Fic: A Murder Mystery Party at Railsford Manor & Resort - drollicaeipathy
Title: A Murder Mystery Party at Railsford Manor & Resort
Author: drollicaeipathy
Rating: NC-17
Length: 4289
Summary: Duncan throws a murder mystery party..
Spoilers/Warnings: Through Rat Saw Dog
Veronica was nestled between Meg and Mac at their lunch table, Mac was whispering into her ear making her giggle. Wallace and Duncan sat across from them discussing Neptune’s basketball team’s chance at making state this year. Duncan took a moment, pausing his conversation with Wallace to clear his throat. When four pairs of eyes looked up at him he reached into his backpack, removing party invitations.
“Oh, is someone having a little get together?” Veronica asked, smiling as Duncan handed her an envelope.
Mac, slightly taken aback but clearly excited to be included, examined the thick card stock envelope, “My my, these are quite fancy”. Everyone agreed, nodding.
“I’m having a murder mystery Christmas party,” Duncan explained cheerfully as he pulled a packet and two small velvet bags from his backpack.
“A murder mystery party?” Veronica asked, eyebrows raised questioningly. “Isn’t that kind of in poor taste?”
Duncan laughed softly, “Nah. I think Lilly would have liked the idea. It will be fun, Veronica. I promise”. She smiled, nodding her head in agreement. “I have to go hand out the rest of these,” Duncan gave Meg a small smile and got up, heading in the direction of Logan and Dick’s table.
Wallace retreated from the table, being the only man left, and went to sit with some guys from the basketball team. Meg turned to Veronica, clearly concerned.
“Meg, is something wrong?” Veronica asked, poking at her Chinese take-out.
Meg frowned, “Veronica, are you sure you’re okay with this? With me and Duncan, because I know…”
Veronica cut her off, “I know last time you asked me that question I told you I was and I might not have been entirely honest, but I can assure you, Meg, Duncan and I are over. And I love you both and I really want you to be happy. So, yes, I am totally okay with this.” She finished with a smile as Duncan jogged back toward their table grinning from ear to ear.
“Everyone’s in!” He told Meg, kissing her on the cheek, she smiled back at him. “Where did my man, Wallace go?”
“To sit with his basketball buddies,” Mac told him, pointing.
“And don’t say things like my man, Duncan,” Veronica told him, “you sound like my dad”.
He grimaced in response before waving Wallace back over to join them. When Wallace took his seat Duncan explained that each person attending his party, there would be nine including him, would have to be a character, a guest at the Railsford Manor.
“So, there are three girl’s parts left since Gia pulled Lola”.
“Lola?” Veronica asked.
“I’ll explain everyone’s characters Saturday night at my party. For now you only get information on yourself”.
Mac and Veronica shared an eye roll before each removing a slip of paper from Duncan’s velvet bag. Meg went last, smiling when she unfolded her card.
“Eleanor Smith,” Meg said, “Mr. Railsford’s personal assistant”.
Veronica and Mac each took turns checking out their own characters as Wallace and then finally Duncan each removed a slip from the guy’s velvet bag.
“I am Sylvia Railsford!” Mac announced proudly, “Look out world because I am one rich widow”.
Veronica laughed before looking down at her own card, “I’m Chastity Gray,” she huffed. “A socialite and paramour of one, Joshua Railsford”.
“Oh, you gold-digger! You’re after my son’s fortune aren’t you?” Mac laughed, punching Veronica in the arm. The latter only continued to huff.
She turned on Duncan, “Who is Joshua Railsford?”
“Uh,” was all Duncan was able to reply before Wallace cut him off.
“Johnny Famous. See Veronica, someone up there knows the kind of parts I should be playin’. No more geek for me, pure pimp baby”.
“Logan,” Duncan mumbled, putting his head on the table.
“What?” Meg asked him, peeking at his card, “You’re Arthur Malloy,” she told him.
“No,” Duncan went on, lifting his head only enough to catch Meg’s eye and completely avoiding the menacing looks Veronica was throwing in his direction. “Logan is Joshua Railsford, Veronica’s paramour”.
“Oh,” Meg started as a frown creased her forehead. She repeated, “Oh,” with a little more enthusiasm and Veronica’s shoulder’s slumped.
Veronica had been craftily avoiding Logan since she and Duncan broke up, after Meg came out of her coma. It was not because she wasn’t interested in Logan, it was actually the complete opposite. She was afraid of his rejection, his sneering, and now it looked as though her days of running were coming to a swift end in the form of a holiday murder mystery party.
The Scene: The Railsford Manor and Resort (also known as Duncan Kane’s hotel room at the Neptune Grand), 1929. The guests are arriving, drinking cocktails in the lounge, awaiting their host..
Everyone had arrived for their evening of fun and murder mystery except for Logan, Joshua Railsford. As the guests took their seats Duncan entered from his bedroom, hair slicked back, wearing a dark navy suit. “Welcome to Railsford Manor and Resort,” he told them before turning on the stereo, which played a Christmas selection by Bing Crosby.
“I think you’re a little ahead of your time there, Mr. Malloy,” Veronica told him. “I think Bing was a little more forties and fifties then twenties,” she added with a smirk.
Duncan rolled his eyes, “Alright Veronica, then would you like to hand over your cell phone, because I think those just might not have been invented yet in 1929,” he held out his hand.
