DAY AFTER MURDER

All night Dextrous tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn't sleep at all. That morning she reached her headache has subsided but she couldn't get over what happened at the Black Manor. She wanted him die but didn't expect that so soon.

Now that she was at the Manor at the time of murder, she had became a suspect in other 49 guests' eyes.

While Dextrous took a shower and dressed up with another pair that she brought with her,  she rewinded the memories from last night.

The memory of seeing Cassandra going with a Shovel in the garden made her eyes go wide.

Why someone needs a shovel at the party? And what she was doing with that? It never crossed her mind that time, but when she is thinking now, she can portray how a shovel can be used to dig area to dump someone. Someone dead!
She thought.

The next memory that made the ground slip underneath her was the time when Dex peeked from the entrance of the bar, heard Anna who was all over Robert and asking him about Delilah's personal life.

Both Robert and Anna seemed suspicious, but why would anyone wanted to know about someone's personal life? And if she asked him, she knew that Robert was the closest person to Delilah. This unanswered questions were eating her.

She exited her room and went to Cassandra's room.

The room's door was kept ajar. She knocked on the door.

"Come in" Cassandra's soft voice was heard

Cassandra was with a book, on a chair. Dex went and took a seat opposite to her. She crossed her legs and began to speak.

"I know it's too awkward, but I want to clear things up. I want to talk about last night. Shall we?" Dex glanced at Cassandra waiting for her reply.

Cassandra nodded.

"After I left the library, what were you and Sarah did ?"

"Sarah left the library after midnight, not immediately after you left but yeah she left after midnight. I was alone there for a while" Cassandra muttered calmly.

"So after Sarah left you, what were you doing?" Dex tried to read her every action and reactions.

"Your eagerness is off-putting, your questions and this investigation are both ultimately an exercise in futility. But I’ll humor you." Cassandra closed her book and looked toward Dex, "I was admiring Delilah’s vintage classics collection. He has quite a large selection."

"I'm sorry if have offended you" she bowed to her.

"To be offended is ultimately meaningless. It’s an emotion I see no point in feeling." Cassandra waved away.

"Alright, so around 10pm, I saw you from my room's window.  what were you doing in the garden with a shovel ?" She narrowed her eyes to Cassandra.

"It’s a garden, a shovel is hardly suspect but if you must know I went to the garden because it was too crowded in the estate, even in the event I found solitude. I welcome the darkness and the silence of the outdoors at night. The shovel itself was an excuse for my mother, so I’d have a reason for why I left the party since my mother insists on me attending such pointless and frivolous affairs to keep up appearances despite how much I loathe it. At least now I can say I went for a reason, like doing a favor for Delilah, removing the gardening equipment which was so carelessly left behind."

"Ahh... Thanks for the answer." Dex looked up at her, "just for clarification, at the time of murder, where were you ?" Dextrous showed her eagerness again.

"Though I find the concept of time trivial, I am told the murder happened at midnight, which is when I spoke with Sarah."

Dextrous sighed a relief. She closed her eyes and opened them again.

"Yeah, I heard that too, it was around midnight when Delilah died." Dex stood up, "Thanks anyway for asking me. I'm glad it's clear. I should go and have some breakfast. I'll see you around."

Cassandra nodded and smiled in her direction.

Dextrous departed her room.
She walked down, to the kitchen, made herself some coffee and some bread, she was careful not to enter the dining room again ever.

While on her way to her room upstairs, she remembered about Anna. But she didn't know which was her room. So she retired to her room and had breakfast.

***
Detective Robert was collecting clues all around the manor, he gave us several clues:

As much Dex can recall, the first clue was:
"Delilah Black was killed in the dining room. The cause of Delilah Black's death were multiple stab wounds centered around his heart, he sustained both internal and external injuries and ultimately died from excessive blood loss. Defensive cuts were found on the victim's palm, making it clear that Delilah tried to defend himself but failed. This is a murder, not a suicide. The murderer's weapon of choice was a knife, taken from the dining table. It was found right next to the body, soaked in Delilah's blood, devoid of any finger prints. The shape of the stab wounds matches the knife, so it can be said without question that that knife was the weapon." - Robert Santiago

Dex didn't owe any knife and the knife was devoid of any fingerprints which meant the murderer had a cloth or handkerchief or any kind of chemicals with which he/she removed fingerprints.

The second clue was:
"The blood test report reveals that traces of acetaminophen were found in Delilah Black's system, consumed hours before his death. This might have played a part in slowing him down to such a degree that he couldn't defend himself, making it easier for the murderer to do their job. A greater dosage might have resulted in certain death, so far we aren't sure whether this was a first attempt on his life which failed or whether the dosage was meant to be just enough to slow him down just enough for the murderer to execute their plan." - Robert Santiago

As everyone in the Manor, that night, knew that Daniel Close had a terrible headache since after the dinner and he asked Dextrous about his acetaminophen. And Dextrous remembered to bring acetaminophen from Sarah Anne Dower before midnight.

