Subject/Email Header: Twilight Goes Hollywood 2018 Contest
Title: Dead Giveaway
Summary: Guests haven't a clue what they're in for when they accept an invitation to dine at the Volturi mansion.
Pairing: none
Rating: M
Based on the Hollywood Movie: Clue
Word Count: 8956
Disclaimer: This story is based on the movie, Clue and crossed with characters from the Twilight books and movies. The author does not own any publicly recognized entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.
Dead Giveaway
The weather has already taken a turn for the worse as the man drives his black Mercedes down the road headed toward the hidden mansion. Sheets of rain hammer on his windshield. It doesn't matter, as he knows the way like the back of his hand. Taking the turn where the lighted pillars flank the drive, he enters the winding brick driveway and pulls the car straight into the garage. Glancing at his watch, he sees he has plenty of time before the guests are to arrive.
After taking a quick shower, he sits on the bed, wipes a scuff off the top of his shoe, ties them and walks over to the full-length mirror to take one last look at himself. He cleans up rather nicely he thinks to himself, hair slicked back and tie straight. Moving quickly down the stairs he steals a peek into the study. All appears in order. The library plays a quiet tune. "Hello Shelley," he says to the young housekeeper as she stands in the corner cleaning the glasses. "Everything all ready?"
"Yes, sir." She whispers.
"Wonderful." He remarks with a quick kiss to her cheek ignoring the slight flinch.
Stepping quickly past the dining room, he notices all the places have been set. In the kitchen, the chef is in the middle of dinner preparations. Whatever is on the stove smells delicious. "Do you have everything you need Tyler?"
"Yes, sir" as he continues to chop the vegetables spread in front of him. "Dinner will be ready at 7:30 sharp. Jessica will be helping with dinner service."
"Excellent." Jacob says, just as the chime of the doorbell echoes through the house. "Ah, it appears our first guest has arrived. Do you remember your instructions?"
"Yes, sir." Tyler affirms.
Walking to the front door, the man takes a deep breath and turns the knob. In front of him stands a gentleman in his mid-thirties, tall and lean in stature, long hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Ah, Jasper Whitlock, welcome. Won't you come in out of the rain?"
Stepping over the threshold, removing his rain jacket. "My name is actually not…" he is cut off by the man at the door.
"Pardon me, sir. I ask that you do not reveal your true identity. I have been instructed by my employer to call you by the predetermined Twilight character's name you have been informed of in your invitation, both to protect your identity and for my own safety. I have been instructed to call you Jasper Whitlock. My name is Jacob. Won't you please join me in the library for a drink?" The two proceed down the massive, opulent hallway to the library.
"Shelley, this is Mr. Jasper Whitlock. Won't you please pour him a drink?" He doesn't miss her eyes studying the man's form. Quietly, she asks him his preference just as the doorbell again chimes.
Answering the door again, Jacob finds a petite, young woman in her late twenties. She is wearing the latest in designer fashion, protected by a large umbrella. Before he can utter a word, she is stepping inside looking almost put out for having had to wait so long. "Ms. Alice Cullen, it is a pleasure." As he reaches to help her remove her coat.
"You kept me waiting long enough." She slips off her gloves and the two walk towards the library. The newest guest is examining the large residence with an almost critical eye.
"Ms. Alice Cullen," Jacob announces to the occupants of the library. There are greetings between Shelley, Mr. Whitlock, and Ms. Cullen as she politely asks for a glass of Chardonnay. Just as an awkward silence is about to descend, Jacob re-enters with another guest.
"Ms. Isabella Swan." The woman is dressed like sin. Her skin-tight, flaming red dress falling just above the knee, accentuates her figure, leaving little to the imagination. Her ensemble is topped off with a pair of stiletto heels. The other three occupants in the room stare with mixed glances of malice, jealousy, and desire. Popping a cigarette out of her clutch, she saunters over to grab a drink as the doorbell once again rings.
"Mr. Emmett McCarty, and Ms. Rosalie Hale, I didn't realize you were acquainted," Jacob states with a note of surprise in his voice as he eyes the two figures standing on the porch.
"We aren't." Assures Ms. Hale gruffly as she quickly crosses the threshold shoving her coat into Jacob's waiting arms, brushing any residual water off her dark pantsuit. "Mr. McCarty, or whoever he is, was stuck on the side of the road and can't change a tire to save his life. And I sure as hell am not changing it in this rain, even if it would only take me three minutes."
A soaking wet Mr. McCarty accepts the hand towel that Jacob offers with a brief hello and thank you. The sizeable man looking slightly amused by his surroundings, casting a glance around the spacious hall as he dries off.
The two guests are led to the library and announced the same as the guests before them. The room is filled with uncomfortable silence. Each guest standing at a different corner. Shelley provides each their drink of choice. They are too distracted to notice the slight shaking of her hands.
After taking a moment to wipe up the wet footprints on the hall floor, Jacob goes to answer the door. "Mr. Edward Cullen, welcome." He greets the guest dressed in a pair of dark slacks, a maroon sweater, and rain slicker. He remains relatively dry due to his very large umbrella, though his glasses are speckled with water. He is tall and lanky, rather shy, and somewhat awkward as he whispers a quiet "hello."
"Please let me take you to the library to introduce you to our other guests." Jacob steps to walk him down the hall.
Quietly, Edward pulls him aside. "I don't think I belong here. I was under the impression I was here for something else."
"No worries, Mr. Cullen, you are right where you are supposed to be. Everyone is here for the same reason. The matter will be discussed after dinner." Jacob assures him. Edward pauses to wait while the door is once again answered. He eyes the hall nervously as a middle-aged man is escorted in from the rain.
