Madison’s investigation was pointing to one person and one person only; the mayor. Unfortunately, before she could attempt another conversation with him, he seemed to have left the party. No matter, she would get him eventually… he clearly wasn’t planning to leave the town anytime soon if what she had learned was true. Then again, maybe the person she was really looking for was Reese Cerulean…

When she heard the commotion coming from the hallway, she was shocked to see a dead body of all things. Ashton Jade. As a federal agent, she felt responsible to investigate this and had moved to get a clear view of the body while the staff performed a forensic report. She took note of the partial fingerprints found on the knife handle. Of the five people, she knew two of those left the ballroom before the victim was discovered. Only two fiber analysis matched the victim’s, one of which was also the person who had left the ballroom and whose fingerprint was found on the knife handle. Madison filed this information for later as she still needed a clear motive before she could accuse the person.

Speaking of motive… her gaze slid toward Avery Lemon, whom she had encouraged to confront Ashton earlier. A sudden dread gripped her. Could she have…? And if she did, was it because of Madison? Could her words have been twisted, from ‘confronting’ to ‘murdering’? Or, maybe in her intoxicated state, Avery’s little confrontation had turned violent? The girl was on drugs and drunk… there was no telling what she was capable of.

And then there was Drew Golden. Ashton had sent their grandfather’s blood to the FBI for analysis, suspecting foul play. And earlier, the two of them were obviously engaged in a fight. Madison looked between the two, weighing her options.

With a deep breath, she moved toward Avery first. After all, she needed to clear her conscience. “Avery,” she said softly, catching the girl’s elbow. It was partly to direct her attention away from the body and hopefully cease her hysterics.

“I hate to ask this, but… did you… have the talk with Ashton? I mean, you could be the last person who saw him alive,” she quickly added so that she didn’t sound outright accusing immediately.

When Madison approached her, Avery was still barely coherent. Tears streamed down her face, ruining any makeup the woman had been wearing today. Her eyes had pupils narrowed to a pinpoint, with too much white showing around the iris. She looked completely crazy, but not necessarily in a threatening way. At least the feeling of another person's touch, when Madison led her aside by the elbow, provided a moment of stability. She was shivering now, her body shaking and teeth chattering as she tried to reply to the question.

"I... I tried! H-he refused to talk to me!" she forced out, the voice unnaturally high with panic, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Another bout of sobbing passed over the young woman, impeding adding anything else to her response.

All it took was one scream, and the otherwise dreary socialite party turned into chaos. Logan had been afraid to look at the body at first and in his attempt to see it after leaving the warmth of the fireplace to investigate didn't bode well. He didn't get that far to the location. All it too was to see the pool of blood before he felt bile rise in his stomach. He had rushed to a nearby potted plant and whatever he had eaten that evening became an addition to the expensive mulch.

Sure, Logan wasn't a fan of the Journalist, but nobody should die like that.

The police were called, an investigation given-and all were given the reports. Logan cursed under his breath, why would the party continue after someone met their end? It sent shivers down his spine when he saw that the dirt on his shoes matched the dirt on Ashton's shoes at the time of his death, and a surge of panic lept through his heart when he saw one of his fingerprints had ended up on the weapon. If only he had taken his leave like the mayor had! Then he wouldn't be caught up in all of this!

After all seemed to settle down-or could at least attempt to settle, considering how someone was killed, Logan-mind a buzz with anxiety-retreated back to the fireplace; a sad attempt at trying to focus on the heat on his quivering hands to reduce his anxiety.

Ashton Jade was dead? How dull, Reese thought dryly as she sipped on her champagne once more. The entire room was buzzing with questions yet she was more interested in finding out when she could leave, not getting justice for the deceased. Reese would have vastly preferred if it had been the mayor that had gotten offed as it would have made taking his spot far more easier. It also didn't help that he had left before the murder so she couldn't even find a way to pin it on. It was such a shame. She hadn't protested when the Manor's staff had requested to get samples from each of them, including her. She was no murderer and therefore had nothing to hide so she had given them what they had desired without any fuss.

