"James Crystal conspired to murder his wife."
Every eye was now on Crystal. And given the fact that he now appeared to be a rabid, snarling beast as he practically growled in Charlie's direction, it caused many people to wonder how close Charlie hit to home. Unfortunately, Charlie's accusation had too strong an effect on one person in particular. And given the fact that she was prone to jump the gun before she had heard everything, the notion that her other had been murdered by her own father sent Porsha over the edge as she lunged for him, the combined force of Cherry, Ellie and Meena being all too took to hold her back as hot tears of rage careened down her cheeks.
"YOU SON OF BITCH, YOU MURDERING RAPIST BASTARD! IT WAS YOU! YOU TOOK MY MOTHER AWAY FROM ME!"
This in turn caused another great murmur throughout the court, everyone in attendance clearly taken off guard by what they were seeing. And despite Cherry and her Mother's attempts to calm Porsha down, the teen wolf seemed hellbent on tearing Jimmy to shreds. And it was only through the intervention of a very concerned Suki that Porsha finally started to calm down, the teen's tear-stained cheeks being gently caressed by the older saluki as she talked her down. And it was only when a now embarrassed Porsha returned to her seat that Charlie turned his attention to Crystal. And to his utter delight, the wolf sent his daughter a dismissive scoff, which did not go unnoticed by Prides or the jury.
"Your Honor," Charlie continued as he turned to Prides, "having already had suspicions regarding the nature of Amelia Crystal's death, I had reached out to the Redshore Police Department to procure me her file. Within it are photographs from the autopsy as well as a photograph of a last known sighting."
At that moment, Prides seemed to be in deep thought, his gaze flitting from Charlie, to Jade, to Crystal…and finally to Porsha. And it was only when he noticed the pleading look in the clearly broken girl's eyes that he figured he might as well humor Charlie. And so, with a deep sigh, he gave his answer.
"I'll allow it, but you better be going somewhere with this."
Charlie released a breath he did not realize he had been holding.
"Thank You, Your Honor. With that settled…I would like to call Suki Lane to the stand."
The next round of murmuring came from the dancers seated behind Johnny and Nooshy, they along with said gorilla and his lynx girlfriend all looking to an equally shocked Suki, the saluki frozen in place as all eyes turned to her. In truth, Suki was so shocked, she didn't even realize how long she had been sitting in place until Charlie called to her.
"Suki," he called, gesturing to the witness booth. And only after taking a deep breath to collect herself, Suki responded.
"Okay."
With that, the female slowly rose to his feet as she made her way out of the gallery and toward the booth, all the while feeling the stares of her friend's and the rest of the crowd on her as she took her spot, reciting her oath and taking a seat as Charlie hobbled over to her, the saluki offering his sister a warm smile as he started to speak.
"Suki…you have been noted as being the best talent scout in Redshore, correct?"
"Yes," Suki responded with a neutral expression.
"I have worked for some of the finest entertainment companies in Redshore."
"Including Crystal Entertainment."
Suki seemed to falter at the obvious direction Charlie was going, but she still carried on with some confidence. After all, she had faith in her brother.
"Off course. I actually have a regular renewal of my contract."
"And how long have you been in this contract?"
"Oh, uh," Suki faltered as she began to rack her brain, "the first renewal would have been about fourteen years ago."
"And how did you first become acquainted with the Crystals."
"I was an admirer and dear friend of Amelia's mother, the great Michelle D'Cannavale, who I first became acquainted with during her musical theater stint in Redshore. Off course it is no mystery that the D'Cannavale family were of French extraction. Michelle had introduced me to her daughter. Anyway, Mr. Crystal was so impressed with my work with Amelia that he hired her."
"And did you have any interactions with the Crystal's outside of work?"
"Yes. Mr. Crystal would invite me to join him and his wife after each showing of each performance she was in."
"Any interactions with Amelia…privately?"
The room went deathly silent, each occupant leaning forward as if watching a very riveting episode of a soap opera. And while Suki seemed unnerved by this turn of events, she still managed to maintain an air of confidence…
Even with Crystal staring daggers at her.