“Fine,” she scowled, “you win”. Meg took the seat beside her on the sofa, handing Veronica a cosmopolitan, which she happily accepted. Mac was seated across from Veronica and Meg, talking with Gia Goodman and the Casablancas’ brothers. Wallace grabbed himself another beer and took a seat in the only chair in the room. Leaving Duncan standing in the middle of the room eager to get the party started.
“Dude, where’s Logan?” Dick asked, “We can’t start this with out him”. Veronica shot him a dirty look, which Dick ignored.
“I sent him out for another bottle of Jack before you guys got here,” Duncan told them.
As if on cue Logan rushed into the apartment shedding his coat, to reveal that he as well was wearing a finely tailored suit, his in a charcoal gray. He took the only remaining seat, which happened to be next to Veronica. Meg patted Veronica’s leg as if to tell her everything would be okay, Logan winked at her.
“Let the game begin!” Duncan said with glee, grabbing a leather bound notebook off the coffee table.
“So what’s the story here, Duncan?” Cassidy Casablancas asked.
“Well, it seems our host, Mr. Railsford has meet with an untimely end, here in this very manor. We are all staying at the Railsford’s Manor and Resort for one reason or another and as that is the case we are all suspects in Mr. Railsford’s murder.” Duncan cleared his throat, sipped from his Jack and coke, then continued, “Mr. William Railsford was a Railroad Baron, married to Mrs. Sylvia Railsford, his second wife, and he had one son, Joshua Railsford. He was the aggressive owner of the Western Pacific Railroad. He was often called overbearing and authoritarian; those who knew him either loved him or hated him. More often, they hated him”.
The group broke into conversation once again as their excitement mounted. Duncan once again cleared his throat and when he had their attention went on, “I will now introduce each of the characters, or suspects:
“Logan is Joshua Railsford, the only living heir to William Railsford. He is a flamboyant artist type living off his trust fund in San Francisco, California. He met Ms. Gray, his sometime paramour at a social event and they have been living together for some months. He has not spoken with his parents in over a year due to a falling out, which occurred at that time.” Logan grinned at Veronica, drinking Jack straight from the bottle.
Veronica, who was seated next to Logan, “Where a paramour should sit,” he had told her, was glancing around the room. She was wearing a body skimming, pink satin dress that Meg had leant her for the occasion. With her hair rolled up at the back to appear more like a bob and heavy vamp make-up, she looked every bit the part of a wealthy 1920’s socialite/starlet. She was next in the character reveal, “Veronica is Chastity Gray, an attractive and seductive,” Duncan paused to cough, Logan stood and smacked him hard on the back.
“Funny,” Veronica sneered.
He continued tossing Veronica an apologetic look, “Socialite. Her provocative nature has opened the door to many opportunities and challenges. She attends only the best social events and is widely known among the fashionable, wealthy elite. Chastity has been shacked up with her eccentric, millionaire boyfriend for some months now. Those who know her best would say that she was a lush with a hot temper,” as he finished Duncan mouth, ‘Sorry’.
“Meg is Eleanor Smith, personal secretary to Mr. Railsford. She is punctual, precise, and very responsible. She takes care of the Railsford’s personal and professional affairs. However, she does have something of a wild streak and a drinking problem”.
“You’re not alone gal-pal,” Meg told Veronica and they shared a grin. Meg, who was dressed as a secretary in a crisp white blouse, tweed jacket with matching knee skirt, and glasses, crossed her legs primly.
“Wallace is Johnny Famous, the resort’s comedian, dancer, musician extortionate. He can turn any conversation into a song and has been known to put on riotous productions at a moments notice. He had a heated argument with Mr. Railsford a week ago and has not been seen in the man’s presence since”.
“And he’s a pimp,” Wallace added straightening the lapels on his sport coat, “can’t forget that”.
“Right,” Duncan said warily before going on. “Gia is Lola, no one is sure of her real name as she has never revealed it. Lola is a ‘Lady of the Night,’ and spends most of her nights at the hotel bar. Her,” Duncan coughed again, “hospitality services,” he paused again so Logan and Dick could get the laughter out of their systems, “are highly regarded by the resort’s staff and guests alike”. Duncan was blushing lightly but Gia, in her black flapper dress and blood red cloche cap only smiled smugly.
“Dick is James Beam, bartender and sometime handyman at the Railsford Manor and Resort. As a bartender living through the prohibition era he finds himself making most of his income bootlegging gin and booking bets at the local track.
“See! I knew investing in dog racing was going to pay off someday,” Dick told them.
“Beaver, is Digger, a hobo staying at the resort,” Duncan said.
“Of course I am, because why wouldn’t I be the hobo, right? That is so typical,” Cassidy said with a flourish, walking toward the bar to pour himself another drink. He waved to Duncan, “Well, uh, go on”.
“No one knows Digger’s real name but they do know he was given this complimentary trip so that he would keep his mouth closed about the unnecessary violence he experienced while freeloading on the Western Pacific Railroad”.
“And the plot thickens,” Logan said menacingly, rubbing a non-existent goatee, and smirking at Veronica who merely sighed.
“And Mac is Mrs. Sylvia Railsford, the Baron’s Wife. She is his second wife, though they have been married for nearly a decade. Joshua is her stepson but they have never been known to quarrel, this falling out between her husband and the boy she had raised as her own son was upsetting to her. She is a caring woman, often attracted to brash men. She was once an aspiring artist.
“And lastly, myself, I am Arthur Malloy, the Railsford’s accountant. I am known as a human calculator and many who know me would call me a shrewd business man; I am preparing for an early retirement in the next year and hope to move to the Bahamas”.
