Chapter 18 Carter #2
behindAnarres
tcouldnotbeju
stifiedButthe
killerwontesc
apethistimeAt
thefinalejust
icewillbemine
“Okay teams look alive . . .” Carter read, as Adi rewrote the message at the bottom of the page, adding breaks and punctuation, revealing the clue that, even solved, struck Carter as unnecessarily cryptic.
Okay, teams, look alive.
Search the clues, spot the lie.
By the coffin, I did find
A relic that was left behind.
An arrest could not be justified,
But the killer won’t escape this time.
At the finale, justice will be mine.
Carter looked at Sierra, trying to judge her reaction, but Sierra was expressionless.
After a long silence, Sierra said, “Put the solution on the Domain.”
Carter blinked. “What?”
“Whoever posted that wanted it to be solved, and we solved it. So put it up now before someone else figures it out.”
“But . . . why?”
Sierra shot her a disgruntled look. “Are you effing Kick It Carter, or not?”
Carter grabbed her phone. “Yeah. Okay. Fine.” She transcribed the message into a comment below the picture of the ribbon code. W hen she was finished, she took an uncertain breath, hoping this wasn’t something Ranielle Russell would be mad about, and hit post.
“But what does it mean?” asked Beck. “What clues? What relic?”
“By the coffin I did find . . .” read Adi. “Maybe the killer dropped something that night?”
“Okay,” said Carter, “but then why didn’t this so-called Real Game Master tell the police?”
“It sounds like they did,” said Beck. “Or at least, they tried to, but either the police didn’t believe them, or it wasn’t enough to make an arrest. It would be easy for the killer to say they’d dropped something the day before.”
“Maybe the Real Game Master is one of their suspects,” Sierra mused. “Maybe the police thought the story was fake, as a deflection. They never believed me, either.”
“Was Louis a suspect?” said Carter, setting down the phone.
“Everyone’s a suspect,” said Sierra. “But he may not be the one planting these clues.”
“It has to be him. Who else has control of the rooms?”
Sierra shrugged. “It would be easy enough to slip a ribbon into the room.”
“What about the Alicia anagram?” Adi said. “That was linked to the padlock code. A puzzle within a puzzle. It has the Game Master written all over it.”
“Possibly a publicity stunt,” said Sierra offhandedly. “The producers trying to drum up ratings.”
Beck frowned. “You are the most cynical person I’ve ever met.”
“Thank you,” said Sierra.
Carter’s phone dinged with a new notification. “They responded! The Real Game Master, whoever that is.”
The four of them gathered around Carter’s phone to read.
CLUE MASTERS DOMAIN
RIP ALICIA
New Post from @TheRealGameMaster
Nice work, @KickItCarter. Now, are you ready for a REAL puzzle?
As promised, here are your clues:
WHO KILLED ALICIA ANGELOS? A TIMELINE
Prior to 8 p.m.: Alicia’s whereabouts unestablished. (Contestant statements concur that she often left the complex for unknown reasons throughout the season’s run.)
Approx. 9 p.m.: Last known sighting of Alicia in contestants’ living complex. Witnesses overheard her arguing with Sierra Angelos, sister.
10:28 p.m.: Alicia’s phone either turned off or died. Last traceable location: the intersection of Riverside and Mariposa, approx. 1 mile south of the complex and 1.5 miles southeast of the studio. (Phone NEVER RECOVERED.)
1 .a.m.–2 a.m.: approximate time of death, according to coroner report; location of death never determined.
Approx. 9 a.m.: Alicia’s teammates notice her missing but SAY NOTHING.
12:25 p.m.: Alicia is LATE for filming; producers rearrange schedule but DO NOT alert police.
1:13 p.m.: Body discovered in studio prop (a coffin, no less, how convenient) during filming. Words on coffin lid: WE GET WHAT WE DESERVE.
Other Important (???) Details:
Bruising indicates she was suffocated, patterns on skin suggest gloved hands over mouth. Clothing fibers on body and in lungs could not be traced to any known suspects.
Body was wet—police believe killer hosed it down to clean off DNA evidence. Successfully, it would seem.
Rolling blackout across area means NO security footage at studio.
Bed comforter MISSING from room, never found.
SO WHO DID IT?
Two of the show’s set designers had fingerprints matching those on the coffin, but their whereabouts the night before were verified by apartment security cameras.
These are the other suspects whose fingerprints were on the coffin, along with their alibis for the time of death:
Sierra Angelos (sister, Team Hourglass): claimed to be taking a walk around town—UNVERIFIED
Missy Mizuno (Team Hourglass): in bed—also UNVERIFIED b/c again, where the hell was her roomie, Sierra?
Elijah Kua (Team Hourglass): in bed at villas (verified by Cruz, but what, was he watching him the whole night? Let’s assume not.)
Cruz Fernandes (Team Hourglass): in bed at villas (“verified” by Elijah, see above)
Ranielle Russell (executive producer) and Louis Augustus Russell (Game Master): at home, verified by each other (but, like, they’re married, so what are they going to say?)
James “Fitzy” Fitzgerald (host): At home, livestreaming his usual pre-finale Q&A for Australian fans (Sydney time: 6–8 p.m.)
Vera Jolly (social media manager): at home—specific location UNVERIFIED but was actively answering comments on the show’s social media and livestream chat at time of death
I KNOW WHO KILLED ALICIA, and their name is IN THIS POST.
I HAVE EVIDENCE.
But the police won’t listen to me, so now it’s your turn, Solve Specialists.
FIGURE OUT WHO’S LYING.
FIGURE OUT HOW THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT.
If you can help me with the missing information, I’ll plant the evidence in the finale room, which, if you’ve been paying attention, will REVEAL THE KILLER.
The countdown’s begun, Clue Masters. Tick tick.