Day Seven.

Time moved faster than expected. Being trapped inside of Serendipity for an entire week took its toll on me and others. It would be a lie if I said the experience hadn't been spiritually taxing. So much had happened in those seven days.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem the horror would stop anytime soon. In fact, it felt like everything I witnessed was only the beginning.

And that it was.

Almost like every other day, I woke to the chime of my annoying doorbell. Although that time, the person that rung it was Zoey. I was personally selected to be her partner in the investigation. We had twenty-four hours to find and gather enough evidence to solve the murder case. Time was of the essence.

“Good morning, Ambrose.” Zoey greeted me as I left my room.

“Morning.” I returned the greeting. “So, how are we going to start off the investigation?”

“We are going to interrogate the other players. You are the only one that I have questioned so far.” She answered.

Was I supposed to take solace in that? The fact that she questioned me first?

Did she do it because I was the most suspicious? Or the least suspicious? I feared the question would only linger in my mind. Most of the time it was pointless to question Zoey.

Her mind was that of a steel trap.

“Who do we start off with first?” I asked.

“We will go in numerical order. So, Wyatt will be first.” She placed her hands inside of the pockets of her trench coat as we proceeded down the hallway.

We entered the cafeteria and found some of the others—Wyatt, Melanie, Darius, Henrika, Nicholas, and Salomon.

“Almost everyone is here. Should we start?” I asked.

“No. We need to separate them. We have to prevent as many leaks as we can.” Zoey shook her head.

“What are you two whispering about over there?” Melanie called us out from the other side of the room.

“Everyone, I have an announcement,” Everyone turned their glances of curiosity towards us. “I have decided to make Ambrose my partner in this investigation. He will assist me in questioning all of you concerning your whereabouts during Elena’s murder.”

Mixed gazes from the other players met me. I was just as surprised as they were when Zoey first requested for me to help her.

Was I the best choice?

“That’s great! If you two work together, there’s no doubt that the murderer will be caught!” Darius shot up from his seat. His face beamed with the utmost of confidence.

“When did you two become so trusting of each other, huh?” Melanie questioned us.

“Keep quiet,” demanded Wyatt, “I think it is a good idea. Whatever you need from us, do not be afraid to ask.”

“Then, I would like to interrogate all of you in your respective rooms. I would like to start off with Wyatt.” Zoey requested. “Please note that you are not obliged to comply with the request. However, it will not help your case in proving your innocence.”

“I would be more than willing to agree to the interrogation. Let us get it over with.” Wyatt complied with the request then led us to his room.

Once inside, Zoey and I took a seat on the edge of the bed while Wyatt pulled up a chair. The man was calm and collected. His exuded confidence from his straightened posture. Even I felt that he couldn’t have killed Elena.

But, there lingered a sliver of doubt in the back of my mind. One was innocent until proven guilty. That was how I wished to perceive things.

“How are you feeling, Wyatt?” Zoey suddenly started things off with a lighthearted question.

“Is there a point to even asking that question?” Wyatt’s eyes narrowed.

“I am simply curious. You did not seem very well when you performed the autopsy on Elena.” She pointed out.

“How could I be? Someone I knew was murdered in cold blood. By someone in this facility…” Wyatt set his hands on his lap. They trembled as he continued, “How I am feeling is irrelevant. But, if you must know…I am infuriated.”

“You have every right to be. What happened to Elena was unfortunate. I will be sure to find the one responsible for this.”

“Please do.”

“Now, where were you between the time of 2 and 3 A.M.?”

“I was here in my room asleep.”

“Can anyone vouch for that?” I asked. A sense of déjà vu washed over me.

“No. I was all alone. I guess that does make me a suspect, huh?” Wyatt stared up at the ceiling and ran his hand through his hair.

“Potentially.” Zoey nodded. “What time did you head to your room?”

“It was around 12 A.M., I think. I was with Nicholas, but then I left once Darius showed up.”

“Darius?” I asked.

“Yes. Ever since he sustained his injuries at the hands of Melanie; Darius would come talk to Nicholas or me now and then.”

