Law & Order: Leanbox
The Lynx
by Derald Snyder
Part 2- Rei's Trial
DISTRICT COURT
TRIAL PART 34
SEPTEMBER 17, 10:36 AM
"Detective Green," the NPC prosecutor said, "Would you please testify about your near capture of The Lynx on the night of September 12?"
The young blonde man nodded, before beginning, "Well, I had canvased the buildings around the museum beforehand, and I realized there was a potential route the thief might take to get onto the museum's roof without being noticed. So on the night of the theft, I ran back to where I believed the thief would have accessed the catwalk, and sure enough, she came down the steps. I pulled my gun on her, but she threw the Purple Quartz Teardrop at me, then tried to run."
"Did you pursue her?" the NPC pressed.
"Of course," Eddie nodded in reply. "I managed to tackle her around the waist, but she kicked me... between the legs, so to speak."
"And then what happened?" the prosecutor inquired.
"I managed to lunge at her, and grab one of the ears of her mask, which broke off and tore off her mask as a result."
"And who did you see under the mask?" the prosecutor asked with a hint of drama.
Green took a deep breath, before pointing, "I saw... I saw her face."
"Let the record show that Detective Green has indicated the defendant," the NPC stated triumphantly. "Thank you, Detective. No more questions." He walked back to the bench and sat down, cuing Rei Ryghts to stand up. The former goddess had refused counsel, deigning to defend herself in court.
"Detective Green... I'm sorry we ended up meeting again under these circumstances." She pranced a little, as if to gather her thoughts, before asking, "I want some c-clarification on s-something... exactly w-which ear of Th-The Lynx's mask d-did you g-grab?"
"OBJECTION! Relevance!" the prosecutor protested.
"My line of questioning will become clear soon enough, Your Honor," Rei stated, subtly tapping her horn protrusion.
The gesture did not go unnoticed by the judge. "Overruled. Answer the question, Detective."
"It was her right ear that broke off," Eddie replied.
"And what was the right ear made of?"
"Hard foam."
"Now that's strange," Rei smirked, before turning to the gallery. "As I'm sure everyone in the courtroom can see, my horn is on the right side of my head. And while I *can* remove it, it's very painful to do so. Lady Neptune can personally corroborate that." Returning her attention to Detective Green, she asked, "That being said, why wouldn't I just cover my horn with black material instead of going through all that trouble?"
"OBJECTION! Leading!" cried the prosecutor.
"Withdrawn," said the bluenette. "Nothing further."
The judge nodded. "Detective Green, you may step down."
"Your Honor, at this time the defense would like to call a rebuttal witness," Rei spoke up. "Detective Snorkel Pericles of Lowee City!" The man in question walked up to the stand, the bailiff standing in front of him with a hardcover copy of the 4 Goddesses Online manual/guidebook.
"Place your left hand on the book, raise your right hand," the bailiff instructed, the detective doing so. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you Goddess?"
"I do." With that, Snooper took his seat.
"Detective Pericles," the lawyer began, "We've just heard testimony that Detective Green saw my face beneath The Lynx's mask on September 12, at around 8:00 PM. Do you agree with his testimony?"
"I do not," Snooper answered. "With all due respect, I don't see how it's possible."
"And why is that?"
"Because I talked with you in Lowee City District Court that night." A chorus of gasps echoed from the crowd, prompting the judge to bang his gavel several times.
"Defense Exhibit A," Rei stated as she retrieved a memory stick from her bench. "This is security camera footage from Defendant Lobby No. 2 in Lowee City District Court on the night of September 12." A flat-screen TV was wheeled in by the bailiff, which Rei promptly plugged the memory stick into. The timestamp '9/12 8:03 PM' was shown at the top left of the screen, the picture showing Rei herself walking into the lobby, before a man in a trench hat and coat walked in behind her and began discussing something. Pausing the footage, the lawyer asked, "Would you mind telling me who that is talking with me in the lobby, Detective?"
"That'd be yours truly," Snooper replied with a slight sarcastic undertone. "But you do realize there's a one-hour time zone difference between Lowee City and Leanbox City, so who's to say you didn't just transform and fly over there to perform the theft?"
