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Lonno moved slowly away from his lonely table. "The defense is correct about one thing, and that is that the Nightingale is ruthlessly cunning. Capable of killing so many without having even a shred of a clue that could lead closer to them. How is this possible? How can one hide from such a past so well? There are several answers to this, but perhaps the biggest is..." He paused for effect then turned to the jury. "Acting."
"Just look at Mr. Cecil Tealy over here, ladies and gentlemen! How could someone so innocent be a heartless killer? Well, isn't that the perfect disguise? Who's to say Mr. Tealy isn't just pouting to tug at your hearts? And let's not forget his position of Chief of Police! He controls evidence! The way I see it, this couldn't be any more obvious."
Lonno turned his back to the jury. "My job is to rip off this man's mask and show you his true self. Now, you may be convinced by Mr. Tealy and his impressive team of lawyers, and you may stubbornly disregard my reasoning, I can't tell the future. I can only hope you feel absolutely confident in your decision in the end, but you will let a vicious murderer loose into the city, and the worst part will be that I warned you." He paused to give them time to absorb his words, and in that time he moved to his table and gestured to the witness stand. "For the opening statements I call Officer Benedict Johnson to the stand." The meager officer got to the stand and began going over more of the Nightingale, then about Cecil's bio from when he came here.

 

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Sawyer Loupohl

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Sawyer leaned down to the blonde as he sat beside him, whispering as quietly as he could. "Don't worry, Cecil. Everything's going to be okay. I went over the evidence, and it's all just circumstantial nonsense." He sat up straight, then stood when it was his turn to question the officer.

~~~

Hours passed, and Sawyer made sure to kick back every pass thrown at him. He wasn't getting tired, but Lonno was definitely better than he expected. Every curveball was getting just a little harder to detect, and every witness was just a little less open than the last. He was running out of moves, of ways to strike back, when an idea sparked to mind. Who else would be able to do all this? To mess with evidence, to ruin every possibility, to murder and still be revered as an upright citizen?
Sawyer stood just as Lonno finished questioning a witness, then spoke to the judge, loudly and clearly.
"Your Honor, I would like to call Detective Fredrich Waltz to the stand."



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The whole room filled with mumbles and whispers when the request was boomed. The judge himself looked surprise and was about to ask Sawyer why he'd summon a random person until he heard a chuckle from the other side. He looked over to see Lonno standing calmly, a fist against his mask as he chuckled some more.
"The detective himself... Interesting." he mused. "I'll allow it. The detective in charge of the case will surely shine more light on this."
The judge still seemed reluctant, but nodded. "We'll take a fifteen minute break then and give him enough time to get here." he said then slammed his gavel down.

~~~

By the time court started again, there was a tall man dressed in black at the witness stand. He looked angry, and the cold atmosphere around him made even the judge shiver. Whether Lonno felt the same intimidation was a mystery behind his mask. "Name and profession, please." he said as he crossed his arms.
"Fredrich Waltz. I'm the detective in charge of homicide as well as the Nightingale case." he answered while observing the prosecutor. That must be the man Cameron was talking about earlier.

 

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Sawyer Loupohl

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Sawyer sat completely still, watching the detective through blank eyes. He was thinking, barely listening to the questioning by the prosecution. The key to winning this case was Detective Waltz, as Sawyer had told him minutes before Waltz took the stand. He'd warned him to tell the truth, but to choose his words carefully and to trust him. If things went even a little bit wrong, it was highly possible that Fredrich could get in a lot of trouble, but Sawyer was the best at what he could do. He needed Fredrich to trust him to do what needed to be done to win each and every way.
After Lonno finished questioning the detective, Sawyer stood, moving around the table and sliding his hands into his pockets. "You have a pretty decent lifestyle, don't you, Detective?" he started. "Nice apartment, well-tailored clothes, that watch you're wearing is clearly rather expensive. Was it a gift? Or did you buy it yourself?"



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Fredrich Waltz

In this world, one cannot say anything without proof to back them up.

"It was a gift." answered the detective, who's hard gaze followed Sawyer like a spotlight. "A Christmas gift from my lover." The judge had an eyebrow raised, waiting to see where this question went, whereas Lonno remained silent and still.

Without proof, you'll never catch me.