“About what?” asked Zoey.

“Well for me, he would request for me to help him change his bandages and apply cream for his burns. I have no idea what he would speak with Nicholas about.”

“I see. Last question, did you notice anything odd about any of the other players for the past couple of days? Anything that would indicate any of the others possibly being the killer?”

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I will say it anyway. I believe the killer to be Melanie. That bitch had it out for Elena since day one. It was no secret that she bullied her daily.”

Zoey nodded her head then stood from the bed. We bid Wyatt farewell then moved on to our next person of interest. Player number two, Melanie Bella. We walked next door then rang her doorbell.

Fortunately, she answered. She let us into her room without a fuss and allowed us to proceed with the interrogation. We started off with the basic questions regarding her location between the times of 2 and 3 A.M. the other day.

Her response was the usual; she was asleep phrase. However, I didn’t believe it. Perhaps it had something to do with the smirk on her face after she answered. That girl was nothing but trouble.

Everyone knew that.

No one would’ve been surprised if she turned out to be the murderer.

She was the only one that expressed evident joy at Elena’s death. I wanted to do nothing more than cave her smug face in. But, that wouldn’t have solved anything.

“So, Barkeep and Cyclops have teamed up, huh? Wouldn’t have ever guessed something like that would happen. How did you two hook up suddenly?” Melanie looked up from her nails then sent us a glare of suspicion.

“This isn’t a cross-interrogation. We’re the ones that will be asking the questions here.” I strictly informed her.

“Oh, how scary.” The grin on the girl’s face widened. “Does it make you feel good? Playing the hero, I mean. Someone you had the hots for gets murdered, and you’re suddenly on the case? Guess it just goes to show how far you’re willing to go for some piece of ass.”

A flash of red. That was all I saw. My anger erupted, and I approached the bitch, more than prepared to strike her. But, a force on the back of my shirt stopped me. I glanced over my shoulder then saw Zoey looking at me with an unreadable expression.

My fist fell to my side, losing its original purpose at that moment. I managed to calm down, but the rage still simmered beneath my skin.

I couldn’t let Melanie do that—play me. It’s what she did best. She riled up people and used their anger against them. Despite that I knew that fact, she still got me.

“You seem to hold no regard for Elena’s life. Or the lives of others for that matter, Melanie.” Zoey continued with the interrogation as if nothing happened.

“You got that right. I say good riddance. One less player to deal with now. Although, I never considered her much of a challenge in the first place.”

Her eyes didn’t meet either of us as she spoke. But instead, she shifted her attention to her nails. To her, they were far more important than the life of a human being.

Disgusting.

She truly disgusted me.

“Someone apparently did since they chose to target her.” Zoey’s gaze turned sharp—as if she’d be able to see through anything Melanie would try to hide.

“Then they’re more stupid than I thought. Funbags posed no threat to anyone. Killing her first was a waste. There must’ve been something Funbags did to upset the killer.”

She spoke with great confidence. But, her eyes never lifted from her nails. She knew more than she was willing to let on.

“Could the same be said for you, Melanie?”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Huh?”

“You went through a lot of effort to make Elena’s time here a living hell. You constantly bullied and teased her. Had she done something to upset you?”

That single question had done it. Melanie looked up from her nails then sent the detective a glare of her own. “Don’t try and this turn around on me, Cyclops. I’m not gonna fall for it.”

“I am just trying to figure out the facts here, Melanie. Right now, you are the most suspicious of being Elena’s killer.” Zoey pointed at the girl. “You were the only one that displayed any hostile feelings towards her. I would like to know why.”

The ferocity in Melanie’s eyes vanished. The corners of her lips nearly reached her ears before she responded, “Why not? Funbags was weak. She couldn’t hide that fact at all. I’m like a predator, Cyclops. The moment I sense weakness, I go for it.”

“So, you saw an opportunity to kill Elena, and you took it?” I asked.

“Nice try there, Barkeep. I’m not gonna come out and confess like that. Go ahead and assume I’m the killer if you want. See how well that does you in the game tomorrow.”

