Ah, A Murder

Alpha, Nancy & Songmark Characters Copyright Mr. Simon Barber

Used with permission.

The Rotes Second Year.

Mrs Oelabe, Songmarks school nurse quietly closed the girls medical records before looking over to the two first years now busily redressing. “First I wish to thank you both for volunteering” she announced. “Secondly, you are both in excellent health. Now all I need is to find out which will be the murderer, which the victim. Please remember this before you decide because though the murderer will be doing her best to throw aside suspicion upon herself, she will be continuing her daily duties.”

“And tha poor poor victim” Katrina Schmidt asked, that soft Southern drawl of hers coming to the fore like warm honey.

“She will of course sleep the day away. This will cause her to have some trouble getting her schedule back in order, for a bit. Tomorrow may prove very difficult for her and you both must remember that she will miss all the fun.”

“Kat should be the victim” Elizabeth noted. “She is the smaller of us and of course she would make a much more photogenic corpse.”

“Y’all jus wanna take pictures of mah naked, beautiful body dear” the marsh rabbit laughed. “Ah, tha things ah lady must do for tha pride of her family. Ah accept.”

“Very well.” Mrs Oelabe turned to a locked cabinet, soon withdrawing a single small blue-grey pill that she dropped into a tiny white envelope. “Miss Schmidt, please insure that you have preformed your bodies needs before taking this. You will then sleep a full twelve hours and absolutely nothing short of skinning you alive will wake you. Even that may not prove effective in the first six hours though I will be attending your ‘body’ the entire duration of this class. You may be assured that you will not be molested.”

“Ah honey. Ya’all’s takin all tha fun out” Katrina laughed. “Very well Mrs. Oelabe, I will have how long after taking this before I am unconscious?”

“No more than ten minutes.” She glanced to Elizabeth. “Please inform Miss Brightwhite that theft of restricted drugs, meaning any drug under lock and key is an automatic expulsion from Songmark of the entire dorm. You will be certain that she is fully aware of this?”

“Megan?” the nutria asked. “I do not think she would dare, very well Mrs. Oelabe I will insure all my dorm is very aware of this rule. Where should we go now?”

“That depends Miss Juniper. Were you angry enough to murder your dorm mate, where would you do so?”

“Kitchen, laundry or the third years hot bath area” Elizabeth answered. “Kat? Where do you think.”

“Well. Ah Lady would never be found murdered innah kitchen. Why, it would simply ruin everyone’s appetite. Ah laundry, Elizabeth that is where tha servants are so why would ah be there?”

“So it is the bath? So like you” Elizabeth noted. “Very well, the bath it is. Mrs Oelabe, how am I to murder her?”

“That material your instructor will supply” the nurse answered. “Now I have one last question before I shoo you both off. Just who is Dorm Leader in your group.”

“Tha depends” Katrina answered. “Upon which of us are most suited for tha subject at hand.” She patted Elizabeth’s paw. “Usually Elizabeth of course, such as in this case.”

“Interesting and Miss Schmidt. Your slipping from maidenly Belle of the South to Northern accent is quite disconcerting.”

“Yah thin so Missy?” the rabbit asked, her voice suddenly affecting a very South-Western accent. “Why, Ah shurley woldnah want yah tah be all bothered by such.”

“Actress” the nurse noted. “Or too many movies.”

“Too many romance books Mrs Oelabe” Katrina admitted. “I am a Southern Lady by breeding, I am all things else by desire. I do though hate the North with a great passion. We better be off Liz, before we’re late and don’t let Alpha near me. I might wake up with two brains or something as she is aware now of how I feel about her.”

“Could never hurt your grades” Elizabeth admitted. “Two brains tha is. ‘Less ones mine. Morin likely you’d end up tied tah her bed like she does her wife. Come on, we better hurry.”

