Murder At The Banquet

Alright, so here's scene 2! Thanks to everybody that reviewed it. It got such a great response I got right on the next one, so here you go, earlier than planned! I also planned out four chapters of a new story for after this a couple days ago, so good news for everybody. I don't really have too much else to say, so let's get to it!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story or the play it's from. Robert Lavohn wrote the original script. I was an actor in it though. I had Alex's part.

Chief Stanton quickly crossed to where Claudette stood. "All right, listen up! I'm gonna see if I can fix that phone. Don't nobody go nowhere, and don't touch anything!" He headed into the kitchen.

Claudette turned to follow him, stating "I have to inform the kitchen staff about poor Mr. Wimberly."

As she was about to leave though, Mrs. Preakness interrupted her. "Excuse me, young lady, but if you're going to the kitchen, I should like very much to go with you. I feel I must give my compliments to the chef! His hors d'oeuvres were simply scrumptious!" She slowly hobbled her way over to follow Claudette. Meanwhile, Alex and Mitchie began examining the area around Wimberly's body.

Jack took out a newspaper and looked to Wanda. "Well toots, looks like we got nothing better to do here than to cool our heels with a dead guy."

"Oh, gee, boss, do you think he's really dead?"

"Let me put it this way, the next time he goes to a shoe store, they'll have to take the toe tag off first." She stared at him, her expression blank. Jack shook his head, sighing. "Yeah, he's really dead. But don't worry, shweetheart. Ol' Jack'll take good care of you."

She leaned on his arm again. "Thanks boss. That means a lot to me." Alex and Mitchie had been examining Wimberly through all of this, but now they backed into each other, both turning quickly. Alex's fists rose, looking like a boxer, while Mitchie was on one leg, prepared to kick her face in.

Alex dropped her hands for a moment, studying Mitchie. "Wow, that's really impressive. Judging from that, I'd guess you'd be good at..."

Mitchie seemed somewhat pleased. "At what? I'd be good at what?"

Alex looked off to the side innocently. "I was just going to say you'd make a really good sidekick!"

"A what? Sidekick? I'll show you sidekick, buster! Hiii-yaaa!" She did, too, aiming a few side-kicks at where Alex's head was before the other girl ducked out of the way. They kept going until Alex ran into a wall, then she ducked to the side, and the chase began again. "No Watson has ever been a sidekick! You're even dumber than that pretentious great-great granduncle of yours!"

By this point, Jack had moved behind the body and was thinking, trying stabs with his paper. The girls crossed behind him, Alex moving him into the middle for a shield. They went around a couple times before Mitchie through him out of the way, Alex shouting back the whole time. "Oh yeah? If Sherlock was so dumb, how dumb did your great-great granduncle have to be? He was only a sidekick!" They continued the chase a bit longer.

"Hey youse guys. Come look at this." Jack stopped the chase, the girls keeping their distance as they joined him behind the corpse, Wanda coming as well.

Mitchie spoke first. "Hm. I see what you mean. That is unusual."

Alex was confused. "I agree. Very unusual. Uh... what is?"

"Oh, come on, Alex! Isn't it obvious? The angle of the blade!"

Alex nodded quickly. "Right, the angle of the blade." She paused, her head tilting, before turning to Jack and setting a hand on his shoulder. "Exactly what is it about the angle of the blade I should be noticing?"

Mitchie rolled her eyes at this, muttering, "Spoken like a true sidekick."

Alex started to reply, but Jack silenced her. "Look here, Ms. Russo. Normally, when someone is stabbed, the blade comes this way." He motioned with his paper like a knife again. Then he looked to Alex. "Stand here." She moved in front of him, and the much shorter man's left arm went around her neck, bending her backwards, nearly parallel with the floor. "The blade sort of goes down like this. You see?"

At this point, Mitchie interrupted. "No, I'm sorry Mr. Diamond, but I must disagree. Most murderers don't use the Sicilian grip anymore." She grabbed Wanda, who was quite a bit shorter than her. "Particularly if the blow came from the left side. If the murderer was left-handed... may I borrow your paper?"

"Oh, sure." He walked it over, dragging Alex along for the ride.

"See? From this side, the killer would have used a Bangladesh side-hand movement, which would have driven the blade up this way." They both dragged their 'captives' over to Wimberly's body.

"But really, this blade doesn't fit that either."

"You're right. I've never seen a wound like it."

They continued trying out their various stabbing methods for a bit before Claudette entered from the kitchen, looking seriously confused. "Excusez moi?"

Everyone turned to look at her as best they could and spoke simultaneously. "Yes?"

