When Aria Lane announced:
"I will investigate,"
the entire set collectively felt a chill.
Not because they believed she'd punish anyone.
No—
Because Aria investigating meant:
nobody could lie
nobody could hide
nobody had privacy
and absolutely nobody was safe
Even Julian looked intrigued.
Daniel looked like he was preparing his will.
Director Mason whispered to a PA:
"If I disappear, tell my wife I died heroically. Don't mention the chicken leg."
Aria Begins the Investigation
She walked to the center of the warehouse, quiet as a shadow.
Everyone stared.
Even the props department paused assembling Door #27.
Aria scanned the room.
"The culprit is still here."
Marcus whispered to Elliot:
"That's… surprisingly ominous."
Elliot nodded.
"She has aura."
Step 1: Observing Behavior
Aria turned slowly, studying each crew member.
Lighting tech #4 started sweating.
A boom mic operator dropped his stick.
Makeup artist held her breath.
Julian… smiled calmly.
Daniel whispered:
"She's profiling us! She's literally looking into our souls!"
Mason clutched his hair.
"EVERYONE STOP MOVING! NOBODY BLINK!"
Aria pointed at the props table.
"Someone passed through here recently."
Props all gasped.
"How do you know??"
Aria:
"The dust is disturbed."
Props:
"THE DUST??? HOW—"
Daniel:
"Of COURSE she notices dust. She notices FEAR."
Step 2: Following the Trail
Aria crouched near the floor.
Examined a faint smudge.
Everyone leaned in.
Julian asked softly:
"What do you see?"
Aria replied:
"A footprint."
Rick whispered:
"Oh god she's tracking like a trained operative—wait—she IS a trained operative…?"
Mason glared.
"No she's not!"
Daniel whispered:
"Mason, please. We all know she is."
Step 3: Extracting Information from Witnesses
Aria turned to a production assistant.
"You walked here earlier."
The PA froze.
"How did you know?!"
Aria:
"Your shoe matches the print."
The PA began crying.
"I swear I didn't take the chicken!! I just moved a cable!"
Aria nodded.
"You are not the culprit."
The PA collapsed in relief.
Mason wiped sweat from his forehead.
Julian smiled slightly.
"She's good."
Daniel slapped his own face.
"STOP ADMIRING HER! IT MAKES HER STRONGER!"
Step 4: Psychological Profiling
Aria stood.
"We must identify motive."
Daniel pointed at her snack bag.
"Motive is OBVIOUS. Chicken leg. Delicious. Irresistible."
Julian chuckled.
"Not everyone is driven by food, Daniel."
Daniel yelled:
"Normal people don't eat stolen chicken, Julian!"
Mason added:
"And if ANYTHING goes missing on this set, it's ALWAYS food! 100% food crimes!"
Aria blinked.
"That is true."
Daniel pointed at Aria.
"SEE?? EVEN SHE AGREES!"
Step 5: Elimination
Aria listed suspects calmly:
"Julian is cleared.
Director Mason is cleared.
The assistant here is cleared."
Rick asked:
"What about the stunt team?"
Aria shook her head.
"We were together during the time of theft."
The stunt team dramatically bowed.
Marcus shouted:
"We are innocent!"
Mason muttered:
"For once…"
Daniel gasped.
"That means… the culprit is among the remaining crew!"
Everyone panicked.
Lighting tech:
"I didn't do it!"
Makeup artist:
"I was doing Julian's hair!"
Sound guy:
"I was adjusting the boom! DON'T KILL ME!"
Elliot proudly raised his hand:
"I was prepping explosives!"
Everyone yelled:
"WE KNOW, ELLIOT!"
Aria Finds the Critical Clue
She walked toward a side table near the wall.
Paused.
Touched the surface.
Looked at the faint grease smear left behind.
Daniel inhaled sharply.
"No way…"
Julian stepped beside her.
"What is it?"
Aria replied softly:
"Chicken oil."
Everyone screamed.
Mason pointed dramatically.
"THIS IS A CRIME SCENE."
Elliot whispered:
"I could enhance the scene with flames—"
"NO YOU CANNOT!" Mason shouted.
Step 6: The Scent Test (Terrifying but Effective)
Aria lifted the faintly greasy napkin.
Sniffed it once.
Turned toward the crew.
Silence.
Utter silence.
She scanned faces.
Closing in.
One step toward makeup.
One step away from lighting.
One step closer to—
Daniel whispered:
"She's getting warmer…!"
Julian murmured:
"She's narrowing it down."
Mason yelled:
"EVERYONE STOP LOOKING SUSPICIOUS!"
Aria finally stopped.
And said quietly:
"The culprit is among the remaining three."
Everyone screamed again.
Step 7: The Final Interview
Aria turned to the first crew member.
"Where were you at 11:37?"
"In the restroom!! I swear!!"
Aria nodded.
To the next:
"You have food in your pocket."
The crew member panicked.
"It's gum!! JUST GUM!!"
Aria nodded again.
Then she turned to the last person.
A small props intern clutching a clipboard too tightly.
The intern froze.
Eyes wide.
Guilty energy radiating like a neon sign.
Aria blinked.
"You are nervous."
The intern squeaked.
"…No reason…"
Everyone stared.
Julian tilted his head.
Daniel whispered:
"It's always the quiet ones…"
Mason whispered back:
"Or the hungry ones…"
Aria stepped forward.
"Show me your hands."
The intern slowly held them out.
A faint smear of chicken grease glistened on the fingertips.
The entire set erupted.
Daniel: "AHA!! GREASY HANDS!!!"
Rick: "THE SMOKING GUN!!"
Stunt team: "THE CHICKEN BANDIT!!"
Elliot: "EXECUTE THEM WITH PYROTECHNICS—"
Mason: "NO WE WILL NOT!!"
Julian smiled gently.
"Aria?"
Aria nodded once.
Calm.
Certain.
"The culprit is found."
The intern collapsed.
"I'M SORRY—IT SMELLED SO GOOD—I ONLY TOOK ONE BITE—PLEASE DON'T LET HER KILL ME—"
The room collectively backed away from Aria.
She looked down at the half-eaten leg.
Then at the trembling intern.
And said—