Hey there everyone! This is Cascore.

And I'm Wimpzilla!

And this is a little joint project we like to call "The Pennington Files". We've been working on this Murder mystery for some time.

And it's finally ready, so sit back, relax, and put your sluething skills to the test.

"Day One – Thursday Afternoon"

"Bro, you're never going to believe this! You know that job I got serving drinks on the Excess Express Casino last week? Well, I already got promoted! I'm a card dealer now, and it's a whole lot of fun Bro! I get to meet people face to face and chat with them while we play games, and I get paid for it! How great is that!? I hope you can come out and visit me with everyone sometime soon. Maybe we can play a game of poker or two while you're here!"

-Luigi

Mario read the excited letter over again with a smile as the boat from Toad Town finally pulled into Rogueport. Three days after initially discovering the message in his mailbox, Mario was able to gather together Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, and Toadsworth for a leisurely trip aboard the Excess Express.

Daisy and Yoshi found themselves hurrying ahead of the main group, Daisy obviously excited about being able to see Luigi again and Yoshi eager to check out the rumored fanciest train in the world. Even Peach seemed to press onward at a bit of a faster pace, giggling girlishly as Toadsworth asked her why she was in such a rush to get to the train. Peach knew she was expected to act more civil about the situation, being the calmer of the princesses and having grown accustomed to the fancy things in life. She simply couldn't help it though. Like Yoshi, she wanted to look around the world famous train for herself, and she playfully urged Toadsworth to hurry his old bones up.

This left Mario behind as the only one to walk at a leisurely pace. Having already been on the Excess Express in the past, he generally knew what to expect as it was, even with the recent addition of four extra cars to the train. Sure, he was excited to see his brother, but it'd been quite some time since he was last in Rogueport itself. He wanted to see if anything changed much in town at all.

He couldn't get very far before he spotted a familiar face though. Directly to his left, in the town's community flower garden, Mario was able to spot an old Toadstool friend of his, gazing into the flowing fountain with eyes that seemed to be staring hundreds of miles away. He was dressed in a formal black vest with a grey button up shirt underneath and a red bow tie place neatly underneath his chin.

Mario approached Toad from the side and tossed him a friendly wave, catching his eye and causing him to snap out of his trance-like state. Toad turned to Mario with a bright smile and waved in return.

"Hey there Mario, what are you doing around here?" Toad asked as Mario joined him next to the fountain, looking into it alongside him.

"Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Toadsworth and I came out here to visit Luigi," Mario answered. "He just got a job at the Excess Express Casino last week and already got a promotion."

"Heh, yeah, he's a card dealer already," Toad spoke up, catching Mario off guard for a moment before he remembered that Toad worked at the casino serving drinks for several months now. Mario was wondering why he was dressed in such formal attire. He'd have to be on board the Excess Express in just a few minutes himself. "I'm happy for him," Toad added before looking off in the general direction of the train station. Figuring it was about time he checked in for work, he gave his farewells to Mario and promised they would see each other on the train. Mario waved him goodbye and soon began his stroll once again.

Unfortunately for him, there didn't seem to be very many differences around that part of town. The only thing that changed around the place was the noticeable removal of the Lucky Happy Lottery billboard and the giant, endlessly jolly Bob-Omb that used to accompany it. Mario couldn't help but wonder just why it was gone, but he soon found himself being tackled to the ground by a floating, spherical force.

"MARIOOO!!!" the force's high-pitched voice shrieked with glee as the red plumber soon felt a pair of small arms hug around his neck. "It's been so long since I've seen you last! How are you!?"

He'd be better if he weren't being choked to death by some unknown entity.

Struggling to remove whoever was grabbing on to his neck, Mario had a moment to breathe again as he got back to his feet and was allowed to observe whoever it was that greeted him so violently. And he found that his assailant was none other than Lady Bow, floating before her with a bright smile, her usual pair of bows on either side of her hand, and her handy feathery fan that she used to cool herself down after the minor episode.

"Hi there Bow," Mario greeted in return with a smile that mirrored his old friend's. "Never expected to run into you out here."

"Of course I'm out here in Rogueport, my little sisters do live here after all," Bow informed, her mood suddenly turning quite sour as she folded her arms in a little huff. "My little sisters who live here and just got laid off by their idiot boss."

Mario could only wager a guess that Bow was referring to Peeka and Lahla, the only two Boos who actually resided in Rogueport and worked at Don Pianta's Game Plaza and item shop. He was quite surprised that he never noticed the family resemblance before, the three Boos looked very much alike.