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[Mayah Playah]

Sawyer Loupohl

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"Ah yes, Ellery Advimi, I've met him. He's a lovely young man." He gestured to Fredrich's whole body. "Very different from you. In fact, he's quite the social butterfly, a member of PTA, an active country club member, and very friendly with neighbors. I don't think I've ever heard a cross word about him." He paused in his walking, eyes on the detective. "You, however, keep to yourself more often than not. Why, whenever I spoke any words to your neighbors, I never once heard a word about you that wasn't brought up myself. The little old woman who lives next-door to you thought that the quiet tall man had moved away months ago and had been replaced by Mr. Advimi."
Sawyer stopped for a second, then continued. "What level marksman were you tested, Detective Waltz?" he asked, knowing full well that Fredrich had tested as expert. Just a few more questions, and he'd be able to put forth his "theory".



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Fredrich Waltz

In this world, one cannot say anything without proof to back them up.

Fredrich did nothing and showed even less on his face. He barely saw his neighbors let alone spoke with them because of either being busy or because they were too intimidated by him.
When asked about his marksmanship, Fredrich answered with, "Expert." He could already tell where this was going. Whenever people asked him to go to court involving the Nightingale, it rarely ended with him being a detective with information.
Cecil, however, didn't know what Sawyer was doing. He didn't know why Fredrich was called up, and frankly, he didn't like these questions. Fredrich was distant and cold, but he was a good worker. He always got the job done, and he could tame the worst of criminals! Why was Sawyer treating him like... like he was the murderer?

Without proof, you'll never catch me.

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[Mayah Playah]

Sawyer Loupohl

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Sawyer gestured to one of the previous witnesses. "So quiet, intelligent, secluded, talented, and cool under pressure. You're even in a position that can easily be used to change the public perception of the assassin." The previous witness nodded. "Even the FBI profiler agrees. There are many young men like yourself that could possibly be noted as potential Nightingale's. However, there's one thing about you that's different."
He moved back to Fredrich, standing in front of him with his hands in his pockets. "Why'd you keep the case? It's not like you can't pass it off, but you keep to it. No one wants the Nightingale case, it's a career killer. There's no personal reason, like the Nightingale has killed someone you know, or it'd be in your file. You have no reason to stick to the case, yet you do, despite the fact that you can't possibly expect to continue on. Even Officer Tealy himself rejected being the lead on the case." He reached out behind him, accepting a file from an aide. "Why do you keep the case, Detective Waltz?"


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Fredrich Waltz

In this world, one cannot say anything without proof to back them up.

"You answered yourself, didn't you?" Fredrich mused, though he looked anything but. "Nobody wants the case on a killer that's impossible to find. Even if I didn't want it, I can't hand it to someone. But that's not the only reason I keep it. It's... a challenge. I've solved as much as I can, but the Nightingale leaves barely any clues. Even if I can't, I get paid for the days I've worked."

Without proof, you'll never catch me.

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[Mayah Playah]

Sawyer Loupohl

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He raised his index finger. "But your partner doesn't, does he? The Nightingale case is only for you, specifically, but not Lock Han. He's not even allowed to touch the case, as per your instructions. Everyone else is permitted to have access to the case files but him, despite the fact that he is, for all intents and purposes, your partner, who has a solved-case ratio that rivals even your own even though he's been active for far less time than yourself. Why wouldn't you want someone who is nearly as talented as yourself to assist you in one case out of dozens when you'll allow lesser detectives to help you?" He didn't wait for an answer, turning to the judge.
"Your Honor, my client is guilty of only inexperience. For every chance he could've altered those records, there is just as much a chance, if not greater, that Detective Waltz could have. He has a greater marksmanship level, is far more experienced despite being younger, and even has more access to the records that Chief Tealy does." Perfect. Now all that he needs is motive. He turned back to Fredrich, taking a step forward. "Detective Waltz, why do you think Chief Tealy received the position of Chief?" He himself wasn't sure why Cecil had the position. He was good at his job, but there was no visible reason to take him seriously as a boss in the first place.


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Fredrich Waltz

In this world, one cannot say anything without proof to back them up.

