Chapter 9

The show was finally over and it was time to come back to reality and face the truth. Detective William gathered the cast in Melanie's room to question them faster and see who'd crack first and spills it all.

"So while you all have been out there doing your job, I've been here doing mine too and here's what I have learned; every single one of you was alone during the time of death or let me rephrase, anyone who's been on set had the chance to kill him including all of you and fame doesn't change that" He said walking back and forth in the room while the others sat anxiously listening, then he grabbed the chair of Melanie's dresser, turned it to face them and sat to continue his talk.

"It could've been a drunk director who needed to get rid of his actor to save the show or a jealous ex. girlfriend who couldn't handle seeing him anymore with another woman or the poor guy who just needed some money and thus also explaining the empty wallet, or a producer who owed him a lot of money to save his company or the producer's girlfriend who was looking out for him or a crazy lover who was seeking money and a father for her child"

"So, what you're saying, detective, is that you have no clue who did it. Are you just going to start accusing us of stupid reasons why we could've killed him? Who's next? His mother?" Joe said angrily.

"No, you are. You had the chance and you definitely had the motive. Didn't you get replaced by Daniel Franco for the role?"

"That's crazy" He burst "I would never do that"

"You're all suspects to me . I mean, for all I know, it could have been you Mrs. Franco because you're husband was cheating" Melanie tried to defend herself, but he stopped her before she could say anything and continued his accusations.

"Or you Leah, because he didn't feel the same way or James so you can go out there tonight. Or you Mr. Patterson to have her all for yourself" he pointed to Melanie then turned to Owen "Or of course you Mr Owen, the baby daddy and the mistress' lover"

"Don't talk like that" Owen shouted

"I'm doing my job here, and i'm trying my best to figure out what really happened before the news is leaked to the press and the paparazzi. If you're all as innocent as you say, I'm sure you wouldn't mind it, would you?" He said shutting them all up except for Joe who said arrogantly "What about Clair detective? From my perspective, she's the one hiding the most"

"What do you know that we don't?" The detective asked as Clair shot Joe a you-are-dead-to-me look.

"I'm sorry Clair, but the detective thinks I might have done it and I need to put myself first and tell him the truth" Joe said to Clair then turned to the rest and told them what she told him earlier. Then, they all started telling their stories, everything they knew and pinpointing to each other, making the detective more and more confused.

"How could you all seem so guilty! You all had the motive, you all had the chance, but the one thing I don't get is, Clair why did you go to Daniel's room in the first place?"

"I saw a conversation between Daniel and Rachel earlier that lead me to the conclusion that he was cheating" she paused and glanced at Melanie "I couldn't let him do that to her, so I went to talk and put some sense into him"

"Anything else any of you want to add?"

"What makes you so sure it wasn't someone from outside?" Neil asked

"I'm not. I can never be too sure of something, but I think though there are enough motives from the inside, don't you think?"

"There's also the possibility of suicide" Joe added

"Unlikely"

"Why detective" asked Leah

"How could he have killed himself them moved the murder weapon away?"

"I remember seeing the murder weapon in the fireplace when I went to Daniel's earlier" Clair said trying to act smart.

"Ah, I know" Detective William said "I already have it" he got it out of the pocket inside his suit still rolled in his handkerchief and showed it to them. "it's a butter knife, a very soft murder weapon, I mean of course it can kill once positioned in the right place, but I struggle sometimes to use it in opening bread"

"What do you mean? Do you think it's not the real murder weapon?" Melanie asked

"I didn't say that, I just said that there's a possibility that it's not"

"I need to tell you something" James said "or rather show you" then he got up and lead them to his room and showed them the knife and the bottle with the label. "I received this just before the final act. I didn't want to show you, because I didn't want you to suspect I killed him, but now that there might be another murder weapon, I figured I had to say"

"If it makes you feel any better, someone sent you these and that makes you not as guilty" Clair said.

"You're wrong, maybe he did this to look as if someone is threatening him so we'd think he's innocent"

"That's messed up, I wouldn't do so. I showed you that knife because I'm trying to help, can't you see?"

"From where I'm standing, it looks like you tried to slip these pills into Daniel Franco, so you can perform instead"

"Detective, please, I don't see why I have to be here, I told you all I know, but I can't stay here and hear you argue about my dead husband like that" Melanie was furious "I'm still trying to understand what happened and you're making it even harder, so I'll be in my room while you figure out what ever happened" she walked away.

