Now we're going to see Apollo's situation from an outside perspective! How is Klavier going to react when he sees the miserable state Apollo is in? Well, he's obviously going to be worried about him, but we'll get to see Apollo attempt to bullshit his way past him. It's not going to work so well.
Chapter Sixteen – Ready As I'll Ever Be
Klavier
I was nervous about the case. I knew in my heart that Herr Curity was innocent, but at the same time, this would leave a bad mark on the justice system. Two false arrests would make people lose what little faith they had left in the system. It was indeed the Dark Age of Law. But I was not going to allow it to consume me. I was going to be like mein Schatz and face the truth head on.
I had not heard from mein Schatz since our last date, but I supposed that was understandable. He must have been focusing hard on the trial coming up. We were becoming much more relaxed with each other and for that, I was glad. I had less anxiety about seeing him every day, at least. And I had my own work to focus on as well.
As far as the case with Herr Curity went, I had hit a dead end. I hoped Apollo had come up with something more substantial because I had absolutely nothing. All I could do was call Herr Sana to the stand, but he was unreliable at best. Apollo had insisted that Sana was not lying about not coming to work that day, and I believed him, though I had no idea how he could know that. Then again, Apollo did have a knack for knowing when someone was lying.
The night before the trial, I decided to call him to make sure that he was ready for the next day. And if I could help… relieve any tension he might be feeling, that would also be a plus. What surprised me though was that he didn't answer his phone. At all. And I tried at least a couple of times just to make sure he actually heard it.
Was he… ignoring me? Was it possible that I had done something wrong? Had I done something to anger him? Maybe he was already asleep? It wasn't that late though. It was only eleven at night.
Then I suddenly received a text from him at around midnight.
Schatzi: Sorry I didn't get your calls. Was at a movie with Trucy.
I let out a sigh of relief. So that was it! He was at the movies! I hated feeling so insecure about our relationship, but he had unintentionally broken my heart once before. I was usually so confident with myself too. I guess I just didn't want to make a mistake with Apollo. He was so special to me and I didn't want to lose him.
Klavier: No problem! I hope you enjoyed yourself. What movie did you see?
Schatzi: This movie with an actor Trucy is currently obsessed with. Sorry, I don't remember the name of it.
I did recall him telling me about Fraulein Wright talking about some famous actor. It was nice to know that Apollo still made time for the young Fraulein while we were seeing each other. I wondered why they had gone to see a movie so late at night, but I was just happy that he didn't seem mad at me that I didn't question him about it.
Klavier: No worries. I hope you are ready for the trial tomorrow! I know I'm not!
Schatzi: Ha! Yeah, I think I'm ready. Hope it goes well.
Schatzi: It's going to be rough.
Klavier: You'll be fine. I believe in you.
Schatzi: Thanks.
As much as I would have loved to text Apollo into the morning, I decided it was best if we both got some sleep before the trial and left him with some good-nights and hugs and kisses. I went to bed thinking, nay, desperately hoping that the trial tomorrow would reveal the true culprit behind this grizzly murder and that it wouldn't turn into a huge fiasco.
The next day, I was in a rush. I had to prepare the witness in case I needed him and going over my final arguments. I didn't really have any final arguments. I wasn't convinced that Herr Curity was the culprit, after all. I had nothing. When the bailiff arrived to tell me that it was time, I didn't know what to expect.
What I certainly wasn't expecting was the state mein Schatz was in. He looked perfectly fine and orderly at first glance. But even from across the room I could tell that something was not right. He had a haunted look in his eyes and his expression was dull and lifeless. Fraulein Trucy stood beside him looking extremely worried and I really couldn't blame her. The sight of him in such a state took my breath away. What had happened to him?
He wouldn't look at me as the trial started, and he spoke in a professional, yet completely monotone voice. Even Herr Judge noticed the change in him, looking down at him with concern when he stated that the defense was ready.
"Are you alright, Mr. Justice?" He asked him. "You seem… tired."
"I'm fine, your honor," Apollo replied in a dull tone. "Let's just hurry up with the proceedings already." The judge blinked at him.
"A-Alright then," he said, clearing his throat. "Prosecutor Gavin, you were asked to follow up on the findings of the last trial. Namely, where the murder really took place and where that janitor fellow fit in to all of this. Have you found out anything?"
"We are still investigating where the murder might have really taken place," I reported, casting a worried glance at Apollo. "As for Herr Janitor, he is willing to give his story to the court. I warn you though, I don't think it will add much."
"Very well then," the judge replied, nodding. "Please show him in."
Herr Sana was definitely one of the stranger witnesses I had shown to the stand. He was slouched over and looked half-asleep. He had a drunken smile on his face and didn't seem to care about his outward appearance because I swear he hadn't bathed since the day we first met him.
