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Post by Toz76 on Jan 25, 2017 0:19:00 GMT -5
"I was trying to scare Warren and Parker away from Walker's room. You see, I was afraid he'd mention my... illicit affair to them. But I couldn't find them."
"Why did you leave it the drawing room?"
"I genuinely thought that's where it went." Hamilton admitted.
"I see." Gunnarson said gravely.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 25, 2017 0:30:54 GMT -5
"So he did know about your affair" Gunnarson observed.
"Yes, and it word got out, it would ruin me" Hamilton replied.
Then Gunnarson turned to Ms. Ellis and Mrs. Clarke.
"Well? Care to tell your stories?" Gunnarson asked.
"Fine" Ms. Ellis began. "Like my brother said, he was paying us practically poverty wages. I saw him during the night as he was being chased by others. So I thought I had a chance to beat some sense into him. So I took the pipe from the conservatory. And when I got to the library..."
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 25, 2017 1:12:48 GMT -5
"Did you say a pipe?" asked Gunnarson.
"Y-yes, why?"
"A pipe would have conformed with the wounds received on the body. Remember, it was a blunt object that did the deed. A pipe is a blunt object."
Suddenly everyone turned and looked at Ms. Ellis, who had grown quite pale.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 25, 2017 1:16:35 GMT -5
"But my sister is no murderer! Don't forget, the candlestick, the spanner (wrench), and the fire poker are all blunt objects too!" Mr. Ellis pointed out.
"Yes, that is true. Any one of those four could have done it. But the point still stands." Gunnarson explained.
Ms. Ellis continued, hoping to vindicate herself. "anyway, after I got into the library..."
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 25, 2017 1:20:55 GMT -5
"...I suddenly dropped the pipe and it made a very loud noise. I lost all my nerve, and so I..."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 25, 2017 1:27:34 GMT -5
"...ran back to my room after seeing Dr. Walker and others running around the first floor" she finished.
Gunnarson then looked at Mrs. Clarke, the last suspect.
"That means YOU took Colonel Brook's revolver" he pointed out.
"The nerve!" Colonel Brooks fumed.
"You got me" Mrs. Clarke admitted. "Dr. Walker's father borrowed a good deal of money from my husband, but never returned it because he died of a stroke 8 months after borrowing the money. I thought once Dr. Walker grew up and became successful he would repay his father's debt, but he claimed that "the debt died with my father." That was 15,000 pounds he borrowed, you know! So in the night, I took Colonel Brooks' revolver, and once I was in the dining room, I saw a figure standing there that I presumed was Walker. So I raised the gun..."
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 25, 2017 1:32:06 GMT -5
"...and fired three times at it. But it didn't sound as though anything had happened so I went up to it and found it was only a shirt."
"So that's why I found my clothes bullet-riddled!" exclaimed the Reverend.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 25, 2017 1:47:27 GMT -5
"Ah, yes, the shirt you hung up in the dining room last night; I recall you hanging it up" Gunnarson remembered.
"Looks like Mr. Law was mistaken with the window thing; maybe the storm threw him off" Physician Warren offered.
Gunnarson took one more look at the suspects.
"Hmmm... Reverend Dixon with the poison in the conservatory, Ms. Parker with the Pistol in the lounge, Lady Goodwin with the Dagger in the kitchen, Professor Miller in the billiard room with the rope, Physician Warren with the hall with the sword, Mr. Ellis in the ballroom with the fire poker, Colonel Brooks in the study with the wrench, Sergeant Hamilton with the candlestick in the drawing room, Ms. Ellis in the library with the pipe, and Mrs. Clarke in the dining room with the revolver. Almost sounds like a game, really. But this is no game, we are talking about murder. And since we know Dr. Walker was killed with a blunt object. That narrows it down to...
.Mr. Ellis in the ballroom with the fire poker .Colonel Brooks in the study with the wrench .Ms. Ellis in the library with the pipe .Sergeant Hamilton with the candlestick in the drawing room
"One of you four... is in all likelihood the murderer" Gunnarson said sternly. The four of them stared on nervously.
"Each of you had a weapon during the night- that is means. Each of you, based on what I can determine, ran into him during the night. That is opportunity. As to motive- you all have a motive. Mr and Ms Ellis, you were motivated by money, and Colonel Brooks and Sergeant Hamilton, you were both motivated by revenge. Now it is a question of who had the stronger motive..." Gunnarson thought it over.