"Perhaps once or twice. Mrs. Crystal had told me she wished to expand her repertoire of skills. She was already a phenomenal actor and singer in the city, but she wanted to expand outside of Redshore."
It was then that Nick Wilde, his wife Kris, and mother Kayla entered the court room. The three Wildes taking a seat behind Buster and the others. They had come to see justice done for what Crystal had done to Porsha, and many other poor unfortunate souls.
"So, everything was professional?"
It was at that moment that Charlie noticed Suki's smile seem to falter some, almost as if his question had struck a nerve. But it appeared that Suki wasn't that bothered as she offered another confident response.
"Of course…anything other than that wouldn't be proper."
"I see…well then Suki, I'm sure you wouldn't mind…"
Charlie paused as he fished something out of his pocket… a little piece of paper. This little move seemed to confuse Suki, as well as Prides and the jury, each watching with an added sense of curiosity as Charlie handed the paper to his sister.
"Taking a look at this."
Suki's confusion soon turned to realization as he noticed that the little piece of paper, while blank of one side, was photo paper. And upon turning it over, Suki was overcome with a feeling she had not experienced in twelve years as she beheld the beautiful female wolf speaking with an equally beautiful saluki.
"Amelia," Suki whispered, her broken voice carrying through the room as she caressed the photo.
"My love…I will stop pretending."
Charlie took the photo back, gently placing it back into his pocket before placing a comforting hand on Suki's shoulder as the beautiful saluki looked down at the base of the booth.
"You fell for her…didn't you?"
For about ten seconds, Suki just sat in silence, the saluki unsure whether or not she should speak the truth, even though she was obligated to. But, in the end, if it meant that her love's potential killer might be brought to light, she might finally have some much-needed closure. She would finally be able to make peace with her past and move on. And so, looking up with a bitter-sweet smile on her face, Suki told her story.
"Yes," she began with a sad laugh.
"It was hard not to. Amelia was…so beautiful. So kind, so gentle. And she fell for me as well…a silly, four-eyed dork. I told her she could do better," Suki continued, a frown forming on his face, but only for a moment as she once again offered a sad smile.
"But there she was…on time for every date. And then she and I became lovers."
Suki paused for a moment, her face falling into a sad frown before she continued.
"We were going run away together. Amelia had told me that she had found evidence that her husband had been PERSISTENTLY unfaithful to her. She planned to initiate divorce proceedings which labeled him as the guilty party. But, at the same time, our relationship needed to remain secret in order to avoid her husband having a means by which to conduct counter proceedings against her. She had called me the night she had died. Sometime around seven-thirty. She sounded frightened. She said that she was scared and didn't feel safe. We planned to meet at the bus station at eight o'clock while her husband was at a gala that evening. She was to retrieve Porsha from a little sleepover with a friend…your daughter."
Charlie offered a laugh, the siblings sifting teasing smirks towards Cherry and Porsha before returning to the task at hand.
"She was to get Porsha, and we were to leave. I was there, but…"
It was at that moment that Nick, who was holding his wife's hand, couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw a tear trickle onto Suki's cheek.
"She wasn't…and the next day I heard. In my pain, I just shut myself off, I just became numb to the world around me. And her mother, poor, sweet Michelle…she died of grief shortly after."
It was at that point Charlie could hear faint sniffing from beside him. And it was only when he turned that he took in the almost amusing sight of several female jurors dabbing at their eyes with tissues or handkerchiefs. And it wasn't just them. The females of his own party and several in the gallery were doing so as well. It would be funny to him if the situation was not so serious.
"I am truly sorry, Suki…but tell me this; did anything seem off when you had last talked to Amelia?"
Upon being asked that question, Suki, despite her depressed state, did seem to recall something.
"Yes…now, I could have been mistaking, but…"
Suki stalled a moment, almost as if wracking her brain for an answer to a question she had been asking herself for twelve years. Yes, Amelia had sounded frightened when she had called her, but there was something else.
"But?" Charlie inquired, curious as to what Suki was about to say.
"But when Amelia had called me, her speech sounded…slow, slurred, as if she had been drinking. Now, as I said, she and her family were French…And I had heard her speak while intoxicated before. Her accent would become thicker, almost indiscernible. But Amelia's accent, like any other time, was light, very subtle. She was enunciating perfectly, just slowly, and as I said, a slight slur. She wasn't intoxicated, no that wasn't it."