"Witness, please state your name and occupation," I told him, trying not to look revolted.
"Shmoot Sana is the name," Herr Sana replied. "Janitorial duties is my game."
"Er, are you aware of the crime that took place at the Arena?" The judge asked, blinking at him in surprise. Sana bobbed his head in reply.
"Sure do," he replied. "Shame about that poor guard. Shmoot wishes he could have been there! Shmoot would have caught the culprit that done did this fer sure!"
"Wh-What do you mean?" Herr Judge gasped. "We have security footage of you on the day of the murder walking down the hallway where the victim was found."
"I do believe that we'll need some testimony from you," I told Herr Sana. "About what exactly what you were doing on the day of the crime."
"Sure enough," Herr Sana replied, adjusting his hat. "Yeh see, Shmoot was at the bar the night before the crime. He just went in there for a drink, but he found himself talking to this pretty lady in a red dress. Shmoot swears he only had a couple of drinks, but he can't remember much after that. Shmoot just remembers waking up around dinner time the next day. I completely missed my shift, but they didn't fire old Shmoot. Figure they were too tied up in the murder to notice Shmoot's lateness."
A surprised silence followed his speech and I couldn't help but sigh. His testimony was no different from the other day. Hopefully Apollo would be able to glean something from it.
"W-Wait, you're saying you weren't there that day?" Herr Judge asked eventually. "Then who was that janitor in the footage then?"
"An imposter is Shmoot's guess," the janitor replied. "Someone out to ruin Shmoot's good name. If Shmoot finds out who did it, Shmoot's going to have some choice words for him!"
Herr Judge shook his head in confusion.
"Alright then, Mr. Justice," he said, turning to mein Schatz, "Your cross-examination, if you please." Apollo didn't move. The judge cleared his throat. "Um, Mr. Justice? The, um, cross-examination?" Fraulein Trucy nudged him in the side and he jumped.
"What?" He gasped. "Oh right, the cross-examination. Right." Now I knew there was something wrong with him. Apollo was never this unresponsive during a trial, even when he had to confront mein brother. But… what had happened to him?
"Mr. Sana," he started in an uncertain voice. "You said that you went to a bar and met with a woman in a red dress. Can you describe either the bar or the woman?"
"Well, I remember she was the most knock-out, drop-dead gorgeous woman Shmoot ever did lay eyes on," Herr Sana replied. "Never did get her name though. The bar Shmoot went to is an old favorite of Shmoot's. Right around the neighborhood of Shmoot. I'm a regular there."
Apollo sighed.
"Do you know how flimsy this all sounds, Mr. Sana?" He asked. "If you can't even remember who this woman is, then there's really no one to back up your story. Furthermore, as the sole janitor of the Arena, you are the only one who has access to the janitor room and the tools you would need to transport a body into the security room."
"That's not true," Herr Sana argued. "The good ol' manager of the place has keys too. Though, he's so ancient, Shmoot doubts he would be able to kill anyone. Anyway, what does it matter if Shmoot could hide a body in his cart and haul it around? That there murder took place in the security room, didn't it?"
"The body was found there," I replied, leaning forward. "But it was determined that the murder might have not taken place there. So yes, it is important that you can hide a body in your janitor cart."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Sana," the judge said. "But there doesn't seem to be any way you can back up this story if you can't even remember anything about the bar you went to."
"Shmoot thought this would happen," Shmoot replied, bobbing his head. "So Shmoot went and found the receipt from his tab the night he went to the bar." He dug into his pockets and brought out a variety of random items before revealing a small piece of paper.
I stepped around my bench and approached him, taking the paper and quickly reading it over before handing it to the judge. I glanced at Apollo, but he had gone back to staring blankly at the floor.
"Well, this certainly seems legit," Herr Judge said after a moment.
"But that only proves that you went to the bar," I pointed out. "It does not confirm the rest of your story."
"I agree," the judge said, nodding. "Clearly more research is going to be needed. We'll have someone look into this 'Tundra' Bar and see if anyone there knows anything. We'll take a thirty minute as we're waiting and finally put this matter to rest."
He was about to slam his gavel down, when a single voice suddenly rang out, stopping that gavel in its tracks.
"OBJECTION!"
We all turned and stared in shock to where Apollo stood, pointing determinedly at the judge, his eyes shining. Fraulein Trucy was clutching her chest in shock and I could felt a cold chill pass through me. Herr Judge stared back at Apollo in surprise.
"Y-You have an objection, Mr. Justice?" He asked, somewhat timidly.
"We don't need to do any of this, your honor," Apollo said, straightening up. "Because I have evidence that will clear Mr. Ed Curity's name right now!"
