The metal bars swung open and the door near Hwang Nam gave an audible click. Everyone rose from their seats casting suspicious glance at the other. And why shouldn’t they? One of them had just professed to have planned one murder per day. And it fell upon Adrian to catch the lunatic.
Whoever it was had clearly stated that Adrian couldn’t reveal himself as a detective. He would have to shed is usual stoic self when working as a detective. He would have to act.
“What the hell is going on here?” he asked in a frantic tone. Nobody would ever think a frantic person to be a detective.
“Just keep calm buddy,” Antoine Gustavo, the second voice he’d heard, said. He was one of the two Black men Adrian had observed. Possibly born to Italian parents considering his name and raised in England, Adrian thought. Antoine continued, “Let’s all leave this room and gather somewhere else where we can discuss our situation. This place is awfully depressing – almost like a dungeon if you ask me!”
“I agree with him. Let’s just leave this place first,” Richard Finn said. White. A slight Brooklyn accent. American, no doubt.
They exited the room and found themselves in a large living room. It was like one of those that is usually found in a mansion at an English countryside. Adrian noticed with amusement that there were twelve faux animal heads, some of them unusual, mounted on the walls. There was a panda’s head near the fireplace, followed by an eagle’s, crane, fox, elk, kangaroo, elephant, leopard, raccoon, tiger, another wolf and a beaver. He wondered if the animals had anything to do with them.
There were three logs in the fireplace and a stack of logs next to it. Aside from the faux heads, nothing else hung on the walls. The floor was wooden with a small portion in the middle covered in carpet. There were two chairs on the carpet and three sofas spread around the room, all of them facing the fireplace. Opposite the door they’d just exited, was another door which presumably led to the rest of the mansion.
“Alright then people,” said John Hunter. He was the first voice Adrian had heard. “Might as well introduce ourselves properly; my name is John Hunter and I come from the land down under. Brisbane, to be precise. I teach science at a private school and was in this country for a holiday. Never expected this to happen though.” He walked to and sat in one of the chairs. “Well, come on then you lazy lot. Introduce yourselves!”
“My name is Richard Finn. I’m from the United States. I work in a bank in New York but was born and raised in Brooklyn. Just like Mr Hunter, I was on a vacation. And, here I am now.”
“My name is Hwang Nam,” one of the Asian woman said in a surprisingly Irish accent. “I was born in Guangzhou, China but moved to Dublin in Ireland at the age of five with my family. I’ve lived there ever since. I work as a cleaner in an office building. I was visiting this country for a short time. I had plans to return to my ancestral home in China.”
“I’m Shanice Miller,” said one of the Black woman. “I come from Toronto, Canada. I’m a shopkeeper; I run a grocery shop owned by my husband. I’m also on a vacation.”
“I’m um … Adrian McSkay,” Adrian said. Inserting pauses in between his sentences would make him seem nervous and panicked. “I’m actually from this country,” he gave a nervous laugh, “and therefore cannot say that I am here on a vacation … although I did take a month long leave from work. I am an assistant professor at the national university to a physics professor,” he lied.
“I’m Im Eun-Kyung,” said the second Asian woman with a bow. It was apparent she was fluent in English. She spoke in a Korean accent. “I’m from Busan in South Korea. I am owner of restaurant although I do not know how to cook. I came here on holiday.”
“My name is Tharonby Huifeyl,” said the Caucasian woman. “I was born in Norway but raised in England. I work as a saleswoman over there. And also on vacation. By the way, my name is spelled T-H-A-R-O-N-B-Y H-U-I-F-E-Y-L. Thought you guys might be interested. Strange name, I know. Blame my parents.”
“My name is Raj Tripathee,” said the East Asian man. He spoke with a thick Indian accent. “I was born in South India in Kerala but my parents moved to Mumbai when I was very small. I completed Bachelor’s degree in biology in India but went to the States to complete my Master’s. Currently, I work as an assistant professor like Mr McSkay in a university back home. I came here with my family on a holiday.”
“Please, call me Adrian,” Adrian said to Raj. He nodded in acknowledgement.
“I am Raven Bertelsen,” said the other Black woman. Adrian could tell from her accent that she was Swedish before she said it herself. “I am from Göteborg in Sweden. I was here on a trip with my boyfriend. I work in retail; terrible job. But, I have to make a likelihood.”
“My name is Kel Brady,” said the second Black man, the other being Antoine. Adrian couldn’t quite place Kel’s accent. “I am from Somalia but my father, who died when I was a child, was American. He wanted American name so he called me Kel Brady. I hold a job as an Auditor in the national office. I too am here on a holiday.”
“I am Antoine Gustavo. I am from Italy but spent half my life in England, hence my accent.” Bingo, thought Adrian. “I am an actor; I work mostly in theater production although I have lately begun to foray into the small screen shows. I was here on a holiday like most of you.”
“My name is Akiyama Akiko,” said the final Asian woman and the final speaker overall. She gave a short bow, just like Eun-Kyung had. Her speech was partially slurred due to her Japanese accent but it was apparent she was trying to sound as clear as possible. “I am from Kyoto in Japan. I work as air-hostess in Japan Airlines. I came to this country as air-hostess of a flight and was kidnapped when I was in the airport during transit.”
Adrian looked at her clothes. She was wearing a pair of shorts and tank tops. Surely their kidnapped would not have wasted time changing her outfit? He knew she was lying. But why would she lie? He had a reason to lie but her? Was she, perhaps, their kidnapper?
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