User blog:TKandMit/"Crossing Over" - Danganwiki: Convention Carnage

“A body has been discovered,” HAL 9000 calmly stated as its unsettling voice rang through the speakers of the hotel. “Our first victim has been found dead, located on the first floor of the RnR Resorts. I recommend all contestants make their way and begin the investigation, as a killer is now on the loose… hiding amongst you all.”

Flatts and I looked at each other in shock. They had seemed well adjusted to the dark and macabre, but I could see they were just as shaken as I was. The threat of death was mysterious before--I had hoped that we could leave this awful place before anyone was hurt--but now it was real. One of us killed someone and we had to find out who. Jeffrey was murdered horrifically and was left to rot in a storage closet. Shelves of RnR branded towels, soaps, and shampoos sat on the shelf, seemingly untouched despite the horrific scene barely three feet away from it.

Finally, Flatts spoke. “Okay… so we have to investigate. Jeffrey was stabbed to death by his assailant and they ditched the body here… Jeffrey was on his way back to his room, right?”

“Y-Yeah, he said he was gonna take it easy until he got his inhaler back. Being stressed out as he was… I don’t think he could have even put up a fight without having an asthma attack.”

“And they choked him for some reason,” Flatts said as they pointed at the lanyard wrapped around the deceased’s throat.

“Maybe to keep him from shouting for help? Or he did have an attack and they wanted to keep him quiet? The coughing might have attracted someone’s attention, right?”

“Who did it, you think?” Flatts looked back to me, their eyes sharp and on edge. “Quickly, before the others come. We’re safe. Cooper, Avery, Cynthia are safe. Neo and Asier are safe. There’s no way any of them could have done this in the time we split off from each other.”

“I uh… I don’t know…”

“That leaves the people back at the cafeteria. Jake, Amy, Vi, Erik, Jamahl, Axel… who else?” Flatts counted their fingers at the mention of each name and drew a blank on the last two.

“Mindy ran off… and then Rae went on that rant. Rae… do you think they could have done it?”

“I mean… they said they couldn’t wait until one of us died.”

“And I didn’t end up waiting that long, it turns out!” Rae's voice rang as they approached us, coming from around the corner. They had green paste on their face; one of those green tea sleeping masks to purify the skin. It made sense for the Ultimate Stage Actor to keep their face perfect, I suppose.

“Tell me you weren’t stupid enough to kill someone, Rae,” Flatts scolded the actor. “We’re trying to get out of this shit hole, not play by this psycho’s rules.”

“Of course I didn’t kill anyone, dumbass.”

“Orrr did you?!” The voice of Jake Stuart came from down the hall, turning around to see the Ultimate Television Host running towards us with Amy the Ultimate Vlogger in hot pursuit, filming with her phone. “Me and my one-woman camera crew are live on the scene where… oh hot damn.” Jake stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Jeffrey’s body slumped over in the closet. “That’s… Jeffrey’s actually dead…"

“Jesus Christ…” Amy pointed her phone to the ground, not wanting to film the X-rated content.

“What are you doing?” Jake snapped out of his somber and questioned his videographer. “This’ll go viral everywhere! You ever see Nightcrawler?”

“Are… are you serious? Do I look like Logan Paul to you? That’s Jiffy! We were eating breakfast with him just this morning!”

“Keep filming. You make documentaries right? This’ll make for a great story when we get out of here.” ''Jake’s personality completely changed just then. Amy didn’t want to abide by his first command so he tried a different approach; one that would seem more beneficial for her if she did what he said. ...This guy plays people just like Rae does to Mindy.''

“Whatever, weirdo.” Amy kept the camera mostly on the rest of us with only brief glances to Jeffrey’s dead body.

“CUCK GOT FUCKED AND DIDN’T EVEN GIVE ME THE N-WORD PASS!” The one and only Asier blurted out as he made his way through us and saw that the victim was Jeffrey. The dead body didn’t seem to bother him much, but then again, it was Asier.

A groan came down the hallway. I turned and saw Neo--dressed in pink, white, and brown pajamas--walking our way as he dabbed his hair with a towel. “Would you give it a rest already? Someone just fuckin’ died and you’re still spouting off nonsense.” Neo joined our crowd and peaked at the body, disgusted with the crime scene. “Yeesh. Which one of you is the sick fuck?” He asked, looking at Jake and Amy as the host snatched the latter’s phone and started recording the scene himself.

“Righty, everyone!” Jamahl’s gruff voice bellowed as the cop hurried down the hall. “Everyone clear out, this is a crime scene!” He fanned his arms at us to get away from the body.

