[Anything to say, Red?]
The truth was spoken and once again the thunder rumbled, but this time, as if mindful of the revelation that was about to be made, did not light up the room. All eyes were on the young man staring at the officer. Despite the hint and timing, it wasn't a look of anger or anguish. The young man averted his gaze to the floor and showed no emotion.
[Toma...Red?]
[Impossible... Not you... Not after all you've done...]
[... I don't know you, strange orange-haired boy.]
[But... Madam officer are you sure?...]
The smiling young woman observed the detective for a moment, then turned her gaze to her young protege. She took another sip under the terrified gaze of all who understood the meaning of her words.
[Yes, you may have figured it out by now, but poison tea is the one I just drank, I recognize the taste of cyanide more than any other.]
[What???] They all screamed at the same time. The lady had just announced that her hours were numbered with religious indifference.
[Is this a joke? Tell me it's a joke!]
[You knew it was poisoned so why did you keep drinking it?! Are you crazy?]
[Hurry! We need a doctor!]
The young lady broke the cup again, clenching her fist, her way of imposing silence it seemed.
[... Mistress these cups cost $300...]
[And breaking them only cost me one move. The only medicine I need is everyone's silence. The poison will have no effect on me because I have decided so. You were looking for poisoned tea because it poses a threat, I was looking for poisoned tea because it's a seasoning for me, like mint. We are built differently.]
[...That aside, madam the officer, you said you know who killed the earl?]
[That could be.]
[... And? That would be Red?]
[That's not what I said.]
The detective was annoyed by the situation, he wanted to yell with all his might at the young lady who was having fun with his nerves, but the knowledge of the latter's power strongly dissuaded him, you wouldn't yell at a grizzly even if he teased you, right? The detective regained his composure in this atmosphere where the tension was palpable.
[Since it comes to this, we shall proceed I feel like it lasted forever. Mister... Um...]
[...Tomato Borscht Vin Croissant.]
[...]
[That earl was reeeeeally a bastard.] Marcia shouted as the others held back their laughter.
[You are... A suspect!]
/Murder Case/
suspect 3:
Name: Tomato Borscht Vin Croissant a.k.a Red
Age: 21
Height: 188 cm
Weight: 176 pounds
Status: Suspect
This time the situation is different. Mr. Red, it won't just be me making your judgment but the officer as well. I call to the bar: Madam Officer.
Name: Centaurus Mars Karinae a.k.a Madam Officer
Age: 25
Height: 177 cm
Weight: 198 pounds
Status: witness
She stood up, straightened her hair, and walked proudly, a strong and impressive step where each step echoed heavily in the room before arriving at the witness chair. There she turned around, took a threatening pose, her face furious but beautiful, and took a posture of domination in front of an imaginary public.
[Who are they looking at???]
[... How does she weigh so much and look so thin?]
[Can't help but get bigger if you gain more weight? I call it a big skill issue.]
The whispers continued but only one person reacted weirdly to the whole situation. Behind her glasses she had become more and more anxious about this situation, but for other reasons.
(Her name?... Revealed like that?... Isn't that a red flag?)
[Madam officer, Mr. Red, let's begin. GOOD! Mr. Red, you are the eldest and probably the wisest in your family.]
[No, the wisest was Mom.] Her two sisters quickly agreed[
[...However, wisdom comes with a heavy burden: awareness. I think we can all agree that everyone here hates the earl. So here is your story.]
[Herm... Could you not talk about my... Hum... Love experience? Since you seem to know everything about our lives.]
[... I won't say why there is only one toilet in your apartment but you always order two rolls of paper.]
[Oh my God...]
[Ew.] Everyone said.
[What does he mean, Nady?]
[Cemetery, Sofy, huge cemetery.]
[Ah, the Earl's next house, may he burn in heck.]
[That's my girl.]
[Sh-shut up you two!]
[Okay, okay, let me continue. As the eldest, you had a longer experience with your mother than the others. How much you loved them. Alas the Earl was a horrible character, you couldn't stand such a man sharing your dear Mommy's bed, and you wished that it was you.]
[The fuck?]
[That's why you poisoned his tea today! To avenge her after the alleged murder of your mother!]
[I've never heard such bullshit in my life and I lived with the earl all my life!]
[Maybe for the most part, but still the most important thing is that you are the one who put the poison in the tea.]
(Rumble of thunder of despair)
The atmosphere had changed. Red's face darkened as a draft swept through the room. Outside only the sound of the rain testified to its presence, the lights had disappeared. Red looked at the detective with calm, a calm that would make one's blood run cold.
[Why do they all behave evil as soon as they are suspected?] Guy wondered.
[That's a serious accusation, Sir Luke, but can you even prove it? You seem to be very good at bogus theories, but it seems to me that few of them come to fruition.]
[As I said, dear friend, it is not I who will put you in the grave but the one to whom you owe everything.]
[Stop talking about my momma now!]
[I was talking about the officer.]
[Oh...]
[You will only refer to me as Mommy Officer.]
[B-b-but... My momma...]
[She can be your momma, but I'll be your mommy.]
[Yes... Mommy.]
[You lucky bastard!]