The former goddess chuckled at this. "Defense Exhibit B." Retrieving a sheet of paper, she stated, "This is a sworn affidavit from Lady Blanc herself, which was also verified by Lady Vert. Would you please read the highlighted portion?" She placed the affidavit in front of Snorkel.
"...using HDD flight, it takes approximately two hours to travel from Lowee's capital to Leanbox's capital," the detective read off.
"In other words, even if I left right after my chat with you," Rei elaborated, "By the time The Lynx pulled off her failed heist, I would've only been halfway to Leanbox City!" The gallery started muttering at this...
"...I guess so," Snooper conceded.
"Thank you, Detective, no further questions. Your witness," Rei spoke to the NPC prosecutor with a haughty smirk as she retook her seat.
"...You seem awfully confident in your testimony, Detective Pericles," the shadow-man said as he stood up.
"Miss Ryghts and I have worked on quite a few cases together. Even discounting her horn, I'd know if I saw her."
The NPC nodded, before retrieving a memory stick of his own. "People's Exhibit 1." He plugged the stick into the flat screen TV. "This is security camera footage from a nearby storefront on the night of the theft." The prosecutor then played the video, which showed who appeared to be Rei Ryghts wearing the Lynx costume running by, stopping for a few moments to catch her breath, before running out of the camera's range. "What do you say to that, Detective Pericles?"
"Well, Mr. Prosecutor," Snooper began, "Did it ever occur to you that perhaps the thief was wearing a latex mask underneath her Lynx mask, just in case she got UN-masked? Wouldn't be the first time someone's tried to make Miss Ryghts into a patsy... Heck, even the infamous Lastation Dragon Killer tried it, and we know how HE ended up..."
"OBJECTION!" cried the prosecutor.
"Sustained. The jury will disregard the witness' last remark," the judge instructed.
"Just sayin'..." the Lowee detective shrugged.
"It seems like you and Miss Ryghts have quite a rapport with each other," the shadow-man snarked.
"OBJECTION!" Rei protested.
"Nah, I want to answer that," Snooper waved her off. "Look, I see where you're going with this. Just because Rei Ryghts and I have worked cases together, that doesn't make us friends. Far from it, in fact."
"How's that?" the prosecutor pressed.
"Because, she's caused me to get several pay cuts," Snooper explained. "Thanks to her, I have to subsist on cheap ramen noodles, and light candles at my apartment, 'cause I can't afford electricity. Really gotta bundle up on cold nights... At the same time, however, I am an officer of the law, and just because I dislike someone, doesn't mean I'm just gonna stand by and watch 'em go down for a crime they did not commit."
The prosecutor hesitated for a moment, before heaving a sigh of resignation. "Thank you, detective. Nothing further..." he muttered as he trudged back to his bench.
*A short while later...*
"Mr. Foreman, I understand you've reached a verdict?" the judge inquired.
"We have, Your Honor."
The judge nodded. "The defendant will rise." Rei Ryghts did as instructed. "How does the jury find?"
"On all counts related to the incident on September the 12th," the foreman began, "we the jury hereby find the defendant, Miss Rei Ryghts..."
NOT GUILTY
The gallery began to chatter at this, before being silenced by the judge's gavel. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I thank you for your time. You are excused." Turning back to the bench, he stated, "Miss Ryghts, though you have been declared innocent of this particular theft, there are still many grand larceny charges you have yet to answer for. Therefore, you will remain under house arrest at the Leanbox Basilicom until further notice."
"Understood, Your Honor," Rei acknowledged.
The judge nodded. "This court is adjourned." He banged his gavel, standing up and leaving the courtroom, as the NPC prosecutor gathered his papers with his head bowed in apparent shame.
As Rei was being escorted out by the bailiff, she turned to Detective Eddie Green. "Detective, I'd like you to come to the Basilicom so Lady Vert and I can explain a few things..."
"Sure, as long as you don't mind Bennie tagging along," Eddie said.
"Of course not." With that, Rei and the bailiff exited the courtroom...
*To be continued...*