“Good morning class” Elsia Hoffman announced. “I am Miss Hoffman, piss in my soup and I’m Fraulein Hoffman with the whip. Get my drift?” She waited, watching faces. Reaching a height of barely four and a half feet the thirties something Spitmause was currently standing on the desk she’d been loaned. “Today is yer first class. Murder Investigation one zero zero. This ladies is one of the worst crimes you will encounter, the worst we will not deal with this year. Three things happen today. One, those of yah who have no knowledge of Investigation will learn somethin. Two, those of yah with some experience will show it. Three, I’ll learn where I stand with this class.”

She kneeled down on one leg to pick up a folder, then stood again. “Each class will be ah lecture. Said lecture will be a real case, no name changes, no material modified. Occasionally we will have ah field exercise noh stand, give me yer name, an sit back down.” She pointed at a tired looking skunk. “You start.”

She waited in silence as her seven students stood, recited their names then sat again. When the last had announced herself Elsia opened her folder. “Basic investigation. First thing, TOUCH NOTHING! Get that through yer heads and you’ll have no problems with tha rest of this course. When yah approach a scene, hopefully yah will have a camera. If you do take pictures from all angles. If yah don’t, go get one. Take pictures of the area around the scene, especially turn around ahn take pictures of tha way you came in. Then enter tha scene. Todays scene is ah murder so Miss Parkens, what’s tha first thing yah do after your through taking in tha scene.”

“Well...”

“Stand please. Let tha other girls ogle yer curves. Never know, might get ah date out of this class.”

Blushing madly a lith vixen stood. Her black marked amber brown fur did nothing to hide her embarrassment. “First I would try to ascertain exactly how the victim was killed” she answered. “If it was a gunshot, a knife or other.” Quickly she sat.

“Good enough. Class. When entering a murder scene finding out how tha victim died is secondary. You know that body is dead. How is secondary as tha medical doctor will cut up tha body fer yah, and give yah ah report. Yah want tah look for...”

She spoke for half an hour explaining basic investigation techniques, how to spot and collect evidence. How to pick up objects that might have prints upon them without ruining said prints, or placing their own prints over them. Elsia went on to explain the difference between left and right paw evidence and how some criminals would try to hide the truth. When she was done she pointed at the door. “Ten minute break. Nature, cameras if yah got ‘em. Then meet at tha third years hot baths. Move.”

After her class left Elsia gathered her things, slid them into a battered case and headed for the door herself. Miss Devinski was waiting just outside. “Your opinion” she asked.

“Rote can keep her mouth shut” Elsia answered. “But that isn’t your question. Yah gave me seven students, I’ll lose two tahday. That other five? Maybe four are really worth my time. Then ah have tha Shrew tomorrow fer laboratory work.”

“Thank you. Is there anything else?”

“Yah. Yah mind iffin I date that little vixen?”

Miss Devinski smiled at her much smaller companion. “Contrary to popular belief our girls are not all Sappho Elsia. In fact not all are promiscuous. A few have been known to leave here the maiden they were when they arrived. Dear sweet Miss Parkens has neither interest in you, or anyone else that I am aware of.”

“Ah, a challenge. Five shells?”

“I will not bet a students morals with you Elsia. You may ask, if she says no and I am quite certain she will, you will never ask again.”

Elsia grinned. “Depends upon when yah ask yah know, ahn how.”

“Do not press her Elsia, she has great potential. I do not want any of my girls to leave simply because they are being chased.”

“Ahn South Africa is ah place we don’t have any agents in either. All right then no pressin. Shall we see how they fare?”

“No thank you. I have a certain shrew to beat with a very large stick. I simply cannot understand how she discovered the secret of our mirrors, until your report this afternoon.”

Elsia slowly made her way over to the building holding the third years hot bath, and that very odd air blower someone had come up with. One which was still running she noted. Waiting for her was her class, with Mrs. Oelabe keeping them out. “Welcome class, as you can see Mrs Oelabe is actin as our Police Officer today. She has kept everyone out since tha body was found. Now, how many of you have asked her what she knows?”

Every paw went up. “And she said wait until your instructor arrives, correct?”

