CHAPTER TEN: SUSPECTS
"I can't find Junior anywhere," Bowser announced frantically. "He's disappeared completely!"
"Yeah, I haven't seen him since yesterday morning," Diddy replied. "I wonder where he could have gone."
Everyone was silent. Diddy could feel everyone's piercing stares.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing," Wario said with sarcastic nonchalance. "It's just that you sort of brawled with him in the dining room the other day."
"You've probably already stashed the body in the cellar," Shy Guy said bluntly.
Diddy began to sweat heavily. "I didn't kill Junior, guys! I didn't kill him then, I won't have killed him now!"
"That's what they all say," said Shy Guy. "You probably killed Daisy, too. You killed them all. You're a murderer."
Diddy was hot with fury. He curled his hands into fists and lunged at Shy Guy; he was held back by Yoshi.
"You don't know what you're saying," he muttered as he walked away from a chuckling Shy Guy.

Later, Mario and Peach met up again, this time in the bathroom with the door locked to prevent interruptions.
"Things have changed," said Mario. "Diddy is most likely the killer."
"Just to be sure, let's make a list of suspects," Peach reasoned. Mario agreed.
"So, let's see. Diddy is probably the killer, but then there's Shy Guy." Peach nodded. "He is very quick to blame Diddy and make him seem suspicious. This could be to cover up the fact that HE is actually the killer. I'm not sure how he may have killed Daisy, or how anyone killed Daisy for that matter, but he just stood there in the corner in the morning on the day Toad died. He could have somehow spiked his food with poison without being seen, although I'm not sure how he did it without direct contact. Either way, I suspect him. Killing Bowser Junior may have been an act to pin the blame on Diddy. He may have even put the body in the cellar, like he said – to make it seem so obvious it can't possibly be true.
"Wario could have done it, too. That day the vase exploded, his behavior was pretty fishy. Although I don't know how he killed Toad. And he could have killed Junior as easily as anyone else.
"And although I hate to say it, Yoshi seems pretty sketchy as well. He told me about how Donkey Kong died, and I'm not sure how he knew. He could have done it himself and blamed Junior for the act. He hasn't made himself very noticeable since…"
"What about Bowser?" asked Peach.
"Bowser is still a suspect, though we needn't be too careful about him. He wouldn't have the heart to kill his own son."
They opened the door to find Diddy and Shy Guy arguing.
"It wasn't me!" Diddy exclaimed. "I didn't kill anyone! I never would!"
"You wanted revenge, and you went too far. Justice must be brought to this forsaken place!"
"Diddy," Wario interrupted, "We all know it's you. You can't deny it. The timing is too convenient!"
"Exactly!" Shy Guy agreed.
"No way! I wouldn't hurt a fly! Never! Junior's death was either an accident, or he was killed by one of you!"
"Who ever said Junior was dead?" Bowser interjected. All eyes were on the sweating Diddy.
"I – I never – I just assumed –"
"GUILTY!" Wario yelled in unison with a loud crack from outside, signifying the beginning of a lightning storm. Rain pounded against the roof almost immediately.

"SOMEBODY! I KNOW WHO DID IT! I CAN TELL YOU!" Junior yelled from the cellar. He had yelled out the killer's name nonstop all through the night and into the day. "Please… just let me out, I can reveal it to everyone…" he continued to be unheard. "Please…"