The Third Floor
"Okay, children!" Miss Pateer's voice rang throughout the halls. "It's time for the mystery to start! Come on, gather round, please."
Everyone squeezed into a space on the sofas and armchairs.
"Now." Miss Pateer smiled, standing in the center of the room. "If you're the murderer, you know who you are. But you must keep your identity a complete secret. Don't let anyone find out. That's your job during your stay here. For the rest of you, your job is to keep from being murdered, and figure out who the murderer is. If you do so, you will be greeted with a pleasant treat, which is of course, yet another secret."
"And for us, it's whoever finds Louis and Alan," Allison whispered to Tawny, who nodded in reply.
"Well, is everyone in costume?" Miss Pateer surveyed the room. "The murder mystery has officially begun! Be sure to walk around in groups, if not partners."
"So, are we groupmates?" Tom laughed, putting his arms playfully around Tawny and Allison.
"Sure, Tom," Tawny replied, gently removing Tom's arm from her shoulder.
"Okay, I say we take the third floor," Allison suggested. "Everyone else isstarting on the first and second."
"Good idea," Tawny replied.
They made their way up the creaky flights of stairs and found themselves in the dark, creepy hallways of the third floor.
"Do you see any clues?" Allison whispered.
"Not really," Tawny said. "What kind of clues are we looking for?"
"Well, I'm not a Sherlock Holmes clone, but I do recall Miss Pateer talking about the death of a baby. So how about looking for something like a pacifier?"
"That's brilliant, Tom!" Allison replied. "But wait, wasn't that just the background fictional story?"
"Who knows?" Tawny sighed. "There's always a chance that it could betied in somehow."
"I guess so. It isa murder mystery, after all."
"Okay, I say we split up," Tawny decided. "We'll cover more ground up here before other people come to investigate."
"Okay," Tom agreed. "But I propose I go alone. I havebeen polishing my karate moves lately, and I thought it would be fun to try them out. I wouldn't want you ladies getting hurt. Best stay together."
"Whatever," Tawny smiled. "Let's meet back at this old mirror in about 15 to 20 minutes. This floor is huge! That has to be enough time to search it all."
Tom nodded. He turned on his heel and marched in the other direction. Tawny and Allison headed further down the hall opposite of Tom.
"It's too dark. We should have brought a flashlight," Allison complained.
"Yeah, but there's enough light to see right in front of our faces, at least," Tawny told her. "Just stay near thewall. We should be able to find something."
They tiptoed further into the darkness, and as the light grew dimmer and dimmer, they grew more discouraged.
"Ouch!"
"What's wrong?" Allison blindlyreached for Tawny's arm.
"I stepped on something sharp. Oh great, I think it cut through my shoe."
Allison found Tawny's arm and bentas best as she could to feel around the sole of Tawny's shoe. Toward the middle, she felt something sharp stickingstraight out.
"It's some sort of needle," Allison observed. "Oh, it must have been sticking right out of the carpet. That's got to have hurt. Hold on, I'll get it."
With a little grunt, Allison pulled the sharp object out of Tawny's shoe, and examined it in her fingers.
"It looks like a sewing needle," she reported. "I've helped my aunt sew so many clothes when I'm with her, that all I need to do is feel anysewing tool to know what it is."
Tawny giggled. "Well, would you consider this a clue, or just something a seamstress dropped?"
"Do you think this place has a seamstress?" Allison wondered.
"It may have in the past. And if so, they didn't do a good job of cleaning up this place."
"Yeah."Allison squinted into the darkness. "You think they'd clean it up a bit before opening it to the public."
"It would help," Tawny laughed. "Anyway, what do you think?"
"I don't know if this would be a clue," Allison said, eyeing the needle as best as she could. "Do you think it would have a note that would advertise it or something? 'Congratulations! You've found a clue!' Something likethat would be helpful."
"Well, I think this is one of those hard-core mysteries, where it's all up to you," Tawny replied.
Allison sighed. "I was afraid of that. This sucks. I wish they would have given us more information on this game before we started."
"Tell me about it," Toni added. "We can ask Miss Pateer for help later. Now let's think about it: we're going to assume that a seamstress worked here, making clothes for someone, or the whole family."
"So how would that be tied in?" Allison wondered aloud.
"I have no idea," Toni said. "Let's go find Tom. I'll bet he can come up with something!"
"Yeah," Allison agreed, smiling.
As if speaking his name has cued him, Tom's scream rang about the hall.
"Uh oh," Allison muttered.
"Let's go!" Tawny took off at a sprint, despite the darkness surrounding her. "Tom, where are you?"
"Over here!" Came Tom's scared voice.
Tawny ran forward, bumping headfirst into something.
"Ouch, that sure hit the spot," came Tom's voice again.
"Oh, Tom, I'm so sorry!" Toni exclaimed.
"Quite all right," Tom replied. "Happens all the time."
"Okay," Tawny said slowly. "Well, why the heck were you screaming?"
As if the question bared a thousand knifes, Tom jumped back in horror.
"There is something behind this wall," he said, pointing behind him. "I know I heard something!"
Tawny stared at the wallTom was leaning against. It had nothing on it, except old, peeling wallpaper.
"Tell me this isn't a clue," Tom pleaded. "If it is, I'm never going to a murdery mystery house like this again!"
"Sorry, Tom," Toni said, "but I think it is."