It was at that moment that Charlie found himself experiencing a sudden moment of clarity as an old memory came forward. It was then that he realized he had gotten all he needed from Suki.
"Thank You, Suki," Charlie said with an appreciative smile, "and if Ms. Lu has no further questions for you…"
"None," Jade Tusk promptly answered, the quick response clearly irking her client in this now apparently one-sided argument.
"Very well," Charlie said as he looked to Prides, who then looked to Suki
"Ms. Lane, you may step down."
And as Suki stepped down from the stand, making her way back to her seat, she sent Crystal an indignant scoff, the action alone causing Crystal to offer a low snarl in rebuttal. But Suki didn't care. And as she sat down at her seat, she soon found himself in an extraordinary position. Pats on the shoulders, hugs, words of comfort from her friends and boyfriend. And as she did, Prides calmly looked to Jade, the water deer clearly enjoying how things were going.
"Ms. Lu, do you have anything to add?"
And after sending Crystal a smile, she gave her response.
"Yes, your honor. I call Porsha Crystal to the stand"
Porsha suddenly looked surprised, wondering why Jade Tusk wanted her? Well, the young wolf calmly made her way to the booth and sat down. Her yellow eyes met Jade's dark ones as she waited to be asked some questions. Porsha just hoped it wasn't about her love life.
Jade Tusk smiled as she spoke.
"Porsha, who was it that your mother was in love with?"
"It was Suki."
"Did Ms. Lane ever talk to you about her and Amelia's relationship?"
Porsha was starting to feel a little uneasy, but she still answered the question.
"Just a little bit, she wasn't too keen on talking about her private life."
"I see," Jade Tusk said as she looked over at Jimmy.
"And just to refresh the court's memory, was it you who came forward first to testify against Mr. Crystal for raping you?"
"Yes," Porsha answered, shrinking back in the seat as the memories of the awful moment played back in her head.
"Why? Why would Jimmy Crystal rape a girl he saw as his own daughter?" Jade asked, knowing that this was going to bring the chaos she wanted.
"Because I wasn't his daughter," Porsha responded.
"He said I was nothing, but a mistake made by my mother when she and Suki met handsome, nice gentleman on one his business trips."
She was trying to tell the truth without revealing the name of her biological father.
However, Jade Tusk then asked the one thing Porsha was afraid of.
"And who was this gentleman?"
"OBJECTION YOUR HONOR!" Charlie shouted. "Ms. Lu's question is irrelevant and not connected to this trial."
Prides looked at Jade Tusk.
"Objection sustained." he said, causing Jade to frown. But the water deer was far from done as she turned to face Charlie.
"You seem very eager to protect the name of Porsha's real father."
Jade smiled and looked over at Nick.
"After all, it would be very hard for Mr. Wilde there to accept Porsha as his sister."
"What?" Kayla gasped getting up from her seat. She pointed at Jade and called her out on what she said.
"My Martin was a loyal husband and never once ever considered getting another woman pregnant."
"Sorry to upset you, Mrs. Wilde, but these photos of Martin, Suki, and a pregnant Amelia will prove that Porsha is Nick's sister."
Before Prides could order Jade to stop, the water deer tossed a paper containing text messages that Martin had got from Amelia talking about her pregnancy. This fueled the fire and Jade said with a smile.
"Your husband was nothing more than a ladies' man who couldn't keep it in his pants."
"YOU BITCH!" Suki screamed as shot from her chair, the rapid intervention of Johnny and Clay leaping her from wrapping her hands around the now smirking doe's neck. Sure enough, Jade knew this would cause chaos, because not only was Suki losing it, but Kayla as well. The mother fox started screaming the top of her lungs.
"THAT'S NOT TRUE! MARTIN NEVER CHEATED ON ME!"
Nick held his mother back as he looked over at Porsha who was sobbing. The two looked at one another, but the young wolf just covered her eyes and ran out of the court room. By this point, it was absolute bedlam as Suki kept trying to get to Jade Tusk, the very sight causing a great feeling of shock for the rest of the court as angry yells and snarls echoed through the chamber until finally Prides had had enough.