“Better not invest in anything Casablancas oriented or you wont be getting that wish,” Veronica said with a smirk, Logan laughed along with her, glaring at Dick as if daring him to argue.
“So, are there any clues we should know about? Any relationships between us?” Wallace asked.
Veronica beamed at him, “Would you listen to that?” she asked proudly.
“I learned from the best, Superfly,” he replied.
“Actually, yes,” Duncan said, passing around packets for each of them, “The clues are listed in their packets, there are also pictures of the crime scene, and some further information into each of your characters. But you will need to speak to each other and ask questions to learn more,” he smiled. “Would anyone like to reveal some information before we mingle?”
Meg spoke up, “I am interested in Mr. Malloy and hope to run off with him one day,” she paused, “now, that doesn’t sound very responsible of me”.
Dick skimmed through his personal information, “I have a standing date with Ms. Lola, here, every Saturday evening. In which case, I don’t even think we should be here,” he winked at Gia, “Duncan, can we borrow your bedroom to make this, like, more realistic and such?” Duncan scowled and shook his head no.
Mac glanced up at Veronica who was paging through her booklet, then Logan’s with interest. “Does anyone else think Veronica should have a handicap or something. I mean, she is a private investigator. Look at her, she’s going to know who did it in a few more minutes”.
With out looking up Veronica responded with, “A handicap? Yeah, I have Logan,” she shook her head in disgust.
Logan appeared completely unaffected by this news as he paged through Veronica’s now discarded pamphlet. “Hey, Sugarpuss,” he started with enthusiasm, “look here, it seems I knocked you up!”
“What?” Veronica asked in surprise, “I didn’t see that part”.
“It’s called improvisation, Veronica, can you at least try to work with me here,” he huffed sarcastically, throwing his hands skyward.
As the night progressed, the suspects mingled and drank copious amounts of alcohol. No one would tell Veronica anything about themselves for fear that she would too easily solve the mystery and everyone was beginning to have a difficult time staying in character. Mac tripped over her green silk gown more than once, cursing at it as if it were trying to make her the next murder victim.
Sometime around eleven Logan disappeared, which further upset Veronica as she had been casually using him as a spy. He had told her that since for the night they were to be paramours they could at least try to work together. And yet now, he was no where to be found and Veronica thought she might be onto something finally.
“Hey Superfly, where’s your baby’s daddy?”
Veronica made a face, the perfect mixture of horror and revulsion, “Please don’t call Logan that, ever. I just went all goose-pimply”. It was then that Veronica’s cell phone chirped, she ignored it in favor of continuing a conversation with Wallace, who may have been softened by her plight and willing to divulge information.
“Excuse me, Ms. Gray,” Duncan sidled up behind her, “You have a phone call”.
“Yeah, Yeah,” she replied, finally answering her phone, “Hello”. It was Logan, who told her rather cryptically to meet him in his bedroom as he had some clues that he did not wish to share in front of the group. As she excused herself from the party Meg was consoling a rather drunk Mac who was crying over her deceased husband.
“Crying is a party foul, Mac,” Dick explained to her while Meg shooed him.
“I think someone’s cut off,” Cassidy sang in the background.
“Hey man,” Wallace started, “I’m the one who sings conversations”.
“Oh, excuse me, I’ll just go back to sitting over here being a hobo”.
As Veronica backed into Logan’s bedroom she eased the door closed, “So what do you have for me?” As she spun around she walked directly into Logan’s chest making her jump in surprise, “Jesus, Logan. Do you want to give me a heart attack. Why is it so dark in here?” The room was pitch black, the blinds drawn and Veronica noticed that she was still pressed against Logan’s chest. “Uh, Logan?”
“Josh, please,” he said with mirth.
“Okay,” she paused, “Josh. Where is your shirt?” As he laughed at her, pulling her in tighter, wrapping his strong arms around her satin draped form, she felt her pulse quicken.
Logan leaned in, capturing her lips with his own, his tongue brushing lightly over her lips begging for entrance. Veronica struggled briefly, more out of shock than anything else, but she relaxed into him. His mouth was deliriously warm and she could still taste the whiskey he had been drinking all night.
Veronica put her hands firmly on his chest, pushing away from him. “What were you thinking?” she questioned angrily a moment before crashing her lips back against his. As their tongues dueled for dominance Logan turned her and pushed against her body, she was lost in the sensations of him until she bumped into the bed. She broke their kiss once again, practically tearing her lips from his, “We can’t do this, Logan”.
“Maybe,” he said, his breath coming out in short pants, “but Josh and Chastity can”. She could feel his grin against her neck where his lips were currently working their magic.
He paused to suck on her pulse point making Veronica gasp, “I’m not calling you Josh”.
“So don’t call me anything,” he commented, easing the zipper on her dress down. The pink satin pooled around her ankles and before her brain had caught up with her body she was stepping out of the fabric. Logan turned her around so that she was facing the bed, Veronica could feel his cock, hard and ready pressed against her ass. She moaned as he ground into her and kissed the spot between her shoulder blades he knew drove her crazy.
Veronica was quickly finding herself unable to resist Logan, she blamed Chastity, what a slut. Allowing her head to loll forward she granted him better access to her neck. His hands worked their way from her waist, up her ribcage to her breasts where he pinched and rolled a nipple between his skilled fingers.
His kisses continued with out pause as he slowly work his way down her shoulders and then to the small of her back. Veronica leaned forward and Logan’s arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She whimpered and gripped his comforter, balling it up in her hands. Logan’s hands slipped from her waist and his fingers began slowly tracing the lines of her panties. They traveled over her hips and around to her ass. As they glided down to her thighs, skimming the garters she had chosen, Logan’s breath caught.
