Episode 2: A Study in Turnabout
Part 9: Justice Is Blind, but a Bat Is Not
July 12th, 10:11 AM
Lower Canopy Upper Courthouse - Courtroom No. 4
"Order! Order! Someone get the electrical systems back in order!"
The lights in the courtroom turned back on, causing several mammals to rub their eyes. "What is the meaning of such a display?!" Judge Loggins demanded, glaring down at their new visitor.
To her credit, super criminal Lucy Sang actually looked a little sheepish. "Sorry, Your Honor! Just wanted to get all the screaming and terror out of the way early. Anyway, how does this go again? Name and occupation, right?"
She cleared her throat, giving a flourishing wave to her audience. "Lucy Sang! Thief, mercenary, and all-around mischief maker! Well… I guess only that last one now."
"Yes, the only thing you've managed to steal so far is our valuable time," Kyle remarked. "Your Honor, we can't seriously allow this."
"I am inclined to agree with the prosecution," Loggins said with a nod. "Especially after such a blatant display of disrespect in my courtroom!"
Objection!
"The defense has a right to call this witness!" Delilah argued.
"On what grounds?" Kyle asked. "Not only is she a violent lunatic, but I know full well she has a connection to the defendant and is completely biased. This court is not a canvas for you to paint with chaos."
There was muttering of agreement in the gallery.
"He's right. She's a literal supervillain. Why should we trust her?"
"Flying rat probably thinks this can help an appeal or something."
"Bat is lies!"
Lucy looked heartbroken. Delilah could only imagine. Once again, she was in a courtroom and nobody believed a word she had to say. Sure, it was sort of her own fault this time, but it still must have stung.
Hang on!
The court quieted down, confused as to who had spoken.
To absolutely everyone's surprise, it was Hipstapir, standing up in his seat.
"Do you have something to add, Juror No. 6?" Loggins asked.
"Sorry, ma'am. It just hit me where else I knew the name Lucy Sang from," Hipstapir said, for the first time not looking bored. "Nutti Gallery. It was... Gosh, it must have been like a decade or so now."
Lucy brightened. "Eyyy! A fan of my early work!"
"And how!" Hipstapir agreed. "I was just a kit back then, but I followed your work before even that. The graffiti on the Tundratown Bridge is still a favorite of mine."
"Can we focus please?" Kyle said testily.
Hipstapir shot him a dirty look. "I'm just saying. She had a life before all the evil crap. Surely she can have one after, right?"
"Something your father likely agrees with," Grumpy Yeen added, looking directly at Kyle.
Kyle looked like he'd been actively betrayed. "What?! You of all mammals know exactly what she's capable of!"
"More than I expected," Grumpy Yeen answered. "Strange as it may seem, Sang's been getting her act together. I've kept an eye on her. Other than prank calling chicken restaurants and dictatorships, she's been a model prisoner. She may be an impish little psychopath, but if she's kept on track, I think she'll tell the truth. She'd better." She made that last remark with a hard look in Lucy's direction.
(I can't help but feel like I'm missing some context here…)
"So for now, I'm willing to give her a chance," Grumpy Yeen finished, slamming her lever to change her leaning back to not guilty. A leaning that was very subject to change, as she'd made clear.
Lucy nodded thanks to her anyway. "Look, Your Honor. I won't say I'm a changed mammal, or even a redeemable one. I'm stuck with my own choices, and all I can do now is try to do some good. Plus, do you really wanna deal with this big, tangled mess of a murder without expert help?"
Loggins gnawed the back of Grumpy Yeen's chair thoughtfully, before spitting out some shavings to speak. "What does the rest of the jury think? Should we allow this witness to testify?"
"Absolutely feckin' not!" Biker Wolf snapped. "She's shadier than a loan shark buried under a tree at noon!"
"He's right!" Camo Dog agreed. "She's gotta be a spy! Just look at that mouse with her! That ain't normal!"
"Um... I dunno…" Otterly Adorable squeaked. "I like to believe everyone can change, but…"
But Classy Jaguar seemed strangely composed. "I know of Sang's work. She is nothing if not good at what she does. Besides, let's just say I'm not really able to judge a mammal for a violent past." He shot a sharp look at Biker Wolf. "And neither are you, Mr. Steamroller."
