Rosita stood at the sliding glass door that led to the Lane's back patio, the mother's heart aching as she saw Porsha sitting alone on the beach, still in her court clothes, minus her jacket which she was using as beach towel to sit on, the teen wolf just staring out into the sea as the sun seemed to sink into the waves, casting a beautiful red and violet hue on the young canine, her back to the house as she pulled her legs tightly to her chest as she rested her head on her knees.
"I feel just awful," Meena chimed into Rosita's silent musings, the pachyderm and pig both changed into their usual casual attire, both females just staring out at the lone wolf sitting in the sand, both completely oblivious to the remainder of their party, this time accompanied by Cherry, the young saluki/setter having wanted to greet Porsha with a comforting hug, having watched the trial's progress with her mother. And while Charlie wished that the Troupe could have met his daughter under more pleasant circumstances…well, beggars can't be choosers.
"You haven't done anything to feel bad about, Trunks," Nooshy added in, the lynx using Johnny's arm as a pillow as the gorilla just slumped back in the armchair, the distant look in his eyes a clear indication that he was not paying attention to the conversation.
"That doesn't mean I can't hurt for her, Nooshy," Meena retorted, her hands clasped to her aching heart, "Porsha was pretty much forced to relive one of the most traumatic experiences of her life, and we were totally oblivious too it."
"Yeah," Buster chimed in with a sigh, wishing he had seen the signs sooner, "we kind of dropped the ball on that one, kid."
"Well, it's not your fault. It's not hers either," Cherry added, "it's Jimmy's."
"Cherry's right," Suki said next, the saluki in a casual get-up of jean capris and a white blouse, "Mr. Crystal basically lived by the moto of his father, 'a Crystal gets what they want.' And unfortunately, he felt it applied to anything…and anyone."
"And it's something, believe me," Charlie spoke next, the lawyer sitting in his favorite recliner, his arm wrapped around Ellie's waist as she sat on one of the arms, "we are going to make him rethink. And if not, he'll have plenty of time to think about it in prison."
"Pretty optimistic, Dad," Cherry chided with an annoyed, deadpan expression, which only caused her father to offer a teasing grin and a shrug.
"Honey, it's the truth."
"Well truth or not," Meena chimed back in, "she didn't deserve to be treated that way."
"Well, whether she deserved it or not doesn't make a difference now," Nooshy added with shrug, the lynx practically ignoring the warning glare sent from Cherry, which did not go unnoticed by a rather incensed Buster, "what's done is done and…"
"Noosh, please."
Everyone looked at Johnny with a start. Even Nooshy, who was surprised by the usually soft-spoken primate's low growl, looked at the previously brooding gorilla, who looked back at her with an even more intense warning glare.
"Woah," she said with a nervous chuckle, "you doing okay, big guy?"
"NO! I'M NOT OKAY!" Johnny suddenly bellowed, his sudden explanation catching everyone off guard, even Charlie and Clay felt unnerved by this, both rocker and lawyer glancing at each other as the others just focused on Johnny. Ash, being the closest to the gorilla and lynx, thought that maybe she could try to calm Johnny down. And it was only when she placed her small hand on Johnny's forearm that the gorilla looked down at the small porcupine.
"Johnny," she said softly, but firmly, "you need to calm down."
"Ash," Johnny answered with a slight groan, "believe me, I would love to calm down, but it's getting a little harder the longer this goes on."
"Ash is right Johnny," Meena butted in, the pachyderm placing her large hand on Johnny's back, "you're stressing yourself out over something you have no control over."
This set something off in Johnny as he practically threw the two girls off him, or rather just get their hands off him, the sudden action, followed by his exclamation causing everyone to feel great worry for Johnny as he practically began to scream in Meena's face, the young elephant actually finding herself receding deeper and deeper into her ears as a result of Johnny basically jabbing his finger in her face.
"AND WHY SHOULDN'T I BE STRESSED OUT! Yeah, Mr. Lane got the abuse charges dropped. But now Lu is going to go on the warpath with battery. Or did you forget that my dad pretty much beat up Crystal's thugs and his security."