“Silk stockings, how naughty,” he whispered huskily in her ear. Veronica knew she was getting wetter by the second. She bit down on her lower lip to keep from crying out when his fingers glided back up her thighs and to her hot center. No longer able to support herself in this position, her limbs gone to jelly, she collapsed on to the bed, Logan on top of her.
As he rolled them over Logan took to nibbling at the flesh of her neck once more and whispering hotly in her ear. “I want to go down on you,” she only groaned her response, pressing her naked breasts into him. “And I want you to still be wearing these silly little stockings,” he reached his fingers into the sides of her cotton panties before finishing, “but first I’m going to tear these off”.
She was babbling and mumbling, mostly incoherently but did manage a weak, “What?” before her underwear came off in two pieces.
“Oops,” he said as she felt his brilliantly talented tongue trace the flesh between her legs. She moaned each time he dragged his tongue along her center. When he finally brought his attention to her clit he swirled his tongue around it before he gently biting down. Veronica’s body rose off the bed, her hands sliding into his hair trying to hold him in place. When Logan added two fingers she cried out and instead of pausing to quiet her down like she assumed he would, he continued with renewed determination.
He fucked her with his fingers and his tongue until she thought she was going to go crazy with need. Veronica mumbled, “Please,” repeatedly until it became like a mantra.
“Not yet,” he told her, his voice vibrating off her thigh, “not until I’m inside of you”. She nodded like crazy, dragging him up her body and kissing him. Veronica could taste herself on Logan’s tongue but it only served to make her wetter. He continued to fuck her with one hand while he pulled his throbbing erection from his pants with the other. With the help of Veronica’s feet pushing his pants the rest of the way down Logan was freed from his confines.
He removed his fingers from her hot, dripping, passage to reach into his nightstand where he grabbed a condom. Veronica’s head lolled back and forth, she was so close to orgasm that she felt she might scream if he didn’t start pounding into her that fucking second.
As Logan thrust into her for the first time Veronica grunted softly and he sighed blissfully. He held still for a moment, trying to allow her to adjust to him but he couldn’t wait any longer. Veronica’s inner muscles were pulling at him, fluttering around his cock.
He pounded her roughly until their breathing was hard and her moans were steady. Each time he drove into her another one escaped her louder than the last. Logan pressed his lips to hers once more as his hand slipped between their bodies, finding her neglected, throbbing clit. He rubbed her while he continued to thrust into her with long, hard strokes. It was the end for him, he felt it building and knew it was going to be all over in another minute but then she came undone.
Veronica squealed, then moaned, then shuddered all around him. No longer able to hold himself back Logan pounded into her another time before spilling within her.
Logan collapsed beside her, pulling her to him where she could curl into his side. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead before standing up to discard the used condom. When he turned back from the wastebasket she was standing on weak knees looking at her destroyed underwear.
“I owe you a new pair,” he said thoughtfully.
“Yeah,” she replied, pulling her dress back up, “Could you zip me?”
“Okay,” he nodded. Veronica’s eyes had adjusted to the dark by now and she took in his handsome features, post-coital, for the first time.
“You should,” she stopped gesturing toward his clothing.
“Yeah, and we should,” he gestured in turn to the doors leading back to the party. She nodded but remained quiet.
The rest of their stay in the room was silent. When Logan pulled open the doors leading back into the lounge area the party was still in full swing. The light assaulted their eyes. Veronica had almost forgotten there were other people out here, still going on with their lives as if nothing had just happened.
No one appeared to notice the duo’s return until they came to stand by Duncan at the bar. They were greeted with a few cat-calls from Dick and Beaver, Duncan’s “Oooo’s,” Meg’s knowing smirk, and Wallace’s disgusted, brotherly groans.
It was nearing midnight and the mystery remained unsolved, “This is impossible,” Duncan groaned. “Does anyone else just want to give up and get really drunk?”
Dick’s hand shot into the air, “Let’s get wasted!” And slowly the other’s agreed with him.
“No,” Veronica said from the couch where she and Logan had been perched for the past twenty minutes whispering over their notes, “I’ve got it”. Logan cleared his throat loudly and she amended, “We’ve got it”.
“Thank you,” Logan smirked.
“Drum roll please, Johnny Famous,” Duncan said.
“It was,” Veronica paused for dramatic affect, “Eleanor Smith”.
“Me?” Meg squawked.
“You were infatuated with Arthur Malloy, the accountant but you had been having a rather torrid affair with Mr. Railsford before you met Mr. Malloy. And when Railsford threatened to reveal your true nature to his good friend and accountant you shot him, with James Beam’s gun. You learned where it was stashed from Lola one night when you were both drunk and rambling in the hotel bar. And no, I wasn’t there at the time”.
“Is she right?” Gia asked excitedly.
Duncan removed the sealed envelope from his notebook, it was marked ‘Confidential’. After opening it and removing a single slip of paper his eyes flew over the print. “She’s right, down to the last detail”.
The group groaned, “How did you figure this one out?” Wallace asked.
“It was all in the clues my brotha,” Veronica beamed.
“Who wants a drink?” Dick called out and the bar was rushed.
Logan leaned in and kissed Veronica on the cheek, “Nice work, Sugarpuss”.
“Game’s over, Logan. We’re not Josh and Chastity anymore,” she finished with a sigh.