"Am I interrupting something?" The group shook their heads, releasing each other. "I was just speaking with the chef. He had a very good idea for taking care of the body." They looked at each other, then shook their heads again, this time from disgust. "No, you don't understand. The chef suggests we freeze it for later." More reactions of disgust, with Jack muttering something about 'dead guy a la mode,' and Alex whispering 'that's just not right.' "I mean, we should put the body in the freezer where it will be safe until it can be examined." Now they all understood, that option sounding much more acceptable.

"That's a good idea, Ms. Pindu." Mitchie agreed.

Alex stepped forward out of the group. "Not so fast, Miss Smarty Pants. Putting the body in the freezer might destroy valuable evidence."

"So could leaving the body out here."

"The police haven't even been here yet."

"I really believe this is the best course of action."

"Who put you in charge?"

"Who asked for your opinion?"

Finally Jack stopped the argument, raising a finger as he spoke. "Look, you guys do what you want with the body. We're gonna go check out the basement. I just thought of something." He and Wanda then headed that way.

Alex and Mitchie saw him off together. "Fine Jack, see you later."

As they exited, Wanda could be heard to say, "Oh boss, you're so detectivey!"

Then Alex rounded on Mitchie again. "You are so pig-headed!"

She shot back. "You are so obnoxious!"

"You are a moron!"

"You are an imbecile!"

Then Wanda could be heard again from down in the basement. "Gee, it's really dark down here. Boss, can we turn on a light?"

"The light's already on. This place is just really dark."

There was a lull in the sounds from the basement, so Alex threw in another insult. "You are an idiot!"

"You are a buffoon!"

As Alex went to continue their argument, her eyes caught Mitchie's, and they both paused, staring at each other, both letting out a much calmer sounding "You..."

Then Claudette came up behind Alex and squelched their moment. "Excusez moi. There is still the body to deal with"

Alex finally conceded. "Mitchie's right. We need to put him somewhere safer."

Stanton, who had come back from the kitchen unnoticed a short time ago, pitched in now. "Why don't we put him in the freezer?"

Mitchie looked at him, seeming a bit suspicious. "Yes, yes that's what we were just saying. Alex , why don't you and the chief move the body into the kitchen?"

Stanton nodded, looking to her. "Come with me girl, I have just the thing."

Once they left, Mitchie turned to Claudette. "Ms. Pindu, I couldn't help but notice that you and Captain Wimberly seemed a bit... at odds." At this point, Stanton and Alex reentered with a dessert cart, proceeding to flop the corpse back onto it unceremoniously. They then headed back to the kitchen, nearly running down Mrs. Preakness on her way back into the room.

Claudette sighed. "Yes, it's true. We had been fighting. But I did not kill him. I didn't!"

"What were you fighting about?"

"We disagreed about the awards ceremony."

"So you didn't want Alex to win either?"

"Oh, no. I was very pleased. I like Ms. Russo very much. She's very beautiful, don't you think?"

Mitchie was at a loss for a second. "I... hadn't thought about it. If it wasn't Alex, what was the problem?"

"I'm afraid it was personal. More than that, I will not say." Her hands went to her hips as she leaned forward a little. "Why are you questioning me? I've already maintained my innocence."

"Ms. Pindu, I can't help but feel that you're hiding something!"

"Perhaps by accusing me you believe that you can throw suspicion off yourself?"

"Ms. Pindu, would you be willing to write down the fact that you're innocent?"

"Write it down?"

"Yes." She grabbed an extra notepad and pen from her seat. "Please write down 'I am innocent' and then sign it."

"I believe this is preposterous, but if it will establish my innocence..." She took the pen, then began anxiously switching it back and forth.

"What is the problem?"

Claudette was slightly angry again. "I am very nervous, and when I am nervous, I become ambidextrous!"

"Fascinating. Thank you, Ms. Pindu. You've been very helpful."

Agatha, who'd been watching the entire conversation, spoke up now. "Claudette dear, could you please get me a glass of ice water? I am virtually parched with the heat."

Claudette's teeth gritted. "Of course, Mrs. Preakness. I'll be right back with your water!" She headed back to the kitchen.

Agatha took a seat now, turning to Mitchie. "Gracious, what an evening. But at least the kitchen was a pleasant surprise. Absolutely gorgeous. The chef has everything arranged so perfectly. The flatware stacked, the glasses in rows, the cutlery-"

"Yes, I'm sure that's very interesting Mrs. Preakness. But this is more important. I think Ms. Pindu is involved in the murder. If she stabbed him, she could have used either hand. She's ambidextrous! And that might explain the unusual angle of the blade!"

"Yes dear, that's fascinating, but about the cutlery..."

Foster and Claudette now returned from the kitchen, along with Chief Stanton, who crossed the room without speaking. Claudette approached Agatha. "Here's your water, Mrs. Preakness."