Marcia and Guy shouted altogether as Puella and the assistant bumped them over the head while Nadez and Sofiya laughed openly.
[Unfortunately, Red, it's your attitude that speaks against you. You were very afraid that the tea I drank was poisoned. No one else has been so concerned about this. But you, you stayed focused on it. You played yourself here.]
Red was head down, fists clenched. The Young Man had the strength of a thousand lions when it came to defending himself but seemed unable to lie to the one he had just called mommy.
[You're the one who put the poison right?]
[Mommy... Please you need to see a doctor...]
[What? Did you empty the tank in there? I told you it wouldn't affect me, but I'd like your explanation.]
The young man with flickering eyes collapsed on the officer's knees.
[Yes! It was me! I put the poison! I'm the culprit! I've always hated the earl... But not for my mother!... Not only... It all started when I realized the meaning of my name. He could have just named me Tomato... But this monster took away the rest of my name just to make me suffer! And I see you coming, Detective, He told me to my face it was to hurt me and disinherit me! When I wanted to leave the island when I was of age, he refused to give me my freedom. Bonny here was his eyes and brought me back every time I tried to run away!]
The concerned smiled, mocking the suffering of the young man.
[Is it a bad time to tell you that he only asked me to keep an eye on you but I took the initiative of catching you because it was funnier?]
[YOU FREAK!... So yes, Mommy, I'm the one... I did that for me, for my sisters, for every person from this terrible story... To save us all from this HELL!!! I put it when the maids were absent but I didn't expect so many people... I did it... Yes, but I swear, on your head Mommy, that I didn't stab him.]
He burst into tears as the officer was patting his head. Les invites se
The detective was thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head and stepping forward.
[The problem, Red, is that you are the only suspect. No one else directly attempted to take the earl's life... Except you.]
[Hold on, young boy, I said that he's the one who put the poison but the one who stabbed the earl is someone else.]
[*sigh* Why ask for a detective if everyone does what they want?]
[I don't know, try to be a little effective what do you think? Anyway the point is that the culprit stabbed the earl, stabbed not poisoned, why would he stab the earl if he planned to poison him?]
[...Because there were guests perhaps?]
[That would be the case in a mundane 7-year-old story, but the reality is different from your mental age, boy.]
[I'm pretty sure that there wouldn't be death in... Wait what did you say?!]
The detective jumped and observed his surroundings. The others looked at him in amazement not understanding his sudden change. This one rushed into all the corners of this part by checking each object and then faced the group.
[Everyone here has a story with the earl? Is this correct? The 3 kids, you hate him for the way he treated you, the diva and the pastor because he refused to dine you money, and Eris because he didn't care about you, not that it bothers me .]
[Tu madre, ¿quién le pidió dinero?* I asked him as a joke to give me one of his thousand jewels and he dragged my name everywhere, soy muy rica, capisce?*]
[That last phrase was not in Spanish, Diva.]
[!?]
All the others looked puzzled, the detective displayed a more troubling attitude. Nevertheless, the assistant seemed more reassuring.
[Mr. Luke, did you feel it too?]
[Yes, we were wrong from the start. I should have realized as soon as his body disappeared.]
[... What are you talking about Sir Luke? Am I innocent now?]
[... If the officer does not fall, there will be no culprits tonight.]
[What do you mean? The Great Eris hasn't made her investigation yet, the case is not closed!]
[There is no case Eris... Because the earl is not dead!]
(Rumble of thunder loud like an explosion)
Marcia, Guy, and Red threw themselves on the legs of Puella, Eris, and the officer. the maids were panicked and the commotion spread through every individual.
[What do you mean he is alive?!]
[I can assume it with what I know. Everyone, listen calmly: the earl plays an important role and has influenced the life of each of you. Now tell me, or rather you Eris: what kind of person influences other people's lives?]
The girl was silent for a moment, then looked at the detective with increasingly wide eyes.
[What?... You mean...]
[Yes, an MC. The earl is an MC.]
Marcia gave a muffled cry and the others were stunned. The officer's face darkened.
[That bastard...Think you're clever? that explains why he was so beatable...] She whispered.
[Marcia you should calm down...]
[You have your PTSD and I have mines, Guy!]
[The earl? An MC? This fool was too annoying to be an important character... Wait doesn't that make us MC too?]
[... Nadez I think that the biggest problem is that he is ALIVE!]
[Because you couldn't get the right cup of tea, you have big skills issues.]
[You had one thing to do, big brother, are you only good at wasting toilet paper?]
The detective shook his head sharply then walked over to the table where he grabbed a cup of tea and smashed it on the floor to impose silence.
[300$... yay...]
[We don't have time for this bullshit. It may be too late, but I just realized the whole picture... If we don't do something, we're all going to die.]
[No one's died in 20 years, Mister Detective, what makes you say we're in danger now?]
[Yeah This earl is probably a prank story MC.] Puella added.
[Are you calling our lives a joke, Bonny?]
[Big brother why do you always give the stick to be beaten?]
He then ran to the window and opened it wide. He peered into the abyss of night, where the clustered black clouds formed an inky veil, and then, stared back at him.
[... The story has changed.]