Chapter 11.
The Truth.
2:07 pm…
Jasper Kell was currently sitting in his office back at Burbank-Kell Private Investigations. And as of now, he was waiting for anything more on Wakko. Ever since his friend, Bartholomew Cortez's son, Jori Cortez had been arrested by the LAPD, Jasper begun wondering if Bartholomew knew more about the sabotaging than he calmed to have known. Then again, Cortez wasn't just a good friend, he had been Jasper's toon art teacher back in college. Jasper suddenly took a sip of his Sprite, then he started searching through some of Cortez's latest social media activities, and so far, nothing. But then, very suddenly, Jasper saw something that drew his attention. He saw on his computer screen that there was a picture of Cortez. And in the picture, Bartholomew wasn't alone; he was standing alongside a black haired woman, and the strangest thing was that the woman in the picture looked awfully familiar to Jasper. Suddenly, it dawned on Jasper. The woman in the picture was none other than Nicole Millard.
What the heck? Why was Bart posing pics with her online?
Then, Jasper saw the date of when the picture was taken. It was just this last year when they had taken it. Suddenly, Jasper saw that there was a man with blond hair in the background of the picture.
No freaking way! That's Kenneth Domhler!
Immediately—even if Jasper didn't want to admit it—the truth overcame him like a tidal wave of discovery. Bartholomew Cortez was behind the sabotaging on his film. Which only meant one thing… that Cortez was responsible for Wakko's abduction!
Jasper immediately hollered for Rachel to come over into his office. And almost instantly, Rachel walked in. As soon as she shut the door behind her, Jasper told her everything that he had discovered about Cortez. And very suddenly, Rachel raised a hand.
"Wait? You're telling me that Bartholomew is behind the sabotaging on his film?"
"Yes," Jasper said. "Ray, you were right. And now, we need to tell LAPD. And now."
Meanwhile…
Yakko just couldn't believe that Wakko had been abducted, and that he was still missing. But, as he was thinking about Wakko, Dot suddenly came into the kitchen of Jasper and Rachel's living quarters and tugged him. Yakko immediately looked down and saw that his sister was holding on to him. And with a look of genuine sadness.
"Yakko? Are they ever gonna find him? I'm really worried about Wakko."
Yakko closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering his sister.
"I'm pretty sure that they will. And before you know it, we'll be laughing this through like it never happened. So don't worry about Wak, he knows how to take care of himself."
Dot only gave her eldest brother a sudden look of worry. And right away, Yakko saw the look in her eyes, and he too felt what she was feeling.
Dot cleared her throat. "Yakk, I don't know. I've got this feeling that—"
Yakko immediately took over…
"That Wak's out there somewhere, hurt. Oh my goodness…"
Immediately, Yakko fell to his knees and closed his eyes as he felt a sudden urge of worry and overwhelming panic sweep over him. He felt like that something, or someone was hurt, and hurt badly. He then suddenly started gasping for air, and right there, Dot knelt down and placed a hand on Yakko's shoulder. Yakko immediately looked up at her, and right then, Dot saw that he had a scared look on his face, and it was one that she, nor Wakko never seen before. Dot then studied Yakko's eyes.
"Yakk? What is it?" Dot asked suddenly, a serious look of concern evident on her face.
Yakko suddenly gulped, then he spoke. "I-it's… it's, Wakko. And… sis… he's hurt, and badly."
Dot immediately gasped and placed a hand on Yakko's face. Then she suddenly realized what Yakko meant by what he felt.
Dot then breathed in deeply.
"The bad dream he had the other night… Yakk, it was a foreshadow. We gotta go find him. And now!"
And right there, Dot immediately buried her head into Yakko's shoulder and sobbed into it. Yakko then closed his eyes and rubbed Dot's back. He now knew why Wakko had been coughing and gasping for air in his sleep the other night, and Yakko realized that Wakko had a premonition. He immediately started sobbing alongside Dot also as they hoped that Wakko would survive whatever predicament he was in.
2:40 pm…
Sergeant Fontana and the Unit had just placed on their police uniforms when the Unit's leader got a call. He immediately picked it up and realized that it was Jasper and Rachel calling again. He immediately answered it.
"LAPD. Thirty-second District Intelligence Unit. Sergeant Fontana speaking."
Jasper—who was on the other line—immediately spoke.
"Liam, you gotta listen to me. Both you, my wife, Chase, and Washington were right. It's Cortez that's behind the sabotaging. He's doing it to lure the Warners in to him. And I think that he already did something bad to Wakko. Liam, please? I'm not kidding around."
Fontana continued on listening to Kell as he spoke from the other line. As soon as the private investigator was done telling him everything he knew, he hung up on Fontana. The Intelligence leader then stormed out of his office and into the bullpen. He then immediately pointed a finger at Detective Chase.
"Dol, you're in charge until I come back. Oh, and one more thing, whoever's the first person to arrest Bartholomew Cortez will be my second in command of the Unit."
Immediately, Washington, Lopez, and Chaney all lept out of their seats. Chase and Layton only looked on. And right there, both Chase and Layton did not like the fact that their immediate boss had all of a sudden done what he was doing. Chase immediately walked over to Fontana.
"Sarge, where are you going?" Chase asked him very calmly.
Fontana immediately scowled at Chase.
"You're really asking me… your boss, where I'm going!?"
Chase gave Fontana a cold stare.
"I'm just wanting to know. I just don't want to have the Unit disbanded because of something stupid that you did, that's all."
Fontana only shook his head.