“I don’t think that’s necessary, Sheriff Majellan,” Dr. Cooper countered as he followed him, his hands tucked in his pants’ pockets. Behind Cooper was Cynthia and whichever alternate personality was controlling Avery at the moment. The latter two quickly looked away while Cooper brushed by the policeman as he knelt down and examined Jeffrey’s corpse. “We’re not playing by the procedures of our normal lives here. We’re supposed to document the evidence and come to the conclusion of the assailant’s identity. As we don’t have access to forensic equipment and our conviction will not be held in a true court, whatever evidence we tamper with our mere fingerprints is non-sequential. The only way to arrive to such a conviction is by assessing and examining this evidence closely. But not here.”

“What do you mean, ‘not here’?” I asked the doctor.

“I must examine Jeffrey much more thoroughly and perform an autopsy in a controlled environment. There’s no telling how much foul play has already occurred in the killer’s cover up, or if they’re trying to hide anything now while we’re all here. And there’s two possible methods Jeffrey died here; the stabbing or the strangulation. Determining the actual cause of death will likely clear up some details. I’m no coroner but I’ll have to do.”

Coming from the stairwell entrance and overhearing the doctor’s explanation, Axel interjected. “No offense, Doc, but what if you are the killer? ‘Cause like, I imagine it’d be the killer’s priority to move the body and cut it up and make it even harder to examine, especially since we’re not medical experts or whatever.”

“We were with Jason all day,” Flatts shot down the accusation as they gestured towards me, Asier, Neo, Cynthia, and Avery. “We were split up for thirty minutes at the most; there’s no way that any of us could have committed the crime in that time frame.”

“Sure there is,” Rae commented as they closely looked at their nails. “Say it was just a stabbing. A few quick punctures and he’s done for. Hell, you and Matt found him, right? Who’s to say you guys didn’t team up and kill him and just pretended to discover the body?”

“No, Flatts is right.” Dr. Cooper lightly touched his palm to Jeffrey’s forehead. “He’s cold. I’d say he’s been dead for four hours at least. His blood is drying as well; there’s no way that would happen that quickly.”

“So you want to do an autopsy, then?” Jamahl asked. “Where would ya do that?”

“I’ve set up shop in a small infirmary in the Employees Only backroom of the showplace. I’ll need some help transporting the body there. Jamahl, you ought to stay here and secure the crime scene. Axel, Matt, grab some towels. We’ll wrap him up and carry him there.”

Caught off guard by the doctor’s order, I began to protest before Flatts whispered to me. “Do as he says. Gather what information you can. I’ll stay here and investigate the crime scene… we can talk later and start piecing the puzzle together.” It occurred to me that P.N. Flatts was more than just a horror novelist who had built a reputation for a grim nature. They were a good person, doing their best to look out for all of us. I agreed with his notion and went forward to join Axel, who handed me a towel from the shelf in the closet.

Axel paused for a moment. “What the hell is this?” he questioned as he held up several copies of thin black notebooks. “These were under the towels. They’re labeled ‘The 9000 File’...” the Ultimate Wrestler trailed off as he opened one of the books and skimmed through the first page. “It’s telling us what happened! ‘The victim is the Ultimate Historian, Jeffrey Newton,’ blah blah blah… ‘he was stabbed numerous times in the torso and abdomen as well as strangled by his own lanyard. The time of death was around 7:00 p.m.’”

“It’s a quarter after twelve right now,” Cooper stated as he checked his watch. “About half of us were in the infirmary, the other half we last saw in the cafeteria, and Mindy, Rae, and Jeffrey out and about elsewhere. I suggest the rest of you begin formulating your alibis before the trial.”

Axel continued, “‘The body was found in a storage closet on the first floor of RnR Resorts.’ That’s all it says.”

“That might have helped a little,” Cynthia piped up, “but that’s not really that much information, innit? Jason already determined when the murder took place, and obviously it transpired here.”

Flatts spoke up to clarify, “Well it says that the body was found here, not that the murder itself took place right here. That may be an important detail later on.”

Dr. Cooper and I spread some towels down on the floor while Axel picked up Jeffrey’s body and gently laid him on the towels. We each took separate ends of the towels and folded them overtop the corpse, wrapping him up slightly, covering the blue, lifeless and shocked look plastered on his face as pink stains bled through the white fabric. With Axel holding Jeffrey’s head and me his legs, we slowly started walking down the hall and to the infirmary.