Meanwhile, Mitchie turned to Alex, who'd moved to her other side. "Where's Chief Stanton going?"

"He heard someone down in the basement and went to check it out." Alex responded.

"That was probably Jack and Wanda. They've been down there a while. I hope everything's okay."

"If it is, it will be the first time tonight. What were you talking to Mrs. Preakness about?"

"What does it matter?" She shook her head. "She won't remember anything. It's so sad, Alex. She was my idol growing up. Well, she and Dr. Watson of course." Alex rolled her eyes at this. "But now, now she just can't seem to focus. She's always babbling on about something meaningless or sending Ms. Pindu on some errand."

Alex leaned past her to look at Claudette, who blew her a kiss. "Speaking of Claudette, she seems rather nice, don't you think?"

"Now, listen here Alex! Stay away from her! I think she's dangerous!"

"I appreciate your concern for my welfare."

"Hunh! It's always sarcasm with you, isn't it?"

"No, I mean it. It means a lot that you're looking out for me."

Mitchie seemed a bit surprised, but also very sincere as she responded with a slight blush and a "Thanks, Alex."

Then Stanton returned from the basement with Jack and Wanda. "I found these folks looking around downstairs. Didn't I tell y'all to stay put?"

Jack shook the arm off his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Youse guys check this out. Me and Wanda found it in the fuse box."

Everyone crowded around to look, except Mrs. Preakness, who stayed in her seat.

Alex was confused again. "What is it?"

Mitchie grabbed the thing from Jack's hand. "Elementary, my dear Russo. This device temporarily bypasses a fuse, breaks the circuit, then automatically resets it. The resulting blackout looks like a normal occurrence!"

"Oh, boss, that's just what you said!" Wanda exclaimed.

Stanton then grabbed the device. "Just hold on a pig-knuckled minute! Are you saying that somebody planted this device?"

Everyone looked at him. "Yes." They all said.

"Somebody turned the lights off on purpose?"

"Yes!" They all continued.

"Somebody did all this just so they could kill Captain Wimberly?"

"Yes!"

At this point, Mrs. Preakness interrupted again. "You know, as I was saying before, when I was in the kitchen, I noticed how tidy the staff has kept it."

"Mrs. Preakness, with all due respect," Chief Stanton butted in, "we've got bigger fish to fry right now."

Mitchie stepped between them. "Come on chief, let's hear her out!"

"Thank you, my dear. Now, I noticed that each bit of silverware had a designated spot. Every fork, every spoon... and every knife." The others all leaned in a bit at this, becoming more interested. "Every knife was in its spot, with the distinctive pattern on the handle quite visible. Every knife, that is, except one small paring knife. If we remove the knife from the poor captain's body, I am quite sure we will find the missing paring knife."

Stanton scoffed. "Well, that's a real surprise. Mrs. Preakness, we know he was stabbed, and it sure makes sense that somebody would use a knife that was already around here."

Then Alex stepped forward, rocking on her heels in anticipation as she spoke. "Maybe we should get the kitchen staff in here. We could grill them, rake them over the coals, see who spills the beans." She looked around, but no one was laughing. "Get it?" She moved along the group, asking each person. "The kitchen staff? Grill? Coals? Beans?" When still no one laughed, she threw her hands up in defeat, returning to her original spot.

Mitchie gave a sarcastic chuckle. "Anyone could have gotten the knife from the kitchen." She continued somewhat guiltily. "It's even possible that I gave the murderer the opportunity to get the murder weapon when I interrupted the banquet." At that everyone began arguing again, Jack trying more stab methods while Stanton yelled at him, Alex and Mitchie in each others faces again.

Agatha stood for the first time in a while, seeming to tremble just a bit as she spoke, her tone immediately drawing everyone's attention. "The point you are all missing is this. A paring knife may have a large handle, but it has a relatively small blade. The only way such a small knife could cause death so quickly would be to sever a major artery. When Captain Wimberly's body was transported to the kitchen, I noticed that there was only a small amount of blood around the wound. Given these facts, I must conclude that Captain Wimberly was not stabbed to death! In fact, I'm quite sure that he was poisoned!"

The group was shocked. "Poisoned?" They all questioned.

"But how can you be so sure?" Alex asked.

Mrs. Preakness handed her glass to Claudette. "Because it seems I have just been poisoned myself!" And she collapsed, dead.

So there's scene 2. Surprising, eh? I have a feeling you might be able to figure it out now, if you really paid attention. But if you can't tell, that's why there's another chapter coming. This one will definitely be after I get back though, as we're leaving at four a.m. tomorrow. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, and keep watch for the last chapter of this, and then that new story I was talking about. Big things ahead! ~SGM