Law & Order: Leanbox

Guilt Tripped

by Derald Snyder

Part 5- Confrontation

SING-SONG CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

MARCH 16, 3:49 PM

"I dunno about this..." Plutia sighed as she and Rizzoli Isles entered the visitor's center.

"Well, I trust you can keep from trying to hurt him again, given what happened last time," Rizzoli assured her.

"I'll try... but no promises," the CPU sighed. Soon, the door at the other end opened, Terrence Gunther being escorted in by the guard.

"What the... oh, not again," Terrence groaned. "Haven't you had enough of me already?!"

"I'm really sorry for hurting you like that," Plutia looked down, digging her toe into the floor. "Even if I didn't know, that's no excuse for what I did..."

"If you just came to apologize, save it," Terrence said bluntly. "I ain't got nothin' to say to you."

"...I heard about what happened with you and your mommy," Plutia looked up. "I kinda know how you feel... my mommy was evil. She hated me... she was always hurting me and yelling at me... She even tried to kill Noi- um, my friend's mommy when we ran away... but she got killed instead. But at least your mommy's not like that..."

"Well, no wonder you went after us to help those kids," Terrence muttered. "Didn't want 'em to suffer the same fate, huh?"

"That's right," Plutia nodded. "No child deserves what I went through... and that includes you, even if you're grown-up now... But why won't you do anything with your mommy?! At least she's trying to be a good mommy again, unlike mine! Miss Isles says you see that madam as mommy instead of your real one! Why?"

"Y-you don't understand...!" Terrence protested.

"You're right, I don't understand! Ahh!" Plutia's body suddenly spasmed, being overtaken by a bright light, soon fading to reveal Iris Heart. "Oh... Now look at what you've done..."

"AAAAHHHH!" Terrence cried in terror, backing up to the wall. "Help! Don't let her get me!" The guard from the visitor's side promptly stepped into the room.

"Now, now, no need to overreact," Iris Heart grunted as she straightened up. "If I was going to torture this fool, I'd already have the whip out..." Crossing her arms behind her back, she stepped back a few paces. "Now listen here, this 'madam' you work for...she cares for you, takes care of you, does she?"

"Sh-she puts a roof over my head, at least," Terrence grunted, still quaking in fear.

"Oh really?" Iris leaned forward. "But has she done anything for you since you were arrested? Paid bail for you? Given you a lawyer? Hmmm?"

"Uh..." Terrence had to think for a moment. "Now that you mention it..."

"She hasn't, has she?" the CPU pressed. "I think that's strong indicator of how much she cares for you... or doesn't. In truth, she's probably already forgotten about you. You're nothing but a disposable pawn to her, to be replaced with the next bum off the streets! What is the point of remaining loyal to someone like THAT?! At least your real mommy's trying to help you, right?! Right?!"

"Ah..." the black man averted his gaze. "I... I... shit. That's..." He dropped an expletive as tears began to roll down his face. "Oh, Mama... I'm, I'm sorry, Mama! I'm so sorry...!"

At seeing this, Rizzoli walked up and knelt down next to the man. "Listen... if you cooperate with us, that'll reduce your sentence greatly, so you can go be with your mother a lot sooner... so will you testify in court?"

"...Y... yeah. Yeah, I will. But on one condition!" Terrence insisted. "You gotta protect me! I hear the madam's got goons in jail who'll shut up anybody that speaks a word against her...!"

"We'll isolate you from the general population," Rizzoli nodded.

"Well then, I believe my work here is done," Iris Heart nodded as well. Turning to the guard, she said, "You saw that I never laid a finger on the man, right?"

"No ma'am," the guard shook his head, blushing a little.

"Good. Well then, I'm going to head to a dungeon and take my boiling emotions out on some monsters. Better them than a human who may or may not deserve it, right?"

"Right," Rizzoli agreed. "Don't let me stop you."

"Nor me," said the guard as he stepped aside, Iris Heart promptly striding out of the room.

*At the police precinct...*

"So now we have a corroborating witness," Lt. Van Braun reiterated, standing with Rizzoli, Bennie and Eddie.

"Yeah, and the other perp we caught all but confirmed that the madam, Maria Busser, was the one who arranged the deal," Eddie added.

"Well, you know what to do," Rizzoli nodded. "McCoy will handle the rest."

"Go pick her up," Van Braun ordered, Bennie and Eddie nodding and leaving...

*At a social function...*

The two detectives made their way through some partygoers, closing in on a thin woman with reddish-brown hair, wearing a strapless black gown. "Maria Busser?" Eddie Green asked.

"Who wants to know, handsome?" the woman gazed over Eddie approvingly.

"Leanbox City Police," Eddie promptly flashed his badge. "Turn around."

"Maria Busser, you're under arrest for facilitating human trafficking, specifically of minors," Crisco stated.

"WHAT?!" Busser gasped as she was cuffed.

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law..."

"This is outrageous! Call my lawyer!" the madam cried as she was dragged off by the detectives...

*To be continued...*