“I know,” he said, slipping his arm around her and leaning in for another kiss, “who cares?”
Author: drollicaeipathy
Rating: NC-17
Length: 4289
Summary: Duncan throws a murder mystery party..
Spoilers/Warnings: Through Rat Saw Dog
Veronica was nestled between Meg and Mac at their lunch table, Mac was whispering into her ear making her giggle. Wallace and Duncan sat across from them discussing Neptune’s basketball team’s chance at making state this year. Duncan took a moment, pausing his conversation with Wallace to clear his throat. When four pairs of eyes looked up at him he reached into his backpack, removing party invitations.
“Oh, is someone having a little get together?” Veronica asked, smiling as Duncan handed her an envelope.
Mac, slightly taken aback but clearly excited to be included, examined the thick card stock envelope, “My my, these are quite fancy”. Everyone agreed, nodding.
“I’m having a murder mystery Christmas party,” Duncan explained cheerfully as he pulled a packet and two small velvet bags from his backpack.
“A murder mystery party?” Veronica asked, eyebrows raised questioningly. “Isn’t that kind of in poor taste?”
Duncan laughed softly, “Nah. I think Lilly would have liked the idea. It will be fun, Veronica. I promise”. She smiled, nodding her head in agreement. “I have to go hand out the rest of these,” Duncan gave Meg a small smile and got up, heading in the direction of Logan and Dick’s table.
Wallace retreated from the table, being the only man left, and went to sit with some guys from the basketball team. Meg turned to Veronica, clearly concerned.
“Meg, is something wrong?” Veronica asked, poking at her Chinese take-out.
Meg frowned, “Veronica, are you sure you’re okay with this? With me and Duncan, because I know…”
Veronica cut her off, “I know last time you asked me that question I told you I was and I might not have been entirely honest, but I can assure you, Meg, Duncan and I are over. And I love you both and I really want you to be happy. So, yes, I am totally okay with this.” She finished with a smile as Duncan jogged back toward their table grinning from ear to ear.
“Everyone’s in!” He told Meg, kissing her on the cheek, she smiled back at him. “Where did my man, Wallace go?”
“To sit with his basketball buddies,” Mac told him, pointing.
“And don’t say things like my man, Duncan,” Veronica told him, “you sound like my dad”.
He grimaced in response before waving Wallace back over to join them. When Wallace took his seat Duncan explained that each person attending his party, there would be nine including him, would have to be a character, a guest at the Railsford Manor.
“So, there are three girl’s parts left since Gia pulled Lola”.
“Lola?” Veronica asked.
“I’ll explain everyone’s characters Saturday night at my party. For now you only get information on yourself”.
Mac and Veronica shared an eye roll before each removing a slip of paper from Duncan’s velvet bag. Meg went last, smiling when she unfolded her card.
“Eleanor Smith,” Meg said, “Mr. Railsford’s personal assistant”.
Veronica and Mac each took turns checking out their own characters as Wallace and then finally Duncan each removed a slip from the guy’s velvet bag.
“I am Sylvia Railsford!” Mac announced proudly, “Look out world because I am one rich widow”.
Veronica laughed before looking down at her own card, “I’m Chastity Gray,” she huffed. “A socialite and paramour of one, Joshua Railsford”.
“Oh, you gold-digger! You’re after my son’s fortune aren’t you?” Mac laughed, punching Veronica in the arm. The latter only continued to huff.
She turned on Duncan, “Who is Joshua Railsford?”
“Uh,” was all Duncan was able to reply before Wallace cut him off.
“Johnny Famous. See Veronica, someone up there knows the kind of parts I should be playin’. No more geek for me, pure pimp baby”.
“Logan,” Duncan mumbled, putting his head on the table.
“What?” Meg asked him, peeking at his card, “You’re Arthur Malloy,” she told him.
“No,” Duncan went on, lifting his head only enough to catch Meg’s eye and completely avoiding the menacing looks Veronica was throwing in his direction. “Logan is Joshua Railsford, Veronica’s paramour”.
“Oh,” Meg started as a frown creased her forehead. She repeated, “Oh,” with a little more enthusiasm and Veronica’s shoulder’s slumped.
Veronica had been craftily avoiding Logan since she and Duncan broke up, after Meg came out of her coma. It was not because she wasn’t interested in Logan, it was actually the complete opposite. She was afraid of his rejection, his sneering, and now it looked as though her days of running were coming to a swift end in the form of a holiday murder mystery party.
The Scene: The Railsford Manor and Resort (also known as Duncan Kane’s hotel room at the Neptune Grand), 1929. The guests are arriving, drinking cocktails in the lounge, awaiting their host..
Everyone had arrived for their evening of fun and murder mystery except for Logan, Joshua Railsford. As the guests took their seats Duncan entered from his bedroom, hair slicked back, wearing a dark navy suit. “Welcome to Railsford Manor and Resort,” he told them before turning on the stereo, which played a Christmas selection by Bing Crosby.
“I think you’re a little ahead of your time there, Mr. Malloy,” Veronica told him. “I think Bing was a little more forties and fifties then twenties,” she added with a smirk.
Duncan rolled his eyes, “Alright Veronica, then would you like to hand over your cell phone, because I think those just might not have been invented yet in 1929,” he held out his hand.
“Fine,” she scowled, “you win”. Meg took the seat beside her on the sofa, handing Veronica a cosmopolitan, which she happily accepted. Mac was seated across from Veronica and Meg, talking with Gia Goodman and the Casablancas’ brothers. Wallace grabbed himself another beer and took a seat in the only chair in the room. Leaving Duncan standing in the middle of the room eager to get the party started.