"I don't know." Fredrich answered simply. "I never worked with him, and I barely heard anything about his accomplishments. Then again, I heard just as much from the other officers. When he became Chief, a rumor spread. I don't put much weight on it, but it's a theory, and that's that he was given the job because he bri-"
"STOP!"
Everyone looked around to see who had yelled that, even Cecil, whom sat at the edge of his seat so tensely. The doors of the courtroom flew open to reveal both guards knocked out, and the man responsible for that standing between them. "Cecil's innocent!" he boomed. He looked like he could've been about Sawyer's age, maybe older. There was a gracefulness to his appearance and a calmness in his stance, but the look in his eyes showed that he was no easy target.
The judge coughed in surprise and looked around. "Guards! Arrest that man this instant!" Before the guards could advance, Lonno laughed loudly and clapped his hands. "Yes! This is what I've been waiting for!" he laughed, his smile audible. He spun around to look at the judge, waving a hand towards the man. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, but my next witness has just arrived!"
"Y-Your next witness?" blinked the shocked judge.
Lonno nodded. "Forgive the show he put on, Your Honor, but there was no other way to get him in. For you see, this is the legendary thief himself, Mr. Sean Tealy!"
Cecil felt his breath go short as he stared at the man feet away from him, the one that looked so much like him. Sean Tealy, the biggest thief in the nation. And his father.
Lonno settled. "Now then, Mr. Tealy, let the guards here keep you detained as we wait for Mr. Loupohl finish with his questioning. Wouldn't want you to miss your son's guilty verdict." Sean exhaled slowly through his nose as he allowed the guards to put handcuffs on him, spending the entire time glaring at the prosecutor and his unseen grin.

Without proof, you'll never catch me.

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[Mayah Playah]

Sawyer Loupohl

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Sawyer winced at the sight of the new witness, but quickly regained his composure and turned back to the judge. "Your Honor, there are no further questions. Detective Waltz can always return tot eh stand later, and I'm sure we're all dying to hear what the new witness has to say that's so important." He nodded to Fredrich, then turned on his heel and walked over to his seat.
Once seated, he set his hand on top of Cecil's and squeezed tightly once before letting go, just trying to reassure the police chief that everything was going to be alright. He wasn't entirely sure anymore, of course, but he wasn't going to let Cecil go down without a hard fight.


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It took five minutes to switch people. Once Sean was on the stand, Lonno asked, "Name and profession?" The man replied easily with, "Sean Tealy, master thief."
There were so many things Lonno wanted to say and ask, but he had to keep himself composed. Weaknesses were something everyone in this room looked for. "Mr. Tealy... You are indeed a well renowned thief. You've stolen everything, from the food of the homeless to a CEO's alarm clock. And you got away with it, too. Every attempt to get you, every chance we had, and you got away with a puff of smoke or another of you favored magic tricks. So why, then, did you freely walk into a court of law?" He turned to gesture to Cecil. "Was it for Mr... Tealy?" He turned back to face the thief. "That's an uncommon surname. Care to explain?"
Sean exhaled through his nose again. He glanced briefly at the boy before looking back at Lonno. "He's my son." Everyone in court whispered amongst themselves until the judge hit his gavel to quiet them down.
"Your son." breathed the prosecutor. "Family is always important. I understand that. But you left yours. Cecil grew up without a father. Why do you care now? You were never part of his life, why should you care about how it ends? Or have you always been there?" He moved to his table and picked up a file, holding it up for everyone to see. "Yes, that's right. You've been watching over your precious child from the shadows. Inside this folder is a list of people who have admitted to giving Mr. Cecil Tealy special treatment due to your... coercing. It ranges from all sorts of people, from the electricity company to the local grocery store to even... the former Chief of Police." Lonno turned to see sweat come down Cecil's pale forehead then turned to the tense thief. "It'd be better if you tell them than I do."
Sean furrowed his eyebrow, looking at everyone. Finally, his gaze landed on his son, who had a horror in his eyes that he had been trying to keep away. With a regretful sigh, Sean tore his eyes away and explained, "I knew Cecil's dream was to be a cop, even if for the sake of catching me. It was his motivation for everything, it shaped his life. I just... I wanted to help him be successful. I hired a few local thugs and thieves to get caught by him, but it wasn't enough. I saw him get shrugged away by his workers, and I knew that if he had more authority they would have to start respecting him like the good person he was. So... I offered the Chief a hefty amount of cash if he gave his position to Cecil."
The courtroom was ablaze of gossip.
"I knew it!"
"I always knew that boy wasn't right for police chief!"
"The thief's son is in charge of the police?! No wonder there's so much crime!"
"I bet he's been helping his criminal father get away with all those thefts!"
"A thief and an assassin. Disgusting."
"Give them both the death penalty already!"
The judge repeatedly slammed his gavel down and ordered everyone to quiet down. Meanwhile Cecil's hair covered his eyes, which glared at the trembling fists in front of him. All these years he had ignored the rumors around him and reassured himself that he was a good cop, that he deserved this job. He never let himself think that it was earned unfairly, he wasn't a dirty cop. But he was wrong. All those years of telling himself that he was a hard worker, it was just wishful thinking. His father - No, that criminal - staged all of it. The people he arrested, the friends he made, even his job! They were all because of him! Was Sawyer even his friend? Or was he just another hired hand?
Cecil grit his teeth to keep his chin from quivering. Now wasn't the time to cry. Everyone would just see him as a weak crybaby that got handed everything.