“Yes Mam” came from several mouths.

“Very good, I would have been disappointed if you had not asked her. You may work individually, in teams or as one group. All right we have here er ah murder scene. One of your first years was murdered while taking a hot bath in a room reserved for third years only. We have two witness’s. Both students. Tatiana Bryzov ahn Liberty Morgenstern. They have been separated ahn are awaiting your questions. You may question your instructors ah their convenience. There may be labeled objects in that room. Read each label, consider tha object in tha condition its label says it should be in. Broken chair, clawed wood ahn such. You have five hours tah investigate, question, study any photographs you make ahn write a report. Two second years are waiting to develop ahn print your photographs. You are for this exercise permitted only one roll of film due tah tha time limits. At the end of that time I will accept whatever you have completed. One last warning. Tha body inside has been drugged so that she will not react to anything you do, but she is very much alive. Even if yah are certain she’s dead so nah souvenirs understand?” Looking at her pocket watch Elsia waited several minutes. “You have five hours, startin now.”

Mrs Oelabe immediately began answering questions for the class. Elsia watched with some interest as the squirrel Nancy Rote began a careful examination of the buildings exterior. Would she find the clues? Was this young brash American a tenth as good as she thought she was? There was nothing to do now but wait and see.

When the door opened two girls lost their breakfast at what they found, but made points up by returning to their work after calming down. That smell, all that blood and what had supposable been done to the young student was horrifying. Calmly Elsia inspected the set up scene. Yes, it had been a vicious crime, with the help of several of her friends in theater it appeared that the young rabbits neck had been cut from ear to ear, with the knife then shoved into her stomach. She was floating calmly in warm, blood red water.

“Ammonium?” Nancy Rote asked. “I would much expect some scent, from urine released after death. This appears to be a great deal. Our murder is covering her tracks by destroying her scent.”

“How are you sure it’s a girl” Elsia asked.

Looking down at Elsa the squirrel thought, then kneeled to bring her face equal to her instructor. “Why that is quite simple, we are protected by proven competent guard dogs. They have not alerted to any scent of a male thus it must be a female and a student.” She wrote in her notebook as she talked. “Had it been an instructor no body would ever have been located.”

“What if you are wrong?” her instructor asked as the other students took photographs or made notes.

“Why then I am wrong, this will of course become obvious as each clue is uncovered. A theory is only a theory until the facts support it as correct. No one is certain to be correct every time.” She waved her free paw at the scene. “Vicious attack. Horribly vicious. When we have completed our investigation I would like Mrs Oelabe to inspect the body.” Looking at that knife sticking out of the apparently dead girls stomach she shrugged. “Someone hated her a great deal, this is a crime of passion not of greed.” Taking out her camera the self described sleuth stood and began taking careful photographs.

“Miss Hoffman” a second year called. Walking over to the girl Elsia waited. “This lock” the girl explained, her comment causing several students to pay attention. “It isn’t the right lock for this door.”

“Why do yah say that” Elsia asked. “Thing is a padlock, its seen weather. Same as all the other padlocks on this building.”

“Yes Mam but this padlock is steel. All the others are brass. I know for a fact this used to be a brass padlock.”

“She’s righ” another second year student announced. “This here padlock goes onna gar-en shed. See? Is mark nintha-three.”

A few seconds of intense conversation later and two girls hoofed it towards Songmark’s Garden shed, two others headed over to interrogate the two waiting students and the last three, having decided that they had inspected the scene as best they could turned their attention to Katrina Schmidt’s ‘dead’ body.

“Awful bad wound” one girl commented as she carefully photographed Katrina’s ‘slit throat’‘ from one side while Nancy Rote photographed the other. “From tha blood, ah’d say her head been pounded somethin awful.”

“Or her murderer wishes us to believe such” Nancy remarked. “Look carefully. Though there are marks of blood upon her head there appears to be almost no dripping of that blood. A wound would drip if the victim were alive when injured. It looks as though perhaps she held her victim by the hair, watching her eyes dim as she died.”

