Disclaimer: I do not own a guy call Ronald, I do not own a cartoon called 'Hey Arnold!', I do not own a cow that goes 'moo!', I do not own a board game called 'Clue'. I am the writer behind this goofy excuse for a cast, and this disclaimer you see will be the last.
Chapter 1 - Mr. Body's Disappearance
The long and sleek black limousine pulls up in front of a large mansion. The woman inside grimaces as the rain seems to beat down harder, thunder booming close by. She scowls and straightens her dress before her driver opens the door. She gets out and takes the umbrella that he held about her from him.
"Thank you Jenkins. I will call you when I need to be picked up."
"Yes Ms. Peacock."
She climbs the stairs to the doorway as the limousine drives off. Shaking the umbrella dry, she mutters to herself, "There better be a good reason for bring me out in this rain."
As soon as she rings the doorbell a butler opens the door.
"Good evening Ms. Peacock. Master Body has been expecting you." He takes her coat and folds it over his left arm neatly. "Please follow me." Silently he leads her through the hall into one of the many rooms.
She and the butler stop in the doorway. "Ms. Rhonda Peacock has arrived." He announces, then turns and leaves her standing there. She looks around the room, half curious. It appears to be the Study.
"So you are Rhonda Peacock." She turns to the voice, which belongs to a short, oriental woman with chin length black hair in a royal purple dress. Her kind smile instantly makes Rhonda smile also. "Mr. Body has told me so much about you."
"The same as with you Professor Plum. And congratulations. When is the big day?"
Her smile seems to widen and her cheeks become pink, her right hand instantly fingering the ring on her wedding finger, "Well, Arthur and I haven't really thought of a date. But we both think spring would make beautiful wedding pictures. So, we've decided sometime in April would be perfect."
"I wondered when he was going to decide to settle down."
Rhonda looks over at a tall, blonde woman wearing a long ruby red dress that accents her figure nicely. She sits in a large leather chair close to the fireplace; a filtered cigarette in her right hand.
"Yes, he did seem to wait a while, didn't he?" Rhonda replies.
"Indeed, he did." She nonchalantly taps out the cigarette in the ashtray. "Forgive me for not introducing myself properly. I am Helga Scarlet."
"Rhonda Peacock." She replies.
Helga nods. "So how do you know Mr. Body?"
"Through our parents. As you know, his family is very well to do, as well as my family." She states simply, "And how did you come to know Mr. Body?"
"We both went to Harvard the same year. He and I became instant friends." Helga turns to the second leather chair, "And what about you Colonel Mustard? How did you meet Mr. Body?"
The dark skinned man in a yellow business suit smiles kindly, as if remember the day, "We both were in the same unit together in the military. Assigned to be each other's partners." He chuckles to himself, "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Arthur."
The door opens and the butler and a blonde man appear in the doorway. "Mr. Arnold Green has arrived." The butler announces, "Master Body will be in momentarily." And as swiftly as he came in, he leaves.
Arnold Green silently approaches the group, giving them a better look at him. He wears a green, three-piece business suit with a small green hat among his gelled blonde hair. He head is an odd shape, like a football. His eyes instantly became drawn to the radiant beauty in an attractive red dress.
"So you are Arnold Green. Arnold's business partner, if I'm not mistaken." Helga states dully.
"Yes, that's correct." He smiles slyly at her, as if she is prey in a hunt, "And you are Helga Scarlet. Mr. Body's college friend." His smile dazzles and his eyes close into a seductive half-lidded look, "I've heard much about you, but he didn't tell me what beautiful thing you are."
She turns her attention from him to the fire, "Strange. He failed to tell me anything about you. But I suppose I didn't miss much." she says indifferently.
"Excuse me Ms. Scarlet, but this seems hardly appropriate for individuals of your statuses." interrupts Phoebe, frowning, "Would you both please apologize?"
Arnold smirks, "Yes Ms. Scarlet. Let's kiss and make up."