 

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Sawyer Loupohl

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Sawyer did his best to keep his cool through the entire testimony, but when Mr. Tealy revealed how Cecil had really gotten his job, the lawyer had had enough. Slamming his hands onto the table, he stood up and pointed his finger outwards. "Objection!" he barked, sending a glare to the prosecutor before looking back to the judge. "Relevance, Your Honor. It doesn't matter how Chief Tealy received his position. We aren't here to prove bribery, we're here to prove Cecil Tealy's innocence. His father's interference in his professional life has nothing to do with this trial." He turned to Lonno. "I move to have this witness' statement stricken from the record."


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Even with his mask on, it was easy to tell that Lonno was smiling. "Patience, Mr. Loupohl. I promise this will serve a purpose later on." he said before returning his attention to Sean. "Now tell me, Mr. Sean Tealy, why you think your son is not the Nightingale?"
"I've monitored him for almost his entire life." Sean explained. "He couldn't harm a fly! He doesn't meet with people or get messages from people to kill others and he doesn't get paid like an assassin. You can check his bank accounts yourself. There's nothing fishy about it. To call him the Nightingale is... it's stupid!"
"Hmm." was all Lonno replied with. He turned around. "Thank you for your opinion, Mr. Tealy. Before I can allow the defense to begin his cross-examination, I'll need the next member of the Tealy family to take the stand. It's very important for the defense's favored relevance."
The judge was stiff, but he allowed it.
Cecil walked towards the stand, seeing his father moved away while keeping an eye on him. It looked like the thief wanted to say something, but Cecil never looked away from the witness stand.
Once seated and done answered the introductory question, the real questioning began.
"Have you always known your father was the infamous thief?"
"Yes. It was the reason I became a cop."
"Were you aware of his tampering?"
"No."
"Even with the rumors?"
"Yes. I thought they were just that, rumors."
Lonno was silent for a moment then began to pace around. "I've always been fascinated by families. Why? Because they have certain aspects that other families don't. Parents pass down peculiar abilities to their children. For instance, isn't it true, Mr. Tealy, that you're familiar with some thieving skills?"
Cecil stayed calm. "What do you mean?"
"You've been known to be able to break into a criminal's home merely by picking the lock. You've also been able to take stolen items from thugs without them even noticing. There are several other skills I can list, but why don't you save me the breath and answer the question: You inherited criminal skills from your father, and you know it, don't you?"
The small officer stayed quiet for a moment then closed his eyes. "Yes." he answered.
"Fascinating." breathed Lonno. "You inherited the skills of a criminal from a criminal. And you use it for good! Why, it's like some kind of movie! But it isn't, is it? And you're no hero. You're a boy that stole a hero's job for the sake of protecting you and your father? Why? Because you're both criminals. If you can inherit your dad's skills then who's to say you didn't inherit his low morals? Who's to say you can't be even worse? Who's to say you can't be a criminal just like him? Like father and son!" He strode towards the stand so that he was right in front of Cecil, who had a look betraying the cold one he tried to muster. "Mr. Tealy," Lonno said in a low voice that was still audible to everyone. "You've killed people before, haven't you?"
Cecil hesitated. He could feel beads of sweat roll down the side of his head as he looked around at all the suspicious stares. He felt like every secret he had ever had had just been thrown into a spotlight. His father, his job, his skills, and now... He gulped thickly then lowered his head shamefully. "... Yes." The courtroom gasped and whispered. "B-But I didn't do it because I'm a criminal!" he tried to say. "Th-They were attacking my squad! W-We were doing it out of self-defense!"
"Excuses, Mr. Tealy." Lonno said as he strolled back to his desk. "We've heard it all before. And from cops, too. "It was self-defense!" And yet we see proof of a one-sided fight. But we can't check yours, though, now can we? Because the evidence is already gone. And by whom? Why, the man with the key to all the files. You." He faced the horrified officer. "And there we have it. A man with a history of crime that masked it up with the title of police chief. A murderer with the law on his side to hide all the evidence pointing to him. Until today. Here we have the two most notorious criminals in perhaps the world, the renowned thief and his counterpart, the infamous assassin, the Nightingale. Let's bring this case to an end and make the world a better place!" he said with the court's audience at his back, near to the point of rioting.
In the midst of the shouts and jeers, Cameron made his way through the crowd and handed Sawyer a file over the prosecutor, as well as a man named Nolon South.