Zootopia Spirit Chronicles
Chapter 26: Alex is a Murderer!? Beginning of the Mystery
A/N: Hope you enjoy this mystery inspired by Ace Attorney and the Danganronpa series. Good luck figuring it out! This is my first time writing a mystery type scenario so feedback welcomed!
A/N 2: The character of Boomer is an OC used with permission from my friend maddog197x
An unknown amount of time had passed. Alex's mind was blurry as he opened his eyes. He was in a dark room, a strange smell was in the air. One that was familiar to him but should be here...the smell of blood. "Where...am...I?" he said groggily. He tried to get up but his whole body felt like it shutdown. Suddenly a loud knocking was heard. An angry voice shouting "Open up! Unlock this door now! This is the ZPD!". That voice...was it Jake?
"I'm breaking down the door!" Jake said and quick the door was swung open through his brute force shoulder tackle. The light stung Alex's eyes as he adjusted to the new brightness. A scream of a young woman hurt Alex's ears as the scream was followed by shocked gasps. The scream was also familiar... it was Judy. As his eyes adjusted he saw Jake, Nick and Judy along with some unfamiliar faces behind them. The sound of heavy thunder shook as this scene played out. Alex could do nothing but stare at them and wonder what was happening. Alex looked around...he saw the source of the smell...there was blood on his paws...a trail...was leading up to...a lion...Leon Kingsly. The lion had bloody claw marks on him, the light in his eyes were gone...what was there was one of shock and despair frozen in time. Yes...the lion was dead.
"Alex Lykos...you are under arrest for the murder of Leon Kingly! I can't believe it...a wimp like you had the balls to kill someone..." Jake said as he cuffed Alex's paws. He could see Judy's eyes well up as Nick put a paw on her should comfortingly. Cameras flashed as they took pictures for evidence, Alex couldn't stay awake anymore and passed out.
Soon he woke up in an unfamiliar room...hours later. His arms were handcuffed to a large dresser as he was propped up to sit up straight. A large fat cheetah was sitting in the room with him and he could hear the sounds of heavy rain pouring outside. "Alex...you are awake...thank goodness..." Benjamin said walking up to him.
"Ben...what's going on...what happened?" Alex said as he regained his speech and feeling in his body.
Ben's ears lowered as he had a grim expression. "It's not good...you didn't respond to our calls and we were worried...that's when someone reported the smell of blood coming from one of the rooms. There aren't any ZPD officers here expect for Nick, Judy, Jake, and I...but we had help from the security team of the hotel and found you laying on the ground with blood belonging to the lion...his name was Leon Kingsly and he was the CEO of Savannah Industries. The claw marks on his chest and body... matched yours...I'm sorry to say but...it seems the evidence is mounting that you are guilty of his murder..."
"No...that's impossible...I would never...You have to believe me!" Alex pleaded as he tried to get up, his arms pulled back by the handcuff as he fell back down.
"I believe you Alex but...right now we have no way to prove your innocence...As you can probably here a storm is raging outside a bad one. The ZPD main force can't arrive to fully investigate and we can't take you to the precinct for questioning. I volunteered to look after you in this makeshift holding room." Ben said as he helped Alex back up. "Let me go get you some water..." Ben said as he left the room.
Alex was dumbfounded...everything turned upside down in a moment. There had to be a way out of this mess. Suddenly he heard an ominous sound. The world seemed to shift for a second...this phenomenon happened before...there are times when the Spirit World and the Real World converged and those with the gift can see the supernatural. There he saw the murdered lion...Leon Kingsly. "Why Alex...why did you kill me!? I offered you my paw and you stole my life... Murderer!" It was faint by the wolf could see the gathering of negative energy entering his body...if he didn't do something fast...the lion would turn into a Grudge before his eyes...
"Wait! Are you really sure I murdered you? What if I proved I wasn't the murderer?" Alex pleaded trying to distract the spirit's thoughts.
"Hmph...if you believe you are innocent...then prove it to me...who killed me?" Leon asked.
