Chapter 12
Linda, Eddie, and Roger were sitting inside a movie theater watching a cartoon starring Goofy; along with the audience.
The viewers laughed at Goofy's clumsiness and antics. Roger himself was giggling, spilling popcorn on the floor.
"Boy, did you see that?" He asked the detectives, who were sitting behind him.
"Nobody takes a wallop like Goofy. What timing, what finesse, what a genius!"
Irritated, Eddie pulled Roger by his ears and brought him over to their seats.
"Ouch!" The rabbit yelped.
"Did you have to do that?" Linda asked her brother.
"We're supposed to be hiding!" Eddie whispered hissed. "What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with you?" Roger retorted. "You're the only person in this theater…that isn't laughing. Even Linda here knows how to laugh and that I'm funny. Is there nothing…that can permeate your impervious puss?"
"Hey, Eddie…" Roger makes a funny face.
"Boy nothing, what could have possibly happened to you…to turn you into such a sourpuss?"
Eddie and Linda shared a look.
"You want to know?" He asked.
Roger nodded.
"I'll tell you, a toon killed our brother." Eddie responded.
"A toon?" Roger asks, a little surprised. "No,"
"I'm afraid so Roger," Linda said sadly.
Like her sibling, Teddy's death was a touchy subject. That terrible event made her sad to this day when thinking or talking about it.
"That's right, a toon." Eddie replied.
He sighed and continued as Linda and Roger listened.
"We were investigating a robbery…" Eddie explained. "At the First National Bank in Toontown, back in those days; me, Linda, and Teddy liked working Toontown. We thought it was a lot of laughs. Anyway, this guy…got away with a zillion simoleons. We trailed him to a little dive…down on Yockster Street. We went in only he got the drop on us literally. He dropped a piano on us from fifteen stories, Linda and I broke our arms. Teddy never made it…we never did find out who that guy was. All we remember was him standing over us, laughing…with those burning red eyes and that high squeaky voice."
"He disappeared into Toontown after that," Eddie finished.
Linda wiped the tears away from her eyes.
Roger sobbed like a baby.
"No wonder you hate me," He said as tears rolled down his face.
"If a toon killed my brother, I'd hate me too."
"Oh Roger, don't be sad." Linda said, placing her hand on Roger's shoulder.
"Come on, don't cry. I don't hate you," said Eddie.
"Yes you do," Roger wept.
"No I don't," Eddie denied.
"You do hate me," The toon goofball insisted. "Otherwise…you wouldn't have yanked my ears all those times."
"He's got a point there Ed," Linda interjected.
"Well, I'm sorry I yanked your ears." Eddie apologized.
"All the times you yanked my ears?" Roger asks.
"All the times I yanked your ears."
"Apology accepted!" Roger stops crying and shook hands with Eddie.
"Put 'er there pal, I feel better…"
"Oh boy, I hope it's another cartoon!" Roger said enthusiastically.
Unfortunately, it's not another cartoon. Instead it's news brief.
"Jeepers, another stupid newsreel;" Roger complained. "I hate the news,"
"That's life," said Linda.
As they watched the screen, Dolores entered the theater and sat next to Eddie.
"Did you get all our stuff?" He inquired.
"Yes," Dolores replied. "It's all packed up in the car outside."
"Would have been here right after you called…but I had to shake the weasels."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about the trouble in the bar." Eddie said.
"Well, stuffing olives for a living wasn't for me anyway." Dolores said.
"Dolores?" The private eye questioned.
"You ought to find yourself a good man,"
Dolores is quiet for a minute.
"But I already have a good man," The waitress pointed out.
The couple smiled and just when they were about to kiss, Roger interrupts; sighing.
Eddie and Dolores gave Roger a look.
"Pl-pl-please don't mind me," Roger said with a love struck expression on his face.
Linda shook her head, chuckling a bit.
"You and Linda better get going Eddie," Dolores suggested.
The adults and Roger got up, heading for the exit.
"Glad Teddy's not here to see us running away…with our tails between our legs." Eddie commented.
"It's not so bad, once you get used to it." Roger piped up.
"I don't know about that Roge," Linda said, shrugging.
Just as the group was leaving, the announcer said something that grabbed the Valiants' interests.
"Here R.K. Maroon is seen clinching the deal…with Cloverleaf's bankers and execs…in one of the biggest real estate deals ever…in California history."
Linda and Eddie glanced at each other.
"That's it, that's the connection!" Eddie declared.
"Let's go pay Maroon a visit," said Linda.
A/N: Before I conclude, I would like to thank Dinosaur Imperial Soldier for the review. Good luck on your Roger Rabbit/Back to the Future story. More soon!