August Whodunit : A Billionaire Ordeal

Chapter 1 : The Undertaker Calls At Midnight

"AHHH, the motherforker is dead!'

If you could lose yourself in one moment, be breathless for half a second and stop your heart for a flick of the lights. Alan would have happily committed that sin. It was barely passed dawn when the screams rung out and the church bell clapped for death. It was a sick instinct that told him happened before he could even comprehend it. So as everyone stood in electrified astonishment appalled to their very beings. Alan sought after stillness and painless which only came to him under the wings of the shadows. He sat in a dusty corner just off the right and watch bright lights be dimmed by shade by death.

He was no stranger to the experience of a concluded existence. He had lost people in his lifetime, many of whom deserved it. But throughout the pain a constant connection with detestation remained in form of Dalilah Black. In some ways it kept him whole and in others it ripped him apart. But that's what he had always associate Black's name with it. He was like a familiar flame that lit Alan up and let him experience the burn of existence.

Last night someone had stolen the last spark in Alan's eyes. Now the in burnt out ambers remained only desired smoke and a wish for what was. His gaze fall on to his trembling hands and exhaled a hard breath. He could no longer look at body. Just a body now, no soul, no life, a shell of what was. In a way Black had ended the way he had started. An empty shell, only now life couldn't full him with experiences. Alan lifted his gaze and watched as they zipped up the object to steal it away and examine it. He would be a body bag one day. He would be an empty shell.

The heat rushed to his eyes and he shut them tightly blocking out brightness of life. He indulged himself in darkness and recalled what it was like to be bright himself. His mother face as she smiled at him one last time before driving away, His teddy bear cosy fur as he hugged it on rainy nights, His father giving him a piggy back ride, his mother last look of hate before she shut her eyes forever, his first kiss under the rainbow coloured bridge, his father stony expression before he pushed him into the pool and water filled his lungs as he struggle-

"Hi," Alan sharply looked up and nearly fell off his chair when he saw Slenderman- oh shiz no- It was Daniel Close, his company's lawyer and one tall human being. Daniel pushed back his ginger hair and took a seat beside him. "Want a drink? you look like you could use one." he said kindly.

Alan lifted his head and dropped it once. Even that seem to drain him but Daniel got the message and placed a glass of warm rum in his hand. He placed the glass against his lips and pushed contents down his throat. The lingering heat on his tongue woke him from his daze and he quickly hid his trembling hand from Daniel concerned gaze.

"Are you ok-"

"We need put together what we know."

Alan slipped out his little black book for his coat pocket. "I left Sandra drinking wine our room and went to get drinks with Miss Cox-" at Daniel critical eye, he amended," And went drinking at the bar with My Friend Lily Cox." He said in robotic voice. The lady herself, Lily Cox threw her head back in wild laughter and Alan touched his heart in surprise. It was almost like she heard hi-

Daniel shook his head but leaned in and said,"Its good you have a lawyer Mr Herend, but a bad thing that I don't do divorces." He took a sip of his drink and winked. Alan greatly prayed Sandra didn't have Lily's ability to hear over distances so she didn't drop her special Night Night potion in Daniel's next drink.

"Have you seen anything queer Mr Close?"

Daniel appeared to be tore, He looked like he thought he was betraying himself by engaging in idle gossip. Alan raised a brow and gave his I'myourbossdude look. Ater exchanging a number of secret looks and nods like a couple of gangsters, Daniel gave up his info;

"I heard about Sandra taking a bottle of wine."

Alan rolled his eyes, of course she did. She always stole wine from Black. He gestured for Daniel to continue.

"I saw-" He nodded at Grace Knight who was wiping away her tears on a tissue," She was leaving the basement and heading towards Dalilah room."

Alan eyed Grace, if Dalilah had died in his room than maybe but-

"Anything else?"

" Alex was seen disappearing into her room I think," Daniel shrugged and drained his glass,"But I don't think taking a nap is the same as killling someone."

It is if you're job was to protect the victim.

Alex Gena was Dalilah Black guard and Alan suspected, one of the only staff members he had kept. It was few weeks before Black birthday that Alan had heard about his insane firing everyone staff members in the mansion, allegedly over finding a dung beetle in his favorite soup. With this in mind, he stood to his feet and left Daniel talking to the Detective about where he was on the night of the murder and if he wanted to get a drink later on.

He felt like he was floating through the halls and found it hate to believe he ever desired to purchase this cursed property. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Mason leaning against a doorway and staring down at his phone. The boy was hiding his giggles and turning them into sobs every time someone glanced in his direction. Alan just knew he was chatting to his weirdo friends on that son of a cow gaming app. Though it annoyed him to no end seeing Mason sharing his problems and dealing with them through strangers advice rather than coming to him or Sandra, Yet, he felt oddly assured by it. Mason would be okay, even if Alan wasn't and all he had ever hoped for.

His parental instinct had never been very strong. But that didn't mean he had spent a moment since Mason was born not frantically stressing over his well being. Alan had never known what love was really was till he held Mason in his arms for the first time and the child looked up at him with utter faith and adoration in his bright shining eyes. He had never known how words could change the meaning of his life till Mason was two and called him,"Daddy!" for the first time. And he had certainly never thought he could be deserving of having another tiny being wrap their hands around his finger and watch his every move, wanting to grow up to be just like him.

If only he had been a better person than maybe he could be a little bit proud of who Mason had become.

The hours hung over him till the morning sun had turned to evening. The house was buzzing with people trying to figure out where they stood. The night Black died had not been a very memorable to most, and many had to piece together what they were doing from others. In this time Alan had been lurking, discovering clues and hearing information, he had also made a very good friend in one Ms Margaret Sam, an addictied smoker like himself and a edgy spirited woman. He had first noticed her talking to his hand right Arren Vivaldi. A man who was most ambitious and obviously a Slytherin. Arren was Alan close friend but when he went to shake his hand, Arren shifted away and complained his had strained his hand playing piano. But what was odd was that Arren told people that he was old friend of Mr Black and had recently reconnected with him, but never once mentioned this to Alan over the years of their friendship.

His trust in the people surrounding him was slowly fading.

Anyone could be the killer and the clues were just piling up. From Blaise Crafter Jr playing with fire outside Dalilah room to Gilbert Lombardi experimenting with strange liquids in the kitchen. Everyone and anything they were doing seemed to involve a way to end Black life that night. Every note Alan wrote, every bit information he learnt, he was realizing he wasn't the only one who hated Black enough wish death upon him. He was realizing he wasn't the only with murder on his mind that night. He was just one of the many who failed. But out of that many one had succeeded and one had claimed Black life for their own. One had taken the heartbeat of a heartless man and in doing so had became a souless shell themselves.

Alan shut his little black book with all its clues and notes. He exhaled and rubbed his eyes tiredly before standing to his feet. On very edge of his desk was a thin piece of paper with all guests names on it and above one of those names, in bright red ink was the word;

K I L L E R