Chapter 13
Eddie, Roger, and Linda pulled up into the driveway of Maroon Cartoons Studio. The detectives had borrowed Dolores's blue car.
"Let's forget it," said Roger. "There's nobody here."
"What's the matter?" Linda asked.
"Are you scared?" Eddie questioned.
"Pl-pl-please me scared, don't be ridiculous." Roger answered and made a chattering sound with his teeth.
"When you called Maroon, you told him you and Linda had the will but you guys don't. When he finds out he's gonna be mad, he might try to kill ya both."
"Don't worry, we'll be alright." Linda assured.
"We can handle a Hollywood cream puff." Eddie added. "We just don't want the odds to change."
"You cover our backs," He instructed. "If you hear or see anything, beep the horn twice."
Eddie and Linda go upstairs to Maroon's office.
"Yeah, that's it!" Roger said. "Beep the horn twice, cover our backs."
"Boy, I'm ready. Dukes up, eyes peeled…ears to the ground. Why, nobody gets the drop on Roger Rabbit."
All of a sudden, someone from behind hits Roger on the head with a frying pan. He falls on his back and gets dragged away.
Inside the office, Maroon turns on the light. Slipping a gun into his pocket, he waits for the Valiants to arrive.
Unaware, Eddie and Linda entered with Maroon's back to them. They tap him startling Maroon.
"Good evening, Maroon;" said Linda.
"What's up doc?" Eddie asks casually.
"Are you two trying to give me a heart attack?" Maroon snapped.
"You need a heart before you can have an attack." Eddie replied.
"Yeah, yeah, you guys got the will?"
"That's right," Linda answered.
"Sure, we got the will." Eddie added.
"Question is, do you have the way? I can tell you now, it ain't gonna come cheap."
He and Linda help themselves to a drink.
"You two got a lot of brass coming up in here by yourselves." Maroon snarled.
The brunette faced him.
"Excuse me?" She asked.
"Who says we're here by ourselves?" Eddie questioned.
Meanwhile outside the studio, Roger is tossed into the trunk of the car. The hood is slammed shut revealing none other than Jessica Rabbit.
Jessica glanced up at the window.
"Let me see that will," Maroon demanded.
"We told you, we got it." Linda insisted.
"I want to see it now!" Maroon violently turned Linda around, gripping her wrist hard as he snatched the document from Linda's pocket.
Eddie looked at his sister with concern. She met his gaze and gave him a look that said "I'm fine."
"'How do I love thee?'" Maroon read Roger's love letter. "'Let me count the ways…'"
Linda gestured for Eddie to hand her the spray bottle.
"Is this supposed to be a joke?" Maroon asked angrily, shoving the letter at Linda.
"No, this is!" Linda shot back.
She sprayed the bottle right in Maroon's face and stashed the paper into her pocket.
Eddie stepped in and sucker punched Maroon.
He grabs Maroon's gun.
"Get up!" Eddie ordered.
"On your feet!" Linda commanded.
Maroon gets up, shaking with fear.
"What are you gonna do to me Valiants?"
"We're going to listen to you spin the Cloverleaf scenario…a story of greed, sex, and murder." Eddie said.
"And the parts that we don't like, we're going to edit out." Linda interjected.
She and Eddie drag Maroon to a film projector.
"You got it all wrong!" Maroon pleaded. "I'm a cartoon maker, not a murderer!"
"Everybody's got to have a hobby," Eddie shoved Maroon's tie in the projector; pushing the foot pedal.
"Start talking, Maroon." Linda said.
"Stop it, stop it!" Maroon begged.
"The truth is I had a chance to sell my studio…but Cloverleaf wouldn't buy my property…unless Acme sold them his. The stubborn bastard wouldn't sell."
"So I was going to blackmail Acme with pictures of him and the rabbit's wife." Maroon continued.
"Blackmail, that's all!" He insisted. "I've been around toons all my life; I didn't want to see them destroyed!"
Linda gasped.
"Toons destroyed, why?" Eddie asked, concerned.
"If I tell you, I'm a dead man." Maroon replied.
"You're a dead man if you don't tell us," Eddie pushed him a bit harder.
"Unless Acme's will shows up by midnight tonight…"
Suddenly, Eddie caught a glimpse of a gun pointing at him, Linda, and Maroon.
Eddie quickly pulled his sister out of harm's way.
Bang!
Maroon is shot twice in the back.
Linda screamed as she and Eddie get behind a couch, avoiding bullets.
The shooting stopped.
The Valiants emerged from behind.
"You okay, Lindy?" Eddie asked.
"Yeah, I'm just spooked." Linda replied, putting her left hand on her pounding heart.
They glanced at R.K. Maroon now dead, his tie still in the projector.
"This is getting really serious," Linda remarked.
The duo ran to the window. They spotted Jessica running down the backlot, believing she's the culprit.
Leaving the office, Eddie and Linda ran down the stairs. When they returned to the blue car, Roger was nowhere to be seen.
"Roger!" Eddie shouted.
"Follow that car!" Linda declared as she and Eddie gets in, trailing Jessica's car.
To be continued…
A/N: Well, this will have to do for now. I go back to school next Wednesday, so I'll try to post a new chapter over spring break or the summer.
Again thank you for the favorites and follows, you guys are terrific!
Special mention to:
Dinosaur Imperial Soldier: That's right. In chapter 15, Eddie and Linda will learn from Jessica that Doom is the one who shot R.K. Maroon. Also in the next chapter, the detectives go to Toontown (for the first time since Teddy's death) to hunt down Jessica. When they run into Lena Hyena, they'll split up.
Until then, see you next time.