Dubious Mystery Tour

Uneasiness

For Christmas season of 2011 only:  The edited version of this book is available for free on Smashwords until Jan. 2012 GMT-08:00. use the code EV58W at check out. The code is not case sensitive.

For some reason, the message written in blood gave me questions. Questions such as who exactly arranged this gathering. The message pointed to somebody within the original thirteen members of the group that has now been whittled down to twelve. There was also the question of how that particular individual killed the victim that he or she referred to the previous night.

Suddenly, I felt a different present behind me. It was not just the feeling of being under suspicion, but also a feeling that somebody that probably knew everything. This feeling made me start to sweat, as if I had something to hide, but I was not aware of anything worth hiding that I did or knew.

“I come to see what you have found out, but your are sweating profusely at my presence. Your partner does not need to see this anyway, since she’s not as good as you are,” said a childish voice behind me that also shown that they were quite aware of what was happening.

“Are you suggesting that I am the one who did?”

“No, like you, I do not jump to conclusions. However, your behavior just now tells me that you are trying to hide something.”

“Who are you? You are no ordinary person.”

“That information is only for the culprit him or herself.”

As I turned around, I saw somebody that was three feet tall walking in the direction that led to the stairs down to the first floor.  The person wore a plain, gray jacket and had blonde hair. His pants were long, blue jeans and his feet were not covered by anything but white socks. The person’s neck was fat enough to suggest that the individual I talked with was a boy. His composure told me that he was indeed very aware of what happened.

After waiting there for a while, I went downstairs to the dining area, which basically looked the same as it did yesterday, when it was used to give us the details of the case we had originally been called to solve.

Almost everyone at the table, including Emily, was on edge about the fact that somebody had been killed.

The ones that were not extremely troubled by it were the boy who approached me and I. That boy was sitting next to Emily and I in a relaxed manner, but I knew that he was paying attention to the actions everyone was taking. I was more focused on him than anyone else though. No ordinary child would give off the same kind of aura that he did.

A few moments later, the table was filled with items such as bagels, eggs made in just about every way imaginable, pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Each dish, which looked too good to be made by somebody with amateur to average cooking abilities, was placed down by the butler who had greeted us.

While we were eating, the boy who approached me was writing something down on a piece of paper with his eyes closed.

Who is this child?

“Just because there is message aimed directly to you does not mean that you are innocent. Besides, the truth is not always that obvious,” the boy said quietly.

            “What do you know?” I asked in reply.

            “It’s funny. Is the first person or people to find a body always the killer? Do people have to exhibit signs of split personalities way before a crime actually happens? I do not know anything right now, but you cannot eliminate yourself from the suspect list.”

            “What about you? You could have done it too!”

            “How would that be possible? A child is even weaker than either an adolescent or adult female. Because of that fact, it would be tough me to skin a person alive to the extent the victim experienced, if I do it alone.”