Hello everybody! Here's a new chapter for you all to read after making you wait for like almost a month. I'm real sorry that you had to wait this long. To be perfectly honest, I was dealing with a lot of stress from college, so much so that I actually fell into a thankfully minor depression moment. It lasted for like about a couple of weeks, but it's now past and I'm back to doing what I love most, writing stories for you people to read.
Anyway, I feel like I kind of set myself up for a lot of hardships when I started writing about the LK-9 Incident segment of this story. There's hardly any evidence of concrete nature that points to the real truth of the matter, and things are so scattered that Sonic and the gang are trying so desperately to piece together into the coveted truth. And then there was the last chapter where Vector nearly cost all of them the trial were it not for the sudden yet well timed appearance of Salemand. Boy, can things get any worse for me as the writer? I swear; this mystery might actually get the better of me if the end doesn't come into view soon.
But yeah, that's enough of my uninteresting mumblings. Please don't forget to leave a review before you move onto the next story that you want to read. They are always very helpful whether they are just encouragement or constructive criticism. Until the next update to this or one of my other stories on this site everybody!
Evidence:
Attorney's Badge: Sonic's badge proving that he's a genuine defense attorney. Ever since getting tied into a murder because of him losing it, he's since taken precautions to make sure that it stays secured within the inside of his gloves.
Pistol: The weapon that was recovered at the Mobius Dock. The ballistic markings on the bullet extracted from Ms. Mae's body matches to the gun. Signs show that it was fired twice. It also bears Shadow's fingerprints. It also appears that this also used in the LK-9 Incident as the weapon to have murdered Maria Robotnik.
Letter: A piece of mail found in the lighthouse basement and brought by Knuckles from the forensics department. The contents seem to indicate that Mr. Pryce had some kind of connection to the perpetrators of the LK-9 Incident. While a handwriting analysis is desirable, it's impossible to conduct because of a lack of comparison to a specific individual.
Picture: a photograph given to Sonic by Knuckles who had received it from Salemand Eres. It shows a picture of a white-furred lion with occasional blue spots on all fours like a wild animal and looking at the camera and smiling. Amazingly, his face looks almost child-like despite his rather strong-looking body. It's clear that he has the rare genetic disorder Feralisis Syndrome.
LK-9 Case File: A case file summarizing all the information gathered by police and detectives at the height of the LK-9 Incident. A copy of the file was given to Sonic and Tails by Vector in hopes that it would help them obtain the answers they seek about the case. Just before the trial began, it was discovered that both the paper and digital forms were destroyed. Vector's and Silver's official copies are the only two left to exist.
Vector's Account: Testimony recorded by Tails and detailing what Vector saw in the courthouse lounge on the day of Knuckles' acquittal. He said he saw Mephiles entering the lounge for the first time in his entire career and watching over Sonic's case. He then said the old prosecutor left the room after hearing Shadow exclaim that Ace be held in protective custody.
Notes: Notes taken by Tails depicting what he, Sonic, and Silver had discussed regarding possible connections with Sonic's cases and the LK-9 Incident. It's speculated that all the murderers in the previous cases were orchestrated by one mastermind who seems to be in some kind of smuggling ring.
Case Summary File: A file found in the LK-9 Case File that summarizes the scene of the crime. The crime took place that the Mobius Dock's lighthouse that was then a business called "Prycey Seafood". It was owned by three people; two of them were Lois and Maxwell Pryce who owned a lesser percentage of the business. An unnamed third person had owned a majority of the business before it closed upon being a spotlight of a murder.
Witness List: A list of witness found in the LK-9 Case File. According to the list, there were four potential witnesses to the murder. Two of them were Max and Lois Pryce and have been recorded as supplying witness statements to the police. The third person was Salemand Eres who appears to have been working at the Prycey Seafood at the time, although Shadow states that he was merely working undercover then. A fourth person, the third owner of the business, was kept anonymous for some reason and had his wish to refuse to testify be granted.
Victims' Report: A report that supplies basic details of the victims of the LK-9 case. One of them was a senior detective by the name of Charles Hedgehog, Sonic's uncle. The second victim was a defense attorney called Maria Robotnik, Shadow's good friend and apparently a relative of Dr. Robotnik.
Charles' Autopsy Report: Charles was found dead with a single strike to the head with a blunt object. The bruises covering his body and on his fists show that he was in a fight prior to dying. The murder weapon has never been recovered.
Maria's Autopsy Report: Maria was found dead with a single gunshot wound to her head. The bullet was shot at point blank range and went straight through her skull. The entry wound was from the back and exited the front. There were no signs of any struggle.
Written Statement: A statement written by the fourth anonymous witness in the LK-9 case. They speak of how they can't be a suspect because of having performed important business elsewhere. The person also hints that they might have some kind of connection at the time with the local Precinct. The handwriting seemingly matches with that on the Letter and hints that this witness might have something to do with the previous case.
Bullet: The bullet that was found lodged in a wall after killing Maria Robotnik. It was proven five years ago through ballistic testing that it was fired from the Pistol that was used once again on Prosecutor Flora Mae.
Diagram: Floor plans that show the interior of the lighthouse five years ago when it was still known as "Prycey Seafood". Vector has written in a red sharpie on it the path Maria took upon entering the lighthouse. She first went to the bookshelf on the other side of the foyer before making her way to the office and then back where she was ultimately killed.
Statements: Statements made by Sonic and friends five years ago about their kidnapping ordeal. All four said the same thing and that they were blindfolded when they entered the lighthouse. They felt themselves going downstairs and were then left in a pitch black and windowless room. However, detectives failed to find said room. That and they were ultimately discovered on the lighthouse second floor, so the statements were thus considered useless and shuffled away.
Profiles:
Sonic Hedgehog: He's a seventeen-year-old cobalt hedgehog who has taken upon himself to act as the defense for the LK-9 Incident despite the clear lack of a defendant. He wishes to obtain more information on the case in its last day of legal life and to try solving it.
