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Sonic Murder Game....


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#1
?XxX~nIGhTShaDe~XxX?

?XxX~nIGhTShaDe~XxX?

    Tortured Rose

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the title says it all..its a murder game and all of the participants are the detectives....its a 5 chapter story...ill just post the first four because the fifth has the criminals..the characters are sonic characters...soo if any one wants to participate...just post here...ill be waiting for a day..thx
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#2
Emmy Eats Monsters

Emmy Eats Monsters

    Nigrescent Black Hole

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im confused.so do i just have to be a detcetive in somebodys murder?are oyu going to post a murder sceneario or something?
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#3
?XxX~nIGhTShaDe~XxX?

?XxX~nIGhTShaDe~XxX?

    Tortured Rose

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QUOTE (hi my names emily {emolee} @ May 11 2008, 09:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
im confused.so do i just have to be a detcetive in somebodys murder?are oyu going to post a murder sceneario or something?

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no ill post the 1st four chapters..then lets see who will solve the game...

rules:
(Rules) although i don't think i will need them(i know no one here would cheat Grin)

1.no teams (makes it easier 2 brains often think better than 1) Wink
2.no searching the internet for the story(i edited out the author and the name of the story just in case) but i will give them out after the game(he does deserve to be known)
3.after you have your answer you will need to private message me your answer with the how you came to that conclusion.(that way everyone has the same chance Roll Eyes)
4.ummm....i don't know i guess thats it.....oh after posting this story you have until tomorrow around this time. then i will post the ending along with the results.

The story is divided in a prologue and 5 chapters that i will provide here.

You will have to read the first 4 chapters and gather the clues needed to find out who done it?

Please note that i will NOT put up the last chapter until everyone has told me their answer because that one does not have any clues. That one only has the answer...

After you gather the clues(wish i suggest you write them down on a document or something) then you will tell me who do you think did it AND how did you come to that conclusion, why? because i don't want wild guesses.... it would not be fair some one to say a wild guess and win while others are actually investigating....

now before i continue with the rules and prises i need to know if anyone is interested in playing.....

also note that the story is rated M it contains:

1.Strong language
2.Violence as in fight scene
3.death no duh......
4.blood
5.all of the above

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~~~

Prologue

There?s been a tragedy at Ark Mansion. The fabulously wealthy Professor Gerald Robotnik has invited some of his closest friends and family to hear important news that will affect them all. Some suspect it?s about his will. Others believe he may just be ready to reveal his greatest secret. But following dinner, the professor was found dead in the hall. Minutes later his granddaughter Maria, his current heiress, was found drowned face down in the swimming pool.

Motives:

Doctor Ivo ?Eggman? Robotnik, Professor Gerald?s nephew, made no secret of his disappointment when he learnt that Maria Robotnik would inherit his entire estate. With them both dead, he is set to become fantastically wealthy. But would he really kill his own grandfather and cousin, knowing that he?d be a prime suspect?

Sonic the Hedgehog is Gerald?s long time friend, and also the hero of the planet. But his bohemian lifestyle doesn?t come cheap. He?s managed to convince a publisher that his life story in print will sell well, but after several advance payments, he?s only produced one chapter. Meanwhile debt collectors hound him. But what would he gain from Gerald?s death ? unless the will has changed...

Miles ?Tails? Prower is sweet, innocent... and clever. He was working with Professor Gerald as a lab assistant for almost a year, before the argument happened. Miles accused Gerald of stealing his idea for using Chaos Emeralds as a power source, while Gerald claimed that Miles was lying. Of course now that Miles is a famous and wealthy inventor in his own right, they seem to have made up. But is the fox really so forgiving?

Amy Rose?s dream is to be Sonic the Hedgehog?s wife. But her other dream is to become a famous actress and singer ? if only she had the money to start off her career. She was fired from her previous job for trying to swindle a wealthy elderly lady out of her fortune. Was Gerald too presumptuous in giving her a second chance as a housemaid?

Shadow the Hedgehog has been Gerald?s loyal servant for decades now, and his devotion to both Gerald and Maria is well known. But lately rumours have begun to circulate that his devotion to Maria is more than just mere servitude, and that his mental state is less than stable. What would he do if she turned him down?

Knuckles the Echidna is another old friend of Gerald, and he has been married to Rouge for almost six months now ? an event that was not looked upon favourably by Gerald, and resulted in Knuckles being cut out of his will. The Guardian certainly has a volatile temper, but how far would he be pushed by such an insult?

Rouge the Bat?s love of jewellery and antiquities is well known, as is her enjoyment of the high life. Furthermore, rumours of her infidelity have been circulating for months. Gerald certainly never approved of her marriage to Knuckles. And small items of value have been vanishing from Ark Manor for months. But nobody has any proof of Rouge?s light fingers and busy hands ? well, nobody alive...

