Part Twelve
He knew with every fiber of his being that it was Poplar who was responsible for the killing but the Security Chief inside Ezra Standish refused to let him abandon the laws of due process. He had no proof other than a suspicion and as much anger and horror he felt inwardly at the loss of Julia Pemberton, Ezra knew he had to be absolutely certain before he confronted the man. Part of him wondered why he was taking such precaution when everything in this place was nothing but a fake, reproduction created by an entity to amuse itself. Why should he care about being so exact when everything here was an illusion? Because Julia's death was no illusion and if he murdered Poplar in cold blood, that would be no illusion either.
Once the man had disappeared from their midst, Ezra regarded his companions. For the moment, Nathan was conducting his examinations on the body of Julia Pemberton and Ezra would prefer to leave him to his work until he was ready to submit his findings. As emotionally restrained as he was, even Ezra could not promise that he would not crumble if he was forced to look at that life form again. As it is, he was numb inside. The pain he felt had turned the rest of him to stone and would remain so until he was allowed to mourn her.
"Commander," Ezra glanced at Alex. "I think it would be best if you spoke to people around town about Mr. Poplar's whereabouts this morning. I will wager a year's pay that he did not see or talk to anyone."
"Alright," Alex nodded, understanding his need for confirmation even though she too craved vengeance for Julia's death. The chief engineer was a friend and Alex was highly protective of the few she had. Seeing Julia's death mask had been all to stark a reminder of some of the injuries she had suffered when she had been a captive of the Cardassians. "Shall I be discreet?"
"No." Ezra said coolly.
"No?" Josiah looked at the Security Chief. "Isn't it smart not to overplay our hand?"
Ezra who knew better than anyone how a play was to be made shook his head slightly. "I do not wish Commander Styles to be discreet. If he is innocent then he should have no reason to fear her interrogation of the good citizens of this community. If he has reason to fear then provocation is what we need to see if we are right."
"It may also engender a violent response." Josiah pointed out. "You should not underestimate just how desperate the half of him that kills will be to continue, even if he wants to be caught."
"I underestimate nothing." Ezra said softly, images of Julia's bruised face flashing in his mind as he spoke.
Josiah saw his expression and deciphered immediately what it was he was thinking of and felt mortified by his insensitivity. "Ezra, I'm sorry…"he started to stay but the security chief merely shrugged of the apology as he did everything since Julia's death.
"It is quite alright, Counselor." Ezra replied and returned his gaze to Alex once more. "Commander, if you would so please?"
Alex nodded and came forward enough to give Ezra a little squeeze on his shoulder. "We'll catch him Ezra," she replied confidently. "He'll pay for what he did."
Ezra responded to her efforts with a slight nod before pulling away. Alex took this as a sign to proceed and left them, striding towards the direction of the saloon where her own investigations into Poplar's whereabouts today would begin. It seemed the logical choice because the saloons in small town like this were the hub of information. There was not much that went on in Four Corners that escaped the eyes of its patrons and if Poplar had been genuine in his inquiries, then they would know about it.
Ezra watched her go, commending her secretly on her choice. If he had been in charge of the task she had been given, Ezra would have started there himself.
"What are we going to do?" Josiah asked.
"You my friend are going back to your church." Ezra instructed. "I am uncertain of whether or not Poplar suspects we believe him to be the killer, chances are good that he does. If that is the case, then the only way he can be certain of leaving Four Corners is to ensure that someone else is implicated for the crime. Since he has already made it clear that you are the prime suspect, then I see no reason why he would change that tactic. He needs someone to hang if he is to leave town and I am certain he intends that someone to be yourself."
Josiah shuddered inwardly while at the same thing thinking what a fine Counselor Ezra would have made, had he chosen to go into the practice. The security chief's insight into the minds of those around him would have made him quite an exceptional one.
"If you think that it is best that I stay put, I'll do that." Josiah complied. "What are you going to do?"
