated murder."

"Impressive deduction. Are you sure you are a nun? You would make a great detective."

"No, I'm a nun. But don't count me out as an intellectual. I have sneaked many mystery novels into the nunnery. So I suppose you can say I have an uncanny skill at deduction." I sighed. "I wasn't good at teaching. I was a terrible nurse. I can't even concentrate on prayer. I'm still trying to find my place in this world. God called me to service for a reason. Who knows. Maybe to be here today."

"Well, as right as you are in all aspects, Sister, I must ask you to not pursue this matter. You are the only one in this household that I trust to not have any connections with the murder. I would not want you getting hurt."

Without warning I punched the cop in the face.

"Ouch!" yelled the cop grabbing his nose. "What the hell was that for?"

"Just because I'm a nun doesn't mean I am weak. Never insult a daughter of the cloth. We have Jesus on our side."

"I should arrest you for assault," chuckled Leblanc. I raised my wrists in submission.

"Oh, yes!" I cried. "I've alway wanted to ride in the back of a police car. Please take me into town. Show me the inner workings of a police station." I swooned. "Take me away. I am a naughty nun."

"Ok, no," said Leblanc looking uncomfortable. He scooted further away. "You are certainly unlike any person I've ever met."

"Thank you," I cried leaning back on the swing. "Now about that ride into town..."