In the days since the state took over, (Name) had a massive headache trying to help run the Concordian Police Department. As soon as the Governor arrived, Mister Johnson started a through investigation into how far Lawson's administration had fallen, and they found a lot more than Diego did. Then again, even as Eddie Lebold, Diego didn't have access to City Hall or the Mayor's office, so none of them knew the full extent of Lawson's ambitions. It was worse than any of them could imagine—Lawson had planned to abolish marriage and families, and control how they were formed! A plan that was prevented when Charlie destroyed the DNA Machine, leaving the administration with no way to track bloodlines, and Lawson drew the line at incest. Then there was the idea of the city taking control of every enterprise, even going so far as to pay people exactly the same no matter how hard they worked! As more of the administration's plans came to light, it was clear Lawson wanted to control every single aspect of Concordia, micromanage every citizen…and would execute anyone who didn't fit in the "New Concordia". It made (Name) shudder to think of what would've happened if they hadn't stopped Lawson when they did. One of the Flying Squad's first acts in its administrative capacity was to help the courts review every case between Lawson's inauguration and his downfall. Very few, like Minnie Starr's case, were left as they were, while a great deal of them had those convicted let off due to a violation of rights or false evidence, or their sentences lessened. (Name) couldn't believe the number of them that were simply made up out of revenge or spite or even sheer laziness…it made them sick.
"At least Adelia's out and pardoned, thank God." They said. Adelia Baldwin's case was reviewed, and she was acquitted on grounds of self-defense and defense of her son, whom she reclaimed from Marla, much to the former cabaret singer's dismay; at least she was able to keep Colette. Still, there were others…Beatty was given a deal to have his sentence reduced from life to twenty years in exchange for his testimony and any knowledge he had as Head of Clandestine Operations in the Justice Corps. Giulietta Cappechi and Enzo Jonas were acquitted of Jaubert's murder due to self-defense, and agreed to give their testimony along with so many others. There were so many heartbreaking stories, about friends and family members who visited loved ones in prisons only to be thrown into them for such, citizens attacked in the streets by the Justice Corps for no reason or if there was, it was bull, false accusations of crimes without any evidence or blatantly false evidence and lies…they didn't want to think too much on the details, especially since a good number of those brutalized by the Justice Corps were driven mad as a result and were currently in mental asylums. When they weren't trying to help straighten out the city, (Name) visited Maddie and George as often as they could; Diego was there as well, and (Name) was surprised at the way he interacted with Maddie and George—not as a possible stepfather and husband or even hinting as such, but as a benevolent brother and uncle. Mrs. O'Malley had often commented that with Diego, she wondered if she had two children rather than one, especially after George's christening.
"So, how's everything going with reclaiming your assets?" (Name) asked. It was the morning of Charlie's funeral, and they were visiting Diego, who was living in Maddie's house while she and George stayed with her mother.
"It's become more complicated than I anticipated." Diego said. "My apartment was rented to a new tenant, and we couldn't undo it."
"Are you kidding me?!"
"It was decided by the building's owner after I was sacked and labeled an undesirable. I'm not taking it personally, the poor soul had to rent it out, or risk getting marked as an associate and be arrested for such. But I am not without restitution—I was given the deposit he earned from the new tenant, and I have to say whoever's renting the place now paid three times what I did, and I have regained my bank accounts. Between that and Tradewinds's legacy, I should be able to find someplace else to live." The inheritance Diego received from his old fence was more than they thought, and less than it could've been. They went with Diego to the old pawn shop…or what was left of it after the Justice Corps burned it down and managed to get into the cellar, which was locked tight. Inside were plenty of items, and the ledger…it took hours after that to separate what was legitimately gained from the stolen goods, but they managed. Diego even returned Lady Highmore's gems to her, who insisted on paying for them; he only asked for the amount they were sold for, calling it an "interest-free loan" and claiming he didn't want the sin of usury on his soul.
"I'm sure you'll find something. Thank God the state brought those accountants to audit the entire city budget, it's made it easier to give everyone back what was stolen from them."
"I'm certainly grateful for it. It's a beautiful day…you'd never know we were…that we were…"
"Having a funeral? I know the feeling. Such a beautiful day for something so somber…and it won't be the only funeral." They were also attending Father Saccarelli's funeral, which was tomorrow. They left for the airship, where Charlie's body was still in the morgue and Diego, serving as pallbearer along with Dick, Isaac, Chief Wright, and Ramirez, carried the body to the hearse. (Name) drove a separate carriage following behind them with Evie, Rose and Viola riding inside. Following the hearse, the Flying Squad came to Mrs. O'Malley's house, where she, Maddie and George were waiting on the front porch.