"Can you believe it Mario?" Bow asked, turning to glare at the Game Plaza that rested a short distance away. "My fantastically cute and endlessly wonderful little sisters were actually laid off. Who does this Don Pianta think he is?"

"Why would he lay them off?" Mario asked, causing Bow to scoff.

"Hmph, I don't know," Bow answered, "But he's going to have to deal with me now. I hear he's heading off to Poshley Heights on the Excess Express today. I was planning to go there myself anyway, so I may as well kill two birds with one stone and have a little chat with the guy during the trip."

"Oh, I'm taking the Excess Express today too," Mario informed, causing Bow's eyes to brighten immediately as she whipped around and shined her biggest, brightest smile to Mario.

"That's absolutely delightful!" she exclaimed genuinely. "Well, maybe this trip won't be so excruciating after all with you around! We have to get together on the train sometime and catch up!" Bow immediately turned back away from Mario, her eyes glaring at the engine of the Excess Express as she held her fan in front of her mouth. "After I have a little chat with this Don Pianta fellow of course. I'll see you on the train Mario," she confirmed shortly before disappearing into thin air as Boos did so very often.

Mario took a moment to readjust his disheveled cap with a smile and decided there wasn't very much more to see around the town. It was just as well, because from the distance he heard the conductor bellow his second-to-final warning.

"ALL ABOARD!" The conductor shouted with impressive gusto, "ALL ABOARD THE EXCESS EXPRESS!"

Mario walked the short distance to the station, flashed his ticket, and boarded the train. He felt the slightest twinge of excitement in wondering if the interior had changed. With the inclusion of the Casino his brother was card dealing in, the entire train could have been renovated. First impressions were slightly disappointing, the interior was no different than he'd remembered so far. Car after car still had the same differing color schemes and held a cabin or two each. The restaurant in the center of the train remained the same as well, with the very same employees working in the same positions. The only difference now was the crew of familiar faces occupying its tables.

Mario first noticed the table at which the airy waitress was speaking with a group of three diners: one dressed in a formal black vest, a long sleeved white shirt, and a yellow bow tie, looking remarkably similar to Toad, if Toad were an obese human with a long "W" mustache. The man sitting opposite him was quite lanky and dressed in black suspenders over a purple long sleeved shirt, and next to him sat a Beanish fellow whose eyes were covered with a purple sash and wore black pants with a purple striped shirt resting over his torso. Mario didn't need very long to identify all three of them: Wario, Waluigi, and Popple, one group of cons that proved that birds of a feather really did fly together.

Well, maybe that was unfair to say. Luigi informed Mario that Wario was actually working at the casino as well, as the teller no less. He'd managed to keep the job for a few months now, so maybe he'd changed his ways. Waluigi and Popple looked quite rough however. Judging by their dirtied clothes, Waluigi's incoming five o' clock shadow, and their general look of disdain about being on that train at all, Mario wondered just why they were there in the first place.

"Hey! Mario! Over here!" Luigi's familiar, jolly voice rang out across the restaurant, causing most everyone in the car to turn their attention to the plumber almost simultaneously. Without realizing just how many pairs of eyes were on him, Mario made his way over to the long table at which his brother sat, along with Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, and Toadsworth. Mario expected to see Toad there as well, but he simply figured that the guy was off getting ready for work, very much the opposite of what Wario and Luigi seemed to be doing at the moment.

Just like Wario, Luigi wore a formal black vest with a long sleeved white shirt underneath, only his bow tie was green. And, as Mario took a seat at the table, Luigi made it a point to express how much he liked his work attire.

"What do you think bro?" Luigi asked, standing up and getting into over-the-top poses for the rest of the table. "I love being able to dress up for work every day. It makes me feel spiffy."

"I must say Master Luigi, you do look sharp as a tack in that suit," Toadsworth complimented, prompting a smile from Luigi and a nod of agreement from everyone else at the table.

"Yeah, talk about sexy," Daisy added, stroking Luigi's arm softly as he sat down once more, a slight blush coming to his cheeks. "I think I'll have to be at the card table every night just so I can see you in that."

Luigi couldn't help but chuckle nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed that Daisy would say such a thing right in front of everyone like that. Of course, he was pretty used to it by that point considering Daisy wasn't shy about openly flirting, but still, it never failed to make Luigi's heart race.

"So did you guys see your rooms?" Luigi asked the group. Only Yoshi nodded in response.

"That's the first thing I went to see!" Yoshi announced happily, "It's no wonder they call this the hotel that runs on land! Everything is so fancy!"