“Passion then” the second girl agreed. “Ahm Mary-Lynn. So first year, noh way she’d gottan a buck off this reservation. Means its onna of tha girls so, either Tatiana or Liberty?”

Nancy checked her notes from Elsa’s lecture as the two walked outside. “I believe Tatiana has been studying with a local Priestess. Murder would not be acceptable to a Priestess therefore I believe that we may safely exclude the Russian in this one case. Regarding Liberty, you heard about that film?”

“Somethin about a violent sex movie. Yeah, every’uns hard bout it.”

Nancy closed her eyes, thinking. “This is nothing like the injuries Liberty granted her victim. She used no blade to wound, only to undress. She used her paws to injure therefore I do not think either second year is our target.”

“Yah seen tha movie?”

Nancy blushed. “My wife gained a copy when I expressed interest in viewing it. I am not certain as to the manner she employed to obtain this twenty-minute film only that she did so. I am afraid that we both found it very disturbing, it ruined our night together.”

“Then I’ll pass watch’in it. Was invited next weekend tah see it, appears tah be real popular ‘mung certain people on Casino Island. Sah who do we pick?”

Two other girls came over, having spotted the self styled sleuth speaking with a member of their class. “Yeah” one asked. “Who is it miss know it all.”

Nancy looked at the other girl, moving to walk out of the stinking murder room. “Your notes tell you what you need to know” she answered. Finding a stone to sit upon she looked at the girl. “And they tell you what?”.

“Lock was a false trail. Was replaced to keep tha third years outta the murder scene” the ferret admitted. “So what we got was it wasn’t no third years, since allah them are off doing other things since afore sunrise. Girl was still warm, note beside her said tah take that inta account ahn consider tha water lukewarm not bodywarm.” She sat on a log, flipping through her notes. “Carla and I been workin together. What we got is this. Knife was held by ah taller person cause tha blade supposably cut down not up. Nother note.”

“I read all the notes yes” Nancy agreed. “I believe that you are correct. But why stab a dead girl in the stomach?”

“Wasn’t tha stomach” the ferret corrected. “Was below tha belly button as iffin she was makin sure tha girl wasn’t carrying.”

“Wasn’t... Then ah boy after all” Mary-Lynn observed.

“Could not have been” Nancy corrected. “Though I admit that once we were struck by that cloud of ammonium our sense of smell was ruined, I did check the outside of that building first and I scented no male, but I did scent something odd. Barbecue sauce and there are only two dorms that use such. Lucy Ulrich’s and my wife’s. As Miss Ulrich is the source of that spice, perhaps we should speak with her first?”

“Why noh yer wife” Mary-Lynn asked.

“You may of course speak with Alpha” the squirrel agreed. “I am forbidden to speak with her on Songmark property. If you would be so kind, may I read your notes of that conversation? Perhaps she did kill this girl. You see, there is something that you must know. That body is of course Miss. Katrina Schmidt and we are all aware of their loss at sea last week. During that time Miss. Schmidt announced her love for my wife.”

“Then yah might be tha murderer” Mary-Lynn gasped.

“Perhaps, remember to leave no stone unturned. I will offer this, I was sitting next to you in class during the supposed murder. I do believe that it would prove difficult for myself to slip out, murder this girl then return without being noted. Still do not ignore the possibility that, should Alpha prove to be the murderer, I did not order that murder.”

“Yah speak lik ah Dick already” Mary-Lynn noted. “‘kay, I’ll take Parkens ahn talk with yer wife. Buh iffin we come back with our heads switched, ahn gonna be right upset.”

Nancy opened her right eye a bit more than normal. “I trust that should Alpha decide to experiment upon you that the results would be much more dramatic than that. I am aware she much wants to discover how a woman may have a child without a males intervention for example. We are a group then?”