All of these motives are only the most basic reasons to murder either Gerald, Maria or both. Everybody?s got a motive, and it?s not a point of deciding who?s got the best motive, because other, deeper motives will be revealed later in the story. It?s a point of deciding who had the best opportunity to commit the murders.

~~~

Chapter One: Location, Location, Location...

It was 9:00 in the evening at Ark Mansion, on a hot summer's night. Several expensive cars, and indeed a large plane, were parked outside the stately manor house. It was 9:00 in the evening when a horrible scream ripped through the air. It came from the large patio behind the house... where the large pool was situated.

Rouge the Bat, one of the visitors, looked up with a start. She had just entered the bedroom she shared with Knuckles when she heard the scream. It carried through the hot air and open window easily. She flew through the open window and alighted on the garage roof, looking around to discern where the scream had come from.

Amy Rose, the housemaid and cook, with a dressing gown wrapped around her body and a towel wrapped around her quills, looked out of the servants quarters downstairs. She too had heard the terrible, mournful scream. She sighed and started walking towards the back of the house, heading for the pool.

Renowned hero, Sonic the Hedgehog, who had been resting in his room on the first floor, took notice of the scream and left his chambers, rushing towards the rear of the mansion, ready for trouble. He nearly ran into his old friend, Knuckles, who had been lounging in the main hall, on the way to the pool. "Did you hear that?" he asked the echidna.

Knuckles shook his head, just as disturbed and uncertain as him, "How could I not? What was that?"

Sonic continued jogging down the hall, replying, "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Sounds like someone is in trouble."

When they got there, the first thing they saw was Shadow the Hedgehog, the long-time servant of Ark Manor, standing on the edge of the pool and screaming, an aqua-vac by his side. It took a few seconds for them to realise what he was so hysterical about, before Rouge gasped and pointed to something in the pool, "Oh, dear gods..." she gasped. Floating face down was the body of Professor Gerald's granddaughter, Maria Robotnik. Her blue velvet dress was soaking up the water and dragging her down.

With another scream, Shadow jumped into the pool and started swimming towards the body, before anybody could stop him.

Sonic's first impulse was to go after her, as well, but the blue hedgehog skidded to a halt at the edge of the pool, fear gripping him. He had always been afraid of water, as unlikely as it seemed. Another presence announced itself with a startled cry: the young Miles "Tails" Prower, one of Gerald?s greatest students, wearing dirty overalls smeared with grease from his latest bit of mechanical tinkering, "What happened here?" he asked, immediately absorbing details.

"Maria must have fallen into the pool and drowned," said Amy, watching as Shadow splashed about in the water, bringing Maria back to the poolside, "You know she's a poor swimmer."

Shadow bent down to Maria, and grabbed her, "Maria, please don't leave me, please, please..." he begged the cold, pale corpse.

"Somebody should tell Gerald," said Rouge, "I'm surprised he didn't hear Shadow screaming like that."

Sonic, obviously shaken by the sight of young Maria, shook off the shock and turned to run and get the professor, steeling himself to deliver the bad news. On the way out, he had to dodge the large, waddling form of Doctor Ivo ?Eggman? Robotnik, the professor's grandson. Another brilliant scientist, he hadn't cared for his body nearly as well as his mind, and it had taken longer for him to reach the pool from his second floor chambers. "What is all this commotion about?" he demanded in usual, abrasive tone, "This had better be worth interrupting my studies of... oh!" The large human stopped, his eyes hidden by the reflective lenses he seemed to keep perpetually on his face.

"She won't wake up!" Shadow was wailing like a child, a crazed expression on his face. Nobody was exactly sure how old the black and red hedgehog was, but he'd been working at the Mansion for years, maybe decades. But right now he was acting about 5 years old, "Doctor, do something!" he pleaded with the fat doctor.

Eggman hurried over to the black and red hedgehog and drowned girl, kneeling down to check her vitals quickly. There was no pulse, her breathing has stopped, and the poor girl was as cool as the water she had been found floating in. After a moment, the doctor shook his head, lowering it sadly. "We found her too late,? he said, "There's nothing we can do for her."

Shadow began to scream all over again, pulling at his quills. Rouge glared at him, "Will you stop acting like that, Shadow?" she asked him, "Everybody else here is acting like an adult, why can't you?"

Amy glared at Rouge, "There's no need to be that way, Rouge. You know how devoted Shadow is to this family!"

Eggman sat down next to the body of his drowned cousin, his bald head resting wearily in his hands, quietly wrestling with his own reactions to this unexpected loss.

Tails made his way over nervously to the wailing hedgehog and placed a clean, gloved hand on his back, trying to comfort him. "It's going to be alright, Shadow..." he said quietly. Knuckles just stood off to the side with Rouge, unsure how to react to any of this.

"How did this happen?!" Shadow wailed, "I never wanted to lose her!"

"Why did you come out here, anyway, Shadow?" Rouge asked, "Late night swim, perhaps?"

"Rouge!" Amy sounded shocked, "You're not suggesting-"

"Oh, yes I am!" said Rouge, "People don't just fall into pools and drown! Maybe Maria had a little help..."

"You can't be serious!" Tails exclaimed, looking up from comforting Shadow, "How could you say that? We all cared for Maria, and so did Shadow! It was just an accident!"

Knuckles snorted and crossed his arms over his chest, retorting, "Yeah, well did you see how he looked at her? I'd say he did a little more than just care for her..."

Shadow jumped to his feet, "That's a lie!" he snarled, "I serve this family, it's my job to care what happens! But I would never have... never have..." tears began to pour down his face, "And now she's gone..."

The gate to the swimming pool swung open again with a creak, and Sonic the Hedgehog walked forward, eyes wide, skin pale, and mouth hanging open. His hands and body were covered in someone else?s blood. "Professor Gerald... is dead..." he said softly, stunned.

Knuckles whirled around to face the blue hedgehog. "What?! What do you mean?"

"And why are you covered in blood?" Rouge asked him.

Behind her, Shadow moaned, "Not again..." he murmured.

Sonic blinked rapidly, trying to regain his composure, and the blue hedgehog said, "He was up in his study, and someone... someone beat his head in!"

Tails gasped in horror, and Eggman looked up from Maria's ruined form, murmuring, "My grandfather..." Then the man's hands curled tightly into fists, and he angrily said, "Your first assumption was correct, Rouge. We have a murderer in this mansion!"

Amy looked horrified, "We have got to call the police!" she said, "I can't believe that one of us could be a killer!"

"I never said that one of us was the killer... although that does make a certain amount of sense,? Eggman mused, rubbing his chin and standing up.

Tails looked up in surprise at the doctor. "What? Why would any of us kill Gerald and Maria?" the fox asked.

Eggman just snorted. "You have much to learn, young Prower. If you think about it, many of us could have reasons to murder them, and much to gain,? the large human pointed out, "Unfortunately, I am the first suspect, seeing as I have the most to gain. With my grandfather and cousin dead, I am next in line to given their inheritance... but I would never harm my own family!"

"Sure you wouldn't," Amy said, sounding unconvinced, "All those robots were purely for the good of humanity. But why should I kill Gerald or Maria? They employ me; I'm certainly not in their will."

Rouge shrugged, "Either way, if you don't mind I'm going to sit down in the drawing room," she said, "Being around dead bodies isn't good for my complexion."

"You're not going anywhere!" Sonic called out suddenly, "If the murderer is one of us, we can't let anyone out of sight!" Tails nodded in agreement. They couldn't give the killer a chance to escape, and everyone was a suspect.

Rouge smirked, "Then I guess you guys will just have to come with me, because I'm not standing around in the cold all night."

"You're being a little cold about this, aren't you Rouge?" Amy asked her, "Two very nice people are dead and you are acting like it's a minor inconvenience."

"It's not her problem,? Knuckles growled, coming to her wife's defence, "What would she have to gain from killing them, anyway?"

Sonic stomped towards the echidna, snapping back, "Maybe she didn't have one. Maybe she was just trying to steal from Gerald, got caught, and whacked him to cover it up!"

Eggman nodded, adding, "It's a plausible reason, and we can't trust Knuckles' word, either. He's just a brute of a yes-man to her."

Knuckles looked at both of them with a stunned, annoyed expression. "Hey! I may be a brute, but I'm not a killer! Your brilliant little idea doesn't explain why Maria was killed, in case you didn't notice!"

Shadow looked up, "Maybe there are two killers," he said, sounding a little more calm, "After all, not many people would have the time to kill them both and hide the evidence..." he glared at Sonic, "Unless they were as fast as you, Sonic."

"Or you,? Sonic shot back, glaring at the black hedgehog before raising his blood-splattered hands, "And you call THIS hiding the evidence?"

Tails backed away from Shadow carefully. "We're assuming that both Gerald and Maria were murdered,? he said, "What if that's not true? What if it's just a coincidence? It's slick out here; Maria could have slipped, bumped her head, and drowned without anyone's help."

Eggman seemed to consider the possibility. "It's very unlikely... but not impossible."

Amy bent down and pulled Shadow away from Maria's body, "The police will catch the killer - if there is one," she said, "As it is, I think everybody's a little jumpy right now. But if we all stick together, everything will be fine."

"No, it won't," Shadow said, pulling away from her, "She's still dead..." With these words he walked into the mansion, water dripping all over the place.

"You know, if he had done it, jumping into that pool to drag Maria out would be a great way to hide that he was wet, and wash off any blood," Rouge pointed out.

"Yeah..." Knuckles said, eyeing both Shadow and Amy suspiciously, "But... am I the only one that noticed that Miss Voice of Reason was wet before she walked over to the pool?" This stopped everyone in their tracks, shifting their focus to the pink hedgehog. Sure enough, her fur seemed damp, like she had been soaked and tried to dry off not long ago.

"I just happened to be coming out of the shower when Shadow started screaming," Amy said, crossly, "Besides, why would I want to kill Maria? You're certainly strong enough to hold her under water until the bubbles stop! And after Gerald changed his will to leave you out, you've got a motive too!"

"What? I don't need the old man's damn money!" the echidna snarled, taking a step towards Amy with fists clinched, "You make another stupid suggestion like that, and there will be a third corpse to worry about!"

Sonic knelt down beside the pool and splashed the water onto his body and hands, trying to wash the blood off of him. "Cool it, Knucklehead,? the blue hedgehog spoke, "We aren't solving anything by fighting. We need to look around the mansion, try to find some evidence first."

"Or destroy it," Rouge said sceptically, still looking at Sonic, "Yes, us trampling all over the murder scenes, that is just what the forensics team needs."

"Leave off, Rouge," said Amy, "Besides, Maria's death was probably an accident."

"It had to be,? Sonic added, looking up from the pool, "Maria was one of the sweetest girls I've ever met. Why would anyone want to kill her?"

Eggman snorted, walking slowly over towards the blue hedgehog, looking down at him. "You underestimate the capacity for cruelty and greed in people, hedgehog. Now, let's go inside so we can settle this. Sonic, bring poor Maria with us", the scientist ordered.

Sonic looked at the body, "What? Why? So I can mess up the crime scene?"

"Yes, Shadow should never have touched her in the first place," Amy added.

"I doubt he was thinking about forensics at the time,? the old doctor retorted dryly, "In any case, the damage is done, and water has a tendency to erase physical clues, in any case."

Sonic sighed and complied with the request, picking up Maria's stiff, cold body, carrying it with him inside the mansion. Eggman led them to the main hall, following after Shadow.

Shadow was not in the main hall though. The trail of water led through there certainly, probably to his room in the servant's quarters.

"Shadow!" Eggman called out, "I require your service in the main hall!" Technically, with Gerald and Maria dead, he was the new master of the house. Sonic carefully laid Maria down, and Tails joined him in looking down as her ruined body. Knuckles continued to say off to the side with Rouge, fuming silently at everyone, Amy most of all.

Shadow returned reluctantly, "I'll thank you to remember neither the house nor myself belong to you until Gerald's will is read," he said unpleasantly, "But hell with it, what do you want?"

Eggman took a seat, putting his hands together, his shaded eyes looking over the small group of guests and family friends. "No one of us must leave our company until this terrible crime has been solved. Sonic has suggested that we search the mansion for clues, and I agree with him. The police will be involved in this eventually, but not until we find the killer ourselves. This is my family, and their murderer will answer to me first!"

"Yes," said Shadow, "And you're the law in these parts, right Sheriff Eggman?" he asked mockingly, "If you don't mind, I plan to mourn the deaths of my former master and mistress. If you want to stop me, you'll have to do so physically." he turned to leave once again.

"Hey, stop being such a jerk, Shadow!" Tails called out, taking flight and landing in front of the black and red hedgehog, "We all cared about Maria and Gerald, too! If we're going to find out who did this, we can't give anyone a chance to run off or change things. You want to know who killed them, right?"

Knuckles grumbled, "I hate to admit it, but the kid is right." Clinching his fists again, he added, "I'd like to tell this killer what I think of him, violently!"

Shadow turned around slowly to face Knuckles, "Are you sure you haven't already?" he asked, glaring, "Is that blood on your glove?" he pointed out the speck of red blood on Knuckles' glove.

"Huh?" the echidna asked with a puzzled expression, glancing down at the red speck on his glove, "Hey, I had nothing to do with this! Sonic was the one who came to us dripping blood. He probably flung it on me!"

Shadow stepped forward, "He wasn't anywhere near you when he came back," he growled, looking at the glove, "And for your information, blood doesn't splash about."

"And for yours, that 'third corpse' offer is still open!" the crimson echidna snarled, "I'm telling you I had nothing to do with this, but I wouldn't be surprised if you were! You were right there next to her, and everyone has to have noticed how you practically stalked the girl!"

"I work here!" Shadow shouted, "And I saw how pissed you got when Gerald said you could choose Rouge or your share in the will! I bet you'd kill him just to regain your honor! And suppose Maria just happened to walk in while you were stoving in his head? You'd have to get rid of her too!"

"Stop it, both of you!" Eggman called out, "You won't solve anything acting like children! Now... we must search this mansion, room by room, in pairs, until we have found what we need to know! Do you understand?"

"I'll pair up with Sonic!" Amy said cheerfully.

The blue hedgehog rolled his eyes but made no objections. Eggman nodded in agreement.

"I'll go with Shadow,? Tails spoke up.

Eggman nodded again, adding, "And Rouge and Knuckles can come with me. Three teams. That should be adequate for this task."