Biker Wolf opened his mouth, then closed it, looking ashamed.
"Let's be honest," Classy Jaguar said with a sigh. "This whole case is gonna give us all a headache for months after it's done. And while I do think Gosland is guilty, I ain't above hearin' more just so we can save some money on aspirin down the line by bein' more sure."
"I can agree with that," Otterly Adorable said with a nod.
After a moment, Biker Wolf nodded too. "Alright. Yeah. I see yer point."
Camo Dog growled. "Fine. I guess I'll listen."
Unacceptable!
Kyle was absolutely fuming at this point. "You cannot be serious!"
Loggins banged her gavel. "If it will help the jury reach a more certain verdict, I will allow this testimony!"
"Yeah!" Lucy cheered. "In your face, Lone Ranger!"
Kyle growled.
"However!" Loggins said. "You are on thin ice, Ms. Sang. You are to testify to the facts of the murder only. If I ever feel that your testimony is useless, I will have the bailiff take out his frustrations on your laptop. Do I make myself clear?"
"As the open air, Your Honor!" Lucy agreed, giving a scout's honor salute.
"What are you even planning to 'testify' about?" Kyle asked, just resigned to it now. "In case everyone else has forgotten, you have been in prison for the entirety of the incident."
"Truuuue. Just think of me as an illegal consultant." Lucy hopped up to an exercise bar, hanging upside-down with her wings folded behind her head. "I've been watching this whole thing, you see, and I'm gonna give you all my own personal take on the murder. What we know, how I think it was done, and my conclusions. I'll even rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 if you like."
"Stick to the facts," Loggins reminded warningly.
"Aww. Okay, fine."
Witness
Testimony
~ Murder 101 ~
"Swiping the pin was an interesting choice, but not a good one."
"They couldn't have known for sure that they'd be able to use it. The flying fish hadn't yet made its... little trip."
"As for the murder... going straight for the jugular looks fun in movies, but it's sorta risky IRL."
"Personally, I'd be a little more creative. There's more than one way to skin a cat."
"AND I wouldn't leave a mess! I clean up after myself!"
Kyle sighed. "And this is why we don't let the felons testify. What are those mad ramblings supposed to tell us?"
"That's for ME to know, and for the defense to cross-examine!" Lucy winked, looking at Delilah expectantly. "C'mon, don't disappoint me now."
"As the, erm... witness says," Loggins agreed. "You may begin your cross-examination, defense."
"What do you think she's up to?" Eric asked. "I don't believe that told us very much…"
"I think she's being purposefully vague to make me press her," Delilah concluded. "And I'm gonna. We need all the consultation we can get."
"Should I be concerned that we're forced to consult her of all mammals?"
"Too late for that now. I'm going in!"
Cross
Examination
~ Murder 101 ~
"Swiping the pin was an interesting choice, but not a good one."
Hold it!
"What do you mean?" Delilah asked. "Using the pin means anyone could have done it."
"Non non non!" Lucy tutted, wagging an upside-down finger. "You say 'anyone' like that information is worthless. Think about it this way: If ANYONE could have done it, then it doesn't RULE OUT anyone either. Meaning that even if they wanted to frame someone else, it didn't actually give them any kind of alibi."
She did a little swing forward, putting her eye right up to the camera and looking around like she was scanning the courtroom. "So when you look at it closely enough, it's not a very good choice at all! I'd have picked something way less conspicuous and way more disposable, so I couldn't be tied to the weapon no matter what!"
"Or perhaps the owner never actually lost it, and used it himself," Kyle countered.
Lucy leaned a little too close to the camera, jabbing her eye and falling back, rubbing it with a wince. "You're as much of a spoilsport as ever, I see."
But Delilah had a finger to her chin in thought. (That's a good point though. Picking up the pin didn't really give the killer any edge. I wonder if they even meant to use it to frame Monty when they first grabbed it.)
"They couldn't have known for sure that they'd be able to use it. The flying fish hadn't yet made its... little trip."
Hold it!
"Do you agree with what I asserted then?" Delilah asked, almost curiously. "That the fish outside was what the killer used to get the toxin?"
"That does seem probable," she pondered, swinging idly back and forth from one grasping foot to the other. "But if that IS what happened, it was almost certainly on impulse. The killer couldn't have seen that coming, and it would've been tricky to snatch it up since Lord Tigre was right there. Of course, I could've done it easily."
