The Accomplice and the Murderer

By José Igor Duarte da Silva

Detective William Guimarães Silva is in charge to discover the mystery of the one who's hunting the Gentil's family. He can't sleep in peace since he was called to investigate Juliet's murder – the niece of the powerful Mr. Augusto Gentil, heiress of Metal Industrial, the biggest company of Esperança City. The girl was killed in college, while playing a game called “The Accomplice and the Murderer”. Detective William's main suspects are the ten other friends Juliet had with her at the night of the game. William goes deep into the rules while colecting evidences that could lead him to the evil mind who planned all that. However, when he believes the case is nearly closed, more evidences and suspects come up, showing that the murder of that young lady is just one of the pieces of an ambicious plan. Detective Wiiliam gets confused, nervous and ends up putting in evidence the one thing he considered the most important in his life: his professionalism. He just can't get enough of this case and starts to feel that to solve completely it, he will have to dig deeper, becoming one more piece in this jigsaw.

• Language: English
• Publisher: José Igor
• Release date: Feb 21, 2019
• ISBN: 9781547573127

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

THE NIGHT OF THE GAME

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Stuck in her little world, surrounded by what seemed to be like a glass dome, Juliet was a very insecure person. She was raised by the most powerful icon of the city, her own uncle that gave her an exaggerated amount of protection — if it’s even possible to measure — with the plus of having everything that money could buy. This was maybe one of the reasons that the world out there seemed so terrifying for her.

Now with her new, and actually only friends — that she invited to spend the night in her house, I mean, her mansion -, Juliet felt very nervous. She wanted that night to be just perfect; her mission was to make them feel as comfortable as possible there.

Her mental schedule for that night was perfectly built and ready, like someone else’s evil plan too.

When all of her friends were full and satisfied after dinner, which honestly looked like a real banquet, Juliet called all of them to go to her bedroom. There were ten guests, college friends that she has dreamed to have for so long.

— Guys, as I said before, make yourselves comfortable.

She was so busy during the day planning all that night that she didn’t even see in her computer a very strange e-mail, the one that would lead her to a series of events that would cause her death!

Juliet grabbed her phone to check the messages. Then, she noticed that one e-mail. She opened it and there was this giant text on it. She was so triggered that she got her laptop to take a better look.

— What is that face about, Ju?

With the laptop on her lap, Juliet said:

— Someone with a profile named just as a QuestionMark —, sent me an e-mail.

— Let us see — Said Dênis, getting closer to her. — QuestionMark? This guy or whatever he is, is a jerk. Who in the world would name itself like that?

— Well that’s true — Said Robson —, but what did he send?

I don’t know it either

— The subject is: The Accomplice and the Murderer. I have no idea what it could be.

— Then don’t read it —  said Carol.

— Let’s see.

— Don’t click in any link, it can be a virus — said Andrew.

But there was no link. What they found there were the rules of the game. A kind of strategy game, that made everyone lose their breaths for a moment.

Juliet lifted up her eyebrows as a kind of a force or power was doing it for her. The game seems to be cool, but why would they send it to me?

Even with a lot of questions in their heads, they did like the originality and the plot of the game.

After a while, the game wasn’t that important anymore, so they decided to have some fun and break some of the mansion’s rules: getting drunk and....Gosh I can’t believe Leo and Maicon brought that stupid thing...smoking. They’ve brought a hookah.

Juliet was always against any kind of cigarette and stuffs like this. In her conception, a curvy object full of hoses, bringing Indian culture up to her mind, couldn’t just be filled with water and tobacco. It was definitely a way to get drugged. 

— The drinks must be ready by now — said Dênis, looking at Juliet’s minibar, full of vodka, wine, soda, energetic drinks and this delicious mint liquor, which Juliet was actually loving. There was even cheap whisky, all in the minibar, otherwise they would have to get ice in the kitchen, and this would be a very risky movement.