~~~

Chapter Two: Pairing Up

The three teams each split off to do their own, separate investigations of the murders. The way they were set up was smart; all of the combinations were highly unlikely to have worked together to pull off the murders, and thus, were not likely to run off together easily if they were the guilty party. Sonic took it upon himself to first check out the chambers of the new master of the house, Eggman, walking up the staircase with Amy practically hanging on his arm. Suppressing a sigh, the blue hedgehog asked, somewhat dreading the answer, "Why'd you choose to go with me, Amy?"

"Because I love you, Sonic!" Amy said, happily, "One day we're going to get married and live together forever!" she hesitated, "And I don't trust Eggman or Shadow or Rouge or Knuckles. I know Knuckles acts like he doesn't have a reason but you've seen how he gets about being insulted."

It was true that Knuckles was easily insulted and reacted badly to it, but Sonic couldn't see the echidna go as far as to murder someone, "Knuckles isn't the smartest guy, but he isn't this stupid,? Sonic pointed out, "Just tell me this: who benefits the most from Gerald and Maria's death?"

"Eggman, I guess," Amy said, "He'll inherit everything."

Amy wasn't the most subtle of them, especially when it came to pursuing him, but she caught on quickly. "Exactly,? Sonic told her, "And notice how he's ordering us all around, getting us to do what he wants? Yeah, I bet he thinks that we'll be convinced he's innocent. I'm not falling for it."

"And he stopped us from calling the police," Amy added, "That means he has time to clean up any evidence. Even if he can't clean it up he can certainly make sure we make a mess of the scene, maybe put a few fingerprints around. Well, I'm keeping my gloves on!"

