An American Crime Saga: Part Four
Hello everybody! Before I get started, if you haven't read parts 1-3, this will spoil it for you, so please go back and read those before reading ahead. For those of you have followed the saga through so far, lets get started.
Chapter One:
"We find the defendant guilty of all charges, your honor!" Those words kept repeating themselves like a broken tape recorder inside of Jimmy's worn out brain.
"Objection, your honor! There's no way…!" Jimmy's lawyer stood up angrily and outraged. He wasn't going to stand for the ruling.
"Overruled!" The judged yelled, frightening everybody in the room.
"But I see a blind man and a deaf man in that jury! They have no reason to be determining this man's life!" The lawyer continued, despite the judge's orders. This was one of those lawyers who thought they could do anything. Somebody who could get anybody out of a jam. His obviously fake hair was close to slipping off as his pale white face reddened and sweat poured down his cheeks.
"Mr. Williams, when I say 'overruled' I MEAN OVERRULED! Now sit down and listen to my sentencing!" The judge screamed, revealing the lawyer's name.
All Jimmy could do was watch as his lawyer practically poured lemon juice in his wounds. He was just convicted of two crimes he hadn't committed. He plead guilty to the robbery claim, but not the murder and assault. Now instead of five years in a federal prison, he could have more than fifty! Teeth clenched, he looked around the courtroom.
Across the room, he could notice one family discussing what they thought. Then there was the judge, who must've been having personal problems because nobody could be that heartless and fed up with everything. There was his no-good, know-it-all, big-shot lawyer who'd just sold away his life. And there was that face. The embodiment of evil. There was Detective Troy West. The detective was obviously happy with the ruling. Not only was West off the hook for all those murders, but he knew in his heart that he'd finally gotten his man.
"There we go! Nice work Judge McLeod! I'm gonna buy you a damn medal you saint!" West clapped his hands and yelled across the room whilst everyone else silenced and awaited the sentence.
Jimmy just grinned and bared it. He looked at the face-wide grin on West's face. Jimmy couldn't help but feel that the detective deserved to be happy. He got his man. He did his job. Jimmy knew he was caught. He clenched his fist, convincing himself that he was wrong. West killed numerous people and blamed it on Jimmy. Jimmy wanted to attack him right there, but that wouldn't help the sentencing. He put his head down as the judge silenced West and prepared.
"James Isaac Neutron, you have been found guilty of assault, robbery, and murder by a state jury. Therefore, I am sentencing you to sixty years in California State Prison!" The judge, Judge McLeod as West had revealed, announced and made the sound no man ever wanted to hear, the wooden hammer clashing against that, that, wooden thing.
Jimmy stuck his head up, taking in what had happened. There he was, a smart and friendly computer programmer being sentenced to sixty years in prison for murder among other things. Hell, the judge was being generous! He could've been given a life sentence, or the chair! He had to keep convincing himself that he wasn't a computer programmer anymore... he was a no good thief.
Jimmy looked back at his captor as he laughed.
"Aw, c'mon chief! You can do better than sixty years! Give him the chair!" West laughed. He was acting like a child watching his first baseball game.
"You mind your own business, Detective West!" The judge pointed his hammer at West with a stern and mean face on.
As Jimmy was pulled from his chair, Jimmy looked around the room more, looking for two faces. Where were Cindy and Sheen? His best friend and loving wife hadn't even attended his court hearing! All he could hope for now was a visit.
"Get up!" The bailiff pulled Jimmy with inhuman strength.
"Okay! Okay!" Jimmy yelled. Obviously, he wasn't in the best mood. He wondered why they needed bailiffs to pull and push him around. He could stand and walk, and he knew that he was going to jail. He could do it himself.
"Sorry, Jimmy. This judge must've bought a fake degree!" Mr. Williams, the lawyer, tried to get a chuckle out of Jimmy, but realized he wasn't wanted and so he packed up and walked out of the room, being tripped by the 'loving' detective.
Jimmy was walked directly to a bus where he was to be brought to California State Prison. It was like a school bus, only you were sitting next to rapists, murderers, and worse instead of little kids. Jimmy walked around the bus, looking for a seat. seeing the mean looks on most, he finally sat next to a skinny, bald African American guy..
"What you in for, friend?" the man turned from looking out of the window towards his seat-buddy.
"Robbery." Jimmy said, nervously.
"Robbery?! Robbery will barely get 'cha to freaking county jail! C'mon, what're you in for?" The man laughed.
"Umm…" Jimmy hesitated. This guy didn't seem too friendly.
"I'll tell you what I'm in for if you tell me what you're in for!" the man sweetened the deal.
"Okay, robbery and assault." Jimmy added.
"And…?" This guy knew Jimmy was hiding something.
"Fine, I got framed for murder!" Jimmy fest up.
"I see! You know, I'm innocent, you're innocent, that bald ugly prick in the first seat is innocent. We're all innocent one way or another." the man laughed.
"Whatever…" Jimmy looked away and leaned his head back.
"I'm Kenny McQueen, murder extraordinaire!" the man stuck out a hand to Jimmy. Jimmy saw a tattoo of the queen of spades on his bicep. Jimmy hesitated, then shook it.
"And your name is…?" Kenny asked.
"Jimmy Neutron, robber extraordinaire." Jimmy chuckled, and his new friend joined in.