"If it helps- I don't think it's possible for Ms. Ellis to have done it- a woman of her age and build wouldn't have the strength to pull him that long distance to the cellar" Professor Miller pointed out.
"Normally I'd be offended by a remark like that, but for once I say that he's got a valid point" Ms. Ellis quickly added.
"Perhaps; then again, very few things are certain at this point" Gunnarson added. After looking over the suspects, he came to a decision. "If you could leave me alone for a few hours, I should like to ponder the facts a bit."
Then he stood up and left the room, leaving behind him ten nervous people...
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 25, 2017 3:12:26 GMT -5
While the others set about making breakfast, Gunnarson went into his room and sat down in the armchair that was situated there. Then he thought about everything that had happened, at all the facts, and at the ten suspects. He did not appear for breakfast, and when lunch time came around everyone had already started eating before he came in.
It was a quiet meal. Not much was said, though Colonel Brooks did say:
"Who should we contact first about Dr. Walker?"
"Since his parents died, probably his twin brother," said the Reverend. "He lives in a town near the eastern part of London and has become quite successful last I heard."
They continued to eat in silence. Then, as Gunnarson was about to take another bite of sausage, he suddenly gave a cry and sprang up from the table.
"That's it!" he cried.
"What's it?" asked Ms. Ellis, but Gunnarson had already rushed out of the room.
A few minutes later he came back into the room.
"Physician Warren, Ms. Parker, would you both mind coming with me?" he asked. The two ladies exchanged looks and then went with him.
They went into the room where the body was. There they found Walkers's body - in the nude. Gunnarson was looking excited.
"Mr. Gunnarson, what is the meaning of this?!" demanded Physician Warren.
"My dear ladies," said Gunnarson, look at this body and see if you notice anything wrong with it.
It was only two apparent.
"That tattoo there... I've never seen it before..." said Ms. Parker.
"Neither have I!" spluttered Physician Warren.
"And now all of the pieces to the puzzle are in place!" said Gunnarson.
"They are?" asked Ms. Parker, stupified, but Gunnarson had already left the room.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced as he returned to the dining room, "at last I know what happened last night! I know who the murderer is!"
Cries of "It wasn't me!" rang out, but Gunnarson asked for silence.
"Everyone, please be seated." They sat.
"Now then," he said, "let me start by saying that never have I known a case to have so many motives, so many means, and so much oppurtunity. All of you had motives; all of you had the means; and all of you had the oppurtunity.
"But who is actually guilty?"
Gunnarson continued, "As I pondered on this, I could not figure out the answer. I may slimmed it down to four people but from past cases I've had I've learned never to rule out everyone prematurely. Thus I considered everyone here once more.
"And I could not figure it out! All of you could have equally done it (though four of you especially). But who?
"Or could it be that you are all guilty?"
"All of us?" spluttered Sergeant Hamilton. "How could that possibly be?"
"I remember the case from a friend of mine," said Gunnarson, "where all of the suspects where guilty. However," he went on, "I just felt that in this case it was not so. You all had completely seperate motives, it was not possible that you were working together.
"But then, who was the murderer? As I pondered some more I found it increasingly unlikely that the murder should have even taken place! With so many people up and looking for Dr. Walker, how could someone actually kill him without anyone else noticing?
"And thus I came to no clear result. But then at lunch, some overspoken words suddenly got my brain in gear. I suddenly saw an alternative to all of this."
"And that was?" Colonel Brooks asked.
Gunnarson paused, then said:
"What if, none of you were guilty?"
Everyone was taken aback.
"How could none of us have done it?" spluttered Mr. Ellis.
"Allow me to explain," said Gunnarson. He turned to the Reverend. "You mentioned that Walker had a twin brother. Imagine that you have suddenly run into money troubles - let us say through gambling. You have a brother who has become quite successful. You decide to kill your brother and break the ties to your old life and then usurp his. You are both twins - few if any people would be able to tell you apart."
"Mr. Gunnarson, what are you implying?!" cried Physician Warren.
"I am implying that the murderer was in fact Dr. Walker himself... and the murder was that of his brother!"
Shocked cries went through the room. Gunnarson signaled for silence.
"I went upstairs after thinking of this idea and undressed the body. There, on his... erm, rear end, was a tattoo. Now, Physician Warren and Ms. Parker both stated that Walker had made love to them. If he had such a tattoo they would have known it. But neither did.