"I've never heard that before, but I guess it makes sense." Luigi commented. Soon everyone was discussing other things along with the train, keeping Luigi up to date of what was happening at home and hearing Luigi's experiences as a card dealer. After several minutes of hearty conversation the waitress made her way over to the group and began to take down orders. As she finished up, Luigi insisted that he wouldn't be having anything to eat, for he had to get to the casino floor and prepare his station before the train's departure in roughly fifteen minutes. From across the room, Wario seemed to take note of Luigi's action and decided he may as well get to his position himself.

At the same time, Toad could be seen entering from the opposite side of the restaurant from the casino, where Mario entered about ten minutes ago. He made sure to send a wave to the group of friendly faces that took note of his presence and briefly made his way clear across the restaurant directly to the casino in the next car over.

Not long after he disappeared into the casino, an orange Pianta dressed in a jet black tuxedo with an equally black hat atop his head, a pair of sharp sunglasses, and a large, platinum ring resting on his left hand entered the restaurant from the casino side. He appeared to simply be walking about the train casually and didn't immediately take notice of any of the restaurant's patrons. Upon glancing slightly to his left however, he quickly spotted Mario sitting with his group of friends and instantly turned his attention in his direction.

"Hey, if it ain't Mario!" the Pianta greeted cheerily as he approached Mario's side and gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Long time, no see my friend!"

"Hey Don Pianta," Mario returning the greeting heartily, standing to shake the Don's hand with a smile. "I sure am running into a lot of old acquaintances out here. How are you?"

"Me? I'm great! I'm greater den great! I'm fan-absolutely-tastic!" Don Pianta answered with much gusto before pausing to observe the plethora of others looking up at him at the table. "Look at me, where are my manners? Here I am, talkin' to you like ain't nobody else here with us. Please, introduce me to your friends."

One by one, Mario went around the table and gave Don Pianta each of their names. Toadsworth and Yoshi stood up to shake the Don's hand as they were called, while Daisy and Peach remained seated, opting to nod instead considering they were further away from him than the men. Upon being introduced to Peach, a slight tone of surprise came to the Don's voice as he returned to speaking with Mario.

"So dis beautiful young lady right here is the Princess Peach you was looking for?" Don Pianta asked, causing Peach to smile shyly as Mario nodded to him in affirmation. "Well, I'm glad she's okay. I see that little adventure was a success then. Everyone came out on top."

As the Don spoke, Mario suddenly remembered what Bow was speaking with him about earlier. Pulling the Pianta aside to chat in private, Mario decided to ask him about the situation.

"Oh, don't remind me about dat," Don Pianta groaned once Mario mentioned Bow and her sisters' situations. "Dat Boo came chargin' into my cabin like she owns da place! Started demandin' I give Lahla and Peeka their jobs back."

"How come you laid them off in the first place?" Mario asked, causing Don Pianta to look around rather suspiciously, making sure nobody was within earshot.

"Look, dis ain't somethin' I'm particularly proud of," Don Pianta began, muttered to Mario as quietly as he could. "But, see, it's my daughter, Francesca. She and Frankie are gettin' married on Sunday and, as da father of da bride, I insisted I pay for da whole weddin'. In retrospect, it probably wasn't da greatest idea to think I could fund it all on my own.

"See, I'm a rich man, but even I have my limits," the Don continued, his voice seeming to grow quieter, not only because he didn't want to be heard, but he was embarrassed to admit that he ran out of money. "Francesca, she wanted a big weddin'. Huge. And she wanted it to be in Poshley Heights of all places, one of the most expensive towns in the world. I had to let some of my people go so's I could have enough money to rent out practically da whole town, and pay for all da weddin' arrangements. Lahla and Peeka were replaceable, so they were some of the first to go. And, considerin' just how much coinage I blew on dis weddin', I don't have a clue when I'll be able to hire 'em back, or anyone for dat matter.

"Da casino's my best source of business right now," Don Pianta informed, glancing over at the car in which the casino rested.

"You own the casino in here?" Mario asked, prompting a nod from the Don.

"Best idea I ever came up with," he admitted, the tone of his voice lightening a bit. "People who travel on dis train tend to be loaded, and, before da casino, dere was pretty much no source of entertainment for 'em during their trip. So's I get to thinkin' and figure 'If these people got tons of cash on 'em, why not give 'em entertainment that liberates some of those coins while providin' them with some fun at da same time?' Result: da biggest cash cow I ever did own.

"Not dat I'm particularly proud right now," Don Pianta continued on. "Dis whole business of layin' people off came about solely because of my own shortsightedness. It pains me to make people suffer because of dat, but I had to do somethin'. I hope you understand."