''Watching Matt and Jason depart made me feel isolated. A good portion of only a small handful of people I could trust were no longer standing here with me. The only ones left here that I knew could not have committed the murder was Cynthia, Avery, Asier, and Neo. Cynthia’s a good person, maybe a little obsessive at times, but a good person nonetheless. Neo as well, as brash as he can be. I wouldn’t usually put my trust in a person like Asier, but in this instance his innocence was a given. Avery, despite the frequent outbreaks in his clear mental instability, was with Jason and Cynthia as well and was innocent all the same. Regardless of these four, Matt and Jason seem to be the ones I could count on the most. Jason’s intelligent and calculating; he understands our situation and is obviously a key player in figuring out the answer. I wasn’t so sure of Matt at first, but seeing him call back to earlier statements and question seemingly minute details… that’s an excellent skill to have in this situation. Spending the most time with him today, I’ve grown to trust him more than the others. With that, that just leaves the rest; those that were not with me today and could have been doing anything at seven o’clock.''

''I looked down to my feet. Beside my right foot was the bloody footprint we noticed earlier. I deliberately planted myself here when the rest started funneling in so no one would get too close and mark up the evidence. I felt like time had slowed down while everyone was speeding by. I could hear my own heart beating, its tempo steadily hastening. My eyes darted from one individual to another, examining, judging their innocence. Neo and Asier continued their bickering from earlier. Cynthia was explaining something to Avery. What, I couldn’t make out. I believe Avery’s alter at the time was the one called Lucidus. I watched as Erik approached from the hall opposite us, his room being down the corner and to the left. As usual, he stayed away from Avery. Jamahl quickly gave him a run down on what occurred, Erik’s face barely flinching from the news as he lost himself in thought. Vi had also arrived, disgust coming over her face as she saw the pool of blood, taking solace in one of the notebooks and leafing through it. I turned back to see Amy slap Jake across the face and snag her phone back, distancing herself from him as she wiped the television host’s fingerprints off her beloved device. Next to her was Rae. Rae was easily the least trustworthy person here; their cold demeanor so proudly worn like the green paste of their face. They felt my stare and snapped their attention right at me. Rae’s eyes were sharp and calculating, trying to determine how much of a threat I was.''

“Hey Rae,” I broke the tension. If I could catch her off guard, she might make a mistake and implicate herself. “Where’s Mindy? She’s the only one to not show up yet.”

The corners of Rae’s mouth lifted just a small, subtle amount. They were smirking and trying to hide it. “How would I know? Why would someone as sensitive as her want to see a dead body? Makes sense she wouldn’t come here.”

“It’s suspicious, don’t you think? Of course no one wants to see a dead body, but we’re all here regardless. That’s not what we’re here for. There’s a killer among us and we have to find out who it is.”

Rae’s smirk faded. “Then she’s afraid and has locked herself in her room. The killer would have a lot of trouble getting to her there. I know you like to think I’m to blame for all that’s happened, but I’m not, P.N. Flatts.”

“Fine.” ''I had enough with Rae’s attitude. Mindy’s presence was important, and if the person who’s been trying to manipulate her the whole time wasn’t going to help, I had to resort to the next best thing.'' “Sheriff Majellan, could you locate Ms. Milton for us, please?”

The sheriff had their arms crossed as they stood in the doorway of the closet, not letting anyone get too close to the scene. At my request, he turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “Why?”

“Well, she’s a potential suspect and she may know some detail. Even if she heard something earlier, that can be a vital clue.”

“Sorry, mate. Can’t do it. I have to make sure no one tampers with the crime scene.” Jamahl was stubborn and wouldn’t budge.

Amy came to my side and held something before us. “I think it’s important too,” she said. “I just found this on the floor, over by the wall.” The item she was holding was golden jewelry, something I knew I had seen before. Looking closer, I could make it out. It was a golden necklace with a cross on it. Dangling it before us, Amy asked, “This is Mindy’s necklace, right?”

“It is,” I agreed. I remember when we met that she had it on. No one else here seems to be very religious, so it’s unlikely anyone owns a similar piece of jewelry. “Still think it’s not a priority, Sheriff?”

Dr. Cooper gently placed the bloody knife on the silver tray. A minute later, he had unwound the lanyard around the historian’s throat and placed it beside the knife, his picture on the laminate smeared with blood. Opening a drawer and finding latex gloves, the doctor put on a pair before handing the box of gloves to Axel and myself. I gulped before putting them on, the doctor directing us to hold Jeffrey up and remove his jacket. After, he unbuttoned his blood soaked collar shirt. Axel took the arms out of the sleeves and handed me the damp clothes before I hung them over a chair in the corner.