"And thus, as far as I can see it, this is what really happened last night:
"First, during the afternoon, Walker managed to kill his brother. I don't expect to know how, but it happened. Then he brought that body here to his mansion and stored it in one of the rooms he knew no one would go into - presumably his closet. Then, late at night, he got out of bed to put the body into another room. However, when he checked to see if the coast was clear, he found that it wasn't. So he went walking through the hallways and such. If anyone noticed him (and they did) they would have thought he was just going to the bathroom or such. He couldn't know of the murderous intentions everyone had, but luckily for him it worked out in one way or another. Then, when the coast finally was clear, he took out the body and brought it to the cellar and then left the house altogether. I don't know how far he got in this snowstorm however..."
"But why bring all of us into it?" asked Lady Goodwin.
"Because he knew you all had motives. He might not have known you would be downright murderous on that exact night but he knew that for each of you there was a motive for his murder. It was cruel, actually. Even if no one was arrested for the crime, all of you would have had a shadow over the rest of your lives. People would talk. No one could trust you. They would say, 'There goes So-and-So, the one who might have committed a murder!' Dr. Walker was as such an evil man."
Both Physician Walker and Ms. Parker had grown quite pale at seeing the man they loved in this light.
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is, as far as I can see, what really happened," Gunnarson finished.
The room was silent.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 25, 2017 12:16:25 GMT -5
"Absolutely preposterous!" Ms. Ellis said.
"Pardon?" Gunnarson asked.
"First of all, I haven't left this house in three weeks with the work I have been doing, and I know when someone enters this house- and I am telling you right now that there were only 12 people in this house last night- the ten you suspect, Dr Walker, and yourself" she explained.
"And I know this house like the back of my hand- Dr Walker would not be able to hide a body without me knowing about it" Mr. Ellis added.
"What's more- it is impossible for Dr Walker to have "escaped" in that snowstorm last night- can't you see how high it is? It's covering the cars up to the roofs!" Professor Miller pointed out.
"If I may add" Mr Law began, "the gates to the grounds are only closed at night, for security reasons. Dr Walker has only one set of keys and he entrusted me with them. So last night, just before the storm got worse- he did order me to close and lock the gates."
"Where is the key now?" Gunnarson asked.
"In my hut- where it is always kept. The way that snow was falling, it would be impossible for him to Get to my hut, steal my keys, get to the gate, open the gate, and drive off. And looking out the window, I can tell you right now the gates are still closed and locked" Mr Law finished.
"Plus why would you even consider having Ms. Parker look at my beloved's body? You yourself even said that she lied about having a relationship with him! You also detailed how it is impossible for us both to be in a relationship with Dr Walker, while at the same time we know each other, were friends with each other and often talked to Dr Walker together" Physician Warren pointed out. "Also, I told you- based on the Algor Mortis and rigor Mortis, he died between 2-3 am last night, not yesterday afternoon! His body would have been a LOT stiffer and colder than it was" she added.
"Plus this makes absolutely no sense! Not only would it have been impossible to escape in the snowstorm, Dr Walker had absolutely no reason to "leave this life behind" because he was very successful in his own way! Not only was he one of the best doctors in town, he was a town leader, a respected man, wealthy through inheritance, and he was engaged to be married to a woman he loved!" Sergeant Hamilton explained.
"It's true- The Walker estate and grounds alone are worth well over 3 million pounds" Lady Goodwin explained.
(AUTHOR'S NOTE: this is 119 million pounds in today's money)
"wait" Gunnarson began, "if the estate is worth that much, why was he so worried about the borrowed and granted money?" He asked.
"most of it was tied up in the art collection and investments of Dr Walker's father" Mr Ellis explained
"And talk about incompetence- why would you even consider the six of us as suspects once again? You yourself said that he was killed with a blunt object, which we did not have" Prodessor Miller explained.
The suspects were furious- Gunnarson's theory was absolutely full of holes- one of those four had to be the murderer, based on the evidence found-and here he was presenting some rediculous theory. Was he drunk or something?
"if it will vindicate myself" Sergeant Hamilton began, "I will search the four rooms Gunnarson narrowed it down to, and figure out which of the four is really the murderer" Sergeant Hamilton offered.
"at this point I feel I should trust you more than Gunnarson, so I agree with that idea" Colonel Brooks said, alongside other murmurs of agreement.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 25, 2017 17:13:14 GMT -5
"Excuse me," said Gunnarson humbly, "but if you think about it, my theory is not, as you say, full of holes."