“Dude, where’s Logan?” Dick asked, “We can’t start this with out him”. Veronica shot him a dirty look, which Dick ignored.
“I sent him out for another bottle of Jack before you guys got here,” Duncan told them.
As if on cue Logan rushed into the apartment shedding his coat, to reveal that he as well was wearing a finely tailored suit, his in a charcoal gray. He took the only remaining seat, which happened to be next to Veronica. Meg patted Veronica’s leg as if to tell her everything would be okay, Logan winked at her.
“Let the game begin!” Duncan said with glee, grabbing a leather bound notebook off the coffee table.
“So what’s the story here, Duncan?” Cassidy Casablancas asked.
“Well, it seems our host, Mr. Railsford has meet with an untimely end, here in this very manor. We are all staying at the Railsford’s Manor and Resort for one reason or another and as that is the case we are all suspects in Mr. Railsford’s murder.” Duncan cleared his throat, sipped from his Jack and coke, then continued, “Mr. William Railsford was a Railroad Baron, married to Mrs. Sylvia Railsford, his second wife, and he had one son, Joshua Railsford. He was the aggressive owner of the Western Pacific Railroad. He was often called overbearing and authoritarian; those who knew him either loved him or hated him. More often, they hated him”.
The group broke into conversation once again as their excitement mounted. Duncan once again cleared his throat and when he had their attention went on, “I will now introduce each of the characters, or suspects:
“Logan is Joshua Railsford, the only living heir to William Railsford. He is a flamboyant artist type living off his trust fund in San Francisco, California. He met Ms. Gray, his sometime paramour at a social event and they have been living together for some months. He has not spoken with his parents in over a year due to a falling out, which occurred at that time.” Logan grinned at Veronica, drinking Jack straight from the bottle.
Veronica, who was seated next to Logan, “Where a paramour should sit,” he had told her, was glancing around the room. She was wearing a body skimming, pink satin dress that Meg had leant her for the occasion. With her hair rolled up at the back to appear more like a bob and heavy vamp make-up, she looked every bit the part of a wealthy 1920’s socialite/starlet. She was next in the character reveal, “Veronica is Chastity Gray, an attractive and seductive,” Duncan paused to cough, Logan stood and smacked him hard on the back.
“Funny,” Veronica sneered.
He continued tossing Veronica an apologetic look, “Socialite. Her provocative nature has opened the door to many opportunities and challenges. She attends only the best social events and is widely known among the fashionable, wealthy elite. Chastity has been shacked up with her eccentric, millionaire boyfriend for some months now. Those who know her best would say that she was a lush with a hot temper,” as he finished Duncan mouth, ‘Sorry’.
“Meg is Eleanor Smith, personal secretary to Mr. Railsford. She is punctual, precise, and very responsible. She takes care of the Railsford’s personal and professional affairs. However, she does have something of a wild streak and a drinking problem”.
“You’re not alone gal-pal,” Meg told Veronica and they shared a grin. Meg, who was dressed as a secretary in a crisp white blouse, tweed jacket with matching knee skirt, and glasses, crossed her legs primly.
“Wallace is Johnny Famous, the resort’s comedian, dancer, musician extortionate. He can turn any conversation into a song and has been known to put on riotous productions at a moments notice. He had a heated argument with Mr. Railsford a week ago and has not been seen in the man’s presence since”.
“And he’s a pimp,” Wallace added straightening the lapels on his sport coat, “can’t forget that”.
“Right,” Duncan said warily before going on. “Gia is Lola, no one is sure of her real name as she has never revealed it. Lola is a ‘Lady of the Night,’ and spends most of her nights at the hotel bar. Her,” Duncan coughed again, “hospitality services,” he paused again so Logan and Dick could get the laughter out of their systems, “are highly regarded by the resort’s staff and guests alike”. Duncan was blushing lightly but Gia, in her black flapper dress and blood red cloche cap only smiled smugly.
“Dick is James Beam, bartender and sometime handyman at the Railsford Manor and Resort. As a bartender living through the prohibition era he finds himself making most of his income bootlegging gin and booking bets at the local track.
“See! I knew investing in dog racing was going to pay off someday,” Dick told them.
“Beaver, is Digger, a hobo staying at the resort,” Duncan said.
“Of course I am, because why wouldn’t I be the hobo, right? That is so typical,” Cassidy said with a flourish, walking toward the bar to pour himself another drink. He waved to Duncan, “Well, uh, go on”.
“No one knows Digger’s real name but they do know he was given this complimentary trip so that he would keep his mouth closed about the unnecessary violence he experienced while freeloading on the Western Pacific Railroad”.
“And the plot thickens,” Logan said menacingly, rubbing a non-existent goatee, and smirking at Veronica who merely sighed.
“And Mac is Mrs. Sylvia Railsford, the Baron’s Wife. She is his second wife, though they have been married for nearly a decade. Joshua is her stepson but they have never been known to quarrel, this falling out between her husband and the boy she had raised as her own son was upsetting to her. She is a caring woman, often attracted to brash men. She was once an aspiring artist.
“And lastly, myself, I am Arthur Malloy, the Railsford’s accountant. I am known as a human calculator and many who know me would call me a shrewd business man; I am preparing for an early retirement in the next year and hope to move to the Bahamas”.
“Better not invest in anything Casablancas oriented or you wont be getting that wish,” Veronica said with a smirk, Logan laughed along with her, glaring at Dick as if daring him to argue.
