Well, well, here's chapter 2 of Murder She Wrote for your enjoyment! And before I begin, if you don't understand why there are different people in this story, read my other one, New Smasher on the Block for more details, okay? And just to clear up any confusion...here's the list of game characters that were added to the usual roster of 26.
Lilina (Fire Emblem)
Sheeda (Fire Emblem)
Krystal (Starfox)
Slippy (Starfox)
Responses:
Gunpowder Wizard: Sorry. When I was typing this chapter up, I was trying to finish my Amazing Race story, which was near completion at the time. I didn't have time to type up the next chapter for New Smasher on the Block! It should be okay now, though, so hope you like!
Psie: Yes, you will...
ShebytheDogDemoness: Hmm...Peach and Zelda aren't the writers...just read on to find out, okay?
Nintendo Nut1: Wait, I wasn't making Link smart? What the-
Anters: I hope so...this is my first attempt at mystery!
Present Day: The Smash Mansion Computer Lab
G. F. McLeod said in his gruff voice, "Who do you think committed this crime?" He pointed to the body on the floor, mutilated and covered in blood.
"I don't know..." Inspector F.R. Lombardo remarked. "But this poor girl was decapitated and raped soon after, judging by the 'bodily fluids' surrounding the body." He took a sidelong glance to the poor girl's head, several feet away from the body and bleeding messily like a pig.
"This guy's sick..." McLeod noted with scorn and disgust. He then said, "Now, something seems out of place here...search the scene! Leave nothing unturned! Something tells me this was more than just a thrill kill!"
After thoroughly examining the body and its head, the M.E., BOB, said in a monotonous robotic tone, "Cause of death is blunt force trauma to the head. The decapitation and the rape occurred after, possibly not in that order."
"I thought so..." McLeod looked out the window and saw all kinds of news reporters and vans at the apartment, staring single-mindedly at the door. "Load 'er up and get her out." Stepping outside, they were greeted by a platoon of camera flashes, struggling reporters and police who kept the peace as the body was stored in the medical van. McLeod just sighed, annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
"Aw, man!" Krystal shook her head in frustration at the stupid computer. "The keyboard got stuck again..." She made a futile effort to unstick the 'N' key on the keyboard, but made the problem worse. Krystal was one of the newest Smashers to fill the roster at the famed Super Smash Brothers Tournament. A vixen with azure fur, she was the StarFox teams' newest recruit, as well, but she and Fox went back to their adventures together on planet Sauria. She liked Fox; she imagined him to be more than a friend, although she often wondered if Fox himself thought they were more than that. She pushed some of her sapphire bangs out of her turquoise eyes, and muttered, "This is starting to bug me. I wonder if Master Hand bought these at a flea market or something..." Finally conceding to the keyboard, she unplugged it altogether from the CPU, inadvertently pulling out some of the computer's metal innards with it. "Oh dear! This thing is old..."
"What's old?" Fox asked, setting his head on Krystal's shoulder. Krystal nearly fell out of her chair. "What's up?"
"Fox!" Krystal protested. "Don't do that! You scared me..."
"Sorry." Fox smiled a crooked grin. "What are you doing?"
"No-nothing!" Krystal yelped, covering the computer screen with her arms. "It's nothing, really..."
"Oh, come on!" Fox tried to move her arms out of the way, but to no avail. "The more you hide it, the more I want to see it!"
"Let GO!" Krystal tried to push Fox away using her foot, but Fox didn't budge an inch. Instead, he pushed her out of the way and glued his face to the screen, grinning crookedly. He snickered somewhat as he began to glance over the computer document. "Shut up, Fox...I'm just trying to do something meaningful for once..."
"Okay, one: you are important to the team, so don't even think that." Fox emphasized. "And two: this is actually kind of interesting, with you writing mysteries and all."
"Thanks..."
"So, I noticed the characters' names: G. F. McLeod and F. R. Lombardo. What's that about?"
"I based the main characters on you and Falco." Krystal replied sweetly, pecking Fox in the cheek. "I thought it would be interesting to see how this would happen if you two were detectives."
"Sounds cool. Let me see it so far if you ever finish typing." Fox jokingly pointed to the keyboard plug Krystal was holding in her hand.
"Fox..." Krystal shook her head in disapproval and laughed. After Fox left, she moved to the 'administrator' computer (Master Hand's personal comp.), tossed out the keyboard in the trash, watched it break into a billion pieces upon contact, logged in using her name, and accessed the file from the old and began to type again.
McLeod just sighed, and said in a resigned tone, "They better not get in our way." No such luck was on his side. Reporters besieged him with various questions, and he was trying to get to the van when a reporter shoved his mike into his face.
"Do you think this is an inside job?" he asked, "I mean, she was the mayor of France City and all..."