Miles Prower: A twelve-year-old two tailed fox who likes to go by his nickname "Tails" and is now working at the Robotnik Law Firm as their local detective. He's now working alongside Sonic in an attempt to find answers that lie hidden within the LK-9 Incident.
Knuckles Echidna: An eighteen-year-old red echidna who is a detective at the local Precinct and now watching the proceedings of the LK-9 trial. He delivered the evidence from the LK-9 Incident to Vector after learning of someone destroying both the electronic and paper versions of the case file.
Salemand Eres: A twenty-six-year-old ebon black cat who's looking for his missing brother. As revealed by Vector, he is a member of Interpol currently on an assigned mission in Mobius. His real name is unknown to all except Vector. It has been proven that he was at the scene of the LK-9 murders five years ago and thus has been called to court to testify.
Shadow Hedgehog: An eighteen-year-old ebon furred hedgehog who became a prosecutor at sixteen in a country that allowed bar exams at younger ages. He has been cleared of murder and is now overlooking the case from the gallery to see what new details will surface during the trial regarding the LK-9 Incident.
Silver Hedgehog: A nineteen-year-old silver furred hedgehog who is the country's youngest Senior Detective. He has taken it upon himself to testify to the courts as if he were one of the detectives from the initial investigation of the LK-9 Incident.
Mephiles: A sixty-five year old veteran prosecutor whose ruthlessness is well known both inside and out of the courtroom. If not trying to leave a strong impression in all his cases, he expects nothing but obedience and cooperation from the officers and detectives overlooking the collection of evidence in the cases he's working on. He's known to get any officer or detective who dared to defy his direct orders in trouble with the Precinct. For unknown reasons, he has chosen to refuse to preside over the LK-9 trial.
Vector Crocodile: A twenty-three-year old local prosecutor who is friends with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles as well as Shadow's coworker. He has decided to continue with his work as a freelance detective along with Charmy Bee despite the conviction of his friend and partner Espio that caused shadows about the integrity of his work that soon quickly dissipated. He has also taken it upon himself to oversee the LK-9 Incident as a prosecutor.
Leukis Kruger: Salemand's twenty-one-year-old younger albino lion brother who has been afflicted with the rare genetic disorder Feralisis Syndrome. He is apparently a member of Interpol with his name simply a code name. According to Salemand, he has been missing for a few days. As accidentally revealed by Vector, his real name is actually Leon.
Charles Hedgehog: Sonic's uncle with greyish blue fur who was once a resourceful and reliable senior detective down at the local precinct. Because of the events from five years ago, he became an unfortunate victim of what is now known as the LK-9 Incident.
Maria Robotnik: Shadow's good friend with beautifully long blond hair who was once a defense attorney. She apparently has some relations to Dr. Robotnik. Because of the events from five years ago, she became an unfortunate victim of what is now known as the LK-9 Incident.
Ace Sleuth: A former Senior Detective who was jailed for the murder of his fiancee. He was then sent to a secluded safe house courtesy of Shadow upon discovering he had some connections with the LK-9 Incident. However, some unknown person discovered where he was hiding and killed him. An anonymous note sent to the Precinct telling officers about the murder seems to have been written by the mysterious fourth witness and thus implicates him for the murder.
Chapter 31: The LK-9 Case Turnabout Pt. 4
"…So you are the elusive witness that the prosecution has been having trouble getting to come and testify," the Judge responded once he recovered from the shock at Salemand's sudden appearance. It had also taken him quite a bit of effort to quell the chaos that was the surprised gallery. "It's nice to see that you finally decided to appear before us albeit it being quite a while since we called for you."
"Well, it's my pleasure to be in the presence of you and this court," Salemand responded with a smile as he fiddled with the edges of his gloves. "I apologize for not having arrived the moment you had summoned for me."
"Then do you mind explaining to the court why it is that you took so long to come here after receiving a request from us to testify?" His Honor asked. "After all, I believe it was over half an hour ago when you were supposed to be here. The court doesn't like to be kept waiting on anybody much less a witness."
"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss that particular detail at this time," the black cat coolly replied as he messed with his gloved hands. "However, I'm sure that the prosecutor has already explained to you that I was held up by request of my boss. That should be more than enough to satisfy your inquiry as to my whereabouts. If you intend on wanting a more direct answer to your question, though, then it's best that you direct it to my boss. Until then, I would like to plead the fifth on your question."
"Hmm, I'm not sure I approve of the attitude you're giving us. You have yet to provide us with testimony and you're already keeping secrets from this courtroom. Mind you that this casts quite a suspicious shadow over your character. Prosecutor Vector, do you know the reason why your witness was late?"
"…I'm afraid I can only repeat what I said earlier when the recess was over," Vector simply explained after having recovered from the earlier shock. "Mr. Eres's current line of employment occasionally has him engaged in something that is of more importance than a court summons. As such, I ask that the court exercise some leniency with him. While I do know him on a personal level, I'm afraid that I'm not allowed to divulge the nature of his line of work just yet. However, if his testimony unearths something that deems it necessary for his employment to be brought up, then that is when I'll be allowed to say. Until then, I ask that you allow this witness his moment of secrecy."
"… … …This is definitely the most irregular trial I've ever seen in my career. I'm not sure what to think of all this anymore! …Before I give my answer, I would like to hear what the defense thinks about this."
"Uh, th-the defense agrees with the prosecution on this," Sonic stuttered out before clearing his throat. "The witness must have some reason to not divulge to us the reason for his tardiness. And besides, he has already pleaded the fifth to Your Honor's question. Any attempts on our part to make him answer without any evidence that his plea is without merit would be in violation to Mr. Eres's rights. As such, I ask that you allow this trial to continue with this new witness's testimony!"