"I will be following Mr. Poplar around ensuring that he does not attempt to abscond." Ezra replied tautly.
Josiah nodded although he almost wished Poplar would leave Four Corners, because the attempt would prove most decisively that he was the murderer they sought.
From inside their hiding place, Billy Travis started to develop the strange idea that perhaps this was not a game. He watched with increasing horror the trials that his friends were being subjected to and with the death of Julia Pemberton, was splashed with the cold water of realisation. Watching someone he cared for, whom he remembered for her kindness when she allowed him to roam about her Engineering Deck being battered to death was not something he wanted to relive anytime soon. In fact, he would be carrying that memory around with him for a very long time indeed.
When this had all began, it seemed like so much fun and it was. He had found a new friend who seemed just as neglected and forgotten as he was. Quinn had listened to his stories about Chris and the others avidly and when the boy had brought forward this holodeck reality for them to watch closely the activities of the captain and the others, it had been fun because Billy had believed none of it was real. Yet Julia's death was very real and the grief being felt by Ezra Standish and the rest of the Senior Staff was equally real.
It had been fun watching Chris fight Top Hat Bob and rather surprising to see how his mother handled the nasty Mr. Wickes. He had no idea that his mother could be so resourceful. He had only thought that Commander Styles could fight like that and wondered briefly, what else his mother could do that he knew nothing about. However, when Poplar turned up on the scene, it was very evident that the man was not fun. In fact what he was, was terrifying. Even though Billy looked young by the standards of human children, he was still Vulcan and far more developed. Billy could not understand why Quinn had elected to add Poplar to the stable of Magnificent Seven villains but it was clear that the man was far more dangerous than any gun-totting criminal that had so far been dispatched.
"Quinn." Billy turned to the young boy who was watching Ezra's surveillance of Mr. Poplar avidly. "Why did you kill Julia?" He demanded angrily.
"I wanted to know what it was to die." Quinn answered innocently, unable to comprehend what it was that was upsetting his new friend. "You spoke about how every creature in the universe lives or dies and wanted to know why."
"You don't learn by making someone die!" Billy cried exasperated unable to believe that Quinn could not understand this and feeling some measure of guilt because he was the one who had explained it to the boy. "She's not really dead is she?" He asked after a moment, praying perhaps that this was a part of the simulation, that Julia was not really gone.
"Of course she is," Quinn retorted. "I can't learn anything unless its real."
"You got to make this stop!" Billy cried out, realizing now that not only Julia could die, everyone including his mother could fall prey to the same fate as the Chief Engineer. The idea that his mother could disappear from his life as surely as his father had was too much for Billy. When his father had died, Billy wanted to die too. He had been unable to imagine anything worse than going through life without the strong male influence who had always managed to make him feel safe. Until Chris Larabee had entered his life, Billy had not realized how much of a void Syan's death had left in him. However, nothing could replace the vortex of despair that would exist inside of him if anything happened to his mother.
His mother made everything bearable. She dried his tears and told him it was no great sin to be different. No matter how lonely he was, or how isolated he felt from other children, he could not always rely on her to hold him in her warm arms and make all the fear and pain disappear into a far distant place where he could tolerate it. If she were gone, Billy knew that he could not go on without her. He refused to and if Quinn did not understand what death was because he had never experienced it, he could unwillingly take Billy's mother without even realizing what kind of torment he would be inflicting.
"Why?" Quinn looked at him strangely, unable to understand why Billy was upset. "I thought we were having fun."
"We're not having fun when people die, Quinn!" Billy retorted. "That's not fun at all. I want this to stop before any one else gets hurt."
"I want to play still." Quinn said defiantly, his lip curling up into a little bit of a pout. "I want to see them fight some more."