"But Johnny," Gunter squeaked in nervously, "Mr. Lane says he has, like, this great plan…"
"THEN WHY HASN'T HE TOLD US HIS PLAN YET?!"
And what Johnny said next sucked all the air out of the room as he pointed an accusing finger at the still seated Charlie, the saluki just sitting and watching Johnny with the same neutral expression as in the courtroom. And it wasn't out of indifference. He could just tell that Johnny was beyond worried for his father and was in need of a place to put it.
"I'LL TELL YA WHY! IT'S BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE A PLAN!"
"Johnny," Buster nervously warned, the koala and the others now greatly worried for their friend, his tirade against Charlie definitely setting them all on edge, especially Nooshy, who felt her heart break as she watched her student, her BOYFRIEND, practically having a full-on meltdown in the middle of Charlie's house. And it certainly didn't help when she noticed tears start to brim in Johnny's brown eyes as the primate glared daggers at the still very calm Charlie, who after a minute of just sitting in silence, offered an answer to Johnny's accusation.
"I always have a plan, Johnny," he responded calmly.
"You just have to trust…"
"TRUST?! TRUST WHAT…YOU?! THAT'S ALL YOU'VE BEEN SAYING! TO TRUST YOU! YOU, SOMEONE WE BARELY EVEN KNOW TO SAVE OUR SKINS, TO SAVE MY DAD'S SKIN!"
At that moment, Johnny's enraged expression began to crack, his angry scowl giving way to one of pure sorrow. Needless to say, practically everyone, save for Charlie and Cherry, bolted for Johnny the moment he fell to his knees, Nooshy being the first to reach him as he buried his face in his hands as he silently wept, the sudden feeling of Nooshy's arms wrapping around his neck in a tight hug causing him to hold her tight, although hesitant at first.
"Easy, big guy," she cooed as she gently rubbed circles on his back, the lynx, and for that matter every female fighting back tears as they saw Johnny so broken. All Charlie could do was sit in his recliner, his crying knee preventing him from standing. And if that didn't put him on edge, the sudden arrival of Nick with his wife, son and mother from the hotel could already tell did. But, Nick held his tongue the moment he realized that Johnny was going through hell as Big Daddy was at risk of being locked up again for breaching the conditions of his parole.
"I feel his pain," Nick whispered to Suki, who had remained beside her brother, the female saluki not taking her eyes off of Johnny as she responded to Nick.
"I know you do."
"Oh, Johnny," Miss Crawley cooed as she lightly patted his shoulder, "is that what you're so afraid of?"
Johnny tensed, the sudden reaction felt by Nooshy, who realized right away that Miss Crawley had landed right on the money. And the moment Johnny sent the old lizard a tearful side-glance, Nooshy braced herself for what was to come.
"I just got him back, Miss Crawley," Johnny rasped out between his sobs.
"We just started fixing things. We were finally becoming a real family again."
Upon hearing this, Nick looked down at his sleeping son in his arms, the vow he made that he would do anything to make sure he was there for his boy pulling at his heart even more that it hurt him to see Johnny like this.
And what Johnny said next was barely a whisper due to his sobs, but the pain made it hard to everyone.
"I can't lose him again."
"You're not going to, Johnny."
Johnny looked up at Charlie, the lawyer now leaning forward in his chair, hands clasped in front of his as a stand-fast expression became plastered on his muzzle, the very sight of his conviction to his clients causing a small smile to form on a tearful Ellie's face.
"How do you know?" Johnny rasped as he looked into Charlie's steely hazel eyes.
"Well look at what we've accomplished so far," Charlie responded, only to receive a loud huff of amusement from Clay.
"Charlie, you've been lucky so far!"
"I have to agree with Clay, Charlie," Nick said handing Jason off to Kris, the fox mob boss pulling out a cigar.
