And Then There Was One (2019)

Chapter 29 - Murder #14

Orlando, Florida

July 3, 2019

Roughly 5:30am EST

Boris Katchouk, Alex Barre-Boulet, Ross Colton and Colby McAuley look at one another, standing on the solid, dirt and grass covered ground before the drawbridge. The one that leads to Fairytale Fortress and had squashed Jonne under it.

Slowly their attentions turn back to the smooshed, bloody body of the Finnish hockey player.

"I can't believe this!" Colby mutters out. "There's only four of us remaining and one of us is the killer."

"And it wasn't Jonne that is for sure..." Ross trails off.

"Let's think here, which one of us has any reason to kill someone?" Boris questions, eyeing the weapon in his hand.

"Let's start off by looking at who's been killed so far and then who's left?" Colby suggests.

"Mitch Hults, Taylor Raddysh, Kasperi Kapanen, William Nylander, Ben Thomas, Brayden Point, Brett Howden, Otto Somppi, Vladdy Namestnikov, Yanni Gourde, Jonathan "Jo" Drouin, Ville Meskanen, Roope Hintz, Tayler Thompson, Brendan Gallagher, Jonne Tammela and Timo Meier have all been murdered," Ross states. "Meanwhile, Boris, Alex, Colby and myself are still around. So what do all the others mean to one of us?"

"I've had a hunch this whole time that I thought Alex Barre-Boulet the French Princess is the killer," Colby snaps, growling at Alex.

Alex narrows his eyes and glares at Colby. "On what grounds?"

"Jealousy!" Colby snaps. "You're jealous of the other 'Princesses', so you eliminated all the competition and for all we know, Boris is your partner-in-crime. Maybe he did all the killing, while you were the brains behind it. You just have to off Ross and myself now!" He unsheathes his paw, showing off his claws.

Ross tenses and points his weapon at Alex.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Boris grumbles.

Alex puts his hands on his hips. "You don't believe this tiny asshole do you, Rossling?"

Ross glares at Alex. "I'm not sure what to think, he's got a good point!"

"How about you, yourself being the killer, Coco?" Alex scolds.

"On what grounds?" Colby demands, stomping his paws on the ground, both of them unsheathed and ready to slash someone apart.

"Hostility, for one and quick to judge or throw the blame at someone, for another," Boris remarks.

"How about Ross?" Colby snarls, nodding at Ross.

"What kind of proof do you have that it is me?" Ross questions, dropping his weapon and cocking an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Uhhh," Colby begins to say.

"How about the fact that it's so easy to not connect you to any of the crimes, except maybe to Taylor Raddysh," Boris remarks. "You got annoyed over his constant and obnoxious stalking-clinginess, so you killed him. As for everyone else, I'll need some time to figure that out."

"I'm going to prove that I am not the killer!" Colby shouts out and races down the entrance pathway between Portrayal Place and Deception Hill. He splits to his right and bolts into Portrayal Place where the Seventh Heaven Railroad Station is located, as well as the Mask O' Rade Thrill coaster and a show tent.

"COLBY, NO!!" Boris shouts out.

"WE HAVE TO STICK TOGETHER!!" Alex tacks on.

"C'mon you two, after him!" Ross calls out.

Colby skids to a halt in the center of Portrayal Place, spinning around and seeing the show tent, Railroad Station and tracks, the Mask O' Rade Thrill coaster. He can also see that Secret Mask Loop coaster and the Carousel De Masquerade where Otto had been murdered earlier. His heart is beating fiercely in his chest. He realizes what he has done and transforms from his tiger form to his human form.

He can hear the others screaming for him. But he can also hear footsteps and heavy breathing.

Then someone or something jumps on him. Pins him to the ground.

A bag is thrown over his head and pulled tight around his neck.

Colby screams and struggles, poofing back into a tiger, but finding his head still trapped in the bag. He gasps for air and pushes with his paws at the material. "Help! Help me!" But his lungs strain more and more.

Colby's vision blurs and his efforts slow and then he finds himself lying on the ground, gasping for any kind of air he can muster.

It is so stuffy and...and he can't breathe...

His vision finally fades to black and he doesn't awaken again.

Boris and Alex skid to a halt, reaching the spot where Colby is lying still with Ross joining them from behind.

"Quick," Ross gasps out, "Get the bag off of his head!"

Boris squats down and rips the bag from Colby's head. But it is too late, the feisty little tiger cub is gone. Dead. He turns to tell them, but simply shakes his head, unable to form words. They get the message and sigh.

That's when a deep voice, similar from the Manner of Masks and the Castle, booms out:

"Four professional hockey players remained wondering how they could break free,

One was suffocated, snuffed and then there were three."

****

Did anyone guess Colby McAuley, the feisty little tiger cub, as the potential killer in the end? If so, sorry, he is not the killer either... :)

Time to make another guess (and feel free to comment guesses below) as we will soon move onto the next murder here!! 

There's only three players left: 

Boris Katchouk

Alex Barre-Boulet

and 

Ross Colton

So who is the killer and why? (You'll find out in the next chapter!)