Mountain Home Murder Mysteries

01/17/2025

Jonathan’s voice was sharp as he stepped forward, his accusing finger still pointed at Thomas. “You’ve been nervous since the start, dodging questions, always looking for a way to shift the blame. You knew what was going on with the host all along, didn’t you?”

Thomas swallowed hard, his gaze flickering between the group and the desk where the map and journal lay open. “I… I wasn’t trying to hurt him,” he stammered “You don’t understand. He was obsessed. He wouldn’t stop.”

Evelyn's eyes narrowed. “Obsessed with what? What was he after?”

Thomas’s hands clenched into fists at his side “He thought he found something,” he said, his voice cracking. “Something hidden beneath the manor. Some… source of power. It wasn’t real, it couldn’t be, but he wouldn’t listen. He kept saying it would change everything.”

Sophia’s voice was cutting “So, what? You decided to lock him away? Hide him like some kind of prisoner?”

Thomas flinched“I thought I was protecting him—from himself. He was going to destroy everything. His reputation, the manor, everything he built. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Evelyn’s eyes flashed with anger. “And what about us? You let us believe he was gone, maybe even dead. You sat there while we tore this place apart looking for answers!”

“I didn’t mean for it to go this far!” Thomas cried “I thought he would calm down, that he would see reason. But every time I tried to reach him, he just… he just got worse. He said he had to finish what he started.”

Jonathan shook his head “So, you hid him away. You played the loyal assistant while you locked him in some dark corner of this place. You could have told us. We could have helped.”

Thomas’s shoulders slumped, and he looked down at the floor “I didn’t know how. He begged me not to tell anyone. He said he couldn’t trust any of you, that you would try to stop him.”

Evelyn stepped forward, her tone softer now,“Thomas, where is he?”

For a moment, Thomas didn’t answer. Then he slowly raised his head, tears glistening in his eyes,“There’s a chamber beneath the east wing. He’s there. I made sure he was safe. I left him food, water… but I was afraid. Afraid of what he might do if he got out.”

01/15/2025

Jonathan’s eyes narrowed as he stepped back, his voice tense. “I’ve told you everything I know. If you’re looking for someone to blame, you’re wasting your time with me.”

Sophia’s sharp gaze didn’t waver. She leaned forward “You’re hiding something, Jonathan. You knew about the key, you knew about the host’s obsession with the occult… and yet, you’ve been acting like this is all a surprise.”

Before Jonathan could respond, the door burst open, and Evelyn and Thomas entered, the journal and map clutched tightly in Evelyn’s hands.

“Jonathan,” Evelyn said coldly, her eyes locking onto him. “We found something in the east wing. Something you should have told us about.”

Jonathan’s expression darkened as Evelyn placed the journal and the map on the desk. “You think I had something to do with this?” he asked, his voice low and controlled.

Evelyn pointed to the map, her tone accusatory. “You knew about the hidden passages. You and the host explored them when you were younger. Now he’s missing, and you just happen to not know anything about the passages or the journals?"

Sophia folded her arms, watching Jonathan carefully. “You’ve had motive from the start. If the host was still looking for something hidden, maybe you didn’t want to share it, or worse maybe you were the one hiding it. What did you two find, Jonathan?

Jonathan opened his mouth to protest, but before he could speak, Thomas stepped forward, “Wait. We’re jumping to conclusions. Maybe we should think this through.”

Evelyn’s eyes flicked to Thomas, her expression unreadable. “Think what through? We have a key, a hidden passage, and someone with a long history with our missing friend."

Jonathan shook his head, frustration evident in his voice. “I didn’t do this. You’re all so eager to blame me, but you’re ignoring the obvious.”

“And what’s that?” Evelyn asked sharply.

Jonathan’s gaze shifted to Thomas. “Him.”

The room fell silent as everyone turned to Thomas. He took a nervous step back, his eyes darting around the room. “What… what are you talking about?”

01/14/2025

Evelyn and Thomas descended the narrow passageway, their steps echoing against the stone walls as the cold air wrapped around them. The passage was barely wide enough for them to walk side by side, lit only by a single flickering lantern Thomas had found and now held.

“This looks like It's been used more often than expected” Evelyn murmured, running her fingers along the damp, moss-covered walls. “Why would the host hide something down here?”

Thomas didn’t answer, his eyes fixed ahead. They reached the bottom of the passageway, where a heavy wooden door stood slightly ajar. Evelyn pushed it open, revealing a small, dimly lit chamber.

The room was lined with ancient shelves, each cluttered with books, scrolls, and strange baubles. At the center of the room was a large stone pedestal, and on it rested an ornate iron box—its lid slightly ajar.

