Last dance
Chapter 1: Red on the FloorThe music stopped. Julian Vance fell hard. He lay dead on his ballroom floor. A silver blade stuck out of his chest.
Outside, rain hit the windows like stones. The clock struck midnight.Detective Marcus Vance arrived fast. He locked all the doors.
Five guests were left in the room. All of them looked scared. All of them hated Julian. Julian was rich, cruel, and full of secrets.Marcus knelt by the body. The cut was clean. Julian’s gold watch was gone. Near his bloody hand lay a single red flower petal."Nobody leaves,"
Marcus said.
Chapter 2: Five Liars
Marcus lined up the suspects. He looked into their eyes.First was Eleanor, the ex-wife. She kept looking at the door.
Next was Arthur, the quiet butler.
His hands shook. Then came Victor, Julian’s worst enemy. Victor just smiled. Fourth was Clara, the young niece. She cried into a tissue. Last was Dr. Cross, Julian's doctor."One of you did this," Marcus said.Suddenly, the lights went out.
The room went pitch black. A loud scream cut through the dark.
Chapter 3: A Second Body
The lights flashed back on.
Dr. Cross was dead in a chair. A small bottle of poison sat by his feet."He knew who did it!" Eleanor screamed.Marcus searched the dead doctor. He found a torn piece of paper in his pocket.
It was a note from Julian. It said: “They know my secret. One of them wants me dead.”Marcus looked closer at the doctor’s sleeve. It had white baking flour on it. The doctor had been in the kitchen before he died.
Chapter 4: The Missing Watch
Marcus grabbed Arthur the butler. "You lied," Marcus said. "You were not alone in the kitchen."Arthur broke down. He pulled Julian’s gold watch from his pocket
. "I stole it!" Arthur cried. "He ruined my life! But I did not kill him. He was dead when I found him!"Just then, glass smashed in the next room. Marcus ran.
He found Clara in the greenhouse. She held a black book tight against her chest. It was Julian's secret bank book.
Chapter 5: The Trap
Drop the book, Clara," Marcus said.Clara stopped crying. She gave a cold, sharp laugh.
"He was going to leave me with no money," she said. "He found out I stole from him."Marcus pointed at her dress. A red flower was missing from her collar.
The petal on the floor belonged to her.Clara had killed Julian for his money. Then she poisoned the doctor because he saw her do it.
The police arrived, and the cuffs went on. The storm stopped. The killer was caught.
~Reyansh Goyal
