Mystery Island: Winner Takes All

*

Oh.

Oh, so now you're with me on this?

- Let's just say I'm open to hearing you out.

*

- Say the message warned about the trail going cold.

*

Hmm.

Freezer?

*

- How do we freeze someone without killing them?

We use a dummy.

Janey and I have a friend who does prosthetic for films.

We hire him to make the head a perfect match.

But...

if we're going to go to the trouble of making a head,

why don't we have the corpse decapitated?

- But if he was decapitated, why would he need to be frozen?

- Oh, yes. Frozen is a bit cold.

Well, maybe we should make Fredricks the victim.

Fredricks?

You do realize he's still claiming that he can't locate

the unused mystery game plots that John Murtaugh wrote?

- You've mentioned it several times this weekend, yeah.

- Well, yes. It's maddening.

And speaking of maddening, who's been touching my things?

Oh, sorry.

I was looking for a pen.

All right.

Pens are in the middle next to the password book.

Janey has a system.

- One that I prefer is not disrupted.

But I'm also not here to disrupt your process.

Please kill the victim however you see fit.

So why did you come in here?

- Well, I have a Zoom meeting with Carlos

to pitch my new contest idea.

So come on, let's put on a good show.

- The Dream Team. How are you?

Dreamy and teamy.

- Janey, I've got three minutes

before my next meeting.

I only require two.

So you made me COO of Mystery Island

because you wanted me to shake things up a bit

and attract a broader audience.

- Yes, I'm getting a hard sell from the Davoren Group,

who want to buy the whole island

and turn it into a convention resort.

- Well, yes. We can't have that.

So I propose a mystery contest puzzle

that we post on various social media platforms.

And the first two people to solve the mystery

get an all-expenses-paid weekend for them

and a plus-one.

Just two winners?

Is that enough of a guest roster?

Well, no.

We invite a celebrity crime writer,

like Cassandra Cornwall.

I know she has a reputation for being difficult,

but she has a big social media platform

and can promote the contest.

And then we had prize money for the sleuth who solves it.

Janey, this is brilliant.

Can you get me a draft by Monday first thing?

Not a problem.

- Fantastic. Got to jump.

- s I'm due to return to London in the morning,

but I suppose we could work separately and then Zoom.

Can't stay another day?

- No, I have a stack of case files to review.

- Well, don't you have them on your computer?

- Are you micromanaging how I prepare for my day job?

- Is that what you think I'm doing?

Because I thought I was asking a very reasonable question.

Hmm?

- Now, I adore you. Both.

But it is my job to remind you

that you are being paid handsomely

to create fun mystery puzzles and games.

And Mystery Island Inc. has been quite flexible

with the needs and schedules of your day jobs

at your respective police departments.

Quite frankly, those day jobs

only add to the work that you do here.

But that said, the man that hired us all

needs you to get over yourselves

and create a puzzle contest that we can launch this week.

OK?

And lastly, please make it a contest that absolutely kills.

See you when you get back.

*

Excuse me?

Detective Trent for you, Doctor Priestly.

Oh, thank you.

Jason? - Hey.

I just got off work on the mainland.

I'm grabbing a burger.

So there really were files that were on your computer.

Yep.

About that.

Uh, not the files, but the, uh--

Oh, disagreement.

- Yeah, I just wanted to say that I don't know why I--

I like working with you.

- You don't know why you like working with me?

That came out wrong.

I like working with you,

so I don't know why I've been--

So difficult?

Or why I'vebeen so difficult?

I had a thought.

And what is that thought?

Um...

basically that we're both being excessively argumentative

not because we don't like working together,

but because we do.

*

- Pretty smart. You know that?

- That has been brought to my attention.

*

So, um, see you tomorrow?

Yeah.

Looking forward to it.

Me, too.

*

- This weekend, we will be joined by our game writers,

Dr. Priestly and Detective Trent.

I thought it fitting that they share with you

the background on our guests.

Thank you, Fredricks.

I'm certainly excited to be joining you all this weekend.

Me, too.

So arriving tomorrow will be...

NYPD Detective Bobby Teller,

who is the first to solve our puzzle in just 32 minutes.

Detective Teller, welcome.

- He'll be joined by his younger brother Davis,

an investment banker.

- Our second winner is Alice Watley,

a college student

and host of the howdunit mystery podcast

who solved our puzzle in just under an hour.

Congratulations, Ms. Alice.

- Alice's plus-one will be her aunt,

Louise Baker, a hotel manager from Manhattan.

- Given Miss Baker's an expert in the hospitality business,

let's take extra special care of her.

- Also joining us this weekend will be

best-selling mystery novelist Cassandra Cornwall,

an old friend of mystery island founder, John Murtaugh.

Janey convinced Ms. Cornwall to come play

with our contest winners and do some interviews

afterwards for some additional publicity.

Ms. Cornwall's husband, Ted, will be joining her.

And aside from being her biggest fan,

there's no record of him doing much of anything.

And speaking of Janey,

our final guest will be our own chief operating officer,

Baroness Jane Alcott,

who is bringing her new boyfriend, James Elton.

James is from Texas and is in the oil business.

- Oh, the famous Fredricks.

Janey's told me all about you.

I've always wanted a butler.

Maybe I can steal you away from this place.

Thank you, sir.

I'm quite happy with my post here as house manager.

- Well, you haven't heard my offer yet.

Baroness, the other guests?

Yes.

James, darling, let's not keep the others waiting.

- Your wish is my command, darling.

- And Emilia and I will be here all weekend

working undercover alongside you as staff.

Having fun?

- It's the first time seeing one of our games played.

I haven't been this excited since--

Since?

- Since we solved our first mystery together.

* Catch me if you can

- Each guest room contains a murder board

and everything you require to play detective.

There's no playing here.

Of course, Detective Teller.

But I do hope you'll enjoy our game,

which will begin once each of the guests

opens the door to their room.

Emilia has your key.

Once the game begins,

at any moment on this island, somebody will be murdered.

This is so cool.

Hang on.

You're saying that one of us guests could end up dead?

- That's precisely what he's saying.

- So we all need to get to know each other,

figure out why one of us might want to commit murder.

So then what?

The dead guy has to hide in his room?