Evelyn approached cautiously, peering into the box. Inside were several objects: a worn journal similar to the one the other group had found, a set of ancient coins with Aztec iconography, and a folded piece of parchment. She picked up the parchment and carefully unfolded it.

“It’s a map,” she said, her eyes narrowing as she studied it. The map showed the layout of the manor grounds, but there were markings indicating hidden passages and rooms not shown on any official plans.

Thomas pointed to a mark on the east wing. “This passage… it leads straight to the study.”

Evelyn’s mind raced. “Jonathan must have known about this place. They likely explored it together as kids."

And then, Evelyn’s expression darkened as it hit her. “Jonathan’s been acting suspicious all night. He knew about the key not matching here. He knew about the host’s past. And if he found out the host was hiding something down here…” She trailed off..

They both knew what it meant.

“We need to confront him,” Evelyn said firmly. “But we’ll need proof.”

Thomas pointed to the journal in the box. “Maybe this has what we need.”

Evelyn grabbed the journal and tucked it under her arm. “Let’s get back before he realizes we’ve found this.”

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Sophia continued examining the letters and the locket. Sophia’s sharp mind worked quickly as she pieced together the puzzle.

“These letters…” she said, holding up one. “They talk about keeping something hidden. Something dangerous.”

Jonathan frowned, leaning closer. “Dangerous how?”

Sophia shrugged. “I don’t know. But if the host thought it was dangerous enough to hide, maybe you shouldn’t have come back looking for it.”

Jonathan’s eyes flicked to the locket, and for a brief moment, his hand twitched as if he were about to grab it. Sophia caught the movement and raised an eyebrow. “Something you’re not telling me, Jonathan?”

01/13/2025

Evelyn Grey stood abruptly, her eyes narrowing at the others. “We can’t just sit here waiting for something to happen. We need to start searching for answers.”

Jonathan Reed leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “And where do you suggest we begin? We’ve got a mysterious key, a missing host, and a whole manor filled with places he could have disappeared to.”

Sophia Marsh picked up the brass key from the table, turning it over in her hand. “This key… it doesn’t match any of the locks in the main rooms, does it? What if it’s for something hidden—something we don’t normally have access to?”

Evelyn nodded. “There’s the east wing. It’s rarely used, and it’s filled with old storage rooms and the cellar. It’s worth checking.”

Thomas Banks, cleared his throat. “If… if we’re going to search the manor, we should split up. Cover more ground that way.”

Jonathan shot him a skeptical look. “Split up? Sounds like a great way for someone else to go missing.”

Sophia “Don’t worry, Jonathan. We’ll pair up. That way, no one is alone.”

With the plan set, the group prepared to search the manor. Evelyn and Thomas would check the east wing, while Jonathan and Sophia would head toward the study to look for additional clues. The air was heavy with anticipation as they gathered their things, the flickering flames of the fireplace casting long shadows across the walls.

Just as they were about to leave, a loud creak echoed through the dining room, as if someone had stepped on a loose floorboard. Everyone froze, glancing around nervously. Evelyn frowned, then bent down, running her hand over the floor near her chair. Her fingers caught on something—a small, almost imperceptible gap between the floorboards.

“There’s something here,” she said, her voice low. With a bit of effort, she pried open a hidden compartment in the floor. Inside lay a small leather-bound journal, its cover worn and faded.

Sophia leaned in “Well, well. What secrets do you hold?” she murmured.

Evelyn opened the journal carefully, revealing pages filled with cryptic notes, sketches, and symbols. The handwriting was familiar—too familiar. “It’s his,” she said quietly. “Our host’s journal.”

Jonathan “Cryptic notes, strange symbols… What was he involved in?”

Sophia’s expression darkened as she scanned the pages. “Something he didn’t want us to know about until now.”

01/11/2025

Sophia Marsh gracefully took her seat, her enigmatic expression betraying nothing of her thoughts. She glanced at the others, gauging their reactions with quiet curiosity. Evelyn Grey, still clutching the note tightly, set it on the table. Her fingers trembled ever so slightly, betraying her carefully maintained composure. “Someone here knows more than they’re saying,” she muttered under her breath, her sharp eyes scanning the faces around her.

Jonathan Reed leaned forward, his voice low but firm. “Look, we all heard the crash. We saw the overturned chair and the open window. But this doesn’t mean the host vanished on his own. Maybe… maybe he was taken.”

Thomas Banks, the assistant, cleared his throat nervously. “If… if someone took him, it would have to be someone who knew the manor well. Someone who was familiar with the study and its layout.”

Evelyn shot him a sharp look. “And you would know the layout better than anyone, wouldn’t you, Thomas?”

