81 Let there be sandwiches

Sandwiches were laid out in a long row for the guests all along the breakfast bar on a succession of cutting boards purchased over several years from all over the world. The selection process was left up to the host but the game itself they had played many times together. When the guests arrived they were cautioned to chew carefully because inside one of the sandwiches was a hard baked bean and whoever got the bean would be the killer for the game tonight.

As the guests arrived and took their sandwiches and began wandering all over the house, spilling crumbs everywhere, they chewed their sandwiches slowly and soon, one of them had found the bean and as per the rules, began a conversation with the other guests, casually slipping in the codeword they had agreed upon, guests who heard the word (and were thus officially dead) retired to the den in the basement and waited with cocktails for the game to end.

When there were only two guests left it was clear who the killer was. He led the way down to the den and everyone wished him a happy birthday.

For the rest of their lives they never forgot the look on his face, he'd never told anyone his birthday, he'd never had a surprise birthday party. He was so happy he felt his heart would burst.

And so, he died.