Serenity never considered herself a detective, but she was sure for a moment that a rat may have crawled under the table. It seemed it would be quite troublesome to just run up to the side of the table and cut someone from the front with a pair of shears of all things.
But the question of how it was done was not important right now. What is is how the rest of the evening would turn out.
She became stiff for a second when the Lieutenant announced that everyone would likely go through an interrogation. The noble had nothing to hide, but she was a still a stranger in her old home. Though perhaps she had nothing to worry about, seeing as most people around the table seemed to have had a bad way with the Vengers.
"As you will, Lieutenant, I subdue myself to your law."
This was not her investigation to oversee, and neither was she an official of the law. The Howle just hoped for a speedy clearance regarding her suspicion if there was any at all.
However, she was curious about one thing. What was it that Mr. Venger wanted to say while Ms. Buckley left the table?
Last Edit: Nov 4, 2012 18:51:31 GMT -5 by Serenity
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
Tauer didn't like the sound of being interrogated, but it seemed that any resistance may be interpreted as some form of guilt. He would comply. He had nothing to hide about this specific matter and there were several people here with motives for the killing of Mr. Venger, so let them ask their questions. As long as he didn't have to go into detail about his past, since he had already lied about his dealings in Wistvale.
He worried about Neko. She may not have an easy time with the questioning due to her inability to speak.
::She lowered her head and nodded in understanding to Ms. Buckley. She should have expected as much. Flarb, she would probably have done the same thing in these circumstances. Relying on a stranger was risky at the best of times, which these hardly were.
She considered finding Gavin again to try and speak with him, but decided against it at least for the time being. He would be busy securing the home and keping everyone calm. Perhaps later there would be an opportunity...
She turned instead and went to find Tauer, the only other familiar face here, to see how he was handling this. As she walked to him she hoped that should the interrogations come around to her, that they would supply pen and paper for her. She did not want her inability to defend herself to lead to her being accused. And she couldn't very well use her Shadow Magick to communicate. She may as well sign her own Death Certificate if she even tried... ::
Silent as a shadow on padded feet...
Orp Boon [M:83:616:][D3v:http://www.rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=406&page=1#374]"Is that family heirloom for sale?"[0:Gone fishing.][1:The store is open!]
Now she wants help. She couldn't blame her tho. I mean a murder in the middle of your dinner party. In your very own home. And you being a high ranking Sentinel. How could you not be thrown off your game by that? Especially when you were someone that put so much into your image as Ms. Buckley seemed to...
So she did her best to get Tauer's attention and motion for him to follow her as she made her way back to their host.
When she was once again near enough to get the woman's attention she gestured to take in all the gathered guests and staff. She then held her open hand up with her fingers held tight together, before splaying her fingers wide. She was hoping to convey the idea of splitting everyone up before whoever the killer, or killers... as it was likely that there was more than one person involved considering the lights going out... could work out a good story as to where they were during the incident. ::
Silent as a shadow on padded feet...
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
Tauer hadn't any bright ideas other than to keep quiet about his shadow magic. The murder had taken place in the dark and anyone with the slightest inclination to hysteria could blurt out the possibility that magic had been involved to take out the lights. And who better to co-ordinate a killing in the dark than a master of the darkness itself. He also worried for Neko's safety in such a predicament, so he responded to her summons by moving to her side.
Ms. Buckley, I hope you and your staff will be submitted to the same questioning as the rest of us. I wouldn't want anyone to think they are above suspicion.
The noble looked over to where Mr. Venger had been sitting and then back to Angeline, "I wouldn't know, Lieutenant, I had just met all of you today."
Though there appeared to be a general dislike of the man, Serenity didn't know everyone's reasoning behind their animosity. Even then, she personally didn't believe it was within any of the guest's capacity to murder another, especially during a dinner party of all things. Perhaps her empathetic sense was slipping.
At this point, Serenity just wanted to go rest at home and have a quiet drink to herself. An evening murder has a habit of doing that to her.
"Though it seems...odd that someone would just walk up to where Mr. Venger sat and....clip him, then have time to vanish before we received light. On that note, the behavior of the lights was an oddity as well. Do we have any mages in the home?"
Serenity looked around briefly before admitting herself, "I am one, though my arts lie with earth and wind."
Orp Boon [M:83:616:][D3v:http://www.rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=406&page=1#374]"Is that family heirloom for sale?"[0:Gone fishing.][1:The store is open!]
"I think I get what you're saying, Neko. I need to hear alibis from each and every one of you that was in here when Mr. Venger died. Tell me what happened exactly. Ms. Giver, would you start please?"
Ms. Giver narrowed her eyes. She didn't like feeling interrogated.
"Um, well I saw the lights go out and I immediately got up and began feeling for the door. I don't like being in the dark and I somehow ended up close to Mr. Venger but I didn't touch him. Ask Tank, I could smell him next to me."
Angeline looked to Tank.
"Mr. Tank?"
He hiccuped.