Juliet opened her minibar and aleatory handed some of the bottles to her guests. When she got the mint liquor she couldn’t resist and ended up drinking half of a glass trying to relax. And after all, youth people drink alcohol, right? But the thing is that her uncle, Augusto Gentil, would kill her if he knew, and for that reason, she was very alert to Abilene’s movements, the head housekeeper, and specially to Alex, the nosy driver.

Carol and Lúcia soon noticed what was going on with Juliet, so they asked if it was ok to drink there. Of  course not, my uncle will kill us.

— It’s just that my uncle really hates any kind of alcoholic drinking or smoking. — At that time she looked to the guys that were lightning the hookah up. — I’m sorry guys. — She said sorrowful.

Before the atmosphere got heavier, the guys suggested that they could go out of the mansion for a while. They made it clear that there was no problem if they had to go somewhere else to do this (and it actually could save that night, already condemned to be really boring). What would be the fun in spending the night in a house like that if they couldn’t even break the smoking and drinking rules?

They were waiting for Juliet’s answer once she was the one who ruined it all.

— Ok. — She said not knowing where to look. What the hell I am doing?

Where would they go? Juliet was even willing to go out of that prison and do something different, just for change. That would actually be a great adventure!, although she had conditions too:

— Guys I’m in, but whatever we do it has to be indoors.

I don’t really want anyone seeing me out there doing God knows what, specially drinking.

After what Juliet said, with no other choice, they’ve decided that the best way to break the boring Uncle Augusto’s rules would be going to the campus of the BUEC — Business University of Esperança city. 

There were a lot of reasons to go there. It was very close (about three blocks from there), indoors, for the sake of Juliet, and that they knew as the palm of their hands. Besides that, they knew how abandoned the place was, in terms of security; it was the beginning of their vacation, meaning that the building would be completely empty. And how convenient: they could play The Accomplice and the Murderer!

Great, that will keep them busy. I don’t really want to spend the night in a desert college taking I don’t know how many shots. Gosh, it will be a hard task to get out of this house unnoticed.

A little ashamed, Juliet asked the skater boys of the group, Leo and Maicon not to bring the hookah with them. Kind of upset, the guys ended up not taking it with them. They weren’t really willing to start a fight with that spoiled wealthy girl. Not even Juliet herself knew exactly the reason she was so annoyed with that thing. Maybe flavored tobacco isn’t the only thing they put in there.

However, before going to that adventure, there were some things to do first.

— Wait, you guys. — Juliet was looking confused. — As I told you a lot of times, I’ve got kind of a ritual, a routine with my uncle. — She gave that smile as insipid as hospital food — I always bring him his medicines and a cup of black tea that he loves....I told him to swap it for chamomile, but he is so headstrong, anyway.... — She wrinkled her lips and lifted her eyebrows up. No one wants to know that, shut the heck up. Juliet rubbed her forehead and pushed her hair back while taking a deep breath, trying to relive the tension.

— Hey, come on, relax girl — said Robson, at the same time he was putting his arms on Juliet’s waist, showing his white teeth in contrast with his skin color. — Take it easy, ok? Listen, I gotta go to the bathroom, be back in a minute.

— Sure, no problem — said her, and then he left.

— I don’t really want my uncle to know we are doing it — said her a little tense, frowning her lips.

— Listen to what Robson said — said Andrew, the nerd of the group. — We are not doing something so wrong like that.

— So wrong? — She had to give him a smile after the expression she made.

— Try to relax, ok? Take a deep breath. I will help you: I will bring your uncle’s medicines, all right?

— Yeah, ok. Thanks. They’re in a tray downstairs in a counter, near the kitchen.

— Good, let it with me.

*****

While Juliet was trying to distract herself talking to her new college girlfriends, Andrew was going down the stairs with a kind of arrogance, like he was feeling important. All that luxury in that house was making him fell that way. When he got to the kitchen he found Robson talking to a guy that was getting all the medicines and everything settled.

— Hi... Juliet asked me to come and get these medicines to her uncle, Augusto...I’m Andrew, nice to meet you — he said while reaching the other young man’s hand.