"If you have forgotten Chase! Someone's little brother is missing! Missing! So don't you dare question my authority! You do what you do, and I'll do what I do! Copy!?"
Chase immediately nodded his head. "Copy."
Then as quickly as he stormed out of his office—and without saying another word—Fontana stormed down the stairs of the bullpen. And nobody else knew it at the time, but Fontana had secretly gotten word of Domhler's whereabouts, and from a'reliable' source.
Later on…
Jasper and Rachel had gotten permission from the LAPD to join in the search for Wakko. And they, as of currently, were with the 32nd District Intelligence Unit—minus Sergeant Fontana. As Rachel wondered where Fontana was, she couldn't help but think about Wakko. She wondered if he was even alive at this point. As she and Jasper were with their friends from LAPD, she happened to notice that they were at the WB studio lot. And soon enough, she found out that they were at Cortez's RV. Chase suddenly conducted a plan to arrest Bartholomew Cortez. As they all listened in to Chase's plan, they all agreed to it. And soon enough, Chase and the team found themselves surrounding the perimeter of Cortez's RV. And suddenly, Layton announced his office, then he busted down the door. Then the team made their way in and sure enough, they found Bartholomew Cortez, sitting on the couch of his RV. Chaney immediately snatched him up and pressed him against the wall.
"What the heck!? What's the meaning of this!?" Cortez shouted.
Jasper immediately gave him a look of false hurt, and fake emotional pain.
I guess that Dottie's acting lessons really paid off.
"Bart, I trusted you. How could you do this? Don't you know that Wakko has been abducted, and all because of you?"
Cortez immediately looked shocked. "What?"
Lopez looked at him. "Save your breath for the attorney, because you're gonna need one."
Chaney then placed Cortez's hands behind his back and cuffed him—but only after making sure Cortez didn't have anything on him.
"Bartholomew Cortez; you are under arrest for connection to a quad triple toon murder. And you're also being charged with being an accomplice with the abduction of Wakko Warner, and amongst other charges. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do will be held against you in a court of law. You also have a right to an attorney. And if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you."
Jasper immediately rushed over to Cortez, and before the film director knew it, Jasper whispered into his ear…
"If there's anything you taught me; it's to be a good actor. Just play with it. It was your son, Jori, who called the shots. Once this flys over, they'll let you walk. Just act like you know something about this whole thing."
Cortez immediately shook his head. Chaney immediately gave both Jasper and Rachel a thumbs up. He—and his teammates knew that this was just an act. They needed Jori Cortez—the real saboteur—to confess to being the one responsible for the murders of multiple unheard toon stars, and the abduction of Wakko Warner. Cortez smiled slightly as he saw Rachel, and immediately, he winked an eye at Jasper, who only gave him a thumbs up.
Meanwhile, somewhere in LA…
Sergeant Fontana had found out about where Kenneth Domhler was. And as of now, Fontana found himself at an abandoned storage unit. He was currently walking towards a empty shed that was used back in the day for tools. Fontana immediately walked in the shed and soon enough, found out that Domhler was here. He heard a funky song on a speaker blaring off.
Oh, what perfect timing!
Fontana immediately walked over to the Bluetooth speaker, and immediately saw that a toon gun was sitting right next to the speaker. Fontana immediately took the gun off the surface that it was sitting on. Then he turned the Bluetooth speaker off. And immediately, Kenneth Domhler turned himself around and saw that he was face to face with a LAPD cop. And this cop had a cold, dark scowl on his face. This cop was none other than Liam Fontana!
Domhler immediately tried to run for the other door to escape, then he yelled as he felt his Bluetooth speaker hit him in the back. Then he heard Sergeant Fontana yell…
"Kenneth Domhler?" Fontana hissed.
"There's no way for you to escape! I bolted the door shut from the outside! The only way you're out of here is if you tell me where the hell a certain toony puppy child is at!"
Domhler immediately scoffed at Fontana.
"Ha! Even if I did tell you where that stupid toony kid's at, you'll be too late. So come on and make me old man!"
Fontana immediately stormed over to Domhler, and before the young man had the chance to react, the Sergeant slugged him, making Domhler fall to the ground.
"Really now? I think that you will tell me where he is!"
Domhler scoffed again. "Make me! Do what you're gonna do to me! Do it!"
Fontana immediately kicked Domhler right in the stomach.
"No! I ain't gonna kill you! I need you to tell me! And yes! You are gonna most certainly tell me where Wakko Ryan Warner is! And I want the truth now! Tell me! Where's Wakko Ryan Warner!?"
Domhler scoffed a third time. "If you really want to find him; then you better get to it before it's too late!"
Fontana immediately slugged him again, hitting his face.
"What do you mean by that I'll be too late!?" The Sergeant snapped.
Domhler suddenly smirked wickedly.
"By the time you and your Unit find him, he'll be dead! So what's the point of telling you about his whereabouts?"
Fontana immediately kicked him again.
"You're beginning to be a pain in my neck Domhler! You better not tell me that he's dead! Is he!? Hmmm?"
Domhler scoffed again. "Too late old man! I shot him! I heard him say something about his baby sister and older brother! And I shot him! I shot Wakko Warner!"
Immediately, Fontana snatched Domhler off the ground and right then, he pinned him to the wall of the shed. And right there, Fontana took out his service pistol and pointed it right at Domhler's head.
"You shot him!? How dare you! You piece of filth! Tell me where Warner's at! Now!"
Oh boy! Somebody's up the creek! And it ain't Fontana! It's Domhler! How do you feel about the ending to this chapter of Here and Now? Let me know…
God bless all this holiday season!
JalcoFox.