"THERE WILL BE ORDER IN THIS COURT!" Prides shouted, but Kayla and Suki were completely out of control. Finally, Prides was left with no choice.
"CLEAR THE COURT! CLEAR THE COURT!"
It took a number of bailiffs and security guards to get the court room cleared. After Nick had Ellie Lane give his mom a sedative to make her relax, the handsome fox ran off to find his so-called sister, eventually finding her sitting on a bench in a quad situated just outside the courtroom, the moon troupe standing around her as the offered comfort. Nick walked up with a fire in his eyes.
"Is it true, Porsha?" he asked.
"Am I your brother?"
"Yes," she sniffed.
"Jimmy told me that the day he raped me."
The young wolf then told Nick the truth about how her mother and Suki were once lovers to his father. It saddened Nick to learn this, but he completely understood the reason for why it had been kept a secret.
Nick then hugged Porsha.
"Don't worry sis," he soothed.
"I don't blame you, your mother, Suki, or my dad for this. Things happen for a reason."
Upon hearing this, Porsha gave Nick a sad smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck, the fox instantly returning the gesture as he wrapped his arms around her, the quad in complete silence as everything stared to calm down.
A few hours later, the courtroom was packed once more, minus Kris and Kayla of course, the two ladies actually barred from the courtroom to ensure that there would not be a repeat of what happened.
"Any more surprises before we continue?" Prides asked as he looked at Jade Tusk, the doe merely shaking her head in small triumph before turning to Charlie.
"The floor is your, Mr. Lane."
"Now," Charlie after offering a nod, "Suki has stated that the last she heard of Amelia Crystal was around seven-thirty that night. However, after studying the forensic report for Amelia Crystal's death, it is stated that she was found in a room, quote, 'furnished to her tastes,' unquote. And, Your Honor, with your permission, in order to save time of having them walk to and from the witness stand, I would request that I call upon witnesses as I see fit…it's going to be very rapid fire."
While unorthodox, Prides saw no harm in it, and with an approving nod, allowed Charlie to continue.
"Mr. Crystal…"
This caught said wolf off guard, the saluki's attention on him now causing him great unease.
"You and your wife did not sleep in the same room?"
And to everyone's surprise…the objection came from Crystal.
"Objection! What does this have to do with anything?"
"You cannot object Mr. Crystal. But even if you could…Overruled! Now answer the question, Mr. Crystal. You are still under oath."
It was at that moment that Crystal realized he was now being backed into a corner. And Charlie knew this, which is why he needed to be careful. Because when a rabid beast is backed into a corner…it will fight. But, to his relief, Charlie heard Crystal let out a little grumble as he sat back down, and after composing himself, give a reluctant answer.
"No. We slept in different rooms because we both went to bed and woke up at different times."
Upon hearing this, Charlie let a small smirk trace his lips before turning back to the jury.
"Alright. Well, the reason I ask is because when Amelia was found in HER room, it was a mess."
With that, Charlie procured the original police report from his briefcase.
"Vanity toppled over, sheets thrown from the bed, curtains torn down, clothes thrown about. Now, the police report suggested that this was a botched burglary turned homicide. Now, to any casual observer, that might be possible. But one thing that definitely struck me as odd from the report is a statement you gave, Mr. Crystal."
Procuring the said statement from the folder, Charlie began to read aloud.
"'The room was a mess, but nothing seemed to be taken.' Now the one thing that struck me as odd was that nothing was taken. If this was indeed a burglary, several of the valuable items in Ameila Crystal's room would be missing. But there is something else. While her room was ransacked, your room, Mr. Crystal, and for that matter, the rest of the house was left untouched. And while we are on the topic of 'touch,' may I direct the court's attention to the screen."
It was at that moment Charlie hobbled over to other side of the room, the saluki lawyer passing by the court recording to a large television screen.