"…Very well; I suppose I have little choice in the matter," the Judge conceded as he banged his gavel. "We did call for the witness earlier, so it's our duty to hear what he has to say in regards to the reason we called him here for. Prosecutor Vector, you may begin with your opening statement."
"Thank you, Your Honor," the crocodile thanked as his tense shoulders visibly loosened up considerably. "To start things off, I would like the witness to please state his name and occupation for the court record."
"I'm Salemand Eres, and I withhold my occupation under the conditions of me pleading the fifth," Salemand quickly answered. "However, that is subject to change if and when the court can provide me with an irrefutable reason to disclose it."
"Very well; then let us get on with the question we originally asked you in here to clarify. Let me warn the court, however, that we'll be doing a bit of backtracking. I ask that we keep in mind the questions we left off in regards to Maria Robotnik and temporarily concentrate on Mr. Eres's testimony.
"Anyway, we originally called you in Mr. Eres to testify about what you know in regards to the incident that occurred in the Prycey Seafood company building five years ago," he continued on without any hesitation. "We have documented in the LK-9 Files that you were one of four witnesses to have been in the vicinity at the time the murders took place. However, I would like to first ask about what you were doing at that time."
"So you would basically like to hear my alibi for that moment. Well, that can easily be arranged. Five years might feel like a long time for some, but I assure you that I remember this particular event as if it were only yesterday."
"Alright; then the witness will testify to the court about this matter!" the old man announced as he banged his gavel.
"…Did we really just avoid an end to this trial there?" Tails whispered after having been in silent shock since the black cat made his surprise appearance. "God, Salemand sure knows how to cut it close."
"Stop complaining and pay attention to his testimony!" Sonic quickly shushed his little brother. "This might be our only chance at getting that cat to open up on what he knows about this case. I'm going to figure out just what his job with Interpol has that makes them interested with this if it's the last thing I do!"
What I Did During the Murders
Five years ago, I was employed by the Prycey Seafood Company as their cargo manager. To be honest, there were only four people employed in the business, including the boss himself. It made for a rather hectic workplace at times. Anyway, I was down at the docks taking care of some seafood that was to be shipped to the other side of the Mobius River. I wasn't aware of any trouble taking place until I heard a gunshot coming from the lighthouse. Naturally, I ran towards the building to see what was happening. When I arrived, the detective was already on the ground bleeding from the head. It was then I used my cell phone to call the police. After that, I waited outside until they arrived.
End Testimony
"Hmm, so this is what you were doing at the time the murders were taking place," the Judge surmised. "I would suppose that you don't have any witnesses who could confirm that to be the truth."
"Unfortunately, none of the witnesses there were able to collaborate with Mr. Eres's testimony at the time," Vector explained. "In fact, all the witnesses had alibis that could only be proven through their own words. None of them were able to be cross-referenced with each other. As such, I'm afraid that it falls on our shoulders to prove whether or not the witness's testimony is indeed the truth."
"Well, it sounds like something we can't spend wasting the court's time over," the old man said as he hardly spent any time thinking about it. "Mr. Sonic, you may begin with your cross-examination."
"…Is it just me, or does the Judge seem a little too eager to get to the end of this trial?" Sonic whispered to Tails. "I mean, I think this is the first time I've ever seen him wanting me to get right on with the cross-examination. He's not even trying to put in his two cents on the testimony now."
"He probably thinks this isn't worth the time he's been giving it," Tails suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. "To be honest, I can sympathize with him since we've only got this far through suppositions and circumstantial evidence. If it weren't for the fact that we still didn't have things that needed to be thoroughly checked, I'm sure he would've called an end to this trial long ago. But let's worry about that later. Just get on with the cross-examination before the Judge snaps at us for stalling."
Begin Cross-Examination
"Mr. Eres, how long would you say that you were you employed with Prycey Seafood before the incident occurred?" Sonic started off with a simple question.
"Oh, I'd say for no more than six months," Salemand replied with little thought. "Being a cargo manager was a lot easier than it sounded. All I had to do was keep count of the boxes being both shipped in and out as well as make sure everything gets handled properly. It was the easiest job I ever had in my entire life."
"So I suppose you weren't in any way familiar with any of the other workers there," the hedgehog said with a small frown. "And speaking of coworkers, you said earlier that you were one of four people working with the company. Why were there such a low number of employees for the company? I kind of expected that there would be a lot of workers seeing as how this was a seafood business."
"I'm afraid I can't answer that no matter how hard you press me for it," the cat explained with a shrug of his shoulders. "I have no dealings with the employment process. Only the boss would know the answer to that."
"Speaking of bosses, do you think you can tell us the name of your employer?" Tails suddenly asked. "Before you arrived here, the court has had some interest in hearing what the person had to say about this case."
"Sorry, but I'm not going to divulge the court with that information. Unfortunately for you, it runs under the category of my reasoning for pleading the fifth."
"Well, you seem to like keeping secrets from the court," the Judge said with a suspicious eyebrow raised at the witness. "I would assume that having you state the name of your boss would in some way tie in with not wanting to state your occupation?"
"I believe Mr. Eres already answered that question," Vector quickly answered for Salemand. "He said that it ran under the reasoning for him pleading the fifth. I feel that it be unnecessary for him to repeat himself.
"Also, I would like to ask that the defense please stop moving at a snail's pace," he added. "The questions you're asking hold little to no importance towards the reason why we called the witness here in the first place. We asked him about his alibi for the moment of the murders; asking about his employment status as well as the questionable number of employees holds no bearing to the original question."
"I suppose you do have a point there," Sonic admitted with a nod of his head. "In that case, let me move on to another question of relative importance. Mr. Eres, do you remember how long you had spent taking care of the seafood shipment before you heard the murder taking place?"
"Oh, I would say that I spent almost an hour sorting through those seafood shipments," Salemand quickly answered. "If that didn't happen, then I would've been off by midnight that night. I have no idea why the shipment was pushed forward to early next morning, but I knew it meant that I would have to take care of the cargo count that night. Needless to say, I was on an extended night shift in order to accommodate for our client's demands."
