Part 79

Jerry was running the vacuum in the entryway when he heard Nana talking to someone on the phone. "What? Are you sure, Eddie? Yes, I'll talk to him. Don't worry, he won't be in any trouble. Tell Mr. Hunter-Green not to worry. We'll get this straightened out. I'll call you back." She hung up and came out of her parlor. "Jeremiah, come with me, dear."

Jerry wondered what this could be about as she led him into the parlor and motioned for him to take a seat. "Is everything alright, ma'am?"

"Jerry, did my son and daughter-in-law speak with you while you were tending the flowers?" She asked. "Ever."

Jerry thought about it and nodded. "They were bugging Eddie and they were trying to get me on their side and help them."

"Did you either tell them that or just imply that Mr. Green had something to do with Mr. Crystal's death?" She asked.

He gasped. "Yeah… but… I just wanted to scare them into leaving Eddie alone. They were harassing him and driving him crazy. Then they wouldn't leave me alone and I just… I blurted it out. Why?"

Nana sighed. "Mr. Green has just been arrested for leaving the city while on probation and for the murder of Mr. Crystal."

"What? I swear, I didn't mean for that to happen! But… no one saw or heard me tell them that," he said. "There's no evidence that I even said anything to them at all."

The ewe smiled. "Which is why you're going to help get him out of this. Why didn't you tell me about their visit?"

He shook his head. "You were out at the time and I didn't want to bother you. I didn't think I even gave them enough to do anything about it. I just wanted them to leave us alone. To leave Eddie alone and I know Mr. Green can be pretty scary."

She nodded. "I can understand your motives. Now we just need to clean up the mess and everything will be alright."

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In the Santa Francesca detention center, Marcus sat in an interrogation room, confused. Why wasn't he in the lock up?

The door opened and a leopard came in with a folder. Mr. Crystal's photo was pinned on the front of the folder. "Mr. Green, I'm Inspector Vaughn. I've been investigating the death of James Crystal."

Marcus shrugged. "What's there to investigate? He jumped from the roof. Suicide."

"Except, I know back in May, your son and his friends hijacked Crystal Tower Theater and you went to supposedly protect him, according to your parole officer," Vaughn replied. "I also know about Buster Moon and I know how fierce you can be. There are witnesses that saw you leave with Mr. Crystal."

"No, they didn't. I did not leave with Mr. Crystal. His bodyguards left with him. My now-wife followed soon after. I did go after him but only so I could be sure he was arrested for what he did. When I got there he was already writing up a suicide note," Marcus explained. "I may have told him what he was in for, but I was fully ready to haul him to the police, myself. He managed to dodge me and ran out onto the roof. He jumped before I could stop him."

The leopard eyed him. "So, you're saying you had nothing to do with his death. He jumped? You really expect me to believe that you didn't want revenge for Mr. Moon. After all, wasn't he the reason you weren't locked up for ten years over the gold robbery? You'd still be in jail if not for him. Mr. Crystal murdered him and you didn't want revenge?"

"Oh I wanted revenge. That's why I was going to bring him to the cops. Death was too easy an escape for the coward," Marcus growled.

"And yet, you adopted his daughter?" Vaughn chuckled.

"Well yes, her father had just died and her mother was dead years ago. She had nowhere else to go and she was and still is only 17," Marcus said.

The leopard nodded. "And she'll soon be 18 and she'll have access to her full inheritance. I understand she'll be the richest young wolfette in the world."

"What are you implying?" Marcus asked, not sure where this questioning was going. "Look, do you have any actual evidence that Mr. Crystal did not kill himself? Do you have any hard evidence that proves I had anything to do with his death? I assume if you did, I would have already been charged. So I am not saying another word until my lawyer is present."

The inspector sighed and sat down. "You know, I do get it. Someone who you considered a good friend was just killed. Who wouldn't be angry by that? I would be. I would be livid. I can't say I wouldn't want to kill the person who did it." He poked at Marcus.

"Lawyer!" Marcus said the word plainly, clearly, loudly. He turned away from the leopard, refusing to even meet his eyes or listen to anything further.

The door burst open, slamming against the wall. A severe-looking zebra assessed the room. He looked first at Marcus fixed Inspector Vaughn with a glare promising intense pain.

"Inspector Vaughn, what a shock to see you here. On a parole violation case? In Calatonia," the zebra said. "Mr. Green, you seem to be doing just fine but let me just say, you say nothing to this man that I don't authorize, understand? I am Floyd Grisham, private attorney."

The leopard glared back. "Didn't expect to see you, Grisham. How'd they get you here so fast?"

"You know Crystal gave me a helicopter as part of my retainer. Now what is going on?" The zebra asked Vaughn. "I thought this was a simple parole situation."

