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Theft on Mummer's Island

Summary:

Simon and Baz work as tour guides in a small museum on a small island, fighting over who gets more positive comments from visitors and conspiring to uncover the managers’ plots to pass the time.
But when, exactly a month before Christmas, a £2 million reindeer sculpture gets stolen from the museum, a new challenge arises. Who will find the thief first?

A choose your own adventure mystery. (As in, you get to decide what happens next.)

Notes:

hello! every year i say i won't participate in coc, and inevitably i end up here.

but i'm extremely excited. i've been wanting to write a mystery for a while, but it always feels overwhelming to figure out all the details and make it compelling and unexpected but still believable. so, i decided to try something fun. i imagined several developments for this story, but you will be the ones to decide what actually happens. if you read the chapters daily, you can leave a comment to choose the characters' next steps, and the story will proceed according to the most chosen option. so, it's only a choose your own adventure if you read as i post, but i hope it's still fun.

part of me wants to say that i finally have a (temporary) job i can use to write realistic fics (i'm a tour guide for some months), but really this is a work of fiction in the best way. all vibes and no research. so, don't take anything too seriously (except for the fighting with your colleagues over who gets more positive comments. that part is real).

have fun!!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: First Year

Chapter Text

Tuesday 25th November 2025

11:36 am

Mummer's Island Heritage Museum’s Google Maps reviews

Helen M. writes: ★★★★★What a nice hidden gem!

I ended up on this island by chance, and it couldn't have been a more welcome surprise!

The building seems small from the outside, but it holds the richest collection of fishing supplies, neolithic pottery and telegraph machinery I've ever seen in one place, framed by the most beautiful display of wallpapers and ancient graffiti art I've encountered in my life, and I travel a lot.

The guide was hilarious and incredibly prepared to answer this old woman's crazy questions. Did you know that the museum carries the only reindeer statue ever carved from actual meteorite stone? The artist, Chaz Watford, was a Mummer's Island native who found this piece of literal moonstone in a Welsh forest when he was only 19, and he’s said to have gone insane 30 years later after finishing his masterpiece, which is currently valued at £2 millions!!!

If you're in the area, do yourself a favour! Come visit and ask for Simon Snow, you won't regret it.

 

11:38 am

Mummer's Island Heritage Museum's break room

baz bitch

I didn't think you'd stoop so low, Snow.

me

idk what u r talking about

baz bitch

Bribing old women into writing a four paragraph review featuring your full name?

I didn't expect such lowly behaviour, not even from you.

me

piss off

i’m just good

old ladies like that i make them laugh

instead of naming 73 dead artists in a snooty tone as if they r going to remember who painted the upper left corner of the yellow gallery

they care abt the juicy details

baz bitch

Details which you shouldn't be divulging so blatantly.

Especially not when Minos is on paternity leave and Shit-Richards refuses to hire someone to cover the night security shift.

me

it's not like this stuff isn't on the internet

why are u texting me anyway

i’m literally here

baz bitch

I need my voice for my job, Snow. I won't waste air to entertain useless conversations with you.

me

wtf is ur problem

u started it

baz bitch

Tell that to Helen M. when the next scam she falls for isn't so apparently innocent as your review machinations.

me

fuck off

any news about that other thing btw?

baz bitch

Not yet. It seems like Shit-Richards and his puppeteer made sure to cover all their bases. And we don't have any hard proof.

me

if youd stop being so lawfully good and let me break into his office………

baz bitch

Excuse me.

me

i know u agree with me

baz bitch

Of course I do, Snow. What I don't agree with are your Nancy Drew methods.

me

who's nancy drew

stop typing baz

i dont actually care

i just want to kick ssr in the bollocks

baz bitch

Don't we all, Snow. Don't we all.

 

3:45 pm

Mummer's Island Heritage Museum's welcome area

the Book

25/11/2025

Wow! Excellent introduction to the early settlements on Mummer's Island and to how the fishing industry managed to delay the industrialisation of this county.

Thanks to Tyrannosaurus Pitch for being so exhaustive in his explanations. I hope you get paid well ;)

Beth Allen, from London

 

3:47 pm

Mummer's Island Heritage Museum's break room

Simon Snow (work)

maybe ppl write me better reviews bc theyre not too busy trying 2 remember my name

Me

Snow, go home.

I'll lock up.

 

5:26 pm

Mummer's Island Facebook page

To the attention of all residents: due to the storm forecast for tonight, the ferry line will be interrupted until morning.

Please remain home unless strictly necessary.

 

11:13 pm

White Chapel’s police station

detective chief inspector Agatha Wellbelove’s office

25/11/25, 11:11pm

Suspicious activity detected on Mummer's Island Heritage Museum back door security cameras. Alarm was triggered but deactivated within 30 seconds. Impossible to check due to storm, but send team in the morning.

PC Stainton, Mummer's Island

 

11:52 pm

White Chapel

Simon Snow's front door

Detective Chief Inspector Agatha Wellbelove has been banging on the door for five minutes.

She's soaked to her bones, courtesy of her stupid ex boyfriend's broken intercom and lack of any covered areas in his yard.

She shouldn't be here, not before she's checked if there's even anything to be worrying about. This is what her father keeps telling her. That she cares too much. That she won't be able to have a successful career and a life, the way he did, if she keeps getting so involved.

Agatha wants to tell him that she won't be able to have a successful career and a life the way her father did because she's not a man, but one thing at a time. They're still working through the aftermath of her breaking up with her secondary school boyfriend to stop dating altogether, and it's been ten years.

Agatha bangs her head against the door, too.

“Simon, for fuck's sake. It's pouring buckets, and I think someone broke into the museum.”

She can't help the thrill that her own words send down her spine. She shouldn't be happy about a possible theft. She shouldn't be happy about any crimes, she's a police officer.

But it's been a year since she got her promotion, and the other topic of discussion at every Sunday lunch is how the first year in any role of command is capable of making or breaking you.

And nothing ever happens in White Chapel. Even less happens on Mummer's Island. Nothing that can break Agatha. Nothing that can make her, either.

So what if…

“Simon, let me in immediately!”

It takes her an embarrassing long minute to realise that Simon might not be home at all.


Is Simon home? Or is he not?

The choice is yours!