[ WP ] Reconstruct a well known children 's tale or setting into a murder mystery

“ I can ’ t sleep, ” Bo-Peep sighed, “ I try counting sheep but they ’ re just not there. All I see is him, and all those people trying to save him. I just can ’ t get my head around it; why would he sit on that wall? Why? ” 
 
 Bo-Peep covered her face with her hands and began to cry. Rain pattered on the windows, trying to reach the bright warmth of the kitchen. 
 
 “ I think you need a cup of tea. ” Polly put the kettle on. “ You need to stop thinking like this, it was horrible what happened but it was an accident. You ’ ll drive yourself mad if you continue like this. ” 
 
 “ He was an egg! ” Bo-Peep yelled, “ Why would he be on that wall when he knew how danger- ” 
 
 She was interrupted by a knock at the door. Polly opened it, and frowned when she saw who was outside. 
 
 “ Georgie, this isn ’ t the time. ” 
 
 “ I ’ m not going to try anything, I promise, ” the voice outside the door said, “ I just need someone to talk to. ” 
 
 Polly hesitated for a second, then stood back to allow Georgie Peorgie into the room. 
 
 “ Hi Bo, ” he nodded to her. 
 
 “ Hi, ” she said, thickly. 
 
 Georgie started look around furtively, opening cupboard doors and pulling back curtains. 
 
 “ What are you doing? ” Polly asked, looking faintly disgusted with the man. 
 
 “ Are we alone? ” 
 
 “ Well, Sukey ’ s upstairs but yes. ” 
 
 “ I need to tell you something, about Humpty. ” 
 
 “ Georgie… ” Polly said warningly. 
 
 “ What is it? ” Bo-Peep asked, reddened eyes fixed on Georgie. 
 
 “ His death, I don ’ t think it was an accident. ” 
 
 “ Not you too, ” Polly said with a sigh, “ This isn ’ t healthy, this obsession. It was a terrible, meaningless accident. That ’ s all. ” 
 
 “ No, listen. Humpty was investigating something. All these deaths recently, he thought they weren ’ t accidents. That old lady- ” 
 
 “ She swallowed a horse! ” 
 
 “ But why? I know she was crazy – which makes me wonder why she was living alone – but trying to swallow a whole horse? That ’ s beyond madness. And then there was Jack- ” 
 
 “ Poor Jill. ” 
 
 “ They had gone up that hill hundreds of times before, then they both fall down on the same day? Isn ’ t that weird? ” 
 
 “ Hardly a reliable way to kill someone, if he had just gone to a hospital… ” 
 
 The kettle was whistling. Polly waited for a moment, looking at the stairs to the upper floor, then sighed and took the kettle off the stove. She poured everyone a cup of tea. 
 
 “ She ’ s hasn ’ t come out of her room for days, even to make tea. ” 
 
 They sat in silence for a moment, sipping their drinks, then Bo-Peep spoke up. 
 
 “ Georgie, you were saying, about Humpty? ” 
 
 “ Well, whether you believe all this stuff or not, it doesn ’ t matter. What matters is that Humpty believed it, and he was investigating. ” 
 
 “ Did anyone else know? About his investigation that is? ” 
 
 “ Pussycat knew. And now he ’ s disappeared. ” 
 
 “ Disappeared? ” 
 
 “ Said he was going to London. Wouldn ’ t say why. ” 
 
 “ Strange. ” 
 
 “ Yeah, but I think Humpty knew why. He hinted that this conspiracy might… ” Georgie got up and peered out the window, then sat down again and spoke with hushed tones. “ …it might go all the way to the top. ” 
 
 “ The king?! ” Polly and Bo-Peep exclaimed in unison. 
 
 “ Shhh! Not so loud. ” 
 
 Suddenly, there was a loud crash from outside. They all jumped, then whimpered as they spilt hot tea over themselves. Eyes wide with shock and fear, they looked at each other as someone pounded on the door… 

