This is a one shot suggestion by Cherish Hope about a murder mystery night being held at Angelo's to bring the community together more. Kyle and Brax leave after finding it boring, getting into a far worse situation after needing to bargain their lives with a real murderer. Brax offers his life to save Kyle's but then a murder is committed. The aftermath isn't what any of them expect, but they're just grateful that things weren't a lot worse.
With things going well in the Bay, and everyone getting along within the Bay, they were all gathered in Angelo's. Marilyn had come up with a night to get everyone together as a community by organising a murder mystery night. The night had been slow so far, and the Braxton's were getting extremely bored of it, not able to think of any excuses to get out of it.
"Nah, I'm sorry but I'm out. This is the most boring thing I've ever been to." Kyle says, putting his drink down.
"So are you the murderer? Cause if so, we can end this night now." Brax says.
"I'm actually not, or I wouldn't be leaving now. I've been to a couple murder mystery nights back in uni but at least they had a lot of alcohol involved." Kyle says. "I'll see you later." He says, walking out.
"You know what, I might join him. I'm in my own restaurant and can't even have a beer." Brax says, Heath winking at him with a smirk. "Oh come on Heath, if you were the mystery murderer, everyone would be dead by now."
"Well who shit on your cornflakes this morning?" Heath laughs.
"I'm going to catch up with Kyle, see if he wants a lift home." Brax shakes his head, making sure Ricky was occupied.
He quickly walks out of Angelo's before anyone, mainly Ricky, tried keeping him there any longer. Once he got out of the Surf Club, he couldn't see his brother anywhere. He walked towards the car park, wondering how he could have walked out of sight in so little time. But then he heard his brother's voice by the bush, so headed towards it, confirming it was him as it got louder, but he could also hear the fear laced in his tone.
"You don't want to do this, not really." Kyle says, his heart thumping out of his chest as he's knocked to the floor with a hard shove.
"Nah, you really wouldn't." Brax says, staring at the mystery attacker as he puts himself in front of Kyle in protection, giving him a chance to stand up.
"And who the hell are you?"
"Your worst nightmare if a single drop of blood comes out of that kid." Brax glares, his blood starting to boil. "Now who the hell do you think you are attacking my brother like this?"
"People call me Zombo. Do ya get it, like a zombie?" The evil man grins, licking his lips as he grips a knife hard in his hand. "And I'm not leaving without a murder."
"Well this murder mystery night has really turned sour." Kyle mutters.
"Looks like I've got two for the price of one, this really is my lucky day!" Zombo grins.
"The only thing you'll be lucky with today is leaving this town alive."
"Like I told this little brother of yours, I'm not leaving until I've released this crave of mine." Zombo says, gripping his knife harder, his knuckles starting to turn white.
"Fine, then you kill me, not him." Brax says, turning to Kyle. "Get out of here, don't stop until you're home."
"What? No, Brax." Kyle shakes his head. "He's going to kill you."
"He's not killing you, that's all that matters." Brax says, getting a sudden rush of fear as Kyle's eyes widen, going pale as he looks behind Brax.
"Watch out!" Kyle shouts, shoving Brax out of the way as Zombo shoots towards them, holding the knife in the air.
"Kyle!" Brax gasps, everything happening too fast for him to comprehend.
"Brax!" He hears, but it wasn't coming from Kyle, or even near them.
"Kyle." Brax says, looking at his brother frozen in fear, blood staining his shirt and Zombo folding to the floor. "Are you okay?" He asks, trying to work out where the blood was coming from, but then he realised Kyle was holding the knife now.
"Kyle?" Heath was now by their side with Casey, Kat and Leah.
"Is he dead?" Kyle whispers, glancing down at a lifeless Zombo on the floor.
"There's no pulse." Kat says as she checks for one.
"I guess we found the murderer." Heath says, getting a glare from all of them.
"I'm going to have to put you on under arrest while I call for backup. I'm not on duty so don't have any cuffs." Kat says.
"No, you can't arrest him. That guy was going to kill us." Brax says.
"I didn't mean to kill him, he just charged-"
"You can tell me what happened when I take your statement down at the station, now stand there and put the knife down on the ground." Kat says, Kyle trying not to freak out as he puts it down on the floor.
"I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding." Leah says, not sure what to imagine happened.
"Kyle isn't a bad person." Casey adds.
"I have to go on what I see right now, and that would be Kyle standing over a dead body with a bloodied knife." Kat says. "Now all of you back off while I call this in. Kyle, do not move, all of you over there."
"Brax." Kyle mutters, staring at his eldest brother with scared eyes, ones Brax could only imagine he used a lot as a child when their father was around.
"It'll be okay. It was self defence, they'll have to realise that." Brax says before being moved back.
"What the hell happened here, Brax?" Heath asks, them all wanting to know.
"When I left, I couldn't find Kyle, then heard him here with that crazy guy. He said he wasn't going to leave until he had murdered someone, that being us two. I had my back turned for seconds, then Kyle shoved me out the way and this happened." Brax says.
"Kyle isn't a murderer, he doesn't even have a violent bone in his body." Casey says.
"Kat's going to twist this for all its worth. She's been trying to get one of us put in prison for so long, now she has that chance." Brax mutters, starting to pace.
"I'm sure that's not true, the police will just want to find out what happened." Leah says.
"Nah, I'm with Brax on this. She hates our family, this is a perfect opportunity for her to try and drive a wedge between us." Heath says, then two police cars and a police van came out of nowhere, stopping near them.