When this clue was out, Dextrous was one of the suspect in everyone's eyes.

But she never hid under the bed of her room, because she never had to lie to anyone. She knew that night she wasn't having acetaminophen before going to the library and after she departed the library, she retired to her room with Blaise.

So nothing was suspicious with her. She couldn't be accused with a single evidence that linked her to Delilah's murder.

It was clear as daylight that, that night Dextrous never met Delilah after the dinner.

And yes, he also revealed the third clue later:
"There are numerous fresh scorch marks on the dining table, which weren't there before the night of the murder." - Robert Santiago

Words got around, but I never had the chance to ask Blaise that was it his deed. But nevermind, this clue was useless for Dex as Blaise was with Dextrous at the time of murder, he never went out around midnight or anything soon.

The fourth clue that Dex heard was:
"A keychain with the letter "H" on it was found next to the dead body." - Robert Santiago

The keychain was none of us, at least others said so. But this keychain never linked anybody.

The last clue yet heard:
"A guitar pick was found a few feet away from the dead body." - Robert Santiago.

A guitar pick could be either Thalia's or Gary's but she had no knowledge what they both are up to.

Dextrous kept thinking about all these incidents, while she was laid on her bed, her arms kept under the head.  She was well aware of that so many things from last night are that she is unaware of.

Knock! Knock!
A knock at the door of her room in the afternoon scared her.

Who could come to her at this hour? Today nobody seemed to have a party, so why would she be useful of?

"Come in." She shouted to let the person hear and enter her room, as Dex struggled to sit upright on her bed.

The door creaked open, and Miss Mina Palmer came into Dex's view.

Mina opened the door and stepped into the room after waiting for a few seconds.

"Hello Dextrous."

"Hello, Mina...Good afternoon! How are you?" She  directed Mina toward the chair with her hand, "take a seat please."

Dextrous hopped off her bed and took a seat across Mina,"Want anything to drink?"

"Good afternoon Dextrous," said Mina as she sat down on the hard wooden chair, "No, thank you Dextrous. I have no appetite to eat or drink anything after hearing about the murder."

"Ahh...I guess everyone's in the same condition. After last night, I myself couldn't think anything else except Delilah's murder." Dextrous looked down at her hands, "So what can I help you?"

Mina took a deep breath. "As you know, I work as a reporter and I'm naturally inquisitive. Will you mind if I ask you about Mr. Black's murder?"

"Ofcourse not, why will I mind ? I have nothing to hide. Go ahead ask me whatever you want" she fixed her gaze upon Mina, "Can I reciprocate too? I mean can I ask you questions too?"

"Of course. It's only fair when you too ask me questions." Mina met Dextrous' gaze. "Do you want to start?"

"Sure" She sighed, "As we both know that the murder was around midnight, and I saw you last in the basement. So I would like to know where were you later after I left you guys in the basement?"

"I stayed in the basement for another 20-30 minutes. I left for my room to sleep as I was feeling light-headed and woozy after getting drunk," said Mina.

"And any proof to support your answer? I left you guys at 11:10pm...so another 30mins makes it 11:40pm. Anyone who can vouch you on this?" Dex asked and crossed her arms infront of her chest.

"And you two stayed together all night ?" Dex curled up her lips.

"No. I left for my room and he left for his. I dropped him off to his room as my room was along the way," said Mina.

"Alright that makes sense, so you were in your room until the murder. What were you doing that time?" She was eager to know.

" I was resting my head and gradually drifted off to sleep. I was feeling dizzy." Mina muttered.

"That's it. I got all Answers. Thank you Mina." Dex smiled at her.

Now it's your turn, ask me.

"Shall I ask now?" asked Mina, returning the smile.

"Yes, yes" she nodded.

"I heard that you were fired the day before the party. Did you have any hatred against Delilah Black for that?" Mina interrogated.

"Yes. I almost cursed him that he might die. But never expected that so soon. I had only one job and he took that from me, when I served him for 9 years. It was quiet unfair and I hated him" Dex said in a single breath.

"Hmmm... Thank you for being truthful. Can you tell me where you went after leaving the basement?"

"I went directly to the library to Sarah. I reached the library at 11:20pm. Unfortunately I don't have anyone to vouch me on this because I don't know if anyone had saw me." She muttered in defeat.

"Oh ok. Thank you for your time, Dextrous. I really appreciated it," smiled Mina, "I shall be leaving now. Good day to you."

"That's all? I thought you will asks more. Anyway Thank you to you too." Dex bowed to her.

"Bye Dextrous," said Mina as she opened her door and left, looking back at Dextrous one last time.

"Bye" she waved at her while nodding.

In Dextrous' view, Blaise, Cassandra and Mina were innocent if it gets proved in the end. Blaise was with her, so there was no need of evidence for Blaise, but still others were not as innocent as they look.

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The Next few days later..

A will of Mr. Delilah Black's that was set up by him before his death.

Dextrous was shocked to see her name on the Will, however, she did not want an ounce of his property.

It was all show off that he did.

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