"Dr. Carlisle Cullen, welcome. Please allow me to take your coat. May I introduce Mr. Edward Cullen." He offers as he hangs the doctor's jacket in the closet. "Allow me to show you both to the library where our other guests are waiting. Dinner should be ready shortly."
Dr. Cullen and Edward are introduced to the room. The atmosphere has not changed. An air of suspicion and nervousness hangs over the guests. It is almost suffocating.
After a few moments, Jacob returns, "Ladies and gentlemen, if you would like to follow me to the dining room. Dinner is about to be served."
One by one the guests file out of the library and make their way to the dining room. A place card noting the seating arrangements is at each setting. "Is the head of the table for you, Jacob?" Mr. McCarty asks.
"Oh no sir, I am merely a humble butler." Jacob states.
"Then what are we all doing here?" Rosalie demands.
"Ours is not to reason why … Ours is but to do or die." Jacob replies.
"Die!" Exclaims Alice.
"He is merely quoting Alfred, Lord Tennyson," Edward states. "At least I hope he is." He eyes Jacob questioningly.
"This spot is for our eighth guest, Mr. Volturi." Jacob states.
"I thought Mr. Volturi was our host?" Voices Rosalie. The other guests concur. Jessica walks in with a tray of soup as Jacob smiles before walking back out towards the kitchen.
"Jacob, do you have Wi-Fi in this place? I have absolutely no service here." Alice enquires as she stares frustratingly at her phone, willing a bar or two to appear in the upper left-hand corner. He did not hear her question having already stepped out of the room.
"I find it incredibly rude to use a phone at the dining table, especially at a dinner party." Rosalie scowls as her soup is placed in front of her by the young girl wearing an apron.
"Maybe you should mind your business, Ms. Hale." She snaps back as the remainder of the soups are placed in front of the guests. The bowl placed in front of Edward Cullen almost slips out of the girl's hand. He reaches to steady it, flipping his spoon off the table and nearly knocking over his water glass. "I'm sorry." He whispers, though not looking at her as a blush tinges his cheeks and the girl reaches down to retrieve his spoon before rushing off to get him another.
Quiet slurps and moans of appreciation fill the silence until Emmett speaks. "Well, I'm not one to be shy. What field of work is everyone in? I know we aren't supposed to reveal our names, though I'm not sure why, but surely knowing a little about each other won't hurt anything. Ms. Swan? You seem to keep yourself in excellent shape. What do you do?"
Staring at him for a second before smirking, "I'm what one might refer to as a madam. My company provides companionship for some very high-profile clientele in the Seattle area. Are you in need of some service?" She smirks as she takes a sip of her martini challenging him. Edward chokes on his soup. Jasper stares with his mouth agape.
"That is disgusting." Proclaims Rosalie. "Though he can't possibly be high profile enough to afford your services." She retorts.
"While Mr. McCarty may be a has-been ballplayer, I'm sure he is doing well enough to afford my services." Turning to him, "Maybe I can cut you a deal." Isabella responds winking at him as she pops an olive into her mouth with a smirk.
"Has-been!" Exclaims Emmett.
"You know him?" Questions Rosalie.
"Not personally, but I recognize him from his better days. You are an ex-baseball player, are you not Mr. McCarty?" Isabella raising an eyebrow to him.
"Does anyone else know each other?" Jasper questions.
"I recognize you, Ms. Hale. You were once a CEO of a large company, which is no longer in business." Declares Dr. Cullen.
"That is correct. I decided to step away from the high stress of running a large company. Now I work mainly in small business and acquisitions. How about you, Dr. Cullen? Are you really a doctor?" She asks as she takes another sip of her soup.
"I am. I originally was working in the ER at Seattle General. Now I have cut back and work mainly in family practice. What do you do Alice?" He asks as he wipes his face with his napkin. Soup dishes are cleared. Tyler assists Jessica in bringing the tray with the main course, and she begins setting out the plates.
"I am working on building my own clothing line. I have worked with some of the hottest designers in New York. I am trying to expand here on the west coast. Mr. Whitlock, how about you?" She enquires with a flirtatious smirk.
"I am ex-military. I was a major in the US Army until I was injured by a roadside bomb and returned home to Seattle a few years back." He answers solemnly.
Turning her attention, Ms. Swan speaks, "That leaves you, Edward Cullen. What do you do?"
Glancing from guest to guest and blushing, "I am a tenured professor at the University of Washington. I teach English." He speaks softly, looking down and nervously pushing up the bridge of his glasses. "Nothing too glamorous I'm afraid."
The group is distracted from their discussion when the doorbell once again rings.
Jacob is heard answering the door. "Welcome sir, you are eagerly awaited. May I take your bag?"
Another voice answers, "No, I will leave it right here until I need it. Why are you locking us in? I'll take the key."
"Over my dead body, sir," Jacob replies. The other gentleman chuckles.
Jacob enters with an older looking gentleman, dressed in a sport coat, no tie, directing him to the head of the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Mr. Aro Volturi." Silence settles among the guests as they stare at the awkward-looking man. A few continue eating while others pick at their plates in front of them.
"Don't stop conversing on my account. Please eat." He smirks and takes a sip of the water glass at his setting. As a plate is brought before him, he halts her with his hand, "No thanks, Jess. I already ate."
"I, for one, would like to know what we are all doing here." Demands Emmett, banging his fist on the table. Voices in agreement echo from the other guests.