"So you're saying that it was around one in the morning when the murders happened?" Tails clarified. "I think this is the first time we heard of any kind of timestamp in regards to the murders in today's trial."
"Indeed, this is a new detail for the courts," the Judge agreed. "Witness, do you mind adding that to your official testimony?"
"If you feel that it'll be to your benefit," the black cat replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
New Statement
I spent an extra amount of time taking care of the cargo and didn't finish until around one that night.
End New Statement
"Are you absolutely sure about this, Mr. Eres?" Vector asked with a raised eyebrow. "If that's true, then the case will finally have a more concrete time of death."
"I doubt that'll help you in any way, but I'm very sure in that I was working until one," Salemand clarified as he nodded his head. "I was just about ready to shuffle away the records when I heard a gun going off in the direction of the lighthouse. I had just looked down at my watch seconds before, so I'm positive that it was about that time."
"And that's when you say you ran towards the building," Sonic concluded as he failed to figure out anything new or contradictory with this new statement. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you think the person whose shipment you were preparing just suddenly decided to have his cargo arrive at an earlier time? It seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through that for both parties."
"I can only guess at the person's intentions, but I'm not at liberty to provide a definite answer as to their reasoning," the cat simply replied.
"I object, Your Honor!" the crocodile announced as he fiddled with his headset. "The defense is asking the witness for a statement that can only be seen as hearsay. I request that the court disregards their question."
"Objection sustained," the Judge agreed with a nod of his head. "I suggest that you come up with another question that does not pertain to the witness supplying the court with hearsay, Mr. Sonic."
"Then allow us to phrase the question differently," Tails immediately spoke up. "Mr. Eres, what gave you the impression that night that you had to take care of the cargo count immediately? I don't believe you clearly explained that to us."
"Well, I was about ready to clock out when I decided to check my email via my phone," Salemand explained as he looked thoughtful for the first time. "I tend to keep my list of things to do at work on it. That's when I noticed an email sent from my boss at around eleven-thirty. Needless to say, it said that deployment of the cargo was moved to early next morning. While not directly mentioned, it meant that I had to immediately do the cargo count as per regulations before they left the warehouse. I don't believe I needed anymore confirmation than that to have worked overtime that night."
"I fail to see how this is of any real importance," the crocodile said with an annoyed sigh. "The fact of the matter is that Mr. Eres was working late that night and consequentially became a witness to a double-murder. All you've done so far was to supply the court with a believable reason as to why he was working overtime."
"That may be true, but you never know when information like this could come in handy," Sonic countered while trying to avoid looking sheepish. "But let's move onto something else for the time being. Witness, did you notice anything out of the ordinary when you were making your way to the lighthouse after hearing the shot?"
"Hmm, I can't say that I did. I remember it being a perfectly clear night then, so I had a pretty good view of the entire dock. When I heard the shot, I immediately ran straight towards the lighthouse. Not once did I see anybody coming or going from that direction. And as I already testified, I stood outside the lighthouse entrance until the police arrived about ten minutes later. That means it would've been extremely difficult for the killer to have escaped."
"But if that's the truth, then that would mean the person responsible for the double-murders is one of the four witnesses interviewed that night!" the Judge concluded in mild surprise. "Ms. Robotnik was killed inside the lighthouse. That would mean that one of the workers inside at the time had to have pulled the trigger! I doubt the detectives at the time would've overlooked a detail of such great importance. The fact that they didn't choose to pursue it could only mean that they didn't have the evidence necessary to deem your testimony as the truth of things."
"Believe what you will, but that's exactly what happened from my point of view that night," the black cat coolly said as if what he had said was the undeniable truth. "I ran straight to the lighthouse and was greeted with a rather gruesome scene. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it, although I suppose that's what makes me stronger in the end."
"I'm sorry, but could we ask you to recount that moment for us?" the cobalt hedgehog asked with a slightly apologetic look. "Since you were allegedly the first person on the scene, I think it's important that we hear about what you saw. That is, of course, unless the prosecution has any objections to it."
"Trust me, Mr. Sonic; you would've heard me objecting the moment you suggested the idea if I felt it didn't have any merit," Vector replied with a roll of his eyes. "However, I must admit that I'm also somewhat interested in hearing what Mr. Eres has to say about this. Do you mind answering the defense's question?"
"Well, the scene I saw was typical for any murder scene. A hedgehog who looked to be in his middle ages was on the floor bleeding profusely from his head. He was nonresponsive but still alive. Unfortunately, I couldn't do much for him as I was lacking in first aid experience at the time. However, I could safely deduce that he was struck in the head by some kind of blunt object of sorts."
"Do you mind explaining that in more detail?" the two tailed fox asked as curiosity reflected in his eyes. "I believe this might be very important."
"I agree," the old man added with a nod of his head. "Witness, do you mind changing your testimony again to reflect what you saw at that moment?"
"I'm merely a humble witness in your courtroom. What power do I have to refuse providing you with testimony?"
"As if that stopped you from pleading the fifth earlier when we asked about what you did for a living," the defense attorney thought sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
New Statement
Apart from the unconscious detective, I noticed what appeared to have been the object that struck him lying a few feet away.
End New Statement
"Wait a minute; are you sure this is what you saw?" Sonic immediately asked as he was snapped out of his thoughts.
"Every detail I've mentioned about that moment is nothing short of the truth," Salemand responded with a nod of his head. "Believe me when I say that isn't a moment I could so easily forget. I can remember it like it only happened yesterday."
"So you're basically telling us that every detail you've mentioned to us is a known fact from your point of view," Tails basically repeated as he suddenly looked deep in thought about something.
"…What exactly is the defense trying to get at?" Vector asked as he fiddled with his gold chain nervously. "I have a feeling I might regret asking this, but why do you suddenly seem so interested in what Mr. Eres just testified to?"
