"Murder By Number"

Murder By Number | Story by Butch Leake / Narrated by Allen Hall

Sachel Drummond was a lady detective in Boston who had always been interested in mysteries. She had a keen eye for detail and a sharp mind, which made her a valuable asset to the police force. Today, though, she was feeling particularly out of sorts. She'd been summoned to a meeting with Police Commissioner Marshall Hall, who was known to be a stern taskmaster and never called meetings unless something urgent was ahead.

As she walked into the room, she saw that Commissioner Hall was holding a file in his hands. "Hello, Sachel," he said, "I've been reading this file all morning and I would like to assign you to this case."

"What case?" Sachel inquired.

"A murder case," he answered. "One of the wealthiest families in Boston, the Martins, have been targeted in a bizarre series of murders."

Sachel looked intrigued. "Who is responsible?" she asked.

"That's the strangest part," Commissioner Hall replied. "There is no apparent motive. The victims are chosen randomly, without a reason. We suspect that there is some sort of sinister lottery being established, with the winners getting to kill those who come to their dislike."

Sachel couldn't fathom such a murderous game being played by wealthy socialites, but she was determined to get to the bottom of it. Commissioner Hall handed her the file, which contained all the information he had gathered.

As Sachel scanned through the file, she saw a list of names. The first one was a wealthy businessman who had been found dead in his office. The second was a young debutante who had been killed on her way home from a party.

Reading through the list, Sachel realized that all the victims were prominent members of Boston society. She knew she had her work cut out for her. The case was intricate, and she had no idea where to start. She decided to visit the Martins and see what they knew about the murders.

When Sachel arrived at the Martin's estate, she was greeted by the butler. "I'm here to see the Martins," she said, showing her badge.

"Please come in, Miss," the butler said, leading her to the drawing-room.

As Sachel walked into the room, she saw that it was filled with beautiful antique furniture and valuable artwork. There were three people sitting in the room: Mr. and Mrs. Martin and their daughter, Emily.

"Hello, Miss. What can we do for you?" Mr. Martin asked.

"I'm here to ask about the murders that have been happening in Boston," Sachel replied. "As prominent members of society, I thought you might have some insight into what is going on."

"We have no idea who could be responsible," Mrs. Martin said, looking worried.

"What can you tell me about the other victims?" asked Sachel.

"They were all friends of ours," Emily said, looking close to tears. "I don't know who could have done this."

Sachel could tell that Emily was a potential victim, her father and mother were also in danger. She had to be careful what she said to keep them safe, but she was grateful for the information she had gained.

The next day, Sachel went to meet with a young artist who was a friend of Emily's. Her name was Valerie and Sachel knew that she might have information on the murders. She lived in an apartment in the heart of downtown Boston. When Sachel arrived, Valerie welcomed her with open arms.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Valerie," said Sachel.

"Anything I can do to help," Valerie replied.

"I understand that you were friends with Emily Martin and some of the victims," Sachel said, taking out her notebook.

"Yes," said Valerie. "I knew them through the art scene in Boston. It's a small community, and everyone knows everyone."

"Did you know of any enemies they might have had?" Sachel asked.

Valerie shook her head. "Everyone loved Emily's family," she said. "No one would want to hurt them."

Sachel felt a twinge of frustration. The case was more complex than she thought. But she was determined to solve it.

Valerie's apartment was filled with paintings and sculptures. Sachel couldn't help but admire them. Suddenly, her eyes settled on a painting in the corner. The piece was a portrait of the Martin family.

"That's beautiful," Sachel said, pointing to the painting. "Did you do it?"

"Yes," Valerie said. "Emily's father commissioned it for their anniversary."

"What can you tell me about the commission?" Sachel asked.

Valerie's brows furrowed. "Well, it was strange," she said. "The Martins asked me to paint their portrait, but it was clear that they didn't like each other very much."

"That's interesting," Sachel said, jotting down notes in her notebook.

She knew then she was onto something, but she couldn't put her finger what. So, she decided to pay a visit to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. She reviewed the paintings and sculptures throughout the galleries and came across a piece that looked familiar. It was strikingly like the one Valerie had painted, but this piece was already on display at the museum, and it was centuries old.

Sachel knew there had to be a connection between the Martins and this artwork. She left the museum, pondering the connection between the painting and the killings. That night, she pieced together something with one of the other victims. Their work of art had also resembled the artwork that she had seen.

Sachel was not completely sure how all of this connected but she knew the painting was the key. She figured that the murderer was using numbers to choose who to kill. She realized that the digits hidden within the portrait of the Martin family represented the order in which people were chosen.

With the help of Valerie, Sachel found out that there was a group of socialites who played a lottery called 'Murder by number'. The highest price was the right to name a target who would be eliminated anonymously. Members' real identities were kept anonymous, and they used numbered accounts. The killers were determined by a random number generator that picked a sequence of numbered individuals.

Sachel decided to use this information to lure out the killer. She called Emily, informing her family that she had discovered the culprits. Sachel told Emily to get a gun, hide in the attic, and wait. Sachel then informed her colleagues at the police force, cordoned off the Martin home, and waited for the killer to arrive. They set up the trap.

In the middle of the night, a group of masked men entered the compound. Unaware, they had fallen into Sachel's trap. The police caught them in the act and arrested them. Emily and her family were safe and the reign of terror was over.

Sachel smiled to herself, feeling satisfied with the results. She now knew how the Martins and the other victims had been chosen, but she knew that there was still more work to be done. She needed to find out who was behind the sinister lottery. Nevertheless, the citizens of Boston were grateful for the hard-working sleuth, entitled, Sachel Drummond.