Jacob answers, "Well, we all received a letter. Mine read, it will be to your advantage to be present on this date because Mr. Volturi will bring to an end a certain long-standing confidential and painful financial liability. And it was signed, A friend."
"I received a similar letter. With it came additional instructions on what I was to be called, but it offered no further insight." Voices Jasper. The other guests concur.
Chuckling, Aro replies, "Oh, I got a letter too, but mine said something quite different." A crash of thunder startles the guests.
"Why don't we all retreat to the study," Jacob advises.
Filing into the study, Jacob encourages everyone to grab an after-dinner drink. Some guests take seats while a few of the gentlemen stand. "Would you care to explain, Mr. Volturi?" Jacobs asks.
"What is there to explain? This whole thing is a farce. I suggest we all leave." Aro exclaims as he heads out towards the door.
Jacob quickly follows. "You can't get out that way. There is no way out, all the doors are locked. All the windows have bars." The guests start to argue and voice their concerns. Trying to calm them, Jacob bellows, "I suggest we all go back into the study and I will explain. Where are you going, Mr. Volturi?"
"I'm just going to grab my bag. I brought presents." Aro chuckles.
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Pulling out a manila envelope and opening it with a letter opener, the contents spill out onto the desk. "Ladies and gentlemen, you were all brought here because you have one thing in common." Jacob pauses. "You are all being blackmailed. For a considerable amount of time, each of you has been paying what you can afford, and, in some cases, more than you can afford to someone who threatens to expose you. And none of you know who that blackmailer is, do you?"
No one denies the allegations, and they all remain silent.
"Seeing as everyone is in the same boat there is no harm in revealing some of the details as I have been instructed to do." Jacob offers.
"Couldn't you spare us the humiliation?" Jasper pleads.
"I'm sorry, sir. I have been instructed to reveal the items listed here. Like the fact that you were not actually sent home from overseas after injury, but that you were dishonorably discharged after it was found out that you were revealing military secrets to enemy forces. Because of your high ranking, and the threat to national security, the records were sealed, but the blackmailer found out and threatened to expose you." Jacob accuses.
"That is correct. I am not proud of what I did, but I have no way to fix it. If my secret were to be exposed, the dishonor to my family would kill them. My father was himself a war veteran." Jasper sits down ashamed.
"Wow, some of our nation's soldiers are out there risking their lives, and you practically led them to slaughter." Accuses Rosalie.
"I wouldn't be so quick to judge, Ms. Hale. You are being blackmailed for insider trading. You repeatedly have bought and sold shares to companies based on inside information, pawning it off as pure luck and good business judgment, including a company that you helped to build stating that you simply wanted to step back and edge toward retirement. Shortly after that, the company went belly up, and you got away nearly unscathed while the rest of your investors lost everything they had worked for." Jacob notes.
"I would have lost everything! My life was invested in that company. I helped build it from the bottom up, and the incompetence of a few turned it downhill quickly. I would have had nothing left. I would have been out on the streets. If it is revealed that I had advanced knowledge, I will go to prison. And we're not talking camp cupcake. The blackmailer found out somehow." Rosalie fumes.
"What about you, Mr. McCarty, what did you do that is so bad?" She enquires.
"In the years leading up to my retirement, I drummed up some serious gambling debts. Towards the end of my career, I started betting against my own team and throwing games. My career would be tarnished like that of Pete Rose. My Hall of Fame status, my endorsement deals, everything would be gone. I couldn't risk that coming to light." Lowering his head in embarrassment.
"Ms. Cullen, you are in the midst of trying to expand your fashion empire, but at what cost? The blackmailer found out that you have been importing goods and fabrics from sweatshops and using child labor in foreign countries … as well as having a sexual harassment complaint filed against you by one of your former models?" Jacob stares accusingly.
"Being successful, I want to acquire the highest level products at the cheapest costs so that they can be sold off at competitive prices, and I will obtain that by any means necessary. However, some of my dealings would get me blackballed in the industry. In addition, if that model were ever to come forward, I could be ruined. I would have a difficult time finding anyone to work with me in the future, and no one would buy my clothing." Alice muses.
"Dr. Cullen, you were, in fact, working at Seattle General but ended up getting fired for complaints of sexual misconduct. While the complaints were later deemed to be unfounded, the blackmailer has evidence substantiating some of those claims, which could cost you your medical license. Is that true?" Questions Jacob.
"It is true. While I admit to sexual relations with a number of patients, I stand by the fact that they were all consensual. Though the evidence that has been revealed to me would leave that to question, and yes, I would likely lose my medical license and everything I have built. That's why I stepped out of the high-profile career at the hospital and shifted to a small family practice." Carlisle answers.
"Do you still sexually abuse your patients?" Accuses Ms. Swan.
"No, I do not! And I find that comment insulting." Carlisle glares. "And what about you, Ms. Swan? You've already admitted to being a madam, essentially pimping out girls for sex. Who are you to talk?"
"I admit it, and I have no shame. I provide a needed service for lonely patrons. Some of those patrons pay me in secrets. Secrets that I then sell to the highest bidder. If certain evidence comes out about those dealings I could be put in prison, or in some cases, be killed over the information."
Unable to stand the guilt, "I slept with one of my students!" Everyone turns to look at Edward. "She ended up getting pregnant and dropping out of school." He whispers quietly. "She threatened to turn me into the university, and I would have lost my job. I come from a family of money, so my father paid her off to go away. However, the blackmailer found out, and my payments to him have been astronomical."
"So, you just pay the money instead of owning up to your mistake and being a father to the child? How pathetic." Alice glares in disgust.