"I don't know that right now...but I can find out...I don't remember anything that happened except passing out in that room...it felt unnatural...I believe someone set this up and is hiding in the shadows..." Alex said seriously as he stared at the spirit.
Leon sensed he was being sincere but it wasn't enough. "If that is true...I want to know the truth...I won't rest until I know the truth... but I want to see it...you must prove it before morning... or else I swear I will kill you..."
"By the morning...? Ok...if you promise you won't harm me until then...if I can't prove my innocence...I will let you have your revenge..." Alex said hanging his head as he accepted the deal. He had to prove the murder was by someone else before sunrise. The amount of negative energy was gathering at an alarming rate...he would probably become a strong grudge by the morning unable to listen to reason even if the truth was found...this was his only chance to save the lion's soul. The lion nodded as the phenomenon stopped and everything returned to normal.
If Jake was leading the investigation it would not be in his favor...he needed someone else...Judy and Nick were tied up here as well. He couldn't involve Kevin, he wasn't know for his brains...Involving Sarah would probably cause her to relapse into her predator fears. There was one other person...that defense attorney... Thankfully they didn't take away his cellphone and wallet. Taking out the business card he dialed the number.
"Hello...this is Boomer speaking..." the voice on the line said.
"Hello Boomer...it's me Alex...remember from the ferry and pool?" Alex said hesitantly.
"Of course! I can't forget someone like you...what can I do for you?" he asked happily.
"Well you are good at defending people right...?" Alex asked.
"I do my best to find the truth and prove innocence in court! Why?" Boomer said.
"Well...I was well...found on the floor in VIP building of this resort...my paws were covered in blood...they say I murdered him but I don't remember anything..."
"Murder!? Alex what happened? Tell me everything..." Boomer said in shock. He was eating dinner when Alex called and his outburst gave him the stares of confused animals. He stepped out of the dining hall to a more private area.
Alex explained everything from the beginning, how he got the email, entered the room, saw he was injected with something and passed out. He also mentioned what he saw when he woke up. "That's everything I know...but they are going to take me away after the storm lets up...but I have a request for you...Can you please prove me innocent tonight? If I am not proven innocent before sunrise...my life will..."
"Your life? What's going to happen? Alex? Alex!?" The cell phone call was soon dropped. The cellphone service was dead from the raging storm over the island. Alex saw the bars on his phone were gone and he couldn't explain anything else. Quickly putting away his phone he saw Benjamin Clawhauser come back with some water which he happily drank. Alex couldn't calm down...he hoped what he did was enough to set the wheels in motion to prove his innocence...after all he was stuck in this room.
Boomer grabbed an umbrella from the hotel lobby and headed out into the storm. He had to get to the separate building containing the VIP guests of the resort. To find out the mystery behind Alex's words...how could a good guy like him be accused of murder? That was something he had to prove now or never.
As Boomer entered the building he was quickly stopped by some security guards saying this place was off limits. Thankfully the clever beaver had his attorney's badge with him and explained he was Alex's lawyer. "I received word that my client is being held here I request access to the scene so I can help prove his innocence!"
A certain fox happened to walk by as the beaver was pleading with the guards, he was wearing his casual clothes since he didn't want to bring his uniform on his vacation. The fox was in a melancholy mood but he quickly picked up on the situation. If Alex did meet this Beaver earlier this may be another mind that could help out with the case. Right now all things are pointing to the wolf being the murder and Nick wouldn't have that. "Let him through boys...I'll vouch for him." The large rhino security guards let the beaver through.
Nick immediately walked up to him not letting him pass until he got more information from this new face. "Hey there...Nick Wilde...ZPD." he said flashing his badge. "So...you are Alex's attorney...how do you know him?"
"Name's Boomer Tanner...I met Alex on the ferry ride here...he almost threw up on me when he bumped into me...but I got to know him and gave him my business card. I didn't think he would call me a day after we met and tell me he was accused of murder. Is this true?" Boomer asked.
