October 19th, 2016
Global Studios
Main Gate, 4:40 PM
Nick's POV
Oldbag: You two again! First that spiky-haired and that hippie chick, now you two cops! If you two love the place so much, why don't you take over for me?
Nick: Sorry, but there's still some things we need to check around the studios and you're just the person we had to talk to.
Oldbag: Really? Look I and rest of the people here are trying their darnedest to forget Hammer. Who do they think made Global Studios what it is today? Hammer! It's all due to Hammer! Speaking of which, here comes your two little weird friends!
Maya: Ms. Oldbag you look… a little down.
Oldbag: …
Phoenix: Umm… I wanted to ask you about five years ago…
As soon as Phoenix said that, Oldbag spitted out her coffee, getting my shirt a little wet.
Oldbag: Who told!? Who did you hear that from!?
Phoenix: I, uh… huh?
Oldbag: Nichols!
Phoenix: N-nickels?
Maya: Nichols, Nick. Penny Nichols. That assistant we talked to.
Phoenix: O-oh, right. Anyway, we heard about the accident.
Judy: So have we. Mr. Powers didn't tell us, but we accepted that something was up.
Phoenix: Jack Hammer… He killed a man. Didn't he?
Nick and Judy: What!?
Oldbag: Wh-whippersnapper! Dredging up dirt on someone's past like that… and the recently departed, no less! I suppose you guys think this is fun!?
Phoenix: N-no, we're just doing our job to protect Mr. Powers…
Oldbag: And you claim that Hammer stole Power's costume! You expect me to believe that rubbish!? Or do you have some kind of proof!?
Nick: I'm afraid we do, ma'am. Phoenix, do you have it?
Phoenix: *nods* Take a look at this.
Oldbag: What? What's a little empty bottle supposed to prove?
Phoenix: It's a bottle of sleeping pills. With Mr. Hammer's fingerprints on it…
Oldbag: Wh-what does that prove? I… I'm sure old Hammer had some sleepless nights! Where's your proof that he used those pills on Powers?
Phoenix: Mr. Powers ate a t-bone steak for lunch, correct?
Oldbag: W-well… yes. So?
I saw Phoenix pull out his phone and showed Ms. Oldbag a picture of the plate.
Phoenix: This is the plate that he used to eat that steak. There are traces of sleeping pill powder on the plate!
Oldbag: …! … … I see. Poor, poor Hammer. You did wrong, Hammer, rest your soul.
Maya: Ms. Oldbag…?
Oldbag: Okay. You win. I'll talk. I'm tired, see… Tired of holding it all in.
Nick: Ms. Oldbag…
Oldbag: You're right. Five years ago there was an accident… a fatal accident. What's worse, a paparazzi took a photo of it. That photo, well, it caused quite a stir. And guessed who made it all better? Vasquez! She has ties to the mafia… She silenced that paparazzi. That was the beginning. After that, she became a force to be reckoned with here at the studio.
Judy: I see…
Oldbag: But, you have to understand… Poor old Hammer never meant any harm to anyone!
I just stood there in silence.
Oldbag: Hold on a minute.
Judy: Nick…?
Oldbag: Here, take this.
She handed Phoenix a photo of the incident.
Oldbag: This is the picture.
Phoenix: Is… this the trailer in Studio Two?
Oldbag: Hammer was supposed to fight with a bad guy on the top of those stairs, there. He pushed the other actor, and the man fell onto the flowerbox fence.
Phoenix: B-but how did you get this?
Oldbag: It… was a long time ago. I don't feel much like talking about it.
Judy: We understand.
With that Ms. Oldbag went back to the guard station.
Phoenix: Well guys, I think we found the best clue we could have ever gotten.
Maya: Let's go back to the office and plan for the trial.
Phoenix: Right! With this photo we'll… Hey! Where is it!?
Judy: And where's Nick for that matter?
Nick (Thinking): I'm sorry guys, but this is something I have to know!