She throws him a dark and dangerous look, "Go to hell."
He was about to answer when the door opens, instantly drawing everyone's attention. "Master Arthur Body has arrived," announces the butler. He closes the door silently behind them with ease.
A tall man in a black business suit walks calmly towards them. His chocolate brown hair is styled straight back, not a single hair out of place, his deep brown eyes reflecting laughter, and a cane in one hand, though it is unnecessary. "Welcome my friends. I am so happy to see you all here."
"What is this about darling?" asks Phoebe.
"Yes Arthur. Why did you call us here on such a dreadful day?" questions Rhonda.
He turns to the butler, "Mr. White, please pass the endowments to each of my friends, including your own." Slowly, he walks to one of the leather chairs and sits, clasping his hands on top of his cane, leaning back in thought, "This is difficult and complicated to explain, my friends, of what has happened." He closes his eyes, breathing in deeply, "I will try to put it as simply as possible, starting at the beginning. So I must ask you to refrain your questions until after I'm finished."
The don't breathe a word, waiting for him to start.
He opens his eyes slowly, watching the flames of the fire lick the scorching wood in the fireplace, "I have made several mistakes in my past. All I have regretted deeply, and have tried to make up over the years. But sometimes, no matter how hard you try to fix your mistakes, you just can't." He lets out a deep sigh, "My friends, I have made some sort of mistake with all of you. Each as terrible as the next. I am just sorry that I did it in the first place, hurting the people I care about in my life. The people I care the most for in the world.
"And it seems that my past has caught up with me, to say the least. I have received photographs of me at random times of the day, I answer the phone and no one is there, and I also receive threatening letters, all graphically gruesome. Someone wants to kill me, and I have yet to find out who."
Gerald was about to open his mouth when Mr. Body holds up a hand, "And no Colonel Mustard, I have not gone to the authorities. I don't want to involve them with my personal affairs. Nor do I want to start a scandal."
He lifts one hand and motions it in the air, "Please, my friends, open your gifts."
Wordlessly, they each open their own package.
"A Wrench?" inquires Gerald.
"Yes. And a Candlestick for Ms. Peacock, a Lead Pipe for Mr. White, a Rope for my fianceé, Professor Plum, a Knife for Mr. Green and a Revolver for Ms. Scarlet."
"Arthur, what is the meaning of this?" asks Helga.
"Each of these, in the hands of a person, is a potential weapon. Each are fully able to kill a human being. And I have a reason for giving them to you." he pauses briefly, "I have a past with each of you, a mistake with each of you that I wish I could erase. And I suspect that one of you is the one that wants to kill me. That is the reason I brought you all here tonight."
"Arthur! Really! One of us?! That's so absurd!" exclaims Rhonda. Placing the golden Candlestick back into the box, she shoves it back at the butler in distaste.
"Nevertheless. I have taken precautions. I have drawn it in my will that if I am killed tonight, whoever figures out who killed me, in which room and with which weapon, will receive everything I own and my half of Body & Green Company. Insuring my fortune to the rightful heir."
The lights briefly flicker off and on for a moment.
"What in the world?" asks Arnold, mostly to himself, looking up at the substantial chandelier lights.
"Hmm, it must be the storm," comments Arthur. A loud boom of thunder then shakes the ground and rattles chandelier noisily up above. The lights waver off and blink into blackness.
Phoebe lets out a scream of fright, instantly going to Mr. Body's side and grabbing his hand for comfort as he stands to his feet, looking up at the lights. The others murmur their concern to each other. "Now don't be worried everyone. The generator will start up any minute now." comforts Mr. Body, though only Phoebe hears him say so since another clap of thunder crashes.
She let's go of his hand, terrified, and in the confusion, ends up on the floor. The others try to reach the door in a panic, fearing the worst, when the lights flicker on again.
Rhonda looks up at the lights and lets out a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness the lights are back on."
"Arthur? Arthur?!" Everyone's attention snaps over to Phoebe. "Where is he?! He was right here!"