— Nice to meet you — replied the figure — My name is Alex, I’m the family’s driver.

— Oh, Juliet talked about you....

— And about you guys too. — He gave them a weird wide smile.

— Robson, weren’t you going to the bathroom?

— Sure, Andrew, but I actually don’t know exactly where it is. I thought it was near the kitchen...

— The guest’s toilets — said the driver — are upstairs near the bedrooms. — The plural of it just made it even sweeter.

— Thanks Alex. — And Robson quickly went upstairs.

— No problem. — Said the driver while watching him.

— Well, I think I’ll take it, excuse me. — Interrupted Andrew.

— Sure — answered Alex, sounding cold. — Have a Good night. — And turned around walking away.

— Thank you too. — Andrew left as well trying to keep the balance of the tray, managing not to drop anything. 

*****

Juliet got that extremely shinny tray and went to her uncle’s bedroom. And, like every night, he took all his medicines with his tea that wasn’t really hot anymore, starting a little conversation:

— How are things going with your friends?

— Very well — she said a little sweaty, as she was in a lie detector, trying to sound natural.

— Which toothpaste are you using Juliet?

Oh no, I completely forgot about my breath.

— It is a new mouthwash.

You liar.

The old uncle Augusto scratched his chin like he wasn’t buying it. She failed the test.

— Good night sweet heart — said him very shortly.

— Good night uncle Augusto.

She went down the stairs a little relieved, with the tray and an empty cup. Then she went back to her bedroom. She noticed that the drinks were in the backpacks.

— We’ve just met your driver. He is really young, isn’t he? — said Andrew when he saw she was back.

— Well yeah, he is just a little older than us. — She took another deep breath. — So, are we ready? — Trying to sound secure of herself.

— Before they went on with the plan, they decided that they would play the game there, so they read the rules again on the e-mail:

THE ACCOMPLICE AND THE MURDERER

Number of player:

From 9 players on, as long as the number is odd.

Introduction:

There is a murderer on the loose, making people in town terrified. The Detectives are the residents of that town, trying to solve that mystery before they become the Victims. At the end of this uncreadable criminal search, only four people will remain and, among them, the Murderer that was disguised this whole time. Everyone is a suspect. The final accusations start and then, we find out who the Murderer is...or not. 

Characters:

The Accomplice, the Murderer, the Victim, the Accused, the Suspect and the Innocent.

Rules:

1st — THE SCENARIO: A wide opened circle with a minimum distance of one arm between the players. Not recommended a lightened place, as the shadows could be a good clue to reveal who the killer is.

2nd — THE ACCOMPLICE: By making a draw, voting or choosing someone, the Accomplice is chosen, and he or she has the purpose of picking the Murderer. How to pick the Murderer: The Accomplice tells everyone to low their heads down with closed eyes by saying: City asleep, and with a little tap one the head, the Murderer is chosen.

3rd — THE MURDERER: After chosen with the little tap on the head, the person opens its eyes and has a mission to kill someone without being discovered.  The way to kill: discreetly, the Murderer points to its Victim (any participant of the game) and right after goes back to sleep, with its head down and eyes closed. So the Accomplice tells everybody to weak up.

4th — VOTTING: After that, it is the Victim’s turn to guess who killed her or him. All Suspects including the Murderer itself have to guess who the Murderer is, considering they are all Suspects. Tip: The Victim and the Murderer have to be both convincing, leading the others to vote in the one that they say is the real assassin. They can use any comment or argue to convince the players.

5th — MURDERER OR INOCENT: The Suspect that has more votes has to reveal itself saying: I’m the Murderer or I’m innocent. No bluffing allowed. If the most voted one is really the Murderer the game is over. If the person is innocent, the game goes on with the same one murderer, without the victim and the suspect.

6th — THE FINNAL ACCUSATION: The game goes on like this till there are only four suspects. The accomplice announces the time for the final accusation where each one of the players left give their opinion.