There she went again—exuding such confidence. How could she do that? Was there more to what she knew?

“You seem confident that you will win.” Zoey pointed out.

“Because I will. It’ll be another victory over the…” Melanie paused. She turned her head and averted her gaze. “Anyway, are you two about done?”

“Yes. Thank you for your cooperation.” Zoey and I stood up then left the room without a fuss. Honestly, I felt like I hadn’t learned anything new about the case.

However, I did learn something about Melanie.

The investigation continued as usual. We stopped by Klara’s room. But, she didn’t answer the door. So, we moved on to the next location—room number four—Darius’ room.

Darius allowed us into his room without complaint, knowing full well the gravity of the situation. Like before, we asked him the usual questions. He gave us the same responses as the others.

“Where were you around 12 A.M.?” Zoey questioned him.

“I was with Nicholas in his room at that time. You can ask him or Wyatt; they can vouch for that.” He answered truthfully.

“What were you doing in his room?”

“It’s a little embarrassing. But, since Nicholas is a Therapist, I figured I’d speak with him about some of my problems. It was mainly about the games and other personal issues.”

“It’s fine. You don’t have to bring them up if you don’t want to.” I said.

Honestly, I didn’t see the point in questioning Darius. He never seemed like the murdering type. The kid could hardly stand the sight of blood. Plus, he had a crush on Elena. He and Iris grieved the most upon finding her body.

With that fact alone, I would’ve marked them off my suspect list.

“Around what time did you leave Nicholas’ room?” Zoey asked.

“I’d say around 1:30 A.M.? After that, I went straight to sleep in my room.” Darius averted his gaze then brought his hand up to his cheek, fiddling with the bandage placed there.

“Something wrong?”

“Huh? No, it’s just my burns. They’re acting up a bit. I just need to apply more cream, and it’ll settle down.” He waved off Zoey’s concerns. “Anyway, was there anything else you wanted to ask me?”

“Yes,” Zoey nodded, “Was there anything strange that you noticed about the other players recently? Something that could indicate anyone possibly being the killer?”

Darius’ face became strained at that moment. Had an idea crossed his mind? If so, he took a long time to answer. Whatever idea had come to his mind lit up his features as he replied.

“Melanie. There’s no other person it could be. She always terrorized Elena whenever she found the chance.”

Yet another finger pointed towards Melanie as the killer. I figured that pattern wouldn’t stop anytime soon. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume Melanie was the common enemy of all the remaining players.

“Final question, Darius. Has anything strange happened to you recently?” Zoey inquired.

“Strange? Like what?” His voice cracked. His eyes flickered between Zoey and me.

No doubt—he tried to hide something.

“That is what I would like to know. You seem to be hiding something.” Zoey pointed out.

Darius’ eyes were all over the place. He desperately tried to find any other space in the room other than us to look at.

“Darius, if you know something that will help us solve this case. You have to tell us.” I said.

His frantic eyes settled on me. His face showed great reluctance as he reached into the pockets of his green hoodie. He pulled out a piece of paper and showed it to us.

“I got this on our second day here. It’s a letter saying that Melanie and Nicholas are some of the traitors among us.” He revealed.

Zoey took the letter—her eyes scanned it as if looking for any discrepancies. I, for one, hadn’t noticed anything. It perfectly matched the letter that I received.

“Did you show this letter to anyone else?” Zoey’s voice turned cold. Darius and I both shuddered as the woman continued to stare at the piece of paper.

“Besides you two, I’ve only shown it to Nicholas,” Darius answered.

Zoey lowered the letter down to her lap. She sent a sharp, piercing gaze at him as she asked, “And what did he think of the letter?”

“He immediately said that it was a hoax. He showed me the letter that he received, and it said something entirely different from this one.”

“Really? What did it say?” I asked.

“It said that Elena and Zoey were the traitors. But, that just can’t be right.” Darius brought his hand to his chin. “Since our letters were entirely different, we decided that they were fakes set up by Caius to trick us. Especially the part that mentioned not to show it to anyone. Why would someone send us a letter and then expect us not to show it to the other players?”