Sonic tugged on his own gloves in response and smiled. The two hedgehog soon were walking along the second floor towards Eggman's room. Arriving at it, Sonic reached, turned the handle, and failed to open the door. It was locked. The hedgehog frowned briefly before reaching back and plucking a couple of quills from his back, using them to pick the lock. "Funny how he locked his door, isn't it Amy? Almost like he's hiding something,? he joked.

"Huh, yeah," Amy smiled as the door to Eggman's bedroom swung open, and the smile froze. The room was neat and clean. But over every surface was designs for intricate and huge and expensive machines, small models, and notes, "Oh dear gods..." she murmured, picking up a piece of paper, "Things to do: Inherit money, Build Doomsday Device, Take Over World?!"

Sonic chuckled, walking over to take a look at the resting note from over Amy's shoulders. "Looks like a joke to me,? he said to Amy, lips close to her ear and eyes focused on the little sheet, "I mean, what kind of person just lays that around?" Taking his eyes off the little slip, he examined the models and schematics... those, on the other hand, looked very real, and many of them looked designed for warfare. Maybe Eggman had signed a contract with the military? He was a well-known and brilliant expert in the field of robotics.

Amy picked up a gun that looked like some kind of hunting rifle. It turned out to have tranquilizer darts in it, "Why would he have this here?" she asked, then hesitated, "You know, Eggman's got a pretty good view of the garden from this window. If he leant right out...? she demonstrated, ?he could get a shot at the pool."

"I guess so,? Sonic said, looking sceptical, "But I didn't notice any darts sticking out of Maria, and just leaving all this stuff out like this... Eggman's smarter than this."

"Maybe he and Shadow were working together?" Amy suggested, "Maybe when Shadow pulled Maria out of the water he pulled any darts out of her? He'd certainly have the time."

The blue hedgehog gave it some thought. The family servant would be in the best position to help Eggman out with the murders, but that left a new set of questions, "Shadow would certainly benefit from it, too, but I've seen him around Gerald and Maria. He loved this family."

Amy shrugged and put down the gun, "I've been working here for six months, Sonic," she said, "I didn't like to say it around him but..." she shuddered slightly, "He was always creeping around Maria and Gerald. He doesn't even get paid, he stays here because he wants to! Hellfire, he's an item in the will!"

The fact that he was not paid was news to Sonic, but still... "Yeah, Shadow has always been creepy, but if he cared so much, why kill them?" Sonic asked, "I mean, if Shadow snapped, I guess he could do it, but he wouldn't be working with Eggman in that case. Maybe Eggman had no part in this and just got lucky."

Amy shrugged, "One thing's for sure - Maria would never take Shadow up on his offers. Let's check out his room. It's in the servant's quarters, next to mine."

"You're not just trying to get me in your room, are you?" Sonic asked half-joking with a little smirk.

"No, Sonic," Amy smiled, "Unless you want to go there..." she giggled.

The blue hedgehog winked at her and stepped towards the door. "Eh, murder investigation isn't the best time,? he pointed out, although still acting lightly about it, "Let's go see what a bad boy Shadow has been, eh?"

The servant's quarters were downstairs, and contained not only the servant's bathroom, but also the kitchen, pantry, and several bedrooms. When Sonic was lead into Shadow's bedroom, he could not believe that he had ever seen such an unlived in room. There was a bed, and a wardrobe, and a bedside table. And that, it seemed, was all.

Amy walked over to the wardrobe and opened the doors. She had to fight to keep herself from fainting, because the big blue eyes and blonde hair of a girl she had seen dead only minutes ago stared at her from every corner.

Sonic let loose a long whistle, glancing around at the thousands of photos of Maria pasted to the inside of Shadow's wardrobe and scattered on the floor of it. This took stalking to a whole new, disturbing level. The effect was only enhanced by the fact that there was hardly anything else in the room to distinguish it as Shadow's. That made a very loud statement about the black hedgehog's character: Maria was the only important thing in his world, "You know, I'm no psychiatrist,? Sonic spoke, "But... I'd say that Shadow is a total nutcase."

Amy looked in one corner of the wardrobe, and produced a letter, "My darling angel Maria," she read, "You don't need that old man to make you happy. I know you care for me the same way I care for you. Gerald would never let our love blossom but he can't stop us if he's dead..." she stopped reading, scanning down, "And it goes on like that. It reads like he was rehearsing some kind of speech."

Sonic's jaw hung open, listening to that little snippit, and taking another glance into the closet, he saw dozens of other such letters. "Well... we sure know now that he was thinking about it,? he stated the obvious, "It's likely that he played a part in this. So... you think that he killed Gerald, Maria rejected him, and he drowned her for it?"

"It's certainly possible that her rejection would push him over the edge," said Amy, "It's a good thing we found all this stuff now, otherwise he probably would have tried to get rid of it." She moved over to Shadow's bedside table and began to poke about in that, "It's not as if blunt objects are hard to find, and he can get pretty angry when things don't go his way," she added as she poked about.

Sonic blinked. He always figured Shadow to be the temperamental sort, although he hadn't seen it. Mostly, he had just seen Shadow's egotistical and creepy sides. Facing Amy, he asked, concerned, "You know that from experience?"

"Like I said, I've seen him following Maria about," Amy replied, "I didn't realise he was so click happy though..." she pulled something out of the drawer - an extremely ornate, extremely sharp letter-opener.

Spotting the sharp object, Sonic felt uneasy in the practically empty room. He almost expected Shadow to walk in at any instant wielding a hatchet or something. They had no concrete, damning evidence for Shadow's involvement, but Sonic was convinced he played some part in this. "Amy, do me a favour and stay close to me throughout this. This guy might freak out when we pin this all on him, and I don't want you getting hurt."

Amy nodded, "The knife doesn't look used," she said, "But Shadow sure isn't looking like a good prospect for a roommate right now..." She replaced the knife in the drawer again carefully, "What kind of guy would have a huge knife in his bedside drawer?" she asked out loud.

Sonic chuckled nervously, finding the answer to that question rather obvious in this situation. "A total loony like Shadow,? he replied, stepping over to the closet and leaning down to scoop some of the pictures and letters up carefully with his gloved hands, "Hey, help me carry some of this stuff. We'll want to show it to the others."

Amy took out the knife again and put it somewhere safe, then picked up a few photographs. Some of them had Gerald in them - or they had, before he had been cut out. Others had pictures of Shadow pasted in as well. It was horribly creepy.

Gathering up the material, Sonic focused on the pink hedgehog beside him. "So... what are you going to do after this, Amy?" When she returned his glance, he added, "I mean, surely you're not going to work here anymore."

"For Eggman?" Amy's face twisted up, and then she smiled sweetly, "I was kind of hoping that I could move in with you, Sonic."

Normally, Sonic found Amy's advances annoying or even stalker-esque, but after seeing a real, hard-core stalker, she didn't seem anywhere near as bad. The fact that she actually worked alongside that guy creeped him out. At any time, Shadow might have snapped, have done something horrible to her... Amy wasn't that bad, really. She just wasn't so good at hiding her enthusiasm. Looking at it that way, it wasn't too far off from Sonic's attitude. The blue hedgehog smiled back at her and fulfilled one of her greatest wishes. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea,? he said.