Thomas recoiled slightly, but before he could respond, Sophia interjected, her tone calm but cutting. “Now, now, let’s not start accusing each other without evidence. All we know is that the host is missing, and we found an empty glass of wine, a broken chair, and this key,” she said, producing the key she had picked up from the study floor and placing it on the table.

The group stared at the key, its brass surface gleaming in the firelight. It was small, simple, but unmistakably important.

Jonathan narrowed his eyes. “Where did you find that?”

Sophia smiled faintly. “On the floor, near the window. I thought it might be… useful.”

Thomas leaned forward, eyeing the key with suspicion. “That key… it doesn’t belong to any door in the manor. It’s for something else.”

“What, exactly?” Evelyn pressed, her voice sharp.

“I—I’m not sure,” Thomas admitted, his voice faltering. “But I know it’s not for any of the main rooms.”

Jonathan sighed, rubbing his temples. “Great. So we have a missing host, a strange key, and a lot of questions.”

The room fell into silence once more, the only sound being the crackling of the fire and the rhythmic ticking of the gilded clock. Each guest was lost in their thoughts, piecing together the events of the evening. Suspicion hung in the air like a thick fog, and though they sat together at the table, each of them felt very much alone.

01/10/2025

At precisely 9:55 PM, the butler entered with a sealed letter. He handed it to Evelyn, who opened it slowly, her face hardening as she read its contents. “He wants me to meet him in the study,” she announced, her voice tight. She rose from her seat, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she exited the room. A heavy silence fell over the group, broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the gilded clock above the fireplace.

Minutes passed. Then a loud crash echoed through the manor, the unmistakable shatter of glass. Sophia’s smirk vanished, replaced by a look of concern. Jonathan stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "That sounded like it came from the study," he said, darting towards the sound.

The others followed, their hurried footsteps echoing through the halls. They arrived at the study to find Evelyn in the doorway. Inside the room, her glass of wine lay shattered on the floor, its contents pooling like blood against the polished wood. A chair was overturned near the desk, and the window behind it was wide open, the curtains billowing in the salty night breeze.

But the host was nowhere to be found.

Evelyn stood frozen in the doorway, clutching the note tightly in her hand . Sophia, always composed, stepped carefully into the room, “Interesting,” she muttered. Thomas remained silent, his face pale and drawn, while Jonathan paced the room, muttering under his breath.

As the guests returned to the dining hall in uneasy silence, the sense of unease grew. The host had vanished without a trace, and with every passing moment, it became clear that someone in the manor knew more than they were letting on.

01/09/2025

The guests gathered in the grand dining hall of the Gilded Swan Manor, their voices weaving a low hum beneath the crystal chandelier’s glow. Outside, the restless sea crashed against the cliffs, its deep roars a stark contrast to the carefully orchestrated elegance inside. The table was set for eight, though only four guests were present. The seat at the head of the table, reserved for the enigmatic host, remained conspicuously empty.

Evelyn Grey, the polished business partner, checked her watch with a furrowed brow. "It’s not like him to be late," she murmured, sipping her wine with an air of discomfort. Across the table, Jonathan Reed, a childhood friend of the host, leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Maybe he’s playing one of his little games. You know how he loves to make an entrance."

Sophia Marsh, a stunning but mysterious figure dressed in a sleek black gown, twirled the stem of her glass between her fingers. “I find his games… intriguing,” she said, her words laced with amusement. Her dark eyes scanned the room, landing momentarily on Thomas Banks, the ever-dutiful assistant, who sat rigidly with a clipboard balanced on his knee. He looked pale, almost as if he knew something the others did not.

01/08/2025

Four guests. Four alibis. But someone isn’t telling the whole truth

Evelyn Grey: The business partner

Jonathan Reed: The childhood friend

Sophia Marsh: The mysterious new acquaintance

Thomas Banks: The loyal assistant

By looks alone who do you suspect? Get ready for part 1 of our story tomorrow!

01/07/2025

The night was going perfectly... until the host disappeared. What happened at 10:03 PM? Information will be revealed daily. Can you solve the case before the final reveal?

Tomorrow we reveal the cast of this virtual mini murder mystery! Make sure you like and follow to keep up with the investigation!

01/02/2025

Another fun night! Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your New Year's festivities!

12/27/2024

We have another exciting night planned! Don't miss this chance to spend the first part of new years with me and Big Creek Country Club !

We gave our members first dibs on tickets, and now our Murder Mystery is open to the public! No costume is needed; regular country club attire is appropriate. Whether you're a long-time supporter or a first-time guest, this is your chance to join us for an unforgettable experience. We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/par-for-the-course-tickets-1105682228309?aff=oddtdtcreator

12/14/2024

What a fun night with wonderful people. Thank you Momentum Coffee for allowing me to be a part of your Christmas festivities!