Her interest immediately piqued, however, when the staff announced the results of their findings, including whose fingerprints had been found on the knife. One of them had been Jade's very own cousin, Drew, who was very visibly sweating across the room. The cogs in her head spinning and Reese casually waltzed up to the actor, leaning down ever so lightly so that her lips were hovering near his ear, "You have my deepest, sincerest condolences about your cousin fate Mr. Golden. Although," she whispered, her voice becoming low and slightly dark as a sly smiled formed along her plum colored lips, "I do happen to find it interesting, and some would even say convenient, that your grandfather and now your dear cousin have met their ends so soon yet here you are alive and well." Reese smiled softly as she Drew's shoulder a supportive squeeze. To an onlooker it would appear as though the charitable Reese Cerulean was reassuring a grieving family member, not preparing to blackmail one.

Faceclaim, dress etc.:

The top half of Drew's body swayed dangerously on his chair. His mind reeled. What had she just said? I'm alive. I'm alive and Ashton's dead. His thoughts were childish and frantic. His reply came slowly. "Yes... a shame." What was this woman playing at? Was she accusing him? Was she implying she'd somehow helped him? Could she be the murderer? He yanked a slightly ratty kerchief from his inner coat pocket and mopped at his soaked brow.

Think, Golden! Think, damn you! he scolded. The forensic report had listed the fingerprints found on the fatal weapon and hers weren't among them. This, then, was a threat. A wild thought entered his mind.

Their faces were inches apart. "If you don't help me," Drew snarled, "I'll let everyone know just what you're up to with Mayor White."

Reese's sly grin grew into a full blown smile as she leaned closer to Drew, "Trying to blackmail me already when I haven't even accused you yet?" She sneered, taking a swing of her champagne as she playfully straightened his bow-tie. Drew was nothing but a D-list actor trying to become something much greater than he could ever truly become. It was quite pathetic actually yet it was necessary for people like Drew to exist; it was so that those like her could rise above and use them. It was the natural way of life. "Listen to me now Drew. Carefully." Reese ordered in a harsh whisper as she took a seat in the chair across from him. "Regardless of whether or not our wonderful Mayor and I are 'up' to something, it's not going to change the predicament that you're in." Besides, her money alone carried more power and influence than the claims of a bitter stage hand.

Reese paused to take another nonchalant sip of her drink before continuing, "I was not the only one present during that little...altercation between you and your poor cousin. However, your finger prints were not the only ones discovered on that knife. That creep Logan had his prints on there. It would be wise for you to figure out why." And it would benefit me if that stalker was thrown in jail for life...

Faceclaim, dress etc.:

Pram walked over to Avery and grabbed her to try and calm her down. "Avery..Avery..please calm down, are you ok?" Pram tried to turn her friend around to try to get her to a chair preferably away from the bathroom. "Its ok Avery..everything will be ok.." 'Of course it wont but what am I supposed to say' she thought.

Logan shivered as he continued to warm his hands, wringing them as though that would clean the sight of blood from his mind. It did little, and staying alone at the fireplace was not the best idea, as it left him with his own thoughts-dark and grizzly and obsessed with the death.

He stood up with a groan, as he had been kneeling at the fireplace for so long that his legs had gotten stiff. Off in the distance, he noticed Madison, Pram and Avery in the distance-poor Avery. He had vomited at the sight of the blood, how she managed to maintain her composure this far after being the one to discover the body itself remains to be seen.

Brushing off of his pant legs, he approached the trio.

"Evening, ladies. Are you all doing alright? Could I get you anything, a drink perhaps?"

Heavens knew they would need one.

She would have taken Logan up on his offer of the drink, despite her reckless consumption of alcohol earlier in the evening at tonight's party, but Avery was not really fit to make a coherent reply. Even Pram's gentle attempt to provide comfort only helped very slightly. The scuba instructor couldn't hold back the fits of crying, but she looked slightly less like someone about to keel over herself now that both Madison and Pram were present. Either of the women could feel that the blonde woman's entire body was quivering with emotion.