"Of course…" (Can we just stay on topic, please?)
"Oh, and there's one other thing you're failing to consider," she pointed out, raising a talon. "The toxin being extracted and the toxin being used to kill Lord Tigre didn't necessarily happen back-to-back. I believe the water noodle could attest to that."
Otterly Adorable flinched. "Y-You mean me?"
"Uh-huh. As you said, the nogu toxin kills instantaneously when injected. Lord Tigre died between 3-4 PM, but the fish-chucking happened at noon. So there was actually a sizable gap between when the toxin was available and when it was actually used. Now, I myself would've avoided the issue and gotten it from a variety of dark web resources, such as Chem Labs R Us, Toxicologydottox, Arseniquity…"
"T-The witness will refrain from giving criminal advice!" Loggins scolded.
"Oh. Right. Got a little carried away there. But I'm sure NOBODY would be so evil as to visit one of those places." She winked again.
(I better figure something out before she gets us both in trouble. But I think she's onto something. The toxin could've been obtained at any point after that fish was tossed.)
"As for the murder... going straight for the jugular looks fun in movies, but it's sorta risky IRL."
Hold it!
"Why would it be risky?"
Lucy stared at Delilah. She even leaned her eye close to the camera again to examine her more intently. "You can't be serious." She turned to Kyle. "She can't be serious, right?"
"I'm afraid she is," Kyle replied.
(Hey! Don't banter about me with my own witness!)
"Dude," Lucy said bluntly. "Elmer Fuckface was a five hundred pound tiger. He regularly hunted birds that are scary as shit and had a really big, really functional gun right up there on his wall."
"Actually," Lady Tigre piped up from the gallery. "He was only four hundred eighty-two pounds. He'd lost weight recently."
"Case in point. The guy was scary. Intimidation is a powerful tool that you don't even have to really TRY to use. Just look around. I'm six inches tall, miles away, with iron bars, stone walls, and a glass screen between me and that courtroom. Show of hands, does anyone feel intimidated by me?"
The entire gallery, and a few members of the jury, raised their hands.
"There ya go." Lucy folded her arms, nodding. "Point is, I wouldn't wanna take that guy head-on, and everyone in the household was already scared shitless of him. I don't think the killer would risk getting close enough to stab him like that."
Objection!
"And yet, the fact remains that he was stabbed," Kyle said. "Unless you're trying to contest that now."
"Hmmmm. Not exactly." Lucy smiled knowingly.
While Delilah frowned thoughtfully. (I agree with what she's saying. But what's she getting at?)
"Personally, I'd be a little more creative. There's more than one way to skin a cat."
Hold it!
"What other way if not stabbing him with the pin? Like, throwing it?"
Objection!
"That pin may have been bat-shaped, but that doesn't make it aerodynamic," Kyle replied. "There's no way it could've been thrown very easily."
"But what if the killer was really good at darts?"
"Nah, he's right," Lucy conceded. "That would've been way too imprecise. Even if it did hit, there's no guarantee it'd break the skin. Not without a little help anyway."
"What sort of help?" Delilah pressed.
"I would've used a tool of some kind to guide the pin to its destination. There's all sorts of options available. In fact, you can make an adequate murder weapon out of any number of ordinary household objects." She gave a wide, fanged grin. "Take your toothbrush for example…"
"Let's not," Loggins warned.
"Let's not. But what I'm saying is, if the killer REALLY wanted to nail Garfield with that pin, they would've found a way. And I'm not calling him that 'cause he's a cat. I'm calling him that 'cause he got assassin—"
"Witness!"
(A 'tool', huh? What could that have been? Do we even have something like that in the court record?)
"AND I wouldn't leave a mess! I clean up after myself!"
Hold it!
"You mean you'd go inside and clean up the crime scene?"
"Correctamundo, possumundo!" Lucy confirmed. "I definitely couldn't move the body though, so he'd still be on the floor. About as dignified a pose as he deserved, really."
"What about the thorns?" Delilah asked. "Wouldn't they be trouble? Uh... For someone without wings, that is."