"I do, but I'm not so sure those people you laid off are going to be so forgiving," Mario answered truthfully, causing Don Pianta to let out a small sigh.

"I don't doubt dat for a second," Don Pianta agreed. "I wouldn't forgive me either. But the best I can do right now is try to gather everything back up so's I can start doin' right by people again. I just don't know when I'll be able to do dat."

Just as the Don was finishing his sentence, the train's PA system gave out a noticeable click just before the voice of the engineer rang out all over the train.

"Attention passengers, we will be departing in five minutes. I repeat, we will be departing in five minutes."

At the same time, the train's conductor could be heard shouting "All aboard! The Excess Express will be departing in five minutes!" just outside. Taking note of the announcements, Don Pianta decided it was high time he headed back for his cabin. He gave his goodbyes to Mario and told him to drop by his cabin in the last car of the train anytime he wanted to chat. Before Don Pianta headed back through the casino however, he briefly called the waitress's attention and appeared to order a dish that would be delivered to his room later on.

"Oh, I can't believe this!" a voice suddenly cried out from right next to Mario, causing him to jump in recoil as Bow faded in out of thin air. "Does he think he can get away with something like that!? My sisters are out of a job because of his poor financial planning, that idiot! I shoulda whacked him with my fan when I had the chance," she fumed, fanning herself off furiously as she glared as Don Pianta exiting into the casino.

"It wasn't the best decision in the world, but he made a mistake," Mario said to the Don' defense, only serving to flair Bow's temper further.

"And mistakes are meant to be punished," she retorted. "Learning the hard way is the best way to learn if you ask me. We can't just let people go around making mistakes without correcting them can we?"

"I guess not," Mario answered, though he believed Bow was quick to dole out punishment no matter the case anyway.

"Hmph, well, I suppose I should find out where my cabin is at least. I feel annoyed just floating in this room," Bow admitted as she whipped out her ticket and scanned it over. Interested in finding out where Bow would be himself, Mario glanced over at the slip to discover where she could be staying.

Car 1 Cabin A

"That's right behind the engine room huh?" Bow asked, prompting a nod from Mario as she sighed. "I hope it's not terribly loud up there. I need peace and quiet in my own cabin, or else I get pretty cranky."

And Mario would hate to see Bow when she was "cranky."

Now that he knew where Bow would be staying, Mario was allowed to continue with his own devices after a goodbye hug and a quick smooch planted on the plumber's cheek. Mario was quite surprised to receive the motion of affection, but, thankfully, he could see that everyone back at the table were deeply engaged in what seemed to be a comedic conversation, so none of them noticed what just happened.

Bow soon disappeared once more and Mario was finally allowed to return to his dining table. Everyone welcomed him back as he took his seat and Mario quickly found himself to be the deciding factor in a split argument over which was the better vacation spot, Glitzville or Poshley Heights. Having visited and quite enjoyed both locations, and not wanting to disappoint anyone who supported the opposite of what he chose, Mario decided to stall on his answer until another announcement blared over the PA system.

"Attention passengers, the train will be departing for Poshley Heights momentarily."

Like last time, the conductor could be heard outside, shouting out the last call for any would-be passengers to board the train immediately.

Answering the call, a panicked voice could be heard shouting at the top of its lungs as the train's engine began to warm up.

"Waaait! Wait for me!!" the voice pleaded.

Not long after that, the engineer declared that the doors were closing. He announced that the expected time of arrival in Poshley Heights was early Saturday morning and the train would be making a pit stop at Riverside Station along the way.

Mario wondered if that station was still in the same poor condition as it was the last time . It was hard to believe that station had any staff at all last time he was there, and, aside from the drawbridge, there didn't seem to be anything incredibly important there. But who knows, maybe they fixed the place up a bit.

Soon, the Excess Express was off, its whistle blaring for several seconds as the engine began to pump away from the station. Daisy and Yoshi rushed to the nearest window as the train departed, looking into the town and observing various residents waving from the station. The two of them waved back happily, until the train rounded a corner and removed itself from the sight of those back on the platform. The journey had finally begun, and they couldn't feel more excited about it.

–

After consuming their meals, Mario and his friends removed themselves from the restaurant and made their way over to the casino. Bow was the only other passenger present in the car along with the three staff employees. She was playing on a one-coin slot machine and appeared to be having a great time.