"Of course it's full of holes!" exclaimed Colonel Brooks again.
"Think again!" insisted Gunnarson. "I will take your points one by one.
"Mr. and Ms. Ellis - I understand that you have been here for a long time, and know almost every inch of this house. However, I'm sure there are some secrets that even Dr. Walker has kept from you."
"How do you figure?" asked Ms. Ellis, calming down.
"I will show you in a bit. Now regarding Ms. Parker's relations with Dr. Walker, yes I did say that she couldn't have been having a romantic relationship with him, but on the other hand, if she was going to claim so there must have been a reason for it - and anyone who would claim such a thing would have gotten their facts straight! Ms. Parker hadn't, yet she does not seem to me to be a stupid woman - there had to be some kind of reason as to why she said what she did.
"Mr. Law - if what you say is indeed true, then I think I should take another look around this house. Everyone, please remain here in the dining room until I return." Then he stood up and walked out.
Some fifteen minutes later he returned with a basket filled with straw. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you would, please follow me to Dr. Walker's room."
"This is ridiculous!" exclaimed Sergeant Hamilton.
"I assure you it is not!" persisted Gunnarson.
They came to Dr. Walker's room. Gunnarson opened up the closet, and in a whisper said, "Alright, I'm am going to count to three. Then you are all to shout 'Fire!'." Then he took out a lighter and lit the straw in the basket on fire."
"Gunnarson..." began the Reverend, but Gunnarson motioned for silence.
"Now, 1... 2... 3!"
"Fire!" they all shouted.
"Once more!"
"Fire!"
"Again!"
"Fire!"
And then suddenly a door in the closet that no one had seen opened up and there stood the man himself... Dr. Walker!
"Ladies and gentlemen..." said Gunnarson.
"Oi, you! What's the meaning of this!" exclaimed Sergeant Hamilton and Colonel Brooks as they grasped Dr. Walker's arms to keep him still.
"So Gunnarson was telling the truth!" cried Lady Goodwin.
"Alright, you caught me," said Dr. Walker. "I actually heard everything you said in the dining room thanks to an air vent in here."
"So the body is that of your brother?" said the Reverend, shocked.
"It is," replied Walker. "However, there is something you ought to know..."
"And that is?" asked Physician Warren.
"I am not the murderer."
Sergeant Hamilton and Colonel Brooks loosened their grasp. "You're not?!"
"No." Then he lifted his finger and pointed at... someone. "In fact... it was YOU!"
A gasp was heard in the room.
Gunnarson smiled. "As I thought!"
Then all eyes turned to the person the finger was pointing at...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 25, 2017 17:47:23 GMT -5
Mr Ellis!
"So, it was Mr Ellis in the ballroom with the fire poker" Colonel Brooks observed.
"The butler, seems somewhat cliche" Professor Miller observed.
"Brother, how could you?!" Ms Ellis screamed.
"I couldn't stand being paid poverty wages anymore for the amount of work we do! And don't try being the innocent bystander here, you're just as guilty as me!" Mr. Ellis boomed.
"What?! How?!" Reverend Dixon asked.
"I can answer that" Sergeant Hamilton said, bringing some items into the room; he had ran out for a moment when he remembered something.
"This is the pipe and fire poker, and Mr Ellis' shirt and Ms. Ellis' apron from last night. See what they all have in common." He said.
To everyone's shock, all four items were covered in blood spatter
"So it was Mr Ellis with the fire poker in the ballroom and Ms Ellis in the library with the pipe?" A confused Lady Goodwin asked.
"If I may..." Began Gunnarson
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 25, 2017 18:08:32 GMT -5
"Go ahead," said Dr. Walker, "you've been nothing but brilliant so far, I'm curious to see what you've figured out here."
"I wouldn't be so glad to hear what I have to say, Dr. Walker," said Gunnarson. "After all... you are just as guilty as they are!"
"What?!" cried Walker.
"Actually, that makes sense!" exclaimed the Reverend. "If they weren't in it together then there would have been no reason to murder Dr. Walker's brother!"
"Exactly," said Gunnarson. "Let me explain..."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 25, 2017 18:12:08 GMT -5
"Hold it!" Professor Miller cut them off. "The Ellis siblings resented Dr Walker for being paid poverty wages and not getting a raise in 12 years, why on earth would they work with him?" He pointed out.
"Ok, clearly there is a lot to explain, so I need to start from the beginning. It all started...
