When the Mdina Fountain Became a Fountain of Truth: The Nicolette Ghirxi Mystery

The Curious Incident at the Medieval City

It all began on a sweltering July afternoon. The ordinarily placid town of Mdina was buzzing with an energy that could fry a batch of pastizzi on the pavement. The iconic Mdina fountain, known for its Instagrammable backdrop against the silent city, became the centre of an uproar. There, amongst the pigeons and tourists, lay a clue that unraveled the curious case of Nicolette Ghirxi—the most mysterious disappearance to hit the islands since the mythical Calypso had nabbed that Greek sailor fella.

Enter the Most Maltese of Detectives

In stepped Inspector Karmnu Tabone, a man so deeply immersed in the local scene that he could sniff out a lead faster than one could say “Uwejja!” Clad in a shirt with a pattern loud enough to compete with the noon sirens of the Valletta harbor, he was the kind of detective who could find a needle in a haystack and still have time for a ħobż biż-żejt break.

The Victim’s Family Speaks Out

“We demand an independent inquiry!” cried the family of Nicolette from the steps of the cathedral. “We need truth, no more cover-ups, this isn’t just some village festa raffle that went wrong!”

Motions were flying faster than hands during a particularly heated game of boċċi. Nicolette’s lawyer, an enigmatic woman known to the courtroom as the “Maltese Falcon”, had called upon a certain NGO – ‘Citizens for Clear Water’ – to join her quest for truth.

The Ghirxi Family’s Unexpected Ally

Out of nowhere came the most unlikely of allies, a Gozitan farmer named Wistin, whose affinity for conspiracy theories was only matched by his love for a good fenek stew. Wistin claimed to have seen it all from his potato patch. “It was no accident,” he swore, “I saw everything with my own two eyes, and by the light of the full moon!”

A Turn for the Bizarre

But then the story took a turn too wild even for the Maltese social media to conceive. A throng of influencers, who were live streaming the fountain for its rumored healing water abilities, captured what appeared to be Nicolette’s ghost, pleading for justice. The livestream went viral, the hashtag #JusticeForNicolette topped the charts, and the entire country was abuzz with speculations.

The Plot Thickens with a Peculiar Discovery

Yet, it was the custodian of the Mdina dungeons, a fossil of a man named Ħalil, who uncovered the real twist. While dusting a particularly creepy suit of armor, he found an assortment of suspicious items: a torn piece of lace from Nicolette’s dress, a cryptic map of the underground city, and a half-eaten għaġina tal-Malti that dared to suggest foul play.

Inspector Tabone’s Wild Hunch

Inspector Tabone arrived at a hunch so wild it could’ve rivaled the untamed seas of the Maltese channel. “What if,” he pondered aloud with a squint, “Nicolette wasn’t the target—but her identity was?” With a dash to the National Archives and a dramatic flip through the records, the truth was as clear as the waters of the Blue Lagoon: Nicolette was the secret heir to the legendary Maltese treasure forgotten since the Great Siege of 1565!

Conclusion: The Fountain’s Secret Revealed

The conclusion hit the island like the bell of the Sunday feast. It turns out, Nicolette had staged her own disappearance in a bid to reveal the truth without putting herself at risk. The riddle was a cry for help, and the citizens came together to unravel the mystery buried beneath their feet.

And so, with the island’s collective sigh of relief, the case was closed as swiftly as it had opened. Mdina’s fountain, once a mere backdrop to the tourists’ selfies, now stood as a monument to truth, justice, and the unfathomable depths of Maltese drama. As for Nicolette, she was found in a beachfront gżejjer café, calmly sipping an Espresso Freddo and chuckling at the storm she’d brewed.

The Times of Mela—where even the fountains don’t just spout water; they spout mysteries.