THE NEVERMORE MURDER CLUB AND SMUTTY BOOK COVEN GROUP CHAT
Isis: LADIES, DROP WHAT YOU’RE DOING. THERE’S BEEN ANOTHER MURDER!
Celeste: We know, Isis. We’re all RIGHT HERE, waiting to give our statements to the police.
Beth: Well, Arabella isn’t here. She never comes to these village things.
Arabella: That’s because I haven’t been hit over the head by the village pride stick. Do you need me, or can I stay tucked up in bed?
Isis: We’re fine, Arabella. We’ll message you if any of us needs bail money. Sorry, I figured that it would be easier to talk in our chat so the police don’t hear our theories.
Isis: There’s no denying that it’s a vampire. We all saw those fang marks on the neck after Winnie screamed. Danny’s killer has struck again.
Komal: We know, Isis. We shouldn’t all be on our phones like this. It might look suspicious.
Isis: Why? No one suspects us. Well, maybe Beth.
Arabella: Beth is rather shady.
Maisie: Beth doesn’t have an alibi. She wasn’t at her booth when Winnie screamed.
Beth: Hey, leave me out of this! I went to my car to get some more of my elixirs. They’ve been selling really well until the murder had to come along and ruin everything.
Komal: At least you’ll still have a job after this! My first year as the chair of the Midsummer Festival and I’ve got a dead body. The council will never let me within three feet of a village event again! At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if Counsellor Durant revokes my Tourism Board rating!
Dora: Panicking isn’t going to do us any good.
Mina: Dora’s right. We need to approach this rationally. We don’t want to miss any important clues that could help us unmask the killer at the ball. Maisie, you see if you can get any useful information out of the police under the guise of a reporter. I’ll go chat to my friend Jo, the medical examiner. Isis and Dora, do you have eyes on our main suspect?
Dora: She’s standing over by the church, talking to that developer fellow from Sanctus Estates.
Winnie: His name’s Gideon Blake. He’s a friend of Alaric. Well, I’m not sure ‘friend’ is the right term.
Dora: Are you doing okay, Winnie?
Winnie: I’m shaken up, but I’m okay. I’m worried about Claire. She must be so upset.
Beth: Why do you care about the harlot? I thought we hexed her?
Maisie: BETH!