"Oh, Sonic!" Amy threw her arms around him and hugged him tight, just missing him with the knife.

Sonic almost jumped back, but was held in place by Amy's arms. Slowly, he wrapped his own arms around her, but not before first pinching the knife blade between his fingers and plucking it out of her hand. "Careful there. You don't want to go and ruin my looks,? he joked.

"Oh, sorry Sonic," Amy said, "Well, we've found plenty of circumstantial evidence on Shadow. Do you think he'd 'fess up if we confronted him? Or would he get even worse?"

"I'm not sure, but he'd probably get worse,? he answered quietly, "Maybe he'll show his guilt all on his own, but I wouldn't count on it. And we still might be able to dig up more on Eggman." It was becoming increasingly hard to think this close to Amy.

Amy sighed happily and rested her head on Sonic's chest, "Everything is going even more perfectly than I ever imagined it could do," she sighed.

Sonic shifted uneasily in her grasp, "Except for the blood and murders and such,? he reminded her with a soft chuckle.

"Yes, I almost forgot about that," Amy said softly, "Come on, we can take this stuff to the parlour and wait for the others there."

Smiling, Sonic reached down to run his thumb gently across Amy's cheek. "Hey, no rush,? he replied, "It'll take a while for everyone else to get done. We've got time to look around some more."

That was when an idea hit him. Blinking and jerking back, Sonic asked, "Hey, where would Shadow have been around the time Maria died?"

"Well, he should have been in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner," Amy said, "Although he may have been upstairs, stoving Gerald's head in. Or out back, holding Maria under water."

Sonic's eyes ran over the bare walls of Shadow's chambers, thinking this over, "Can you take me there? The kitchen, I mean,? he asked.

"Sure thing," Amy said, and led Sonic out of Shadow's eerily bare room. The kitchen was just next door, but it was pretty big. Next to the sink there was a huge pile of washing up. It appeared to be everything Shadow had washed up after dinner. But the window in the kitchen faced east, and the pool was to the south.

"Ah!" Sonic exclaimed, looking almost giddy as he glanced around the kitchen. It was just as he thought. The hedgehog explained, "Look! You can't see the swimming pool from here, and with all the noise and such, I doubt you could hear anyone splashing, either! If Shadow was doing his job, there was no way he could have known Maria was drowning!"

"Yes, but everything's washed up like it should be," Amy said. She stopped, "Except he seems to have broken a glass," she said, "Maybe he was in a hurry? It would certainly be another reason to be wet." she produced the remains of a broken glass that had been thrown into the bin, and there were a few pieces of glass on the floor, too.

Sonic carefully took the glass from her and examined it. "Alright, so he did his job, but he did a rush job. He wanted to get it out of the way fast so he could do something. I could probably move fast enough, so he could too. We'll need to ask him about stuff leading up to finding Maria... before we show the creepy pictures and letters."

"If we tell him we've been in his room, he'll probably guess about the letters and photos," Amy replied, "After all, there's not much else to look at in there."

"Yeah, so we don't mention that, either. Not until we've got his answer,? Sonic told Amy. The blue hedgehog smirked. "I think we got him, Amy. You know, this is kinda fun."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Amy said, smiling.

~~~

Chapter Three: Puzzles

While Sonic and Amy, and Shadow and Tails, were off investigating, Eggman, Rouge and Knuckles all looked at each other. Eggman spoke first, "Tails is as much a suspect as any of us. May I suggest that we investigate the garage, which is where he was supposed to be when Maria was found?"

"Fair enough,? the echidna growled, bringing his fists together, "I don't trust that guy, no matter how cute he thinks he is. Besides, didn't he have some sort of grudge against your family?"

"How surprisingly true," Eggman replied, "Yes, Miles Prower was working with Gerald for almost a year. They used to be good friends. Then they had an argument. Miles accused Gerald of stealing the idea for using Chaos Emeralds as an energy source - an idea which made my grandfather even more wealthy, as you know."

Rouge didn't look at all surprised. Most crimes came down to either revenge or money, and in this case it could easily involve both.

"Ah-ha!" Knuckles said, almost sounding as if he thought of it himself, "So... where is the little creep's room, anyway?"

"Upstairs, next door to Sonic's room in fact," said Eggman, sounding smug.

"Yeah, Sonic's room..." Knuckles said, looking thoughtful, or at least as thoughtful as he ever got, "Do you think he might have done it? He was covered in blood when he got to us."

"Yes, and he found Gerald," Eggman said, "He's one of the few people here fast enough to kill both Maria and Gerald in such a short time."

"Yes, but why?" Rouge asked causally with a flip of her hand, "Sonic is known for saving people, not killing them. What motive would he have for this?"

"Well, we were all called to this house this evening for a reason," said Eggman, "I suspected personally it might have something to do with his will. Sonic was a very good friend of Gerald's you know. I wouldn't be surprised if he got a mention. And we all know he's not only got money troubles, but has very little patience."

Rouge laughed. "So you're telling me that you think Sonic committed murder because he was impatient?" The bat smirked unpleasantly at the human doctor. "I realise that everyone is suspect here, but perhaps we should stick to those who are more... likely, hmm?"

"Like you?" Eggman smiled thinly, "You and Knuckles were cut out of Gerald's will because he didn't like you, Rouge. That's motive. Where were you when Maria was found?"

The bat's eyes narrowed to slits, making her smile more dangerous and mischievous as she reached over and lightly rubbed her fingers across Knuckles' chest. "Why, I was in my bedroom, of course. I'm not the type for petty revenge, and I wouldn't get anything of value out of the murder, anyway. If we really want to point at who has the most to gain... why, I believe that would be you."

"Or maybe I just got lucky," Eggman replied, "Besides, you're a secret agent. Trained to kill. Maybe it was your job to kill somebody. With your wings you could certainly get to your bedroom quickly." he glared, "Enough of this petty bickering. It's time to investigate."

"Yeah, after you, doc,? Knuckles said, glaring at the human as he stood near his wife, who in contrast was smiling sweetly.

"Sonic is already investigating my room," said Eggman, "We can investigate his and Tails' rooms. And then the garage, where Tails was working - or so he says."

Rouge stepped out of the doctor's way and gestured in the direction of the upstairs rooms. Knuckles stood close to the scientist, as belligerent and aggressive as ever.

Eggman stood up and walked up the stairs quickly. It was interesting to note that this small action resulted in him being out of breath, and certainly made one wonder if he was capable of either beating somebody to death or holding them under water.

Of course, he could be faking it... Rouge shook off that paranoid thought, saving it for later. First, they had to investigate Tails' room. The boy's chambers were unlocked, and the interior of it looked fairly neat and tidy with a few papers and such spread out on a desk, probably the furious scribbling of the little genius as he tinkered with a new idea.

Eggman approached the desk and picked up the piece of paper. Then he frowned, holding up the piece of paper, "This is a letter from Gerald to Miles," he said, "It seems to be one of a series. Gerald is telling him that he has something important to tell him tonight."

"Maybe the little freak didn't like what he heard!" the echidna growled.

Rouge, on the other hand, calmly shrugged. "That's hardly convincing evidence for murder. Is there anything else?"

"Why not, it's well documented that murderers store vital clues in their own bedrooms," Eggman said, sarcastically. He went over to the window, "Hmmm... Miles can fly. His tails would give him easy access to the rest of the house. If other people's windows were open, of course."

"Do you see any other open windows?" the echidna asked, trying unsuccessfully to look over Eggman's shoulder.

"From here?" Eggman leant out of the window, "It's too hard to tell, and Miles wasn't in here when Maria was found. He was in the garage."

"Or so he says,? Rouge pointed out, leaning against a nearby wall, tapping her foot against the floor.

"Yes, he would be in the garage," said Eggman, "A place with plenty of heavy objects. We probably wouldn't notice if one went missing."

"Well... I can't think of anything better, so I suppose we should look for any heavy tools missing,? Rouge spoke in a bored tone, slowly pushing off the wall towards the door.

Eggman continued to poke at the other pieces of paper, "Hmmm... designs for planes... and an application letter to GUN, applying for a job."

"Wait... what?" Knuckles said, startled, "Since when did that brat ever take military contracts? I thought he was one of those goody-goody scientists."

"Gerald works for GUN," Eggman pointed out, "Or at least, used to. I suppose now he's dead they'll need some replacements."

Rouge frowned slightly, thinking of any possible reason GUN might want Gerald dead. In the meantime, they had a workshop to check out. She led them out of the room and down the stairs, but from there, she had to rely on Eggman to guide them to the workshop itself. Neither of the guests knew the mansion well enough.

Eggman led them to the garage and workshop. It was also very neat - and there was a plane and several cars in there.

Rouge took the tip to a slide a gloved finger along the side of one of the cars, looking at them with an approving glance. She probably was imagining how much money was to be had for selling one of them. Knuckles, on the other hand, roughly opened the newest toolbox and began to fumble around inside it.

"It's all very neat in here," Eggman commented, "It should be easy to tell if something's here that shouldn't be. But it's not so easy to tell if something's missing, especially when you're messing it all up, Knuckles."

"Knuckles, hon, let the doctor search the tools. This is his area of expertise, after all,? Rouge called out to the irritated echidna. Knuckles grumbled and backed away from the workbench.

Eggman looked around, "Very neat," he repeated, "Perhaps too neat. Do you think that Tails was actually working in here?" With this comment, he looked in the toolbox, and laid out all the tools on the nearby workbench.

"Meh, I've seen Tails work, and when he does, everything's a mess,? Knuckles agreed, "He couldn't have been working in here when those murders happened!"

Eggman spotted a large window, and walked over to it, "Miles has quite a good view of the pool from this window," he commented, "Of course, that doesn't ascertain that he was looking in this direction, but he could have, and should have heard something. If he was working here."

"Something does seem off about all of this,? Rouge said, starting to look somewhat worried by the situation, "Foxboy said he was here, but there's no sign of it, and he has a good view of the pool area. This is starting to add up to a revenge killing."

"There may be an innocent explanation for all of this," Eggman said, placing the tools back in their box. One appeared to be missing, but he couldn't tell what just now.

"Or there might not be!" Knuckles growled.

Rouge placed a calming hand on the echidna's shoulder, saying, "But we don't have enough evidence to say either way. We need to search around more and see what the other teams have dug up."