"It's true that nobody involved in this case could fly," Lucy acknowledged. "If we factored THAT in, I would've done this totally differently. I'm just keeping my theories a little more 'grounded' for the benefit of the flight-challenged. Anyway, the thorns would be trouble, but there were definitely ways past them."
Delilah smiled. "Like the drainpipe?"
Lucy paused, a very uncertain frown on her face. "It's… possible."
Her smile fell. (Her wording on that was weird. Is she trying to give me a hint?)
BANG!
The possum jumped, wondering for a second if someone had taken a shot at Lucy, before seeing that it was just Kyle's cane hitting his bench. But if looks could kill, that would've been plenty.
"I believe the court has heard quite enough," he said. "As expected, nothing but more wild theories without the evidence to back them up. If we were willing to entertain any idea that gets dropped in our laps, we'd be here all day."
"These aren't just any ideas!" Delilah insisted. "They are the educated theories of an expert witness!"
"Awww, you flatter me!" Lucy grinned.
Kyle was unmoved. "Hmph. If she's really such an 'expert', then why hasn't she figured out who the killer is?"
"Who says I haven't?"
Whatever he was going to say next got caught in his throat. "…Excuse me?"
"Witness!" Loggins called out. "Are you implying that you can actually name a suspect in the murder?"
"Sure I can! What do you take me for?" Lucy almost looked offended. "I mean, I'm not 100% certain, but I think I have a pretty good idea whodunnit."
"Y-You do?!" Delilah leaned in. "Who is it?!"
"Oooooooh no!" She wagged a finger. "Sorry, can't tell ya that. Like the trash panda said, I'm a biased witness. Believe me, I'd love to throw the killer under the bus, but it couldn't be trusted coming from me." She gave a shrug. "And besides, isn't that what I hired YOU for? I'd like to think I gave you a second chance for good reason."
Delilah calmed down, steeling herself for what she knew she had to do. "I get it. So it's all up to me to piece it together now, huh?"
"Pretty much. But I will give ya one hint," Lucy offered. "Remember that 'tool' I mentioned being used in conjunction with the lapel pin? If you can figure out what that was and where it came from, you'll have your answer."
"Not to pressure you or anything," Kyle cut in, "but if you can't name a new suspect, we'll have to fall back on the only one who still has solid evidence against him. So think carefully."
"What he said. But for now, I'm afraid I'll have to take my leave."
"Because your work here is done?" Eric guessed.
"Well, that, and because I think the guards are coming over…"
The next thing they saw was Lucy being tackled off-screen by a burly rat, several others soon joining in. "YOU'll NEVER TAKE ME ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! Ow! Hey, I was just being dramatic! I'll go quietly! Aaah! Stop it! My wing!"
The feed cut out abruptly. Martina gave a polite nod to the court, then lifted the laptop above her head and hopped to the floor, scurrying out of the room.
Loggins banged her gavel. The poor beaver's migraine was becoming physically visible. "Well. That was... something. Never thought I'd hear someone like her testify in defense of someone else. Still, an expert witness when it comes to murder is a novel idea. If she wasn't blowing smoke, I might have to allow that kind of thing more often for complex cases."
Kyle's eye twitched.
Loggins glared down at Delilah. "That's a pretty big 'if' though. I expect an answer to that question, defense. If you can't name a believable suspect right here and now, I'm prepared to ask the jury for their verdict." And even the two holdouts didn't look willing to defy such an order.
Both Lara and Lady Tigre were glaring at Delilah as well. If they didn't have murder in their hearts, they absolutely had it in their eyes. It made the possum gulp.
She closed her eyes, partly to concentrate and partly so she wouldn't have to look at them. (It's now or never. If I can't turn this around, Monty is doomed. But if even Lucy Sang believes in me, I have no excuse to fail!)
As Delilah focused, everything around her faded away. Now it was just her and her logic, speeding off together.
It's time to put this together once and for all! According to Lucy, the lapel pin is key. We know it was laced with the nogu toxin and used to kill Lord Tigre, but she seems to think there's more to it than that. A 'tool' of some kind might have been used. If that's the case, then the pin couldn't have just been stabbed into the guy, right?
How else might the pin have been used?
- As a trap
- As a projectile
- It wasn't used
Launched as
a projectile
That's right! She said it could've been used from a distance, so the killer could avoid getting too close to their target. But she also said it couldn't have been thrown, which means another tool had to be involved. Or rather… another weapon.