"Now," he said as he turned back to the court, his voice low, almost afraid, "what you are about to see are photographs of the Amelia Crystal Case, taken from the records of the coroner's office at Redshore General Hospital. And it was after consulting with my wife, the esteemed Dr. Ellen Lane, that we have found further inconsistencies with the coroner's report and recent testimony. And I must warn you, these images…are quite disturbing, and are not for the faint of heart. And while the jury is obligated to bear witness, the more squeamish…may want to turn away."
This was said with a warning glance to Porsha, though to Charlie's surprise, and silent admiration, the young wolf sat up right in her seat, a sad, but still determined expression on her face. Taking this a sign to continue, Charlie called for the blinds on the windows to be shut and the lights to be dimmed. And when the first images came up, a handful of people averted their gaze.
"Now," Charlie began, holding back a sob as he tried to maintain a strong voice, "Mr. Crystal said to the police that he had returned from the gala at around 11:20 p.m. He then said that he was home for twenty minutes before going to check on his wife. And we all know what he found."
Charlie took a moment to glance over at Porsha, the lawyer still very impressed that the girl was still paying close attention to the photographs, which depicted the shaved neck of her mother as the corpse laid on the cold, stainless-steel coroner's table.
"However," Charlie continued as he pointed out the bruising on Amelia's neck with his pinky, "as Dr. Lane had explained to me, the subsequent bruising around Amelia Crystal's neck was not consistent with the proposed time of death. Suki said that Amelia had called her around 7:30, and Mr. Crystal returned at a quarter of midnight. This would indicate that Amelia had died sometime in those four hours."
It was at this point a soft murmuring had begun in the room, everyone looking from Charlie to Crystal, the latter clearly on edge as all eyes were on him now.
"However..."
Eyes were back on Charlie as he paced the floor.
"Upon examining the initial coroner's report, I had noticed Amelia Crystal's wounds, bruising on her throat and around her neck, which according to the report had cracked vertebrae, indicated strangulation by a large, muscular individual. It is also worth noting, that by the time the CSI department had arrived at the crime scene at about 12:25 a.m. that next morning, Amelia Crystal's body, was still warm…VERY warm. According to the CSI report, Amelia's time of death was given within the previous thirty to forty minutes prior to their arrival. That means her death occured between 11:35 p.m. and 12:25 a.m."
A pause.
"Mr. Crystal said he returned at 11:20 and waited twenty minutes before checking on his wife."
At this point, the entire room went into complete silence, each person now realizing what Charlie was getting at. And, despite the pain it was causing her, Porsha managed to keep a strong composure as her "Uncle" went into the grueling details of her mother's tragic end. But much to her relief, she could see that the jury was gauging Jimmy's reaction. And from what they could see, he seemed to be nonchalantly resting his cheek on his knuckles as he leaned against the armrest of his chair, a relaxed, almost neutral expression on his face as his gaze shifted from Charlie to the pictures on the screen.
Now, Porsha wasn't that smart when it came to courtroom etiquette, but she definitely knew about image. And right now, the image that her father was painting was that of a man who could care less that he was being accused of conspiring to commit murder, the indifferent expression on his face as he took in the detailed forensics of his wife's death definitely did not making him look good.
Charlie then took a pause, the saluki turning toward the witness stand, placing his free hand on the edge as if to steady himself. And of course, from the back, no one could really tell what was happening. But from the vantage point of the judge's pulpit and the jury, the occupants could see Charlie with his eyes clenched shut, taking deep, cleansing breaths, a clear sign that he was attempting to reign in his emotions before continuing.
However, the moment he raised his head, they could see a new, almost determined expression on his face as he turned his attention back to Crystal, the wolf suddenly feeling very uncomfortable as the saluki stared daggers into him. And to his greater concern, his own lawyer didn't seem to care.
"But the question remains…why didn't she call out for help, or try to run, or even try to fight back?"
This caused another collective murmur, everyone now realizing that Charlie had a point, especially when he pointed out in the photos, he presented that Amelia's body showed no additional damage, only around her neck, indicating no struggle.
"As you can see here," Charlie slowly continued, the lawyer guiding his sister back to her seat, the female sibling quickly receiving comfort from Buster and the rest of the troupe, Charlie walked back to the screen, pointing to a picture of a blue eye being opened.