"I told you to make it stop!" Billy declared, unaware of what he was dealing with and thus having no fears of trying a more direct way of getting through the boy. Grabbing Quinn by the collar, Billy started shaking Quinn hard. His new found friend had no idea how to deal with physical confrontation and did not fight, not until Billy's small fist met his jaw. Reflexively, Quinn reacted and a flash of light followed sending Billy into the air before he landed hard on the ground.
"You struck me." Quinn looked at him confused. "Why?" He touched his cheek as if studying all aspects of being hit.
"Because you're hurting people!" Billy shouted.
"No, I'm not," Quinn shook his head with a little smile. "I'm just playing."
Not caring that he could be hurt almost as badly as those he was trying to save, Billy got up and lunged at Quinn again.
Josiah Sanchez entered his church and stopped short.
There was little else he could do when he saw the sight that awaited him once he stepped into its hallowed walls again. The signs of violence that was left behind in the wake of Julia's death was an affront to what the place was meant to symbolize and Josiah felt his outrage flare even more than it already had with that realisation. He proceeded down the walkway between the pews, studying everything closely. No doubt, Ezra would look at this and ascertain in an instant how events had played out with the clues left behind.
It was obvious by the presence of the evidence before him that what took place here had been unexpected. No doubt, the site had been chosen in order to implicate him and since he knew that he was suspect to no one by Silas Poplar, Ezra finally had the proof he wanted. Still, Josiah did not know whether or not it was wise bringing the security chief to see this especially since his hold on his restraint was tenuous enough as it is. Unfortunately, Josiah could see no way around it Ezra would resent it if he thought that they were trying to spare his feelings.
Josiah stepped into the centre of the crime scene, letting his eyes take in the sight of the blood on the floor, its crimson viscosity seeping slowly into the wood, leaving a stain that no amount of scrubbing could ever do. Josiah saw the shredded remains of rope, covered in blood where it no doubt had rubbed skin raw as its wearer tried desperately to escape. The evidence of the blood sparked something else in Josiah's thoughts and suddenly, the Counselor found himself retreating from what he found. He hurried towards the door and went to find Alex.
It did not take him long to find Alex who was presently at the bar of the Standish Tavern, the establishment owned by the gambler who rode with the Magnificent Seven, the character played by Ezra with such perfection at times. Although he knew he should have brought his thought to Ezra first, Josiah had Alex was capable of keeping a cooler head unless of course it involved a Cardassian Gul who had once been in charge of a rape camp.
Alex was standing at the counter, talking to the pretty young barmaid who ran the Tavern. She was in the midst of some rather important discussion Josiah noticed as he approached, when suddenly he noticed a large burly man approaching the two women. Judging by the stagger in the man's walk, Josiah guessed that he was suitably drunk and the leer on his face as he eyed Alex told the Counselor what was on his mind.
"Ladies ain't allowed in the saloon." The man broke into the conversation between Alex and the barmaid with a slur.
Alex offered the man a sidelong glance before returning to her discussion regarding Poplar's whereabouts, choosing to ignore him rather than be bated. Apparently, Poplar had taken a room in one of the lodging houses in town and the barmaid was knowledgeable enough to know which one it was and had no difficulty furnishing it when Alex explained why it was needed. Buck had programmed the character to exhibit all the traits that made Inez Recillos such a respected member of the Maverick even though she was not Starfleet.
"I said," the man repeated himself, his drawl and slur becoming more exaggerated when he realized he had been disregarded as little more than a nuisance. "Ladies ain't allowed in here."
Alex took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Look, I don't want any trouble. I'm here for some information. Now why don't you go sleep it off?" She said politely. The barmaid was similarly poised to react, her features becoming hard as her hands disappeared behind the counter.
"Ladies ain't allowed," he said with a sneer, "unless they're whores."
"I see." Alex nodded and then turned away when suddenly, she swung around and threw a road house punch square into the man's nose. The squelch of snapping bone followed a cry of pain as she grabbed his disorientated head and slammed it hard onto the counter top, knocking out whatever resistance that was left inside him at remaining conscience. He slumped to the floor wordlessly and Alex looked over her shoulder at the other men in the room, who were staring at her with wide eyed astonishment.