"Oh my god—he's dead isn't he—he's dead..."

She kept whispering it now, the voice growing more hoarse the more frequently she repeated it. It seemed to be one of the few things she said, at least when she wasn't sobbing. Already, she was sobbing again, now slumped in an available chair, her deathly white hands clinging to Pram Peach's.

Gods, she was in a worse state then he'd thought. She was trembling and crying, her hands deathly pale.

"Ah-oh. Okay then. No drinks. Water, yes? I'll be right back." With a small nod, he hurried himself over to the bar, where he got a small glass, put ice in it and got water straight from the nozzle. He really wasn't the most social person, and his quick sputtering of his small attempt at comfort probably showed it more then any of his actions previously this evening. In no time he returned to them, gesturing the glass to the quivering woman.

"Would you want a straw? I can go get one if you want it."

Stupid! He scolded himself. She's not a child! Why did he ask that? At the very least, he should have brought napkins or something for her to dry her tears with. Leave it to Logan to make a total fool of himself when a woman is in distress.

Ashton didn't pay attention much to the things going on around him. Finding himself suddenly dead had made it difficult to concentrate on anything at all. Being a ghost had turned out to be, well, rather tiring. What with the constant floating and the strangeness of not breathing. It really took a lot out of a person. A once-person.

He would have given a huff of annoyance there but, again, the lack of breath made such actions difficult.

It was in this grumpy bout of emotion that Ashton realized he heard the sound of a voice that set him on edge. Drew Golden.  

Oh, of course.

Ashton floated right over - making his way straight through walls and furniture alike - and stared at his cousin. No. Glared. This was clearly all Drew's fault. The man had murdered their grandfather, and now he had murdered Ashton as well. Ashton had always suspected Drew was petty enough to kill someone for their role.

He wasn't certain how he'd do it, given his current state, but Ashton was going to make sure Drew paid for this. If this was to be his fate, then he'd make his theatric debut as the world's greatest poltergeist.

She was too distraught to take note of Logan's behaviour. When was the last time the electrician had been anything other than course and abrupt with her? Earlier this evening he had been positively hostile when she and a few others had teased him about having secrets. And now here he was, holding out a cup of water, asking if she needed a straw.

Avery would have been touched and grateful, if she had been any less shaken. Perhaps she would remember later and thank him then. As it was, she shook her head in a silent response to the inquiry about the straw and wrapped her shaking hands around the cup of water. She could barely swallow a few sips of it. The blonde shuddered, thinking about the body laying there. She hadn't seen it, but her imagination filled in the gaps well enough.

Who could have killed him?

Drew made a slight swivel in his chair, eyeing Logan. What did he know about Logan Plum? Not much, really. "What, the electrician?" he stammered, shocked. "What possible motive could he have?"

After Pram helped Avery Sit she turned to Logan and smiled hoping that a drink would help. Pram then asked him after he spoke to her friend, "Thanks for helping us Logan..what do you think happened? i mean he had some things going didn't he." 'Im kinda glad he's dead but I shouldn't be thinking like that' Pram thought in her head. "Maybe it was someone strong..I don't think one of us girls could have done this.."

Omari was hiding from the others .He was scared - thinking that Logan maybe murdered someone .He just couldn't believe it - the second thing was scarier: what would he say if the police discovers his fingerprints on the murderer's weapon ?For the moment he was just thinking at the at his post towards the CBC's primetime news .

But what if...?That if could mean a lot of things :Simply go and talk with Logan ?No.Maybe tell someone that he trusts the truth ?Yes.So he went to the others ,proud ,waking suspiciousness .

Still shaking from the shock, Finn stepped ball into the main room and stared around the room, noticing Drew and Reese by the fire, Logan trying to help out Avery, and Madison standing by. Still somewhat numb, she began to make her way towards a waiter with drinks, but bumped into Omari, who seemed to have come out of nowhere. 
"Oh..." she said hoarsely. "I'm sorry Omari. I don't think I'm quite feeling the best at the moment. I'm sorry...."