"According to Dr. Lane, Amelia Crystal's pupils are slightly dilated. As if drugged…well, was drugged. Dr. Lane, you had studied under one of Redshore's top practitioners, correct?"
"You know I did," Ellen called back, the setter shooting her husband a teasing smirk, which, despite the severity of the issue at hand, caused him to crack one was well.
"And you had said that he was Amelia Crystal's personal physician for three years?"
"Yes."
"The two months before her death, you had said that Mrs. Crystal had visited your mentor, complaining about being unable to sleep due to acute paranoia, correct?"
"Yes…he ended up prescribing her with barbitone."
Looking at the jury, Charlie immediately began to clarify.
"Barbitone is a strong hypnotic sedative…a sleep-inducing drug. The coroner must have noticed this because Amelia Crystal's case file also includes a toxicity report, which shows that high levels of barbitone were in her blood stream."
Another murmur started, all eyes once again on Crystal, who wasn't so much snarling, but more cowering, especially since his own lawyer's eyes now lingered on him as well.
"Now, as Dr. Lane described it, the coroner's report indicated that Amelia had enough barbitone in her system to take down a full-gown male lion. This would account for Miss Suki Lane's description of her speech pattern."
Everyone gasped at this, all amazed that Amelia hadn't died from the drug alone.
"With this in mind, I find it very feasible that Amelia Crystal was indeed drugged to the point that when faced with her attacker, she would have been too weak to call out, escape, or put up a fight. The question remains, how did the barbitone get in her system?"
This question did seem to perplex everyone. But, of course, Charlie was ready to promptly offer his answer.
"The police report had also shown that one thing out of place was an open bottle of wine in the kitchen. The report also states that when asked about it, Mr. Crystal had said that he and Amelia had shared a glass of wine, but he was unable to partake due to 'wanting to be level-headed for the gala.' I find it hard to believe that one glass of wine would have been a problem…unless something else was added to the bottle. And according to Dr. Lane, when mixed with alcohol, barbitone becomes more diluted."
Slowly, very slowly, Charlie's far-fetched accusation was becoming less so.
"So, my theory on the chain of events; Mr. Crystal learned of Amelia's intentions to expose his infidelity, divorce him, and leave with her daughter, who was out of the house at that time, and lover. He drugged her wine so that she would not be able meet Suki as she had originally planned. Amelia then succumbed to the drug and passed out, whether it was in her room or anywhere else in the home is up for debate. Crystal returned from the gala at around 11:20. At around this time, an accomplice had arrived. They then proceeded to Amelia Crystal's room and found her still in her drugged state. As Mr. Crystal ransacked her room, reset and broke the watch and clock to indicate that her death took place at a time where he would have had an unshakable alibi if he came under suspicion…"
At this point, Charlie's presentation was becoming more heated, anger ever present on his face as he spoke.
"His accomplice proceeded to strangle his wife who had begun to regain consciousness, as indicated by the pattern of bruising as seen in the photos! Mr. Crystal then called the police, told them that his wife had been murdered!"
A long pause, not a single sound being heard in the entire courtroom as Charlie glared menacingly at Crystal, who gulped nervously as he notices that practically every opinion in the room…shifted against him.
"All because his trophy wife was going of leave him in the wake of serval affairs that's he would expose him for…it wouldn't have looked good."
Charlie then turned to a now visibly angry Buster.
"And what was you said that Mr. Crystal said to you, Mr. Moon?"
And with a voice as cold as ice that made even Crystal shiver…
"'No one makes me look bad.'"
Charlie paused for a moment, hobbling back to the table to procure a glass of water from a pitcher that had been left there for his and his client's use. After taking a moment to wet his drying throat, Charlie began to address the court again.
"Now, who this accomplice is, well that will bring us back to the anonymous client 'K.B.'"
With that, Charlie began pacing the floor, deliberating with much earnestness, being careful to leave out any connection to Able who had procured the files of Amelia and her relationship to a certain porn star, at Cain's request, as well as her past before marrying Jimmy."
