B19 Court (Patreon)

I'm really on a roll this weekend. Hope it lasts!

And it's getting uglier for Tori's Executioner's Gambit.

———

Tori emitted a high-pitched, “Eep!” and backed from the doorway. Without a word, Sese slid in front of her and crossed her arms, standing like a heavily muscled barricade.

Nija, looking more unhinged than usual, stomped to the doorway and focused a glare of pure hatred on the security chief. “Get out of my son’s room!” she roared. “Get out of my home!”

Though she failed to cow Tipohee. “I’m sorry, Nija,” he said calmly. “We’ve uncovered evidence that implicates Asui in the murders.”

“You mean you’ve planted evidence!” she screamed.

“I’ve got no choice but to take your son into custody,” he finished.

“You’re dead! Do you hear me?” she howled. “I will fucking destroy you!”

Nija ripped the strand from her shoulder and stormed out of the apartment without another word. Tipohee covered his face with his palms and groaned.

“Sese, I’m going to take photos of the scene, then check all of this into evidence. I suspect that I’ll be in conference with the captain all morning, defending our find,” said the chief. “Take an alternate route. If you hurry, you might be able to snatch Asui from school before she gets there. A confrontation is inevitable, but I’d rather we do it in court than in front of dozens of screaming cubs.”

“I’m on it,” said Sese, and without another word, she launched herself down the hall and hopped out of the apartment.

Tori turned to her boss. “A bonanza of evidence or not, this was still a crap lead. I’m headed to court,” she said. “The judge needs to know that this reeks of a set-up.”

Tipohee sighed. “Do whatever you please, Tori,” he said, “but when this case closes, I expect to find your transfer request in my strand, like you promised.”

Tori frowned and a heavy lump formed in her stomach. She still hoped to talk the commissioner into letting her have surgery—not that she’d likely succeed—but even if she did, it sounded like her boss would deny her the opportunity.

Whatever. She had more pressing problems now, and saving Asui’s life was topmost among them. With cane thumping hard against the deck, she did her best to storm out of his presence and headed directly to court.

Along the way, Tori tried calling Judge Nuasai, but each attempt went directly to voicemail.

She grumbled under her breath the entire way to court, alternately cursing her boss, Nija, The Executioner, the company, whoever made the Boots video, and even Daskatoma.

Tori found Sese in the court’s waiting room. She wasn’t shocked that the big gal had beat her there, but was more surprised at who wasn’t present. “Where’s Nija?” asked Tori, her sympathetic gaze resting on the cub’s tear-streaked face.

“No idea,” said Sese. She took a moment to glance at the time on her strand. “An emergency perhaps? I thought she’d be here by now.”

“What sort of emergency would take precedence over this?” asked Tori.

Sese shrugged. “You look exhausted, Tori,” she said. “Have a seat. Judge Nuasai has another trial in session, and he’ll see us next.”

“I don’t have time for this!” groaned the investigator, and her cane tapped an angry path to the door leading to the courtroom.

The courtroom was little more than a conference room. Though blank now, three large displays hung on the walls, and the judge sat at a circular table with room for eight. To his right sat a suspect—a middle-aged male with black and white fur. His hair was dirty, sticking up here and there, as if he’d just been through a scuffle with the security officer who stood behind his chair.

“Judge Nuasai?” asked Tori, closing the door behind her. “I’m so sorry to interrupt.”

“Investigator Tori?” huffed the judge, instantly recognizing her face. “Court is in session. Whatever you need will have to wait.”

“I don’t mind,” said the defendant. “You guys do what you need and call me when you’re ready.” He started to rise, but the officer behind him grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back down into the seat.

“Sir, this really can’t wait,” she assured the judge. “In the next case on your docket, I’d like to file a motion for continuance.”

Nuasai’s ears pulled back in disapproval. “And when you argue that case, I will consider your motion.”

“Yes, I’m certain you would, but I’m the lead investigator on The Executioner case, and I have a lot of input that I’d like to share, but I’m planning to meet with the commissioner…”—she glanced at the time on her strand and whined unconsciously at how little was left—“like, really soon, and there’s no way that I can reschedule that.”

The strand on Tori’s shoulder beeped with a message, but she ignored it.

“If you can’t stay, that’s fine. Go do what you have to do,” explained the judge. “Just leave your notes with the prosecuting officer—”

“No, please listen to me,” Tori begged. “There’s a significant likelihood that the real killer has thrown us this defendant as a patsy, and the prosecution is not yet ready to plead a case in good conscience.”

Her strand beeped once more.

“Well, I’m certain the defense won’t mind that,” grumbled the judge.

“The defense isn’t ready either!” said Tori. “The defendant is a minor, and I’m sure his mother is trying to arrange defense council even as we speak, but she’s not here, council’s not here…”

Tori’s strand beeped a third time.

“Kindly silence your strand in court!” barked Judge Nuasai. “This is for the serial killer case? Are you suggesting that we let a murder suspect walk freely among the crew while the respective sides get themselves sorted?”

Tori tapped her strand to mute it. “I believe the defendant is harmless! He’s just a cub,” begged Tori. “And even if he was the guy who’s been poisoning officers, all those tablets are gone, and we’ve locked up the rest. We’ve ensured that nobody can get their paws on more. Letting him go for a short continuance won’t translate into any significant risk—”

“No, this is ridiculous,” said the judge with finality. “If you wish to share testimony at the trial, then be here when it starts. If you can’t, then have someone present it for you.”

The door from the waiting room opened and Sese peeked in. She waved to the judge, mouthing a silent, “Sorry.”

Tori turned to her friend. “What?”

With an angry, stabbing motion, Sese jabbed her index finger toward Tori’s strand three times, and mouthed the words, “Read. Your. Messages!” before ducking back out to the waiting room and closing the door.

“I’m so sorry about this,” sighed Tori as she pulled the communicator from her shoulder.

“Tori! I do not allow texting in my courtroom!”

Ignoring him, her eyes flashed over the screen before her head drooped loosely from her neck. She thought she might be sick. “Additionally,” Tori groaned, “The Executioner has just murdered the suspect’s mother.”

“What?” gasped Judge Nuasai. Rising to his paws, he shouted, “You just assured me that the killer was harmless without his poison—!”

“While the suspect was in custody, the killer has beaten Computer Chief Nija to death,” she explained, interrupting the judge’s angry tirade, “with a length of metal pipe.”

The suspect seated beside the judge grimaced in horror. He raised his cuffed paws as if trying to shield himself from the imagery.

“Can we please have a continuance while we straighten this all out?”

Nuasai let himself sink slowly back down into his seat, and a short silence hung over the court, interrupted only by the defendant when he cleared his throat.

“Yes, perhaps a continuance would be best,” agreed the judge.

———

Reviewer's link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zb-g37IuVZ-FgI6BAzekk-yEFPRetvy0NaIC2pmA1mo/edit?usp=sharing

Thoughts?