Chapter 3: Piecing the Clues Together

"I wonder what happened to that beam?"

"Yeah, and it's right under the spot where I fell through, too."

Luigi walked towards the spot where the beam was missing.

"Mario," said Luigi, "look at the other support beams. Look at their shape."

Mario walked over, "Yeah, so what?"

"Can't you see it! That's the exact same shape of the bruise on Toad's forehead."

"Yeah, you're right," observed Mario.

"Okay, we're really onto something now. The murderer used the beam structure to," said Luigi, "You got the other clues?"

Mario held up the bags. "Right here!"

"The notes, the beam, it's all fitting together!"

"But we don't even know who the murderer is!"

"Oh yeah..."

Luigi reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a small sketchpad.

"For your information, I've been sketching a rough drawing of the culprit based on the clues we've gotten so far."

"Let me see." Mario took the pad from his younger brother's hand. "Well you're really getting close, Luie."

"The only way to have been able to get that beam would be to hang onto it."

"Hmm..."

"I've got some suspicions, Mario, and I might know who did it. I just need to perform one final test."

* * *

The brothers spent another hour piecing together clues, finally determining that the culprit had to have been at the table behind theirs.

"Who sat at that table tonight, Mario."

"Um...Captain Falcon, Wario, Waluigi, Daisy, Donkey Kong and Iggy."

"Hard to believe you just named a murderer," lamented Luigi, "well it's time for my test."

* * *

"Now, I am sad to say that the criminal sits at this table," sighed Mario, "so, in order to find out who it was, my brother would like a simple test to be performed."

Luigi stood forward and sighed heavily. "Men," he eyed Daisy, "and woman... this may seem like a crude test, but it is one of the few that will expose the criminal. People on the right side of the table will pass their spoons to the person on the opposite side of the table. The process will be repeated once more, except the other way around. You may only use one hand to catch the spoon. Go."

The brothers watched closely as the spoons were thrown back... and then forth.

"The right-handed ones are on the right side of the table and the lefties are on the left side," observed Mario, having paid close attention to the hands used to catch the spoon.

"So Waluigi, Captain Falcon and Iggy are right handed, huh?" said Luigi.

"So, who is it?" Waluigi asked.

"Yeah?" said Daisy.

"Who?" inquired Iggy.

The brothers' eyes dashed toward the culprit.

"Luigi, we have a match..."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review. And in your reviews, please tell me who you think the criminal is and why. You should be able to figure it out with all the clues from previous chapters. Feel free to re-read older chapters to refresh yourself. Thanks! The final chapter will be online very soon. In the meantime, figure out the mystery...

-mr-mcd2k3