"I have made some risky things in the past," he continued through the cigar now clenched in his teeth, lighting it with a smile, take big, long puffs until a cloud of smoke existed his mouth and nostrils, "but you have dog yourself to the center of the earth."
With that, Nick took a big drag of his cigar and blew the smoke right at Charlie.
"No I haven't, Clay," Charlie quickly rebutted with a cough, waving the smoke away, "because unlike you lot, I have perfected the art of courtroom warfare. Yes, Ms. Lu has shown that she has learned some things about me and my tactics, but she still makes the same mistakes that Jack Burro makes…to be two steps ahead. And she isn't. And she has the same problem Jack has, she doesn't see the bigger picture."
"What bigger picture?" Buster inquired; his curiosity greatly piqued. But, before Charlie could answer, there was a heavy knock on the door, the sudden interruption causing everyone to freeze. Well, everyone except Charlie, who after retrieving his cane and rising from his recliner with a groan, hobbled his way out of the living room and toward the front door, out of sight. The remainder of the group stayed in silence, each still tending to Johnny, either embracing him or offering soft words of comfort.
"It's going to be okay Johnny," Suki cooed.
"If you don't trust Charlie, then trust me; he knows what he's doing."
Johnny looked at the saluki talent scout, his cheeks stained with tears as he fought back more sobs.
"I'm just so scared, Miss Lane," his almost silent confession causing Nooshy and the other's hearts to break.
"We all are, Johnny," Rosita responded, the mother pig gently cupping Johnny's cheek, her thumb wiping away another stray tear that had fallen.
"And I understand kid," Clay suddenly interjected, the aged lion standing by an emotional Ellie, his sudden interjection causing everyone to look to him in genuine curiosity.
"Clay?" Ash softly inquired, causing Clay to send the concerned porcupine a small smile, accompanied by a wink before he continued to speak. And as he did, Nick cast a sideways glance to his mother, the fox knowing full well that what Clay felt when he lost his wife was the same way his mother felt when her beloved Martin was killed.
"When My Ruby got sick, I was afraid to. It's something that never really goes away, the fear of losing someone you love. And well, you know how I handled things after she passed. I just shut myself out from everything, everyone. And I guess that's what makes everyone different, how they handle that fear when it comes to pass. And it's when your worst fears come to true you find out how strong you really are."
Clay paused for a moment, the rocker trying, and failing, to discreetly wipe a tear that had formed in his eye. This alone caused Ash to take leave of her place with Johnny, walking up to her idol, her friend, gently taking one of his gargantuan hands into her own, the gesture so small, so gentle that she was worried he couldn't feel it. But, upon feeling the large, strong hand returning her gesture with the same gentleness as her, Ash couldn't help but let a tearful smile join Clay's, who briefly returned his attention to Johnny, the lion making his way towards the moping gorilla, the sudden action causing the other's save for Nooshy, to back away. And when he felt that strong hand gently grab his shoulder, Johnny found himself looking into the caring gaze of an otherwise hardened rocker.
"And that's another thing…When I lost my Ruby, when I shut my friends out, I made possible for them not to be there to help me through it."
A pause.
"But you have your friends…you're gonna be okay kid."
And what Johnny did next, Clay, nor the others expected. The gorilla lunged forward, throwing his arms around Clay's chest, the lion instantly taken aback by this sudden movement as Johnny began to softly weep into the older male's chest. And while unsure of what to do, the last contact with anyone in that sort of way being fifteen years ago, Clay, after some silent encouraging from Ash, gently, though hesitantly, wrapped his arms around Johnny, gently rubbing the primate's back as he wept, the embrace soon being joined by everyone else, with a fresh range of tears falling.
"We're here for you Johnny," Buster whispered as he fought, and failed to rein in his own tears.
"All of us," Nooshy added as nuzzled her cheek against his head.
"And don't worry," Nick said taking another puff of his cigar.
"I always have my friends close to me, so your father will be okay."