"Well I was just telling Mr. Zechius here what a good drink is when them lights went out. I was surprised so I did what an Aluminun Fist does best and I prepared for battle. I felt for a knife, jumped out of my chair and nearly bumped into Giver. I was too busy looking for elves to be worried about Venger."
Angeline nodded.
"And Mr. Zechius?"
He gulped.
"Well when the lights went out I felt scared so I went to hide in a corner. My sense of direction isn't that good so I ended up near Venger. I wasn't close enough nor nearly trained well enough to do anything like that though. Nor do I have the stomach for it. I'm nearly as bad as Mrs. Smith."
Angeline looked at Mrs. Rose Smith.
"Mrs. Smith?"
She was still fanning herself and trying not to look at the blood by Mr. Venger's seat.
"Well, deary me I backed up into a corner here as soon as the lights went out. I-"
She shielded her eyes from the sight of blood.
"couldn't have made it all the way over there now would I have wanted to."
Angeline walked around the table and looked to the Vengers.
"Mrs. Venger, I'm sorry to interrogate you like this but could you explain what happened when the lights were out?"
Mrs. Venger held back some sobs.
"Can-can't you give m-me some space?!"
Kyle put his hand on her shoulder and said,
"Lay off my mother for a moment please, lieutenant."
"And where were you Kyle?"
"I saw the lights go out and went to stand up but I stayed near my chair. I heard someone come close to my father and then heard his throat get stabbed, hard. Hard enough to hit bone."
Angeline declined her head. She went down the line of butlers that were in the room when Venger died and each explained that they were preoccupied with not spilling any food and moved away from the table toward the walls.
"A few of the cooks and butlers have fire magic. I have some healing magic. Anyone else have any magic skills?"
Ms. Giver, Mr. Zechius and Kyle raise their hands.
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
Tauer gave Neko an apprehensive glance in response to the question of magics. Would she divulge their secret? It was one thing to be able to manipulate water and earth, it was quite different for those who wielded the power of darkness.
In the demon's travels, before he'd reached Wistvale, many folk had been scared of his abilities. Dark magic seemed to be frowned upon more in some places than other magics, perhaps purely because it had the word 'DARK' in it. His encounter with the street kids, on his first day in town, had proved that a shadow mage was a thing to fear, so he had judged the whole town on this one experience. A hysteria-driven lynch mob was the last thing he needed.
So, Tauer focused his energy into helping solve this case. Ms. Giver, Tank and Kyle Venger had all admitted to finding themselves close to the body when the lights came back on, but he suspected that Mr. Venger's killer would have placed himself - or herself - as far away from the dead man as possible. He looked over at the apparently squeamish Mr. Zechius and Mrs. Rose Smith. Did Mr. Zechius have use of fire magic? Tauer felt that the lights were a big clue.
Ms. Buckley, who relit the lanterns? Did your butlers do it or was it Mr. Venger's murderer? And did any of your staff recognize the implement used to do the killing? Perhaps it had come from a utensil drawer in your kitchen.
And since your servants were coming and going from there to retrieve the meals, perhaps one of them took the weapon and concealed it on their person, extinguished the lights with their fire magic and stopped Mr. Venger from bad-mouthing their employer any further. This part Tauer kept to himself. He would wait for more evidence before offending the host at her own Gala. Although, he didn't think it had been very smart to order the butlers to clear away the table, possibly removing potential clues, before the case was solved.
::Neko looked about as the hands were raised and made a mental note of who was claiming magickal abilities. She, however, did not raise her hand and was pleased to see that so far neither had Tauer. Admitting to knowing Dark Magick was bad enough. Admitting to it when a murder had taken place in a room where the lights had "gone out" was suicide...
She decided to explain her actions during the blackout, since that was expected and she did not want to arrouse suspicion. She used gestures to show how she had reached for a weapon and moved to protect Tauer. Hoping that including him in the tale would also provide him an alibi...
She turned her attentions then to what the physical capabilities of those gathered could be. Were there any too weak or frail to wield the weapon in the way that it was used? She also continued to look at the clothes they wore. Were there stains that could be from blood? Where there any missing clothing items that could have been removed to cover such stains? If only she had paid more attention to what people were wearing before the meal...
She would give alot to know how the lights had gone out. Were they extinguished and relit? Or were they cloaked in darkness? Unfortunatly she knew no way to tell for certain...
Once again she wished Father were with her. He would have had a better chance of telling if magick were involved at all and if so what kind... ::
Serenity brought it up, but now she wasn't sure what to do about the admitted magic users. For all she knew something more than conventional magic was at work here.
"I suppose we should bring up motive..." she said with a grave sigh.
"Why would anyone want this man dead? Mr. Venger himself didn't seem to think there was a conspiracy against his life, especially not at work in the gala, otherwise I suspect he wouldn't have shown."
Serenity honestly hadn't a guess of who would most want the man dead, seeing as nearly everyone was cross with him, but did they hate the man enough to spill his blood? Or was there more to it?
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]