The Phoenix Chronicles: The Curse of Lustria

Chapter Thirty-One: Forgery

(NARRATED BY CAMERON SETLER)

At the start of my dream, the detective was waiting with his hands on his cell bars, when Jonathan Lazar approached with a key card in his possession. "Geez, Lazar. What took you so long to come and bail me out?" Samson asked as his subordinate silently took the card and swiped it through the digital lock.

Still maintaining his silence, Lazar opened the cell door for Samson, who immediately exited. Promptly afterward, they began walking together.

"So, is court still in session?" my uncle inquired anxiously.

It was then that Lazar finally chose to speak: "No. They let out shortly following your detainment. And, given that there are no more witnesses or evidence to be presented, Charlotte mandated that each side come to court tomorrow with their closing arguments prepared."

"Already? Holy Ravens! How are we looking right now?"

"Unfortunately, Detective, as it stands, it would take an absolute miracle to turn this case around."

"What do you mean?"

"Shortly after the trial let out for the day, I called up my sister while I was on the way over here."

"And?"

"She sounded nothing like herself. Whenever I questioned her about any of the rash decisions she made over the course of the trial, she'd stubbornly refuse to comment. Furthermore, I also suspect that she actually believes the prosecution's case, given that she made a statement suggesting that no contradicting information exists at this point."

When they came to a gate, an officer let them both out.

Detective Narivado sighed with frustration, "Something just doesn't feel right...."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"On top of Charlotte's odd behavior, the Department has been denying me access to evidence. Everything just reeks of suspicion."

"By the way, Daniel wishes to meet with you in approximately one hour," Lazar mentioned.

"What for? To prepare for the closing argument?"

"Affirmative, sir."

Samson stopped dead in his tracks, as though he had experienced an epiphany. "Hey, Lazar, would you do something for me?"

"What is it, sir?"

"Tell Danny that I won't be able to drop by."

"Whatever for?"

Samson turned to his subordinate with a grin. "I'm going to see that evidence. I think the Department is hiding something from me, and I want to know what that is."

"Does your plan happen to be illegal?"

"That depends on how my plan works out."

"What do you mean?"

His grin spread even further. "Where there there's a problem, there's usually a loophole leading to the solution."

"What's the loophole?" Jonathan asked.

"According to Naridan law, a courtroom detective may conduct an investigation upon another detective's findings without permission from the Department, so long as he or she holds any evidence suggesting foul play by the time he or she is 'caught' in the act of investigating. This is where the ends actually do justify the means."

"So, you believe the prosecution has been presenting forged evidence?

"I sure do," he nodded.

"I see... then I bid you good luck, Detective."