"Unfortunately...I like that Howler but he is in some real big trouble...all of the evidence is pointing to him...here this is an autopsy report a rodent made who is apparently head of this medical company. It isn't fully detailed since this isn't a lab but he says his experience makes it highly accurate." Nick says handing him a document.
"Cause of death...blood loss from assault...claw and bite marks match the suspect Alex Lykos... exact time of death has not been determined but rigor mortis hasn't started to set in yet meaning it wasn't long after the murder occurred." Boomer said as he read it aloud. If he remembered correctly rigor mortis is a temporary condition in which the body stiffens after death...it usually sets in about 2-6 hours after death and it can be used to accurately determine the time of death. "Wow this is intense...may I see the murder scene?"
"I don't see why not Choppers... just don't touch anything..." Nick said leading the way.
"Choppers...? But my name is Boomer..." he blurted out before running after Nick.
Soon they reached the fourth floor, and the room where the murder occurred. The beaver noticed the door was broken down. "I'm guessing the room was locked?" he asked.
Nick said, "Yep...that gun-ho officer over there did it..." he said pointing to the black furred wolf Jake Hunter. He was just walking out ignoring Nick and the beaver as he headed towards Alex's holding room.
"He's...friendly..." Boomer said a bit miffed that he just walked past.
"He's just a bit grumpy that Carrots...I mean the first rabbit officer Judy Hopps is leading the investigation since she has the most experience and seniority. Some guys are so childish...anyway...the storm is making it dangerous for the ZPD to come here and transport Alex to the detention center so we have to make due...our chief put Judy in charge and that grumpy guy threw a temper tantrum." Nick explained.
"I see...so I'm guessing that's the victim..." Boomer said walking up to the body. Nick was behind him and explained who Leon Kingsly was and what happened. It was as the report said, claw marks were all over his body...blood all over his clothes. The wounds themselves didn't look deep but perhaps it was enough cuts to cause blood loss...too bad they couldn't tell the exact time of death yet. Nick also mentioned the spot were they found Alex, collapsed near the window. "This is pretty odd... wonder why Alex was so far away from the victim's body... and why was the room locked?"
"We have an explanation for that...according to our investigation...there was signs of struggle between the victim and Alex...we believe that with the last of his strength he knocked the wolf out. Grumpster's theory is that Alex tried to use his brains to make this a locked room murder but Alex couldn't effectively kill the Lion and a struggle ensured leading to the lion's death and his collapse. It may not be a solid theory but it can be a possible explanation...Personally I think something is off about all this...something is missing... hopefully once we finish questioning Alex we can figure something out..."
"I guess if he is being questioned I can't talk to him...Was there anyone else here that knew the Lion? I wanna know more about the victim..." Boomer asked.
"Well we did find three others who knew the lion and questioned them ourselves. One of them was the head of Mammal Medical, Dr. Vincent Squeak. He made the autopsy report. There is also Shawn Chuckles a sales rep and assistant to a large gaming company CEO and the last one is said CEO Zack Stripes. They said they were all impressed with Alex and they each met him at the conference earlier today. Each offered him a high paying position too since they were so impressed with his skills...shame that this had to happen." Nick said reviewing what he knew.
"Thanks Nick...that was helpful...I should go talk to those guys...do you mind if we all gathered later to discuss this case? I think we might be able to prove Alex's innocence if we had a dialogue later." Boomer asked. He remembered the fear in Alex's voice as he said he needed his solved before the morning...something about his life...he needed to help him out no matter what...that was why he became a lawyer in the first place.
"Huh? Before going into court? That's pretty gutsy of you...but I wanna get this solved too...that poor wolf needs a vacation and I need to help him out...I've known him for a while and I can vouch for his character. He is a kind, honest, and gentle wolf...I can't picture him actually doing these things." Nick said.
"Hehe that's very nice of you! Let's keep doing our best then...I'll come get you when I am ready to present my case." Boomer said as he walked out of the room with Nick. Nick ordered one of the security guards to come back and keep it safe from intrusions.
