CRIME DETAILS

BACKGROUND TO EVENTS

A junior health minister, Edwin Curry MP, recently made several statements warning the public of the high salmonella contamination within UK chicken eggs. His comments caused a countrywide scare and sales of eggs plummeted. They also earned him the loathing of the egg production industry, particularly eccentric chicken farming millionaire Sergei Shell.

EASTER EXTRAVAGANZA

Over the Easter weekend Sergei held a grand “Easter Extravaganza” fair at his country estate. The purpose of the fair was to help restore public confidence in the egg industry. As well as displays and exhibits from representatives of the farming and food processing industries, the Extravaganza also featured some more light-hearted attractions including:

Chuck McCluck, Celebrity Chef,
demonstrating 50 ways to cook an egg.

The Masked Maniac, Wrestling Bad Boy,
demonstrating feats of strength and wrestling.

Valerie Telline, Owner of “The Beauties of Nature”, demonstrating egg yolk shampoo & egg shell exfoliator.

Professor Egghead, Memory Expert,
performing his incredible “Marvellous Memory” show.

Melanie Shell, Children’s TV Presenter,
demonstrating egg decoration and painting techniques.

The Reverend Alex Bumen,
explaining about Easter, eggs, and early pagan rituals.

THE CHALAZA EGGS

But the most exciting attraction was the exhibiting of Sergei Shell’s “Jewelled Chalaza Egg Collection”. These beautiful enamelled and jewelled eggs, similar in style to the legendary Faberge eggs, were each displayed in a gold egg holder. The eggs on display were:
 

Elizabeth Chalaza, who was delivering Sergei’s most recent purchase, the “Onyx & Emerald Egg”, was on hand to give people more information about the eggs. Sergei’s egg collection is worth over half a million pounds.

The exhibitors spent the weekend at Sergei’s mansion. After the evening meal on Sunday, a party was held in Sergei’s library. In attendance were the above exhibitors as well as a collection of Sergei’s long standing farming friends. At the end of the evening the Chalaza egg collection was locked in Sergei’s recently purchased “Simply Secure Safe”. The party finished shortly after 11.00pm when everyone retired for the night.

MURDER

A terrible discovery was made the next morning. Sergei’s dead body was discovered in the library. He had been killed by a brutal blow to the head which had shattered his skull. The murder weapon, a jemmy, was lying beside the body. There were no fingerprints on it. The safe had been forced open and the egg collection was gone.

Mr Yaden Yolk, founder of “Simply Secure Safes Ltd”, was staying at the mansion as Sergei’s guest. He was also responsible for security of the egg collection over the weekend. To try and prevent adverse publicity affecting “Simply Secure Safes Ltd”, Mr Yolk has asked to be allowed an initial attempt at investigating the case before calling in the official police. Surprisingly all the suspects have agreed. Yaden has deemed Sergei’s long standing farming friends to be above suspicion, and they will be assisting him with his enquiries.