“So, are there any clues we should know about? Any relationships between us?” Wallace asked.
Veronica beamed at him, “Would you listen to that?” she asked proudly.
“I learned from the best, Superfly,” he replied.
“Actually, yes,” Duncan said, passing around packets for each of them, “The clues are listed in their packets, there are also pictures of the crime scene, and some further information into each of your characters. But you will need to speak to each other and ask questions to learn more,” he smiled. “Would anyone like to reveal some information before we mingle?”
Meg spoke up, “I am interested in Mr. Malloy and hope to run off with him one day,” she paused, “now, that doesn’t sound very responsible of me”.
Dick skimmed through his personal information, “I have a standing date with Ms. Lola, here, every Saturday evening. In which case, I don’t even think we should be here,” he winked at Gia, “Duncan, can we borrow your bedroom to make this, like, more realistic and such?” Duncan scowled and shook his head no.
Mac glanced up at Veronica who was paging through her booklet, then Logan’s with interest. “Does anyone else think Veronica should have a handicap or something. I mean, she is a private investigator. Look at her, she’s going to know who did it in a few more minutes”.
With out looking up Veronica responded with, “A handicap? Yeah, I have Logan,” she shook her head in disgust.
Logan appeared completely unaffected by this news as he paged through Veronica’s now discarded pamphlet. “Hey, Sugarpuss,” he started with enthusiasm, “look here, it seems I knocked you up!”
“What?” Veronica asked in surprise, “I didn’t see that part”.
“It’s called improvisation, Veronica, can you at least try to work with me here,” he huffed sarcastically, throwing his hands skyward.
As the night progressed, the suspects mingled and drank copious amounts of alcohol. No one would tell Veronica anything about themselves for fear that she would too easily solve the mystery and everyone was beginning to have a difficult time staying in character. Mac tripped over her green silk gown more than once, cursing at it as if it were trying to make her the next murder victim.
Sometime around eleven Logan disappeared, which further upset Veronica as she had been casually using him as a spy. He had told her that since for the night they were to be paramours they could at least try to work together. And yet now, he was no where to be found and Veronica thought she might be onto something finally.
“Hey Superfly, where’s your baby’s daddy?”
Veronica made a face, the perfect mixture of horror and revulsion, “Please don’t call Logan that, ever. I just went all goose-pimply”. It was then that Veronica’s cell phone chirped, she ignored it in favor of continuing a conversation with Wallace, who may have been softened by her plight and willing to divulge information.
“Excuse me, Ms. Gray,” Duncan sidled up behind her, “You have a phone call”.
“Yeah, Yeah,” she replied, finally answering her phone, “Hello”. It was Logan, who told her rather cryptically to meet him in his bedroom as he had some clues that he did not wish to share in front of the group. As she excused herself from the party Meg was consoling a rather drunk Mac who was crying over her deceased husband.
“Crying is a party foul, Mac,” Dick explained to her while Meg shooed him.
“I think someone’s cut off,” Cassidy sang in the background.
“Hey man,” Wallace started, “I’m the one who sings conversations”.
“Oh, excuse me, I’ll just go back to sitting over here being a hobo”.
As Veronica backed into Logan’s bedroom she eased the door closed, “So what do you have for me?” As she spun around she walked directly into Logan’s chest making her jump in surprise, “Jesus, Logan. Do you want to give me a heart attack. Why is it so dark in here?” The room was pitch black, the blinds drawn and Veronica noticed that she was still pressed against Logan’s chest. “Uh, Logan?”
“Josh, please,” he said with mirth.
“Okay,” she paused, “Josh. Where is your shirt?” As he laughed at her, pulling her in tighter, wrapping his strong arms around her satin draped form, she felt her pulse quicken.
Logan leaned in, capturing her lips with his own, his tongue brushing lightly over her lips begging for entrance. Veronica struggled briefly, more out of shock than anything else, but she relaxed into him. His mouth was deliriously warm and she could still taste the whiskey he had been drinking all night.
Veronica put her hands firmly on his chest, pushing away from him. “What were you thinking?” she questioned angrily a moment before crashing her lips back against his. As their tongues dueled for dominance Logan turned her and pushed against her body, she was lost in the sensations of him until she bumped into the bed. She broke their kiss once again, practically tearing her lips from his, “We can’t do this, Logan”.
“Maybe,” he said, his breath coming out in short pants, “but Josh and Chastity can”. She could feel his grin against her neck where his lips were currently working their magic.
He paused to suck on her pulse point making Veronica gasp, “I’m not calling you Josh”.
“So don’t call me anything,” he commented, easing the zipper on her dress down. The pink satin pooled around her ankles and before her brain had caught up with her body she was stepping out of the fabric. Logan turned her around so that she was facing the bed, Veronica could feel his cock, hard and ready pressed against her ass. She moaned as he ground into her and kissed the spot between her shoulder blades he knew drove her crazy.
Veronica was quickly finding herself unable to resist Logan, she blamed Chastity, what a slut. Allowing her head to loll forward she granted him better access to her neck. His hands worked their way from her waist, up her ribcage to her breasts where he pinched and rolled a nipple between his skilled fingers.
His kisses continued with out pause as he slowly work his way down her shoulders and then to the small of her back. Veronica leaned forward and Logan’s arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She whimpered and gripped his comforter, balling it up in her hands. Logan’s hands slipped from her waist and his fingers began slowly tracing the lines of her panties. They traveled over her hips and around to her ass. As they glided down to her thighs, skimming the garters she had chosen, Logan’s breath caught.
