Merry Sister Mary and the One and Only Killer

29: Sister Mary Explains How It All Happened (Editing)

The assembled crowd stared in shock at the man leaning against the fireplace mantle. Michael Stanton chuckled and sipped the last of his drink. He rubbed his bruised neck before turning towards me.

"I'm impressed," he said. "Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed a nun would figure me out."

"Michael Stanton, Sinclair Martin," I said confidently. "You have been accused of multiple murders and kidnapping how do you plead?"

"Innocent," he said. "You said yourself. There is no evidence. You can't even tell me how it all happened. You have nothing to convict me."

"I know more than you think, Michael!" I raised my umbrella. "So let me enlighten you." I rolled up my sleeves and began.

"When I arrived in St. Francisville I was met with an unexpected surprise. First, I would have to take a boat which I was opposed to. Second, my lovely Doubting Thomas had rolled from my lap while I was sleeping and underneath the seats. It was mistakenly picked up by Denise. She must have seen the letters DT on the base and without considering the fact thought they were hers. Denise Thompson was her original name before she married Wilfred. DT for short. Understandable, yes, but unfortunate for you, Michael, as that act spurred me to climb the fence to reach the manor and get back my umbrella. That's when I met you, a strapping young man, who kindly offered me a sucker. You said you had quite the sweet tooth.

I observed much upon nearing the home. Such as Gloria and her paint covered hands, and Mrs. Stanton's uncanny disposition to her children. In my excitement to have my umbrella back, I smashed a priceless vase on accident only to learn from Janet it was not the first broken object to be found by her recently.

That night at dinner I was given much information on the family. The most important information being Mrs. Annette's untouchable flowerbed and the sheer venomous degree of Brandon's pet snakes. As most everyone is aware, the toast of the late Wilfred Stanton was interrupted by Gloria's screams. We ran out to find her tormentor but instead discovered a message written in blood on the front door. I knew instantly it was an empty threat. The blood was obviously fake and when we went out to see if Gloria was alright, she was already smoking a half used cigarette. I concluded then that Gloria had written those words on the door. What I didn't know was why or what the words meant. I did understood then was Gloria was an utter twat. "

"What did you call me?" asked Gloria.

"Don't worry about it. But it's true, isn't it. No one else could have done it. Michael set you up, told you when and how to do it and what words to write. You thought you were just getting back at your mother. No, this was all part of Michael's plan to frame others for his crimes. I bet he even had you call your mother on the phone earlier that day and threaten her. I know you hated your mother. You made that quite clear during our first encounter."

Gloria made a face and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, sure, I did it. And yeah, Michael told me to say on the phone and what to write on the door. I thought it would be fun. I didn't think it would lead to her dying."

"Yes, every word and every action was part of a clever ploy to make Denise anxious and upset. The words, SIN CLEARS WHEN STANTON DIES, is a curious combination don't you think. I remember when I entered the priest house and found the words written on Father Blanchard's calendar. He had circled the first seven letters, SIN CLEAR. An obscure reference to SINCLAIR."

"That's too insane to believe," said Gloria in shock. "How would she get that reference? Wait would mom have known Michael was trying to kill her."

"No, Denise did not know who Sinclair Martin was. That secret was kept even from her. The hidden message was intended for Giles as a warning to keep his mouth shut. A simple play on words, but effective on both regards." I pointed to the bottle of alcohol on the table. "The words did their job. Denise became stressed and unhinged not to mention fearful that someone from her past wanted her dead. She asked for a drink, one that Michael was happy to supply. It must have been drugged. Why else would she have slept so soundly as her bedroom was rigged for murder."