End Cross-Examination
"Because what he just testified to us is nothing short of impossible!" Sonic exclaimed passionately.
"And what exactly is your reasoning for saying that?" Salemand asked with an eyebrow raised in intrigue. "I've already said that my statement is nothing but the truth."
"Then I guess I'll just have to show you the impossibility of the tale you spun," the cobalt hedgehog replied smugly as he pulled out Charles's Autopsy Report. "If the court would just have another look at this autopsy report, I'm sure you'll all understand what we as the defense are getting at."
"I had a feeling you were going to bring that up when Mr. Eres amended his testimony," Vector admitted as he suddenly seemed uneasy. "You're talking about how he just mentioned seeing something akin to that of a weapon next to Detective Charles's body despite his autopsy report clearly stating that it was never recovered. But then this raises a question. How exactly does this revelation change the perspective of this case? I assume that's the road you're planning to take since you brought up this contradiction."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the first time in all five years of this case's life that anybody has heard about the existence of the weapon that killed Charles Hedgehog? What makes this particular claim even more interesting is that it came from the person who was supposedly the first one to see the crime scene."
"Well, you're right in that there never was any mention of an actual murder weapon until now," the crocodile admitted as he could not help the slight bit of curiosity pass through his words. "But just what exactly are you thinking about with this new revelation?"
"It's pretty suspicious that the only person to have made any claim in the five years this has been going on is the one to have first stumbled upon the scene," Tails simply stated as he started to form the basis of his and Sonic's counterargument. "This fact alone already casts some amount of doubt to Mr. Eres's overall role in this murder no matter how you look at it. After all, how could he possibly have seen the weapon when even the best in the police force couldn't find it? The only answer that I can come up with is that our witness here tampered with the scene and purposefully destroyed evidence in the process!"
"Well, that's a pretty bold claim for you to be making on just a single statement I made," the black cat coolly responded as if the accusation were merely a poke on the arm. "Just for my curiosity, what's stopping you from claiming that I had any involvement in the murder itself? By your way of viewing things, I'd say such an accusation isn't too farfetched."
"Fortunately for you, we've found no evidence stating that such a thing is the truth," the two tailed fox answered. "Nothing you said during the cross-examination leads me to believe that you are actually a murderer. All we know for sure is that nobody has ever seen the weapon except for you. That fact alone combined with the police's inability to find said weapon at all lends credence to the idea that you tampered with the scene!
"And let's not forget what you testified to when you were heading to the lighthouse after the shot. You saw nobody coming or going from the lighthouse the entire time. This suggests to me that you tried to get rid of the evidence so that you could cover up for one of the workers who was responsible for the double-murder. So while you had no role in the murder itself, you took it upon yourself to remove critical evidence before the police arrived!"
"…I must say that I'm surprised you were able to come up with that argument simply through one little controversial statement I made," the witness calmly said as if he were in no trouble. "I now see why the court actually entertains the idea of a young boy such as you to take part in the court proceedings. For you to think fast on your feet and actually come up with such plausible theories is quite astounding."
"Objection!" Vector exclaimed for the first time since the accusation was officially made. "The defense is making a wild claim with hardly any supporting evidence. But let's just ignore that for the time being. Even if they're accusation of Mr. Eres tampering with the scene is true, they failed to take one thing into account. When could he have found the time to hide the murder weapon? By his own testimony, he called the police right after he saw the scene. And I doubt I need to remind you how close the local Precinct is to the lighthouse. They'd have been there the minute after he called!"
"But that's supposing that he made the call immediately after approaching the scene," Sonic quickly countered. "However, the witness has already testified against that being the case. He said that he waited outside for ten minutes after making the call. If it truly takes the officers at the Precinct at the least a minute to arrive, then that leaves at the most a nine-minute gap that's unaccounted for! How do you explain that, Prosecutor Vector?"
"…So you proved that he had the time necessary to get rid of evidence," the crocodile growled in clear refusal to back down. "That still leaves you with the means of how he got rid of it. I don't think I need to tell you how many times the police scavenged that river from beginning to end and still found no signs of the weapon. If he didn't dispose of it in the river, then how did he manage to hide it for all these years?"
"The nine-minute gap is where we'll find our answer to this," the cobalt hedgehog replied. "It's clear that Mr. Eres didn't throw the weapon into the river, so he must've found some other way to dispose of it. And if the police failed to find it through their extensive investigation, then the only possible reason left to us is that he somehow managed to take it away from the scene."
"And how do you propose I did that?" Salemand asked before Vector could raise another objection. "If what you say is true, then I doubt I'd have been able to hide a weapon on my person. The police conducted a search of my body to see if I was hiding anything, after all. And as you just said, the weapon clearly wasn't anywhere near the area. So how do you say I managed to move the weapon away from the scene in the span of nine minutes? And let me say that the police also searched every piece of cargo that was still sitting in the warehouse and still found nothing."
"…If that's the case, then the only answer left is that you had someone help you take the weapon off your hands," the defense attorney announced after some thought. "During the time when you had yet to call the police, you must've made another call to somebody who's not affiliated with the Prycey Seafood business. Unless I'm mistaken, all four people working at the time were in the lighthouse when the police arrived, so it's clear you contacted another party for help with this."
"So now you're saying that I had an accomplice in the tampering business," the black cat actually chuckled in amusement. "My, your claims are getting wilder by the minute. Before you continue, let me remind the court that I had absolutely no reason to want to remove evidence from the scene. After all, I had no outside affiliations with any of the employees apart from a professional standpoint. I could care less whether or not any of them went to jail. And even if I did have a reason, then my accomplice would have to have been somebody I trusted implicitly to not tell the police about what I did. I don't think anybody in their right mind would be able to come up with such a trustworthy person on the spot like that."