For several minutes the embrace was held, no one, not even the setter and her daughter daring to break it. Luckily, the moment was brought to an appropriate end by the sound of a certain lawyer clearing his throat. And upon turning in the direction the noise came from, the group could see Charlie, a sizable stack of manila folders in his free hand, standing beside, to their astonishment, the new chief of police, Able Aldan, concealed by his blue Police uniform, covered by a Kevlar vest, complete with black cargo pants, an arrangement of different tools from handcuffs, to a taser, to a pistol strapped to his belt, with the pants tucked into a pair of standard issue boots, the officer's deep blue eyes containing a hint of warmth despite the slackness of his face.
"Chief Aldan!" Ellie softly exclaimed, the setter lightly jogging to meet the now smiling officer, who happily accepted her with a deep, hearty laugh.
"Ellie, always good to see you," Able greeted the physician, all while Charlie turned to the others, who were now all standing on their feet, Johnny with the aid of Clay and Meena.
"Everyone, this is Able Aldan, the new Chief of Police for Redshore, Precinct One. Ellie is currently overseeing his son who is currently undergoing cancer treatment."
"I know who all of you are," Able added in in with a small wave, before his eyes landed on the resident lion, who looked inquisitive at the wolf before him with a face that read faint recognition. And Bale saw this, and after a brief expression of shock soon melted into a reminiscent smile forming on the wolf's muzzle, he decided to test the lion's memory.
"Hey Mr. Calloway…uh, you probably don't remember me, but I did security for your 'Climb the Mountain' tour 17 years ago in Vancouver. Got to meet you for a minute…along with your wife. I'm very sorry."
Clay, after taking a moment to search his memory, let a smile of his own form.
"I never forget a face, Able," Clay said, though is smile took on a more teasing form.
"Especially one as ugly as yours."
This caused a small round of laughter to resonate through the room, whatever tension that may have been their quickly evaporated.
"So, what brings you hear, Able?" Ellie inquired, going back to stand with he others.
"Oh," Able responded, the police wolf gesturing to the folders in Charlie's grasp, "just dropping off some files Charlie asked for."
Suki stilled a bit at this, the memory of her conversation with Charlie earlier that day still present in her mind. Luckily, she didn't have to focus on it long as Able took notice of Johnny, the shepherd offering a kind smile to the gorilla.
"If I may, Mr. Darwin," Able said, the use of Johnny's surname making said primate feel a little uneasy, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. And let me just say, you definitely should trust Charlie. Believe me, he's got everything taken care of. You don't believe me, ask Lilly Shaunessy…or Diana Foxington."
Despite himself, Johnny scoffed.
"Everybody keeps saying that…but why should I trust someone who won't tell me what's going on?" he looked over at Nick.
"Hell, I would be mor inclined to trust him even if he had a gun to my head."
Nick shook his head.
"Kid's got trust problems," he whispered to Kris.
"I see that clearly, Nick," Kris smiled.
"Johnny," Charlie attempted to interject, only to be cut off by the incensed youth.
"Trust goes both ways, Mr. Lane. I need to know I can trust you. So cut the bullshit and tell me…what's your plan?"
The room went deathly silent. No one dared move or make a sound. In truth, they were all just so stunned that Johnny, this usually docile and kind-hearted young man, had been reduced to an agitated, fearful mess. So much so that he would berate and curse the man who was trying to help him. And it was at that moment Charlie realized, to some extent, Johnny was right. If he wanted the gorilla to trust him, and for that matter everyone else, he needed to cut the secrecy and just spill it.
"I'm…gonna go check on Porsh."
Cherry's voice broke the silence, the young saluki/setter having always had a problem with personal drama, despite the fact that a soap opera was happening in her house. And once his daughter had left through the back door, Charlie, after letting out a loud sigh, looked to Johnny, the gorilla's face still tight with agitation as he glared at the lawyer.
"Your father was well within his right to do what he did."
Johnny's eyes went wide.
"What? But they were police."
Charlie then looked to Able, a silent cue for the chief to explain…which he did.