~~~

Chapter Four: The Closet

As the two other groups of guests split up, Tails loyally stuck next to the black and red hedgehog, his bright blue eyes looking around the large room curiously. He gently nudged Shadow in the ribs with his elbow and said, "Come on, Shadow. I think I know where we should investigate first."

"What, Sonic's room?" Shadow asked. The black and red hedgehog was still shaken up from seeing Maria's body, "He's in Gerald's will, now. I found that out yesterday."

The fox blinked, taken back by the suggestion and understandably so. He had been friends with Sonic for a long time and could not imagine the blue hedgehog being the culprit. "Actually, I thought we'd check out Rouge and Knuckles' room. They seem to be the most likely suspects to me. Knuckles was angry at Gerald and Maria, and Rouge has a lot to gain, as well as the skills needed to pull this off."

"Of course, of course," said Shadow, although he didn't sound very convinced. He walked up the stairs to the guest bedrooms, with Tails following him, and walked into Rouge and Knuckles' room. Only he couldn't, because the door was locked, "Easily dealt with," he said, pulling out a set of keys from thin air and unlocking the door.

Tails smiled, seeing the uses of having the family servant helping in the investigation. The fox stepped inside and began to look around, rummaging through things here and there, looking for something out of place. "You've worked here for a long time, Shadow", the fox spoke up, "Have you noticed anything unusual lately?"

"Hmmm..." Shadow walked over to the window, "Well, Amy joined the squad. It's slightly unusual. Considering she tried to scam an old lady out of her money in her last job. And the pink jerk has been poking her long nose into everything I do as well."

"And she would also have keys to the mansion..." Tails mused quietly to himself. The fox sat down on the floor with his chin in his hands and his twin tails wagging behind him. "I guess we should check out her room, too. But what reason would she have to kill them?" he asked the black hedgehog.

"I don't know... maybe she just loves the blue not a very nice person that much?" Shadow suggested, looking under Rouge's bed and pulling out her suitcase.

Tails puzzled over that while Shadow looked through Rouge's suitcase. How would killing the Robotniks help out Sonic? Well, there was the matter of Gerald's will. Maybe Amy killed them so that Sonic would get it? It wasn't entirely out of the question, and she did seem a bit unstable at times...

"Humph," said Shadow. He had found a gun in Rouge's suitcase, "Innocent, I don't think," he said, "What's this doing here?"

"Self defence?" the fox suggested, "She lives a rough life, and neither Gerald or Maria were killed with a gun." The fox paused and frowned as he reached under the mattress of their bed, and he pulled out a large, heavy wrench that had a drying bloodstain on the end. "But this might have done it,? he said

Shadow's eyes narrowed, "Yeah, that could have done it," he said, "It still looks a bit wet. But Maria was drowned, not beaten. Anybody could have drowned her as long as they were stronger than her."

"Yeah, but it might have killed Gerald,? Tails said softly, wide eyes fixed on the improvised weapon, "And this is mine. It went missing from my tool box."

"Hmmm... good point," said Shadow, "Did you see anybody take this? It's always possible Sonic put it here to frame one of them..." the dark hedgehog's hatred for the blue hedgehog was becoming more and more obvious.

"Or Amy,? Tails pointed out, tearing his eyes away from the tool, "She had the keys, remember? She could have stolen it, used it, and then hid it here with no problem."

"That's true," Shadow said, "This door was locked, remember. But," he looked at the window, "The window is open. Rouge could have flown out through it."