"The witness does provide a rather valid point," the Judge admitted after staying silent since the start of the exchange. "Unless the defense can disprove the witness's statements, I fail to see how they can go on with their accusation of tampering with the scene."
"I highly doubt they'll be able to pull something like that out of their bag of tricks," Vector added as he began listening to his music. "They don't have any concrete evidence to discredit any of Mr. Eres's claims."
"If that's what you think, then prepare to be disappointed," Tails stated as he and Sonic exchanged knowing glances. "While we can't prove that the witness had a reason to remove evidence, we can prove that there was someone he trusted with his life to move the evidence somewhere else. Mr. Eres, would I be right in assuming that this is a picture of your little brother?" he asked as he pulled out the Picture of Leukis.
"…And what if he is?" Salemand simply replied as he seemed genuinely confused for the first time.
"Witness, the defense knows that this is indeed your brother," Sonic confirmed for the court. "In fact, I remember you coming to my office three days ago requesting for the services of the Chaotix Detective Agency to figure out where he was. I also remember you telling me last night that you two were in the same business that you refuse to tell the court about and that you're always working together. If that's the case five years ago, then your little brother would've been the only person you trusted to transport the evidence elsewhere while you stayed behind and acted like the first person to discover the murder!"
"…So that's what you were getting at with my brother," the cat said with an amused smile approaching his lips. "I must say, I wasn't expecting that anytime soon. And to think that you came this far all because of a slip of the tongue on my part."
"What are you saying, Mr. Eres?" the old man asked. "Are you actually admitting that you tampered with the scene then?"
"I see no reason to deny it now. The defense has done a good job proving that I took evidence away. I'm just amazed that they got this far with so little to go on."
"So you finally admit it. You're the reason why the police couldn't find the weapon that killed Senior Detective Charles Hedgehog. You and your brother had removed it from the scene and kept it hidden for the past five years. Why would you do something like that?"
"I suppose I have no choice now lest I want to be indicted for destruction of evidence," Salemand replied as he pulled something out of his left glove. "Allow me to formally introduce myself to the court. My real name is Salem, and I am in actuality an Interpol Agent who has been in charge of overseeing a smuggling case for the past five years," he admitted as he showed his official badge to the court.
"So that's why you were adamant on the accusation," Vector said in a tone that Sonic could barely hear over the uproar from the gallery. "You were trying to make him say that he was with Interpol so that you could ask him things as Interpol Agent Salem!"
"There are things that only he as an Interpol Agent can answer. However, I remembered him saying something last night that he wouldn't talk about certain things in court unless we can somehow drag that fact out of him. Now that we all know, I hope you don't mind us asking you for some answers that only agents such as you are privy to?"
"Believe it or not, this was something I was talking to my boss about right after Vector called me in here. I've already gotten his permission to cooperate with your investigation only if you managed to make me admit that I was an Interpol Agent. I never thought, though, that you would try to pin me for tampering with the scene of the crime."
"That still remains to be seen," the Judge stated as he now cast a suspicious look at the witness. "Witness, you will testify to the court about the reason why you felt it necessary to remove key evidence from the murder scene!"
"I promise you that my explanation will more than suit your needs."
Reason for Removing Evidence
Five years ago, I worked at Prycey Seafood Company as an undercover Interpol Agent. The department had received intel that the business was the headquarters for a smuggling ring. As part of my cover, I was employed as the cargo manager. I was telling the truth when I said I ran straight to the scene after hearing a shot and that nobody came or left as I was approaching. When I arrived, I first noticed the detective and did what little I could to help. That's when I noticed an ornate cane with some blood on it a few feet away. It was clear that it was the weapon used to hit him, but it was also clear to me that it was one of the items listed as part of the smuggling operation. Since my job with Interpol took priority, I contacted my brother and had him take the cane away before calling police.
End Testimony
"Is this the truth, witness?" the Judge asked with a harsh glare at Salem.
"I see that Your Honor still doesn't fully trust me at this point," the cat replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "That's perfectly understandable seeing as how I dug my own grave in terms of hiding the fact that I altered the crime scene. If it would make you trust me more, I have the weapon in question with me right now by permission of my contact that I left it with all these years."
"You what?!" both Sonic and Vector exclaimed when they heard this. Then Vector asked, "Why didn't you tell me about this before the trial, Salem? You've already indulged to me that you were a member of Interpol long before this trial ever started!"
"Sorry, Vector; my contact here in Mobius also happens to be my boss for this branch of Interpol. He told me not to let anybody know of this until my true profession was revealed. That also included you, I'm afraid."
"And who exactly is your boss?" the old man asked. "I think it would do the court good if we heard from him later on."
"Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to be giving out his name. It's his choice whether or not he wants to reveal himself during the course of this trial. I will say this, though; my boss happens to be someone that the defense knows. However, I'm quite sure that they don't know he's actually a member of Interpol, so don't bother asking them."
"Wh-What are you talking about?" Sonic asked with confusion lacing his words.
"Anyway, let me go ahead and show the court the murder weapon that I took," the agent quickly changed subjects as he turned towards the courtroom entrance. "Go ahead and bring it in now, Leon!"
As if it were on cue, the doors to the courtroom opened and an albino lion on all fours came inside. He looked exactly like the person in the Picture Tails had presented earlier. In his mouth was what looked to be an Ornamental Cane with a gold handle and artistic designs along the base.
"Here you go, big brother!" the lion happily said after dropping the cane next to Salem. "I told you I wouldn't lose it."
"So that the court will know, this guy is my little brother. His name's Leon and he's an Interpol Agent like me. He's just finished hiding out from the smuggling ring we were looking into who wanted him dead after somehow figuring out he was an agent. He may be young, but he definitely has it in him to be with Interpol."
"So that's why you wanted to hire the Chaotix Detective Agency to look for him!" Tails responded excitedly. "You were still on the job with the smuggling ring and didn't want your position to be compromised."
