by M. A. Owens
“Jim, this is the single most important thing my father has ever asked you or anyone else to do. How many of my father’s cats are guarding the prisoners?”
“Guarding? From what exactly? This is probably one of the most secure places in the city, just because it's one of the best hidden. Who will suspect anyone is being held in the basement at the mayor’s son's house?”
“In that case, mind if I come inside Jimmy? I have business I'd like to discuss with you.”
“Sure, right this way.”
I waited outside for over an hour, and in that time I schemed about what I might do if she didn't come out. I wasn't really in any shape to attempt a rescue, but surely old Jimmy Jim wouldn't pose that much of a threat, even to a busted-up pooch like me. Experience told me he was as yellow and as delicate as a daffodil.
I tightened the bandages up around my ribs, pulling out my now trusty electric baton. I made my way toward the door when the sound of a turning handle stopped me. I quickly retreated to my hiding place and watched. Out walked Sugarplum, the judge's family, Brutus, and Rick looking a bit worse for wear.
There’s no way it should've been that easy. I still couldn't get a read on Sugarplum. There was something likable about her, and I believed everything she’d told me. The way she shook Nigel at the casino and Jim just now left me wondering. However, I didn't have time to look a gift horse in the mouth.
I caught up with the group once they were out of sight of Jim's house, but something told me I needed to help Rick hide his identity.
“Hey, Sugarplum, how did you pull that off?”
She winked. “With persuasion, my friend. How else?”
“Could you be a little more specific?”
She shrugged. “No, I'm afraid I can't. A girl has to keep at least a few secrets.”
“I’ll trust you, Sugar. I really hope I don't regret this. At any rate, I’ve met Rico before. I don't see him here.”
Rick took my cue and spoke up. "Rico? That thief everyone used to talk about? No one else has been there with us. You think it's possible he escaped on the way here?"
Sugarplum scratched her chin. "If Rico escaped, daddy would be embarrassed enough he wouldn’t want anyone finding out. Considering we've never been able to catch him before, I guess he could’ve found what he was looking for and escaped as he was being transferred here. Sounds like he may have allowed them to capture him on purpose. Either way, it’s good he got away."
I nodded, satisfied that I had obscured the situation enough to at least get her mind off of it for now. “So, we've got two key witnesses and the judge’s family. Your father won‘t be happy when he hears about this,” I pointed out.
“Oh, by the time my father hears about this, it will be far too late for that to matter.”
We made our way back to police headquarters and settled everyone in. Buddy and I agreed they needed to be kept there until the big day. I rang up the judge, letting him know his family was safe. I let him speak to them on the phone, just so he would know it wasn't a trick. He immediately had Patches reinstated as chief. He wasn‘t thrilled with me when I told him about the deal I'd made with Bones without consulting him first, but after a lengthy and loud “discussion” we both agreed that the benefits far outweighed the cost, and he ultimately signed the paperwork dropping all charges. If Patches had taught me anything, it was the real meaning of having to break a couple of eggs to make an omelet. We were talking about a big egg in this case, but it was going to make for one satisfying omelet.
45
Finally, the big day arrived. The so-called journalists were swarming outside the courthouse. A large crowd of citizens had also gathered, which could more accurately be called an excited mob. It seemed like everyone had shown up except for most of the key witnesses. Brutus and Bones showed, at least, and I suspected Rick didn’t want to come because Mr. B had discovered his identity. He was afraid of being exposed and distracting everyone from the trial.
We were all ushered inside and sat at our appropriate spots. It was clear Mr. B wasn’t aware of what had been happening over the past couple of days, considering the look of surprise that came over his face when Patches walked into the courtroom wearing his badge. His surprise escalated further when he saw Brutus walk inside. When he saw me, he may as well have seen a ghost. For all intents and purposes, he had.
A different judge was presiding now since the other one was now a valuable witness. One that, sadly, also did not show. It was important to remember that things could still go south here. I had never met this judge. I could only hope that none of Mr. B’s plants had wormed their way into the jury. Everything else was just for show. Everyone knew he was guilty; it was just a matter of being allowed the “privilege” to make it official.
Mr. B’s lawyer repeatedly made a show of asking if so-and-so witness was present, while calling them to the stand, only to feign dismay when they didn’t come. As they were saying, if he was so guilty, then why did no one bother to show up to get him convicted? This went on for what felt like an eternity before he finally called Brutus forward. They swore him in and sat him on the witness stand.
Mr. B’s lawyer, a slick young tabby named Rory, approached. “Mr. Brutus, tell us why you’re here today.”
“I’m here so I can watch that scumbag Mr. B get hauled off to jail, permanently.”
Rory turned around and opened his arms to the courtroom audience before looking to the jury. “My friends, can you not hear the animosity in his voice? Mr. Brutus here thinks he’s already made your decision for you. He’s already decided on Mr. B’s guilt; and so should you. Is that not right, Mr. Brutus?”
“I don’t think he’s guilty. I know—”
“You understand the concept of a yes or no question, don’t you, Mr. Brutus?”
“I do.”
