A Murderer in Our Midst

By Hoverbike Girl

Hello again, everyone! This is my third revision of A Murderer in Our Midst! This one isn't so drastic as the last; just some simple sentence-changing here and there, as well as changing Mr. Boddy's first name to John instead of Reginald. You don't have to read it over again, unless you've been away from it for so long that you need to review the mystery and all the clues. Enjoy!

Chapter #1: Meet the Guests

It was a dark and stormy night. A violent set of thunderstorm cells was making a new record in history as the longest storm ever. Torrential rain poured all through the day and showed no signs of ceasing, even after the sun had set and disappeared. Lightning struck among the storm clouds, and thunder echoed across the country. The miserable weather worsened when powerful gusts of wind blew the rain in a new direction. The howling wind changed every so often to send its icy fury to another place. But the storm couldn't stop one determined person from reaching his destination.

He was trudging slowly (which was surprising for who he was) on the wet sidewalk, with his shoulders bent and his head down, occasionally tripping on the ragged yellow raincoat that was too big and heavy for a Mobian. Unfortunately, the coat didn't have a hood, and it didn't take long for the rain to plaster his cobalt spines against his head and find their way down the back of his neck. The traveler complained to no one in particular about having to wear the heavy thing, but even he knew that a bad cold was worse than this, although it seemed that he was going to catch one anyway.

"This trip had better be worth it," he muttered as he dove into a bus stop for some temporary dry shelter. Taking his mind off the weather and how cold he was, he reached into his left pocket and pulled out an envelope, which had miraculously stayed dry throughout the whole trip. Inside the envelope was a letter written on fancy stationary. It read:

Dear Sonic the Hedgehog,

I have heard of your deeds and have seen you in action. I have been hoping to meet you in person. That is why I am inviting you to my countryside mansion for a whole week. If you are on a busy schedule, I understand, but you may never get an offer like this again; I am a busy man. So drop by my place on the 6th of June and tell my gatekeeper that you were invited to be a guest in my home, and he will allow you in. My address is listed above the body of the letter. I do hope you will come!

Sincerely,

John Boddy

At first, Sonic had been suspicious of "Mr. Boddy". But he just shrugged it off and decided to check it out, since he didn't have anything planned for June 6th. In fact, he had a good reason to go; Amy had mentioned a date on that day, and he had, for some stupid reason that he couldn't remember, told her he would go if he had nothing to do. Now he did.

He looked at the address on the letter again and checked the street sign. Madison Court. Mr. Boddy's house should be the one at the end of the street, Sonic thought. Knowing that his journey was nearing its end, he picked up his pace as best as he could without tripping over his coat. He halted in front of a brick wall with an iron gate. With one glance at the number on the wall by the gate, he knew that this was the place.

Beyond the gate was a gravel driveway with gardens of flowers and trees flanking its sides, and at the end of the driveway was a dark mass. The sky lit up with lightning, revealing that the dark shape was a massive, two-story mansion made of red bricks. The thunderclouds and lightning cast an ominous shadow over the house, and Sonic, despite himself, took a few doubtful steps backward. Already he was beginning to have second thoughts about the visit.

Maybe I should've taken Amy up on that date… he thought, and then instantly slapped his forehead. If that had just crossed his mind, then he wasn't thinking clearly. Being with her meant enduring her constant advances to marry him (even though they were both a bit too young for such decisions yet), and though he remained impassive, they annoyed him terribly. Being stuck with Amy for a whole day was worse than staying in a creepy mansion for an entire week.

He was brought out of his thoughts when a voice asked, "Are you Sonic the Hedgehog?"

The blue hedgehog whirled around to find the speaker. And there, standing on the other side of the gate, was—of all things—a coyote dressed in a butler's uniform. He held an umbrella over his head and stared at the visitor with a slightly bored expression.

Sonic didn't speak for a while, wondering where the stranger had come from. But then he shoved his thoughts into the back of his mind and replied a bit cautiously, "Yeah, that's me."

There was a slight nod in response, and then the coyote introduced himself. "I am Jenkins, Mr. Boddy's butler. He has been expecting you." He unlocked the gate and gestured toward the mansion with a sweep of his left arm. "Please follow me."