"I believe Vincent is on the first floor lunch room, Shawn is waiting in the second floor lounge and Zack was in the lobby on the first floor. Good luck..." Nick said waving behind his back as he walked off to help out Judy with the questioning of Alex. She must have her paws full with Jake at this point. Hopefully Ben could help calm that guy down as well.
Boomer headed to the nearest room with one of the witnesses, down a few floors to speak with Shawn, the young hyena. "Hello, Boomer Tanner here...defense attorney for the accused...mind if I ask you a few questions?"
The hyena was sitting down in a lounge chair as he turned and greeted the beaver with a smile. He was dressed in business casual clothes that didn't look too expensive. "Sure...I'm Shawn Chuckles. What do you need to know?" he said putting his phone away.
"What can you tell me about the victim?" he asked right away.
"Ah...Leon? He used to be my former boss you know before I got a new job at Echo Games. I didn't really care much for him but it's sad to see him go... I just wish I walked by that room sooner...maybe he would still be alive." Shawn said gazing into the distance.
"Former boss...I see...and by walking by the room I assume your nose picked up the smell of blood and you called the staff?" Boomer asked.
"Bingo...you are pretty good. This nose of mine is useful for some things...but yeah...it sucks this had to happen." he said seeming indifferent to the death.
"Huh...I see... so you seem kinda nonchalant about the death...was he really that horrible a boss?" The beaver asked.
"Heh...he's known to be a ass sometimes... my new boss is way better than that jerk...The lion thought the world belonged to him and was known to do some shady things to get his way. Not that it matters anymore." Boomer made a mental node as Shawn talked about Leon. It seems Leon wasn't the most innocent soul but who is in the business world...
"I see...well thank you very much for your time." Boomer said feeling he wouldn't get much out of the hyena...though his behavior was definitely suspicious.
Boomer then made his way to the first floor lunch room and saw a tiny mouse eating some food on a plate made for him. This place catered to all sizes after all. "I assume you are Dr. Vincent Squeaks? I'm Boomer Tanner an attorney for the accused. Mind if I ask you some things?"
The mouse was dressed in a lab coat and sighed as he wiped crumbs off his face. "I was in the middle of my late night snack but if you insist..."
"Sorry I'll keep this brief. I heard you performed that autopsy report correct? What can you tell me about the crime scene itself or the victim's body?" Boomer asked straight to the point.
"Well...I've seen things like this a bunch of times...I was an EMT in Little Rodentia during my younger days before joining and then becoming the head of Mammal Medical so you can see I have quite a bit of medical experience." Despite his small appearance the mouse was in his late forties and was speaking as an reminiscing adult. "I've identified so many scratch marks on the body as well as bite marks. Although they weren't deep. There were signs of internal hemorrhaging I've found on my second run through of the body...I need to update that report...the one you have is probably outdated. As for the scene it's as the cops found it, they did a pretty good job of preserving it. The lion was found dead in the middle of the room, the position of the body suggests he was heading towards the door before his body gave out. The wolf was unconscious near the window. He was pretty banged up likely from a struggle and it can be assumed he was trying to escape out the window. That's pretty much everything I know about the scene from my initial visits. It's been a while since I've done field work...sad it had to happen in this peaceful resort. Now if you don't mind I'd like to finish my meal." The mouse said in a very intelligent and thorough tone. Any additional questions Boomer had thought up were immediately answered, it's as if he knew what he was going to ask. The poor beaver couldn't get a word in edgewise. He immediately jotted down the new information he learned.
"That's fine...sorry to bother you...thanks for your time..." Boomer said before leaving.
As he headed for the last person who knew Leon he overheard a conversation. It was coming from the lobby and from the corner he could see the Zebra talking. "Yes...sell those stocks at before the news breaks out...Savannah Industries CEO just kicked the bucket, their company will probably suffer a loss soon." This was suspicious...were businessmen always this cutthroat? Soon the zebra hung up the phone and Boomer snuck out and introduced himself inconspicuously.