“So, let me ask you again—”
The lawyer for the prosecution, an elderly dog named Gabe, raised his paw. “Objection.”
The judge nodded in his direction. “Please get on with the questions, Mr. Rory.”
“Thank you, Your Honor. Mr. Brutus, were you, or were you not, under the protection of a legitimate insurance policy against damage to your property or violence to your person that my client supplied?”
“I wouldn’t call it legitimate, no.”
“But why had you consistently paid for it for so long?” He turned to the jury before Brutus could answer. “After all, how many of you here would pay for a service, willingly, that you knew wasn’t legitimate? And over a long period. Consider that.” He turned back to Brutus, awaiting an answer.
“Because the insurance is against him and his goons. If you didn’t pay it, you got a visit–”
“Mr. Brutus, can you honestly tell me you know, with no doubt, my client employed those who made threats against your business?”
“It was obvious when the threats were followed by the condition of whether I paid the insurance money.”
“Mr. Brutus, is it not entirely possible that these thugs had a vendetta against my client and sought to sully his good name?”
“No, it’s not possible.”
“Not even in theory, Mr. Brutus?”
“Anything is possible in theory.”
“So, by your own admission, it is possible. One last question. Before today, have you ever met my client in person?”
“I haven’t.”
Rory frowned and looked to the jury, shaking his head in faux disappointment. “No further questions, Your Honor.”
I hated these lawyer types. I wished I was close enough to trip him on his way back to his table. Now that would’ve been a sight. I never could trust a lawyer as far as I could throw them. They only cared about getting paid, and they’d take money from anyone willing to give it to them, even the lowest of the low.
Gabe stood and walked to the witness stand.
“Mr. Brutus, I’d like to apologize to you on behalf of the city for the poor treatment you and your business have re
ceived. I’d also like to apologize for the city’s failure, until today, to deliver justice to those responsible.”
Rory raised his paw. “Objection, Your Honor! The defense is asking questions, not giving a speech!”
The judge nodded in agreement.
“Now will be a good time to take a thirty-minute recess. Mr. Gabe, I urge you to use that time to consider your questions more carefully. You will have an opportunity to address the court in a more general fashion in your closing statement.” He banged his gavel. “The court is now in recess.”
46
Once we’d all returned and resumed our positions, Gabe straightened himself and approached the bench with new confidence. “Mr. Brutus, when you opened Starlight Theater, were you approached by Vash or by those in his service?”
“I was approached by several cats who represented him.”
“And what was their proposal?”
“I could pay their protection fee, or I risked significant harm to my business and myself. A steep fee due monthly that could change by any amount at a moment’s notice.”
“And this was not a typical insurance policy, correct?” Gabe asked.
Rory stood abruptly. “Objection, Your Honor. The prosecution is leading the witness.”
The judge nodded. “Sustained. Please rephrase your question, Mr. Gabe.”
Gabe took a deep breath and turned back toward Brutus. “Please describe your impression of this arrangement to the courtroom.”
“What I was paying for wasn’t protection from outsiders, but from them.”
“And your evidence for this?”
“It was widely known and understood. If you were late, you got a visit from the ACPD in Adria who gave you less-than-polite warnings to pay up.”
Gabe feigned surprise. “Adria’s disgraced former officers coming to collect payment for a legitimate insurance business?”
“That’s right. In fact, they caught Colonel Bones doing that very thing. He was since arrested and removed from duty, along with his entire department, including the chief. They gave me a sound beating right there in my theater.”
Rory stood up again. “Objection. Your Honor, none of these so-called witnesses are present here. Mr. Bones was removed from duty but hasn’t stood trial yet. These are all just allegations.”
The judge shook his head. “Overruled. Please continue, Mr. Gabe.”
“Thank you, Your Honor.” He turned back to Brutus and continued, “There was an incident in your theater involving a movie reel. Could you explain that incident to the court?”
“We’d had a movie produced that painted Mr. B in a favorable light. I showed it to a large audience, many of which were Mr. B’s cats and dogs. A dog, Marty, who worked for Mr. B, replaced the reel to sabotage us. It was the same movie, but the voiceover was insulting Mr. B. It horrified us, and because of that reel Mr. B had our theater shut down until I could prove who was responsible. Fortunately, I hired a private detective who, along with the police, found the evidence in his home.”
“I see. He had your theater shut down for showing a short movie clip with a voice that said bad things about him?”
“That’s correct.”
“Just before this trial, someone paid you a visit. You almost could not make it here today to testify. Care to explain that to the court?”
Rory stood up. “Objection. Your Honor, there is no proof that any of this ever happened. They told the police that the mayor’s son was involved. The mayor’s son! He denies it and has not yet been charged.”
“Overruled. Mr. Rory this is your first warning. Mr. Brutus is a witness. We’re all well aware that this is just his side of the story. Please continue, Mr. Gabe.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Gabe said. “Go ahead, Mr. Brutus.”
