Author's note: Alright guys, I'll tell you right now, this may very well be the penultimate chapter. It has been a blast writing this story. Trying to match the character's personalities Trying to keep things interesting enough so the story doesn't get stale. Trying to come up with interesting dialogue. And of course, trying to come up with bro puns for Broski.
I definitely feel like I managed to get the tension across in this one. I would have liked to work Apollo and Athena into this chapter more, but the story's not about them. Right now, it's about one guy trying to save his wife. Apollo and Athena will definitly be back more next chapter, but for now, I need to make sure we don't forget about Gumshoe.
Also, I'm so glad you guys are enjoying Broski's brocabulary. It almost saddening how much time I've wasted just trying to come up with dialogue for him.
Now that that's all out of the way, let's get chapter 14 underway!
June 15
12:12 PM
District Court, Courtroom #5
Bang bang bang "Order, order!" Cried the Judge as the people in the gallery chattered loudly. "Mr. Broski! Are you saying that you DID lie to this court?"
"Yeah," Broski said, shouldering his trusty cardboard sword. "Sorry bout that, Your Bruh-nor. Thought things'd get a bit complicated if I told the truth."
"So you're saying that the pizza you made WAS an extra-large with extra pepperoni?" Phoenix asked.
"Ding ding! Glad ya been payin' attention, Tony Bromoe. Yeah, I made the right pizza. Just like I always do."
Phoenix began to sweat. I didn't even get that reference. He then straightened himself up. "If that's the case, then why did we find a cheese pizza in the victim's apartment?"
"Heh, ain't that obvious? Maggey musta delivered the wrong pie! She's such a klutz, it happens all the time."
Hold it, pal!
All eyes turned to Gumshoe, who had his hands on the bench. "You can't just stand there and badmouth my wife!"
"Detective, calm down! " Phoenix said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I get that you're angry, but outbursts like that won't get us anywhere."
Gumshoe growled. "Sorry, pal… Ya gotta take this guy down!"
Phoenix nodded. "I will"
"Heh. Badmouth? As if, Sherlock Brolmes! You're her husband! You gotta know better than anybody what a klutz she is!" Broski said, removing his helmet and spinning it on his finger.
"Mr. Broski, I must side with the defense. Your purpose here is not to attack the defendant. It is to give us testimony."
"Heh, sorry, you Bruh-nor. But I'd like to ask the bros at the defense's bench a question."
Maya looked at Phoenix. "Please tell me he didn't just call me a bro."
Phoenix ignored her for the time being. "What is it, Mr. Broski?"
"Whether I messed up the order or not, does it really matter?"
"? I'm… not sure I understand."
"Pfft, it ain't hard, Bromeo. What I'm sayin' is… What difference does it make? Now, in my humble bropinion, pizza is indeed one of life's greatest joys. But what does what kind of pizza Timms ordered have to do with her gettin' snuffed?"
"I must agree, Mr. Wright." The Judge said. "The victim's order seems to bear little relevance to this case. Unless you can present evidence to the contrary, I'm afraid I must end this topic of discussion."
"Heh, he's got nothin' Your Bruh-nor. He's just stallin' for time, hopin' he can think of somethin'"
This is it. This is the chance I've been waiting for. Phoenix slammed his hands on the bench. "The defense would like to present its evidence, Your Br- er, Your Honor." Oh God, it's spreading!
Maya looked at him. "Nick, if you start talking like that, I swear I'm leaving you."
"Very well, Mr. Wright. Please present your evidence. Why is the pizza the victim ordered relevant to this case?"
Take that!
Phoenix presented the notes on Icarus's condition.
The Judge looked over the file. "Oh, what a cute dog! I happen to have a golden retriever myself. He plays quite well with my grandchildren."
Phoenix sweated. "N-no, you're honor. It's not the dog that's important. Allow me to explain." He tapped at the file in his hand. "My employee, Mr. Justice, had to rush his beloved dog, Icarus to the vet the other day. This file talks about what happened to that dog. Here, it says that 'Icarus was paralyzed after ingesting a dangerous pepper.'"
The Judge went into thought. "Hmm, that is very interesting. I've never heard of a pepper that can cause paralysis. But what does this have to do with the case?"
"It's got nothin' to do with the case, Your Bruh-nor!" Broski cried, although, he seemed to be cowering behind his shield.
"I was actually just about to get to that." Phoenix said, smirking. "You see, Your Honor, the remains of that pepper were found in Icarus's stomach… Mixed with a slice of pepperoni."
