Chapter Sixteen - The Plot Thickens

The next sun-up, Hazelpaw woke up to dark cloudy skies and a light drizzle, weather to perfectly match her mood. The grey she cat hadn't spoken to Daisypaw since last sun-up and had begun to wonder if this was the last case the Detective Society would ever have.

Hazelpaw shook her head before licking her paw and dragging it over her face. As she groomed, her thoughts wondered to last sun-up at the twoleg place.

Seeing Leopardpaw there has made me certain that justice has not yet been done. And now I feel very sure something was wrong with Mousestripe's confession.

The grey she cat sighed.

I am very worried.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Pine Rock for a clan meeting."

At the sound of Ashstar's call, the den soon padded out into the camp clearing, bracing themselves against the cold rain drops.

Mousestripe was not present.

Hazelpaw didn't find this fact particularly alarming. If he had gone to the Clan Guard he would still be there detained, awaiting his punishment.

But the really worrying thing was that the rest of the warriors and warrior mentors were still behaving perfectly normally (well, as they had the last few sun-ups) as though they hadn't heard of Mousestripe's confession to a murder.

Rabbithop was still wearing her smug, happy expression; tail elevated proudly and blue eyes shining. Grassclaw, meanwhile, was sizzling with bottled up rage; fur spiked and golden eyes aflame. Mothfur wobbled as she walked to a clear space to sit down. Hazelpaw wrinkled her nose as she passed; smelling the same minty-plant scent off the dappled brown she cat.

"Catmint again," Hazelpaw heard Lilypaw whisper to Daisypaw, loud enough for her to hear. "Rumour has it that she's mourning the loss of the deputy position. Apparently she had a meeting with Ashstar about it some five sun-ups ago, right after we went hunting. Ashstar finally told her that she hadn't had a hope, so Mothfur ran straight out of her den and has been on the catmint ever since."

"What?" Said Hazelpaw much too loudly, heart pounding so hard she could feel it under her fur.

"Bay quiet and les-ten-ay!" Hissed Robin's Call with a glare.

At that moment after also giving all the whispering apprentices a scathing glare, Ashstar began to speak. As she did so, Hazelpaw thought back to what Lilypaw had just said.

I can't believe it! Mothfur had only been in Ashstar's den for not much longer than a few heart beats. Her alibi has been wiped out just like that! There's nothing to say she wasn't there at the crucial time, pushing Whistlesong off the ledge.

Hazelpaw glanced at Daisypaw. The cream she cat was starting determinedly ahead, but Hazelpaw could tell she was thinking the same thing - and finally realising how wrong she'd been.

Finally Ashstar finished her morning announcements and there was a pause.

The dark tabby's usually immaculately calm face was creased with worry.

"PineClan," Ashstar began solemnly, "I am sorry to announce that last night, Mousestripe suffered a terrible accident. Help was administered to him this morning by the medicine cats, but there was nothing to be done. Warriors, apprentices I am sorry; Mousestripe is no longer with us."

This was followed by a frozen silence.

Then the camp erupted into shocked chatter. The noise was humongous and some younger apprentices were wailing.

Ashstar meanwhile had opened her mouth to speak again, before closing it with a wince and gracefully leaping down from Pine Rock to speak with Robin's Call and Dovepool.

Hazelpaw's mind went into overdrive with shock as she processed what she'd just heard.

Mousestripe is dead! Suffered a terrible accident. Was it really true? What if Mousestripe couldn't face lying in her confession to the Guard. I'm sure he wasn't completely telling the truth when we confronted him last sun-up.

The grey she cat shivered and her heart sank as she thought of another possibility.

What if Mousestripe decided to take another way out? All I know now is that no matter what has been going on with Daisypaw and me we have to solve this case!

Hazelpaw looked around for the cream she cat, and upon spotting her, ran up to her.

"Daisypaw, I'm so sorry for behaving like a foxheart!" She gasped. "Please forgive me."

Daisypaw turned to face the grey she cat with a strange expression on her face. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Hazelpaw, I refuse your apology."

Hazelpaw gaped at her in reply.

"Because" - the she cat continued, puffing out her chest and lifting her chin proudly - "I was wrong, and so it should be me apologizing."

"But Daisypaw-"

"Hazelpaw will you let me talk? Whether or not Mousestripe did it, there are too many things going on which don't match my theory. You knew that, and you told me and you were right."

Hazelpaw took a deep breath.

"I was thinking, what if some cat did the murder with Mousestripe. Him and Mothfur or him and Grassclaw. And Leopardpaw has got to fit in somehow!"

Daisypaw nodded. "Oh Hazelpaw, I've been a terrible Detective Society leader! I should have listened to you instead of rushing in like a mouse brain. And now Mousestripe's dead!"

"I know." Said Hazelpaw gently, burying her head in the cream she cat's shoulder. "I think he might have gone with option three and...and killed himself." She mumbled.

"Killed himself?" Said Daisypaw blankly. Hazelpaw lifted her head, blinking.

"On no, he didn't kill himself. And it wasn't an accident either. He's been murdered. Just like you thought. Some cat helped him with Whistlesong's murder and now his accomplice has killed him."

"No!" Hazelpaw gasped.

"Yes," said Daisypaw with a twitch of her whiskers. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

"But what shall we do?" Hazelpaw asked.

Daisypaw looked at her as though she had bees in her brain. "Do? The only thing we can do. Keep on detecting; together." She said, entwining her tail with Hazelpaw's.

"Until we catch Mousestripe's accomplice and solve both murders. Sorting out this mess and making sure PineClan is safe once and for all!"

Sorry everyone for the late update, but better late than never hopefully lol! Anyways, I'll still be posting the next chap on Monday and how was that for a plot twist? Poor mousey but definitely involved in the thick of it – but who's his accomplice? Tune in next to see our fav detective's next plan of action!

-Fastbreeze37