"The young woman terminated the pregnancy, and last I knew was in a deep depression and had turned to drugs. Try living with that on your conscience! She was someone that I was supposed to be educating and guiding, and I took advantage of her! I pay the blackmailer as my own form of retribution." Edward cries.
"But the money isn't going to her!" Alice retorts. "I guess, whatever helps you sleep at night."
"So, what is your secret, Mr. Volturi?" Jasper questions.
"Oh, haven't you guessed?" Jacob muses. "He's the one that's been blackmailing you all."
Shouting erupts as Jasper makes a charge at Mr. Volturi. Emmett and Carlisle fight to hold him back. Aro stands calmly with a smirk on his face.
"Ladies and gentlemen settle down! The police are coming! They will be here in just over an hour." Jacob announces. "Blackmail depends on secrecy. You've all admitted to how he has been able to blackmail you. Tell the police. He will be convicted, and your troubles will be over. If you don't, then I shall. I have evidence in my possession, and this entire conversation is being recorded."
"Jacob, you think you've got it all figured out. Well, as I mentioned before, I brought presents." Aro states amusingly as he reaches for his bag and begins handing out packages. "My letter mentioned that you were all meeting to discuss our financial arrangements. And if I did not appear, Jacob would be informing the police about it all. Go ahead, open them."
One by one the guests begin to unwrap their gifts. "A candlestick? What's this for?" Asks Isabella.
Ms. Hale opens hers to reveal a rope tied as a noose. Mr. McCarty receives a heavy wrench.
Looking awkwardly at the other guests, Mr. Cullen pulls a lead pipe out of his box. Mr. Whitlock reveals a gun. Dr. Cullen pulls out a dagger. And finally, Ms. Cullen unveils a filled syringe.
"In your hands, you each hold a deadly weapon. If you turn me over to the police, I will make sure you also will be exposed and humiliated. But, if one of you kills Jacob now, no one but the eight of us will ever know." Aro muses as Jacob's eyes widen. "He also has the only key to the front door, that he said would only be opened over his dead body." He glances around the room. "I suggest you take him up on that offer." He chuckles. Walking over and closing the door of the study he states, "The only way to avoid ending up on the front pages is for someone to kill Jacob." He pauses, "Now." Thrusting the room into darkness, he turns off the lights.
Items can be heard dropping to the floor. Glass breaks. A thud. A gunshot, then a scream.
Alice has made her way to the light switch and turns them on. Lying on the floor is the lifeless body of Mr. Volturi with a large gash to the top of his head, blood beginning to pool beneath him. The guests, including Jacob, are all staring wide-eyed in stunned silence. Carlisle goes over to check his pulse. "He's dead."
"There is blood on the wrench! Who had the wrench?" Rosalie accuses.
"I did! But I put it down! Any of you could have grabbed it!" Exclaims Emmett. "I didn't do it!"
"Was somebody shot? I heard a gunshot?" Isabella asks.
"I put the gun down!" Jasper yells.
"There's a bullet in the wall." Edward notices. The guests go to inspect it. "Any of us could have been killed."
"One of us was killed!" Rosalie exclaims.
"Well, I didn't do it!" Edward vocalizes. "It must have been one of you!" Arguing ensues.
Thunder booms overhead. A woman is heard screaming from another room. The guests all run to the library where Shelley is found huddled in the corner crying.
"What happened?" Jacob questions.
"I am locked in this house with a murderer! That's what happened!" Shelley screams.
"The murderer is in here?" Alice questions cautiously.
"Yes." Shelley answers.
"Where?" Emmett asks, looking around the room.
"We are all looking at him, or her! It is what Mr. Cullen said in the study. One of you is the killer." Shelley says.
"How do you know what was being said?" Carlisle questions.
"I was listening. And now I am frightened. I cannot stay in here by myself! Please don't make me." Shelley implores.
Reaching for her hand, Jacob helps her up and the guests all retreat to the study.
"Oh my, this is terrible! It's just absolutely terrible! Not at all what I intended." Bemoans Jacob.
"Not what you intended?" Jasper questions. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I was the one that invited you all here. That's why Mr. Volturi was late. I was the one that sent the letters." Jacob stated.
"So, were you helping him blackmail us?" Isabella enquires.
"Absolutely not!" Jacob protests. "I, too, was being blackmailed. Or at least my wife was until she decided to end her own life. My wife, Leah, had worked as a nurse. She worked with terminally ill patients and over time felt a deep sadness for them and started 'helping them' end their lives, so to speak."
"So, she was killing them." Dr. Cullen stated matter of factly.
"She didn't see it that way, and neither did I. She was like an angel of death, helping them cross peacefully to the other side." Jacob noted. "Mr. Volturi didn't see it that way, and neither would the hospital administration. She would have lost her job and may very well have ended up in prison. The suicide of my wife caused an anger in me that wanted nothing more than for Mr. Volturi to pay, to be put behind bars. The best way to do that seemed to be to invite you here, free you all from the same burden of blackmail by confronting him face to face with his crimes, and then turn him over to the police."
"So, it's all explained." Edward states.
"Nothing is explained! We still don't know who killed him!" Rosalie exclaims.
"Well, we better find out. The police will be here in less than an hour." Jacob says.
"We all had the motive and the opportunity." Emmett states. "But nobody will admit it."
"Who else could it have been? Is there anyone else in the house?" Isabella asks.
"Only … Tyler." Jacob says. "And Jessica," Shelley adds.
"Well, I suggest we go find them," Alice says.
The guests hurry off towards the kitchen. Walking tentatively into the room, Emmett begins to look around. Opening the door to the walk-in cooler, the body of Tyler drops to the ground with a dagger in his back. Alice screams. Edward is staring wide-eyed.