The line of logic zipped around, bouncing from point to point in her mind.
But does that change anything? If it being used as a projectile was enough for Lucy to figure this whole thing out, then it has to turn something big about this case on its head.
What changes about this case if we assume the killer attacked from range?
- The killer's motive
- The killer's alibi
- The killer's location
The killer was
in the yard
Of course! If they attacked from range, then they wouldn't have needed to use the drainpipe to get close. The pin struck the victim under his chin, so if we assume he was shot with it, the most likely angle wouldn't be from the drainpipe or from behind him in the study, but rather straight through the open window!
It bounced again, following along the thought route.
Now then, I need to figure out what this thing was. Nothing fitting the description came up during the trial and I don't think it's in our court record either. Yet the killer must have had easy access to it.
How might the killer have gotten ahold of this weapon?
- They already owned it
- It was found on the premises
- It was brought from outside
Owned by
the killer
Yes! It wasn't found during the investigation and there was no time to smuggle anything in. So it must have already been in the killer's possession, but not look suspicious enough to stand out.
The line of logic was bouncing around like crazy. Delilah could tell she was getting to something, but she didn't know what just yet.
If that's true, then it's a weapon that doesn't look like a weapon. It must have a more mundane use as well.
Mundane tools… Where would be a good place to find those?
- The kitchen
- The gardening shed
- The bathroom
Came from the
gardening shed
The shed! The killer would have been right by it! That would be the perfect place to both find materials and prepare a weapon in secret!
The line of logic was coming to its end. She could tell. Her heart was racing at this point.
But wait a minute! Thinking back on the sort of materials in there, I don't think there's much that would be useful for something like this. In order to launch the lapel pin but go unnoticed, the killer would've needed something relatively simple. Simple enough to blend in… yet able to fire a pin… like a dart…
That's it! I know what kind of weapon the killer used! It was…
- A bow
- A blowgun
- Tigre's gun
Finally, the line had reached its end, all of Delilah's logic coming together to make one ultimate conclusion.
THE KILLER USED
A BONG BLOWGUN
No way! It sounds ridiculous, but it all checks out! Could the real murder weapon have been right in front of our noses?
I don't know, but I need to find out. I have my answer!
After a chunk of silence, Loggins gave a heavy sigh. "It seems that the defense has nothing to say. Very well. I am ready to call for the jury's verdic—"
I don't think so!
"The defense is ready to name a suspect!" Delilah proclaimed with a snappy point.
"Is that so?" Kyle chuckled, looking almost relieved. "I can't wait to hear this."
Loggins seemed surprised, but no less curious. "This had better be good then. Who do you believe killed Lord Dominic Tigre?"
(I know I'm reaching here, but I don't have a choice. I have to trust in Lucy's conclusion.)
Delilah slammed her palm on the bench, then pointed it across the room. "The defense would like to accuse… Ria Nepeta!"
"N-Nepeta?!" The judge's eyes widened in shock as the courtroom erupted. "You mean that ditzy gardener girl from yesterday's trial?"
"That's right!" she said, as confidently as she could. "Ms. Nepeta had the ability to steal the defendant's lapel pin like anyone else, and we also know for a fact that she had access to the poisoned pufferfish. Because she tried to hide it from us! And with her gardening gear, she could have easily made it through the thorns. Yet we all overlooked her as a suspect for... okay, a number of reasons, but mainly because it seemed impossible for her to have committed the crime. At that point, we still thought Lord Tigre had consumed the toxin himself."
"But now that we know the toxin was on the lapel pin, it becomes possible for Ms. Nepeta to have done the deed. Is that what you're saying?" Kyle asked sardonically. "What happened to your obsession with the drainpipe?"
She shook her head. "It's as you said. It was a means for Lara Tigre to sneak out to her future hubby, and to do an arson. But nothing more."
"As pleased as I am that you're actually agreeing with me for once, don't expect me to return the favor. That fried feline can't be the killer!" Kyle pointed his finger gun firmly at her. "Unless you have actual proof to the contrary, I refuse to hear any more of this!"
"I do have proof!"
"Y-You do?" Eric asked. "Are you sure? Because now is really not the time to bluff."