"At this point, any guess would be a dangerous one."
"Some people think this is a conspiracy." A second reporter asked. "Do you think so?"
"I'm saying over what I said before: any guess at this point would be a dangerous one." McLeod said unemotionally.
"Man, let's get out of here before
"Krystal!" She groaned and noticed Zelda standing in the doorway. "Um, do you know where Link is?"
"Do you like him?"
"Do you have to answer my question with another?" Krystal frowned, and Zelda admitted, "Well, I think he's quite a catch...hee hee..."
Krystal grinned. "Good for you, Zelda. Go get him. And no, I haven't seen him around."
"Okay..." Zelda wistfully sighed, but then noticed the computer screen. "Whatcha doing?"
"Eh...I'm trying my hand at mystery novels." Krystal said. She invited Zelda over to the computer, where she languidly glanced over the material. "What do you think?"
"Hmm...it starts nice...I just saw the book cover. Publish it; you might end up on the Best Sellers List."
"Thanks." She continued on after the Hylian princess left.
"Man, let's get out of here before we're swamped by news vans." Lombardo said. Hopping into the hatchback, he and McLeod sped off, nearly running down a reporter in the process. "I don't like this. Something ain't right."
"Your gut tellin' you this?" McLeod asked.
"Yep."
"Then something must be wrong." McLeod said. "Why did this guy murder Mayor Dorian in the first place, anyway? Was she doing something illegal, or was it something else?"
"If you ask me, I think it was a misguided supporter of Candidate Edgar Simms." Lombardo reacted. "Several people were cheesed off when he didn't win the election."
"What's that?" Krystal fell out of her chair in shock, and turned to meet Link's blue eyes, as deep in color as sapphires. "You are typing something?"
"Don't do that!" Krystal yelled, and Link merely burst out in laughter. "What do you want?"
"Just tell me what you're doing on the computer, Krystal. It's not like it's anything bad or something."
"Fine, but if you laugh..." Link glanced it over, and he nodded.
"It looks nice...you've set the scene for this book quite nicely." Link mulled. "You also made good detective characters...they seem indifferent, though. Try adding more personality to them...you also need to try the practice of foreshadowing in this mystery book of yours."
"Fore-what?"
"Foreshadowing." Link repeated. "You plant some subtle clues and some not so subtle in different parts of the story to heighten the suspense and give a portent of the things to come. For example, in a play with five acts, if a gun is presented to us in Act One, it should go off before or during Act Three, do you understand?"
"I think so..." Krystal said.
"Also, try to make the killer(s) sound real. Build a psychological profile about the guy: did he have a surrogate father, high school dropout, schizophrenic, etc, etc. That also helps in making a good mystery shine." Link bid the blue fox farewell and pranced off in search of the Hylian princess. Krystal just sighed and continued on.
"He can sometimes sound nagging..."
"I heard that!" Link shouted from the hallway.
"But do you really think that one of his supporters would do something like that?" McLeod asked the surrogate Lombardo. "It doesn't look it." Only one thing came out of Lombardo after that:
"Whatever the case may be, don't leave any theory unchecked." It was an uncomfortably silent ride back to the station after the discussion.
Krystal smiled; she enjoyed using her adventures on StarFox and Sauria to help her think of ideas. Satisfied with the day's work, she saved the document and shut off the computer, and sneaked up to her room afterwards.
Awakening with the burning sensation of the sun on her face, Krystal sluggishly strolled over to the bathroom with a towel and toothbrush. Taking care of her morning chores, she made her way to the cafeteria, where several of the Smashers were huddled over a newspaper. Wondering what the fuss was about, she walked over, where Fox, Zelda and Link were staring intently at the local paper. "What's up, guys?"
"Krystal...you do remember the story you were writing, correct?" Zelda asked.
"Yeah. What about it?"
"I think there's something you should look at..." Link said, grabbing the newspaper and pushing it into her arms.
"I don't like this...your written events in the bookis too similar to the news in this morning's article..." Fox pointed to the front page of the Smash Island Gazette, the local newspaper for the island country.
"What's all this about my book?" Krystal asked while sipping at some coffee. She nearly gagged at the news when she read it, though.
BRUTAL ASSASSINATION AT MAYOR'S HOUSE! POSSIBLE CONSPIRACY!
Her butler Andrew James, 42, was telling the officers, "I want to leave...it was so horrific." He was talking about the discovery of the body of Cheryl Rogue, 35; the mayor of Nelson's Landing. The politician was discovered early this morning at two-thirty beheaded, mutilated and naked as the police try to search for the killer. No one knows how this happened, but sources say this could be part of a conspiracy by terrorists to overthrow the Smash Island's government. The police are currently investigating this matter, and all citizens with possible leads should call Crime Stoppers at 285-5555.