“Silk stockings, how naughty,” he whispered huskily in her ear. Veronica knew she was getting wetter by the second. She bit down on her lower lip to keep from crying out when his fingers glided back up her thighs and to her hot center. No longer able to support herself in this position, her limbs gone to jelly, she collapsed on to the bed, Logan on top of her.
As he rolled them over Logan took to nibbling at the flesh of her neck once more and whispering hotly in her ear. “I want to go down on you,” she only groaned her response, pressing her naked breasts into him. “And I want you to still be wearing these silly little stockings,” he reached his fingers into the sides of her cotton panties before finishing, “but first I’m going to tear these off”.
She was babbling and mumbling, mostly incoherently but did manage a weak, “What?” before her underwear came off in two pieces.
“Oops,” he said as she felt his brilliantly talented tongue trace the flesh between her legs. She moaned each time he dragged his tongue along her center. When he finally brought his attention to her clit he swirled his tongue around it before he gently biting down. Veronica’s body rose off the bed, her hands sliding into his hair trying to hold him in place. When Logan added two fingers she cried out and instead of pausing to quiet her down like she assumed he would, he continued with renewed determination.
He fucked her with his fingers and his tongue until she thought she was going to go crazy with need. Veronica mumbled, “Please,” repeatedly until it became like a mantra.
“Not yet,” he told her, his voice vibrating off her thigh, “not until I’m inside of you”. She nodded like crazy, dragging him up her body and kissing him. Veronica could taste herself on Logan’s tongue but it only served to make her wetter. He continued to fuck her with one hand while he pulled his throbbing erection from his pants with the other. With the help of Veronica’s feet pushing his pants the rest of the way down Logan was freed from his confines.
He removed his fingers from her hot, dripping, passage to reach into his nightstand where he grabbed a condom. Veronica’s head lolled back and forth, she was so close to orgasm that she felt she might scream if he didn’t start pounding into her that fucking second.
As Logan thrust into her for the first time Veronica grunted softly and he sighed blissfully. He held still for a moment, trying to allow her to adjust to him but he couldn’t wait any longer. Veronica’s inner muscles were pulling at him, fluttering around his cock.
He pounded her roughly until their breathing was hard and her moans were steady. Each time he drove into her another one escaped her louder than the last. Logan pressed his lips to hers once more as his hand slipped between their bodies, finding her neglected, throbbing clit. He rubbed her while he continued to thrust into her with long, hard strokes. It was the end for him, he felt it building and knew it was going to be all over in another minute but then she came undone.
Veronica squealed, then moaned, then shuddered all around him. No longer able to hold himself back Logan pounded into her another time before spilling within her.
Logan collapsed beside her, pulling her to him where she could curl into his side. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead before standing up to discard the used condom. When he turned back from the wastebasket she was standing on weak knees looking at her destroyed underwear.
“I owe you a new pair,” he said thoughtfully.
“Yeah,” she replied, pulling her dress back up, “Could you zip me?”
“Okay,” he nodded. Veronica’s eyes had adjusted to the dark by now and she took in his handsome features, post-coital, for the first time.
“You should,” she stopped gesturing toward his clothing.
“Yeah, and we should,” he gestured in turn to the doors leading back to the party. She nodded but remained quiet.
The rest of their stay in the room was silent. When Logan pulled open the doors leading back into the lounge area the party was still in full swing. The light assaulted their eyes. Veronica had almost forgotten there were other people out here, still going on with their lives as if nothing had just happened.
No one appeared to notice the duo’s return until they came to stand by Duncan at the bar. They were greeted with a few cat-calls from Dick and Beaver, Duncan’s “Oooo’s,” Meg’s knowing smirk, and Wallace’s disgusted, brotherly groans.
It was nearing midnight and the mystery remained unsolved, “This is impossible,” Duncan groaned. “Does anyone else just want to give up and get really drunk?”
Dick’s hand shot into the air, “Let’s get wasted!” And slowly the other’s agreed with him.
“No,” Veronica said from the couch where she and Logan had been perched for the past twenty minutes whispering over their notes, “I’ve got it”. Logan cleared his throat loudly and she amended, “We’ve got it”.
“Thank you,” Logan smirked.
“Drum roll please, Johnny Famous,” Duncan said.
“It was,” Veronica paused for dramatic affect, “Eleanor Smith”.
“Me?” Meg squawked.
“You were infatuated with Arthur Malloy, the accountant but you had been having a rather torrid affair with Mr. Railsford before you met Mr. Malloy. And when Railsford threatened to reveal your true nature to his good friend and accountant you shot him, with James Beam’s gun. You learned where it was stashed from Lola one night when you were both drunk and rambling in the hotel bar. And no, I wasn’t there at the time”.
“Is she right?” Gia asked excitedly.
Duncan removed the sealed envelope from his notebook, it was marked ‘Confidential’. After opening it and removing a single slip of paper his eyes flew over the print. “She’s right, down to the last detail”.
The group groaned, “How did you figure this one out?” Wallace asked.
“It was all in the clues my brotha,” Veronica beamed.
“Who wants a drink?” Dick called out and the bar was rushed.
Logan leaned in and kissed Veronica on the cheek, “Nice work, Sugarpuss”.
“Game’s over, Logan. We’re not Josh and Chastity anymore,” she finished with a sigh.
“I know,” he said, slipping his arm around her and leaning in for another kiss, “who cares?”