[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter Five

The kitchen was towards the back of the house. From the main hallway, I had to turn down two small hallways just to get there. I've gotta say that whoever designed this place was on crack.

What was even more ridiculous was that the kitchen was closed off by two heavy double doors. Who encloses in a kitchen? Geesh.

The red light was on when I got there. For a second I was tempted to go find another room. After all, what if ooky Ivanka was in there?

Before I had a chance to think of an alternative plan, I heard the door unlock. Alyssa stepped out and bumped right into my chest. I held onto her to keep from toppling over.

"Oh!" she said. "I'm so sorry!"

Her face was bright red. I smiled.

"Is Brian in there?" I teased.

"What? Oh no! I haven't found him yet," she said. Even the tips of her ears turned red.

"Well, you found me," I said. "So you get a prize."

Her eyes widened. She seemed so shy. It was hot. I dug around in my pockets and came out with a copy of The Pendant, autographed by yours truly.

"Here you go," I said.

"Oh! Is this your movie?"

I puffed out my chest. Yeah, I'll admit it; I took a lot of pride in my little movie. Written, directed, and starring me. You couldn't get any better than that.

"Hopefully it won't freak you out any more than this place," I said. Alyssa laughed.

"I've screamed a couple times," she admitted.

"So have I," I said. "Good luck."

She started to slowly walk away but she kept looking at me as if she couldn't believe I was standing right here. "Thanks!"

Before she bumped into something or fell down the steps because of me, I tapped my device to the door. The left side door unlocked. I stepped in and it locked behind me.

My 'girl-dar' must have been working at full strength. As my eyes adjusted to the dimness, I made out a female shape sitting in a chair. As I stepped closer I realized it was Leighanne.

With a knife through her stomach.

I almost screamed again, but I saw her blink.

"You make a bad dead person," I said. She smiled, but she didn't say anything. Obviously she was following the rules more than Rochelle.

Imagine that.

If I had thought that the jump drive had been hard to find in the movie room, the kitchen was a million times worse. There were so many cupboards and cabinets to go through. I was pretty sure I was going to be here all night.

"A hint would be nice!" I said.

Silence.

I hopped up on the counter and looked around. I had to think like Brian, Howie, and AJ. Where would they think of hiding a clue in the kitchen?

I decided that the cupboards and cabinets were too obvious. I hopped down and checked the stove...

And a freakin' bat flew out.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

I slammed onto my stomach and shielded my face. I swear the thing squawked at me. I was sure that it was a vampire bat. The thing was going to suck the last drop of blood out of my body. My gorgeous face that had gotten me a spot on the 21 Hottest People Under 21 was going to be reduced to a shriveled mess and...

"Nick, it's hiding up in the rafters. Just keep looking," Leighanne said patiently.

I looked up. I didn't hear any wings. I slowly stood up.

My eardrums hurt. I was pretty sure all my blood was hiding up there. I just wanted to get the hell out of the kitchen. I didn't know how Leighanne could just sit there.

I walked over to the food pantry. I shielded my face just in case. It was empty. I checked under the table where Leighanne was sitting.

Nothing.

Feeling desperate, I walked over to the refrigerator. It creaked on old rusty hinges as I opened it.

The jump drive was dangling right there.

"WOOHOO!" I screamed.

I heard the flapping of wings beating through the air. I slammed back down to the ground. While I was down on the floor, I plugged the jump drive into my device.

The fifth clue flashed on the screen.

Hammer.

So it wasn't the rope or the hammer. It wasn't Leighanne. It wasn't the Hall Coat Closet or the Library.

The flapping stopped. I looked around cautiously. Holding my breath, I carefully opened the refrigerator and put the jump drive back. The moment I did so, Leighanne turned in her seat.

"Now, before I give this to you, I need to tell you that I'm not the murderer," she said. I groaned.

"I already know that. Trust me. I got that clue. Can we totally skip over your speech? If that bat flies at me again I'm going to piss my pants."

Leighanne's brow furrowed. I was pretty sure 'piss' wasn't as bad of a word as 'fuck.' That had gotten me defriended from Twitter.

"Alright," she said. She handed over the jump drive. I plugged it into my device.

The sixth clue appeared.