“Ah group then, lets go” Mary-Lynn announced, dragging the surprised vixen and another girl with her. Nancy Rote watched the two disappear into their first year dorm. Was her wife the murder she asked herself. It was a crime of passion. Had, fictionally, the buxom Southern belle Katrina pushed too hard? Even though this was fiction the thought of Alpha killing someone like that left an empty pit in the squirrels stomach.

Trying to shake her mood she opened her notebook to a new page. Mary-Lynn and she had somehow become leaders of this little band. Though disquieting, for Nancy preferred to work alone when she could, it might prove useful today. “Shall we go over what we know so far” she asked her remaining classmate.

“Well class, who butchered tha far belle” Elsia Hoffman demanded as she re-entered the classroom several hours later.

Several heads lifted from the papers before them, but it was Mary-Lynn who spoke. “Answers onna desk. Inna plain brown envelope” she announced.

“I see.” Elsa walked to the desk, noting a very thin manila envelope waiting there. Hopping up to sit on the desks surface she turned to face her class. “Yah worked as ah group Mary-Lynn?”

“Yes Mam. Was Mrs. Rotes idea though.”

“I see. So tell me, nah who done it, buh how yah got there.”

Mary-Lynn stood, accepting a sheaf of notes from another girl. Nancy, Elsa noted, was sitting behind the class, writing in her notebook. Moving one page to the back Mary-Lynn looked around, smiling to her classmates before she spoke.

“We ruled out tha second ahn third years first off” she announced. “Cause both wouldah killed her off tha school property, then gotten rid of tha body. Wouldah been days, maybe ah week afore it was found. Tah late probably tah learn tha real killer.”

“Very good, and your instructors?”

“Wouldah don tha same, but we wouldah been told she’d gone home. Would never ha known tha she was dead. Tha migh even ah sold her tah some slaver.”

Elsa repressed a smile. First years, yet they already were aware of how the tide turned in their lives now. “I will tell yah this. Yer Instructors would never sell anyone of yah tah slavers. For any reason, by tha time yer third years yah will know tha why. Then it was whom?”

“Well, we narrowed it don tha one dorm. Mrs Rotes dorm.” She glanced back at Nancy who continued to write. “Nancy’s wife, yah see we were informed tha tha rabbit had expressed ‘er undyin love to tha shrew. So tha made Alpha prime suspect.”

“And she told you what” Elsa asked.

“She ahn Katrina hadda argument this mornin. About well, she wouldn’ say other than admitten they got inta blows over whatever it was. Alpha claimed she lost.”

“I see. So you went where then?”

“Talked tah um.. Elizabeth. She’s a nutria, kinda big. Admitted she had eyes on Kartina, walked her tah Mrs. Oelabe after tha fight. Mrs. Oelabe confirmed this. Said they lef tagether in good spirits.”

Had the nutria fooled them Elsa wondered. “Which left?”

“Megan Brightwhite Mam. She’s ah martin yah know. She’s also tha only odd one out in tha dorm.”

“Explain please” the detective demanded.

“Well, um...” Papers shuffled. “Alpha’s married tah Nancy. Katrina is in lov with Alpha. Liz rows both sides of tha boat but Megan’s ah straight shooter. If yah understan.”

“I do. So you came down tah what decision?”

“Alphas tah small tah have made those wounds. We checked our photos, there’s nahthin for er tah stand on ahn Katrina is proven tha stronger. Yah see, no ones gonna let yah cut ther throat without fighten, no matter ‘ow much tha love yah. Sides, Alpha’s a Cranium Island Scientist. She’d ah killed her some other way. More messy ah bet so we marked tha shrew off our list.”

“Which leaves Elizabeth and Megan.”

“Yes mam. Both big nough tah have killed er like that if it was bah surprise. Tha made it harder. We had tah check out stories an stuff.”

“Stuff?”

“Evidence” Mary-Lynn corrected. She switched papers again. “Megan’s had serious boxin trainin. Be easy fer her tah knock out Katrina then cut ‘er throat. But that last wound don’t make sense with er.”