“You have a point. It’s suspicious alright.” I agreed.

Perhaps the letter was a fake after all. If other letters besides mine mentioned other players, then it was a hoax set up by Caius.

“Did you guys get letters like these as well?”

“That is enough questioning for now. These letters have nothing to do with Elena’s murder.” Zoey and I stood up then headed for the door.

“Please find the person that did this,” begged Darius as he lowered his head to us. “I don’t want to believe that any of us killed her. But, if that’s the case, please find the killer.”

“We will. I promise.” Zoey assured him before we left the room.

Our next destination—room number five—Henrika’s room. She allowed us into her room where we began with the interrogation. We asked the essential start-up questions. She gave us the same answers as the others.

“You don’t truly believe that I’m the murderer, do you? I often try to keep people together,” Henrika pleaded her case. “I can’t stand the sight of blood. Just the sight of it makes me want to throw up.”

“Trust me, I know,” I recalled the moment Henrika barfed in the women’s bathroom upon finding Elena’s corpse. I didn’t know if she was squeamish, but apparently, she wasn’t good around dead people.

She couldn’t have killed Elena.

“This is just protocol. I plan to question everyone.” Zoey stated.

“I understand.” Henrika nodded her head with a solemn expression. “I hope you find the killer. They can’t get away with this travesty. They just can’t.”

“Do you have any idea as to who the killer could be? Have you noticed any of the other players acting strange lately?”

“Well, the obvious choice for me would be Melanie. She was the only one that showed any hostility towards Elena.” Henrika mentioned. “But, something about her attitude suggests otherwise. She didn’t come out and own up to the murder. She revealed that she was one of the traitors without hesitance. So, why now?”

“Perhaps she doesn’t want people voting for her being the killer?” I suggested. “If Melanie did kill Elena, then two points would get deducted from her own points depending on how many people vote for her. She’d lose a lot of points in the game if that happened.”

“That is true, but, Zoey didn’t suggest for the game until Caius arrived. Melanie had plenty of time to confess beforehand. That girl strives on chaos. She would do anything to rile everyone up.”

“I see. So, the fact that she missed out on a chance to stir up more trouble has left you with suspicions.” Zoey brought her hand up to her chin.

“It’s just a suspicion, however. Please don’t waste time looking too deep into it.”

“No, it is okay. Your suspicions are justified. They may lead us to more clues.”

With no further questions for the woman, Zoey and I went over to the next room. Room number six—Nicholas’ room. He let us in and underwent our interrogation process.

“Where were you at 12 A.M. yesterday?” Zoey asked—her voice tinged with suspicion. It was the far most suspicious she sounded since all the other interrogations.

“I was with Wyatt and Darius. However, Wyatt left shortly after Darius arrived.” Nicholas answered. The story matched the ones that Darius and Wyatt gave us. Their alibis were solid.

“Do you have any idea as to where Wyatt could have gone?”

“I assume back to his room. You may have to question him about that.”

“Around what time did Darius leave your room?”

“It was 1:30 A.M., I believe. After he left, I decided to get a late-night snack in the cafeteria. There I encountered Salomon. We shared a conversation for a while until the others showed up.”

“The others?” I inquired.

“Darius and Melanie. They both showed up in the cafeteria roughly around the same time.” Nicholas revealed.

“What were they doing there?”

“I have no clue. Darius went into the kitchen, perhaps for a drink or something. He left without saying anything. Perhaps about thirty minutes after that, Melanie came into the cafeteria and rushed into the kitchen. She came out about a minute later with a trash bag.”

“Trashbag?”

“Yes. She claimed that she was helping Caius with trash duty.” Nicholas shrugged his shoulders. “I did not believe her. But, I was not going to question her either.”

“Around what time did you go back to your room?” Zoey asked.