"P-pepperoni, you say? Hmmm, if I recall correctly, the day before this dog was taken to the vet, didn't Mr. Justice place an order at Peppa Cinni's?"
Phoenix nodded. "Yes, Your Honor. According to Mr. Justice, he fed a slice of pepperoni to his dog." He then slammed his hands on the bench. "And that pepperoni had been poisoned with a pepper that nearly killed this poor dog!"
"LET IT BROOOOO! LET IT BROOOOO!" Broski cried as his shield crumbled and wind sent his equipment flying. He quickly reconstructed a new set.
The Judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Broski! Why are you singing the hit song 'Let it Bro' from the beloved Bisney classic Brozen?"
"Uh, s-sorry, your Bruh-nor. S-sometimes I just like to break into song." Broski explained.
The Judge shook his head. "Mr. Broski, this poisoned pepperoni definitely makes you seem suspicious. I believe we're going to need testimony about this."
And now we've got him right where we want him.
Silence!
All eyes in the courtroom darted around before finally landing on Blackquill.
Ack! I forgot he was even here! What's he gonna do now?
"M-Mr. Blackquill? Do you have an objection to something?" The Judge asked.
Blackquill closed his eyes. "Indeed I do, Your Baldness. Testimony regarding the poisoning of Justice-dono's dog will not be necessary."
"W-why do you say that?" The Judge stammered out.
"It's very simple, your Baldness." Blackquill slammed his arm on the bench. "It has absolutely nothing to do with this murder!"
The gallery chattered loudly as the Judge tried to restore order to his courtroom. "Order! Order!" Prosecutor Blackquill! How can you be so certain it has no bearing?"
The Twisted Samurai tapped his head. "It's quite simple, Your Baldness. Take a look at the autopsy report. Tell me, does it say anything about a pepper or any paralysis?"
"Hmmm, now that you mention it, there is nothing of the sort. I believe you may be right."
"Of course the Brosecutor's right, your Bruh-nor! I got no idea how that guy's dog got poisoned with one of my pies, but it's got nothin' to do with Timms!"
Objection!
All eyes turned to Phoenix. "Your Honor, I have reason to believe differently on this matter."
Maya looked at him admirably. "Go get him, Nick!"
"You do? And I'm certain you have evidence to support this." The Judge said.
Phoenix nodded. "Of course I do, Your Honor."
"Hmph, this is a farce, Your Baldness." Blackquill grunted. "The defense is merely pulling one of its all too famous bluffs."
Phoenix smirked at the Prosecutor. "Believe me, Prosecutor Blackquill, this is no bluff."
"Very well, Wright-dono. Then show me your blade! Present evidence that shows a link between Justice-dono's dog and the victim!"
Finally, it's time to bring the truth of this case to light!
"You can do it, Nick!" Maya cried.
"Take this pizza boy down, pal!" Gumshoe added.
Phoenix smirked and thrust his arm forward.
Take that!
June 15
12:20 PM
Hickfield Clinic
"Wait, they're talking about me, right?" Apollo asked. "I have a dog?"
"Yep!" Athena replied. "He's a really loveable little guy too. His name's Icarus."
"Icarus?" Apollo put his finger to his forehead. "That just sounds lazy."
"Lazy? How do you figure?" Athena asked quizzically.
"Well, I mean… My name's Apollo. Like, the Greek God of the sun. And my dog's name is Icarus. Like, the guy that flew too close to the sun. It just sounds like a really lazy joke."
"Huh, I never thought about that." Athena said, thinking this over. "Guess it's kinda weird dating me, when ya think about. I mean, Apollo and Athena. We've both got Gods' names."
"Weren't those two siblings?" Apollo asked.
"Ew, don't say that." Athena said shivering. "Don't make this weird, Apollo."
Apollo chuckled and smiled at the girl. "Sorry, I was just poking fun at you."
Athena smiled and kissed the man's cheek. "It's fine."
Apollo blushed and touched his cheek where he'd been kissed. Athena giggled at him.
"Guess you're still not used to that, huh?" She asked.
Apollo shook his head. "Uh-uh." Was all he could choke out. He was at a loss for words, not because of his embarrassment. But rather, because of his guilt.
If what I keep hearing really happened, I don't deserve to be with her. What kind of guy accuses his own girlfriend of murder!?
June 15
12:26 PM
District Court, Courtroom #5
Phoenix presented the Borginian bell pepper. "Your Honor, please take a look at this."
"Hm, is this… A pepper?" the Judge asked.
Phoenix nodded. "Not just any pepper your honor. What you're looking at is a Borginian bell pepper."