"You're right,? Tails admitted, nodding his head, "She could have done it, too. In fact, she could have done both of them. That's two good suspects. Or even better...what if Rouge and Knuckles were working together?"

"It's possible," said Shadow, "In fact, if one is a criminal, it's likely that both are, or at the least, one is protecting the other."

"They could have killed Gerald and Maria at the same time. Both can glide, one is a thief, and the other certainly has the strength!" Tails added. It all fit together almost perfectly.

"That's means, and opportunity," said Shadow, "But motive... that's harder. They won't admit they want to kill Gerald."

"Yeah, but the motive is there,? Tails reminded the black and red hedgehog, "Gerald turned on Knuckles. It's not a solid case, but it's something."

"Would he kill for that reason though?" Shadow asked. He considered the echidna's prideful temper, "Yes, he just might," he said after a moment.

"Yeah, I can see it,? The fox agreed, standing up and walking over to Shadow, "Still, it can't hurt to check out Amy's room too. She's still a possibility."

"Humph," Shadow straightened, placing Rouge's gun back in her suitcase, "Amy is nuts. She never stops talking about Sonic, and how he's going to marry her."

The young fox shuddered at the thought. "Yeah, that's just plain creepy. But... what do you have against Sonic, anyway?" he asked.

"He's annoying, and Gerald was always saying how much better he is than me," Shadow said sourly, "That jerk never did a day's honest work in his life!"

Tails scratched the side of his head, thinking about it... and Shadow did have a point. Sonic wasn't known for his hard work ethics, "Gerald really said that to you?" he asked quietly, finding that hard to believe after how loyally Shadow had served his family.

"Well..." Shadow hesitated, "He often tells me that I should cheer up and be more like Sonic," the hedgehog explained, "But if I was like Sonic, I'd never get all my work done."

"You do seem awfully... serious all the time,? Tails said, wincing and hoping the black hedgehog didn't take it the wrong way, "I mean, just because someone has a cheery attitude doesn't mean they can't get anything done. You could have both, you know."

"Have you ever seen Sonic work?" Shadow replied, "I believe he's heavily in debt at the moment. Of course, if I ever accused him of being a lazy bastard in front of Gerald, the old man would say I'm just jealous."

The fox looked saddened by this. People always said Shadow was too creepy or serious, but that didn't mean his opinion should be discounted entirely. He was hard working and loyal, and those were traits to value. Hesitantly, the fox reached out and placed a hand on the hedgehog arm and said, "I'm sorry, Shadow. You don't deserve any of this. Sonic, Maria... it's just all messed up."

Shadow looked unhappy, "I loved this family so much," he said, "Now it's gone. Gerald is gone. Maria is gone. And all that's left to do is bring justice to their murderers."

"I'll help you. They deserve that, and so do you,? the fox said helpfully, moving closer and placing his hand on the hedgehog's shoulder, "But once you've done that... what next? Are you going to serve Eggman?"

"I'm in the will," Shadow replied, "I'll serve whoever I'm handed over to." So saying, Shadow pulled away from Tails, and went downstairs to the servant's quarters where Amy slept.

Tails followed after the mansion servant towards Amy's quarters, thinking to himself, "Hey, Amy's fur was damp when she went out to the pool, right?" he said to the hedgehog's back.

"Yes," Shadow said, "Although she did say she was showering at the time. Although..." the hedgehog said thoughtfully, "I was washing up then..."

The young genius scrunched up his forehead in concentration. "Yeah... and isn't an old mansion like this set up so you could only have one shower going at a time? The plumbing is ancient! Maybe we should see if her shower floor is wet."

"And quickly too, before it has a chance to dry up," Shadow said.

Tails picked up the pace, hurrying along behind the hedgehog, and upon reaching the door, stepped aside, gesturing for Shadow to go first.

Shadow entered the bathroom, and soon discovered that not the slightest sign of a shower had been taken there. There were no wet footprints on the floor, and the shower itself was quite dry. He smiled thinly, "Now why would she lie?" he asked, "Why would she lie about such a thing, and where was she to get herself wet?"

"Looks like we caught her in a lie,? Tails agreed with a little smile, thrilled by this dangerous mental game. Either Amy or Rouge and Knuckles were the killer. The couple seemed like the more likely, but he certainly could not discount the pink hedgehog now.

"But," Shadow said, as if considering something new, "Amy could not have killed both Maria and Gerald. Maybe she killed Gerald and planted the weapon in Rouge's room. Maybe she drowned Maria and feigned to have washed. But she couldn't have killed both."

"But who else could she have been working with?" the fox asked, blinking and looking up into his eyes.

"She could have been working with Sonic," said Shadow instantly, "Perhaps he cares for her more than he lets on."

"...Maybe,? Tails relented, "It's a bit far fetched... but not impossible." With that thought, the young fox started to look over Amy's bed, just in case there were any loose blue hair.

Shadow began to prod about in Amy's wardrobe. In it he found many photographs of Sonic's 'heroic deeds', and poetry about him. The poetry was quite bad. The discovery made him boil with anger and jealousy, despite the fact that he acted similarly around Maria.

Tails could see the anger flash over Shadow's face, and it was a scary thing to see. So much repressed feeling... it couldn't be healthy or pleasant for the hedgehog to have that much inside him. "Hey, don't let that get to you,? he spoke up, walking beside Shadow and looking down at the pictures, as well.

Shadow shook his head, "There's no proof of alliance here. Only proof that Amy is a nutter. Let's check out Sonic's room."

Tails nodded and reluctantly agreed with checking out his friend's room. Like it or not, the blue hedgehog was a possible suspect, and he had to be investigated like everyone else. The two-tailed fox led the way, taking Shadow away from Amy Rose's downstairs room to Sonic's on the second floor.

This time Shadow followed Tails. Sonic's guest room was a tip, and it would be intensely difficult to find anything in there. Shadow started by looking under the bed for blunt objects.

Tails wrinkled his nose upon stepping into the room, a musty scent in the air that he didn't quite recognize. Along with the mess all over the floor, it was obvious that Sonic didn't care about being tidy in the least. Shaking his head, the fox joined the hedgehog in the search of the room.

Shadow continued to dig around the bed, and soon found something worrying, "Is this what you've been looking for?" he asked Tails, holding up a few strands of pink hair.

"Huh?" the young fox uttered, reaching out to take the strands. Pausing a moment, he reached over and placed his hand on the mattress. It still felt warm and was moist with sweat. Tails blushed and shook his head, sighing. Sonic had obviously been very busy, very recently. "Well, I guess that settles that. They've certainly been, *ahem*, together..."

"Yes, but when?" Shadow asked, "When would they have the time?" he hesitated. There was a rattling sound coming from the closet. He strode over to it and swung the doors wide open.

Tails groaned and slapped his forehead as Sonic and Amy were revealed to be hiding in the closet, hiding their naked and sweaty forms from the intruders by holding each other tightly. Sonic blushed and grinned nervously. "Um... hi guys! You, uh, kinda caught us at a bad time..." the blue hedgehog said.

