Cop Shop Mystery 2023 Contest Entry

After rigorous investigation, it became clear that the flickering lights and shadows at the old Price House were not the workings of a ghost but a confluence of human intentions.

Our primary suspect was Barney Beanz, the president of the Historical Society, who had access to the house. Hidden cameras captured Beanz searching through dusty cupboards. On questioning, he was cagey but eventually spilled the beans. He was looking for a codicil to Vincentia Price's will, which he suspected might cut the Historical Society off as the custodians of the mansion.

Upon further digging, it was discovered that Beanz was tipped off by Marcy Drew, the mystery writer and former secretary to the Price family. Marcy had her own ulterior motive: she wanted to create a real-life mystery for her next novel.

Also seen snooping around was Mr. Cody Casper, a real estate developer. Casper, too, was looking for the same codicil as Beanz. He wanted to turn the mansion into a luxury hotel and had to confirm the Historical Society had no legal claim over the property.

Interestingly, Dorian Graymont, a former resident, was captured reclaiming a portrait from the attic. Though unrelated to the main mystery, the portrait, he claimed, was of his great-grandmother and held sentimental value.

Arlo Guffy, the folk singer, was also seen. Fresh out of prison, he went in to retrieve his old guitar hidden in a secret compartment in the fireplace. His intentions were benign.

Beverly Buxom was indeed at the mansion, but her presence was later revealed to be a mere coincidence; she was modeling for an art class hosted by the Historical Society earlier in the week and had forgotten her phone there.

Ultimately, the flickering lights and shadows were a result of these individuals crossing paths in their individual quests, unaware of each other's presence, each contributing to the spectacle that Sarah Sponder mistook for haunting.

Sentence Count: 23