The Master's Apprentices

Posted on Sat Oct 12th, 2024 @ 2:12pm by Senior Constable Kiki Marmalade & Chief Inspector Ji-eun Moon & Inspector Yelgrun

1,361 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Boys of Summer
Location: SBPD, interview room
Timeline: Mission Day 2, 0800

ON:

"Interview begins at oh-eight-hundred hours. Present are myself Inspector Yelgrun of Tactical Response, Sergeant Gary Nguyen of the Santiago Bay Police Department, Mister Paulie Beldam, and his legal counsel Mister Bill Kunsler."

Beldam shifted uncomfortably in his seat opposite the imposing Vorta in uniform, and the stern gaze of Sergeant Nguyen. He had been allowed to clean himself up after his incident of incontinence the night before when he was arrested, but the hangover and drug comedown had hit him very hard. There were several small plastic cups of water in front of him, and several already discarded ones he'd sculled like a marooned sailor in the Gobi desert.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Inspector Moon told Senior Constable Kiki Marmalade as they watched Yelgrun set up the interview from the observation room. "Something doesn't add up here."

"Agreed," Kiki began, arms folded as she watched Beldam like a Centaurian hawk. "Beldam couldn't tell you what the day of the week is, let alone what is really going on. And the lawyer is a greasy weasel. He's got a plan. The boys better watch themselves."

"You don't have to answer that, Paulie," Kunsler advised him confidently.

"I haven't asked him anything yet," Yelgrun replied, only just accessing the incident report on his padd.

"If you aren't going to treat my client with respect, then he has nothing to say as a witness to this matter," Kunsler stated firmly, and crossed his arms and leg.

Yelgrun sighed. "He's not here as a witness to an incident, he was the perpetrator. We have multiple witnesses, including officers at the scene, at whom Mister Beldam and his associates discharged their weapons with intent-"

"No comment," Beldam drawled, and downed another cup of water in one breath.

Kunsler shrugged. "There you have it. Your witnesses are all either police, ergo they're simply co-operating with whatever the cops decide the official line will be, or they were confused."

"He was in possession of an illegal firearm. There were thousands of people in that stadium who saw-" Yelgrun leant forward insistently.

"Did anyone except police officers see Mister Beldam actually discharge this so-called 'weapon' in public?' Kunsler argued with an expression of pure slappable confidence.

"'So-called weapon'? We have the firearm in evidence, here. It was taken from him at the scene, having been discharged, covered in Mister Beldam's prints."

"No comment." Beldam folded his arms and let his head slup down on his chest.

Yelgrun groaned.

"Mister Beldam," Kunsler continued, "as a private citizen, was clearly as afraid of the situation as everyone else but was too intoxicated to flee. If the so-called weapon is allegedly illegally obtained - which we'll be refuting - this was allegedly the case without Mister Beldam's alleged knowledge. Perhaps he produced the so-called firearm, knowing he'd be persecuted by the police, in an attempt to defend himself or others from these alleged gunmen. He's a hero, really."

"If Mister Beldam is the hero you claim, can he produce his concealed carry permit?" Nguyen asked. "The conditions of which he would be in violation of if he was intoxicated, as you've admitted, Mr Kunsler."

"If you want my client's permit, you'll need a warrant."

"We're not trying to enter him," Yelgrun said through clenched teeth.

"Publix intoxication is at most a misdemeanour, a small fine, far less serious than this supposed terrorism. My client confided in me that he believes his non-alcoholic drink had been spiked at some point in the concert, making him a victim. He believes it was one of the gunmen but cannot be sure himself, although a number of witnesses have said they can corroborate the identity."

"Why were you talking to witnesses?" Yelgrun inquired with narrowed eyes.

"They came to me," Kunsler replied innocently, putting his hand to his chest as if swearing an oath. "I advised them to speak to police to give evidence, and perhaps given the very early time this morning, later today you will have a flood of eye witnesses corroborating Mister Beldam's testimony."

"Testimony? He hasn't said anything," Yelgrun tensed his fist and rested it on the table, trying to compose himself. Lawyers.

"Where did Paulie get a lawyer like this?" Ji-eun muttered. This guy is running away with the whole interview.

"Money talks?" Kiki answered. She scoffed, "Guys like Paulie get charlatans like Kunsler. They do what they want."

"Mr Kunsler, given your client's possession of a weapon and intoxicated state, the SBPD was permitted to undertake an intoxication screening on-site, which was then confirmed by an independent lab. While we can't rule out a spiking, cause, I mean, look at this," Nguyen slid a pages-long lab report across the table, "Mr Beldam's tox-screen is longer than War and Peace. He was intoxicated. He couldn't drive safely, and he sure wasn't possessing a weapon safely-- even if he was defending the public, he was breaking the law. So, perhaps Mr Beldam can give us his own recount of what occurred. He might do himself a favour, so to speak."

"Spined," Beldam dribbled, glancing up only to squint in pain at the singular light on the ceiling and rub his tousled mop of hair. He downed another cup of water.

"What did he say?" Yelgrun asked impatiently.

"I believe my client was saying "I was spiked", corroborating what I have said. As for his driving, that is not an issue; when he doesn't have a chauffeur he takes a private cab. He'll pay any relevant fines for misdemeanours, but we will be fighting the charges of terorrism and anything involving jail-time-"

"Grugged," the aging former rock-star slurred, his fist opening and closing on the table next to a spread of empty crushed plastic cups. He was dripping sweat.

"You don't have to say anything Paulie," Kunsler reassured his mostly mute client. Beldam slammed his hand on the table.

"Hive bin..." Beldam struggled to get out the words. He groaned in intense frustration. "Hrugged!"

"Something's not right," Ji-eun had been watching Beldam carefully. His apparent tiredness at first had given way and now the man seemed genuinely panicked, incoherent. "Marmalade, get a medic down here."

"On it," Kiki replied, going straight to her coms device, calling in for a medic. She returned to Ji-eun, "The SBPD doctor is on-site and is on their way. A paramedic team is on the way over, too."

"The sooner the better," Moon said grimly, rushing to the door. "He's been drugged, but not last night, this is new."

Beldam struggled to stand, shouting incoherently, but stumbled back in his chair and fell to the ground clutching his chest.

Kunsler jumped up in alarm. "Paulie? Paulie!"

"Having a stronk!" He yelled, clutching his chest. "Call a bondulance!"

Yelgrun and Nguyen leapt to their feet as well, into action. The Vorta Inspector tentatively picked up one of the empty cups and sniffed it. If his cloning facilities were still active, he might have tried to taste it to determine exactly what was used, but he had to be careful with himself now.

"His water was spiked," Yelgrun determined to Nguyen as Inspector Moon came into the room. "Liquid-based, no scent of powder, must have been very recent."

"It wasn't me!" Kunsler put his hands in the air. "What's happening?"

"Take him to another room for questioning," Ji-eun directed as two more officers rushed into the room. Kunsler complied without resistance but again protested his innocence.

"Hang in there, Mister Beldam," Ji-eun frowned as she knelt by his trembling body, curled in the foetal position. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

And I have more questions for you about who's behind it all...

Suddenly, his hand grabbed hers, and tightened. She nearly jumped back in surprise. He looked her dead in the eyes, his filled with fear.

"Muh..." he started, his whole body trembling, sweating, his knuckles white as he held her hand. "Muck... Neal..."

Beldam's grip slackened in a heartbeat, and his clammy hand slipped from hers as he slumped and lay still. Panicked, Ji-eun checked his pulse. Very eratic, and intense, but he was alive.

What the hell is going on...

OFF

 

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