"Always the sharp one, aren't you?" Salem complimented before motioning for Leon to go back into the courtroom lobby. "But that's beside the point right now. If it would please the court, I would like to submit this into your evidence compilation. And as a bonus for you, the Interpol forensics department has already conducted a test on the blood and concluded it belonged to your victim. There were also no fingerprints to be found anywhere on this cane, so there's no way to tell who dealt the killing blow."
"The court accepts this as evidence," the Judge announced as he seemed to finally warm up to the fact that the cat was indeed only acting in the interest of Interpol at the time. "Hmm, this definitely is quite a piece of work. To think that we finally have in our possession the weapon that killed Senior Detective Charles Hedgehog. It's too bad we couldn't figure out anything new from it. Oh well, at least it's good to know it existed. The defense may begin with their cross-examination now."
"Now that the court knows he's with Interpol, I shouldn't have any trouble asking him questions relating to the connection between his smuggling case and our murder," Sonic whispered to Tails as he prepared himself for a barrage of questions. "Perhaps we'll finally be able to figure out who the murderer is by poking through Salem's involvement."
"Good luck with that," the two tailed fox replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "With the way things have been going, you're probably going to need it."
Begin Cross-Examination
"Agent Salem, you've said that you only started to work at Prycey Seafood because Interpol had reason to believe it was tied into a smuggling ring you were looking into," Sonic started off. "Do you think you could give us some insight as to why your department suspected this to be the case?"
"Well, Leon was my partner at the time," Salem began explaining. "He had set up a stakeout point in one of the abandoned warehouses across the street from the lighthouse. He reported back to headquarters that there were some rich-looking people entering and then leaving some time later with expensive objects in hand. This all happened in the dead of night like around two in the morning. Some of the items he described also happened to be some of the things that were reportedly stolen. That was when I was assigned to become the cargo manager six months before the double murders occurred."
"Are you trying to look for a connection between the witness's case and ours?" Vector asked. "If so, then I have the same feeling. From what I remember reading about Charles and Maria's last case that they worked on, it involved a man being accused of smuggling priceless works of art into Mobius. Before the case was closed, that's when the whole kidnapping incident took place which then led to their deaths."
"I can safely say that the man accused was not a smuggler," the agent quickly stated. "However, he was the accountant who took charge of all the weigh-ins and such of the incoming cargo. With him in charge of that, it was easy for them to forge the actual weight and keep dock inspectors from catching on. I think I heard of a similar case happening a few months ago concerning a Mr. Naeco Eulb who was both smuggler and accountant."
"Yes, I remember him saying something about being caught smuggling goods by the coworker he killed," the cobalt hedgehog nodded in agreement. He then asked, "Do you happen to know anything about a Detective Ace Sleuth?"
"He was the ring's eyes and ears in the Precinct for the past ten years. With him as a high-ranking senior detective, he was privy to sensitive information that might prove problematic to their operations. However, he started to have reservations when he met his fiancé. That proved to be his downfall as I heard you as the defense attorney managed to indict him for her murder. And that's when the smuggling ring leader probably saw it fit to have him killed."
"And what about a guy named Espio?" the crocodile asked with a slight growl behind his words. "Did you hear his name floating around within the smuggling ring?"
"Oh, his name was probably the only one you'd be guaranteed to hear once every meeting. He was considered to be the ringleader's left-hand man. With his job as a freelance detective, he was able to move around while pretending to be on the job so as to not arouse too much suspicion. And if push came to shove, he would use his superb ninja skills to do away with anybody who stood in the ring's way. You wouldn't believe how angry the leader was when he heard that happen."
"You speak as if you know who the ringleader is," Tails suddenly stated. "Do you happen to know the person's name?"
"I have my suspicions as to who he is, but I'm afraid that's classified," Salem stoutly replied. "He has no apparent connections to your current case. Until you can provide me with evidence on the matter, his name stays within Interpol walls."
"Boy, you sure shut us down on that quickly," Sonic grumbled before clearing his throat. "Then let's go ahead and move onto the next question for the time being. Did you remove this Ornamental Cane from the scene because it was evidence for your smuggling case?"
"I wouldn't have done so if it weren't," the black cat admitted. "While I do regret having hindered your murder investigation, my job as Interpol Agent took priority. I recognized the cane as one of the stolen works of art, so I just had to take it in as evidence for my case. Unfortunately, the ring proved to be a lot harder to take down than we thought. As such, we were forced to hold onto this for the past five years."
"So why bring it to our attention now?" the Judge asked. "It sounds as though your policy is that you keep a hold of all evidence until the case has been closed."
"Unless there comes a time where the evidence holds provable relevance with another case currently on trial but not affiliated with Interpol. That's exactly what we have here, so my boss and I felt it necessary to bring the cane around today."
"Did you manage to figure out anything from the cane while it was in Interpol's possession?" the two tailed fox asked. "I'm sure five years was more than enough time to discover things about it."
"Well, the cane was reported stolen from a museum in Station Square seven years ago. It had been missing until the day I stumbled upon it two years ago. The fact that it was found at the lighthouse indicates to us that it was probably brought there and hidden until it was used as a murder weapon for some strange reason. Unfortunately, we couldn't figure out anything more than that."
"In other words, the cane ended up being nothing but a dud," the cobalt hedgehog concluded with a frown. "You just decided that it'd be best to keep it hidden from the public until you can complete your battle with the smuggling ring. Wouldn't it have been in your best interest to simply turn the weapon in to police?"
"Are you suggesting that our witness should have placed himself in unnecessary danger by proclaiming he took evidence from a murder scene?" Vector quickly countered. "Don't you remember him telling us that he was an undercover Interpol Agent at the time? If he were to admit to have altered the crime scene, he would then have to come clean with the police that he was undercover. The difference between then and now is that he was already prepared to reveal his identity to us today."
