"Oh my God!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
"I can't see!"
"Not again..."
"Why the hell did you turn off the lights?"
"Dimentio!"
Just as quick as the lights flashed off, they come back on. Everyone glares at Dimentio and he just smiles.
"Sorry to cause a panic," he says.
"You are a bit late for that!" Bobbery exclaims.
Dimentio glances at his direction for a split second.
"Anyway," he continues, "when the killer turned off the lights, Mimi must have seen the killer and tried to catch them."
His eyes darken with overwhelming grief.
"Unfortunately...she failed and was strangled to death by the lasso."
The guests give sympathetic looks. Dimentio takes a deep breath of air and moves over to the library.
"...After Mimi is...you know," he continues. "That is when the killer murders Bombette. And then immediately, that other girl comes by."
"Who was that girl anyway?" Nastasia asks. "Was she part of this too, like Fawful and Bombette, or was she just here at the wrong time?"
"No, I had invited her to come," Dimentio answers. "Her name was Vivian, another accompanist for Bowser. One that Mario knows quite well..."
Everyone turns their gaze on Mario, who's eyes are on the ground.
"I...can't describe the amount of guilt I feel right now," Mario whispers softly. "I admit, I did have an affair with her, but I never wanted anything bad to happen to her! Or the fact that she..."
He starts to cry a bit. Ms. Mowz comforts him by patting his back gently.
"Do not fret, Mario," Dimentio says, a tiny bit of sympathy in his voice, "for I am about to reveal who the killer is! Along with Fawful."
"'Fawful?'"
Everyone gives a puzzled look.
Dimentio smiles and then goes into the lounge. He soon returns with a sticky note in his hand. Everyone gasps as Dimentio lifts the sticky note high enough for all of them to see.
"Knowing Fawful," Dimentio says, "he had figured out who the killer was the moment we told him there was a murder."
"Wait a second, how did you know that Fawful knew?" Timpani questions.
Dimentio narrows his eyes at her.
"I had guessed that he might have figured it out, being a child genius, but I didn't know about the sticky note until five seconds ago. I went back to the lounge to see if he had left anything behind."
His voice goes into a dangerously low tone.
"And apparently, he and I had the same guess who it was."
He turns his attention to the others.
"However, just with Fawful's note and my superstitions being the same can't put up enough evidence against the killer."
He pauses in his speech.
"Though I give the murderer credit for being well organized and careful in their actions, they made one fatal mistake that will unmask them. The gun is missing, and after shooting Vivian, which was loud enough for all of us to hear, they did not enough time to hide it. Thus, the gun is still in their possession."
Everyone's eyes widened. Dimentio slowly put his gaze on Timpani.
"My dear countess, would you be so kind as to open your purse?"
Timpani stiffens.
Everyone backs away from her, waiting anxiously for her to act. Dimentio keeps his mismatched eyes on her, anger and grief burning within them. Timpani is silent for a long moment. Eventually she gives a soft sigh.
"...You really don't know when to shut your big mouth, do you, jester?"
Opening her purse, Timpani takes out the gun and aims it right at Dimentio. Everyone gasps.
"Y-you!" Luigi cries out. "H-how can a woman like you...?"
Timpani gives off a small chuckle, her sky blue eyes glowing.
"I've always had a talent for acting," she explains sweetly. "As a wife of a politician, I needed to learn how to keep my act up and how to conceal myself behind a mask."
She turns her gaze to Dimentio.
"A mask similar to yours, Dimentio. So calm and emotionless."
"But how did you do it?" Bobbery demands, his voice shaking with shock. "Why did you do it?"
Timpani smiles.
"The answer is simple. I needed to keep my 'corruption' a secret. If my actions were to be made public, my dear Blumiere would be put to shame. I couldn't afford that to happen."
She keeps her eyes on Dimentio, as if afraid he is going to do something.
"So when I got the invitation, I had my suspicions that it had something to do with the blackmail. Knowing that this was my only chance to get rid of my blackmailer, I prepared myself to strike him down. I even brought my own weapon."
With her free hand, she reveals a small knife from her purse, which makes the others' eyes grow wide.
"But it seemed that I didn't need to use it," Timpani continues, "for Bowser foolishly brought his own weapons. And when the lights went off, I took the opportunity to shoot him with Mario's gun."
She lets out a small sigh.
"But aiming in the dark is so hard to do, and I'm not a professional killer. I had a feeling I had failed, so I turned the lights back on and pretended to be the innocent, pure, delicate wife who couldn't take violence."
She gives off a dramatic sigh, putting her free hand to her forehead like she is about to faint. Timpani rolls her eyes and gives a disgusted growl at that demonstration.
"Let me tell you that was a hard act to put off," she says. "In fact, I wasn't even able to pull it through the entire night, as you people are quick to get on one's nerves. Specifically you, jester!"
