One Night at Nellindill Mansion...

“This is supposed to be like a fancy murder mystery over some ancient artifact or something, right?” Constance asks.   “Yes. Only, you have to remember, this one might actually become real,” Someone smirks, “Once you brave up, though, it’ll be lots of fun.”

“I’d usually say you’re nuts for thinking something like this is fun, but I’ll give you a pass because I can see what you mean this time,” Constance says, “There goes Peter Plum. I bet he did it in the study with the candlestick. Where’s my notebook?”

“You may be an expert at Cluedo but snap out of your daydream. This is altogether different,” Someone warns, “At twilight, something will happen and none will know who can be called friend or foe.”

"Mr. and Mrs. Nellindill," Constance gasps, "Still have that letter?”   “Of course, but uh…" Darius starts.   "Every time we try to go public with it, fear’s grasp just doesn’t let go,” Brenda continues.   “You can’t afford to wait any longer,” Someone says.

"His fast talking and intimidating dialect might scare you into thinking he’ll continue to hunt you down but, to be frank, his bark is definitely bigger than his bite," Constance whispers.

“You speaking out in relation to this issue might bridge the gap for so many others who could be keeping silent just like you, inadvertently helping him to uphold his public image,” Someone says.

“Plus, who'd question the most undeniable evidence in the universe?" Constance adds, "He spelled it all out, totally incriminating himself. Local police do a half job? WILLOWISP will put his butt behind bars, even if those bars are on a secret prison island.”

“Let’s ignore this real-life drama for now and focus on the mystery at hand", Someone says, "Us conversing too much is a telltale sign something’s up. We’ll stay in our lane. Into the parlour, not another word of it. We’ll meet with the pair of you afterwards.”

“The couple who blew my billion-dollar boat. Water under the old yacht, amirite? No hard feelings,” Bevy winks, "Wanted to undo the pact. Desire was justified- just a bit too late. I said, maybe I’ll make an exception. So I did. Look at you now. I’m so proud."

"That's NOT how it happened!" Darius frowns, "He trapped us. We escaped and built our new company without him."   "Okay. I guess it’s only fair we expose him so he won’t cause any more trouble," Brenda says.   "Elementary, my dear Brenda," Darius smiles.

"Thank you all for coming. Get comfy- but not TOO comfy. There’s a murderer among you..." Darius sneers, "But, forget that. Let’s have a seat, shall we? You’re here to ask questions and get a feel of the science behind our company's new plan of direction."

"Moreover, we've changed Nellindill *Plastics* Company to *Packaging* Company. The new name alone sends a clear message that we’re cutting down on single-use plastics. That’s what this event's all about." Brenda smiles, "Also food and an open bar? Introduce yourselves!"

"Dove Merit, reporter from Inquisitive Star. We met before... climate change protest perhaps? I'm no stranger to hairy situations like this. Your admirable efforts deserve more exposure, but there are some big shots who don’t like the new path you're taking."

"Right, ma'am," Bevy nods, "Lots of folks have major problems with using sustainable material, but those naysayers should shut their mouths or jump on the hype train with everyone else. We can’t stay in the past. The future is now. The future is eco-friendly,"

"Name's Ned Bevy: world-renowned billionaire. It’s time for single-use plastic to vanish. I admit I didn’t see the genius plan at first, but after investigating, it all makes sense! People need to relax and support you guys before earth's totally destroyed,"

"The Nellindills and I have had our differences, but I found my way out the tricky maze I’d jammed myself into, and saw they were just heralds bringing me the truth I'd been ignoring. My lovely private islands… one day, they could all be gone. It’s no scam."

"Haters can ignore the signs all they want, but as Mr. Bevy said, the bad scent of pollution will rise up sooner or later," another joins in, "Fighting climate change is not a piece of cake, so I applaud all here who are taking steps to do what they can."

"I’m Frank Fennec," he continues, "I run the local recycling center and, let me say, I wouldn’t at all be opposed to a partial or even full ban of ALL plastics. It’s a giant problem and we haven’t even mastered recycling it yet."

"Neither would I, Frank. Avarice is the only thing that fuels these big companies AND the whole darn government to keep treading dangerous waters, causing more harm than good," another says as he stands, "My name is Lieutenant James Hutchison,"

"All humans are perpetrators who cause mass destruction," the Lieutenant continues, "I’ve fought in wars and have seen firsthand what they can do. It’s up to us to take a stand and find a way to undo the damage before it’s too late,"

"I’ve proudly served my country for over a quarter of a century- Army, Navy… almost every military branch- but, is our nation perfect? I’m very aware the answer is no. The whole world must do better. That’s why I stand by you two in these efforts."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," a young woman says, "I'm Perrinia Murphy. I lead the environmental activist group at the university where I study marine biology. Yes, we're angry, but a state of revenge won’t do much good. We can only go forth and lead by example,"

"I don’t agree with most extremist precedents,” she says, “These seemingly senseless ploys make skeptics come to the assumption that everyone talking about 'eco' is crazy. They lump us all in the same net. Many motives of said acts remain unknown to this day,"

"We need to unearth facts, get to the bottom of it all, chase down and magnify the truth," Perrinia says fiercely, pounding a fist upon the table, "Let's leave that other useless nonsense in the dust so that people can take us seriously long enough to learn."

"My name is Mr. G. I represent gargantuan megacorp FizzodaBop. Yes, we use plastic bottles and every one of you has the right to be mad at us, but I’m here to learn. It’s not easy to change what the whole world is already so used to, but we’re willing to try."

"Hey guys. I’m viral craze Bartleby Figg, your bridge to the young generation. I'll get kids excited about saving the planet and stuff. Once, I got all the pets at my local rescue adopted in one day, so, like, of course we can stop global warming or whatever."

"I’m Lindsey Quark, US Green politician. The two main parties usually sweep and we isolated few don’t stand a chance, only receiving sympathy votes. We’re seen as a farce, but we need government leaders in place who actually care about the important issues."

"Clarice Waterstone," Constance smirks, "My partner Simon and I are private investigators. We specialize in bringing down corporate gangsters who make a living by hustling shady deals with the little guy. We trace their trails until their plans fall out."

"...yes…" Someone grimaces, "We help clients fight for their rights. People in power often lack true logic. They play with lives like some trivial game, funding fancy city parks with one hand whilst dumping rubbish on the rest of the world with the other."

"Tru dat, brotha man. I also agree," the final guest speaks, "Ossie Weldlife. Explorer. I navigate the wilds of our world to protect God's creation! Why humans see nature as an enigma eludes me. Animals are much easier to understand than people, to be honest."

"Nice to meet you all," Brenda lifts a glass, "We've got much to do. Nothing will just solve itself, but together, we'll form the ultimate team and finish what we’ve come to start-!"   Suddenly, the room is plunged into a darkness that draws forth many gasps...