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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Murder at the B&B

Cathy Keister Correspondent

Innkeepers Tina and John Hough were concerned. The Roosevelt, their Coeur d’Alene Bed & Breakfast Inn, was losing business, fast. Then Tina, utilizing her fertile imagination, devised an ingenious plan. Murder. And the Houghs and their guests would commit them.

“We began the murder mysteries after 9/11,” Tina explains. “Our business, along with others’, felt the economic effects of the attacks; we had 117 cancellations in those first three weeks. We racked our brains on how to generate revenue with this incredible building, if no one wanted to travel and use it as intended, as a B&B.”

She thought of murder mysteries.

“We’d done something similar for our daughter’s 16th birthday. I arranged to use friends’ homes as ‘locations in London,’ for kids to gather clues from. I adapted what I did for her birthday, by using the The Roosevelt’s many rooms.”

The Inn boasts 15 rooms, more than any B&B in the Northwest. Built in 1905, the inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally a schoolhouse, it was remodeled in 1994 into a B&B, named after the 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt.

Murder Mysteries are monthly at the inn. Tina plays Mrs. Ames, the housekeeper, and John plays Sherlock Holmes. They use the characters Dr. Watson, Inspector Lestrade, Sir Charles Higginbottom, and “servants,” to serve dinner.

“We prefer at least eight people per murder mystery, and we can accommodate up to 24 people. The perfect number is 12,” Tina says.

Tina makes up all the other characters.

“I have a very active imagination, which is sometimes scary. Our characters range from a Russian princess on the run, joining the circus to escape an arranged marriage, to a rakish American gambler taking Brits for their loot, to a wealthy socialite who married and widowed three very old, wealthy men, and is on the prowl again.”

It makes for an unforgettable evening, say the Houghs.

“Some of our most memorable guests were at a private party of 20 people. One character was Lord Winston Everson, a Scottish Member of Parliament. The gentleman arrived in a kilt, and his wife’s character was our beloved Sister Mary Elizabeth. She carried a boom box, and every time he entered or exited a room, she turned on Scottish bagpipe music. Everyone laughed hysterically.”

Characters also include Madam Olga, a psychic Tina says.

“One woman got so into the role she made psychic predictions for the entire group all evening.”

After reservations are made, the Houghs mail out personality profiles for participants to dress as, and assume the persona of, for the evening.

“The more people who get into character, the more fun the evening is,” Tina says.

Once all guests have arrived, the fun ensues. Hors d’oeuvres are served, and character introductions begin. During dinner the mystery unfolds. A short skit sets the scene for the drama.

“At the end of dinner,” Tina said, “everyone’s given a packet with the rules, a notepad to jot down deductions, a Scotland Yard badge to lock rooms, and a skeleton key to unlock one room.”

They search for clues throughout the building. John says the game is similar to a live version of the board game Clue, mixed with the game “221 B. Baker Street,” the name of which is Sherlock Holmes’s London address.

Instead of traveling London, participants at The Roosevelt change floors.

“It gets hectic trying to remember which room you’ve visited, trying to get by one another on the staircase or elevator. It makes for some hilarious moments,” Tina says.

Participants can forget about cheating – there are hall monitors.

“There are penalties for cheating and not changing floors after receiving a clue, or if an ‘additions clue’ envelope is opened,” Tina says. “The game isn’t over until the last person solves. We sometimes have to give hints, but generally someone solves it.”

The group gathers back in the dining room for dessert. Sherlock Holmes explains clues and a prize, such as a dagger-shaped letter opener with the words “Killer of a Good Time – The Roosevelt,” on it, is awarded to the person who solved the mystery fastest.

“The murder mystery typically lasts two hours, depending on how good a sleuth may be in the group,” John says.

Murder Mystery-only packages, at $49 per person, include a five-course gourmet dinner. Overnight packages are $119 per person, and additionally include 24-hour hot tub and sauna, a gourmet breakfast (The Roosevelt was voted “Best Breakfast,” by Arrington’s Inn Traveler), and deluxe accommodations for two.

The overnight package also includes more games – in the dark. “The game’s called ‘Body-Body.’ A killer is selected by drawing a card. We wander through the building, with only moonlight, awaiting the chilling finger of the killer to slide across someone’s throat,” said Tina and John.

The victim then falls “dead,” to the ground, and awaits someone to find his lifeless body. Someone yells “Body-Body,” and those remaining try to determine the murderer. If their accusation is correct, the game is over.

“If not, the dead body and the accuser go to the morgue – aka the front parlor –to watch a scary movie until the murderer is found. Then, the game begins again with a new murderer,” Tina says.

Faked murders aside, it’s no mystery that one reason why the Houghs, parents of three married daughters, are so partial to The Roosevelt: John Hough attended grade school in the historic building. The couple has named rooms in honor of former teachers Marjorie Olin, Jean Burns, Ada Hansen, Sharon Johnson and Nancy Larsen.