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 25, 2017 18:47:29 GMT -5
"...about a year or two ago. This is speculation, but I think that Dr. Walker was gambling, and had run his money down. He had debts to pay, yet could not bear to part with the house his family had lived in for generations. At any rate, for one reason or another, he decided to give up his old life and take the part of his much more successful brother's.
"But he knew he would need help. Thus he turned to his servants. They had been with the family since he was a baby, and thus were very fond of Dr. Walker, however of late they were growing annoyed that their pay had been dwindling each year, and so when Walker turned to them for help he promised them a great deal of money.
"That did the trick. They joined forces to kill him. Yesterday or the day before, I am not sure when, Dr. Walker went to his brother's house, and likely through a drink was able to get him to fall asleep. Then he brought him to the mansion and with the help of Mr. and Ms. Ellis hid him unconscious in the closet.
"That night, he and the Ellises found that others were on Dr. Walker's trail, so they changed their plans a bit. The Ellises would take two separate rooms and pretend they were hunting for Dr. Walker as well. However, when the coast was clear, they came out, and then the three of them killed Dr. Walker's brother and hid him in the cellar. Then they discarded their clothes, the Ellises went back to bed and Dr. Walker hid in a secret chamber behind his closet.
"Really," he finished, with a chuckle, "the only problem in your plan was that I came here last night."
Everyone was staring at Gunnarson, mouths gaping. Ms. Ellis had grown pale and both Mr. Ellis and Dr. Walker looked extremely mad.
"All lies!" shouted Dr. Walker.
"I think not," said Gunnarson. "I found this in your room," he said, turning to Mr. Ellis. He lifted up a check addressed to Mr. Ellis given to him by Dr. Walker. Everyone looked in wonder at the huge sum written upon it.
"Now," said Gunnarson, "I have one last thing to clear up - Dr. Walker's relations with Ms. Parker."
"Finally," said Physician Warren.
"In fact," said Gunnarson, "I was indeed telling the truth that Dr. Walker was not have a romantic relationship with both Ms. Parker and Physician Warren. Ms. Parker was not in love with Dr. Walker... she was in love with his brother![/b]"
Ms. Parker gasped, "You do know all then, don't you?"
"How do you figure that, Gunnarson?" asked a confused Professor Miller.
Gunnarson replied, "It was quite simple..."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 25, 2017 19:01:34 GMT -5
"Ms Parker had some letters that I happened to stumble upon in the drawing room. It showed a romantic correspondence between the two, much to my surprise" Gunnarson explained.
"Nice story Gunnarson; too bad there are two problems with it" Dr Walker said.
"What are they?"
"One- I'm not a gambler and I absolutely hate gambling. And two- Physician Warren is the love of my life- why would I abandon her?"
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 25, 2017 19:05:25 GMT -5
"Actually, I very much would like to have the answer to that, you bastard!" cried Physician Warren suddenly, turning on her fiance who was given an unpleasant surprise.
He began to stutter. "I... I..."
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Post by Toz76 on Jan 25, 2017 19:09:51 GMT -5
"I know for a fact Dr. Walker tends to "get around"." Hamilton added. "He's been seeing several others besides Warren, and often gambles. I know because I've gone with him. That's also how he knew about my affair."
"Hamilton... you swore you wouldn't tell!" Walker exclaimed.
Gunnarson smiled as the pieces continued to fall into place.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 25, 2017 20:22:24 GMT -5
"So let me get this right- Mr Ellis ambushed the brother in the ballroom, but didn't succeed in killing him. He stumbled to the library, where Ms Ellis ambushed him with the pipe?" Professor Miller asked.
"Pretty much" Gunnarson replied.
Just then, the door burst open.
"Police, hands up!" The lead officer said, surrounded by two others
"Easy there, everything is under control." Gunnarson began. "Anyway, glad you made it Stein; you too Conrad and Johnson" he added.
"Came as soon as we got your call; it'll take more than snow to stop us" Stein explained.
"Good thing we were in the area on a case; otherwise you'd be stuck here alone" Conrad followed up with.
"Don't worry guys, situation is under control" Sergeant Hamilton said.
"All right, so who did it?" Johnson asked.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jan 25, 2017 21:50:50 GMT -5
*** An hour later, everyone was sitting in the lounge - except for Dr. Walker and the Ellises, who had been ported off to jail by Conrad and Johnson. "Now then," said Gunnarson, "if any of you still have unanswered questions I will be more than happy to answer them for you."
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