“Sometime after three,” He answered. “If I may ask, why are you two bothering with this investigation?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Nicholas removed his shades then looked me in the eyes, “The killer is Melanie, is it not? She has been the one tormenting poor Elena ever since the games started. There is no one else I can see murdering someone other than Melanie. Plus, her actions recently have been most suspicious.”

“You seem adamant about that.” Zoey pointed out.

“Did the other players you question not suggest the same person?” Nicholas put his shades back on his face. “Great minds think alike. The common enemy of everyone is Melanie.”

“What about the traitors? Are they also not our enemies?” Zoey’s eyes narrowed.

A heavy tension weighed down on me as the interrogation continued.

Nicholas brought his hand up to his face then let out a small chuckle before he responded, “I meant that Melanie is the common enemy at the moment. The traitors will have to wait for later. Top priority should be finding Elena’s killer.”

“I agree. Ambrose and I have every intention of finding them.”

“Please do. I do not appreciate the fact that another one of us has died—especially through unforeseen means. Elena’s death is tragic. It should not have happened.”

“Once again we agree. Thank you for your time, Nicholas. That will be all for today.” Zoey and I stood up then left the room. We moved all the way to the other side of the facility towards the other set of rooms. We entered room number seven—Salomon’s room.

He seemed more than happy to answer our questions. Fortunately, we received a different answer when he was asked our basic questions.

“Around 2 to 3 A.M., I was in the cafeteria eating a late-night meal with Nicholas,” Salomon said.

“Anything happen while you were there with him?” Zoey asked.

“Yes. Darius and Melanie also found their way into the cafeteria. Darius showed up around 2:00 A.M. and headed into the kitchen. He didn’t say anything to Nicholas and me. Perhaps he had no idea we were there.”

“What was he doing in the kitchen?” I asked.

“No idea. I assume he wanted a drink of water or something.” He shrugged his shoulders.

Things didn’t add up. Darius said that he went straight to his room after he left Nicholas’ room at 1:30 A.M. However, Salomon claimed to have seen him in the cafeteria around 2 A.M.

“So, when did Melanie show up?” Zoey inquired.

“Some time pretty close to three. She seemed to be in a hurry though—a little giddy too,” mentioned Salomon before he put out his cigar. “She ignored me and went straight into the kitchen. She came out minutes later with a trash bag—telling us that she was helping Caius with trash duty.”

“An obvious lie.” I presumed.

“Yeah, I figured. But, I didn’t think much of it at the time.” Salomon grabbed a new cigar from his coat pocket then lit it. He took a long drag then exhaled the smoke. “When I went into the kitchen to put away my dishes, I noticed that the knives on the counter near the sink were missing from the rack.”

He didn’t continue any further beyond that. Everyone had already pieced together what happened next. Those very knives were soon found in the body of Elena.

“Around what time did you leave the cafeteria?” Zoey asked with a somber tone.

“A little after 3:30 A.M., I guess. I spent a little time looking for the knives.” Salomon ran his hand through his hair then exhaled more smoke. “If only I had noticed them missing a bit sooner. Perhaps the poor girl would still be alive.”

“Don’t take the blame for this, old man,” I said. “None of this is your fault. No one could have predicted this murder.”

“That’s true, but still…I can’t help but feel somewhat responsible. If only I could figure out when the knives went missing.” Salomon bit down on his cigar, breaking it in half. He caught the falling piece then crushed it with his hand. “I don’t want to suspect anyone. But, I won’t turn a blind eye to this. Someone among us murdered that girl.”

“And that person is very clear to me.” Zoey suddenly announced. Salomon’s eyes momentarily widened as he stared at the detective in shock.

“Who do you think it is?” I asked.

“That is enough for today. All shall be revealed tomorrow.” Zoey cryptically answered before we left the room. She thanked me for helping her then headed to her own room.

I didn’t deserve it, however. I didn’t feel as if I had helped at all. But, I couldn’t help but feel flattered that she asked me out of all people for assistance.

That woman was something else. I could never hope to understand what went through her mind through all the interrogations. She claimed that she figured out who the killer was. Even after all that, I still had no concrete idea.

But, as Zoey said, all would be revealed by the next day.