"I'm not letting you charge him with murder for something he didn't mean to do. You'd been dealing with two murders and a serial killer if it wasn't for Kyle!" Brax shouts.
"Which is why the Judge ruled this case as self defence." McCarthy says.
"Kyle's already been put in front of a judge?" Brax frowns. "He was only arrested yesterday!"
"We had enough evidence and statements for it to go to court. But as I said the Judge ruled the case as self defence and still has to be punished for his actions as that self defence ended in a murder." McCarthy says.
"He can't go to prison, they'll kill him in there!" Brax says, not knowing what to do, which was unlike him.
"Which is why he was given 200 hours community service and an ankle tag. Kyle won't be allowed to leave Summer Bay or be outside of your house between the hours of 8pm to 8am." McCarthy informs. "I know the tag sounds bad, but it's a lot better than a prison sentence. There's no need to thank me for getting Kyle off a prison sentence, I can't even believe myself that I gave a Braxton a good character reference in front of a Judge."
"You did?" Brax frowns.
"Off the books, Kyle's done us a favour. The guy that was killed, 'Zombo', has been on the run from police for the last 8 years, no ones ever been able to catch him, not even the FEDs." McCarthy says. "If I find out you've told anyone outside of this room, I'll personally have you both sent to prison for a very long time."
"Got it." Brax nods with a smile. "So what paperwork needs filling out."
"I just need you to sign some things to say you're okay with Kyle living with you with the tag on, but that's it. I also need you to make sure Kyle carries out all of his community service hours when permitted, which is every Tuesday through to Friday, until he's completed all of his hours." McCarthy says as they walk out to the main desk to get it done.
"Where is this community service being held?" Brax asks as he notices Kyle being led out to sign some things with another officer after getting his tag fitted.
"Sign in is at the Summer Bay Surf Club no later than 9am and finishes at 2pm." McCarthy says as Kyle then walks over to them. "Kyle's community service officer is going to be John Palmer. You must report to him before and after every service."
"You've got to be joking me!" Kyle shakes his head. "I am not having John Palmer watch me like a criminal!"
"It's either that or a prison sentence, and that sentence will be lengthy." McCarthy firmly says.
"Fine." Kyle mutters. "Can I go now?"
"Sure." Brax nods as he signs the last of the paperwork. "When is the first day of community service?"
"Tomorrow." McCarthy says, handing him some leaflets. "Everything you both need to know is in there. You've also got a twice weekly sign in here at midday. Those days will be Tuesday and Fridays. You can't be a minute late or you'll be straight in a prison cell. That also applies to you being outside of your house during the hours of 8pm and 8am."
"But you said he's got community service on weekdays, so how would that work?"
"Those days you will finish early. Mr Palmer is aware that you need to finish early on days you have a sign in." McCarthy.
"Can I still work or are you going to control that part of my life as well?" Kyle rolls his eyes.
"You can work as long as you stick to the rules. Everything you need to know is in those leaflets, so you're now free to go." McCarthy says. "I don't want to see you back in one of my cells again, got it?"
"I wouldn't want to be back in one of them, at least I get real food at home." Kyle mutters before walking out, Brax close behind him.
"See, I told you it would be okay."
"Yeah well now I have to walk around with a giant tag on my ankle for everyone to see. And I have to follow orders from John Palmer! I think I'd rather be in prison." Kyle moans as he gets in the passenger side of the ute.
"You'll be fine, it's not going to be for that long."
"200 hours of John telling me what to do and 6 months of house arrest." Kyle shakes his head.
"You should have let him do it."
"Huh?" Kyle frowns, not catching on.
"You should have let that guy stab me, at least you wouldn't have been facing a lengthy prison sentence." Brax says as he drives off towards their house.
"You did see the size of his knife, didn't you? It would have killed you. And I'm fine, yeah I've got really strict rules to follow, but neither of us are dead. We weren't to know the others were going to come out and find us like that, so he could have killed us both if he had half the chance." Kyle says. "You should be thanking me for saving your life."
"It was a stupid thing to do, I could have handled being stabbed. But you wouldn't last a second in prison, you're not cut out for it." Brax says.
"But I'm not going to prison, so it doesn't matter."
"There's still six months for something to go wrong. If you're late to your community service, or not at home after your tag hours, then you'll be sent straight to prison. It wouldn't matter if it was a mistake, or there was a misunderstanding that led to it, they won't hesitate sending you down."
"Well I'd do it again." Kyle says. "Just now I know you'd rather die than let me make choices that would obviously be a waste of time."
"I still stick by what I say. Don't ever misjudge a serial killer like that, you could have been killed yourself." Brax says.
"But here I am." Kyle shrugs. "I've already been lectured by three police officers, a judge and that creepy lawyer you hired for me, I don't need one from you as well."
"Alright, I'll save it for now. But I guess I should be thanking you for your stupidity, at least I didn't have to get you out of a prison sentence from a hospital bed." Brax says.
"I'm taking that as a proper thanks, even though you sound really sarcastic saying it." Kyle smiles. "Just don't go agreeing to anymore murder mystery nights being held at Angelo's, I won't be playing hero again."
"I don't think you have to worry about that. Marilyn said her idea just brought bad omens. Turns out she forgot to tell the murderer who they were, so the night never actually went anywhere." Brax says.
"So who was the murderer meant to be then?"
"Chris Harrington. Apparently he was really upset that it never happened and wants another night to happen so he can play the murderer. Everyone has decided against it without a second thought." Brax smirks.