"Hello, Boomer Tanner, defense attorney...I'm here to ask about the victim if you have some time." He said politely.
The zebra greeted him with a smile. "Oh sure! I'm Zack Stripes! Ask me anything!" he said leading Boomer to a sofa so they could sit down to talk.
"Tell me what you know about the victim...what was he like?" Boomer asked.
"Oh Leon? We used to go way back...we went to the same business school and we both started companies at the same time. He was always a go-getter, he expanded his company more and more and branched out into many areas...where as I just stuck with one field and provided the best service I could. He was passionate about his company and ideals but he was also vicious when it came to acquiring businesses and expanding. I'm sure he had many enemies...but I didn't think his life would end here...and that wolf is the murderer? They only met this morning too." Zack said in a oddly energetic voice.
"Only met this morning!? That's odd...why would Alex have any motive to kill him?" Boomer asked.
"Who knows...there are some odd rumors that were surrounding Leon...He would do anything to get what he wanted...blackmail...scandals...making people disappear...perhaps he threatened the wolf before he passed and in the heat of the moment... BAM! Honestly I'm surprised such a scrawny wolf took out a big guy like him." Zack said.
"So that the motive...if Leon was as bad as they said why didn't anyone speak up?" Boomer replied.
"Money talks my young beaver...most were bribed...or gotten rid of through underground connections. The underside of Zootopia is a pretty messed up place..." Zack said in a serious tone.
"I...see...um...if you don't mind me asking you don't seem to be that depressed about your friend dying...were you two not close...?" Boomer asked.
"We weren't close...we used to be friends before we graduated but we drifted apart...Don't get me wrong this is a sad affair but we each have our own ways of dealing with grief..." he said sighing a bit.
"I see...thank you very much!" Boomer said goodbye as he left.
He went over all the information in his head...he heard the witness accounts...and there were a few angles he could use to help shed light on Alex's innocence. Yet there was one big piece missing...Alex...he was the center of this case after all. It was time to go visit his room and begin his showdown with the ZPD. Could he even do anything without being in court? Only one way to know for sure... he psyched himself up and knocked on the door to Alex's holding room.
Inside he saw the wolf slumped over in a chair, paws cuffed to a dresser behind him. The wolf looked worse for wear...most likely physically and mentally exhausted from the ordeal. "B...Boomer?" he said meekly as he got and opened his eyes wider trying to get more alert.
The large black wolf stepped in front of Boomer. "So you are the defense attorney? Tch...why would you wanna defend this loser...we have plenty of evidence... he'll be behind bars in no time."
"Jake! Stop it! I know it looks that way but there has to be another answer...we have to keep looking for more clues..." Judy spoke up.
"Yeah we still didn't do any DNA tests or anything...something might show up in forensics." Nick added.
"We searched everywhere...he's obviously guilty." Jake said in a huff.
"Everyone calm down! Let's all talk calmly and maybe we can figure something out." Benjamin Clawhauser said as he put himself between the argument.
"I agree... I have plenty of experience in finding contradictions in logic and evidence. I'm sure with my expertise we get find the real culprit." Boomer said proudly.
"Oh yeah? I'll take you down right now...and prove I'm right!" Jake said defiantly.
"Boomer...thanks for coming to help me...I think I can help out...if we go over what happened together...I think I can help." Alex said with confidence.
"Alright then...let's see what straws you grasp at when I prove beyond a shadow of a doubt you are a cold blooded murderer!" Jake said pointing at Alex.
And so it began...a battle not of swords and guns but of logic and wit. A battle with Alex's life hanging in the balance... It was about midnight...there was about five or six hours left before a powerful grudge would be born and go after Alex's life in his defenseless state. Even if he somehow managed to beat or escape from that horrible monster with his life, his regular one would be in shambles...unable to escape from prison...unable to continue searching for the truth behind Phantom. This was it...Alex had to trust his instincts and help determine the truth.