"Well, (Name). Today is the day." Maddie said. "It's time we said good-bye to my beloved Charlie…"
"It's a solemn, bittersweet day indeed." Chief Wright said. "But small comfort can be found that his sacrifice was not in vain."
"True. Under the state's oversight, our city is well on its way back to splendor!" Isaac said. "Not only have they completely dismantled the Justice Corps, but they have ordered new trials for everyone imprisoned under Lawson's regime!"
"It's true. Giulietta and Enzo turned themselves in, and were acquitted on Jaubert." (Name) said. "Adelia's gotten a pardon, and is making plans to start a new life with baby Paris as soon as everything's settled."
"And they reinstated freedom of the press!" Evie said. "Katherine is printing the first edition of the new Concordian Gazette as we speak!"
"It took a while to dismantle the New Truth, and have those running it—and their sources—charged with slander and libel." (Name) said. "But we managed it. We still have a lot of work to do, but we're getting there."
"Charlie would have been glad to see this." Maddie said. "He helped pave a better road for our son's future."
"Yes, he did. He helped pave a better future for Concordia. We…we have to get going now, Maddie."
"Very well, (Name). I'm as ready as I will ever be. We should head to the cemetery now for the ceremony." Maddie, George and Mrs. O'Malley boarded the carriage and they all left for the Oak Park Cemetery. The funeral ceremony was full of prayers and of eulogies for Charlie, citing his kindness, his nobility…his love for others, and his devotion to Concordia and the Flying Squad.
"...a fearless inventor, a dreamer driven towards the future, Charlie leaves behind a unique legacy at the Flying Squad." Chief Wright said. "He shall fondly be remembered by all who knew him."
"Amen." (Name) said. "So long, Charlie." The others said their farewells as Chief Wright saluted the grave.
"Farewell, Charles Armand Dupont! Our friend and comrade, we salute you!" He finished the salute and turned to Maddie. "Madeline, we'll wait for you at your mother's house. Take all the time you need." Maddie nodded and stood by the grave as the others left. (Name) noticed Diego stood at a distance.
"She shouldn't be alone right now, not truly." Diego said. "I'll wait for her before heading to the repast. We'll join you soon enough."
"All right. I'll see you there." (Name) said as they left. But instead of going to the repast, they turned deeper into the cemetery. They walked until they found the grave they were looking for, the grave they planned to visit after they dealt with Lawson.
"Hello. You don't know me, you were already dead when I came to Concordia. I…I worked with Justin Lawson, back when he was a bright-eyed District Attorney who championed justice. He became District Attorney after you were gone, in the hopes that he would be more effective in bringing justice to Concordia." (Name) said. "That's where the pattern started—you were murdered when he was just a prosecutor, so he became District Attorney. A spoiled, self-entitled brat facilitates murder during the social season and gets away with it thanks to his powerful, influential family, he becomes a judge. That same powerful, influential family tries to turn Concordia into their own personal kingdom and has agents in every aspect, he becomes Deputy Mayor…then the loose end of that family's machinations murders the Mayor, and he inherits the position, only to plunge Concordia into a hell on earth in his efforts to purge all crime. Sadly, his efforts have brought corruption that was worse than if the Rochesters had taken over. He was so careless with the power he was entrusted with, so brazen in his attempts to control us and take away our ability to live, to think…and for what? To avenge you? To do to others what he wanted to do to your killers, to give them the punishment he believes they should've gotten? To cause others the pain he felt when you died?
"I don't know what he was like when you knew him, but I know what he's become. Soon, all anyone would remember of Justin Lawson was that he kept gaining power until it corrupted him. He let it corrupt him, let it and your murder turn him into a monster. Some would blame you, assuming that if you hadn't died…if only you had lived, then he wouldn't have become this monster. I don't believe that. Others have lost loved ones to murder, and they didn't turn into monsters. If there's blame to be had towards you, and that blame would be unfounded, it won't come from me. I think, in the end, you'd be just as injured as those still alive. He acted to avenge you, and ended up hurting others and disgracing your memory in the process." (Name) put their hand on the gravestone, as though offering comfort to the person it represented.
"The part of me that remembers the good man he was, the champion of justice he used to be, hopes he will repent; I'm not holding my breath there. But if he doesn't, then he's damned himself and will never reach Paradise." (Name) said. "If that's the case, I will be sorry for your loss, Miss Baines. You deserved better than this." (Name) crossed themself before leaving the cemetery, feeling a measure of peace for the first time in six months.
Diego hadn't wanted to leave Maddie alone after the funeral, which was lacking in the pomp and circumstances associated with such an event. There was no trip to the church, no long hours of prayers, not even a wake…just a simple graveside ceremony with only the Flying Squad, and Charlie's family in Concordia; Diego thought it suited Charlie. Maddie had stayed behind at the fresh grave, and Diego had chosen to stay with her, keeping just enough distance to give her privacy. He barely heard the words Maddie gave as she spoke to Charlie, something about the tracking device and Lawson. Then she burst into sobs, holding George as she did.