Detective William told them they could take a break and come back later in 30 minutes while he puzzled everything he knew together "Be on time, the police will hopefully arrive by then"

Everyone went to their room, no one trusted to be with someone else; they knew they had a murderer upon them no matter how hard they tried to deny it. Soon enough the time was up and they gathered in Thomas' room since it's the largest. 2 policemen arrived in secrecy as they tried to keep the murder on a low key for now and also the doctor arrived to examine the body.

After they've all been seated and detective William started reading all the evidence, Leah interrupted "Where's Rachel?". They all started looking around in the room then realized that none of them has seen her in a long while, so they split into small groups to search for her.

Stephanie, Leah and Clair went to the downstair's bathroom looking for her. They tried opening the door, but first they couldn't as they felt something leaning over, so they pushed it open to find one of the kitchen metal chairs locking the door and right across, close to the sinks, was Rachel's body laying on her back and her wrists were both bleeding, there was a sharp knife close to her right hand; she committed suicide by cutting her wrists.

The three women started screaming and in a glimpse, the rest of the people were there too. They all gathered around the body in fear of who might be next.

Tiffany walked to the last sink and right underneath it, she found a hand written letter by Rachel "I had to do this. I can't live no more. I have nothing to live for and I can't bring a kid into this life only to suffer. I deserve this" she read out loud.

"Oh God, she actually did it" Owen said as tears started forming in his eyes "she wanted too much and that killed her"

"Murder solved, that's a confession" Thomas said

"Not so fast, there are still things that need to be done first, the autopsy and all of that, but for now we have a murderer" Detective William said

"Sometimes it's the most obvious one who actually did it. It's been right in front of our eyes" one of the other detective said.

Melanie started crying "I wasn't so kind to her, I never knew she wasn't mentally stable."

"How can you say that?" Leah asked "she killed your husband"

"and it's a loss I'll have to live with forever" Melanie said as she continued weeping "Excuse me, I need to be alone now"

she turned to get out of the door and Neil followed "let me walk you there". He put his arm around her shoulder and walked her then as they reached her room and got in, he continued talking "I know it's been a very long day for you, I'm sorry you had to go through it"

"Maybe I did deserve it"

"Don't say that. You're the best person I know"

Melanie walked to the couch and sat burying her face in her hands "Before signing for this play, I was terrified that people would hate me after because of my character, but now all I want to do is go back out there and live in that alternative reality. Marion is an awful person who doesn't feel the guilt of what she did to her husband" Melanie paused as tears were streaming down her face "but I do and I can't live with that guilt forever, it's eating me"

"What are you saying?"

"Rachel didn't do it, I did"

"How?"

"I saw him with her in the morning and I overheard a conversation that made me realize what happened between them, I was angry because I loved him so much and I gave up so many things for him, but he took it for granted and I couldn't handle it"

"It's okay, anyone in your place would've done the same"

"No, Neil, it's not okay and it'll never be. When detective William said there might be another murder weapon, I thought maybe it wasn't me, but who am I fooling? I know I went there, fought with him, then found that butter knife and stabbed him with it"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I couldn't hold it in any longer. Maybe I want you to tell the police, because I can't forgive myself"

"I wouldn't" he walked over, sat opposing her on his knees and held her hands "maybe Rachel's death and all of that is another chance for you to start over"

"You can't be serious. I'm a killer" she raised her face up and looked at him "I don't deserve a chance. I should've died not him nor Rachel"

"Everyone deserves a second chance, so let this be ours. After all the procedures are done and after the funeral, let's go some where, let's travel, have a little break from this and our lives"

The End

Robert was telling Caitlin Jackson and manager Georgina about his new script offering her the role for Melanie. "It's based on a true story, you know"

"That's the part that I like the most. Cat what do you think?" Georgina said

"I like it, but what happened then to Melanie?"

"The show was actually a success, but they decided to keep it as a one-night show instead and it was never remade. After the funeral of Daniel, she retired acting and traveled to Paris with Neil where they stayed for 15 years and had a son called Daniel, but then she started getting sick and thought it was God's way of revenge for what she did, so she wrote what she did in her diaries, published them and went to the police to confess, but she already died before the trial, she killed herself"

"Can we add that part to the movie" Caitlin asked

"We can try that miss Jackson"

Hey guys, I want to thank all of you who's been reading, voting and commenting and I really hope you've been enjoying the story. Also, I want to apologize for the delayed chapter, but my new semester started and I wasn't able to write any faster. Last, but not least, this is not the last chapter, there's still chapter 10 which is gonna be a little short. Hope you liked the twist and if you noticed, there were so many clues about the murderer ever since the first chapter cause I tried to put these little hints, but also not make it so obvious, so let me know if you guessed it right ;)