The Railburn Affair

A couple of friends of mine are raising money for a MS trust charity sky dive so they have organised a murder mystery night.

Gosh, why did I have to be the seductress?? I wanted to play the role of a man! Apparently the "hot temper" bit of the character description is what made them decide...anyway; we are in 1936...the baron gets murdered at the hotel where we are all staying. Here the roles:

http://www.host-party.com

Character	Descriptions
Jake Daniels Bartender	Jake travels town to town getting work where he can find it. Bartending during prohibition is an odd occupation indeed. Jake’s real income comes from accessory sources: moonshine bootlegging and booking wagers.
Sylvia Railburn The Baron's Wife	Sylvia is a sensitive, caring woman, who has always been attracted to the opposite. She married Lawrence Railburn leaving her family and abandoning her aspiring art career.
Chastity Reynolds The Socialite	Attractive and seductive are the words most often used to describe Chastity. Her provocative nature has opened the door to many opportunities and challenges in her life. She attends all the best social events and is widely known among the fashionable elite. Those who know her best say that she is a lush with a hot temper.
Pippa Duright Hotel Manager	A proper host in all respects, except for a blaring deficiency in common sense. Philip’s absent-minded demeanor goes beyond common forgetfulness; his absolute disregard for the reality around him translates into a humorous, often ludicrous way of life. Many of his loyal patrons have known and appreciated this trait for many years during their free stays at his hotel.
Amos Hobo	To avoid an ugly and costly lawsuit the Western Pacific Railroad faced for unnecessary violence against a freeloader, the Company has given Amos (no one knows his real name) a complimentary vacation package to their most popular destination.
Sissy Bucks The Railsburn Accountant	Private accountant for Lawrence Railburn. Seymore is a human calculator and a shrewd businessman. After spending a career in public and private accounting, Seymore is preparing for an early retirement next year in the Bahamas.
Lolita Lady of the Night	Lolita spends most of her nights at the hotel bar. While she is not a member of the hotel, her hospitality services are highly regarded by the guests and staff alike.
Amber Bookly Personal Secretary	Recently hired, Ms Bookly is the precise and punctual secretary responsible for the Baron’s personal and professional affairs. She is a librarian with a wild side.
Sally Major The Sadistic Nurse	Sadistic Hotel nurse who’s remedy for all ailments is through torture or other infliction of pain.
Maria LaWenta The Chambermaid	Loyal servant and maid of the Railburn manor. She often travels with the Baron and Baroness to make foreign accommodations more hospitable. A young South American beauty, she has worked for the Railburn’s since the Baron made her acquaintance during a business trip to her country ten years ago.
Josh Railburn Son of Lawrence Railburn	A struggling artist with a flamboyant style, Josh is the only child of Lawrence and Sylvia Railburn. Josh has had few interactions with his family since a falling out during the previous year.
Johnny Fabulous Hotel Musician	Comedian, dancer and piano player extraordinaire, Johnny is the consummate vaudville entertainer. Quick with a joke and known for his ability to turn any conversation into a song.

The pre-game clue told us about some events published in the news regarding the Baron's business. Then the evening started with the discovery of the body with a broken bottle next to it.

The game was composed by 3 clue rounds, some to reveal to everyone, some to keep secret.

We all had fun..

SPOILER ALERT, if you plan to paly the same game don't read on.

At the final round we all had a go at guessing who did it. I thought it was Sylvia, she had 4 motives:

- the husband kept cheating on her (even had an illegitimate daughter: Amber)

- the husband really put their son's art down and she loved her son

- she was in love with the accountant and wanted to get rid of the baron

- she would inherit everything

Some of us believed it was Amos as the clues hinted to some sort of organised arrangement for the hobo to kill the "big guy" but again he was innocent. Jake attempted to hire him when he found his girlfriend Maria in the shower with the baron but also Sylvia and Josh were discovered plotting the same thing.

In the end the real murder was Josh, the son. the main motives were

- his father didn't accept he was gay and dis honed him 

- his father laughed at his artistic career and kept putting him down

- his father cheated repeatedly on his mother and mistreated her

Apparently there are several versions of the game. You can pick different time frames but also scenarios such as fairy tales etc.