Murder at the Mansion

Chapter 1

She paced around the room. The ticks from the clock got louder and louder. She seemed to be staring into all of our souls.

"Well, is anyone gonna confess, or should I just spit it out?," Detective Aria said.

I felt my head spin and my heart was pounding out of my chest. I didn't know what to do and everyone around me had the same expression. I think we all regret coming to work that day, especially Miss Crumble.

It all started at noon at Willbur's Mansion and Gardens. Miss Crumble, the nanny, was watching over the kids. There was Mary, a little weird and crazy 7 year old. She had black hair in uneven pigtails. She wore overalls with mismatched socks. Her face was always covered in scrapes and bruises. Then, Josh, Mary's twin. He acted all mature, but he really wasn't. He and Mary would argue all the time. The yelling and shouting would always get them both in trouble. He was always covered in mud or in some kind of other dirt.

Next, was William. He was about 5 and a half, I believe. He was more into learning and would always have Miss Crumble help him read books and stories. He had huge glasses that would always slide down his tiny nose. As he would slide them up, his hat would always fall. I felt a little bad for the fellow. Last, was Sue. She was only about 3. She was the most adorable, chubby girl in the world. Mrs. Lestun would always dress her up in cute dresses and in beautiful bows, but Sue resembled the twins. By the end of the day, the new dress and bow would be covered in mud and grass stains and her little knees scraped from crawling and walking around.

My, I almost forgot Angelia. The rascal, she was the one who taught the twins their reckless ways. She wouldn't really get in trouble with her parents, but with places outside the mansion. She would steal bread and fruit and run back home smiling and laughing as guards chased her. She would also sneak in the kitchen and steal food and Mrs. Krelem, would run after her with a wooden rolling pin in her hand. It always made me laugh seeing them. Angelia had freckles and long reddish brown hair like her dad. She always wore loose suspenders and leggings and refused to wear a skirt or a dress.

Mr. Lestun loved Angelia's reckless attitude and would laugh off her mistakes and leave her off with small warnings. Mrs. Lestun, though, wasn't as generous. She would always yell at Angelia and always tell her to stop stealing. Angelia would always nod her head, smile, and say I promise. The thing was a week later she was in the same position. I reckon she was crossing her fingers underneath her locks.

Anyway, I now think I release why Mrs. Lestun always puts Sue in dresses and puts bows in her hair, it's because at this point no one else wants to wear them. Both Angelia and Mary prefer a t-shirt and messy hair.

The twins and Angelia were off climbing trees and pretending to be pirates. Miss Crumble was sitting on a bench with Sue in her lap. Next to her was William trying to read books and Miss Crumble giving him pointers on the way. She gave a couple glances at the 3 troublemakers but paid more attention to William and his book. That's what began the trouble.

I was doing my daily raking when a couple of leaves fell down from a tree above me. There was giggling too and the leaves kept on shaking and dropping. I looked up to see Angelia sitting on a tree branch. Across from her sat Mary and Jack. They tried their best to keep still and listen to Angelia's plan, but they couldn't help but tackle each other.

I came a bit closer and started to slowly rake the fallen leaves around the tree. Even though my head was down facing the grass, my ears were picked up listening to their conversation.

"Alright, this is going to be the most amazing plane ever!" Angelia said, an evil smirk forming and her face.

"What is it?" Mary asked Angelia while trying to keep Jack from knocking her off the branch.

Angelia moved in closer to the two and started to whisper. I had to get closer and strain myself to hear what they were talking about.

"Tonight is the 100th anniversary of the mansion and I have a surprise in store," Angelia said, and the three giggled together.

Indeed Angelia was right. Every year there was a feast and some family games, usually finished by dancing.

Angelia hated the dresses that they had to were, but they were simple, so she bared it. The thing is this wasn't an ordinary Anniversary it was 5the 100th. You see every 20 years the women in the family would be a beautiful white silky puffy dress and a beautiful gold tiara. She would do a traditional dance and then everyone would join in. Before today the only ones who had worn it were either Angelia's mother, grandmother, or great-grandmother, but this year it was Angelia's turn.

That white puffy dress and gold tiara was way too much for Angelia to handle and the dance was way too boring. Angelia would do anything and I mean anything to get out of it.

"Wait, why do you want to ruin the 100th anniversary? Don't you like the feast, the food is amazing! And I don't think the games are that bad," Jack asked.

"You dumbhead," Mary said hitting him on the head, " It's because of the dress,"

"Oh, that thing. What's so bad about it? It's just a dress," Jack said.

This time both Mary and Angelia hit him on the head. Jack rubbed his head and groaned.

"That dress is the most hideous thing I have ever seen, and they expect me to wear it," Angelia said

"And if we don't get rid of it, in 20 years I will have to wear it!" Mary added.

"Alright, but we are going to be wasting a lot of food. A lot of delicious food," Jack said his stomach growling.

"We'll steal some food from the kitchen," Angelia said.

Jack lit up a bit and sighed, "Alright, what's the plan?,"

"Glad you asked. You see when the party starts and everyone starts coming to eat that the feast. Mary, you, will come and say that I'm going to be late on account of putting on the dress. Then as the dinner goes on, I still won't be coming. Mary, then you excuse yourself from the table to check on me. Jack, a couple minutes later you ask to be excused to the bathroom. Both of you will come up to my room," Angelia said.

"What will you be doing?" Mary asked.

"I will be un-stitching the dress and replacing the tight stitches with loose stitches that can easily break and rip. Anyway, when you two come you will help me. You guys will go through the window and grab some sap off the tree and then come back in. We will cover the crown in the sap, so it will be really sticky. Then you Jack will return back downstairs and go in the direction of the bathroom and wash your hands as you pass it. Then return back to the party. Mary, you help me put on the dress and cover the stitches in some white veil from mother's old wedding dress. Then you help me put it on and tie the bow. We will go downstairs together. By the time we come down the feast should almost over and everyone would be waiting for me to dance. I will start the dance off, but Jack, you have to position yourself to trip me and Mary will 'accidentally' knock off the crown. The trip will rip the dress and the crown will fall and hit the fabric and get stuck. It won't take long for mom to release we worked on the dress and crown and Ms (cook name) will be angry we ruined/wasted the food. This moment of shock gives un time to run. So no heels Mary," Angelia said.

"What do we do after?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, we will eventually get caught and harshly punished," Mary said.

I couldn't help but chuckle. It might have been the first time I heard the two agree.

"We will run into the forest and climb up some trees, and stay quiet. I'm sure that dad will come out to defend me, I mean us. When he calms down mom, we will get down and apologize, and then face the punishment. Let's be honest anything is better than wearing that dress," Angelia said.

"Agreed," Mary replied.

Jack's stomach grumbled.

"Lunchtime already?" Angelia asked.

"I guess so," Jack said his face getting flushed.

"Let's head down," Mary said.

I quickly ran into the other side of the field and pretended to rake. I saw the 3 swinging of the tree and racing down back to Miss Crumble.

The 6 of them all went inside to eat and I was left alone with the howling trees and the bowling leaves on the early Autumn day.