Arthur held his hand to his heart as DA Jack McCoy finished his question in Courtroom B, Juvenile section of Elwood City.
"As soon as I heard Tommy was dead, I was shocked – I was stunned!" exclaimed DW sitting in the dock. She was steadily shaking in her fear, looking straight into the badger's eyes, trying to avoid contact with the accused, Sam "Bunny" Russo, a 12 year old Canadian raccoon, with connections to the mafia. He smirked, slumped at his desk as the girl took as breath.
"Just how much money did you owe Mr Russo?" question the New York Badger.
"20 dollars." answered DW emphatically.
"And what was this money for?" asked McCoy
"To get a Mary moo cow doll for myself, and a new Bionic Bunny for Arthur."
Arthur cringed at the thought of his sister sinking to a low for him. But part of him pondered if she was keeping the money for herself. He heard an emotional splutter from behind. He turned, and eyeballed Timmy Tibbles, in tears, one of the many victims in this racket of greed.
"Let the jury be known that Arthur is the girls elder brother," McCoy addressed the jury of 12 people on the right. "So what were the conditions of this loan?"
"I had to pay it back in 2 weeks." Began the little aardvark. "So I sold my books, but when I got the money, he said there was interest, and I didn't understand."
"You didn't understand what he meant by interest?" asked McCoy.
"Yes!" exclaimed DW. Russo stood up in his seat.
"So how much was the price now?"
"30" replied DW.
"How could you get into this DW?" whispered her mother. She clenched her baby even tighter, leaving Arthur feeling left out. "Did you know anything?" she gritted at Arthur.
"NO!" lied Arthur, shaking his head. He wished his dad was here. But he couldn't! THANKS TO DW!
The story was Russo was a loan shark to the kids. But he had an unusual way of getting his money back. If clients failed to meet their payments, he'd get other slaved to the cash to work off the debt by killing the ones with bad history. And each dead client would have their life insured for the money they owed, with Russo as the beneficiary.
"So you told him you couldn't make anymore money?"
"Yes" nodded DW.
"So what did he say?"
"He said he was calling in the loan."
"What did you take that to mean?"
"Sounded like a death threat to me," she answered.
"Objection!" called Russo's lawyer. "She's leading the prosecution!"
"Sustained." Called the Judge. "So then what did he say?" asked McCoy.
"HE asked me to arrange a meeting with Tommy Tibbles, because he wasn't paying his loan."
"he went through a subterfuge just to have a cup of cola?"
"I thought Bunny might tell him off, but not hurt him."
"Objection!" yelled Russo's lawyer. "Relevancy!"
"Sustained." Called the Judge.
"Then what happened?"
"Mr Ratburn was killed on our doorstep, and I knew he was trying to kill my daddy!" She was shaking violently. "I told dad to be careful, but he got shot by Russo!"
"Objection!" called Russo's lawyer. "She's leading the prosecution again!"
"Sustained." Called the Judge "Miss Reed, now come you're so sure it was Mr Russo committing these crimes?" the Judge asked DW, looking down from her podium.
"Bu…"she was lost for words. "I knew how he ran his business!"
"not good enough." The judge answered back.
But…." She lost the argument. She stood up and listed those who died supposedly by Russo. lg
"Tommy tibles is dead! Catherine Franscy is DEAD! Mr Ratburn is dead! My daddy is dead!"
"that's my point! How do you know it was him, and not someone else?" demanded the judge.
DW felt lost, until McCoy came back.
"Dora?" he questioned. "you have munity from prosecution!" DW looked into the DA's face as her eyes filled with water. "you wernt with your father that night were you?" She gritted a breath through her teeth. "What did you do for Mr Russo that was worth 5, the day after Tommy Tibles was gunned down in the sandbox?"
"Mr McCoy! Unless your-"
"I Killed Tommy!" exclaimed DW. The court was in shock. Arthur felt his heart vanish in his chest. Timmy tibles scraped his feet and stomped out of the pew and out of the courtroom.
"Russo told me to! he told me to do it or else he would kill Arthur and kate!!" She started breaking down. Tears streamed her face. Her voice croacked. . she held a clenched hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry" she said to the court. "im so sorry!" She gasped a shaky breath. "I didn't know what I was getting into! I didn't know who I was dealing with!! BUT I…!" she could di it any more. She buried her face into her palms and started sobbing uncontrollably.
"No further questions you honour." Said McCoy as he sat back down.
In the DA's office, Russo was speaking his confession into a microphone.
"That moron Crosswire!" crocked Russo. Muffy's dad had gambled too much made the mistake of meeting Russo. "He killed the Catherine girl and the teacher. Told me he saw him on the lawn, thought he was the dad. Dumb fuck! Hadn't he seen him at his daughters School!" He paused for affect. "And Jono…Shak. Also known as Sexy drawer. He's in the computer business. He did David Reed, Dw's dad. And that's everybody!"
"Now, if you're willing to tell me your investors," spoke McCoy, "I'll see to it you get incarcerated in a medium security facility."
"Get out of here, WILL YOU!" snapped Russo. "I've got a mother and a little sister to worry about!"
"Just thought I'd ask."
The prison guard grabbed Russo by the scruff of his neck and pull him out the door. Arthur Reed poped his head in 5 seconds later.
"You knew my sister was guilty when you gave her imunity." He murmured. McCoy didn't respond. "Don't worry, I won't…"
"I didn't know, interrupted McCoy. "With absolute certainty." He took a sip of his bottle of scotch. "but ne way or another, I needed your lil sis to take the stand."
"Well, hats off!"
"Sometimes, you have to do deals with the devil."
"As long as you don't get your eye brows singed." Arthur turned to the door. "Anyway, my mother already owes 300 to somebody else. Even if DW heard right and got US that much, it would have made a difference. I'm sure they stop by our house to pick it up sometime!" He closed to door gently behind, and McCoy gave a corky chuckle.
Sam "Bunny" Russo is currently serving life without parole.
The Reed family left Elwood city and are now in hiding. They are believed to be living somewhere in Hertfordshire, England.