"Borginian you say?" The Judge asked. "Hmmm, they are quite famous for their many rare exports. But what does this have to do with the case?"
"It's very simple, when you look at the notes about this pepper, Your Honor." Phoenix said.
"Get to your point, Wright-dono." Blackquill said, becoming agitated.
Phoenix tapped at the paper in his hand. "You'll see here several interesting things about this pepper. However, I would like to draw the court's attention to the last thing it says on this file."
"Hmmm, 'Ingesting a large amount of the pepper all at once has also been known to cause severe inflammation of the stomach.'"
"Exactly. Now, if you would recall the autopsy report, I believe it said something of particular interest. Something along the lines of…"
"'The victim's stomach was found to be inflamed.' Is that what you're driving at, Wright-dono?"
Phoenix nodded. "Yes."
"Who's driving at what now? And who's car are we in!?" The Judge asked.
"Think about it, Your Honor. The victim's stomach was inflamed. And this pepper can cause severe inflammation." Phoenix slammed his hands on the bench. "I believe it highly likely that the victim's inflamed stomach was caused by ingesting this pepper!"
"Oh! So THAT'S what you were driving at!"
Phoenix nodded. "Yes, Your honor. I believe it likely that Mr. Broski poisoned the pepperoni of the victim's pizza, thus opening up an opportunity to kill her!"
"Hmmm, interesting, Mr. Wright. You have shown a clear chance that this witness could have committed the crime."
Brojection!
The court's attention returned to Broski at the stand. "Your Bruh-nor, I have something to say." He said, shouldering his sword.
"Hm? What is it, Mr. Broski?" The Judge asked.
"The defense seems pretty intent on pinning this on me. And what have they got? A dog and a foreign pepper. Sounds like a pretty weak argument to me."
"Mr. Broski, do you perhaps have a counterargument to the defense's claims?" The Juge asked.
"Course I do, bro!"
The Juge nodded. "Very well, then please tell us why you can't be the murderer."
"Right on, Your Bruh-nor!" Broski cried, smacking his sword and shield together.
Witness Testimony
I'll give ya that I had the chance to poison that pepperoni,
But then again, so did Maggey.
That night, when I was making the pizza for the Justice order, Peppa sent Maggey to help me.
Maybe when I wasn't looking, Maggey slipped that one bad slice onto the pie.
She wasn't there for long, cause she's no good at working the kitchen, so I kicked her out.
"Hm, so you claim that the defendant had the chance to poison the pizza as well?"
"Sure looks that way, your Bruh-nor. I'm not a killer. And why would I wanna poison one of my pies?"
"Very well. Mr. Wright, your cross-examination, please."
"Yes, your Honor." I didn't see anything wrong with that testimony. But I've gotta find something! If I don't… Phoenix thought, looking at Gumshoe, who had a worried look on his face. He then turned back to Broski. I won't let Maggey down!
Cross-Examination
I'll give ya that I had the chance to poison that pepperoni,
Hold it!
"So you admit that you're just as much a suspect as Maggey." Phoenix said.
"Way to put words in my mouth, Simon Bromont." Broski said, "sharpening" his sword with his pizza cutter. "That's not what I was saying, at all."
Phoenix felt the sweat dripping from his brow. I can't help but feel that nickname is better suited for a certain blue haired prosecutor. "But if you were both- OW! PAPERCUT!" Phoenix exclaimed as Broski slashed at him with his sword.
"What is a testimony?" Broski stated shouldering his blade. "A miserable little pile of words! But enough talk, have at you!" He then took another slash at Phoenix.
"Ow! Ok, ok! Just move on already!"
"Heh, with pleasure."
But then again, so did Maggey.
Hold it!
"Why do you say tha- AH!" Phoenix cried out in pain as Blackquill and Broski slashed at him simultaneously.
"Wright-dono, if you would still your tongue for just a moment, I believe he will tell us everything you wish to know." Blackquill said, standing in his battle stance.
"Yeah, bro. You gotta practice patience."
Phoenix slumped as more sweat dripped from his brow. Just my luck, the Twisted Samurai and Sir Bro's-alot teaming up… I need to end this trial before I start contemplating buying a case of brewskis and the latest shooting video game.
That night, when I was making the pizza for the Justice order, Peppa sent Maggey to help me.
Hold it!
"Why would Miss Cinni do that? Isn't Maggey's job delivery girl?" Phoenix asked, his finger to his chin.
"Yeah, pal! It doesn't make sense." Gumshoe cried.
"Heck, I don't know how Peppa's mind works, but on slow nights, she'll shuffle us around a bit. I'm always in the kitchen though."