"Well, we can't leave him here. Let's move him into the study with Mr. Volturi." Jacob orders.
The gentlemen help to carry the body to the study. As she walks by, Rosalie passes a quick glance into the billiard room. A scream erupts from her as everyone rushes to her side. There, lying on the table is the lifeless body of Shelley Cope with a syringe sticking out of her neck.
"Oh my God! We are all going to die!" She screams.
"We need to find Jessica. She has to be the killer." Jasper states.
"Jacob, am I right to think there is no one else, besides Jessica, who could be in the house?" Carlisle enquires.
"No." States Jacob.
"Then there is someone else in the house?" Carlisle questions.
"No, sorry. I said, 'no,' meaning 'yes.'" Offers Jacob.
"No, meaning yes?" Carlisle is more confused. "So, no, there IS, or no, there ISN'T?"
"Yes." Answers Jacob.
"Oh my God!" Screams Isabella. "Is there anyone else in the house?"
"No." Affirms Jacob.
"That's what you say, but are you sure?" Asks Jasper. "I suggest we break up into pairs and search the rest of the house, not only to look for Jessica but to make sure there is no one else here."
"But what if one of us is the killer? Then the other person will die!" Rosalie cries.
"Well, at least we will know who the killer is then." Edward offers.
"That is not much comfort." States Isabella.
"I don't see much other option other than to search this large mansion before the police get here." States Jacob.
"I would agree with that." Carlisle states. "Let's draw straws to see who pairs up with who."
One by one, the guests draw lots to see who their partner will be.
"Carlisle and Isabella, why don't you take the attic. Edward and Alice, you take the second floor with the bedrooms. Emmett and Rosalie, you can take the ground floor. Jasper and I will take the basement." Instructs Jacob.
One by one the pairs split off in the direction of their instructed destination. Alice, Edward, Carlisle, and Isabella climb the stairs. Carlisle and Isabella pause at the door to the attic. Opening it, they discover a narrow staircase leading to a seemingly dark abyss.
"Ladies first." Carlisle offers.
"I'm not going first," Isabella whispers.
"Well, I'm not going first, either. What if you are the killer?" He exclaims. They stare at each other seemingly at an impasse.
"Then we will go together. I wouldn't mind being pressed up against that body." He smirks.
"You are disgusting." Isabella rolls her eyes. "Let's go."
Meanwhile, Emmett and Rosalie venture through the expanse of the first floor. "The study and library have all been scoped out. Why don't you check the ballroom while I go recheck the billiard room? I'll meet you back in the dining room and kitchen." Emmett offers. Rosalie agrees.
Jacob and Jasper stare down the basement stairs. Cobwebs hang from the ceilings. "Is there a light?" Jasper asks.
"I'm sure there is somewhere." Jacob offers. They both continue to stare.
In another room, a closet door is opened. The shaking form of Jessica is found huddled at the bottom, crying. "There you are." The locator moves closer. "I can't risk them finding you. I'm sorry." After a brief struggle, a noose is wrapped around her neck and pulled tightly, draining the life from her body.
Walking back into the kitchen walk-in, Emmett starts pulling on some of the hooks. A secret passage opens. Rosalie finds a flashlight on the shelf, and they use it to illuminate the path. "I've led a good life. I'll go first." He offers as the two of them venture into the dark. Minutes later, they emerge back in the study.
Edward and Alice enter one of the bedrooms. Edward gets down on the floor to look under the bed. Alice opens the closet and lets out a shrill scream as she discovers Jessica's lifeless body on the floor. Edward bumps his head on the underside of the bed. The other guests can be heard running from their various locations in search of the source of the scream. Rushing into the bedroom, they come to the quick realization that Jessica is not their killer. Somberly, Jacob picks her up, and the group descends the stairs to place yet another body in the study.
"For all of our safety, I would like the remainder of the weapons locked in the cabinet," Isabella demands. The other guests agree. One by one, Jacob gathers them and complies with their request
"But you still have the key!" Edward exclaims.
"If it will make you feel better I will throw it away outside." Jacob states.
"It would," Edward affirms.
Opening the front door, a figure stands on the porch catching them all by surprise. The opposing figure turns to reveal that he is a cop. Officer Charles, as his jacket reveals, is tall with dark hair and a mustache gracing his upper lip.
"I noticed an abandoned car a short distance down the road. Did the driver by any chance stop by here?" He tries to peek into the hall staring at the strange group huddled at the door. "What's going on here? Why do you all look so nervous?" The officer enquires.
"Oh, not nervous." Jacob chuckles. "We're having a dinner party. I'm afraid the storm has been intermittently knocking out the power and has us a tad skittish. I do apologize."
"Sure. Actually, I was going to ask if I could use your phone. My radio has shorted out with the rain, and my cell phone doesn't have any service." The officer steps cautiously into the hallway.
"Yes, do come in. May I take your jacket?" Offers Jacob.
"So where is it?" The officer asks, looking around suspiciously.
"What? The body?" Asks Jacob.
"The phone! What body?" The officer asks alarmed.
"Well, there isn't a body. There's no body. There's nobody in the study." States Jacob.
"NO!" The group yells. Rosalie quickly slams the door to the study.
"Quite drafty, these old houses," Jacob mutters. "Actually, you may use the phone in the lounge." As Jacob escorts him to the lounge, he quietly locks the door behind him.
Officer Charles starts pounding on the door. "Why are you locking me in? Open the door this minute! If you don't, I will book you for false arrest, wrongful imprisonment, obstructing an officer in the course of his duty … And murder!" He yells.