"First time, Jimmy N.?" Kenny questioned.
"Yep, first time."
"I remember my first. The first is always the hardest. You gotta adapt, get used to it. You ain't used to getting pushed around like a dog. You're always looking over your shoulder, thinking somebody's gonna hurt 'cha. You don't eat or sleep, you just think about where you went wrong. All that shit. Lemme give you a few pointers. Rule number one: eat. The food ain't that bad and you gotta stay healthy. Two: pick up a hobby. Gotta stay entertained, boredom can kill in there. And three: don't drop the soap. Ever." Kenny explained.
"I'll keep that in mind, Kenny." Jimmy said.
"You ain't bad, Jimmy. Maybe I'll see ya'll in the inside. I'll give ya'll pointers. This I my ninth time in the slammer, and it feels like home to me." Kenny said.
"First is the worst, huh?" Jimmy asked.
"Yeah, but I'll make it easy. I know people, and I'll introduce you to some guys. Usual prisoners know usual prisoners 'round the joint, and I'm a usual prisoner. Stick by me and you'll be fine."
Jimmy grinned a small grin, happy that he'd found himself a friend already.
Back at Sheen's house, Cindy was walking a worried walk up and down the hallways. Where was Sheen? He'd left a good day or two ago! She was starting to think the worst when she noticed a phone number on the refrigerator. Sheen's cell phone number!
Cindy turned to the nearby telephone and dialed the number. Hopefully Sheen had it on him. She would know soon enough.
The phone rung that annoying ring at least ten times before a voice answered. It wasn't Sheen's voice. No, this voice had a heavier accent and she could hear the sound of a mustache rubbing against the speaker.
"H..Hello?" Cindy muttered.
"May I politely ask who's calling?" the voice asked.
"Um.. I'm Cindy Vortex, I mean Neutron! Cindy Neutron!" Cindy corrected herself. With Jimmy's absence, she'd almost forgotten about being married to him.
"Cindy? I've heard so much! You looking for el Sheeno?" the voice laughed.
"Y..Yes." Cindy worries were greater than ever.
"Well, I'm sorry, but he's feeling a bit under the weather, and I'm afraid he won't be calling back!" the voice laughed.
"Who are you!?" Cindy started crying. She could see the whole picture. Sheen wasn't coming back. Castillo must've done something. It was probably Castillo on the other line! He probably heard Sheen's phone and picked up.
"I'm Frankenstein." Castillo burst out in laughter.
"You killed him didn't you, Castillo!" Cindy screamed.
"Whoa, whoa! I don't know you! Prank caller! Prank caller!" Castillo quickly hung up the phone. His phones were probably tapped all over the place.
Cindy hung up and fell backwards onto a couch. She let loose with tears sprawling down her cheeks. Now Sheen was gone! She was all alone in the situation and was in danger as well! How could she tell Jimmy? Where was Jimmy? Too many questions filled her head as she cried with her head down. She couldn't help noticing how plump she was getting. She didn't remember eating much, but that was beside the point.
She had to find Jimmy. She put on her coat and barged out the door. She looked for a taxi and drove off to the Retroville police station. She couldn't believe she was willingly going to see Detective West.
As Castillo hung up the phone, he turned to a few of his men, rolling Sheen's corpse up in a bed sheet to dispose of.
"What's up, boss?" one man asked.
"Hell has no fury like a woman scorned, that is a fact!" Castillo laughed and his men followed. Even if they didn't find it funny, they'd have to laugh because they had to be on Castillo's side.
"Sal! Let's go!" A Brazilian mistress walked over to Salvador Castillo III in a bathrobe similar to the one Salvador had on a few days prior.
"Alright, where we going amiga? Food, dance, you name it!" Castillo was a ladies man through and through. He had every use for his money.
"How about food and a drink." the lady said.
"Okay baby, just go get dressed. Unfortunately, it isn't socially acceptable to wear a bathrobe to a restaurant, no matter how stunning you look in it." Castillo directed the lady towards a bedroom when the phone rang.
"Castillo, talk to me." Salvador answered.
"You know who I am, Sal." the man replied. Castillo hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"Maxx Lazanno?" Castillo asked cautiously.
"Bingo. Now, I'm a busy man, but we've gotta talk soon. It's regarding our common friend." Lazanno began.
"Okay, umm… how about tonight. I'll fly in and meet you at some fancy-ass place in the plaza." Castillo said.
"Okay, I'll see you at the closest Italian restaurant to the central plaza in New York city." Lazanno replied.
"No name for the place?" Castillo asked.
"It's got a name, I just own so many Italian restaurants that I have a hard time remembering just one. Be there at seven, and don't bring a tail." Lazanno hung up the phone.
Castillo wiped a bit of sweat off of his forehead. As a major drug kingpin and gang leader, it's hard for him to be intimidated. Lazanno intimidates him. Just the thought of having dinner with the most dangerous man in the states made his blood run cold.
"Okay, I'm ready to go!" the Brazilian woman walked out of the room in a beautiful scarlet red dress.
"Sorry baby, but plans have changed." Castillo pushed her aside and angrily walked to his limo. He had to get to his private jet and to New York City by seven 'o clock.
There was no way he was going to be late for a meeting with Don Maxx Lazanno.
How did you like it? Chapter two is coming soon, so REVIEW. Reviews make me like you, and then I write more. : ). Bye.