Averybody Writes

An Averyverse Mystery

It was a warm summer morning in the town of Stillwater Bay when the townspeople began to stir. All along Main Street, the shopkeepers started opening their doors, ready for the day. This was a typical morning in Stillwater Bay, an idyllic locale of friendship and community.

Once you’ve lived in this town, you’d never want to live anywhere else.

In the center of town was a specialty store, half bookstore, half classic film rentals, called Scribe Noir. The store was run by two friends, Avery and Laura, and had become a focal point in Stillwater Bay.

On that morning, as Avery approached the store to begin work for the day, she noticed something odd. The door was thrown wide open, and it didn’t look right. Avery wondered why Laura would leave the door like this, but as she got closer, she could tell the door had been ripped off its hinges. 

Avery started to run. She bolted into the shop to find out what was going on, but immediately felt relieved as she found Laura already inside with Sheriff Deirdre. 

“What is going on?”, Avery asked exasperated, looking first at the sheriff, then at Laura.

“It’s Valerie B., she was closing last night…”, Laura started to answer, but she was cut off by Sheriff Deirdre. 

“She’s been murdered. It’s extremely odd to have something like this happen around here. In fact, it’s so odd, it’s never happened before”, the sheriff said as she moved around the shop, putting up caution tape around the check-out counter. “Do you have any idea why anyone would want Valerie dead?” 

It was at this point that Avery realized Valerie’s body was still behind the cash register, covered in a sheet. Laura appeared to be in shock, not speaking, not really moving either. Avery spoke after a few minutes, “What do we do?” 

“I will need you both to come down to the station at some point, but I’ll call you when I’m ready. I have a few things to take care of first”, the sheriff said sternly. “But you two should get out of here now. The coroner will be here soon for the body”. 

Avery and Laura slowly left the store through the broken doorway. Once outside, they turn to each other and stare blankly for a while. 

“I don’t understand how this could happen”, Avery said eventually. Laura looked back at Avery, still not saying anything. Avery suggested “Maybe you should head home to lay down and get some rest”.

Laura nodded in agreement. 

“While you rest, I’m going to look into this break-in”, Avery said.

“Sheriff Deirdre is going to investigate it”, Laura said sullenly. “You don’t think she can do it?” 

“I just think there’s never been a murder in Stillwater Bay before. Maybe we should have more experienced professionals to help”, Avery answered, and turned to head home. Laura also turned to head home and wait to hear further news. 

Once Avery got home, she promptly went online to look up professional murder investigators. It only took a few minutes before she found the perfect team…

…the Canadian Conundrum Committee.

The Canadian Conundrum Committee, at the time, was made up of five investigators with a variety of skills. 

Myles, the observant detective always used his skills of deduction to work on cracking the case, and had an affinity for deerstalker hats and old fashioned smoking pipes. 

💛 April was not only a detective, but also a mystery novelist, with a real knack for being on vacation in the same location as some mysterious murder. 

The next members of the team were a package deal, Aaron and Dani, both with a predilection to spooky environments and elaborate traps. Aaron had his various orange ascots, and Dani had her numerous purple mini skirts, so they always brought fashion to the scene. 

Finally, the fifth member of the team, Mark. While his name was Mark, everyone called him Kubey-Doo. He wasn’t the bravest of the investigators, but he made up for it with loyalty, and you could get him to do almost anything for a snack.

Together, they made quite the team.

Avery called the Canadian Conundrum Committee, and then Laura, and arranged to meet them all at Scribe Noir. Once everyone had arrived and introduced themselves, they headed inside to start investigating. 

“Alright gang, we should probably split up”, Aaron said.

“Great plan Aaron”, Dani replied, moving next to Aaron. 

Myles rolled his eyes and said “Fine, we’ll look over here”. He tugged on April’s sweater as she snacked on some raisins from her purse, and they stepped into the shelves to start looking around. Myles called out “Kubey-Doo, you watch the door”. 

Avery and Laura moved into the back room and started looking for clues.

“Ruh-roh”, Mark started.

“What is it Kubey?!”, Dani snapped.

Mark cleared his throat. “Ahem, excuse me. I said ‘uh-oh’ because I always get left alone”. 

“Don’t worry buddy. You’ll be fine”, Aaron assured Mark. “Here, have a Coffee Crisp”, and Aaron threw Mark the candy bar, and then walked away with Dani to investigate the other side of the store.

After some time, everyone returned to see Mark finishing his snack. Mark looked up at everybody and saw that each group had found something. 

Avery was holding a Ghostface mask she found under a table in the back room, 

Aaron had a bag of bird seed, 

and Myles held out three bottle caps that read “Killed by Death & Coconuts”. 