"Goodbye, my darling husband." Maddie said. "I love you more than life itself!" She started walking away from the grave, and was surprised to see Diego in the distance.
"What are you still doing here?" Maddie asked when she reached him.
"I thought you'd like an escort back to the house." Diego answered. "I didn't want to intrude on such a private moment."
"Diego…while I do appreciate your care of us, it's not necessary—and don't say you're doing it because you want to."
"Yes, it is, and I do want to. Aside from that, I promised Charlie I'd watch over you and George if anything happened to him." Maddie took his arm and they walked through the cemetery.
"Does it get any easier?" Maddie asked as they stopped at a bench for a rest. "Living with the pain of losing a loved one?"
"No. It doesn't get easier." Diego answered. "You just learn to live with it. Some days, it'll be like the loss hits you like a stone to the chest. Other days, it's so faint you barely notice it as you go about your day. But it's there, like a scar."
"Is that how it is with you? When you lost your…I don't even know who you lost to murder, I didn't think to ask."
"My mother. I was ten when we were on a picnic in the fields outside Barcelona. Five animals pretending to be men accosted us. They took turns with her, and when they weren't violating her, they were holding me hostage, making me watch…whispering in my ear that that was what women were for. When they were done, they left us there…she was so broken. She just laid there, in such shock…and I was by her side, refusing to leave her even when my Abuelo found us."
"Your…Abuelo?"
"My grandfather. He took us home, and nothing we did helped Mama. She was alive in body, but the rest…the rest died in the attack. She never recovered."
"When did she die? I mean, truly die?"
"She died that day; as for when did the body catch up? From illness, two years later. The animals responsible were never indicted. I went on with my life, as much as I could—what choice did I have? I was a twelve year old boy living with his grandfather, but I dreamed of finding those animals, of making them pay the way the law didn't. I got my chance after I graduated university—Abuelo died the summer after, and that was when I began my hunt. Who was I hurting? My family was dead, and I sold Abuelo's business to a trusted assistant…I had nothing to lose. One by one, I hunted them down…I used the skills I had to swindle them into destitution. They later died trying to restore what they lost. I thought I would feel justified, that I have avenged my mother, but all I felt was that hole in my soul from her death growing bigger."
"But you stopped at the ones who hurt her…didn't you?"
"I did, and fought the urge to hurt others because of it, of looking for others to blame for what happened, but by then it was too late. The authorities could never prove my actions, but I developed a reputation as a swindler, a scoundrel…a thief. What doors were once opened to me in Barcelona were closed. In essence, I destroyed my future—at the time, I didn't care, not even when I left for America. I still committed crimes, but never to destroy another person again. I kept my illegal activities limited to forgery—to a point as there were items I wouldn't dare forge—and stealing art, jewels and anything material that was valuable."
"So…in all of your criminal activities, you knew for a fact I wouldn't be able to shoot Lawson through you." Maddie said. Diego gave a small smile.
"I was bluffing there, actually. I had no idea if the bullet would go through me or not, that's something to ask Richard." Diego said. "But when I saw you with that gun, ready to shoot Lawson and take your revenge, it brought me back to when I took revenge for my mother, and threw away my future. I couldn't let you make the same terrible mistake I did."
"I see. Diego, I want you to know…I never blamed you for Charlie's death. Truly I don't. It wasn't like you took that gun and shot him yourself. If it weren't for Charlie, we would have had your funeral today!"
"I know. That's the part…that's the part that hurts the most. You…you and the Flying Squad—you all gave me a home and a family. Something I never thought I would have again. Then Charlie dies saving me…after everything I've done, I was worth saving."
"He could do no less, no matter what." Maddie stood up then. "We need to be heading back."
"Of course," Diego said, and they went back to her mother's house, where the repast was. After the meal, Maddie brought up the film reel that was in Charlie's lab, and had set up the projector and a screen beforehand. Maddie, Diego and everyone else sat in the parlor to watch the film, with (Name) holding baby George. Diego starred as the film came on, and he saw Charlie in his lab on the screen.
