26 The Charles's vs Orion

Split the final chapter up, as I wasn't quite ready to 'pull the trigger' on the whole story. For sure, without any doubt, this is the second last chapter.

If you aren't a Star Wars fan, you might not appreciate or pick up on Orion showing some mind influencing ability. Who knows, maybe Orion was the first Jedi Master?

XXXXXXXXXX Whodunit – Big Mike's Testimony

There was no time for Orion's letter to sink in as Chuck had an investigation to conduct. Chuck looked at Sarah and Ellie, "You guys take a seat, and I'll begin."

Ellie asked Chuck, "How did you get Big Mike to agree to testify?"

"I told him I know who did it, and if he wanted to convince me otherwise, he'd better participate. So he agreed." Chuck answered.

"Do you know? Whodunit that is?" Sarah asked.

"Sort of. It's the only way the evidence makes sense. But, we'll all know more shortly. Now get to your seats, the party is about to start." Chuck said as he took a deep breath. Chuck waited for a moment to let his two favorite ladies get comfortable, then he strolled over directly in front of Big Mike to begin the interrogation.

"Big Mike? Are you still claiming you killed all three men?"

Big Mike nervously responded, "I did kill all three men. This whodunit party is wrong. I'm guilty. I confessed. Take me back to jail. Let the rest of these folks go home."

"Humor me. How did you get Devon's gun?"

Big Mike rolled his eyes, "I took it before work. When Devon and I arm wrestled. Ask Devon, he'll tell you that we arm wrestled?"

Devon nodded then said, "We did."

Chuck turned toward Ellie, then back to Big Mike, "Tell me something Mike. Why did you want to frame Ellie? You adore her, and she treats you like a father."

Big Mike shifted back and forth. This was an issue he hadn't considered, "I didn't think. I had the gun and shot. I assumed I'd be guilty, and arrested."

Chuck was playing Mike like a skilled angler might a big catfish, "OK. Say I believe you. But then why not come forward to protect her and confess once she was the suspect?"

Mike had this answer ready, "I knew you'd get her off."

Chuck smirked, as Mike was playing right into his line of reasoning, "Why?"

"Because you always get the innocent off." Mike thought he was being clever, he even looked around the room and nodded to the crowd, like he scored a point in a forensics contest.

"Yeeesss. Yes indeed I do get the innocent off. Even when the innocent confess to protect someone. Like you Big Mike." Chuck stuck his own verbal dagger into Big Mike's testimony, the first of many.

The confident look on Big Mike's face was wiped clean, and again Big Mike looked in agony, "Please stop Chuckie. I'm guilty."

"You were seen in a restaurant just prior to the Noble murder. How did you get to Central Park from there?"

"I took a cab."

"Which one?"

"Can't recall."

"Describe the driver."

"An Italian fellow."

"That's ninety nine percent of the cab drivers in NYC. Was he tall? Medium. Heavy?"

"A little bit tall, a little bit heavy."

"You said he was short and skinny when I questioned you the first time."

"I'm sorry. You got me so confused."

"Mike, cab drivers keep records. There is no record of a cab making a stop with in four block radius of the diner at the time in question, or transporting anyone to Central Park."

"Driver must have forgot to log in."

"Mike, how often did you shoot Noble?"

"I can't recall, once, maybe twice. Maybe more?"

"We all know you were in the army, what was your specialty?"

"I was a sniper."

"I suspect snipers have to be pretty good shots?"

"Yes, I was pretty good."

"Then explain how it took you six shots to fire one killing shot on Noble?"

"Please. I can't explain it. All you have to know is I killed Noble. I killed Colt. And I killed Graham. I don't understand why you're doing this?"

"When you killed Colt, why use a kitchen knife from your restaurant?"

"It was handy."

"Why didn't you wear gloves or wipe the knife down?"

"I guess I forgot."

"Why not use a switch blade, or a military knife, a kitchen knife is sort of a lousy murder weapon, for amateurs."

"It got the job done."

"Indeed. It did get the job done. It framed you for a crime you didn't commit."