Without another word, the strange pair walked up the driveway to the front door of the Boddy estate. "Jenkins" fumbled with some keys and opened the door into a lobby of sorts. The floor was made of wood and had a blue rug with purple stripes in the middle. Several chairs stood against the walls, which were lined with several small paintings and portraits. There were also small, round tables, potted plants, a lamp, a grandfather clock, and, best of all, a cheery fireplace. Later on, Sonic would come to know the official name of this room: the Hall.

Without pausing, the butler walked on to another set of doors. Sonic took a few steps forward, but slipped and landed tail first on the wooden floor. Jenkins looked back and rolled his eyes. "Do remember to wipe your feet before coming inside."

"Thanks for the warning," Sonic mumbled sarcastically under his breath as he rubbed his rear and inwardly nursed his hurt pride. But he obeyed and hung his raincoat on a nearby coat-rack.

"Mr. Boddy is dealing with some paperwork, so he will be a while. But he wants me to show you to the Ballroom so you can make yourself comfortable."

He opened the doors into a wide room with a floor of stone tiles, only a few small lights, and no furniture whatsoever. Several halls led out of the room, and there were a number of doors. At one end, there was a set of stone stairs going downward into darkness. And in one corner, another staircase, this one made of wood, spiraled up into an opening in the ceiling—one of the ways to reach the second floor of the mansion.

"What room is this?" Sonic wondered aloud, creating an echo.

Jenkins replied, "It is no real room, just a place from which the rest of the hallways go." He continued walking through the room, with Sonic following slowly behind (that's a first!). He stopped at one green door at the other end of the vacant room and opened it. "This is the Ballroom," he said.

The Ballroom was a neat, comfortable room lit by two lamps and the flames of a fireplace. The wooden floor had, like the Hall, a rug in the center, but this one was green with yellow and brown borders. Two couches and two chairs were places to sit, and a small piano and a phonograph provided music.

Jenkins turned away to leave. "Make yourself at home. Hopefully I will return with company shortly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sonic asked in puzzlement, but the butler had already closed the door. With a sigh, he walked over to the large window at the other end of the room and looked outside, but all he saw was pouring rain and the occasional lightning bolt. Then Sonic did what he always did when he was bored: he paced.

He had been going back and forth for about five minutes (and nearly wearing out the rug) before the door opened again. As soon as he saw Jenkins, Sonic said, "I was beginning to wonder if you'd—" he stopped in mid-sentence when he saw who was with Jenkins. If that's Mr. Boddy, then I'm Eggman, was his first thought.

It was no human; it was a red fox in a plum-colored tuxedo. He appeared to be about eight. It was his tail that caught his eye…or rather two tails.

"Tails?! What're you doin' here?"

Tails looked equally surprised. "Sonic? You're here too?"

Without a word, the butler left them to talk. But neither the fox nor the hedgehog noticed.

Sonic scratched his head and said, "I mustn't be the only one that Boddy guy invited to vacation here. Funny, he didn't say he was inviting any-Boddy else! Heh heh, sorry, bad pun. Anyway, what's with the tux?"

"Oh, I just thought I'd go formal for once. I'm surprised you didn't dress up, Sonic."

"You shouldn't be. You know I'm not fond of dressing up just to look good. Those things itch anyway."

The door to the Ballroom opened again, and a rough voice with a Jersey-like accent said, "You're tellin' me."

Sonic turned around and was once again disappointed. This new person wasn't Boddy; it was…

"Vector!" said Tails in recognition.

The reptile was wearing a dark-green tuxedo, which was why he agreed with Sonic. He grinned and said, "Evenin', boyz! Long time no see!"

"How did someone like you get invited to a rich guy's mansion?' asked Sonic. "Does he have a case for you or somethin'?"

Vector sighed. "I wish. I haven't gotten any real cases for weeks!" He sat down on a couch and told them about some of the minor cases he had done—mostly lost Chao or toys and every now and then a missing person. He was in the middle of a story about a kid's cat stuck in a tree in the park when Jenkins came in again with another visitor, this one a white bat.

"Hello, boys," the bat said with a cunning grin that, to her delight, made Vector curl his lip.

"Rouge?" Tails exclaimed with a cocked eyebrow.

