Wilbur walked up to the witness stand. Judge Owlsen wanted him to provide the interrogation. If Bert was going to do it, it would probably end up looking like mudslinging on Cyril.

"Please state your name," Wilbur said.

"Sophia Sneer," Sophia replied.

"How long have you known the defendant?"

"I met him when he was going to build his skating rink over the lake, but I can't recall how long ago that was."

"What was his first reaction to you?"

"Well, I don't think he cares for me much. But I have to admit, the feeling is slightly mutual. Mr. Sneer is not a very easy person to like."

That happened to be true, and Cyril knew it.

"How long have you been married to Cedric Sneer?" Wilbur asked.

"About eleven months," Sophia said. "Almost a year."

"And you've been living in the Sneer mansion since then?"

"Yes. Except for a few days after our son, Forest, was five months old. Forest got into some of Mr. Sneer's paper work, and then he kicked us out."

"Please give us your account of what happened between seven thirty and nine thirty PM on the night in question."

Sophia took a deep breath. This was the part she had been dreading. The part she never wanted to think about again, but she knew she had to. She knew the truth had to come out.

"Well," she said. "Cedric, Ralph, Melissa, and Bert had just left to go to a baseball game, and Mr. Sneer went into his office to get some work done. I took Forest into the kitchen, and fed him, and then I put him to bed. Forest was okay for about an hour and a half or so, but I heard him whimpering around nine o' clock that night, so I went back into the nursery to calm him down, and try to get him off to sleep. As I was doing that, Mr. Sneer's friend, Mr. Morales, came into the room. He called me a young, hot chick, and then said that Cedric was nothing but a nerd, and that he was twice the man Cedric was. I tried to fight him off, but I couldn't."

"What happened then?" Wilbur asked.

"Mr. Morales grabbed me and said that he always got what he wanted. Next thing I knew, Forest threw his bottle at Mr. Morales, and Mr. Morales turned his attention towards Forest. I couldn't let him hurt my baby, so I got up, and just started to hit him in the shoulder. Then he grabbed me again, and threw me into the wall. He told me to stay out of his way or else I could get hurt, and then he said 'or worse yet, your baby could get hurt.' I should have backed off then and there, but I didn't. I went after him."

"What made you go after him?"

"I just felt that I couldn't let him get away with threatening Forest like that. I tried to grab him, but he ended up grabbing me, and he tried to force me into another room, but I managed to get away from him."

Sophia's voice caught in her throat just then. This was the worst part of the story, she remembered. It wasn't easy for her to talk about it.

"Then I lost my balance, and fell down the stairs, and he came down afterwards," she continued, wiping a few stray tears from her eyes. "I struggled, but Mr. Morales just wouldn't let up. Then he pulled a baseball bat out of the hall closet, and was about to hit me with it. I just screamed. That's when Mr. Sneer came in."

"What did he do when he saw Mr. Morales with the bat?"

"He told Mr. Morales to get out of the house. He took the baseball bat, and threatened to hit him with it."

"Did Mr. Sneer hit Mr. Morales with the bat?"

"I don't know. I didn't see. But I did hear the bat hit the vase and I heard it crash to the floor. And then Mr. Morales was gone. Mr. Sneer then put his hand on my shoulder and told me that he was gone, and that he wasn't coming back, but I was just too afraid to believe him. Then he said 'what am I going to do with you,' and that's when I heard Cedric come in."

"Why didn't you come forward with this before Mr. Sneer was arrested?"

"I was afraid that no one would believe me, or that Mr. Sneer put me up to saying that he didn't do it."

"That is all."

Wilbur went back to his desk. Sophia stood up and started out of the witness stand, but she was a little shaky from retelling her living nightmare. Cedric ran over to her, and guided her over to the desk he was sitting at.

"In light of this new evidence," Judge Owlsen said. "The jury will meet again and come up with a new verdict."