Elsa shifted a bit, reaching over to pull that envelope closer to herself. “You will ah course explain?”

“Weel, is like this. Megan woulda beat her tah death yeah. Could ah easily but there’s no wounds lik that on her. So we pushed ‘er aside for tha moment ah went with Liz.”

“Elizabeth.”

“Yes Mam. Yah see Liz she liks both, so we looked inta that. Megan reported that tha argument was bout Katrina sidlin up tah Liz. Claimed tha Alpha was angry, but confirmed tha Alpha came out tha loser in tha fight. Big time.”

“Your repeating yourself Mary-Lynn. Your point?”

“Megan was carin for Alpha’s wounds till after tha body was found. Both confirm tha. Now, true two couldh killed Katrina but Nancy only found tha one set of prints hidden back tah tha first year dorm. Nutria prints. We confronted Liz, she laughed but Nancy spotted somthin. Blood under tha girls fur. When she announced tha Liz took off runnin. Ah gotta tell yah Miss Hoffman, tha Liz can run. After we caugh her she admitted everthin, said tha Katrina refused ‘er so she blew up ahn killed ‘er.”

“I see. You were then lucky that tha criminal confessed.”

“Nah really Mam. We had ‘er prints. Blood typin wouldah matched Katrina’s ahn Nancy found Nutria furs caught inna neck wound. We had her good ahn straight.”

“Tell me” Elsa asked as she picked up the envelope. “Why tha last wound?”

“Katrina tol Liz she was gonna have babies fer Alpha. “

“Yes. That would be righ.” Opening the envelope Elsa withdrew a single sheet of paper. Upon it was one name, and the signatures of her entire class. Setting the paper aside she looked to her class. “Next class will be blackmail. I assume tha those stil interested will be here on time. Good day.”

A bit later that afternoon Katrina woke to find herself laying in Alpha’s bed. She reached up to her neck where the makeup had been placed, only to find her neck fur perfectly clean. Turning her head she found herself alone. By the clock it was just past dinner time, at that thought her stomach growled in response. Rolling out of the bed she made a serious mistake, she tried to stand. When her dormmates returned they found the rabbit sitting on the floor rubbing her head.

“Hungry” Elizabeth asked as she produced a large bowl of poi.

“Yuk” the rabbit answered, but accepted the bowl of purple goo anyway. “Were we successful?”

“Nah” Elizabeth admitted. “They got me good.”

“How unfortunate. I believe that Blackmail is listed as their next crime. I think that I shall be the criminal. Megan, why do you not decide some great dark secret that would place you under my power and not your brother please, we have cleared you of murder. I do not want to see that wound reopened.”

Megan sat a bowl of nuts before the rabbit, dropping down to sit on her heals. “Why me? Why not Alpha?”

“Because my dear. Alpha simply isn’t pretty enough to really interest the police.” She looked over to her friend, noting the expression there. “Not yet at least. Dear Alpha, you will be a Lady by the time we are through with you. It is a great challenge and I do so love a challenge.”

“I could be an embezzler” Megan suggested.

“Capital. A Northern Carpetbagger embezzler. Perfect, this time though we will have a week or two to be ready.” A nasty smile crossed the rabbits face. “I shall not be caught, you understand Megan that if I am caught I will announce to the world your crime. Embezzlement, they will throw you in jail for a very long time.”

“No, you wouldn’t” the martin gasped, artfully placing both paws over her heart. “It would ruin my family. Oh dear me, how shall I hide this from the world.”

“Pends” Elizabeth announced. “Oh how much yah have, ahn how much your willin tah pay. Right?”

Alpha sat beside the rabbit, placing a small bowl of figs before her. “You like I know” the shrew whispered. “This is fun?”

“Oh yes my dear mad scientist. This is great fun” Megan answered. Abruptly the room was filled with laughter.

Miss Devinski shook her head as she switched circuits. Those four had gotten into the spirit of the game. This was going to prove to be fun after all. Picking up a notebook she began writing down Red Dorm’s latest secrets.