Howie Dorough.

"Damn, the Wookie didn't do it," I muttered. I handed the jump drive back. She smiled.

"Have you solved the mystery yet?"

What was it with these girls?

"Nope. I'm still plugging away," I said.

Glancing around one more time for that stupid bat, I headed back to the door. I pressed the device against the panel. The door unlocked and I slipped through.

I looked around. All was quiet.

I thought back to the actual game board. There was the hall...I had already been there. Same with the kitchen. I knew from the clues that there was a library, but libraries had never interested me.

I decided to find the dining room. It made sense that it would be by the kitchen. I started off down the hall. A minute later I stopped. There was another set of double doors. A panel was attached to the wall. There was no red light. I pressed my device against the panel. The door unlocked. I walked in.

The dining room was as dark as the kitchen had been. Dirty windows looked out into a pitch black backyard. A long table with twenty chairs took up most of the room. A figure was slumped in the chair at the head of the table, his head resting on his arms and a gun resting nearby.

"How's it going B-Rok?"

Brian looked up. He had a bullet hole right in the center of his forehead. He smiled.

"You're the first person I've seen tonight," he said.

"I thought you weren't supposed to talk to me until I found the first jump drive," I said with a smile. His mouth formed an 'O.'

"Can you give me a hint?"

Brian made a zipping motion across his lips. He lowered his head back down.

I used my methodology that I had tried for the movie room. I tried all the chairs. I crawled under the table. The last place I looked was the china cabinet. The jump drive was nested behind one of the dusty plates.

"Ah-ha!"

I plugged it in. The seventh clue was drum stick.

"Drum sticks?" I said aloud.

"We thought that was funny," Brian said.

"How could you kill someone with drum sticks?" I asked.

"I don't know! It was AJ's idea."

I rolled my eyes. It figured. Bri sat up and slouched down in the chair.

"Now, before I give this to you, I need to tell you..."

"That you're not the murderer," I finished. "I know."

Bri grinned. "I ain't givin' you this thing until you hear me out."

I sat down in the chair next to him. He started rambling about how he was a good Christian and that he had forgiven Lou a long time ago...blah, blah, blah.

"Are you done?" I asked. Brian pouted.

"Geesh, I hope the girls are nicer than you," he said. He handed over his jump drive.

I plugged it into my device. The eighth clue was Rochelle.

"Well buddy, I think you might be the murderer," I said. "I've already eliminated three of you."

Brian smiled. "I'm a pacifist."

I snorted. "You're something. Your wife's hanging out in the kitchen with a bat."

Bri's eyes widened. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She's in character."

Bri smiled. "I wish I had gotten the kitchen."

I laughed. "I hate to disappoint you, but there's no damn food in there."

Bri snapped his fingers. "Shucks."

I stood up. "Hopefully someone else finds you soon. I know that Alyssa was mighty disappointed not to find you."

"Who?"

"The strawberry blonde. She's got the hots for you."

Bri held up his gigantic ring. I swear that he's going to have crippling arthritis in his finger for lugging that thing around for years.

"I'm taken."

"Trust me, I know."

We did our secret handshake and then I tapped my device against the panel. I was getting used to the pattern. The door unlocked and I slipped out into the hallway.

"Ha! This was a good choice!"

Andrea, the short little blonde smiled up at me. I grinned.

"You caught me," I said. I rummaged around and came out with a bottle opener and a dog tag. I handed both to her.

"Thanks!" she said.

"You're welcome."

I turned to go, but she grabbed my arm.

"Can I have a hug?" she asked.

Who was I deny a hug? She might have been scared and needed some Carter comfort. I wrapped my arms around her. When I pulled away she looked kind of dazed.

"Good luck," I said.

"Thanks," she said dreamily.

I walked off. As I rounded the corner I heard footsteps. I ducked behind a huge curtain.

Ivanka walked past me. She glanced left and right. Her hand brushed her pocket. She looked pissed.

I was hoping that she was headed to the kitchen. I had just met one of her family members flapping around in there.

As soon as I was sure she was far enough away, I came out from behind the curtain.

I didn't know where I was going next. The only thing I knew was that I was headed upstairs and as far away from Ivanka as possible.