D.S. Newman
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Isekai Mansion Arc 1 Part 3-4
🕑 Added 2023-07-31 03:02:00 +0000 UTCI wasn’t sure what we were going to do now. The trial wasn’t over, but there was no more time to gather evidence. It was too dangerous to even try at this stage. They could have Emily killed and claim plausible deniability for involvement in lieu of her enemies taking advantage of the situation. We had no choice but to go back to the safehouse and try to think of something.
We couldn’t bring ourselves to eat after the stunning defeat in court that day. Emily just asked that she be left alone for some time to review all her documents and see if there’s something she missed. A clue, an interaction, some evidence. Anything she may have overlooked.
I sat for hours by myself while giving Emily her space and tried to think of some way I could help. I hated how much different this situation was over Bristol. It was so cut and dry there. Find the Devil King and kill him. I couldn’t get close enough to Creole to do that here. And even if I did, his men would annihilate me. That or I’d end up in prison in this world. I hated to think what prison was like in a world where Phantoms drive taxis.
I turned on the TV to distract myself but landed on footage outside the courtroom from earlier of a reporter asking Creole whether he was a criminal or not. He was on his way down the courthouse steps and was wearing dark sunglasses when he responded, “the claims against me are baseless and tomorrow, my innocence will be proven. I guarantee!”
Finally, Emily emerged from her quiet space with a somber look. I asked, “did you find anything you missed before?”
She simply responded, “Very little.”
We both turned in for the night and tried to rest up for the next day.
* * *
When we got back into the courtroom the following day, the judge swiftly moved through the proceedings. He understood that nothing would likely change from the day before, but he still followed procedure and allowed the Prosecution to continue its case.
“Mr. Leon. Any further witnesses before the evidence is presented?”
“No, your honor.”
As things began to look bleaker and I prepared myself to try and get Emily out of this world as quickly as possible when the trial was over, I noticed she was spacing out. She had a look on her face that seemed like she was trapped in deep thought. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes were blank.
“Emily. What is it?” I inquired.
“I have a plan!”
“A plan? What is it?”
“Sorry Eric, I don’t have time to explain. Just watch,” she said, as she got up and ran over to whisper to the D.A.
He shook his head a few times and then I heard him say, “are you sure?” She nodded in reply.
Vander was about to seal the deal with evidence that made Creole look good in his closing arguments to the Jury when suddenly, Ralph jumped up and asked, “your honor! May we have a twenty-minute recess in light of new information that needs to be processed?”
“Very well, Mr. Leon. Twenty minutes,” he said as he slammed his gavel.
Vander and Creole looked confused.
The moment the gavel struck, Emily took off running out of the courtroom. Ralph got on his phone and dialed a call but had stepped off to the side of the courtroom so I couldn’t make out what he was saying.
Nearly twenty minutes had passed, and the judge came back in from his chambers and took the bench. Everyone rose and sat for him. He then asked if the prosecution was ready to resume. Ralph was about to ask for more time when suddenly, Emily came back in. She simply stood there and gave a thumbs up with a smile on her face.
Ralph turned back to the judge and said, “your honor, I call Miss Emily Grimwood back to the witness stand.”
Emily approached and the judge said, “you realize you’re still under oath, Miss Grimwood?”
“I do your honor.”
“Miss Grimwood, is it true that you recently were instrumental in bringing down the organized crime syndicate known as The Black Hand?”
“That’s true.”
“And do you believe that the Defendant, Mr. Creole, has undeniable ties to The Black Hand as well as involvement in his own criminal mischief, including, but not limited to the charges brought against him today?”
“I do.”
“Objection, your honor!” Interrupted Vander, “the witness was previously called and brought no such evidence. If she did have such a thing and withheld it previously, she should be held in contempt of court!”
“Overruled. Have the record reflect that it appears Miss Grimwood had not considered her findings during her previous testimony.”
“Miss Grimwood,” Ralph continued, “would the evidence you have reviewed, circumstantial as it may be, possibly lead to more direct evidence against Mr. Creole?”
“Yes, it would.”
“Objection your honor!”
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
The judge slammed his gavel and sternly said, “Overruled! Mr. Vander, please allow Mr. Leon to finish questioning his witness.”
“No further questions, your honor.”
“Your witness, Mr. Vander.”
“Young lady, bringing fiction into the courtroom at this stage of the proceedings…”
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
The judge hammered down hard on the gavel and shouted, “Mr. Vander! You’re badgering the witness. One more outburst like that and I’ll have you in contempt of court.”
“No questions, your honor,” Vander replied quickly in order to get Emily off the stand.
“Mr. Leon, does the Prosecution have any other witnesses?”
“Yes, I call Mr. Anthony Teal to the stand.”
The entire courtroom shuddered. The doors to the court opened up and two police officers escorted Mr. Teal, the insurance adjuster from the dinner party, into the courtroom cuffed.
Mr. Teal was sworn in and sat on the bench as Vander and Creole whispered to each other in a panic.