"Please Chuckie. Stop this. I did it. Can you please stop this?"

Chuck paused and looked around the room. Chuck stopped his circular gaze, and fixed his eyes on Jane Graham, who appeared ready to talk. Chuck walked over directly in front of Jane and continued to stare at her in silence.

XXXXXXXXXX Jane Bentley Graham comes out of the closet

"OK. For heaven's sake Mr Charles. Enough of this charade. I confess. I did it." Jane Bentley fidgeted as Charles Charles stare was making her uncomfortable.

"You did it? Interesting. Now we have two killers. Usually I don't have any. Tell me how you managed to kill three of the toughest men in the city."

"I was furious that Graham was sleeping with Ellie. I took Devon's gun at the Mayor's office. I shot Graham. Noble must have seen me take the gun, so he blackmailed me. I overheard he had a meet planned in the park with Colt, and waited for him there. I shot him. It took me six shots to get it right."

Chuck thought for a second, then nodded. "That's a far more credible story than Mike's tale. Maybe? Tell me, why shoot Noble in the park if you knew Colt was there for a meet?"

"I didn't think of that. I'm not a professional killer. I was scared."

"Fair enough. OK then, tell me about Colt and how Big Mike got involved."

"I asked for Michael's help with Mr Colt. I met Mikey outside the Governor's Ball and sent him to pay Colt, and then followed him to the railway yard. Once Mikey beat Colt unconscious, he left, and I slipped in and slit Colt's throat with a knife I'd stolen from Big Mike's, to frame him. I had a gun along too, just in case. You'll find the gun hidden in my bedroom. The money too. I wore gloves the whole time to hide my fingerprints. I knew you were on the case, so I was careful. Please. Let Mikey go. He's trying to protect me. He didn't do anything wrong."

"First you frame him. Now you want me to free him. That doesn't make any sense Mrs Graham, Were you having an affair with Big Mike?"

"Of course not. We haven't been together since before Graham and I married."

"Yet, you act like you still love Big Mike?"

"I do."

"Why did you marry Graham then?"

"He had a contract out on Mikey's head. If I didn't agree to marry him, Graham was going to kill Mikey. So I agreed to marry Graham, and never was with Mikey again."

Big Mike sat in silence, fighting back his tears. He never knew.

"What did you do with your gloves?"

"I burned them."

"When did you take the knife used to kill Colt?"

"During the fight at your party from Mikey's kitchen."

"That's a lie. I was in the kitchen during the fight. I was holding the knife to protect myself." Fernando piped up. Mrs Graham didn't come into the kitchen the whole while.

Fingers stood up and said, "Yeah. And I was groping the widow Graham the entire time during the fight. She was so scared she didn't even realize it at first. When she did, she gave me the old what for, a right then a left. And I have two pint sized blackeyes to prove it. Lady, someone taught you how to punch."

Chuck walked over to his wife. "I enlisted the help of my new assistant to reenact the lights out scene at the Governor's Ball. Tell us what we found Mrs Charles."

"I took Jane's path that night. We started a stop watch, I left the ballroom, found my way to the outside stairs leading down to the Railway Yard, stood for a few seconds, walked to the spot where Colt was killed, and then I returned all the way back to the ladies bathroom in the ballroom. The trip took me fifteen minutes with no stops to see Big Mike or waiting to watch a fight or throat slashing. Yet, Casey's men found Jane in the bathroom ten minutes after the lights went out. Jane cannot be the killer."

Chuck smiled at his wife then he continued, "Well played Mrs Charles. Jane you still haven't explained why you framed Big Mike. Do you want me to continue asking questions and poking holes in your confession, or have you had enough?"

Jane sat silently, and was on the verge of tears as she begged Chuck, "Mr Charles. Can't you accept my confession. Please stop this."

XXXXXXXXXX Ellie, Fingers and Slasher

Chuck was in full control now. "Do you want me to tell you my theory?" Chuck asked looking directly at Jane, then his eyes moved quickly to Big Mike.