April grabbed a raisin out of her purse and tossed it into her mouth, then said “Now we bring these clues to the local law enforcement”.

Once the group of detectives found their way to the sheriff’s office, they presented Sheriff Deirdre with all the clues they had found. She looked them over very carefully. 

“There’s only one man in town that I know who loves birds and drinks “Killed by Death & Coconuts”, the sheriff stated. “I know where we might find him too. We’re heading down to Brackish”. 

Brackish Bar was a local hot-spot in town. Avery and Laura, along with the sheriff and the gaggle of Canadian detectives, marched into Brackish. Sheriff Deirdre scanned the room looking for her suspect, and boom, she found him. The sheriff marched straight to the back of the bar.

“Salty Pete, do you have anything to say about this?”, Sheriff Deirdre asked, holding up the Ghostface mask.

“Yeah, I’ve seen Scream”, Pete replied, but Sheriff Deirdre was not amused. 

“You’re under arrest for the murder of Valerie B. You’re coming with me”, Sheriff Deirdre said as she put Pete in cuffs and walked him out of Brackish Bar. 

Laura turned to everyone still standing in the bar, “Well today was insane. Thanks team”, she said nodding at the Canadian Conundrum Committee, “but I’ve gotta get out of here”. Laura left Brackish as well, still looking a little shaken up. 

“Would you mind walking me back to the store before you leave?”, Avery asked the detectives.

“Rof cour….ahem, sorry, of course”, Mark replied happily.

The group then left to head back to the store, and when they arrived, Avery turned to them all to say goodbye. 

“I just want to thank you all for helping out…”, but Avery couldn’t finish. At that moment, someone dressed as Ghostface came running out of the store, knocking Avery on to the ground.

Everyone looked shocked and confused. 

“How is this possible?”, April asked briskly. “We already caught Pete, and all the clues pointed to him. He’s in jail thanks to Sheriff Deirdre. Who’s wearing that mask now?”

“Well team, you know what this means”, Dani exclaimed. “We’ve still got a conundrum on our hands. Let’s get to solving it”. 

Avery and the Canadian Conundrum Committee went back into the store, once again to search for clues. As usual the group split up, but this time Kubey-Doo didn’t have to be alone, as he paired up with Avery.

After their search, when they returned with their clues, each had found something telling. 

April was holding a small wad of what seemed to be cat hair,

Kubey had found a t-shirt that smelled freshly laundered,

and Dani was holding a joint clip. 

“Well I think we’ve figured it out”, Myles stated.

“You have?”, Avery inquired.

“Of course, and now it’s time to set a trap”, Aaron replied, especially excited, as his favorite thing in life was setting traps.

“A trap?”, asked Avery, looking concerned. This didn’t seem normal. 

“No worries Avery”, Dani added. “We do this all the time!”

At that, the Canadians sprung into action. They created a vast structure with cages, ropes, and pulleys, and an innumerable amount of items that seems unusual to carry around with you, but they just had on hand. 

“Now we wait”, April said and turned out all the lights. 

So they waited. 

Suddenly, from the darkness…

“What the fuck!”

April clicked the lights back on. “We’ve got you!”, April said before throwing some raisins at the caught killer. 

“What have you got to say for yourself?”, Myles asked scoldingly. “Avery have you figured it out yet?”

But Avery hadn’t and merely shook her head, staring at this person in a costume, trapped in a cage, in her store. “What is happening?!”, she finally asked. 

“Didn’t the clues point you to the killer?”, Myles asked Avery.

Avery tried to think about the clues again, but she just didn’t understand how the three items fit together.

“Using elementary, my dear, it’s quite simple. Aaron if you will?”, Myles guided. 

At that moment, Aaron ripped the mask of the killer…

“Laura!!!”, Avery shrieked. “Why? Why would you kill Valerie”.

“She told me she didn’t like Ingrid Bergman. Can you believe that?! I couldn’t stand for her to keep working here, so I killed her”, Laura replied in shock. 

“What about Pete? You framed him?”, Avery couldn’t believe any of this.

“Yes, and I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for you crazy Canucks!” Laura wretched, shaking her head.

“The sheriff should be here any minute”, Aaron said after calling her. 

Sheriff Deirdre arrived to arrest Laura, and informed everyone that Pete had been released. 

Avery thanked the Canadians again, although she let them know that she didn’t fully approve of all their tactics, she was glad they had caught the killer. 

For the Canadian Conundrum Committee, this is just another solved case, but for Avery this situation will be life changing.

Avery said goodbye to the Canadians, and finally went home to get into bed, which is her favorite thing to do.

THE END