"I was just trying to close a case, Grisham. We have suspicions that Mr. Green was involved in the death of your boss," Vaughn explained. "You know how it goes."

Grisham rolled his eyes. "You mean you were trying to railroad him based on circumstantial evidence and conjecture. He shouldn't even be detained for this. It's a matter of talking to the judge to clear it up."

Vaughn shook his head. "He is at least guilty of violating his probation by his own admission."

Marcus looked at the zebra. "My son needed me to protect him so I went. I broke the terms of my probation. If I have to go back to jail to finish serving my time, I will."

Vaughn chuckled darkly. "See. He belongs in lock up at least. And I will get the evidence I need to prove he killed Crystal."

"You won't because there is none," Grisham fired back. "Mr. Green, you talk to no one about this case. Understand. No one but me. I'm going to do my best to get you out of here as soon as possible." He promised before returning his gaze to Vaughn. "And you, if you really think there's evidence, shouldn't you be out there looking for it instead of harassing my client?" Zebra and Leopard proceeded to get into an apparent staring contest.

Finally Vaughn had to leave. Marcus rolled his eyes. "Buffoon. Basing a murder case off of the flimsiest evidence he could find."

"It's not even admissible. Your employer told me that he got his information from her personal assistant," Grisham sat down across from him.

Marcus scratched his head. "My employer?" He asked.

"Nana Noodleman. She said you work for her part time as security at the theater," he sat down. "Now, you tell me, what happened with Mr. Crystal."

Marcus sighed and told the story. He did his best to keep his emotions. "Mr. Moon was a good friend to my family. His death was a real shock and he's still very missed. Mr. Crystal fled in his limo and went back to his headquarters. I know because that's where I found him later. He was already writing a letter to his daughter. He might have tried to call her, I don't know. I tried to talk him out of it. I confess I told him how harsh prison was and that may have influenced his decision but he was already planning to jump when I found him. I tried to stop him but he was gone before I could reach him. He asked me to take care of Porsha for him so I adopted her. I have no interest in her money. I even got a little mad at her yesterday because she bought my wife and I a new minivan to celebrate our new twins."

Grisham smiled. "Porsha's a good girl. Spoiled rotten but she means well. Apple of her dad's eye." He sighed. "He was always trying to do too much. He used work and money to hide from his pain. And I can tell it just got to be too much and he snapped."

"And that's it, Mr. Grisham. He snapped," Marcus agreed. He had no right to criticize when he did almost the same thing. "Even if I could have stopped him, I didn't want to. He kept saying that he had to protect Porsha and her interests. And I've been on the inside. I've seen prison and I've seen it destroy people. I've seen stronger people then him go in and never come back out. This was better because Porsha's not going to get a call from Redshore City's penitentiary saying her father was found mutilated in a bathroom or something."

Grisham shivered. "You're right about that. It sucks but not being able to stop him isn't a crime." He had a feeling that Mr. Green was leaving a few details out, likely due to their surroundings, but it sounded like whatever he did was to help the family that he served faithfully for so many years. So he would allow him his secrets. "Sounds like the only thing you really did was leave the city without permission. And it wasn't the only time it seems but the reasons you left are understandable. Trust in me, Mr. Green. Crystal paid to have me exclusively represent himself and his family for a good reason."

Marcus nodded. "I trust you, Mr. Grisham. I'm not scared. No matter what happens, I'm strong enough to take it." He would take whatever they threw at him. He protected Porsha, that's all that mattered.

"Just remember. You answer no questions without me present. If they try to make you, you tell them to call me," he handed him his business card. "And if they won't let you, you say nothing until they do."

Grisham knocked on the door and the guard came and let him out. "If Inspector Vaughn returns, have your warden call me," he commanded the guard, an alligator, who nodded.

"Come on, Green. Back to your cell. It's almost chow time," the gator ordered.

Marcus stood, towering over the gator by a full foot. He could easily take him out and escape. Like he had before but escaping wouldn't help him or his family. He needed to be patient. He had done this before.

In his cell, he sat on his cot. "Marion, please, watch over our son, his family, and my family. Keep them safe." That's what bothered him most. Mrs. Noodleman had nothing to gain by doing this except removing a protector from her son's life. It left him wondering what nasty plans were left in play even with her dead. "Mr. Moon, keep an eye on Eddie and the others. Mr. Crystal, I've protected her this far. Protect her in my place until I'm out. And I will get out." He growled.

AN: Any guesses as to what Mrs. Noodleman might have set up right before she died? Why did she need Marcus out of the way? Feel free to comment your guess or even what you'd like to possibly see. I will do more with Ash soon. I just need a little more time to pass before it makes sense to take her next step.