Jacob thrusts the door open and asks casually. "Murder? What do you mean, murder?"
"Oh, I only said that so that you would open the door." Officer Charles admits. "You all are acting really strangely. Do you mind if I have a look around? And what's going on in that room over there?" He asks, pointing towards the study.
"As I said, officer, we are having a bit of a party," Jacob notes, looking at the other guests and smiling. "Mr. Cullen, would you care to show Officer Charles around?"
Looking nervous, Edward steps forward. "Sure Jacob." He pushes up his glasses. "I can show you the billiard room and the ballroom and the library." He begins to escort him down the hall.
Jacob and the other guests rush into the study to stage a party scene surreptitiously involving the dead bodies in the room. Emmett and Jasper move one of the couches to cover the large blood stain on the floor.
"Well, this is quite the old mansion you have here, but I would like to see what's going on in that room." Officer Charles states pointing at the study.
"Sir, I assure you, it is all quite shocking." Edward panics. Opening the door to the study, Officer Charles takes in the scene. Loud music is playing while Isabella is sprawled out on the couch appearing to be making out with Tyler. Jasper holds Jessica in his arms with her head on his shoulder while swaying with her body to their own tune. Rosalie and Emmett are heavily making out and grinding against each other in the corner. Jacob covers Shelley with his body, blocking her from view as he fondles her. Carlisle is sitting on the couch with Alice in his lap canoodling. Aro is seemingly passed out in a chair with a hat slung low over his eyes, and a half-empty bottle of whiskey in his hand.
Stepping back out into the hallway Officer Charles surmises, "Well, that music isn't quite my cup of tea, and it is a little shocking to be doing such things without privacy, but the times are changing, and I don't understand young people these days. It looks like harmless fun. As long as people aren't drinking and driving, I don't see anything wrong with it." Edward looks like he is about to pass out.
Jacob comes back into the hallway. "Officer, please let me escort you back to the lounge." As he leads the way.
Meanwhile, back in the study, Isabella wipes her face holding back a gag after dismounting from Tyler's lifeless body. Jasper settles Jessica back onto the couch. Rosalie slaps Emmett to get him to stop mauling her. "I like my women feisty." He chuckles and offers a smirk. Rosalie rolls her eyes, walking away, grunting with disgust.
"We need to finish searching the house before the police arrive." Offers Edward stepping back into the study with Jacob close behind.
"The police are already here." Whispers Emmett.
"And you never threw away the key." Accuses Alice.
"I will do it right now." Jacob walks to the front door and tosses the key. "Now let us finish searching the house."
Once again, the pairs head off to their assigned destinations. The storm can be heard worsening outside. A crash of thunder booms and the lights go out.
A lone figure slips unnoticed into the study. That person tosses the incriminating evidence from the manila envelope into the fire. A key is used to unlock the cabinet removing one of the weapons.
"Jacob, I can't see anything down here. Are you sure there is a light?" Enquires Jasper. "This basement is fucking creepy!"
"It's down here somewhere." Offers Jacob as he continues to search.
The officer is in the lounge making his phone call. "I'm not sure what is going on. There is a group of people here having some sort of strange party. It seems harmless, but I recognize one of them as my old boss from." The line goes dead. "Hello?" The lead pipe descends, killing him. The phone is placed back in its cradle.
The doorbell chimes. Everyone pauses where they are, holding their breath.
The door is opened. "Pizza Delivery." Offers a young man named Mike as his tag would suggest. He is killed with a single gunshot. The door is slammed shut.
Rosalie screams. "Let me out of here! Please! Let me out!" The other guests come running just as the lights return.
"The door is locked!" Edward yells. "Jacob, where is the key?"
Jacob frantically searches his pockets. "I don't have it." Emmett rushes to the study and grabs the gun off the desk. Taking a shot at the lock, the door is able to be opened.
"If the door was locked, how did you get in there?" Demands Carlisle.
"There is a secret passage from the conservatory. Emmett and I found it earlier when we were searching the house. There is also another one from the kitchen to the study." She relays.
"Why were you screaming?" Alice asks.
"I found Officer Charles murdered in the lounge!" Rosalie exclaims.
"I thought I heard a gunshot." Jasper states. "And the door. What if the killer escaped?"
"Wait! Emmett, how did you know the gun would be in the study to try and shoot at the door?" Edward accuses.
"I didn't!" Emmett screams. "I went into the study figuring I would bust open the cabinet, but it was already opened, and the gun was on the desk."
Rushing to the door, the group finds Mike's body laying next to the pizza with a single gunshot to his forehead. Jacob scoops him up walking him to the study as Jasper and Emmett carry in Officer Charles.
"Two more murders. Six in all." Isabella states.
The guests stare solemnly for a moment at all of the bodies.
"I know who did it." Jacob states matter of factly.
"You do?" All the guests question in unison.
"In order to help you understand what happened, I will walk you through the evening, step by step," Jacob explains. "At the start of the evening, Shelley was here in the library cleaning glasses, preparing for the party. I walked to the kitchen to check on the preparations," and Tyler was there, alive, preparing dinner. Then … the doorbell rang." The party walks quickly from the kitchen to the front door. "It was Jasper Whitlock. I offered to take your coat and prevented you from giving your real name. I then escorted you to the library." The group scurries to the library. "I introduced you to Shelley, and she offered you a drink. And the doorbell rang." Running back to the door. "It was Ms. Cullen. She was put out for having to wait so long. I took her coat and we, too, proceeded to the library." The group shuffles back to the library. "And, to make a long story short."