"They were not police, Johnny. They were privately contracted security on loan from the Redshore Security Bureau, which is a separate entity of Redshore Law Enforcement. Security like that does not have the same authority as regular police. By that I mean that even if they have reason to suspect that a crime has been committed, they are not allowed to detain the suspect."
"Why?" Nooshy inquired.
"Because that could fall back on Crystal Entertainment," Able continued.
"If it were regular police, then yes, Mr. Darwin and his associates would have been charged with assaulting law enforcement officials. But they were, by technicality, employees of Crystal Entertainment."
"Well, what about Crystal's thugs?" Buster inquired.
"Same purview," Charlie continued.
"In the grand scheme of things, Mr. Darwin and his associates acted in self-defense. Suki had actually recovered the security footage from the lobby that shows Mr. Darwin was merely barring Mr. Crystal and his associates from entering the theater. The footage then shows Mr. Fellers, the cheetah, after receiving a signal from Mr. Crystal, throwing the first punch, thus instigating the brawl. Calling in extra security to reinforce Mr. Fellers and his colleague Mr. Canis only bolsters your case."
"But wouldn't that mean that Mr. Crystal had the right to stop the show as well?"
"No," Suki suddenly interjected, causing everyone to look at her.
"What do you mean, Miss Lane?" Meena inquired.
"I mean that Mr. Crystal's authority in the matter had been revoked."
This caught everyone off guard, everyone's shocked expression a clear signal for Suki to continue.
"To start off, I think it is important to state that Mr. Crystal, as a means of insurance, had his office bugged in order to record meetings with individuals who would seek to extort him. Unfortunately for him, during his, uh, 'episodes,' he tends to forget that. And when he realizes this, I'm pretty sure he had Jerry delete the recordings."
"Wait," Buster interrupted, the koala quickly picking up on what Suki was getting at, "so you mean…?"
"Yes," Suki answered a bit shakily, "the audio of your two encounters in his office are recorded. But, while the audio is disturbing, presenting it to the court will be…tricky."
"Why is that?' Miss Crawley inquired.
"Because then Suki could be accused of not filing a report in a timely manner, thus calling her integrity and credibility into question," Charlie added with a strong deadpan, releasing a low sigh soon after, a clear sign he had m
"However," Able said, "that would not be the case. Suki had scheduled a meeting with me personally to give a report on Mr. Crystal's actions the next morning. I would have then issued a warrant for Mr. Crystal's arrest."
"But that still doesn't explain how we would still have been able to put on the show," Johnny added, the gorilla having calmed down some.
"Well, remember Johnny," Suki continued, "that I am head of the Board of Directors. When Jerry went to fetch Mr. Crystal for his interview with Le Bon, I snuck into his office to free Buster, and stayed behind briefly to recover the audio. And even though the audio of Buster's first meeting with Mr. Crystal had already been deleted, the second was still in progress, so it wasn't a complete recording. But it was still enough. After freeing Buster I then called an emergency meeting and presented the audio to the board. And within the purview of Mr. Crystal's obligations to his company, there is section that states 'if the CEO of Crystal Enterprises is physically or mentally incapable of performing his duties, then he will be placed on immediate leave with full authority over Crystal Enterprises falling on the Board of Directors until Mr. Crystal returns to his duties.' Needless to say, the Board voted unanimously that Mr. Crystal was mentally unfit."
"So that means you…?"
Buster was once again interrupted by the female saluki, who sent him a warm smile.
"Yes…I overrode Mr. Crystal's decision to call off the show…All of your actions were well within your rights to do as you pleased, such as hiring Johnny's father and reassigning the night cleaners as backup dancers. Plus, your contract had you listed as executive producer, which, after the Board's decision was said and done, meant you could still make choices that you viewed as benefiting the show."
"Hang on," Nooshy interjected, her face contorted in confusion as she held up her hands in the 'slow down' gesture, "why didn't you bring this up in court, huh?"