"One of the biggest questions that could be asked is who is 'K.B.' As I said, this individual could only be from Jasper, as the account that Jimmy Crystal had transferred his money to was linked to a very prominent bank in Jasper. And as I said, it could be anyone. And I will admit I was, myself, perplexed by this development. But when I looked more into Amelia's past, I noticed that prior to marrying Mr. Crystal, she had had a brief stint in the Adult Film Industry. During that time, she became acquainted with, and ultimately became close friends with who is now ranked one of the top five adult film stars in the industry; Belle Ursus."
The crowd erupted into shocked whispers, the idea of Jimmy Crystal's wife being a porn star at some point baffling them.
"Now, anyone who knows about Belle Ursus would know that around that time she had gotten married to a very high roller in Jasper by the name of Alexander O'Connor. In the past few decades, O'Connor had made a fortune for himself and Jasper, making him one of the top crime bosses in the city."
Charlie paused again, sly smirk on his muzzle as he turned to face the court, then the jury.
"This earned him the moniker…'KING BEAR.'"
Everyone's eyes went wide, either in shock, or in Jimmy' case, fear.
"Now, as turns out, even after marrying Mr. Crystal, Amelia had stayed in contact with Belle, even going as far as having a brief affair with her, which ended about two years prior to Amelia entering her relationship with Suki. Both O'Connor and Crystal must have found out, because earlier in the week of Amelia's murder, Mr. Crystal had chartered his private jet to fly to Jasper to pick up, as he put, a 'potential client.' And the morning after the murder, that client returned to Jasper. And the following day, a large payout was made by Mr. Crystal to 'K.B.'"
Turning to the jury, Charlie offered a brief closing statement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have means, motive and opportunity."
Charlie then turned to Prides, who despite his neutral expression, had already made up his own mind in the matter.
"The Prosecution…Rests."
"Defense?" Prides called, looking to Jade Tusk, who merely offered a nonchalant shake of her head, much to Jimmy's frustration.
Satisfied with the answers, Prides, with a shrug, turned to the jury.
"Ladies and Gentlemen…you have heard the details of this case from all present. It is now up to you to render an impartial and unanimous verdict on the matter. You may take as much time needed to deliberate. And when you are ready, the foreman will escort you back to the chamber. It is 1:54. If deliberations move past 6 p.m., we will halt proceedings and resume in the morning. Until then, dismissed."
TEN Minutes.
That's all it took for the jury to reach a verdict on all the charges.
TEN MINUTES
And needless to say, as Prides turned toward the now reassembled jury, his eyes landing solely on the jury foreman, a stoic leopard, Crystal knew he was more than likely done for the deliberations to be that short.
"Has the Jury reached a verdict?"
"We have your honor," The leopard responded, looking down at a piece of paper which no doubt held the fate of James Crystal.
"In the case of The People of Redshore City vs. James William Crystal, in light of recent evidence and testimony, we the jury, render the following verdicts."
The room fell deathly silent, every eye focused on this one feline.
"For the charge of embezzlement, tax and insurance fraud, we the jury find the defendant guilty as charged."
Not a sound was made…unless you listened closely to the pounding heartbeat in Jimmy's Crystal's chest, the disgraced mogul realizes right away, that if they found him guilty of insurance fraud, then that would mean…
"For the charge of assault on Buster Moon, we the jury find the defendant guilty as charged."
The troupe let out a sigh of relief.
"On three counts of rape and sexual assault, we find the defendant guilty as charged."
Porsha, Roxanne and Stacy all looked very relieved to hear that.
"On two counts of conspiring to commit murder against Buster Moon and Jeremy Stilwell, we the jury find the defendant guilty on all counts."
The Moon Troupe released another breath, the knowledge that the man who nearly ended Buster's life was now most certainly going to Jail for a long time. But they had to refrain themselves from celebrating as the leopard foreman continued to read out the verdicts.
"For conspiring the murder of Amelia Crystal…"
The room fell deathly silent. Not one person moved, not one person blinked, not one person breathed. In fact, for both the defense and the prosecution, time seemed to slow down exponentially. Would the evidence and testimony of a cold, twelve-year-old case be enough to persuade the jury that Jimmy Crystal was guilty of murdering his own wife. Or would it be insubstantial enough that he walks away from it. But, given that Jimmy seemed to be unphased with the details of his wife's death, the prosecution, and for that matter Jack, prayed it was the latter.