Big Mike shifted nervously in his chair as he was dumbfounded by Jane's interrogation, he thought Jane was guilty. Now he had no idea.

Chuck turned to the crowd, paused, then walked over to confront Ellie.

Chuck's stopping in front of Ellie caused several members of the audience to gasp out loud.

"Did she do it Mrs Charles?" Fingers asked. Sarah made Fingers sit next to her so he wouldn't force his wandering hands on anyone. Fingers, Sarah and the Babe's baseball bat came to an understanding about Fingers wayward hands toward Babe's card playing buddy 'Sharpie.' Since then, Fingers was always on his best behavior around Sarah Charles.

"Shhh." Sarah replied to Fingers. "Of course not. Mr Charles is setting the stage, for the final reveal." As confident as Sarah was in Chuck Charles's detective skills, neither he nor she could have foreseen where this investigation would lead.

"Ellie. A key question hasn't been asked since that first night. Who told you to go back to see Graham?"

"I told you then Chuck. Slasher told me to go in back."

"Did you ask him, or did he volunteer the information to you?"

"I never thought of that. He came to me. Did Slasher commit the murders Chuckie?"

"Hey. Wait a minute, I didn't fill no one with lead. Cutting throats is my MO." Slasher stood up and reached in his pocket for his knife, only to be set back down by Casey.

"Looking for this Loser?" Casey asked as he displayed Slasher's knife, which Casey had slyly taken from his as Slasher walked in.

Chuck smiled, "Relax Slash. I didn't say you did. But you do hold the key to this mystery. Who told you to tell Ellie to go in back?"

Jane glanced lovingly, but hopelessly toward Mike, as if her secret, would finally be revealed. Jane knew Slasher knew the truth. Mike on the other hand, had no idea what was going on.

XXXXXXXXXX He's Ba-ack

Suddenly, before Slasher could answer, Chuck and the entire audience saw a cloud of smoke, then heard a boom that sent the room into shock. Orion walked out of the smoke into the room seemingly from nowhere. He wore an old Yankees baseball cap the Babe had given him low over his eyes, such that he was barely recognizable, "You got me Charles, you found a key part of the evidence. Tell him Slasher, I told you to send Elanor back."

Chuck was happy to see Orion, "Orion? Where have you been?"

Orion ignored Chuck instead he said, "Answer the question Slasher."

Orion gave Slasher a cold, icy stare, a scary stare, almost like a magic mind trick, performed by some master from a planet far far away. Slasher learned to survive in the city by saying as little as possible, if Orion wanted him to indict Orion, Slasher would do just that, he mumbled out an answer, "You told me to tell Ellie. Orion did."

A hush fell over the entire room. Nobody anticipated this.

Then Orion continued, "Charles, of course Big Mike confessed to protect Jane, and Jane confessed to protect Mike. They love each other. Look at the two of them. But neither is a murderer. I am. I'm quite good at it. I've killed hundreds in the past, before and during the war. I do things that need to be done that decent people won't do. I killed that pig Graham, and I'm proud of it."

Orion's reveal sent a shockwave throughout the room.

Orion continued, "Charles, here are the gloves I used to keep my finger prints off the guns and the kitchen knife I borrowed from Big Mike." Orion turned to Casey, "Commissioner. You'll find traces of gun power and Colt's blood on them. I framed Ellie because I knew you'd get her off. There was no evidence to hold her. Noble was on his way to visit Graham in back, and saw me shoot Graham. So I shot him when he tried to blackmail me. I thought using six shots would throw the blame onto an amateur, and I'm hardly an amateur."

Chuck finally came to his senses and took to the attack, whatever Orion had in mind, his job was to convict the guilty and Chuck knew Orion was not guilty, "It's a nice story Orion, but how about Colt? And how are Jane and Big Mike involved?"

Orion nodded, "Jane, that wasn't Colt on the phone, but it was me impersonating him. Jane thought Big Mike had done it, so she was willing to pay Colt to keep him silent? Weren't you Jane?"