All eyes landed on Charlie, the lawyer actually seeming to cast his gaze down in shame, the saluki male not daring to look anyone in the eyes as he spoke. And out of all of the troupe staring at him, out of everyone present, save for Suki, Ellie and Able, Nooshy made the first accusation.
"You knew the whole time, didn't you?"
"Not just him," Suki added shakily, causing everyone to look at her.
"When word had reached Jerry about the show being put on, he was in the process of deleting the audio recordings from the most recent meeting. After Mr. Crystal was arrested, I went back to the office to get the information. The next day I found that the files had been deleted. So good timing there. I made my meeting with Able and presented the evidence. That evidence would have been enough to put Crystal away for ten to twenty."
"And your point being, Red Hots?" Nooshy inquired, feeling slightly annoyed, her less than flattering nickname for Suki causing the older female to send an indignant sideways glance.
"Mr. Crystal was made aware of the evidence, yet still chose to plead not guilty. Which lead Charlie and I to surmise that Ms. Lu was either never made aware of the situation, or…"
Suki paused for a moment look of great uncertainty on her face, a clear sign that conveyed that she was hesitant to speak her mind at that moment.
Unfortunately, Buster pressed.
"Or…?"
Suki, after taking a deep breath, continued.
"Mr. Crystal's plea change came one day after Able had called me and said the flash drive containing the evidence had gone missing."
"Inside job?" Ash inquired.
"More than likely," Able answered.
"Thank God Suki's meticulous enough to make copies," Charlie added.
"So, you wanted to blindside Crystal, is that it?" Johnny inquired.
"Not at first," Charlie answered, "but then, Ms. Lu had informed of a troubling new development."
"Which is?" Johnny inquired, both out of agitation and curiosity.
"Jerry is missing because he is in an undisclosed location compiling some pretty damning information that would obliterate your credibility and put certain individuals in danger. Apparently, he's been collecting and holding them for years."
"Bullshit," Clay said with growl, standing to his feet, "nobody could keep that big a secret Charlie. Someone would eventually blow the whistle."
"That's what these have to do with it."
As Charlie said this, he held up the stack of folders.
"All these UP-TO-DATE files have to do with EIGHT murders, each linked to Crystal Entertainment."
"You think Mr. Crystal had them killed?" Rosita asked, gasping at the implication.
"Of that, I have no doubt. And while they may look like random acts of violence, each one came following some 'difficult events,' with Crystal," Charlie answered.
"So," Nooshy added with an accusing tone, "you're holding all this evidence until it suits you?"
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Johnny bellowed, the young gorilla now very irate.
"I wanted to play it that way," Charlie quickly added in, "but now I have seen that Ms. Lu is more cunning than Jack Burro. But I have gotten into contact with an old Client of mine who is willing to help us. Which is why I am going to send a copy of the documents and recordings as said by Suki to him. There he can decide how he wants to proceed…but not these."
As he said this, Charlie once again held up the files.
"I have eight guns trained on Crystal…and I am bringing the battleship full broadside to bear."
"You don't think that when your friend gets those documents, he won't call Crystal?" Buster added skeptically, only feeling slightly unnerved at the sad smile on Charlie's face.
"I'm counting on it, because my old friend does not shy away from intimidation tactics. But that means that with him being backed further and further into his tight little corner, Crystal will become more dangerous. Which is why I am suggesting you ALL go to the hotel. Able has graciously agreed to watch, one of the other two wolves you've met will be watching as well."
"What about you, dear?" Ellie inquired, the setter making her way to stand by Charlie, her eyes and voice laced with great worry.
"Don't worry," Charlie cooed with a smile, "I can take care of myself. Oh, and Rosita, I would suggest getting your husband and children out of the city."
"Oh," Rosita said, a small smile on her lips as she spoke, "they left this morning. Norman got an earlier bus. He only had enough time off work until the show. I mean, he could have stayed, but I think this was getting a little too stressful for the kids. He called this morning and said they got home safe thanks to Nick's connections over there."
Nick gave a small salute as he finished his cigar.
"Well, that's good," Charlie responded with a sigh of relief before clearing his throat.