"Oh, it's no bluff. Ms. Nepeta used a certain tool to help her commit the crime, and we've seen it with our very own eyes. Don't you remember that bong collection she showed us?"
"To be honest, I was trying not to look too closely at that."
"Well I did! And I know exactly which one she used."
She thought back to their meeting in the gardening shed, recalling that shelf vividly. But which one of those tools of debauchery had been used as a tool for murder?
Delilah had seen more extensive bong collections, but Ria certainly had a lot of variety. She had one disguised as an apple, one that looked like a fancy bathroom soap bottle, one designed as a simple glass flute, some kind of twisted eldritch abomination that looked like surrealist art, and even an old, metal one like bootleggers would use back in the day.
Got it!
one designed as a simple glass flute
"Ms. Nepeta used a custom-made bong blowgun to kill Lord Tigre! One that is even now sitting in her gardening shed!" She pointed back at Kyle. "All we have to do is examine it and I'm sure the evidence will speak for itself! Now that's what I'd call a 'smoking gun'!"
"Waaaaagh!" His finger gun backfired, the raccoon clutching his wrist as he glowered at her. "R-Ridiculous. How could my... carefully planned investigation... be derailed by such absurdity?"
"Ooooooooh, this is getting so exciting!" Ottery Adorable bounced in her seat. "The real killer reveals are always the best!"
"Assuming she's right," Biker Wolf said. "This still sounds nuttier than nutbread in a nuthouse."
"It's always the ones you least expect..." Camo Dog narrowed his costume's eyes.
"Ms. O'Possum," Loggins said, wholly unamused. "I'll allow you to summon Ms. Nepeta back to the witness stand. However, this will be the last time. If you fail to make your case, I will swiftly move to adjudication. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Your Honor."
"Delilah, are you sure about this?" Eric asked, tugging at his collar. "You're putting a lot of faith in a hunch given to you by that bat."
"I'm not," she admitted. "But it's a hunch I have to believe in. It's the only way I can make things right."
Delilah tried to ignore the nervous look on Eric's face and instead looked to the Tigres, mostly showing a mix of concern and confusion.
(Lady Tigre... Lara... I'm sorry. I was willing to accuse you both for my own selfish reasons. Maybe I'm still doing that now. I guess we'll find out. But if there's any hint of truth to what I'm claiming, then I promise I'm going to find it.)
(Just watch. For both of your sakes, I'm gonna pin Ria's spotty tail to the wall!)
To be concluded...
Court Record:
Attorney's Badge
This old thing? Well, it does let me do my job, but it mostly just sits in my pocket until I get the sudden urge to flash it at someone for kicks.
T&C Business Card
Those two are really gonna regret hoisting this off on me. I can think of a LOT of uses for a small piece of cardstock that were probably not intended.
Lord Tigre's Autopsy Report
Cause of death believed to be poisoning through injection of nogu toxin. Estimated time of death is between 3-4 PM. Victim died almost instantly. No trace of Delishafish was found in his stomach. Pinprick found below his chin consistent with Monty's lapel pin.
Crime Scene Photo
Shows Tigre collapsed on his desk as if taking a nap, somewhat undercut by the gaping hole in his neck. The rest of his desk is mostly visible, though the papers right under him are obscured. Side note: Totally a Number 4. Nailed it.
Food Cart
Monty's ticket inside the study, brought there by the bodyguard. Credit where credit is due, that was a pretty clever plan. Shame he mucked it up afterward, but then again we might not have a client otherwise.
Wine Bottle
Brought to Lord Tigre on the cart. Contains a grape wine and is partly empty. Also contains deadly pufferfish toxin. Bears Monty's pawprints.
Spilled Ashtray
Found on the floor and stepped in by Monty, leaving a trail of tiny tracks that lead around the desk, up the side, and out the window. Let this be a lesson, kits. Not everyone is cut out to be a murderer.
Termination Papers
Almost no blood was found on them despite being right under Lord Tigre at the time he was stabbed, proving that he was already dead. Suck it, Lilac!
Lapel Pin
Monty's personal possession, that he didn't leave at the crime scene after all. He left it in the dining room instead, which isn't much better because it means anyone had the opportunity to swipe it. Was eventually found to be laced with nogu toxin, making it the real murder weapon. Found under Lord Tigre's desk.