"Too late." Mutters Rosalie.
"One by one, you all arrived." Jacob offers. "Then we went … to the dining room." The group runs down the hall to the dining room. "Mr. McCarty sat here, Ms. Swan here, Dr. Cullen sat here, and Mr. Cullen, Ms. Hale, Ms. Cullen and Mr. Whitlock. The head of the table was empty. We all discovered that we each had received a letter. And you'd had a letter, and you'd had a letter…"
"Get on with it!" The group yells.
"The point was, that everyone was being blackmailed." Jacob sighs.
"Well, all of that came out later in the study." Edward urges. The group takes off for the study.
"Mr. Cullen stood here, Mr. Whitlock stood here, Ms. Hale." Jacob demonstrates.
"Get on with it!" The group yells again.
"I'm getting there. I'm getting there." Jacob huffs. "Then Mr. Volturi pulled out his bag of presents, and you all opened them." Jacob goes to close the door and shuts off the lights.
Guests start screaming. Alice turns on the lights and Jacob lays there on the floor. He then pops up his head, "Mr. Volturi lay on the floor, dead, from an apparent blow to the skull with the wrench, a large gash with blood pooling around him."
"We still don't know who killed him." Emmett offers.
"But remember what happened next. Shelley screamed from the library. We all ran over to find her." Jacob states. The group shuffles over to the library. "But one of us wasn't there … No."
"No?" Mimics the group.
"No," Jacob repeats. "Maybe one of us was murdering Tyler? Who wasn't here with us?" The guests stare accusingly at each other.
"Do you know?" Questions Isabella.
"I do." Jacob rushes back to the study. "While we stood here trying to keep Shelley from panicking, one of us could have stayed in the study, picked up the dagger, ran down the hall." As he rushes down the hall. "And stabbed Tyler."
"How could he risk it? We might have seen him running back." Jasper offers.
Jacob walks over to the walk-in cooler. "Not if he used the secret passageway that Mr. McCarty and Ms. Hale informed us of before."
"How did you know about the secret passageways?" Asks Alice.
"I've known all along. This house belongs to a friend of mine." Jacob chuckles.
"Maybe Emmett or Rosalie knew about the secret passages all along too, and one of them is the killer?" Alice surmises.
"I'm not! I didn't!" Emmett and Rosalie state in unison.
"What I don't understand is why would Tyler be murdered? He had nothing to do with Mr. Volturi." Questions Jasper.
"Of course, he did. I gathered you all here tonight because you were being blackmailed. Did none of you deduce that the others were involved too?" Jacob questions. "That's how Mr. Volturi got all of his information. Tyler and Shelley were his informants."
"So, whoever knew that Tyler and Shelley were involved…killed them?" Edward deduces.
"Yes." Jacob states matter of factly. "I know from the information found in that manila envelope that Tyler had been very close to one of you years ago."
"And while we were in the kitchen dealing with the shock and commotion of finding Tyler dead, the killer, lagging behind, picked up the syringe and thrust the poison into Shelley, quickly joining us as we tried to figure out what to do with Tyler's body." Dr. Cullen surmises.
"And that's when I found Shelley's body lying across the billiard table on the way back from the kitchen." Offers Rosalie.
"We guessed that the only other person left in the house was Jessica, that she must be the killer and that we needed to split up to find her," Jacob says. "With our designated partners, we split up walking to our assigned locations. Some of us remained with our partner while others chose to split up. While searching, the killer slipped away from his or her partner, grabbed the noose from the study unnoticed and finding Jessica huddled in the closet, killed her. When Edward and Alice found her in the bedroom and Alice screamed, we all rushed to find them."
"Upon returning to the study with Jessica's body, we opted to lock the remaining weapons in the cabinet and have you throw away the key," Isabella adds.
"It was bad luck that Officer Charles arrived at that moment." Muses Edward.
"It wasn't luck at all," Jacob replies. "I invited him. Everyone here tonight was either Mr. Volturi's victim or accomplice. Everyone who has died gave him vital information about one of you. I got them here so that they would give evidence against him and force him to confess."
"So, Officer Charles was working for Mr. Volturi?" Asks Edward.
"Officer Charles used to work as security at my company." States Rosalie. "He must have found out about my insider trading and informed Mr. Volturi."
"And the pizza delivery guy?" Asks Jasper.
"Mike was an intern for the baseball team I played for. He was often working overtime, staying late, doing extra, trying to brown nose to the higher-ups. He would show up out of nowhere and often times I wondered if he had ever heard any of my private conversations. I guess he must have." Offers Emmett.
"Jessica was the former student I had the affair with." Whispers Edward. "Honestly, until I saw her serving dinner tonight I had thought she was living in the streets somewhere, hooked on drugs. Apparently, she was working with Mr. Volturi too."
"So now you all know why they died. Whoever killed Mr. Volturi also wanted his accomplices dead." Jacob states.
"How did the killer know about them all? I mean, I admit that I assumed Officer Charles informed on me to Mr. Volturi, but up until this evening I didn't know anything about the rest of you." Questions Rosalie.
"First, the killer needed access to the weapons. Easy. While we were discussing splitting up, he or she slipped the key from my pocket. While searching, he or she crept away from his or her designated partner. In the dark, it was easier to go unnoticed. On the desk was the envelope with all the letters and the evidence of Mr. Volturi's network of informants. It was then tossed into the fire. Having found out the whole story, the killer went to the cupboard, unlocked it and took the lead pipe to kill the officer. Then the doorbell rang, and Mike was killed with the gun." Jacob pieces together.