Judge Owlsen banged his gavel on the desk. Cyril was coming close to biting his nails. This was probably going to be the most nerve wracking time of his life. After what seemed like an eternity, the jury finally emerged.

"We've reached a verdict, your honor," the head of it said. "We find the defendant, Cyril Sneer . . . . ."

Cyril began to look nervous. He couldn't stand the anticipation. He was worried that the jury would still find him guilty.

"Not guilty," the jury said.

Cyril felt like a cement mixer had been lifted from his shoulders. He had never been so relieved in his entire life.

"I told you I was innocent," he said to Bert.

"Okay, okay," Bert said. "I'm sorry."

"Come on, let's go," Ralph said. "Maybe things will start to get back to normal around here now."

That seemed like a good idea. Everyone left the courtroom and went back to their own homes.

A week went by, and everything seemed to go back to normal. Sophia's bruises were fading, and she was no longer trying to hide her appearance. She was out in the front yard with Forest one day. Cedric and Cyril were trying to tune up Cyril's car, when who, of all people, should drive up but Silas Morales.

"Hey Cyril ol' pal," he said. "What's up? Fixing your wheels?"

"Didn't I tell you to get out of here?" Cyril asked.

"You did," Silas admitted. "But I decided to let bygones be bygones, and let Sophia and you apologize for the way you treated me."

"Us apologize to you?!"

Cyril just stared at Silas. He looked at Cedric and motioned for him to go inside. Cedric got the drift right away.

"Come on, Sophia," he said. "Let's take Forest inside and put him down for a nap."

"Good idea," Sophia said, as she and Cedric practically ran inside the mansion.

Cyril was practically fuming. Silas just sat there and acted as if nothing was wrong.

"Just who do you think you are?!" Cyril shouted. "You come here showing off from the start, and then you get fresh with my son's wife, and when she doesn't cooperate with you, you beat her up, and then leave me holding the bag! I'll have you know that the way you left me there, it looked like I was the one who attacked Sofa Girl!"

"Hey, you were the one who told me to get out of town," Silas said with a shrug. "They'd probably think you did it anyway, considering you don't even like the chick, and the fact that you're nothing but a liar anyway."

Silas climbed out of his car and turned towards Cyril.

"I can't help it that I'm better than you in every way," he said.

"I don't even know why we were friends to begin with," Cyril grumbled. "I have a good mind to kick your tail out of town!"

"Why don't you try it, old man? I'll have you know that you're no match for me."

"You're right. I am not match for you. But are you no match for my dog?"

Silas gave Cyril a funny look. Cyril whistled, and Snag came around the bend, looking fierce, as usual. He growled, and began racing for Silas.

"Uhh, what kind of dog is he, Cyril?" Silas asked, a little nervously.

"He's a Bluepoint Ridgeback Retriever," Cyril said, calmly. "And one who's all muscle, and all mouth!"

"All mouth?"

Before Silas could go any farther, Snag ran up, and promptly bit him in the leg as hard as he could.

CHOMP!

"YEEOUCH!" Silas shouted, as Snag sunk in, and wouldn't let go for anything. "Get him off me, Cyril! Get him off!"

"I don't know," Cyril said. "Snag does need a new chew toy."

"Come on, Cyril! Buddy! Pal! I'll do anything!"

"Anything?"

"Anything! You name it, I'll do it!"

"Get out of town and don't you ever come back to the Evergreen Forest again. If you do, Snag will be waiting for you."

"Yeah, sure," Silas shouted. "Out of town! Right! No problem! I think I'll head for Bermuda! Bye!"

Snag leg go of Silas, and the aardvark promptly dove into his car and drove off as fast as he could. Cyril laughed as he went. Cedric and Sophia came out of the house, applauding. They had seen the whole thing through the front window.

"That was great, Pop," Cedric said.

"Yeah, I knew Snag's temperament was good for something," Cyril said.

And with that, Cyril and Cedric continued to work on Cyril's car, as Sophia sat down on the front steps to watch them. Everything was finally starting to get back to normal.

The End