"Prosecutor Vector's explanation is the truth," Salem agreed with a nod of his head. "Unlike today, I had no reason five years ago to return the cane and thus expose myself for who I really was. For me to have revealed myself then would've been, to put it mildly, very bad. I had just placed myself deep within the smuggling ring and was gaining valuable inside information. Don't forget that I said Ace Sleuth was already with the ring at the time. He would have known I went to the police and tell the boss that I was there. Regardless whether or not I went to rat on them, he would've had me dead quicker than I could've resigned from my post."
"Considering your profession, that does sounds like a valid excuse," Tails responded with a shrug of his shoulders. "I can't even begin to imagine how much trouble you have to go through to make sure your undercover status isn't blown."
"Speaking of which, what are you going to do about your cover now?" the defense attorney asked as he suddenly looked concerned. "You pretty much just exposed yourself to the entire courtroom. If Detective Ace was a mole in the Precinct, how can you be sure there aren't any others?"
"I've already discussed this with my boss, and we agreed that revealing myself as an Interpol Agent was the best move to make. In fact, he had a feeling that we'll be able to get the information we need to close in on the smuggling ring today should your case prove fruitful in its endeavor to discover the truth."
End Cross-Examination
"Thank you for your testimony, Agent Salem," the Judge thanked as he nodded his head wearily. "I believe we've heard enough in terms of your relations with Interpol and your reasoning for disturbing a crime scene. It is my belief that you were simply doing your job and not trying to break the law. After all, Interpol doesn't go by our jurisdiction's rules unless one of their agents becomes involved. As such, I'm afraid that the defense's indictment for altering the scene and destroying evidence is unfounded. So unless either side has any more questions to ask, I would like to call an end to the cross-examination."
"I have just one more question that I would like to ask," Sonic stated as he looked at the old man who nodded his head in approval. "Mr. Eres, we originally called you in here so as to ask you for the name of your boss during your employment with Prycey Seafood. We've unfortunately delved away from that, but I would like to ask you now? What was the name of your employer?"
"I'm sorry, but I already said that I can't give you his name as he has no relations to this trial," Salem answered which then earned him confused gazes from the court. "Oh, didn't I tell you? The person who's suspected of being the smuggling ringleader was also the owner of the Prycey Seafood Company."
"Say what?!" both the defense and prosecution exclaimed once more. Then Vector exclaimed, "If that's the case, then your suspect has more than his fair share of connections with our case!"
"Why do you say that, Vector?" the cat asked, slightly taken aback at how surprised both sides of the courtroom were acting.
"For one thing, we've already proven that the person who instructed Maxwell Pryce to commit murder was the same as the mysterious fourth witness who only submitted a Written Statement," the crocodile explained. "By comparing the handwriting on both documents, it was proven that they were the same person."
"And then there was the other handwritten letter that was delivered to the Precinct which told of Ace Sleuth's death earlier today," Tails added. "That was also in the same hand as the other documents. In other words, the fourth unknown witness in this current case is a person of interest for the double-murders, a suspect for having instructed a murder in the previous case that Sonic had finished today, and a prime suspect for the murder of an ex-detective who happened to be under witness protection. If these aren't signs of your suspected smuggling ringleader having relations to our case, then I don't know what is!"
"…Wow, I didn't know my smuggling leader suspect became so popular with this court," the agent admitted with a surprised frown. "If that's the case, then I suppose I should tell you the name of the suspect."
"Please do that," Sonic all but whined like a little child. "The only thing keeping us from reaching an end to this case is a stupid name."
"I suggest that you brace yourselves since this might serve as a potential jaw-dropper. Now then, the name of the owner of Prycey Seafood and consequentially a suspect in both my smuggling case and your murder trial is… … …"
"Get on with it!" Sonic, Tails, Vector, and even the Judge exclaimed as the suspense proved too much for them.
"Sorry, I just thought it'd be nice to wallow in the tension that's electrifying the air for a bit. It's not every day where you feel this kind of energy. But that's enough of that. The name of the person we all want to question for our separate investigations is the one person who many in the legal world consider to be an indestructible god, or at least until he was taken down by a rookie just hours ago."
"…Wait a minute!" the cobalt hedgehog exclaimed as he along with everybody else in the courtroom froze in shock. "You're not saying that…!"
"Oh, I'm not saying; I'm telling all. The man we're all interested in is none other than the one you call Prosecutor Mephiles, ex-entrepreneur and prosecutor-extraordinaire of your legal jurisdiction."
Upon hearing this, the entire courtroom all but exploded in a combination of loud gasps and exclamations alike. Both Sonic and Tails stared at each other in complete shock while Vector actually leaned his body against the table as if his legs had just given out. The Judge, despite being in heavy shock, tried to no avail to bring the courtroom back to order. All the while, Salem merely stood calmly at his spot on the witness stand acting as though nothing surprising happened.
"I did warn all of you earlier to brace yourselves," he said with a shrug despite knowing that nobody could hear him. "This just shows that none of you decided to take me seriously. Oh well, at least it was a good way to break the tension in here."
New Evidence:
Ornamental Cane: A simple mahogany cane with a platinum snake head serving as the grip. The blood on it belongs to Detective Charles. It had been in Interpol custody for the past five years as evidence in their smuggling case until Salem got the okay from his boss to reintroduce it back into the LK-9 Case. It was reported stolen two years before the double-murders occurred. No fingerprints could be lifted from it.
Updated Profiles:
Salemand Eres: An Interpol Agent who has decided to reveal his true identity in court in order to be granted immunity from the charges of tampering with the scene of a crime and removal of evidence. He was working undercover in Prycey Seafood Company at the time the double-murders happened. His real name is actually "Salem".
Leukis Kruger: Salem's younger brother who's afflicted with the rare genetic disorder, Feralisis Syndrome. He also happens to be with Interpol. According to Salem, they were reunited after Leukis had managed to successfully shake off members of the smuggling ring who figured out his true identity and wanted him dead. His real name is "Leon".