Dimentio smiles and Timpani moves closer with the gun.
"Though I admit, I didn't think I would have to kill so many people," Timpani says, her voice showing a some remorse. "Do I regret killing the others? Yes, I do. But do their lives mean more to me then mine and my husband's career and reputation? Not likely."
"But if you didn't want to kill them, why didn't you just leave them alone?" Nastasia questions, her eyes glowing with disgust.
"Because it was necessary," Timpani answers simply. "Like Dimentio said, Bombette, Fawful, Dyliss, and Vivian were the people who gave Bowser the blackmail! If they told him, why not someone else? I cannot take that chance."
"So you brought yourself to their level of lowness," Dimentio says. "By making yourself a criminal."
"It was murder, but not a crime," Timpani replies, her voice rising. "That pathetic man endangered my husband and I! We would have went from the good life to on the streets! Our lives would have been ruined, Blumiere would have been devastated!"
She looks at everyone in the eye.
"He had done the same to all of you. You all wanted him dead just as badly as I did. All I wanted to do was protect my husband from my mistakes. How...how can you tell me that I was wrong?"
She pauses.
"...But no matter what I do now, I will get caught. For I can't take care of you all in this short amount of time."
Timpani points her gun at Dimentio's heart.
"But at least I can take you along with me, Dimentio. For because of you, my husband's future is ruined!"
Dimentio met Timpani's gaze.
"You did this to yourself, my dear," he says, his voice as cold as ice. "And you have no one else to blame but yourself. For because of you, I lost the only person I ever gave a damn about and I will see to it that justice is given for her!"
A large grin appears on his face.
"Besides, you cannot kill me. The gun is out of bullets."
Timpani blinks.
"What? The gun holds six bullets and only five of them have been used!"
Dimentio chuckles.
"Oh no. All six of them have been used."
Timpani stares at Dimentio like he is crazy.
"No, only five have been used! One in the study, three when Bobbery and Nastasia were locked in the lounge, and then the last when I killed the telegram girl!"
"I'm afraid you have missed counted."
Dimentio lifts up a finger as he counts.
"One was fired in the study. Four for the lounge door, plus the destruction of the chandelier. And one to kill Vivian. That, my dear, makes a total of six."
Timpani narrows her eyes.
"You idiot, that's one plus four plus one! It was one plus three plus one, which equals five!"
"You are misguided. It was one plus three plus two."
"Where the hell did the two come from? You originally said it was one plus four plus one! Now it is one plus three plus two?"
"I never said that."
"Yes you did!"
"No I didn't. I can do simple math."
"Not from where I'm standing, since we are arguing about this."
"We're having an argument? Kind of a bad time to be arguing, isn't it?"
Timpani looks like she wants to strangle him.
"You know what, shut up!" Timpani suddenly yells. "I'm tired of you and your smartass attitude! I will say without a doubt that you are the only person that I won't regret killing!"
But before she can pull the trigger, the front door is suddenly burst open. The police swarm the entire castle, their guns all out and ready to fire. Timpani's eyes widen in shock, dropping her gun.
"Countess Timpani, you are under arrest for first degree murder!" a police officer exclaims.
They then handcuff her before she can do anything else. Timpani turns to Dimentio, rage burning in her eyes. Dimentio smiles.
"I told you will get the justice you deserve."
He picks up the fallen gun.
"And to prove you wrong that it is three plus one plus two..."
He fires the gun straight in the air, causing a loud bang as the last bullet hits the ceiling. Dimentio's eyes widen, all the cops and guests staring at him. He looks back down at the gun.
"...So it was one plus three plus one, now one plus three plus one plus one?"
He shrugs his shoulders.
"Guess you proved me wrong, my dear. Congratulations."
"Why you little...!"
Timpani tries to get to Dimentio but the police hold her back. Once she is calmed down, two cops take her away while the others search the castle and take care of the bodies. Soon, all remain are Dimentio and the guests. Dimentio smiles at them.
"Well, it was nice getting to know you all this evening," he says in a sing-song tone of voice. "Hope you all have learned the error of your ways and that the rest of your lives are murder free!"
He begins to make his way to the front door.
"Hey...where are you going?" Ms. Mowz asks.
Dimentio glances back at them.
"To start a new life, of course. With Bowser dead, along with my beloved, I need to put this place behind me, like a criminal trying to become a new person in a foreign country."
"But won't the police want to question you, along with the rest of us?" Luigi asks. "Or have you around for Timpani's trial?"
Dimentio smiles.
"Why would they need me when they got the five of you? I don't think I will be missed too much."
He gives a small bow.
"Ciao!"
With that, he leaves through the front door and disappears. Mario, Luigi, Nastasia, Bobbery, and Ms. Mowz stare at the door, knowing that this is a night that none of them will ever forget.
Author's Note:
Thank you all for reading and reviewing!