LM11: Death Underground

[Eyes]

Literary Mosaic 11:
DEATH UNDERGROUND

"Spelunking! That's just the kind of thing for a lad like you!"

I turned around. Our host, Major Cronwall, was addressing me.

"Oh, yes, it sounds like a lot of fun," I replied.

"That's an understatement man," the Major said, laughing. "There's a certain thrill in caves. It's adventurous, exciting, hell, you could get lost in one if you're not careful."

"Well I certainly hope that doesn't happen," I quipped.

"Not if you're careful!" the Major said, clapping me on my back before moving off to mingle with the others.

Gunnarson, Cricket and I, after the exciting events of the last published book I wrote down of Gunnarson's crime solvings, "The Tables Turn", had been invited by Major Gregary Cronwall, an avant admirer of Gunnarson's mysteries. He extended the invitation to me and my recently wedded wife for, as he said, "The sidekick is often as important as the detective!"

The Major had opened up a resort on a piece of land which happened to have a cave on it. People were interested in spelunking the said cave and thus came to the resort to spend a night or two and explore one of the natural wonders of the world.

There were ten people staying at the resort when Gunnarson, Cricket, and I came. Not counting us and the Major, there was a Mrs. Eliza Enderby, Amelia Blondsted, and Jessica Parker, three old maids who loved nothing more than to chatter about gossip and other such stuff. From what I could tell, however, they seemed accurate judges of character.

Then there was Jonathan Gothart and his wife Emily, who were missionaries to India, from what I heard, but had come home for the summer to see old friends and family.

Finally, there was the Major's nephew, Robert Cronwall, the son of his late brother. He was a charming lad, and the Major was quite attached to him, but I did wonder if he had had any problems with the law.

On the afternoon when we went out to the cave, we were joined by an eleventh person, a Frenchman named Jean Picard. He did not stay at the resort, but merely came for the spelunking. He was a cheerful looking person, with a spry step and a fondness for jokes.

Before we set off, the Major alerted us to be careful, dealt out safety gear, and advised us to try to stick together.

And then we set off.

It was an interesting cave. Cricket and I were both enjoying the sights inside, Picard was wandering all around with many "oohs" and "aahs", the spinsters were chattering about 'decorative' stalgmites... only Gunnarson seemed bored with it all, truth be told.

After about two hours, around 5 o'clock, we realized it was about time to be getting back, but no one seemed to be able to find the Major.

"Where can he be?" asked Emily Gothart. "You'd think he'd be the first to alert us."

"Yes, yes, hmm..." chimed Eliza Enderby.

"Perhaps he's just around this corner," I piped up. I turned the corner and saw the Major lying down. "Why, there you are!" I said. "We're thinking it's about time to go so..." Then I realized something was off.

I knelt down. It was then I noticed the blood poring from the Major's head.

I got up slowly and went back to the group.

"Well?" asked Jessica Parker.

"Well..." I began. "This may come as a shock to you but... he's dead..."

[Toz76]

Gunnarson, as always, was quick to assess the situation. "Based on the evidence I can see, he died of a head wound after falling from a great height. Part of his tether is still attached to the ceiling up there." He lifted his lantern and indicated as much.

"But he said these tethers were strong enough to lift a full-grown elephant!" Jessica interjected.

"This cable doesn't look like it just broke," Jean said, examining it. "More like... Merde! Er, pardon my French, as you Englishmen say, but it looks like someone cut his tether!"

"But who?" Emily Gothart asked. "I was with Jonathan the whole time."

"I can vouch for Cronwall, he's been with me for the entire time except when I ran back up to use the water closet." Jean added.

"Same with me and Cricket." I inputted. "Except for when she went to use the, er, facilities, fifteen minutes ago, we've been together the whole time."

"Well, we've been together the whole time too." Amelia said, gesturing at the three ladies with her.

"So the only people who could have committed the murder is... Gunnarson."

"Now, now, I understand your suspicions, but I assure you, I am innocent. Anyone who was alone for any period of time is a potential suspect. That includes Cronwall, Picard, Hartley, Cricket, and myself."

"Now that you mention it, we did loose Eliza for a while by the cave paintings..." Amelia said.

"What are you saying? You wandered off by the fossils and you know it!" Eliza shot back.

"Well, at least I didn't get "distracted by the crystals" for half an hour like Jessica!" Amelia shot back.

"Now, now, let's not quarrel. Let's look at things objectively." Gunnarson replied.

[frankthetriviaman]

"Here's what I can determine" Gunnarson explained. "Means motive and opportunity are the key to solving any murder- motive here is the key. Someone here had to know the Major quite well enough to justify wanting to kill him, and yet most of us here are nothing more than strangers, and the Major merely a guide for us. Therefore, the only logical candidate who would have a motive for killing the major is...the nephew!" Gunnarson declared. Everyone was suddenly like iooking at Robert.

"You... you can't be serious" Robert said, nervously.

"Oh but I am- after all you're the only one here who had a relationship with the major that was more than just being our guide" Gunnarson informed.

[Eyes]

"Pardon me Gunnarson," I said, "but perhaps we should alert the local authorities."

"Right. If you would be so good as to ring them up..."

So I did, and about twenty five minutes later they appeared. We had gotten everyone out of the cave first however.

The policeman in charge introduced himself. "I am Detective Hardstuckle. Is there anyone in charge here?"

