Law & Order: Leanbox

Guilt Tripped

by Derald Snyder

Part 6- The Real Criminal

*In the precinct's interrogation room...*

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the madam insisted. "My business, which I inherited from my father, is totally legitimate!"

"Yeah, well, one of your workers would disagree with you on that," Eddie snarked.

"Not to mention, I was there when we took your father down for the exact same crime," Bennie said. "Does the name 'Terrence Gunther' ring a bell?"

"Oh, him? I admit I've hired him part-time for a few jobs," Maria stated, "but not to ship kids off to perverts!"

"No, you just have him watch over them, while the others ship them off to perverts," Green insisted.

Just then, the door opened, revealing a familiar face... "Maria, not another word."

"What the... Mr. Huntsman?!" Bennie realized. "What are you doing here?!"

"Hello again, Detective. As it turns out, I happen to be Miss Busser's personal attorney. Maria, are you alright?"

"Not really, but I'm better now that you finally showed up," the madam shot back.

"Well, you know, city traffic," Huntsman shrugged. "Now, would you two kindly leave so I can have a word with my client?" The two detectives promptly left, with looks of disbelief on their faces...

LEANBOX BASILICOM

MARCH 17, 12:57 PM

"Huh?! Mr. Huntsman... works for the bad guys?!" Plutia gasped in disbelief, her eyes shrunk to white circles.

"We were just as surprised as you," Rizzoli pointed out. "I knew you'd probably want to follow the madam's trial, so I didn't want you to get blindsided..."

"But wasn't Huntsman assigned to Plutia by the state?" Vert spoke up from nearby. "Which would mean this was just a freak coincidence..."

"Well, McCoy's trying to have Huntsman thrown off the case due to conflict of interest..." Rizzoli said, before her cell suddenly rang. "Oh, excuse me... there's McCoy now. Hello? ...Really? I'm surprised the judge agreed. Alright, I'll let her know. Bye." Hanging up, she told the two CPUs, "The judge denied McCoy's motion. Huntsman argued that since Lady Plutia's trial is already over, any conflict of interest is moot."

"Well, it's not like he didn't do his job when he represented Plutia," Vert mused.

"Yeah, but if I'd known he was serving that evil madam all along... Agh!" Plutia abruptly cried out as she involuntarily transformed to HDD once more. "Ugh, great... and just when I was starting to feel a little better..."

"Well, in that case..." Vert promptly invoked her HDD as well. "Perhaps we can fly out to an open field so you can blow off some steam?"

"Hmm, are you sure you can handle me, Vert?" Iris Heart smirked. "I distinctly remember your counterpart from my world crying her eyes out once Neppy and I were through with her..."

"My counterpart is far younger and thus, less experienced," Green Heart retorted calmly. "And I have my NEXT form as a last resort..."

"All right, but don't say I didn't warn you~" Iris Heart taunted as she materialized her processor wings, she and Green Heart promptly flying out the nearby window...

"Try not to hurt each other too much!" Rizzoli called after them.

DISTRICT COURT

TRIAL PART 34

MARCH 19, 9:36 AM

"I first met the madam- Miss Busser- not long after I got kicked outta foster care," Terrence said. "I didn't know she was the new head of the gang that my Mama sold me out to, mind you..."

"Could you please describe the circumstances of your first meeting?" Jared requested.

"She was runnin' from some big guys," Terrence elaborated. "Looked like they wanted to do... you know what. But I knew the streets pretty well, so we ran and hid where I knew where they couldn't find us. After we knew we were safe, she was... really grateful. We, uh... we had sex."

Alicia Gunther gasped with her hands over her mouth, Vert placing a hand on her back in sympathy. Plutia was also sitting with them, her face an unreadable mask, though her gaze seemed fixed on the man sitting at the defense's bench.

"So what happened after that?" McCoy asked next.

"Well, she offered me a job working for her, which I jumped at... at first I thought it was a daycare of sorts, though sometimes the madam called me over for massages. No sex, though, I promise, Mama!"

"OBJECTION!" Huntsman cried.

"Sustained. The jury will disregard the witness' last remark." Alicia just heaved a sigh with her hand over her heart.

"So when did you realize it was a trafficking operation?" McCoy inquired.

"About a year or so in... that's when I finally snapped outta denial," Terrence admitted. "But, I knew I was in too deep to get out at that point... besides, Miss Busser kept talkin' nice whenever she came to visit, which I liked... Don't get me wrong, I hated knowin' what was gonna happen to those kids! So I did my best to make them comfortable, give them one last happy memory before they were sent to hell..."

"Thank you, Mr. Gunther. Nothing further," McCoy nodded, returning to his bench.

Ian Huntsman then stood up, slowly approaching the stand. "Mr. Gunther... when my client came to visit, did she ask about the trafficking operation specifically?"

"...She asked how business was going," Terrence said after a moment. "We all knew what she meant, though."

"Did she ever see any of the children you looked after?"

"Naw, she kept her distance from them at best," Terrence replied.

"So for all you know, my client may have thought she was financing a daycare."

"Yeah, right," the black man retorted. "With all due respect, sir, if you couldn't put two an' two together 'bout what we were doin', then you weren't fit to run the operation. Like I said, when she asked how business was, we knew what she meant."

"...I see," Huntsman nodded grimly. "Thank you, witness. Nothing further." He then returned to his bench.

*After court is adjourned for the day...*

Alicia was walking down the hallway with Vert and Plutia, when they spotted Huntsman and the madam approaching. "Ah, Miss Gunther! Might we have a word in private?"

"We can talk right here," Alicia replied, crossing her arms. Vert quietly shooed Plutia away, though the latter briefly directed another glare at her former lawyer before going off.

"Well, I was just thinking... your son is going to be in jail for a while... so I was thinking, maybe you could, say, adopt one of the kids from my business, so you'd have a chance to start over?" And I could also ensure your son's safety in prison..."

"D...do you hear yourself speak?!" Alicia cried in disgust. "With all due respect, Miss Busser, have you eva had children of your own?!"

"Madam Busser. And no, but why does that matter?"

"'Cause if you did, you'd maybe realize that children are precious lives, not... commodities to be traded on your black market!" Alicia spat. "You've got some nerve makin' such an offa to me, given the hot water you're in!"

"Oh really?' the madam smirked. "Are you so confident the jury will convict?"

"Are you so confident they won't?" Alicia shot back. "Listen here, MADAM Busser... you don't scare me one bit! 'Cause thanks to your lawyer's previous client," she nodded toward Vert and Plutia, "I know my goddess has my back! But who's got yours? Probably somebody who'll come to claim their due when you pass on someday! I just hope you gotta lot of sunscreen where you're headin' when that happens!" Turning her back on the madam, she called, "Lady Vert, we're done here!"

Vert nodded, going off with Alicia, but Plutia stopped and turned back to look at her former lawyer. "Mr. Huntsman... I agree with Miss Alicia. And I hope YOU have a lot of sunscreen, too!" With that, she turned on her heel and stomped off to join the others, leaving an indignant madam and her slightly intimidated lawyer behind.

*To be continued...*