Chapter 8

POV Colonel Mustard

Killer: Professor Plum or Mrs. White?

The colonel looked to the ground in thought. 'How can I find them before its too late, and anyway how would he know where to go?'

That's when he saw it.

'Of course, the rain created thick mud, and here are three sets of footprints. Three? No time to think of whose tracks was the third set.' He quickly but quietly followed the mud trail, leading to the killer and Scarlet. He found them not so far off, slowly making their way through the labyrinth of bushes and muck.

"Damn, I can't find the bloody way out of here." The unknown killer's voice spoke in frustration as he dragged Erica.

"You should have thought of that before you dragged me out here." Scarlet sarcastically replied.

"If I was being held hostage by a mad man who had killed people right before your eyes, Scarlet, I would keep my mouth shut."

Scarlet, fearing for her life but using sarcasm as a defense mechanism simply replied, "Fair enough."

After some continued following Mustard watched as the killer pulled Scarlet out of the maze. He hastily followed as the mystery murderer made his way, along with Scarlet, into a side door to the kitchen. Waiting a few moments to enter, the colonel finally did so and found a mad scene. Mrs. White and Professor Plum lay on the ground, the state of life not diagnosable from so far away while Scarlet was fleeing the scene.

"Erica, wait!" Mustard shouted after her.

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around and yelled one word, "Run!"

The colonel began to reply but it was too late. He looked over to see a hazed Professor Plum with a revolver in his hand.

"Good bye, Mustard. Don't worry about Scarlet, she'll meet you soon enough." Just as he pulled the trigger he fell, the bullet hitting the ceiling.

Colonel Mustard had to think fast and ran over to try to stop him from hurting anyone. Mrs. White was alive and had pulled Plum off his feet to land him unconscious.

"Mrs. White, are you alright, what happened in here?"

But a change of events was already unfolding. The appeared-to-be injured woman ignored the colonel's question and picked up the revolver out of the hand of Plum. She slowly brought it up with intentions unknown.

POV Miss Scarlet

"WHITE NO!" Scarlet screamed but was drowned out by the deafening sound of a gun shot quickly followed by a sickening thump. She crumpled to the ground as blood spread across the stark white linoleum floor. Tears clogged her vision and the only thing she could see was the hauntingly red substance's movement across the tiles.

Suddenly hands were moving up and down her arms checking her for injuries. Turning her face back and forth and finally up to look at her amateur doctor.

"Kenny?"

"I'm fine Scarlet, I'm fine." His arms went around her -as well as the comfort of his soft but stern voice- while her head fell forward onto his shoulder, tears wetting his already scruffy uniform.

"I thought, I thought she'd," Scarlet stumbled through the phrase trying desperately to understand how he'd come to be next to her. "The gun, and I thought, you, I thought she'd-"

"I know, but here I am. Look at me, I'm alright, everything's going to be alright."

Erica nodded fiercely, clinging to Mustard's shirt front. As soon as Erica's eyes had cleared she looked at the wreckage all around them. There on the floor was an unconscious Mrs. White, blood dribbling down her forehead from a small laceration. Unfortunately Professor Plum's knee was bleeding completely out -he probably wouldn't survive much longer unless someone did something. Scarlet took a deep breath and then got up from Mustard's protective embrace.

"We have to staunch the bleeding." Scarlet said.

A light filled the colonel's eyes at her determination and seemingly sudden recovery. "What a woman." He exclaimed under his breath thoroughly impressed at her perseverance.

"Did you say something?" She looked at him, question reflected the tilt of her head and the light in her eyes. Kenny just grinned boyishly and shook his head. Scarlet knelt down and stabilized Plum as best she could. "What happened?"

"Well White turned the gun on Plum and was going to shoot him in the head till I knocked her a good on her own head. The gun missed, but she still shot him."

"Better than being dead." Scarlet defended him.

"True, but not when he wakes up in a jail cell. Which he will." A fire burned under those words and Scarlet couldn't help but lower her eyes as her cheeks lived up to her last name. She knew why he was so angry and somehow she didn't think it was merely the killings. Plum had threatened her, stolen her away and apparently that wasn't such a good idea. A small smile played on her rose blushed face. 'What a time to be giddy,' she thought rolling her eyes at herself.

A groan uttered from the unconscious White and both Mustard and Scarlet's attention focused on her. Mustard leaned down and propped White up in his arms. Suddenly her eyes flew open and she looked around frightened.

"Where...is he dead? What happened?"

"That's the question we'd like to ask of you. Why did you shoot Plum? He was already out, there was no need for blood shed my dear." Mustard said honestly, compassion softening his words.

White shook her head guiltily.

"I won't tell. I won't. Now, neither will he!" Her voice trying so difficulty to be vicious came out terrified and hysterical. "I was only doing what he told me! IT WAS BLACKMAIL! I DIDN'T WANT TO!"

Mustard began to rock the woman as she turned frantic, Scarlet looked around the room and spying a forgotten half water filled glass threw it into the woman's face. She sputtered but her eyes focused again and she began to breathe normally.

"Now, tell us exactly what happened." And Scarlet's voice brooked no opposition.