7th — THE WINNERS: Lastly, after the final accusation the Suspect that receives more votes has to reveal itself: Murderer or innocent. In case he or she is innocent, the ones who win are: The Murderer and its Accomplice. In case the Suspect is really guilty, the three Suspects left win, meaning that two or three people can be victorious.

Observation:

The Accomplice is a kind of a judge. He knows everything that is going on during the game but he or she can’t tell anything and will just give the commands, like, for example: city asleep. He will NOT participate as a possible suspect.

Suggestions: 

If you have a big space full of rooms, the game becomes more interesting, once every player can be in a different private space of that place. Things like: costumes, playing guns, masks, and other objects that can compose this kind of dark atmosphere. The Accomplice can narrate the story in a way to make the environment more involving and gloomy. Exemple: It was a very cold night, and the sickle Murderer made one more victim; While the whole city is fast asleep, the Murderer goes out to hunt; As soon as the sun rose, they saw a dead body in the city’s alley. Follow the rules very strictly, and, once more, it is forbidden to bluff when the truth is required. To the Accomplice: make a good choice; to the Murderer: have a nice hunt; to the Suspects: good luck; to the Victims: rest in peace; and to all of you: Have fun! Make the right choice and you will save your lives. The game is on!

*****

In about half an hour, they got at the college. They went in like real vandals, through the most abandoned side of the building, skipping the baffle gates. The rich girl’s heart was pounding like it was going to explode. The noise that the bottles were making in the backpacks was making her even more nervous. Running away to break into the college in the middle of the night for drinking? That definitely wasn’t in my plans...Although she was smiling. She felt she was doing something radical, breaking all those rules.

Before they left the mansion, Juliet spoke to the doormen at the cabin:

— My uncle is already asleep, but he knows I’m leaving. — Who would question something that uncle Augusto knew and also approved? — In case Abilene asks for us, tell her we went for a short walk, and that everything is fine, all right?

As they imagined, there weren’t any security guards at the place they broke in. In that University, the weak spot was definitely the security. Only the areas with the computers and stuff had alarms on. Upstairs, no door was locked, as there were no valuable things there. The TVs and projectors, that used to make us feel so sleepy during class, were all in the classroom lockers.

At the most far and desert block, away from the main entrance, they went upstairs where there were ten classrooms, five at each side of the hall. It was all very symmetrical.

Some of the boys went to the electric power room and tuned on the switch of the hall’s lights, in a way that only this part would be lightened. The only light the classrooms had was the moon’s one, shinning outside. However, they were not just worried about being catch, but also they wanted to bring up a kind of darkening environment to make the game even more exciting.

They left all bags on the ground, with the bottles in it, and some but not all of them started to drink in plastic cups. Juliet felt like trying vodka with soda, I mean it had to be good. At the first sip she decided that mint liquor tasted better and with no hesitation, she started dropping her green drink on the ground till there was only half of it left.

Juliet wasn’t as relaxed as she wished she was, although discussing about the game’s rules distracted her for a while. 

— We’re going to bet money, right?

— That’s a good idea Robson. This way the game gets a little rough — agreed Dênis.

— It will be fun — said Robson. — Who else is in?

Juliet decided to dare, and gave her opinion.

— Me — said her.

— Wow, ok, how much?

— Fifty? — suggested her.

Most of them made a disagreement/surprised face. Juliet didn’t get it straight, so Maicon, the chubby skater boy, said:

— Fifty?? This is how much I’ve got to spend in the entire week, not in one night in a game.

Juliet blushed. Some of them laughed at her. What was fifty bucks for her? The truth is that no one walks with that much money by chance.

— Twenty is max. — said Maicon, supported in his idea by Leo, that was scratching his own head.

— Forgive me. Twenty is good — said Juliet a little ashamed while taking out a brand new twenty bucks note.

Robson just smiled. That was close, he though.

— I’ll keep the money — he said.

They were putting the notes one on top of the other, and the mount kept growing. Robson got everybody’s money and, without even checking, he put it all in his jeans