"Anybody else got a problem with me being here?" She asked sweetly.
Silence followed.
"I didn't think so," she replied and faced front again.
Josiah could not suppress the smile that stole across his face when he reached the two woman and gave Alex a look which bordered on disapproval and amusement.
"What?" Alex shrugged innocently.
"Nevermind," Josiah shook his head and remembered that he was here on serious matters, even if Alex's behavior did allow him to forget that momentarily. "I just came from my church. It looks like Julia was killed there."
"What?" Alex exclaimed softly, feeling her insides knot. "How do you know?"
"I found blood and rope." He answered. "I think she was killed there to implicate me."
Alex was already embarking upon that course. It made perfect sense that Julia would have been killed in Josiah's church when Poplar was trying to implicate him for the murders. If not for the fact that she and Ezra could vouch for the Counselors whereabouts, those who sat in judgment would have every reason to believe that it was true. However, Poplar had not counted on Josiah having an alibi and thus in turn had left the stain of guilt very firmly on himself. Only someone who was as verbal as Poplar had been that Josiah had been responsible could have planted the evidence. No one else in Four Cornerssuspected the preacher, only Poplar.
"We better find Ezra, where is he?" She asked.
"He's tailing Poplar, making sure that the man don't run out of town." Josiah replied. "I actually came to find you because I've got an idea."
"What sort of idea?" Alex stared.
"We know Poplar committed the crime but we couldn't prove it until now." The Counselor began. "What I saw in my church gave me an idea. Now there was blood, lots of it."
"Obviously," the science officer nodded. "She was beaten up badly. If we didn't know her previously, none of us would have recognized her as Julia."
"I know," Josiah nodded grimly. "But I was also thinking that for that kind of damage and for so much blood to spilled, Poplar must have been pretty soiled in it himself."
Alex began to catch on to what Josiah was alluding to. "You mean that he must have changed his clothes at some point today so that no one would suspect. During the fighting with Bob he would have just enough time to leave the body in the street and get back to his hotel to change. With everyone keeping their heads down to avoid being shot, he could have gotten off the street before anyone notices."
"That's right," Josiah answered. "Which means he would not have much time before we saw him to wash those clothes or dispose of it. He can't launder it without raising suspicion and I don't think he'd be stupid enough to risk being seen while throwing them away. I think that he's arrogant enough to believe that no one would suspect him that he would wait until it was safe to take care of that problem."
Alex's eyes flared in understanding and she immediately pushed her self of the stool she had been seated on. She noticed the man whom she attacked earlier on was still on the floor and gathered that he would be there for some time, judging by the blood pooling down his face and the slight bubbles of spittle he produced as he continued to doze in his unconscious state. "We need to find Ezra," Alex stated.
"Let Ezra do what he's doing," Josiah instructed. "We don't want Poplar getting out of town, not when we finally have the evidence to prove he's the murderer."
"I hear you." Alex nodded. "He's got a room in the lodging house across the street." Alex glanced past the patrons of the saloon to the dusty street outside. "If you're right, we'll find his soiled clothes there and then we'll have him."
"That would make me feel better," Josiah confessed. "Ezra's riding the edge of control as it is. I can see how badly he wants revenge and there will come a time when he won't be able to stop himself."
"I don't see that we should stop him Josiah," Alex replied as they both started out of the establishment. "Poplar's a monster. He's killed women long before we got here and if we don't do anything to stop him, he'll be doing it long after he leaves here. Due process may take a battering but at least its better than a bunch of innocent women who would die if he were to go free."
Josiah guessed she might be right and more than anyone, she knew what it was to have great injustice inflicted upon her as Ezra had been in losing Julia. However, it was not Poplar that held his worry the most.
It was Ezra.