The Hangman's Game - A 'Perfect' Town Murder Mystery

Chapter 1: The Hangman Come's to Play

Sally Hopkins. The popular girl who was very pretty and had a kind soul to match. Her parents were supporters of Mayor Louie Underwood. The town's name was called Underwood, a town which was supposedly very 'happy' and 'crime-free' and nothing bad ever happened which was very suspicious. One day Sally Hopkins was coming home from school and never came back. The sheriff Monty Jackson thought it was a joke and Sally was a bit of a trickster who did harmless pranks which were pretty funny. After a few days, she didn't come back and people started to worry so they started a search party to find her but when they did, they found her dead, covered in bruises hanging on a tree, cuts and bruises everywhere. She looked disfigured and her eyes looked pale and soulless. Everyone freaked out and the parents Mr Harold Hopkins and his wife Mirium were shocked and upset and wanted to find the killer immediately. There was a note on Sally's body and it said in blood 'Having fun in the hanging tree' - The Hangman his signature was a picture of a noose. now they had a deranged killer on the loose and his name was the hangman.

I walked to the so-called peaceful town to find out what happened to the murder of Sally Hopkins. The town seemed envious and suspicious of me but that didn't stop me at all. I went up to the mayor and said "My name is Detective Andrew Larson LAPD I'm here to find out what happened to Sally" the mayor said in his southern accent "welcome detective we will be happy to help" he smiled a Cheshire cat grin which already made me feel uncomfortable so I started to question the locals who always said "the place is fine nothing bad ever happens here" they all smiled creepily...but I was determined to find out what was going on even if it meant uncovering a dark secret....as I could tell...the town was hiding something but what? I just need to find out the truth...

Then I walked around the town finding nothing and went to the murder scene and one of the officers gave me a note from a serial killer called the hangman. I read the note and looked up to see the officer gone which unnerved me... Like a lot, I didn't like it but I didn't let that get to me so I carried on with my investigation so I interviewed the parents and Harold said: "I don't know who would harm my daughter she was the sweetest girl at school and she had a promising future." Mirium was crying so I said calmly "do you recognize this note, Mr Hopkins?" I took the note out of my pocket which was in an evidence bag, Harold read it and shook his head "no I don't but I'm guessing that this was the killer who murdered my little girl" I nodded "yes but I just need to find the identity of this 'hangman'" Mirium stopped crying and wiped her tears with a lavender handkerchief and said choking back tears "w-will you find the killer of our daughter?" I gave her a warm smile and said "of course Ma'am but I can't make any promises" she smiled "thank you, detective, that's all I needed to hear"

I sighed and went back to the crime scene and saw something in the distance, as I couldn't make out what it was Sally, she was staring at me, covered in blood, bruises and the noose ring round her neck and she said in a scared voice "help me.... please!!! The hangman will come for more people!" I stood in my spot in shock the confusion filling my brain, like an overflowing tap. I said to her "I'll do it I will help you" she smiled "thank you detective" and disappeared.

I composed myself and my legs finally let me take control and move around again. I still replayed that message in my head as I was going to interrogate the mayor when someone tapped me on the shoulder, I turned around and it was the sheriff looking nervous and he said: "detective have you found the killer yet?" I shook my head "no why?" Monty sighed "it's just the mayor wants this case done as the Hopkins might not support him anymore and he doesn't want his reputation ruined because of that" I narrowed my eyes in confusion "why would the Hopkins not want to support the mayor?" he replied, "the family have been friends with the mayor for years and if something happened that was so bad it damaged both their reputations they'd try and stop it from happening or try to cover it up." I thought about it and then said "right so who do you think the killer is?" Monty scratched his head and said, "I have no idea detective but I have a few suspects" he took out his notepad and flipped it open and flicked the pages and found the lists of names and tore the paper out of his pad and handed it to me "here are the names this may give you a lead" I took the list and put it in my pocket and thanked him then he left.