Tigre's Gun
This is it! We're at the climax and it's finally time to see how this gun solves the case! I can't wait!
Burnt Scraps
Scraps of some weird material found in the fireplace. It seems kind of like paper, but doesn't have the right texture. Where the heck did it come from?
Manor Map
A map of Casa Tigre so 'graciously' gifted to us by Kyle. I'm half-tempted to relight the fireplace just to chuck it in, but I bet that's exactly what he WANTS us to do so we're gonna use it anyway! Out of spite!
(Archived under 'Casa Tigre Map' on Berserker88x's Deviantart.)
Delishafish Dish
Apparently this dish is a big deal among rich folks and super hard to make right. Even Chef Humphrey screwed it up on the first attempt. Oh, and it turns out it's deathly toxic if you screw it up, which REALLY would've been nice to know beforehand.
Spoiled Delishafish
The first version of the dish that Humphrey screwed up, though the arguably bigger screw-up was leaving it out for Sunny to find. Luckily for him, it looks like Lord Tigre didn't actually eat any of it, but he still threw it out the window anyway. Later buried by Ria, utensils and all. The missing chunk was found in the thorns.
Kitchen Knife
A large and thick steel knife given by Humphrey to Monty. The murder weapon? Not even close.
Other Knife
A smaller and thinner steel knife taken from Humphrey by the ZPD. Later dropped by Lara. This seems to be the knife that was used to prepare the Delishafish, containing a hidden love poem written by Humphrey. Which is appropriate, because reading it made me want to stab myself.
Wall of Thorns
A spiky ring of pain that surrounds the whole perimeter of Casa Tigre. For when you're just too classy to get a barbed-wire fence. Can confirm: hurts like hell.
Monty's Testimony
After being given a knife by Chef Humphrey, he got smuggled in on a food cart, stabbed Tigre in the neck, and then fled up to the roof with the knife before getting caught. Despite this, he remains insistent that he didn't poison his lapel pin or commit the murder. Finally a straight answer from this guy.
Sunny's Testimony
Due to a tragic misunderstanding, he accidentally delivered deadly Delishafish to Lord Tigre around noon. There he witnessed a conversation between him and someone else outside the window. Later, after delivering the food cart to Lord Tigre's study at around 3:30, on Monty's orders, he locked the door with the master key and stood guard outside until the murder went down.
Humphrey's Testimony
Lord Tigre announced that the staff was being fired at breakfast around 8 AM, in response to finding out about Humphrey dating his daughter. He then became Monty's accomplice and poisoned the wine bottle.
Ria's Testimony
She was witness to flying fish, surprisingly not a hallucination. Which she then proceeded to bury and not tell anyone about. She later spotted Monty on the roof after he stabbed Lord Tigre, watching as he climbed down a tree and fled around back to enter through the servant's quarters. She and Sunny caught him inside trying to plant the knife.
Lady Tigre's Testimony
After arguing with Lord Tigre over the breakfast incident, she and Lara retreated upstairs to the second floor. She visited Lara briefly, but they otherwise stayed apart. She claims they were both on the second floor for the entire span of time until the murder, but this also means that neither of them have alibis.
Bronze Figurine
A scary-ass effigy of Lord Tigre holding a sword and looking like he wants to cut you with it. According to Monty, it's currently facing the opposite way that it usually does.
Gardening Gear
Protective clothes used to get through the thorns without being sliced up. Lended to us by Ria. Shame we had to leave it all behind. It would've made a sick Howloween costume.
Drainpipe Prints
A set of tigress prints found on the drainpipe connecting the study to the second floor bathroom, going up and down multiple times. They belong to Lara Tigre, having used them to sneak out to see Humphrey. Monty's prints overlap them. And our prints overlap his. And her prints overlap ours.
Medicine Bottle
An anxiety medication found in the second floor bathroom. I won't even try to write its name, but it was prescribed in Lady Tigre's. However, the medication itself actually belongs to Lara. According to the directions, two pills should be taken daily at noon.
Profiles:
Delilah O'Possum
Age: 24
Species: Sassy Possum
Finally, it's my turn to shine! I am gonna rock the hell outta this case and show the world that I can handle murder too! Solving a murder case, I mean. Glad nobody else reads these.