"Hello, baby Dupont!" The movie said. Charlie had somehow added sound to the film, specifically his voice. "I hope for this to be the first of many films I make for you! I plan to chronicle everything about your life…I know you'll grow up to be a wonderful person, especially with the guardians we chose for you helping us. Madeline, I know you had some reservations about naming Diego the godfather of our child, but I trust him with my life and I trust him with our child. I also trust him with the phone company, and when this mess with Lawson is over and done with, I'm asking him to be my partner—and I won't take no for an answer! He's done so much for us, and (Name)…we've had so many adventures together! They'll make wonderful godparents for our child, show them right from wrong…maybe I'm not all that keen at Diego showing them some of his dishonest tricks, but I'm looking at it like an inoculation against being corrupted by the darkness in the world. Richard could explain that better than I about how that works. There's so much I want to tell you, my child, like the time we faked our engagement for your Granny Eileen, or when Ramirez chased chickens in Coyote Gorge. I can't wait to see you! Well, farewell Maddie and baby! I love you both to the moon and back!" The film ended then, and Maddie excused herself, on the verge of tears.
"Oh Charlie…" Diego sighed. "The world's grown colder with your absence." He thought about going after her, but decided against it. Maddie needed to be alone for now, to have a good cry without anyone else present. As the group dispersed, Diego found himself with (Name) and baby George.
"Damn. She's been holding up so well." (Name) said. "It's…it's going to sound crass of me, but I thought after some time passed, Maddie might consider remarrying. After this, I'm not so sure."
"She won't remarry, not even to gain companionship in her later years." Diego said. "I see that now. Charlie…Charlie was it for her."
"Whatever she does after this will be for George's sake."
"It will. What was that about her and Charlie faking their engagement?"
"Oh, God…" (Name) laughed. "I had almost forgotten their initial engagement started off as a ruse to stop one of Mrs. O'Malley's matchmaking schemes for Maddie! It was when we were assigned to Sinner's End, after we arrested Madam Xiang for murder. Mrs. O'Malley had come to the airship to tell Maddie she met a gentleman who wanted to meet with her, hinting that the gentleman would propose to her upon their meeting. Maddie was so desperate to prevent the potential engagement that she drafted Charlie and introduced him to her mother as her berothed! Charlie even gave her his grandmother's ring to make it look authentic, and told her to keep it afterwards."
"Even then he had hopes that the lie Maddie told may be made true." Diego said. "Was the gentleman in question really that bad?"
"I don't know, we never met him. But we did find an advertisement he put in looking for a wife. When I read it, I thought Maddie didn't have to go to such lengths to prevent the engagement because she was the furthest thing from what that advertisement asked for, and I had no doubt if this gentleman met her, he'd change his mind. But Maddie didn't want to take chances."
"Now I'm intrigued. What did this advertisement say in describing the gentleman's idea of a wife?"
"This gentleman, a widowed doctor in his late sixties, was looking to replace his late wife. The advertisement asked for "a young housewife, must know how to cook, clean and sew, be perfectly fit and fond of silence". I personally found the whole thing ridiculous—that's not a wife, that's a housekeeper that doubles as a concubine!"
"Some would argue that was what a wife is, other than a broodmare of course."
"I don't agree. Yes, this is a man's world, but that doesn't mean a woman's sole purpose in life is to spread her legs and pop out babies, with no thoughts of her own. Even you agree there's more to a wife than that. What was it you said when I mentioned why poor Hope Woodward was locked away by her own parents, because they feared her desire to write would have her labeled as a bluestocking and thus unsuitable as a wife because she proved to have a brain and used it?"
"That any man who desired a stupid wife guaranteed himself stupid children, and would not only prove his own stupidity, but how sensitive his pride is."
"Marriage…it's not a husband dominating his wife, or a wife dominating her husband. It's…they're not competing with each other, they're a team. They're…"
"Partners."
"Exactly."
"So…any news on when Lawson's going to trial?" Diego asked, changing the subject.
"The entire District Attorney's office, and the State Attorney's forces, are still looking over records and reviewing trials." (Name) said. "They'll start arraignments after they've seen everything; the courts will deal with the administration, while the city council under the Governor's oversight handles Lawson."
"The Governor is overseeing Lawson's arraignment."
"He's presiding over it, yes, or leading the proceedings and will be hearing the charges of treason against the state. They'll also decide if Lawson will be impeached for what he did."
"Which, according to Isaac, you've been looking forward to."
"I have. The council will also wait until after Lawson's trial before officially assigning a new Police Commissioner. I guess they want to guarantee we're not doing this for our own gain."
"That sounds about right."
"Diego, I've watched you throughout this ordeal, and remember how you used to pursue Maddie when we all met. Then you stopped, when she and Charlie went steady."
"As I told Charlie when he asked me about my feelings for Madeline, my passions for her cooled into dear friendship. After seeing her reaction to the film, I'm glad for that. Even if I wanted to pursue her again, and I assure you I don't, I would have no chance with her at all."
"No one does." Diego could only nod in agreement. He was better off as Maddie's friend and partner than as a potential suitor. It was better this way, he decided, and could only pray that the city of Concordia would heal from the damage done to it by Lawson and his minions.