Jane was so confused by now she didn't know what to say, as Orion was telling bold faced lies. Yet, she was one hundred percent sure that this man talking was the old Orion she remembered as a girl, and that the old Orion always took care of everyone. Plus Orion told her to trust him. So Jane nodded her head yes.

"Big Mike's phone call, same thing, it wasn't Jane, it was me using a a handkerchief over the phone. Colt was trying to blackmail me, so I set the meet up with Colt in the Railway Yard. My plan was to frame Big Mike by luring him to the railway yard using Jane to get him down there."

Chuck was visibly angry, he raised his voice in frustration, "Orion. That's too far fetched even for you, first you framed Ellie, who you've treated like you own daughter, then Big Mike, who's been your best friend all these years."

"Exactly. I had everything set up to frame Slasher at the end, you'll find his finger prints on the knife at the crime scene. I couldn't hand it to you, so I made you work for it. Big Mike was a McGuffin, same as Ellie. I didn't want it to be too easy for you Charles. But Charles, you haven't asked the most incriminating question. Jane brought a bag of money to pay Graham off. Jane may have a gun in her room, but that isn't part of this crime. She doesn't have the money, I do."

Chuck was confused now and asked weakly, "You have the money?"

"Of course I do. Here it is. I must be guilty, because all the evidence points at me. Is this the bag you used Jane?" Orion asked as he displayed a bag of money he'd hidden in his coat.

"It appears so Orion." Jane replied. Jane thought to herself, that's what took him so long when he went to the bathroom, he stole the money.

"Stop this right now Chuck. This is preposterous Stephen. You aren't the killer." Ellie exclaimed.

Chuck walked over to Ellie and Sarah and surprisingly said, "I trust him. Look at his face, he knows exactly what he's doing."

Chuck, Sarah and Ellie looked at Stephen, who flashed his warm, gentle smile at them, then he gave them all a slight nod and as his smile grew he winked.

Casey had enough, as he was generally in utter misery during all of Chuck's whodunit parties. "Charles? Is this right? Is Orion the killer?"

Chuck soberly nodded his head yes, then he begrudgingly said, "Yes. Yes he is. Arrest Stephen Orion for the murders of Graham, Noble, and Colt. This case is closed."

"Come on. Its prison time for you old man. Cop killers don't do well in jail." Casey grabbed Orion's hands and handcuffed him.

Orion walked right by Jane, "Now do your part in all this. Get help! Do you understand?"

Jane nodded, "I do. I understand Stephen. I will."

Ellie ran up to Orion. She gave Orion a hug.

Orion kissed her cheek. "Goodbye Elanor."

Casey pulled Orion away.

Ellie turned to Chuck, "Chuck. Stop this. He didn't murder anyone. This is a setup."

Chuck put his arm around Ellie. Sarah put her arm around the other side of Ellie. "Chuck softly said, "It'll be OK Ellie. I trust him. He has his reasons for all of this. What they are, I'm not sure. But I trust him." After a moment of consoling Ellie, Chuck said to Sarah and Ellie, "Hurry. I just saw Orion get in the Casey's squad car. Let's go out to say goodbye."

As the three opened the door and reached the sidewalk, they were blinded by a huge flash of light, then knocked back by an explosion. Casey's squad car blew up.

"Nooo." Chuck screamed.

"Stephen." Sarah called out.

"Dad." Ellie screamed and had to be held back by Chuck and Sarah from running into the smaoke and debris.

The three of them stood on the sidewalk dumbfounded by the events of the past hour

Chuck saw Orion's old Yankee's cap smoldering at his feet.

Chuck reached down to the ground and picked up the Yankee's hat, tears freely flowed down his cheeks as he sadly declared, "Orion's dead!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Orion's 'withdrawal' at Jane's house in the past chapter should now be clear – LOL!

Did you understand why Big Mike, Jane, and Orion did what they did or in other words, do you know whodunit? No reviewer has come right out and said it, I don't know if that means everyone knows and aren't saying to be nice, or if most don't. I hope I'm not being too cryptic?

Did you like Orion's ending?