Mr Stone's Hunting Lodge

Chapter Six

What awaited them was the most heinous of scenes. Jack was standing over the brutalized dead body of Mr Slain.

Gasps of horror filled the damp and dingy cave as Mrs Slain hysterically wailed, bounding over to her husband and dropping down with an outpouring of complete anguish.

Getting closer, Mr Stone saw there was blood everywhere with multiple wounds to his chest. He had been viciously stabbed. 'He's been murdered,' he said, and cries of disbelief and grief added to Mrs Slain's weeping.

'I just came down here,' Jack started to mumbled softly, shell-shocked, 'and saw him like this.'

Mr Stone put a hand on Jack's shoulder. 'I think it best if we all went back upstairs to the Great Room.' It was the only thing he could think of. 'I'll call the police. Mrs Slain?'

It took some time to convince her to leave her husband's side, but she did.

Sadly, and adding to the terrible situation, Mr Stone was unable to get a hold of the police. And walking into the Great Room from his office, he told everyone, 'The line's dead.'

'I'll walk to the police station,' Harry offered.

'Not in this blizzard . . . it's too dangerous. Nobody's going anywhere. I'd rather everyone stay here together.'

'If you say so. I'd rather not, though, being that one of us may have killed Mr Slain.'

The suspicion brought forth by the many galloping eyes was as thick as the snow outside. Mrs Slain then gave a frenetic opinion.

'It was you.' She pointed at Mrs Forsythe scathingly. 'You stole my earrings and killed my husband for what he did. Everyone heard you threaten him.'

'How dare you!' Mrs Forsythe came back. 'HOW DARE YOU! Maybe you killed him. Maybe he flirted just one too many times for your liking.'

'Everyone, please,' bellowed Mr Stone. 'We need calm. Please.' The two ceased their argument. He then swiftly took Jack, Rachel and Emily to the side. 'Are you three all right?'

'Still shaking,' Emily replied, wiping away a tear.

'I just can't believe something like this has happened,' said Rachel.

'Jack?' said Mr Stone. Jack just nodded, still looking shell-shocked. 'Right, I need you three to do something for me. I want you to quietly search the guests' rooms.'

'Search for what?' asked Rachel.

'For anything. The murder weapon possibly. I want to find out who killed Mr Slain. I'd rather not wait until the police get here cause who knows when that'll be. Can you three do that?'

'Yes,' the three said in unison.

'Off you go.'

Looking at Jack, Rachel and Emily leave, Mrs Forsythe asked, 'Where are they going?'

Mr Stone lied. 'We need more firewood.'

'But you just said we should stick together.'

'Unless you want to freeze?'

Mrs Forsythe rolled her eyes before saying, 'I do not.'

Mr Stone sat down. 'Now, I don't know about all of you, but I want to get to the bottom of this. Find who killed Mr Slain. He was clearly murdered after breakfast, possibly while I was having the meeting with my staff. I'd like to know where my guests were at that time.'

'My husband and I were in our room,' said Mrs Forsythe.

'I actually left, dear, while you dozed off for a bit,' said Mr Forsythe. 'I came down to the Great Room to get warm by the fire before going back up.'

Mrs Forsythe looked stunned to hear that.

'Did you run into anybody?' Mr Stone asked and Mr Forsythe shook his head. 'And you Mrs Slain?'

'Steve and I were in our room when he decided to go get a drink from the cellar.' Mrs Slain began to bawl. 'That was the last time I saw him.'

Mr Stone turned to Mr Hayward and Miss Doncaster. 'And you two?'

Mr Hayward and Miss Doncaster, who were cuddling up together by the fire, didn't make eye contact with Mr Stone.

'We were in our room,' Mr Hayward replied. 'Drinking wine ourselves.'

'Wine from the cellar?'

'Yes, but we got it yesterday.'

The sound of footfalls on the wooden floors brought Rachel back to the Great Room. 'Mr Stone,' she said loudly. 'Look what I found.' She opened her hand.

Everyone clambered towards her and saw Mrs Slain's emerald earrings.

Mrs Slain swooped in and grabbed them. Then at the same time, she and Mr Stone asked, 'Where did you find them?'

Rachel pointed to Mr Hayward and Miss Doncaster. 'In their room. Hidden inside the bedframe.'

Guilt flooded the pairs' faces.

'You stole my earrings?' Mrs Slain cried. 'Why?'

'I told you I didn't steal your damn earrings,' interrupted Mrs Forsythe. 'And maybe they murdered Steve too.'

'Now hang on,' said Mr Hayward, very defensive and heated. 'We did no such thing.'

Miss Doncaster put a hand over her heart. 'Please believe us. We didn't.'

'Did you steal Mrs Slain's earrings?' Mr Stone asked them.

Mr Hayward and Miss Doncaster looked pained at whatever they were thinking about. They then looked at each other dearingly before Mr Hayward admitted to stealing the earrings.

'You need to start explaining yourselves,' said Mr Stone. 'And just remember, you are now the main suspects in Mr Slain's death.'

'I did it out of anger,' answered Mr Hayward, 'on a whim.'

Miss Doncaster put her hand in his.

'Anger? Angry because of Mr Slain's flirting with Miss Doncaster?' asked Mr Stone.

'Flirting?' Mr Hayward snapped. 'Mr Slain is . . . was a selfish womanizer. And his 'flirting' with my fiancée was only a miniscule portion of my anger toward Mr Slain.'

'What did he do to you?' bumbled Mrs Slain loudly. 'You've never met before.'

'You're right. We've never met until now. Another reason for my hatred towards him.'

Everyone apart from Mr Hayward and Miss Doncaster looked confused.

'I don't understand,' said Mrs Slain.

Mr Hayward took a long breath before saying, 'Mr Slain is . . . was my father.'