Hmmmm, not sure that's too important. "Please continue, Mr. Broski."
Maybe when I wasn't looking, Maggey slipped that one bad slice onto the pie.
Hold it!
"That's nothing but pure conjecture!" Phoenix cried.
"Conjecture? You mean like how you seem convinced Timms' got offed with a pepper. Talk about hyp-bro-crisy."
"Oh come on!" Maya suddenly cried. Phoenix turned to look at her. "That one was so forced, I think the Jedi are gonna try to recruit you!"
Bang bang "Mr. Wright, control your co-council!" The Juge demanded.
"Maya, sweetie, please calm own. We don't want you to be held in contempt, right?"
"Ugh! Please, just end this torture soon, Nick!" Maya responded.
On the witness stand, Broski butted into the conversation. "Don't worry Brosephine, I'll make sure this trial ends soon!"
Maya muffled a scream and began to beat her head against the wall behind the bench.
Congratulations, Broski, I think you managed to break my girlfriend.
She wasn't there for long, cause she's no good at working the kitchen, so I kicked her out.
Hold it!
"Why kick her out? Couldn't you have asked her to do the dishes or something?"
"Aw, bro, that was low. You tellin' me you think it's a woman's job to do the dishes?" Broski asked with a smirk on his face.
"W-what? No! I wasn't-" Phoenix tried to protest.
"That was real low, pal! Especially sayin' that about my wife!
"If you think I'll be doing your dishes, you've got another thing coming, Nick!"
Bang "Indeed, I will not stand for your misogyny in my courtroom, Mr. Wright! I want you to apologize to the women in this courtroom!"
"Y-yes, your Honor. I'm… I'm sorry, ladies." But I didn't do anything wrong!
Bang "That's enough. It is very clear to me that the defendant did indeed have the chance to poison Mr. Justice's pizza."
No! Even if Maggey did put that piece of pepperoni on there, it couldn't have been on purpose. But how do I prove that? I… I don't think I can.
"This case is very clear to me." The Judge said.
Oh no! Is he… He can't!
"The defendant is the only person who could have killed the victim. I will now hand down my verdict."
Hold it!
"Your Honor, please! I still have questions for Mr. Broski!" Phoenix bluffed, slamming his hands on the bench.
Silence!
Blackquill stood in his battle stance. "Wright-dono, you're grasping at straws." He then spit the feather out of his mouth and sliced in half in front of Phoenix. "Know when to be silent!"
"Pal, ya can't let this happen! Maggey's innocent!" Gumshoe cried desperately.
Phoenix recomposed himself. "I… I'm sorry Gumshoe. I thought I had enough. I-I failed."
Gumshoe growled. "Then I'll do it myself!"
The Judge shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Gumshoe. But further examination of this witness will not be necessary. I am ready to hand down my verdict."
"B-but Maggey's innocent, pal! We know she is!" He then slammed his hands on the bench. "And we know that it had to be this punk on the stand that really did it!"
Bang bang "Enough! Any further outbursts from the defense will result in the entire defense team being held in contempt!"
"N-no… I'm sorry, Mags." Gumshoe said as he collapsed on the bench in defeat.
This can't be happening. Phoenix thought as he slumped over the bench and held his head.
"I now find the defendant, Maggey Gumshoe…"
Brold it!
Everyone shifted there gaze to Broski. Phoenix and Gumshoe straightened themselves up. Broski stared intently at Gumshoe. "Hold off on that, Your Bruh-nor."
The Judge looked shocked. "But Mr. Broski, I no longer see a reason to contin-yow!" The Judge cried as Broski slashed him with his sword.
"I said… Hold off." Broski then returned his gaze to Gumshoe. "Did I hear right, Sherlock Brolmes? Cause it sounded like you said you KNOW I did it."
"Uh, y-yeah! It had to be you!" Gumshoe cried, putting on a determined face.
"Well, if that's the case, then prove it." Broski said. He then looked at the Judge, smirking as he shouldered his blade. "Your Bruh-nor, I wanna give the defense one last chance."
"Are… Are you certain, Mr. Broski? My mind is all but made up."
"I'm certain… But, I have one request."
"And what would that be, Mr. Broski?" The Judge asked.
"Heh. Like I said, I wanna give them one last chance… But I want Sherlock Brolmes to be the one to take the chance!" He cried, pointing his sword at Gumshoe.
The Judge jumped. "You want… Mr. Gumshoe to cross-examine you?"