“It appears to be seven stab wounds in total,” Dr. Cooper analyzed. “Two through his left ribs, one of them curved when the blade struck bone. One into the stomach. One puncture into his collarbone, very shallow,” he defined as he explored the wound with his finger. I felt my stomach drop from watching the doctor's work, turning away and trying to keep myself from losing my lunch. Regardless, Cooper continued on. “One centered almost perfectly in his chest, which would have severed the aorta artery and killed him in seconds. This one appears to be much less a stab and more of a slash at his right breast. And of course, the one in his heart in which the blade was found in; a very deep wound, up to the blade's hilt.” Dr. Cooper took a notepad off of the counter and quickly jotted down some notes. “The weapon is a cutlery knife, approximately seven inches in length.”

Dr. Cooper turned Jeffrey’s arms and examined them for damage as well. Taking interest in his right forearm, Cooper stopped for a moment. “His arm is nicked. You see that, Matt? Axel? There’s a cut right there about three fourths of the way up his arm.” As little as I wanted to examine the dead body, I did look closer per the doctor’s direction. There was a small cut on Jeffrey’s arm. ''Could this mean that he fought with his killer and the blade struck his arm while protecting the rest of his body? It seemed like too minor an injury, though.''

“Weird,” Axel said as he turned his attention back to the tray with the weapons. “The weapon was a kitchen knife, which implies… obviously, that the killer took it from the cafeteria.”

“You stayed behind while we went to the infirmary,” I reminded Axel. “Did you happen to see anyone take anything with them after we left?”

Axel thought for a second. “Hm, not really. I remember Vi and Amy were talking for a while before leaving, talking about makeup and shit girls like. Erik stayed over in the corner, writing notes on napkins before rushing off. Jake, Jamahl, and I were talking for a while before I left.”

“And what time was this?” Cooper asked, still focused on the cadaver in front of him as he closely examined the condition of Jeffrey’s throat.

“A little after six, I think.”

“That’s only an hour before the murder took place,” I remembered.

“And you didn’t see anyone take anything suspicious with them. Of course, unless you’re the killer and lying about your own innocence,” Jason casually made the accusation as he continued the autopsy, not taking a glance away from his procedure.

“Wh-Hey, hold on just a minute!” Axel yelled, flustered by the assertion. “What about Avery? We all saw him throw a knife at the speakers! Did you see him pick one off the table? I sure didn’t! He had it up his sleeve for who knows long!”

Axel’s defense was reasonable; Avery was one to watch out for but the ordeal with his alternate personalities and being with us made it impossible. Before I could counter it, Jason stepped in for me. “It’s not Avery.” The doctor finally took his attention away from the body and stared right at Axel.

“How could you be so sure? I know you said you guys were with him, but being a cult leader and all, maybe he had some kind of organized hit made on Jeffrey.”

“It’s not Avery,” Jason repeated. “We were together at seven o’clock and even after we split off, I never left her.”

“Her?” Axel asked.

“Him. ...Xim. Them. Whatever. They passed out and Cynthia and I took them to their room.”

“What happened to the knife Avery threw?” I asked, deflecting from the conversation that was going nowhere.

“Jeffrey and I ducked when he threw it,” the doctor admitted. “He threw it at the speaker in the corner, near where we were doing our breathing exercises. It stabbed the speaker, then the knife fell to the floor.” Jason thought for a moment. “Oh, shit. Did anyone pick it up? I forgot all about it when you and Avery were shocked and all the commotion thereafter.”

“Shit,” I rubbed my temples. “I bet that’s the same knife. Someone must’ve took it while we were all focusing on Avery.”

“And whoever it was hunted down Jeffrey, who tried his best to put up a fight, but killed him anyway,” Axel groaned. “What’s with the lanyard, though? Like did Jeffrey try to run away and the killer grabbed him by the lanyard and pulled him back, and it just like, twisted around and choked him as well?”

Dr. Cooper had gone back to examining Jeffrey’s throat. “No, I don’t believe so. The ligature marks have already begun fading, which is odd. And these bruises are very large and broader than the lanyard itself. I think the lanyard was used to hide a different form of strangulation… this looks like someone did it with their own hands.”

“What?” I asked, taken aback by the thought. “They stabbed Jeffrey to death, choked him with their hands, and covered it up with the lanyard?”

Dr. Cooper squinted, taking his glasses off and cleaning them. “I have reason to believe the stabbing was not what caused his death, either. The murderer tried to cover their tracks with two different methods of killing to hide the actual one.”

“This is too much,” Axel groaned. “How the hell are we gonna pin this on someone?”

A loud and sudden ding came over the intercom, breaking my concentration. What followed filled me with dread. “Attention, my VIPs,” HAL’s unsettling voice rang through the buildings. “It is time for the trial.”

Who do you believe killed Jeffrey Newton?