"Sonic, do I really have to tell you that two people were murdered in this house less than an hour ago?" Shadow growled, "Or do I need to remind you?" he looked around Sonic, at Amy, "By the way, pinky, wearing no clothes? That's a good look for you," he said nastily.

Amy cringed away from Shadow while Sonic just smirked in a relaxed matter. "Well hey, that just makes it more exciting, you know?"

Tails groaned louder, looked at the ceiling, and said, "Sonic's not the killer, Shadow. He's just an idiot."

"It's hard to believe anybody could be that genuinely stupid, though," Shadow said, "Maybe it's all an act to get us off our guard, eh Sonic?"

The blue hedgehog rolled his eyes. "Dream on, Shads. This hedgehog isn't the killing type. You're just jealous!"

Shadow narrowed his eyes, "Me, jealous? Jealous of you? Jealous of you getting with that stupid pink sleeper?"

Tails backed up slowly, seeing Sonic's good-natured smile turn into an angry glare. "What did you call her?" Sonic growled, pulling away from Amy and standing up.

"Nothing she hasn't been accused of before, I'll bet," Shadow replied, "Have you told her how in debt you really are, or does she believe the newspapers? Gerald was giving her a second chance after she robbed that old widow-"

"That's a lie!" Amy shouted.

"Look who's defending her honour. The naked woman in the closet," Shadow sneered.

Sonic's response to Shadow's sneering and insults was to smash him in the face with a clinched fist. "I'm not taking that from some damn stalker, you creepy not a very nice person!" he snarled. Tails thought it best to be elsewhere and slipped out of the room, watching the unfolding fight from the hallway.

Shadow staggered back, rubbing his nose, "I am not a stalker!" he insisted.

"Sure you're not!" Sonic snapped back sarcastically, "That's why you had so many of these, right?" Taking a few of the photos they had stolen from Shadow's room, he tossed them in the black hedgehog's face. "You better say you're sorry to Amy, or things are going to get ugly!"

Shadow stared at the photographs, "You were in my room?!" he asked, rage registering solidly on his face.

"Yeah, kinda like how you are in mine!" Sonic shouted, stepping protectively in front of Amy.

Shadow flicked through the photographs. The rage left his face, to be replaced by sorrow, "I loved her so much..." he whispered.

"Yeah, which is why you drowned her, right? You sick freak!" Sonic shouted, stepping forward and shoving Shadow hard, pushing him out of the blue hedgehog's room.

"No!" Shadow insisted, "I would never hurt her! I love her! If you think I could kill Maria, why aren't you worried about Amy?"

"That's why I'm doing this!" Sonic retorted before punching Shadow in the gut.

Tails stood nervously off to the side, muttering, "Um... guys? You think you could... calm down? Oh, why do I bother?"

"You should see all the newspaper clippings and photographs in Amy's room!" Shadow pushed a few of them into Sonic's hands.

Sonic tossed them away, grabbed Shadow's chest fur, and shoved him against the wall. "I wasn't the one who turned up in the swimming pool, faker!"

"Maybe not yet!" Shadow shouted back, pushing Sonic away from him violently, "You have no understanding!"

"I know enough! You're not getting past me, Shadow! You're going down for this!" Sonic spat, pointing a finger at the dark hedgehog, backing up in the room towards his new lover, "You alright, Amy?"

"Yes, Sonic..." Amy said, her voice shaking as if she was ready to cry. She was holding a sheet around her body to cover herself up.

Sonic wrapped and arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek before leading her away from the closet. "Come on; let's get out of here." Tails, relieved that the fight seemed to be ending, slowly walked to Shadow's side again.

Shadow was literally shaking with rage as he watched Sonic and Amy walk out of the room, "Just who the hell does he think he is, accusing me of Maria's murder?" he asked nobody in particular, "Why, I practically raised her!"

"Maybe he's just scared,? Tails said in a quiet voice, spooked by the fight that had happened in front of his face.

"Come on, Tails," Shadow growled, "Help me find proof that he killed Maria or Gerald. He had the speed to do them both."

The fox lightly placed a hand on the hedgehog's arm, saying, "Alright, I'll try, but I don't think he did it. He does some dumb things, but that's just not like him. I'm... I'm sorry about what he said to you."

"Oh, so now you're sticking up for that arrogant blue prick, eh?" Shadow snarled.

Tails flinched away from the dark hedgehog, looking simultaneously frightened and hurt by the snappy reply, "I was just trying to help you!" the fox said.

"Sorry, I don't get a lot of that," Shadow replied. He bent down and started poking under Sonic's bed again, trying to find something more substantial than proof of a brief shag.

"I noticed,? Tails mumbled, sitting down in the floor away from Shadow, his arms curled around his knees. He made no attempt to look for anything else.

Shadow glared at Tails again, "What's wrong?" he asked sharply, "Why are you sitting there like that?"

Tails gave him the smallest bit of an annoyed glance before looking away, burying his face against his legs. The fox felt too hurt and embarrassed to say anything in return.

Shadow was no good at reading people. He continued poking under Sonic's bed until he pulled out the suitcase, then opened it. There weren't many clothes, but there were a lot of confidential papers.

Tails sniffled quietly, curling his tails around him as he tried to compose himself again. Everyone else needed him then, and he couldn't afford to let Shadow's abrasive attitude and Sonic's mindless ego get to him.

Shadow had no problem reading other people's personal papers. It was something he had been doing with Gerald for years now. He smirked when he saw that Sonic was even more in debt than he'd previously thought.

"What's so funny?" Tails asked, peeking out from behind his twin namesakes.

"Oh, just finding motive," Shadow said, "I just wish there was a large, blunt object in Sonic's room... but I guess we can track that down later."

Tails held up the wrench they found earlier and tossed it at Shadow's feet. "You could dust it for prints..." he suggested quietly, looking away again.

"Sonic's always wearing gloves," Shadow replied, "Don't we all? The important thing is whether it's really the murder weapon or not, and that requires a DNA test - something I can't do."

"Me either,? the fox admitted quietly. A moment passed, and he peeked out again, looking up at Shadow with his blue eyes. "You really loved her, didn't you?"

Shadow nodded, "Sonic wouldn't understand," he said, "I've been with the Robotnik family for generations. I don't even know how old I am. But I remember being there when Maria was born. It was like watching an angel."

"You think Sonic would really kill her? You don't want to get this wrong,? Tails told the dark hedgehog softly.

"I think Sonic needs money," Shadow replied, "Badly. And he wouldn't get as much money if Maria was alive. Maybe that's why he killed them both."

Tails said nothing else except to uncurl himself and to whisper, "I'm sorry..." The fox crawled over the hedgehog as he looked through Sonic's papers, and the young genius placed his hands on Shadow's back.

Shadow sagged and sighed, "I miss her so much... I am going to kill whoever did this to them," he growled.

~~~
now i await your answer...... if anyone needs a little more time please pm me before tomorrow at this time....
next chapter everything comes together....


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aBirdNamedLex

aBirdNamedLex

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oOo i want to play!

i am a csi junkie!
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