The doorbell rings.
"Oh, whoever it is has got to go away, or they'll be killed!" Rosalie cries as she opens the door.
An elderly gentleman stands before her. "Good evening. Have you ever given any thought to the Kingdom of Heaven?"
Stunned, Rosalie responds, "What?"
The gentleman offers, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! Armageddon is almost upon us, my child!"
"Go away!" Rosalie mutters as she tries to close the door.
"But your souls are in danger!" He bellows from outside.
"Our lives are in danger, asshole!" She screams, slamming the door.
"So, we still don't know who the killer is! And the police will be here!" Alice cries.
"Let's review each murder one by one." Offers Jacob. "Emmett was the one who received the wrench. He had the easiest opportunity to kill Mr. Volturi.
"And I think he might have been the one missing in the kitchen when we found Tyler dead," accuses Isabella.
"I didn't do it!" Emmett screams.
"You expect us to believe that?" Jasper retorts.
"I expect you to believe it." States Jacob. "Because you, Mr. Whitlock, were the one to kill Tyler. Tyler was one of your subordinates in the Army. He worked quite closely with you and found out about you trading secrets to the enemy. You noticed him at dinner as he helped Jessica bring out the tray."
"However, Mr. Whitlock was with us in the kitchen when we found Tyler's body," Jacob informs. "Because of Ms. Cullen's scream, we didn't hear the struggle in the billiard room when Shelley was fatally injected with potassium chloride. But you heard it, Ms. Swan, because you were the one who killed her. You were the one missing in the kitchen."
"You're right." Affirms Isabella. "Shelley used to work for me. She earned me good money too. Until she up and decided to quit after finding her conscience or some shit. She threatened to go to the authorities with my business, my secrets, everything."
"When we split up the first time, you Mr. Cullen, slipped away from your partner Alice. From one of the bedroom doorways, you heard quiet sobs coming from the room and surmised that it was Jessica. Hurrying downstairs, you grabbed the noose and made your way back to the bedroom where you killed her." Accuses Jacob. "You joined back up with Alice before returning to the bedroom so that Alice could discover her and reduce the suspicion on you."
"After locking the weapons in the closet and going to throw away the key, we discovered Officer Charles, who you, Ms. Hale recognized immediately." Jacob points out. "While we discussed splitting up again you slipped the key from my pocket and later used it to open the cabinet, grab the lead pipe and kill him. The key I ended up throwing away was the key for the lounge door, which was why we couldn't open it when you screamed after being locked inside. You tried to cover up that you were the one to kill him by telling us that you had gotten in through the secret passageway we had discussed earlier."
Jacob continues, "Emmett went to get the gun from the study to shoot open the lock. He knew it would be in the study, on the desk, because that was where he left it after killing Mike at the front door."
"So, who does that leave? Who killed Mr. Volturi?" Edward questions turning to look between Alice and Carlisle.
"Well, l didn't do it!" Demands Alice.
"And neither did I!" Denies Carlisle.
"Actually, you are both correct," Jacob smirks. "I did it. I killed Mr. Volturi."
"What?" They all say in unison.
At that exact moment, Jacob pales. His eyes widen as he grips at his chest and falls to the floor. The stunned group stares in shock as Carlisle walks over to check his pulse.
"He's dead," Carlisle confirms. And with that, he begins to laugh. Rising to his feet, he turns to the other guests who are staring, confused by his callous behavior. "I brought my own weapon." He chuckles holding up another syringe. The guests' mouths are agape.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank you all for coming tonight. I've had such an enjoyable time." He grins. "You thought Mr. Volturi was dead. But why? None of you even met him until tonight."
"You're Mr. Volturi!" Edward cries.
"You got it," Aro answers amusingly.
"So, who did Jacob kill?" Questions Alice.
Mr. Volturi offers, "That was my butler, Caius. He, like Jacob, thought that we were in this together. That we would execute this grand scheme, kill Jacob and split the money we continue to collect from you. Jacob thought the same thing, and that's why he took out Caius. They were both expendable, like all of you."
"So, you weren't blackmailing Jacob's wife?" Questions Jasper.
"Not at all. Jacob's wife, rest her soul, was no angel of mercy and she didn't kill herself. She actually succumbed to cancer and died peacefully in her sleep. That whole sob story was a ploy to get you to empathize with him, to trust him." Aro explains.
Walking towards the hall to claim his jacket, Aro speaks, "Well, thank you. I am grateful to you all for disposing of my network of informants. It saved me a lot of trouble. Now there's no evidence against me."
"The police are going to be here any minute." Alice reminds him.
"Why should the police come? No one called them." Aro pauses. "Why shouldn't we get away with it? We'll stack the bodies in the cellar, leave quietly and forget that any of this ever happened."
"And you'll just go on blackmailing us?" Alice questions as she reaches to straighten the hem of her dress.
"Of course." Aro chuckles. "Why not?"
"Well, I'll tell you why not." Alice reaches for the gun holstered to her leg and fires, hitting him square in the chest.
She straightens and turns toward the other guests who shuffle to one side. "I told you I didn't do it. My name is Mary Alice Brandon, and I'm an agent with the FBI." She smirks.
The next moment, the front door bursts open to a swarm of cops running in to confront the group. In walks the elderly gentleman who warned of Armageddon.
"Hey, chief" Alice chirps.
"Nice dress." The man chuckles. "So, who did it?" All the guests start pointing fingers at one another raising quite the commotion.
Alice shouts over them, "They all did it! But if you want to know who killed Mr. Volturi. It was me, in the hall, with the revolver."