Gunnarson stepped forward. "I suppose I am," he said. "I am Adolf Gunnarson, a-"

"Gunnarson? THE Adolf Gunnarson?" Hardstuckle stepped forward and shook his hand warmly. "Wow," he said. "THE Adolf Gunnarson! I can't believe I've finally met you. I hope you'll help me solve this case?"

"We'll see," said Gunnarson. "But first..."

[frankthetriviaman]

...as I was explaining to everyone just before we came up, the only logical candidate who could possibly have a motive for wanting to kill the major is the nephew" Gunnarson explained.

"How did you figure that out?"

"Murders don't just randomly happen; there's means motive and opportunity. For motive, there has to be some sort of relationship; something that connects the suspect and murderer. And for everyone but the nephew, we've got no relationship with the major beyond him being our guide. The nephew is the only one here with a substantial relationship to the major, and thus the only one here who could possibly develop a motive" Gunnarson explained

[Eyes]

"I see..." said Hardstuckle.

"But... I..." said Robert, speechless.

"Now look," said Gunnarson, "I'm not accusing you, I'm merely looking at the evidence. Perhaps, however, it would be best to show you the body first..."

[frankthetriviaman]

Cricket and I, along with the others, waited outside while Gunnarson and the detective went for the body; leaving a trail of lights behind them to guide them back to the entrance.

When Gunnarson and the detective came to the body, the first thing the detective observed was...

[Eyes]

...that the body had been dead for a little while.

"When did you discover the body?" he asked.

"Around 5 o'clock," replied Gunnarson.

"I'm no doctor, but I think that this man was dead a good hour or so before that."

[Toz76]

"I disagree." Jean said. "I'm a doctor, and I can tell by the amount of stiffness in his body, I'll be damned if he wasn't still alive ten minutes before we found him."

[Eyes]

"Like I said, I'm no doctor " said Hardstuckle. "But where did you come from? Only Gunnarson and I were to come down here."

[Tug]

"Pardon me Monsieur, I asked the medical team if I could tag along while they came to look over the body, and they decided to leave for the Major right after you two left..." answered Picard as the Medical Team soon appeared rounding the corner with their equipment...

"Man, moving this stuff for examining the body is a pain... Especially moving it down into a cave!"

[Eyes]

"Ah, I see," said Hardstuckle. "And er... sorry for the missed timing there. I've been trying to learn some stuff so that I can figure out times without needing a doctor but that doesn't seem to have paid off yet... I think I'm just better with sticking with the medical team."

[Toz76]

"Besides, you're a suspect. You could be lying about his body."

"He's not, he really has been dead for a relatively short time." a medic replied.

"Nonetheless, you should leave."

"But of course, I don't want to interfere. But, ah- is not Monsieur Gunnarson also a suspect? Should not he also be leaving with me?"

[Eyes]

"I think we can agree that Mr. Gunnarson is not guilty of the crime, though I don't know who you exactly are..."

[Toz76]

"What makes you say that?" Picard continued, a little annoyed. "He was the only one alone on the trip. If anything, he should be the one with the most suspicion on him."

"He's sort of a hero though..." Hardstuckle said.

"I'm sure Hitler was a celebrity in Germany, but that didn't make him innocent." Picard replied.

[Eyes]

"No, it's not that. Adolf Gunnarson is renowned as one of Britain's finest detectives, alongside Hercule Poirot and Lord Peter Wimsey. I'm sure he didn't commit this crime."

[frankthetriviaman]

"And besides, like Gunnarson said, he has no motive, unlike the possibility of the nephew having one, given that he is the only one here with a substantial relation to the major" the detective added.

[Toz76]

"But he has more means and opportunity than his nephew. I was with the young man the entire time, except for a run to the W. C, and it was well before this man could have been murdered." Picard argued. "He didn't strike me as a murderer, or as having anything other than admiration for the major."

"Hmm, that is a good point." Gunnarson mused.

[Eyes]

"Look," said Hardstuckle, "we're not going to get anywhere in this case if this keeps up, so whatever, you can stay."

[frankthetriviaman]

A thorough investigation of the crime scene by Gunnarson and Hardstuckle yielded little to go on; the premise of an accident was very well portrayed. Other than the sabotaged rope there were few, if any indicators of foul play.

The doctors however, did stumble upon one clue.

"Ugh, that God-awful stench of smoking; I can't stand it" one of the doctors complained.

"But... my uncle wasn't a smoker" Robert explained. That was when it hit Gunnarson.

"Of course; in an enclosed space like this, smoke has few places to go, so... the murderer must have been close to the Major and smoking up a storm before the kill" Gunnarson concluded.

Having gone back outside, Robert pointed out something else very important "And I carefully inspected all the ropes before we went in; none of them were sabotaged at the time"

"Yes, yes it makes sense now. Which means... yes! The Killer carried a knife on him, used to cut the rope. I wonder..."

Gunnarson made his way up to where the Major's line was tied. and near the edge of where the rope was tied too... Gunnarson found 2 cigarettes.

"Unbelievable... the killer actually stood here for a few minutes to admire the kill" he thought to himself.

Gunnarson brought everyone back together to explain the scenario.

"The bad news is that we don't know who did it. The good news though, is that we know three things about the killer- the killer smokes, carried a knife on his or her body, and... is one of the people in the major's party; there is no outside influence. One of the people here is a murderer" Gunnarson finished.