My story takes place on a small Pacific island in 1875.

I need a "vital" clue that my FMC's uncle reveals.

So far, I have my FMC-Perpetua, and MMC-Chacon. They are looking for the body of the missing man, Marin, who was a friend of Chacon's.

He's been murdered by Roberto and Arcturus, because he overheard a treasonous plot by them. They are working with FreeMasons of Hong Kong to undermine the Spanish government.

Marin went missing while boar hunting with Roberto and Arcturus.

Already Perpetua has found an object of Marin's further north that means the story of Roberto and Arcturus could not be true, that Marin had not tried to return to the village by heading south.

Already Perpetua and Chacon know that Marin had overheard something, and that FreeMasons are involved.

I need Perpetua's uncle to reveal a vital clue that nails the death as murder and pins it on Roberto and Arcturus; or that makes it clear they are working with spies; or SOMETHING!

Because I need to get to a climax and wrap this puppy up.

I'm looking toward an ending where the culprits are identified, but probably escape on a German ship that is temporarily in port. And then Chacon sails off to chase after them.

Ideas?

(thanks for reading this garbled mess.)

It could be possibly interesting to have the uncle reveal something that seems like a totally innocent detail, that turns out to connect with other details for the MCs. For example, he could be making a comment about something unrelated, and mention a detail that blows a major hole in the bad guy's story/alibi/cover.

Well, you said they were working with the Free Masons in Hong Kong. So if your characters know that there's a spy in the mix, he could just say that they were in Hong Kong when something significant happened. Maybe they were there when the Spanish government realized that there was a meeting going on about how to take them down. They thought they'd captured everyone, but your characters realize someone escaped.

Alternately, he could just say something that puts the victim and the bad guys in the same area sometime before the murder, when he could have overheard them.

It doesn't have to be absolute proof, just enough that your characters put two and two together and get murder.

Thanks, both.

I like the idea of a connection to Hong Kong.

I'm also thinking the uncle may mention that the bad guys are sneaking away or something.

but I'm open to other suggestions.