Avery certainly looked too traumatized to be the murderer, but then again, she was using who knew how many drugs that her reactions might even be all over the place. For the time being Madison decided to believe what she said about never getting the chance to talk to Ashton. Besides, her fingerprints wasn't on the murder weapon. She doubted Avery could do a premeditated murder that somehow left no trace in her condition. Especially if it had been a crime of passion spurred by Madison's words.

She glanced at Drew Golden, now approached by Reese Cerulean, and wondered what they might be whispering about. At that moment Logan and Pram joined their little group, Logan looking just a tad too calm for someone who had just witnessed a murder scene. After his behavior earlier tonight, he also seemed way too accommodating and helpful right now.

"Logan, I see your fingerprints are on the murder weapon. The fiber analysis also placed you in the garden, a place Ashton seemed to have also visited. Care to explain how that might have happened? Did you talk to Ashton at all tonight?"

She wasn't beating around the bush anymore.

Logan shifted awkwardly in place. Everything was in chaos, and Avery didn't seem particularly grateful to the water he brought. Which was somewhat understandable, given the circumstances.


"Now, I'm not so sure about that, Pram." Logan addressed Pram's statement about the murder. "The fairer sex has the bit of an upper hand on a man when he's alone. A woman could easily have flirted her way to distracting him and place a knife in his back."

If anything, this entire evening solidified his belief in his dislike of his fellow man. People are capable of horrible things, regardless of their gender.

Suddenly-Madison appeared and addressed him immediately. Logan cringed; given the evidence, it was only a matter of time before someone accused him.

But oh, how he wished it wasn't Ms. Scarlet!

"I had used the knife to serve myself some of the ham we had served this evening." Did his voice sound shaken? Because Logan sure as heck was. He thought he'd mentally prepared for the accusations to come, but having someone stare him down and look at him as though he was a killer was far more then he could seemingly handle.

"And I saw him-briefly." Logan admitted. "I was outside in the garden to calm myself, I'm not the most comfortable with crowds, and wanted to check my phone in private. He came outside for a second and the very second our eyes met-he went back inside."

Peyton was in the study, taking an important phone call, when he heard commotion outside. Curious about what happened, he finished his call and left the study.

Even after learning that Ashton has been murdered, he kept his cool. Maybe it was the alcohol in his blood, or maybe living in this town for all these years had turned his heart into ice. Whatever it was, Peyton didn't care. The man didn't want anything to do with this and took another drink, hoping that nobody would talk to him.

Not far from him were Madison, Avery, Pram and Logan and he could overhear a conversation between Madison and Logan. She was accusing him, because his fingerprints were on the murder weapon. But if the knife used for cutting ham really was the weapon used, his fingerprints would be on it as well.

"If I might excuse you, Madison", he said as making his over to them. "If I'm not mistaken, my fingerprints should be on the weapon as well." He decided it would be the best to state this right away, or else he would seem suspicious for sure.

Peyton's arrival and statement, one more note about the fingerprints on the murder weapon, did nothing for Avery's current condition. If she had been any stronger the glass of water Logan brought would have been in danger of being shattered by her tightening grip. Her hands desperately tried to cling to anything they could, and this was all that was present right now. Avery's head was spinning, and her brown eyes stared directly at the floor, trying to find some sense of grounding.

How could this have happened? Everyone in Bloodworth Falls was a nice, good person! She had taught so many of them (and their families!) the joy of scuba. She saw them at the grocery stores, or walking their dogs, or picking up their children from school—just like normal, kind people in a normal happy town. Sure, not everyone got along all the time, but that didn't mean they were bloodthirsty murderers waiting for the right chance to strike! How could something this terrible be happening at a party that should have been so much fun.

"C-could it have been an accident...?" she offered timidly, unaware of how completely foolish and naive such a suggestion sounded.