“Mr. Teal, you were recently arrested in accordance with your involvement in The Black Hand. Were you not?”
“Yes, I was.”
“And what was your primary function in this criminal organization?”
“Insurance fraud and falsification of documents,” Teal replied confidently.
“In your underworld dealings, did you ever work with criminals outside your network of
Black Hand associates?”
“I did.”
“Mr. Teal. Is there anyone in this courtroom who’d you have aided in committing fraud or any other crimes?”
“There is.”
“Could you point them out?”
Teal pointed directly at Alabaster and said, “Him…Alabaster Creole.”
The courtroom erupted in commotion and the judge slammed his gavel and called for order. When everyone calmed down, the judge asked Mr. Teal, “do you have evidence to back up this claim?”
“I do your honor. I meticulously kept extensive records. Call it a quirk. This includes recorded phone calls between myself and Mr. Creole.”
“Mr. Teal,” the judge continued, “when can this evidence be made available for review?”
Teal answered, “The Prosecutor sent officers on my consent over to my personal storage unit just over half an hour ago. They’re on their way with it right now.”
“I see. Any more questions Mr. Leon?”
“No more questions, your honor. The Prosecution rests.”
“Your witness, Mr. Vander…Mr.Vander?!...Mr. Vander!!!” The judge struggled to gain the red suited man's attention as he conversed intensively with Creole.
Finally, Vander turned around and said, “No questions, your honor. The Defense rests as well.”
The judge slammed his gavel and said, “Very well. The Jury will now convene and await
Mr. Teal’s records to be reviewed as evidence against Mr. Creole.”
I turned to Emily and said, “that was amazing! Somehow, I knew you’d think of something. But tell me, how’d you convince Teal to testify against Creole? He was a shivering mess back at the Manor.”
“Mr. Teal will be given a plea bargain for his crimes and will serve the majority of his sentence on house arrest under witness protection. By comparison, his crime wasn’t as serious, and he was never okay with the murder that took place. They'll probably change his name to Mr.
Green or something like that.”
After some time, the jury flowed back into the courtroom and delivered their verdict. The foreperson approached the bench and the judge asked for their verdict to be spoken loud and clearly.
The foreperson said, “Mr. Creole, we the Jury of the Lower Court of Sin City find you
Guilty as charged under all counts with exception to the coerced murder of Mr. Maven.”
The court became a whirlwind of emotions as people on both sides cheered and booed. The judge restored order and said, “Very well, in light of the great efforts Mr. Creole has taken to cover up your crimes, I’m recommending the Prosecutor’s Office open a new investigation into your activity and hereby commute your sentencing in this case to today. Alabaster Creole, I hereby sentence you to eight to ten years in Federal Prison, effective immediately. Do you have anything to say for yourself? You may speak freely.”
Alabaster stood up from his seat and said, “I do,” he turned his attention in our direction and stated, “well done Miss Grimwood. Well done.”
* * *
We decided to hastily make our move out of this realm after a quick celebration with Ralph rather than take a chance on more retaliation. We had a police escort to Emily’s apartment, and she packed two black felt duffle bags and a makeup kit to bring with her. I kept my pinstripe suit but changed back into my street clothes and had Emily store it in one of her bags since I knew I’d be going into the sewer.
As we were walking along, on our way to the intersection of 14th and Orchid Street, Emily asked me what I thought of my time here.
I replied, “Well, there’s a Sin City in my world too, but it’s not as wild as this place most of the time. How about you? Was there anything you wished you had done before taking off like this?”
She thought for a moment and said, “Well, there was this traveling Mummy Exhibit in town I wish I could’ve seen before leaving. But that’s alright.”
“Someone’s bringing these Mummies to and from, aren’t they? They’re not traveling on their own, are they?” I joked.
She laughed and shook off my not so preposterous inquiry.
We reached the intersection where the manhole to the well was at. It was hard to believe it had only been a week since I’d arrived here. So much had happened. Can’t say I wasn’t glad to leave it behind though. I lifted the manhole cover and let myself down. I made sure to help Emily get down without slipping before looking to find the grated area and this world’s equivalent to the stone. It was easy to find though. The only thing down there that glowed red.
“Hey, wait a second. Oh shit, that’s right. Technically, we didn’t defeat the Devil here. Only temporarily neutralized him. See, the stone is flickering even slower than it was when I got here because I greatly slowed Alabaster’s agenda. But it didn’t turn green. So, at some point I’d still have to take him out. Not sure how though since he’s even harder to get to now than he was before.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that, Eric,” Emily noted, “He’ll likely get out of prison in two to three years on ‘good’ behavior. So, you won’t have to wait too long to have to come deal with him again. When the time comes, I’ll do my best to help you do it too!”
“Ya know, you’re alright. You're pretty easy to deal with when you’re not perving out,” I haphazardly complimented.
“I’m not going to respond to that,” she said as we touched each other's shoulders while I held the stone and dropped it in the water at the appropriate time.
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