And Then There Was One (2019)

Chapter 23 - Murder #8

Inside the zoo part, Jo is storming over to the lion's cage area. It is on one side of the Big Cat X-ing area, across from the Safari Zone. It is a large infrastructure habitat, a metal wiring enclosing the grassy area and there is a rock formation that resembles Pride Rock from The Lion King.

A lion is lounging underneath the rock, having rolled over on his back. It looks asleep and out of it. Well, except for its tail that appears to have a mind of its own, thwacking on the smooth, cold concrete ground of the rock formation's bottom. It is definitely unaware and unphased by the visiting hockey players.

Jo walks up and finds a secret entrance to the side. A small wooden fence separating the lion enclosure from the cheetah one. On the wooden door, it says "Employees Only." Not that Jo seems to give two shits about it.

He ignores the sign and vanishes behind the door.

A few minutes later, he reappears in the enclosure, walking straight for the lion and the rock formation.

A few people (and tigers) are already standing in front of the enclosure with mortified and concerned expressions on their face, including Ross, Colby, TT and Timo. They look back as the rest with Brendan come to join them.

"DROUIN!" Brendan shouts out and races up to the railing that is used to block off tourists. It also has nameplates for TWO lions. He grabs the railing and leans over, not worrying about the distances or safety concerns.

Jo halts in place. Then he lifts one hand with his middle finger extended and jumps from one side, over a smaller part of a model chasm.

"Don't bother coming in here and stopping me. Don't bother talking me out of this. I'm in the lion's den now, so to say. I didn't kill Vladdy or Yanni or any of the others! Not Nyla, not Kappy, not Ben Thomas or Taylor Raddysh."

"The next line of the poem! What is it?" Roope demands, running a hand through his long, flowing wavy blond hair.

Jo stands on the edge of the grassy ledge that leads down into a ravine, where a pool area is located. "Right, uh...eleven professional hockey players could withstand the gore--"He looks across right at Brendan and the others as they gather, their faces full of concern and shock.

Well, except for one of them, who waves at him with a knowing smirk and winks.

Jo gasps, cutting himself off. Then he prepares to tell them the rest of the next line of the poem, before a loud roar sounds. It's chilling and eerie to hear and it echoes around the enclosure and area where they are all standing.

In the next moment, a snarling golden lion bolts out from the side. It takes Jo by surprise, mauling him over and sending him crashing to the grassy ground. The onlookers outside of the cage, all flinch in place, watching in horror as blood splatters everywhere. The crimson stains the grass and the sharp ravine rocks. As well as the shrill, horrifying screams from Jonathan Drouin that puncture their ears.

Then there is a bone-chilling silence.

Brendan slowly peels himself away, stepping backward and all the others follow. Ross blinks and produces a crumpled up piece of paper in his hand. He shakingly holds it out and drops it into Brendan's hand.

"I-I think this...I think this is the next line," Ross stammers out.

Brendan gulps, anxiously and nervously, as he takes the paper and unravels it with his own clammy fingers.

Brendan clears his throat and reads aloud:

"Eleven professional hockey players could withstand the gore,

One wandered into the lion's den and then there were ten."

Brendan looks up at the others. "Another victim."

"No, really?! I can see that, Captain Obvious," Colby snarls, unleashing his claws. "I might be small, but I could still see and hear what happened."

There is a pause and more creepy silence that follows.

Then everyone turns and looks back toward the exit, where Ville and Jonne are outside waiting...supposedly.

"You don't think...?" Ross questions, his mortified voice low and trailing off. 

****

Many apologies for leaving this story hanging, life happened. But now I am planning to finish it off, so that everyone may know who the killer is! 

Did anyone guess the shift, psycho-obsessed Jonathan Drouin as the potential killer in the end? If so, sorry, he isn't the killer either... :)

Time to make another guess (and feel free to comment guesses below) as we will soon move onto the next murder here!!