The Crime

Sunday 2:15 AM

The sky was dark and the north wind blew
Round the Trillion mansion at quarter past two.
A single light in the study shone
Where Edward stood by his desk alone.

The will was written, stamped and sealed,
Not a word of which could be repealed.
A satisfied smirk spread across his face
As he put the will in its hiding place.

He rolled in the chair and said with a smile,
“Perhaps I’ll chat with the maid for a while.
She knows all my secrets, Monique is my flower
Who won’t mind if I wake her up at this hour.

But first Edward went to the kitchen, where
Some fresh baked cookies were waiting there.
“Miles made these tonight for a snack,” he said.
“I’ll have two or three before going to bed.”

Sunday morning Miles went to the second floor
With coffee in hand he pushed open the door.
A man lay sprawled on the sheets of the bed.
Edward Trillion was dead, dead, dead!

Monday 8:00 am

I go by the name of Tootsie Chase,
A private detective brought in on the case
Of Edward Trillion, who was found quite dead
On the satin sheets of his big oak bed.

I’ve a list of suspects numbering five,
Who knew Mr. Trillion when he was alive.
I must eliminate all but one
To find why he was killed and how it was done.

The Suspects

Monique

A touch of mystery in smoldering eyes,
She can whisper sweet nothings or secrets or lies.
Wearing red is her trademark, she likes having fun.
Monique is suspect number one.

Hazel Trillion Van Horn

A sister to Edward, though older in years,
Gets her way by conniving or shedding some tears.
She’s sneaky and greedy and dresses in blue.
Hazel is suspect number two.

Bunny Van Horn

The daughter of Hazel, a mover and shaker,
A sexy go-getter, a big deal maker.
You get hooked on her smile, which is sweet as can be.
Bunny is suspect number three.

Miles O’Toole

Miles is the butler who lives in the house.
Eyes like a hawk, quiet as a mouse.
He roams here and there with keys to each door.
Miles is suspect number four.

Tanner Smith

He cleans the pool and cuts the grass,
Lots of charm but little class.
He hated the boss when he was alive.
Tanner is suspect number five.

The Victim

Edward Trillion

A millionaire times ten, they say.
The man increased his earnings each day.
Monique was the woman he took to his bed.
A wealthy lover who turned up dead.

Monday 9:00 AM

I’m here at the mansion that sits on the hill,
To question the suspects and see if they will
Give me an alibi or shed some light
On the strange event of Saturday night.

Hazel, it seems, was an overnight guest
In the Trillion mansion, at Edward’s request.
He needed help planning a charity ball
To be held next week in Trillion Hall.

Bunny Van Horn was summoned too,
Because Edward knew what she could do.
With her connections to money and power,
The guest list was finished in less than an hour.

Then Miles informed me that Tanner stayed
In the guest house that night and saw the maid.
According to Miles they had a big fight
Before she slept with Edward that night.

Suddenly Hazel flew into the room
With a scowl on her face, like a witch on a broom.
“My brother is dead and that maid is still free.
Why she isn’t in jail is a mystery to me.”

Then she reached in her pocket and pulled out a Kiss.
Unwrapped the foil with a smile of sheer bliss.
She devoured the chocolate then unwrapped one more,
Which she popped in her mouth as she slipped out the door.

Miles sneered as she left and said with disgust,
“That woman’s conniving and that’s why you must,
Check on her whereabouts Saturday night.”
Then he left with his keys dangling there in plain sight.

As I was about to check out the bed
Where Edward Trillion was found quite dead.
Bunny Van Horn slithered in and sat down.
“I need to buy stock while the market is down.

“My cash is tied up and my credit is maxed.
I can’t cash in bonds without being taxed.
Now Edward is dead and we can’t find the will
That is hidden somewhere in this house on the hill.”

She simmered and pouted till Tanner appeared
With his eye swollen shut and the hint of a beard.
“Those damn bees just stung me when I sprayed their nest.
I’ll need some ice before killing the rest.”

“Poor Tanner,” cooed Bunny and went to his side,
With much more concern than the woman could hide.
“I’ll tend to that sting.” And she planted a kiss
That I and Monique, dressed in red, couldn’t miss.

“Leave him be,” snapped the maid. “The man is all mine.
My patience has come to the end of the line.
You may have fooled Edward with batting of lashes,
But he can’t help you now; he’ll soon be just ashes.”

Cremation, I wondered? They can’t do that yet,
Until cause of death is determined and set.
I didn’t speak up, just slipped through the door
And headed upstairs to the second floor.

The room had been dusted for prints yesterday,
Evidence gathered and taken away.
I still had the feeling something was there.
So, I searched the whole room with infinite care.

On the stand by the bed, on top of a book,
I saw crumbs from a cookie and took one more look.
There were bits of cooked dough with peanuts inside.
Did Edward eat cookies the night that he died?

A soft buzzing sound piqued my interest and so
I pulled back the drapes at the window quite slow.
Several bees had come in from a hole in the screen.
An interesting sight at the murder scene.

As sunlight streamed in, I saw on the floor:
A glittering piece of foil by the door.
Had a Kiss been eaten last night in this room?
I wondered just when and I wondered by whom?

Monday 12:15 PM

A commotion was stirring downstairs in the den,
I rushed to the scene and stopped short when
An attorney stood up and announced he was Bill,
He had come here to read Mr. Trillion’s will.

As people took places on sofa and chairs,
Wondering how much of the money was theirs:
I pieced together the things that I knew
And for catching a killer, the facts were too few.

Hazel is greedy, Bunny is cunning,
Miles has the keys that keep the house running.
Tanner is taking two women to bed,
And why aren’t Monique’s lovely lips painted red?

I shook my head slowly then heard Bunny swear
As the cushion was pulled from the leather desk chair.
The will was extracted, the seal was then broken.
“Last Will and Testament were the next words spoken.

The phone on the desk sprang to life with a ring,
Tanner yelled out, “Unplug the damn thing.”
Bill picked up the phone; he listened and said,
“The coroner knows why Edward is dead.”

I took the receiver and listened with care
As silence descended on everyone there.
A smile crossed my face, it was no surprise,
An allergic reaction caused Edward’s demise.

I saw Monique glance at Tanner and then
I looked at her full, luscious lips once again.
A soft shade of brown had replaced brilliant red
And she smiled at the words the attorney now said.

“The will is airtight, the words are quite clear,
If Edward is killed by anyone here;
The money which he or she is to get
Will be shared by the rest without any regret.”

Bunny was smiling. Hazel looked smug.
Miles eyes were diverted; he looked at the rug.
Tanner sat back in the fine leather chair,
Elated his boss was no longer there.

The attorney soon finished, Miles showed him the door,
While I did some quick thinking and got to the core.
I knew who killed Edward and why it was done.
Now comes the part where you can have fun.

Sift through the clues you’ve been given throughout,
Then you will be able to figure it out.
Who committed the crime; did the deed in the night?
Check back on this web site to see if you’re right.

Who killed Edward Trillion?

 Monique

 Hazel Trillion Van Horn

 Bunny Van Horn

 Miles O’Toole

 Tanner Smith

 I don’t know