"Well, I would suggest you all get packed and on your way. Hon, why don't you or Suki go get Porsha and Cherry. I want you to go with them. Able, please follow me."
And with that, Charlie and Bobby made their way to his study, leaving the confused, and quite frankly worried troupe behind them, all unsure of what was to come.
"Charlie," Able said the moment the door shut behind him, the white wolf walking up to Charlie's desk as the saluki immediately began to open and spread out the files in each folder, the saluki feeling his stomach turn some at the photos taking at the scene of each incident and the coroner reports. But, he pushed forward as Bobby continued.
"You said EIGHT guns. But THREE are out of commission."
"I'm well aware," Charlie answered as he began to discard the three 'guns' mentioned, holding up each one and listing a brief description of the details revolving each case.
"Feline (fAH-lEEn) De T'Griss, 25-year-old French white tiger acrobat for Crystal Entertainment. Found in a sewage drain at the city limits with multiple stab wounds. Found with purse emptied on contents, indicating mugging. Clothes were torn and semen overtly identified in mouth, anus and vaginal areas. Ruled Rape/Homicide. Toxicity report reveals high levels of Class IV drug; Deliberately Drugged. Suspects apprehended, identified and imprisoned. Case dated 7 years ago."
Feline was set aside.
"George Oliver, 28-year-old stag singer and actor for Crystal Entertainment. Found by dead by Fiancé in home having bled out from gunshot wound to the abdomen. The door showed signs of forced entry. Fiancé noted multiple valuables and appliances stolen. The suspects were apprehended and stated 'none was supposed to be home'. One claimed to have panicked and shot Oliver when he walked in. Declared Botched Burglary/Manslaughter. Case dated 14 years ago."
George was set aside.
"Alexi Dragomirov, 45-year-old Siberian wolf accountant for Crystal Entertainment. Found dead in apartment. Found dead in alley with throat slashed. Wallet and other valuables stolen off person. Declared mugging/homicide. No suspects had been apprehended. Case dated 3 years ago."
With that, the three RANDOM murders were moved aside, Charlie and Able both feeling significantly sick to their stomachs. But they knew they had to push forward in order to examine the more SUSPICIOUS deaths. And upon seeing many similarities, Charlie knew, despite the massive backlash he would receive from his initial accusation, he could still trap Crystal. But the moment he came to the file of one Amelia Crystal, who stalled, his heart aching and eyes brimming with tears as he hesitated to open the file.
But he knew he had to.
And so, with emotional great strength, he opened it...
And with a shaky breath...
"Amelia Crystal (nee D'Cannavale), 24-year-old singer for Crystal Entertainment and Wife of James Crystal. Found stabbed to death in home from apparent botched burglary. Discovered by husband. Mr. Crystal claims wife had seemed anxious that night, and had drank three cups of coffee to 'stay alert'. Case dated 12 years ago."
Charlie bit back a sob as he laid eyes on the photo of a young, beautiful she-wolf laying on the coroner's table, lovely light grey fur stained with the blood of five different stab wounds. The silky plumage that would have greatly accentuated the sky-blue eyes that hid behind their lids were damp with tears, indicating she had been awake through the whole ordeal.
But bellow the coroner's photo, was another Charlie was perplexed to see, one Able explained was presented by a citizen who had taken it the night before the death was discovered, was one of Amelia, ALIVE…and quite happy, standing outside a fashionable café with another person, though their back was angled to the camera.
But Charlie knew who this was.
It was the person Amelia was going to leave Jimmy for. The one who made her happy. And upon noticing certain traits about this mystery man, or rather WOMAN, Charlie knew that one of his witnesses to be called would certainly be a gamble. And while some might suggest it was because that person was long gone after twelve years, they would be wrong…
For Amelia's secret lover had never left the city.
Of that, Charlie had no doubt.
Well, who else in Redshore had that lean, but fit body, those shapely legs that seemed to go all the up, that fiery red fur, and those glasses
Those big, round-framed glasses.