A shocked murmuring started about the room, and it took several bangs of Herr Judge's gavel in order to bring quiet back. I was staring at Apollo in utter amazement. What had gotten into him? Why hadn't he brought this evidence up before?
"Mr. Justice! That's a big claim you made just now!" Herr Judge gasped. "Do you really have that sort of proof?"
Mein poor Schatz looked so small and uncomfortable being the center of attention like this. I don't know what was going through his mind at the moment, or what had happened to him. I had to fight the urge to run over to him and wrap my arms around him.
"I do, your honor," he replied after a moment. "It comes from the defendant's own home. I have here the blackmail letter that told him to present the wrong evidence."
"But the defendant said that he had gotten rid of that letter!" The judge said.
"He was lying, your honor," Apollo replied, taking a deep breath. "Because not only does letter order him to switch the tapes, but it also contains the very secret that the true killer had been blackmailing him with. The secret of, despite being married, Ed Curity was having an affair with the victim, Night Stick!"
"Apollo!" Fraulein Trucy screeched.
"M-Mr. Justice!" Herr Curity gasped, rising from his seat.
Their protests were drowned out by the cries of shock and outrage from the gallery. I looked over at Apollo in dismay, but he wouldn't look at me, and he ignored the Fraulein's questions. The judge banged his gavel several times, but it still took a while before the noise in the courtroom started to die down enough to be heard.
"Mr. Curity, is this true?" Herr Judge asked when he could finally speak. Herr Curity looked just as miserable as Apollo appeared to be, but he looked up at the judge with clear eyes.
"It's true," he replied at last.
"You will see everything explained in this blackmail letter," Apollo added, pulling out the letter and presenting it to the both of us. I couldn't help but stare in horror as the content of the blackmail was enlarged and shown on the screen.
"I-It does appear to say that the victim was killed before this blackmail letter was ever sent," Herr Judge stammered. "Then I think it is time to allow the jury to think on everything they've seen and heard and come to a conclusion. Court will reconvene when they've come to a verdict."
Then he banged his gavel and the court descended into a chaos of noise. I looked over the room, but Apollo had already disappeared back into the defendant lobby. Before I could go after him, however, I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around.
"Sparky!" I greeted my friend in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see the show, bro," Sparky replied with a smile. "Did someone really blackmail that guard to frame me for murder?"
"It appears so," I told him with a sigh. "I don't know what their motive is behind any of this, but whoever really killed the poor guard has ruined so many lives with their actions."
"Boy, I'll say," Sparky replied. "What's up with Justice though? He looks like he's seen a ghost. He's more distracted than when he was defending me."
"That's… what I was thinking," I muttered, a worm of fear wiggling in my gut. What was wrong with Apollo? Why had he just revealed Herr Curity's secret to the entire court like it was nothing? Surely he didn't need to do that to get his client off the hook?
"I'm worried, Sparks," I confessed to my friend. "We're quickly running out of leads and the Police and Prosecutor Departments are already seen in such a bad light by the public. I don't know what this case will do to us."
"Too bad I was one of the suspects, otherwise I would totally ask them to put me on this case," Sparky said. "I just hope this and all your other cases aren't working you too hard. We still have a farewell concert to practice for, you know."
I opened my mouth to reply, but at that moment the bailiff entered the room, telling us that the jury had reached a verdict and that everyone should return to their seats. Sparky shot me a "good luck" before hurrying back to the gallery. Across the room, Apollo slumped back to the bench with Fraulein Trucy hurrying fretfully behind him.
It took a minute for everyone to get settled down, and the tension was thick in the air as we all waited for Herr Judge to read out the verdict. He dramatically cleared his throat before he read the card that was handed to him.
"We the jury find the defendant, Mr. Ed C. Curity… NOT GUILTY!"
People cheered and there were sighs of relief, but I couldn't help but feel all the tension hadn't completely gone away. Herr Curity still looked rather miserable, I was still wondering who could have done all this, and Apollo… was a complete wreck.
Forgetting all convention and the need for secrecy, I started over to him, only for a crowd of people, mostly reporters, to start swarming me, asking me about the case and what I was going to do now. I ignored them and tried to move around them, shouting for Apollo, who I could see was making a swift retreat towards the doors, not even bothering to wait for Fraulein Trucy.
"Herr Justice!" I cried out to him. "Herr Justice! Apollo! Wait!"
But it was too late. He was already gone.
I was going to have a little bit more to this chapter, but I think that's a perfect place to stop. Plus, I don't want it to go too long. Next time, we'll see how Apollo's doing now that the trial is over and I'm not sure who's view point it's going to be in, but I'm sure it will be interesting.