Eric Badge
Age: 24
Species: Stuffy Badger
My best friend and partner in crime solving crime. He can be a bit of a stick in the mud sometimes, but I'm always happy to pull him out of it.
Millie Muskerson
Age: 22
Species: Polecat Who Wants to Tap That
Old friend, old defendant, current intern. Honestly worth the effort of hiring her just to see her make goo-goo eyes at Rick all day, but she's pretty well-organized too. Strikes a good balance between my lack of tidiness and Rick having entirely too much of it.
Lucy Sang
Age: 29
Species: Literally Bloodthirsty Vampire Bat
What can I say? Murderbat came through. I'd like to be able to rely on her for future cases, but that's entirely dependent on Judge Loggins and/or Warden Smiles, it seems.
Martina
Age: 29
Species: Questionably Alive Mouse Girl
Lucy's… friend? Servant? Voodoo zombie slave? Was debating even adding her to this, but I get the impression she doesn't have much in life, so here's to you, Marty!
Monty Gosland
Age: 23
Species: Mongoose That Buttles
Our defendant, for better or for worse. Slightly better now.
Lord Dominic Tigre
Age: 40
Species: Dead Tiger
The victim. Apparently big into shooting birds for sport and living in high society. Well, formerly living. The more I hear about him, the more I don't feel sorry for his death.
Lila Lilac
Age: 28
Species: Stuck-up Skunkette
One of Tooth & Claw's lawyers. Likes: being a tool. Dislikes: peripheral vision. This isn't the only list she's going on today.
Pierce Pierson
Age: 28
Species: Porcupain
Another Tooth & Claw lawyer and a prick in more ways than one. Seems pretty aggro for a guy who's so into defense.
Sigrid 'Siggy' MacTalon
Age: 25
Species: Wolverine on a Warpath
I really hoped I wouldn't have to add her to this. Let's just say mistakes were made and now this hardass detective kinda hates my guts. It's going to be mentally draining dealing with her, and physically draining if she makes me do any more pushups.
Kyle VanDal
Age: 26
Species: Rival Raccoon
This sly prosecutor is known for his keen eyes and dirty tricks. He's also known for half-assing most of his trials these days, earning him a very non-fancy nickname, the 'Apathetic Attorney'. For someone who's been such a jerk so far, in a weird way it's like he needs us in order to give a shit again.
Lady Tigre
Age: 43
Species: Bird-infused Tigress
Lord Tigre's widow, and the only one who seems to feel any kind of sympathy for him. That speaks much more to her character than his. She seems like a good mom too, and definitely willing to put her daughter (and me) in her place when needed.
Laura Lara Tigre
Age: 19
Species: Teenager
Okay, I get that I put her fiancé in jail and all, but does this girl have to be THAT out to get me? I wish I could say things were gonna get better, but…
Lenore
Age: 6
Species: Poetic Stereotype
Lara's faithful pet raven. Or familiar, just in case she's some kind of sorceress and takes offense. Probably eats telltale hearts or something. I dunno, I'm not into poetry. Or birdology.
Sunny Urshine
Age: 26
Species: Teddy Bear
Lord Tigre's ex-bodyguard, obviously not doing too great right now. Accidentally offing the guy you're supposed to protect will do that. I think HE'S the one who needs a hug now. I'll volunteer Rick.
Ellias Humphrey
Age: 20
Species: Camel 2.0
Lara's not-so-secret fiancé. Gotta admire this guy's commitment to his craft. Even at the expense of being an effective murderer. I feel a little bad about putting him behind bars, but maybe he'll get to be a prison chef. I bet his cooking will be better appreciated there.
Ria Nepeta
Age: 31
Species: High As a Cat
This is what I get for trusting a junkie! I've been there, so I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, and look what happens! Drugs are for YOU to get wasted, not to waste someone else!
Judge Loggins
Age: 45
Species: Beaver of Authority
Always nice to see a familiar face in these strange surroundings. Better than Kyle's at least. I wonder if she'd chuck her gavel at him if he annoyed her enough. That'd almost make it all worth it.
Warden Smiles
Age: 39
Species: Wocka Quokka
Lucy Sang's warden, a position I do not envy. The question is, was he always this cheerful, or did something in him just break after a while?