Chapter 45: Surprise ~ Mario listened to the clinking sound of the train as it rode along the tracks...
Goombella had alerted one of the conductors as he stepped out from the Grande Theatre, and she quickly brought him to the place where Pennington was being held. The conductor had to listen to the full story before anyone was to be arrested. It took a while to tell, and consumed a lot of breath, but overall the story was fully told and the conductor understood. When news had spread throughout the town of Poshley Heights, very many were surprised at the fact that the one person they trusted was, in fact, the murderer. The actors and actresses of the Grande Theatre were shocked to see that Doopliss was in on the whole thing too, and the opening show had been postponed for later now that they unfortunately lost one of their supporting actors.
It was now official that Pennington had been arrested for robbery, developing the plans for murder, impersonation, kidnapping, and attempt at murder. Doopliss was charged for murder. All of the suspects that were aboard the train were shocked most of all. Everyone was simply gaping as they saw Pennington and Doopliss walk from the train, heads held low in shame, their arms cuffed. Even the stone-cold Bootler couldn't help but let his jaw drop. Everyone was sincerely disappointed after they all heard PEnnington's awful (yet very clever) plan of getting aboard the Excess Express. He had disguised himself as someone else and taken the trainride to Rougeport, and then back to Poshley, claiming (as Lord Crump) that he simply wanted to be on the road for a while, but didn't want to stay. Then, during the night of Frankly's boarding Doopliss would resume his form as a duplighost rather than a flower pot sitting on the table next to the door to Frankly's room (where PEnnington had placed him one of the nights of riding from Poshely Heights). It was then that Doopliss would knock on Frankly's door, and murder him, just like that! Then, very quickly, Doopliss would have to resume his role as a flower pot until everything calmed down again and it was night. Then he would transform into Doopliss, and run back to "Lord Crump"'s room.
Then, at the moment of their stop at Poshley Heights, Pennington would sneak out the back of the train when no one was looking, asume his form as the penguin detective (leaving his Crump costume on the train) and taking a short cut back to the Snactum before the conductors could reach him first, hence making it look as though he was at the Sanctum the entire time. Then, inside the train, Doopliss would transform himself into Lord Crump, whom he would act as until the train returned to Poshley Heights with the mystery "solved".
Pennington would then allow Doopliss go back off to show business, rewarding him handsomely, and then would decide on what he might do with the real Lord Crump, the one he had thrown into a warp pipe by the hotel to keep him quiet. But this plan was never fulfilled, for Chef Chimi had recommened that Mario, of the Mushroom Kingdom, ought to help out with the case. And he did indeed...
PEnnington had looked at Mario right in the eyes before being brought off the train last night. His look was not of anger, but of admiration, and somewhat of envy. There was a certain gleam in his eye that Mario was not sure of. All the same, the newly respected detective stared back at the penguin detective, showing no sympathy for him.
"Well, my friend," said Pennington, despite what had just happened, "you win..."
And with that Pennington turned back around and allowed himselef to be led by the train conductors into the ocean of excited aristocrats waiting outside. His beak held low, and his trademark magnified glass gone, Pennington looked rather pathetic, and as though he was a stranger Mario had never met before in his life. Pennington had disappeared into his Sanctum, the great stone doors closing behind him, and the honorable pillars that lines his doors no longer representing pride and dignity, but disappointment and justice...
And that was the last that anyone really ever saw of Pennington, the world-famous penguin detective...
Mario stared at the blank ceiling abover him as he ly in the top bunk of his bed. The bumps of the train tracks shook his body slightly, his hands placed behind his head. His expression was calm, yet confused. Mario wasn't sure whether he ought to be happy that he solved the true murder mystery, or to be sad that he had just lost a very good friend. He simply couldn't shake the awful feeling that, indeed, this whole thing never could have happened if Mario had kept in touch. Mario's stomach churned at the though of the thousands of friends he had made over the years, and how he hardly kept up with any of them, even the very close ones. Perhaps if he had taken a little more time to check in on Pennington he wouldn't have been so depressed. The smallest decision can change a lifetime after all..... or end one.
He tried to think to himself that it was all in his head, and it was nothing too much to worry about. These sort of things happen in everyday life. People simply move off the path they ought to take, and somehow feel the need to go in some other sort of direction. Whatever the reason was for Pennington's twist in heart, Mario knew he could have stopped in, even in the most simplest of ways...
Suddenly the door slid open to reveal the powdery-soft face of Princess Peach. Mario sat up at the sight of here standing by the doorway, a single gloved hand rested upon the wall to the right of her.
"Mario," Peach said, "why don't you come into the Dining Hall, I have a surprise for you!"
Mario followed Peach through the corridors of candle-lit hallways until she reached the sliding, wooden door to the Dining Hall. She slowly slid it open as Mario stepped into the golden light of the interior, greatly adding warmth to the dark, starry night outside.
Sudenly, as though a storm had suddenly hit, the great thunderous sound burst into his ears;
"SURPRISE!!!" Streamers decorated the air-conditioned atmosphere of the cozy-appearing Dining Hall as kazoos sounded and laughter popped about the room. Mario was shocked to see that all of the past suspects were aboard the train and celebrating Mario's great conquest. In the front there was Goombella, giggling happily with a pointed, glossy red had upon her head, holding a kazoo near her mouth. Next to her, Mario could she that she was holding Professor Frankly's discoveries tightly with her, for they had been rightfully handed down to Goombella, free from the greedy hands of Pennington. Bow was located next to Goombella as she waved herself with her fan, looking at Mario seductively. Close byto her was Bootler of course, looking rather silly as he held a green and a blue kazoo in his mouth, along with an odd sort of shiney green bowler atop his white head. Yet, he still managed to appear very proper. Behind him was the Yoshers, looking rather awkward as they smiled, though it meant a lot to Mario that they even showed up in the first place. Then, there was the real Lord Crump next to them, busy stuffing his face with sppetizers that were carried by the Toadina, the waitress, located next to him. She looked rather frightened as Lord Crump piled in heeps of food at a time.
Chef Chimi was standing next to Goombella, wearing the same kind of glossy, pointed hat as Goombella, only in the color of yellow. Mario could smell a sweet aroma filling the air of the train, and knew that he was obivously cooking something delicious up. It smelt very sweet, like strawberry cake, with the thick aroma of rich chocolate. Mario's lips moisened at the mere thought. Next to Chef Chimi was the three sisters, the Shadow Sirens. Beldam looked as though she was was simply showing up because her sisters forced her, though Vivian appeared to be having the time of her life, blowing into her kazoo while sporting her glossy pink party hat. Marilyn was looking at the food Lord Crump was eating, wanting to take of the appetizers as well, but a tad too scared to even get close to the bloated purple man. Then there was Professor Bom-Bers, located right next to Chef Chimi. He looked tired, but very happy. There were bags under his eyes, squinting in sure joy of being proven innocent. On his head his blue party hat seemed to be slowly tilting a little to the right, his tangled wisk appearing at the top of his round head.
Mario couldn't help but smile greatly at the sight of all his friends gathered about, and felt instantly happier about the success of his great mystery solving. He had paid attention to details, and dealt with all the suspects. He discovered the reason behind Bootler's quiet ways, and respected the mysteriousness of the harmless Yoshers. He was able to dodge the seductive attempts by Bow as a hope to get off of the suspect list, and was able to reason with the bewildered Shadow Sirens. He managed to find the real Lord Crump, and respected the duties of the staff aboard the Excess Express. Now it was time for something he recieved after every adventure, a nice plate of deliciously fluffy cake...
(It's not over yet!)