Brutus nodded. “Because of what had taken place when my theater was shut down, I took it personally. I decided, based on nothing more than principle, I would no longer pay the protection money. I was ashamed that I’d paid it as long as I had, to be honest. I’d been a coward. Sure enough, the ACPD came to visit me several times, and they became less and less friendly each time. Eventually, I was given a final warning. After ignoring that one, Colonel Bones and several of his officers came to my theater. This was when they gave me a sound beating right there in front of all the critics. They were there to see a special screening that day. The beating was bad enough I had to get patched up in the hospital.”
“Mr. Brutus, does this sound like the dealings of a legitimate insurance business to you?”
“It most certainly does not!”
“Mr. Brutus, you get to see many people in your line of work. The movies you’ve shown in your theater entertain families, adults, and children alike. Do you believe this city would be a better place without Vash?”
“I do.”
“Your Honor, I have no further questions for the witness.”
The judge looked over his notes before saying, “Mr. Gabe, please call the next witness.”
“The prosecution calls Mr. Bones to the stand.”
A series of gasps let loose around the courtroom. Expressions of shock and dismay followed. I hoped that all of this didn’t backfire. We’d dropped all of Bones’ charges based merely on him giving his testimony. Not necessarily that he would give it in such a way that would be harmful to Mr. B and helpful to us. We would just have to count on the fact that Bones really was in it for himself, and that he had more to gain from us than from Mr. B right now.
47
Bones was sworn in while Gabe made his way to the witness stand to begin questioning. “Mr. Bones, I trust that you’ve been paying close attention to the testimony of Mr. Brutus?” Gabe asked.
“I’ve been hanging off every word.”
“Excellent, because some questions I have for you pertain to his testimony. I’m sure you understand why.”
“Completely.”
“Mr. Bones, can you state before the jury here today, and everyone else in this courtroom, that Brutus’s testimony is true or false?”
“I can tell you that, without hesitation or reservation, all of Brutus’s testimony is true, at least as it relates to me.”
More gasps erupted in the courtroom; the judge banged his gavel on the stand. “I will have order in this courtroom!” The whispers and the gasps quieted, but only somewhat. The judge banged the gavel several more times until the room was silent. “Please continue questioning, Mr. Gabe.”
“Mr. Bones, have you ever considered yourself a party to a legitimate insurance business?”
“No, can’t say I have.”
“Mr. Bones, how did the police in Adria come to work for Vash?”
“Well, the old chief is what one might refer to as a useful old idiot. As for how it all got started, that was a little before my time. However, my role as the one who ran the show in Adria was just a matter of simple compensation,” Bones explained.
“Could you tell the court what you mean by compensation?”
“Everything. Fancy suits, fancy watches, fancy buildings and offices, a nice big home. You imagine it, and if you make Mr. B happy, he could give it to you. He’s very generous to those who are useful to him. Myself, until recently, for example.”
“In case it wasn’t clear already, please elaborate to the court as to what he expected you to do to receive this compensation.”
“It was just two things. One was just as Brutus said. I’d send some of my boys to help encourage people behind on their payments to become current again. We gave several warnings, and eventually, I’d go myself. Sometimes we got a little rough.”
“And the second part, Mr. Bones?”
“The second part? Well, that one was even easier. Much easier, actually. It was to do nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Exactly. If a crime was reported, and someone informed us that Mr. B was behind it, then we were expected to turn a blind eye and sit at our desks. We could do as we pleased if it was anyone else.
In fact, if the crime was in direct conflict with one of Mr. B’s operations, then we were expected to come down hard on it. Pile on all the charges we could come up with. Make up a few if necessary.”
“Mr. Bones, would you consider any of Mr. B’s operations here in the city to be legitimate? Based on your knowledge of the law and experience as an officer?”
Bones chuckled. “I had never thought of it before, but no. No, I can’t really think of a single one.”
“No further questions, Your Honor.”
Rory bolted up from his seat so quickly that you’d almost think someone had set his pants on fire. He approached the witness stand. “Good afternoon, Mr. Bones.”
Bones grunted.
“Mr. Bones, your career in Adria was that of a police colonel. Is that correct?”
“Yep.”
“In that time you admit that my client was quite the benefactor for the Adria Police Department. Is that correct?”
He grinned. “You could say that.”
“Yes, I could say that. I could say anything. I’m not questioning myself, Mr. Bones. I’m questioning you. Is that correct, Mr. Bones?”
Bones grinned, verging on a laugh. “That is correct.”
“When you were relieved of your duty, it resulted from a mistake you alone had made. Is this also correct?”
“Yep.”
Rory turned to face the jury, expecting that some were already following where this line of questioning was going. He gave them a validating nod. “When you were being considered for removal, you were expecting my client to come to your aid, were you not?”
“It was a possibility.”
“Mr. Bones, do you think it might be reasonable for some in this courtroom to suspect that, because my client didn’t come to your aid, you were resentful about this?”
Gabe raised his paw. “Objection. Your Honor, Mr. Rory is venturing into the realm of hypotheticals here.”
The judge nodded. “Sustained. Mr. Rory, let’s avoid speculation and stick to the matter at hand. Please continue.”