"What're you doin' here, bat girl?" the croc demanded with clenched fists.

Rouge grinned again. "I recovered a few Egyptian relics for the Station Square Museum…for a good price, of course," she said with plenty of pride.

When her back was turned, Vector rolled his eyes and muttered, "Miss Vanity." But nothing could escape Rouge's super-sensitive ears; she slapped the back of his head for the comment.

Tails, however, showed interest in the relics and asked her to tell them about her quest. Like most girls, she didn't forget any detail and rambled on for about twenty minutes. She finished right when Jenkins appeared again with a tray of drinks.

"Refreshments for everyone, and our fifth guest," he announced.

Rouge saw the newcomer and smirked, having found a special rival of hers that she enjoyed annoying. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Emerald Guardian."

"Hey, Knuckles!" Tails greeted him cheerfully.

"Hey, guys," the echidna returned the greeting to his pals and scowled at Rouge. "How'd someone like you get in a rich guy's house, bat girl?"

Vector, who had fallen asleep halfway through Rouge's story, sat up with a groan and said, "She took forever to tell us. Don't ask her to tell it again…please."

Knuckles just shrugged and pulled up a chair next to Vector and far away from his rival. Then Tails noticed that Jenkins had left the drink tray on a table next to the phonograph, and there was still a full glass of punch on it; everyone had taken theirs.

"There must be one more guest," he said while scratching his head. "I wonder who it could be…" Suddenly he went rigid. "Uh oh…"

"Uh oh what?" Knuckles asked.

The fox nervously rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Sonic. "I think he invited all of your friends over, Sonic."

The hero shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"…Not just Knuckles and me. …Somebody else."

Suddenly the door opened once more, and a familiar female voice cried happily, "Sonic!"

The hero's eyes widened in sheer terror, and he whirled around to face the speaker. "Amy! I, uhh…"

Before he could react, she rushed forward and hugged him tightly. But then she let go and put her hands on her hips with a stern expression. "You're in big trouble, Sonic Hedgehog. You stood me up at the Burger Shop! You'd better have a good reason why, or else!"

His face became red; he knew better than to say he had intentionally missed lunch with her. He stammered and constantly changed his words, but she seemed to read his mind. Gritting her teeth angrily, she balled her fingers into fists, causing Sonic to back away from her. He ended up getting cornered next to the piano, with no way out. Still searching for something to say, he looked at the other guests; they were watching the scene with interest, and Rouge was smirking in amusement. The trapped hedgehog stared at Tails and mouthed silently, "Help me!" while shielding his face to prevent Amy from seeing.

At first Tails only scratched his head, clueless as to how he could get his best friend out of his uncomfortable situation. But then he noticed something: Amy was wearing a long, white dress instead of her ordinary red skirt. While looking at Sonic, he pointed at her, hoping he would understand the gesture. Judging by the relieved look in his eyes, he did.

"Hey Amy, is that dress new?" he asked, trying his best to sound interested and impressed.

The ploy worked like a charm. Amy instantly forgot the reason for her anger. "Yes! I just got it today!" She hugged him a second time. "I'm so glad you noticed!"

When she wasn't looking, Sonic winked at Tails, and his thank-you gesture was silently returned. Vector and Knuckles stifled a couple snickers at the clever tactic the pair had used, and Rouge rolled her eyes. Of course, Amy was oblivious to all of this.

Someone cleared his throat, and the guests turned to see Jenkins standing in the doorway. "Mr. Boddy wants me to give you a tour of the mansion's first floor before you meet him. Please come with me and do not wander off alone."

The gang followed him out of the Ballroom into the empty room. Jenkins toured the first floor's nine rooms in this order: from the Ballroom through the Conservatory, Billiard Room, past the Library (which was locked), Study, Hall (they had already been in there), Lounge, Dining Room, and finally the Kitchen. Vector was curious about the basement, but the butler told them there was nothing special down there. He also told them a little about the outdoors; the mansion had a hedge maze, a fountain, a rose garden, and even a family cemetery. When he finished his explanation, the group found themselves standing in front of a yellow door.

"Now you can see the Library," he said and knocked on the door. "Master Boddy, the guests are ready."

He opened the door into the room, and the six Mobians filed inside to meet their host.