Broski shook his head. "Not cross-examine. I want him to show me evidence. I want him to show me something that links me to the crime. Or even remotely leaves a chance that his wife's innocent. Whaddya say, Sherlock Brolmes? You ready to bro-down?"
"Hmmm, I shall grant your request. Mr. Gumshoe, I give you one chance, and one chance only."
Boy, these guys are sure laying down the pressure… But I can't back down! I gotta save Maggey! Gumshoe slammed his hands down with all his might. "You're on, pal!"
"Heh, you look determined, Sherlock Brolmes. C'mon then!" He then thrust his sword towards the sky. "This will be the ultimate bro-down that was foretold of in the brophecy!"
"Mr. Gumshoe, this is it." The Judge warned. "Present your evidence that shows the crime could not have been committed by your wife."
Gumshoe racked his brain, thinking over every piece of evidence and every bit of testimony that had been heard. His head began to ache from over-usage of his normally dormant brain, bvut he ignored it. Only one thing mattered; Saving Maggey.
Finally, the answer came to him. He put on a determined face and thrust his arm forward.
Take that, pal!
To be continued…
Court Record
Evidence
Attorney's Badge: Proof of my profession. No one would believe I was a Defense Attorney without it!
Feather Clip: A clip that Maggey is always wearing in one way or another. Found at the crime scene covered in blood.
Notes on Timms: Timms always answered the door wearing a nightgown. Also never paid Maggey for her pizzas.
Peppa Cinni's Work Uniform: Gloves are required as a part of the pizzeria's uniform.
Autopsy Report: Time of Death: Between 10:30 and 10:45 PM. Victim bled out from head wound. Stomach was found to be inflamed.
Cheese Pizza: A plain cheese pizza from Peppa Cinni's. It went untouched by the Victim.
Muddy Footprints: Right footprints found in the Hallway at Fenway Apartments. Lead to the victim's door before turning around.
Peppa Cinni's Schedule: Monday-10:30 AM-10:30 PM Tuesday- Closed Wednesday- 10:00 AM-10:30 PM Thursday- 10:30 AM-11:00 PM Friday- 10:00 AM-11:00 PM Closed for the weekend!
Peppa Cinni's Menu: A menu from the pizzeria. Advertises a thirty minutes or less deal on delivery orders.
Threatening Letter: The envelope bears Maggey's fingerprints. Reads as such:
The final delivery will be made tonight. I will finally be rid of you. I expect the usual order.
~M
Broski claims the letter was sent to him by the victim.
Icarus's Condition: Icarus was paralyzed when he ate a pepperoni that had traces of a dangerous pepper in it.
Discarded Pizza Box: A Pizza box found in the victim's apartment. Has a small square on the bottom where tape appears to have been ripped off and bears Maggey's fingerprints.
Kudo's Watch: Kudo's watch was running twenty minutes slow on the night of the murder.
Gloves: Gloves found in the trash in the kitchen of Peppa Cinni's.
Borginian Bell Pepper: A pepper native to the country of Borginia. The seeds inside are highly dangerous and can cause paralysis when ingested. It's export is forbidden and smuggling it is punishable by death. Also can cause severe inflammation of the stomach when a large qauntity is consumed at once.
Profiles
Maya Fey: My former assistant and current girlfriend. Also the Master of the Kurain Channeling technique and a powerful Spirit Medium.
Athena Cykes: One of my employees. Has incredibly powerful hearing that allows her to hear the emotions in a person's voice.
Apollo Justice: One of my employees. Has incredible eyesight that, when coupled with his special bracelet, allows him to notice a person's tell when they're lying.
Vicky Timms: The victim in this case. Murdered after ordering a pizza. She was apparently a picky health inspector who gave poor grades to local restaurants.
Maggey Gumshoe: The defendant in this case. Accused of murdering Vicky Timms after delivering a pizza to her. Hailed as the "Goddes of Misfortune."
Dick Gumshoe: Maggey's husband and a detective at the precinct. A bit absent-minded, but reliable when push comes to shove.
Simon Blackquill: The Twisted Samurai and the prosecutor for this case. He is never without his faithful feathered companion, Taka, or his trusty katana in court.
Ema Skye: A homicide detective who uses science to conduct her investigations. I once helped her when her sister was accused of murder.
Victor Kudo: A perverted old man that I've had the displeasure of cross-examining in court before. Very irritable and prone to throwing bird seeds at those who annoy him.
Peppa Cinni: Owner of the restaurant of the same name. Kind, but also quick to anger.
Mike Broski: Peppa Cinni's one and only pizza chef. Considered the best in the city. His favorite word seems to be 'bro.'