The meal was called to a halt around 8 PM, and the tables moved back against the walls and covered with the game table clothes whilst I explained why we were all here... to celebrate a successful gangster year with the Tracey Gang (always remember to read your invitations!).

All celebrations involve party games and this one was no different. The first game came from the party manual:

Bang Bang
This game involves everyone standing in a circle. I call out one of the fabulously fictitious and difficult to remember names and the owner of that name had to duck down before the people on either side of him turned and shot them with their fingers saying "bang bang". If the owner of the name was too slow they'd be shot by one or both of his neighbours and leave the game; if they were quick it turned out to be the slower one of his two friends. Sounds complex, but except for trying to remember all the funny names, it was pretty easy and fun.

The aim was to get down to the last survivor and declare the winner, after which the murder would be introduced. We decided to go for a more dramatic approach. We thought it'd be exciting if in the midst of the game the lights suddenly went out, a gun shot rang out and someone, that is, the murder victim, fell to the ground.

During the setting up we'd taped a "chalk outline" on the floor and covered it with one of the rugs. I'd found an MP3 gun shot and put it onto the lap top. I organised with my brother Glenn, who I planned to be the murder victim, that he'd turn the lights out when signalled, help Sandi with removing the rug and then fall into the chalk outline. The plan was that at a certain time Sandi would signal Glenn to turn the lights out, she'd turn the volume on the lap top up (it was being run through a PA) run the MP3 that was ready and loaded in a player, remove the rug and then turn the lights on revealing the murder victim in front of us all. It was the only part of the night that we didn't have time to practice.

What actually happened was quite funny. Sandi, who had a heap to do during the meal, relaxed a little too much after the meal was over and sort of forgot what was meant to be happening. As the game went way past the time agreed, and the players were getting less and less I couldn't seem to make Sandi understand that the murder should happen: She was at the other end of the room. Finally Glenn turned the lights out, although they didn't really go out because the green exit sign was very bright and Sandi was having problems getting the cardboard sleeve over the laptop display. There was a little "pop" of the MP3 gun shot and I realised that Sandi had forgotten to turn the volume up. Thankfully Keren also realised and he rushed over and corrected the volume and proceeded to play the MP3 over and over: it sounded like a bit of a war zone.

Because of the light everyone could plainly see what was happening, but the human brain is an amazing thing the way it can fill in the gaps. And when the lights finally did come back on there were two bodies on the floor! One was Glenn the other was his middle son! It was very funny. If you look carefully at the time-lapse on the first page, you can see the lights go out and then Peter lying on the floor.

And so, with a murder, the game began propper! A little recap on how the game is divided into three rounds where people can win clues after which each team has to try and put those clues, and any others they may swap, together into a realistic scenario. The players found their teams which had been written on the table clothes for them:

• Table 1: [Limericks]
• Glenn
• Luke
• Nathanael
• Tony
• Greg
• Kate
• Chris
• Louise
• Lachlan
• Table 2: [Limericks]
• Briony
• Trish
• Paul
• Elaine
• Hugh (Hugh didn't make it in the end as he was taken with the flu')
• Meredith
• Eric
• Mikaela
• Edith
• Table 3: [Limericks]
• Jesse
• Lee
• Peter
• Tamarae
• Blanche
• Luke
• Merlyn
• Max
• Grace
• Table 4: [Limericks]
• Keith
• Pat
• Mick
• Matt
• Alex
• Danielle
• Riley
• Cathy
• Amanda
• Sham
• Table 5: [Limericks]
• Keren
• Peggy
• Colleen
• Ray
• Beck
• Grant
• Hannah
• Sham
• Kate
• Monica