Just to her left stood a smiling Luigi nestled behind the lone card table, waving at the newcomers as they approached him. The casino was admittedly quite small, but, considering it was on a train, it was impressive nonetheless. The room was windowless to help keep the area dim and comfortable and five slot machines lined the walled behind Luigi's card table. A roulette wheel rested on a larger table in the middle of the room, but it was unattended, closed for this particular trip according to Luigi. Next to the entrance was the teller's counter behind which Wario stood, watching everyone silently as he waited for someone to come to him for some chips, which were received by Toadsworth after a minute or two, realizing they would be needed if the group wanted to participate in any of the card games.

One hundred chips were taken to the table, twenty for each visitor, and they soon began to play several lighthearted, low stakes games of poker which, as everyone would soon discover, Luigi was quite good at. Nobody ever minded losing to him though. They were so wrapped in the good time they were having to care at all.

Eventually, Toad made his way over to the table, having just handed Bow her third drink in a row. With a smile, he greeted everyone the way he would have earlier if he had the time to do so, allowing himself to get wrapped up in conversation for several minutes before he asked if anyone would like a drink. He carried several on his tray of all different colors. Mario was the only one to pass, while Yoshi accepted a fruit cocktail, Toadsworth took some white wine, and Peach and Daisy both grabbed apple martinis. Luigi himself appeared inclined to snag the green drink that rested on the tray, but resisted the urge, remembering he wasn't allowed to drink on the job.

Toad promptly returned to the bar to make several more drinks when the waitress made her way onto the scene, carrying the steak dinner Don Pianta ordered before the train departed. Toad called her over to the bar and handed her a new green drink he just whipped up. It was Don Pianta's favorite, a sour apple martini. He admitted that he hoped he could butter the Don up with the gift so he just might have a better chance at getting a promotion he'd been seeking for a while now, prompting a chuckle from the waitress. She promised she would mention that Toad made the drink for him and, with a smile, exited through the opposite side of the casino. Toad barely had time to shed an inward smile before Bow shouted for his attendance, demanding yet another drink to distract her from the increasing amount of coins she was losing to the machine.

"Ha! Four of a Kind! Beat that!" Daisy exclaimed as she exposed her cards, showing four Star and one Mushroom, by far the best hand of the whole game so far. She was the only one to beat out Luigi's full house and received eight coins as a reward, as well as a round of clapping for her great luck. She let out a cheerful whoop as she took her coins, feeling rich compared to her fellow player, leading the game with a healthy thirty chips. Luckily for Luigi, everyone else had already fallen below ten chips each, so he could take pride in a job being well done as well as celebrate Daisy's good fortune.

The waitress soon reappeared and Yoshi made sure to catch her attention before she could exit to the restaurant. He had a sudden urge for a fruit parfait and asked if it was alright to order from the casino. The waitress happily accepted his request and bounded off to retrieve the dessert for him.

Just as Yoshi turned back to begin another hand of poker, the train's conductor entered the casino from the back and immediately headed for the card table, getting Luigi's attention.

"Don Pianta requested you see him in his cabin," the conductor informed, causing Luigi's eyes to widen slightly, wondering why the Don would want to see him in private.

"Um, okay," Luigi mumbled, setting down his deck of cards as he turned to follow the conductor to Don Pianta's cabin. Everyone watched after him until he was gone, feeling equally concerned about the sudden summons. How could he be in any kind of trouble though? He'd gotten promoted just a week after getting the job, so he had to have been doing something right. It was several minutes before Luigi made his return.

"What did he want to talk with you about?" Peach asked as Luigi began to shuffle the deck as if he'd never left.

"Oh, it was nothing." Luigi replied, not looking away from the shuffling cards that flew between his hands, "He just wanted to give me a "heads up"."

"About?" Mario asked further. Luigi replied by passing out the next hand, and everyone picked up on the hint that it was a private matter. The chatting resumed and spirits were high once more.

As everyone exposed their hands, Toad could be seen making his way over to Wario, who was leaning against the wall, bored. Wario glanced over at Toad as he was being spoken to and soon gave a small nod. Toad smiled at him and soon exited the casino through the back while Wario departed from his station and picked up the abandoned tray of drinks, temporarily taking over Toad's job as he went on a quick bathroom break.

Bow soon gave out a shout of glee as she managed to make her first winnings and promptly called for another drink. Toadsworth noticed that Bow was consuming quite the excessive amount of beverages in a rather short time, but that quickly became the least of anyone's worried as Toad suddenly burst back into the casino, a horrified look his eyes.

"Something happened to Don Pianta!" he exclaimed, seizing everyone's attention immediately. "H-He's not breathing!"