Endgame by Jeffrey Round

looked up in time to see her younger self flash across the screen, followed by her name: “Sandra Goodman.” She stifled a gasp, dropping the cup and saucer. It shattered on the tiles. With a murmur of dismay, she crouched and began to pick up the broken pieces.
    The video continued. Another face flashed on screen — that of an effeminate-looking young man — and the name “Werner Temple.” Meanwhile, the song and its lyrics ground on. By the twelfth verse, nearly everyone had joined in:
    â€œOn the twelfth day of shagging, my true love gave to me twelve suicides, eleven stabbers stabbing, ten stranglers strangling, nine wasps a-stinging, eight poisoned needles, seven crystals shining, six bombers diving, five tongues of fire, four oceans to drown in, three evil Jujubes, two silver bullets, and a love song full of hate…!”
    As they reached the song’s climax, the room was abuzz in a roar of combined voices when the word “ MURDERERS ” appeared briefly then faded out again. On-screen, the band’s instruments thrashed but, except for Crispin’s, the singing in the room died instantly.
    â€œWhat the hell is this?” Spike demanded.
    A new face suddenly appeared on screen, that of a vivacious, smiling young woman. Sami Lee screamed.
    â€œWhat the fuck is going on?” Max shouted.
    â€œWhat’s happened?” Crispin asked, startled by the sudden outburst.
    â€œIt’s that girl!” Pete said, gasping for breath.
    â€œWhat girl?” Crispin said. “Is someone here?”
    The face, friendly and young, faded along with all the others. The words “ THE VICTIM ” appeared on screen and held a moment before fading out again. A final phrase followed: “ ALL THE MURDERERS WERE FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED TO DEATH .” The song ended and the screen went black.
    For a moment there was absolute silence in the room, then everyone started talking at once.
    â€œWhat is going on here?”
    â€œâ€¦ who was that?”
    â€œIs this some sick joke?”
    â€œâ€¦ a ridiculous game.”
    â€œWill someone please tell me what the fuck is happening?”
    â€œThis is preposterous …”
    â€œâ€¦ in very bad taste.”
    â€œEveryone shut up NOW!”
    The final voice was Max’s.
    The chattering died. Holding the shattered pieces of the cup and saucer, Sandra sank into the last empty chair. The eleven people seated in the room looked at one another in bewilderment.
    After a moment, Edwards stood and went to the DVD player. He looked at it as though it might yield some clue to the video they’d just watched. Then he flipped the switch and the screen died. He sat back down, holding his head in his hands.
    â€œWhere’s Harvey?” Max demanded. “I want an explanation for this!” He turned to Edwards. “Where is your fucking boss?”
    Edwards shook his head. “I don’t know. He said he was coming. I haven’t heard a word from him since he instructed me to start the video.”
    â€œWell, when did you last see him?” Max insisted. “Was he in the village on the mainland?”
    Edwards looked up with a strained expression. “I don’t know. I … I’ve never met him.”
    â€œWhat?” Max was incredulous. “You mean he hired you without meeting you in person?”
    Edwards nodded.
    â€œWhy were you in the video?” Spike asked.
    â€œI have no idea,” Edwards replied with a stunned look. “That footage was taken at a private party years ago. I didn’t know Harvey Keill then, either. I have no idea how he got hold of it. I just applied last week for a job as a general handyman, cook, and boat driver. The ad was in a local paper that was left in my mailbox. It’s the sort of job I’ve been doing here for the last few years. I sent off a letter with my resumé and got word by phone that I’d been hired and was to