"We the jury find the defendant…"
One second seemed like one eternity, the weight of uncertainty crushing down on the Moon Troupe as if they were sinking to the deepest point of the sea. Porsha herself was especially tense, her hand squeezing Cherry and Ellie's so hard that the setter thought that the teen wolf may have caught off all blood circulation.
But with what came next, they couldn't care less.
"Guilty as charged."
The moment the word "guilty" was heard, a great, lone cry broke out. A sort of wail. And given that the entire Moon Troupe, Suki included, seemed to converge on Porsha's location, it was no mystery as to where the heartbreaking sound came from. Porsha was a mess, the poor girl pulled into a bone-crushing embrace of love and support as she cried at the fact that at long last her mother could rest in peace.
And it wasn't just Porsha.
Buster had to move out of the way as Suki threw herself at Charlie, the saluki having to steady himself as he pulled her close, Suki's own quiet sobs mixing with her brother's as they embraced. And just behind the Moon Troupe, sat Nick Wilde, the fox trying, and failing, to hide his falling tears. But, to him, it did not matter. To him, his sister's mother was finally avenged.
"ORDER! ORDER!" Prides bellowed as the courtroom suddenly erupted and cheers for the prosecution, and shouts of contempt for the damned. It took Prides a solid minute before he could get the situation under control, and when he did, he was more than ready to end this headache of his.
"The defendant will now rise for sentencing."
And even though he didn't want, a now despondent Crystal shakily rose to his feet, along with his lawyer.
"Mr. Crystal, a verdict has been reached. It is now within my power to render punishment."
And with that said, Prides began.
"For the Charges of embezzlement, insurance and tax fraud, you are hereby sentenced to three, five-year terms to be served consecutively."
The next charge.
"For three charges of rape and sexual assault, you are sentenced to three consecutive ten year terms."
"On the count of the attempted murder of Buster Moon, you are hereby sentenced to ten years."
The next charge.
"On the counts of rape and sexual assault, you are hereby sentenced to three ten-year sentences to be served consecutively."
And finally.
"For the charge of conspiring in the murder of Amelia Crystal…you are hereby sentenced to life in Prison with eligibility for parole in thirty years."
And even though it seemed redundant to give this sentence after the previous ones, Prides wanted it to hit home for Crystal how badly he was screwed.
"Bailiff, please escort Mr. Crystal outside where he will be transferred to the Redshore Correctional Facility. Mr. Moon…"
Buster's attention turned from the now sulking Jimmy Crystal as the wolf was escorted, to a now smiling Prides.
"With the conclusion of this trial, along with the dismissal of all charges against you…you are free to go."
A pause as Prides raised his gavel.
"Case Dismissed."
And as the gavel came down, a great cheer sounded throughout the courtroom, animals jumping up from their seats, many rushing toward the Moon Troupe to offer their congratulations, as well as condolences. Some were even treated to the amusing sight of Gunter doing his robot dance, and Clay lifting Ash on his shoulders in celebratory ride. But, one thing that truly warmed his heart, was the sight of Klaus, speaking with Porsha, gently caressing her cheek as the comforted each other in what they had lost. But the smile and tender hug shared brought peace to Charlie's mind. And it was only when Suki came to him, offering his hand with a tearful smile, that Charlie realized how much he had helped this monkey find closure.
"Thank You Charlie."
"No Problem, Suk," Charlie responded, stepping away from Suki, who suddenly felt a gentle arm wrap around her waist, and another around her shoulder. And upon meeting the kind, tender smiles of Buster and Porsha, Suki truly started to feel at peace…and of course she would grant the koala his little laugh the moment a deep red blush formed on the saluki's face, courtesy of Porsha placing a gentle peck on his cheek.
"Well done, Mr. Lane," a cocky voice sounded from behind him, causing Charlie to give Jade Tusk a deep frown as he half-heartedly accepted the outstretched hand.
"Well done yourself, Ms. Lu."
With that, Jade Tusk walked away, though Charlie couldn't help but feel this would be the last time he saw her.
And in the coming weeks, boy did he wish he was wrong.