The Murder of Marvellous Marv, Part 2


    Lara Night was in her usual quarters at the Lair Mansion when Jay caught up to her.  She was lying on her bed in jeans, a buttoned grey shirt.  Her sneakers were on the floor, next to a duffel bag she hadn’t unpacked, and she was tossing a small soft ball a few inches in the air.

    Jay meant to start talking as soon as he entered, after knocking and being told to come in.  But he got distracted because in her carelessness and exhaustion diving on the bed, her shirt had become partially unbuttoned.  She didn’t seem to notice, but she didn’t expect him to visit either.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What’s up?”  she asked, sounding tired.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Did you hear about Marvellous Marv yet?”  he asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes, I heard.  Flapjack told me.”  She stopped tossing the ball in the air and looked at him.  When she noticed where he was looking, she looked down and quickly buttoned her shirt.

    Jay quickly looked away.  He heard Lara laugh.

    She sat up, folding her legs beneath her, and motioned for Jay to sit next to her.  Her eyes still looked tired.

    Once he sat down she told him, “I guess you want me to provide an alibi.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“It was a thought.”  he confirmed with a shrug.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Well--”  Lara stretched and took a deep breath.  “When I get my energy back...if this murder mystery isn’t solved before that...I’ll take you to meet a couple of my friends.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“It’s really that draining for you to cross universes like that?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah.”  Lara whispered.  “Especially when I’m already tired when I leave.  I feel like I need sleep.  So why were you so freaked out by a couple of undone buttons, anyway?”

    Jay swallowed hard.  He looked away from her and shrugged slightly.  “You’ve always been such a good friend and co-worker, Lara.  I...guess I don’t want to get the wrong images in my mind and damage that.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“That’s kind of sweet, I guess.  In an old-fashioned sort of way.”  She laughed and nudged him gently with her shoulder.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’m glad you’re being so cooperative, though.”  Jay finally said with a sigh of relief.  “I was a little worried, since you coincidentally vanished about the same time Marv turned up dead.”

    She gently patted his shoulder.  “Don’t worry so much about me.”  she said.  “You’ve got a whole Lair Legion to worry about.  Besides, you should know leaving Marv dead isn’t my style.  I’m more creative than that, I’d make him disappear entirely.”

    Jay gave Lara a tired look, and noticed she was smiling.  She was trying to cheer him up with a joke.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“So why don’t you just put on one of your hats and solve this murder?”  Lara asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Like you said.”  Jay replied, “I have a whole Lair Legion to worry about.  If I step up and try to solve this mystery and take it out of the hands of the police, it’ll look like I’m trying to protect someone.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“There aren’t enough clues yet, are there?”  she asked with a smirk.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“That too.”  he admitted with a slight smile.  “Thanks for cheering me up, Lara.  I’ll get back to work and let you get some sleep.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“That’s what a friend’s for, right?”  she said.  She watched him stand, and then she pulled herself toward the pillow on the bed.  “See you later.”  she said as she turned off the bedside lamp.


---


    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I can get used to this.”  Vicky Cameron said as she sipped an iced tea in the Mayor’s Mansion dining room.  It had just been served to her by the Mansion staff.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Don’t get used to it.”  Jack Burns told his cheerful blonde partner.  “They’re all suspects too, you know.  They’re being so helpful because--”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yah, I know.”  Vicky interrupted him, “half of them are illegal or have criminal records, and they can’t afford to be investigated.  None of them did it, though.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“How do you know?”  he asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Cause they’re still here.”  she replied.  “If you killed the Mayor, would you hang around and serve the cops tea?”

    Jack sighed, and looked at his cup of coffee.  “I guess not.  Unless they’re smart like you, and figure if they stay nobody will think they did it.”

    Vicky tilted her head to one side and then looked toward the kitchen.  She then shook her head as if she were denying some thought.

    A bunch of chatter suddenly erupted from the next room.  It was a few police officers talking to Commisioner Graham.  A minute later the Commissioner entered the dining room.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“The Coroner says the Mayor was electrocuted.”  he said.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Huh.  I wouldn’t have guessed that.”  Vicky commented.

    Graham continued, “I need you two to compile a list of suspects.  Start with the Mayor’s enemies.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“That’s a long list, Don.”  Jack pointed out.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I know.”  the Commissioner frowned.  “Better get started, then.”
    

---


    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Electrocution.”  Jay Boaz mumbled as he stared out the window of his newly repaired office.  He spoke half to himself, and half to Yuki, who just entered and walked up behind him.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Marv’s cause of death?”  Yuki guessed.

    He nodded without speaking a word.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“So it’s...Lara?  Hallie?  Al B Harper?”

    Jay raised an eyebrow.  “Al B Harper?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah.”  Yuki replied.  “He’s been known to build high-voltage weapons.  Of course, those don’t have to be the only suspects.  Some of us are smart enough to use methods outside our normal abilities.  Or maybe it’s none of us--”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I know.”  Jay interrupted her.  “But we have to start somewhere.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“No, we don’t.”  Yuki corrected him.  “Not until the cops start implicating us.  I say we just sit tight and pretend like we have our house in order.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What if one of us did it?”  Jay asked.  “I’d like to know.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Why are you so sure it was one of us?”  Yuki crossed her arms and leaned back against the window frame.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’m not...sure.”  he replied quietly.  “But we do have a few people who are more than capable.  Lara says she has killed before.  Liu Xi has.  So has Dream.  And Hallie doesn’t quite have the same concept of conscience as most of us, and Anna...I’m still not really sure what she’s capable of.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“So trust just goes out the window.”  Yuki summed up almost angrily.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I trust them.”  Jay responded.  “But it’s also my job to protect--”

    Yuki interrupted him.  “How about trusting them to protect the Lair Legion also?  Lara really cares about you...do you honestly think she wants to make your life difficult?  How about Liu Xi?  And it’s Hallie’s job to protect the Lair Legion too.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“But even you can’t be sure they’re all innocent.”  Jay pointed out.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Maybe not.”  Yuki said.  “But we have to give them the benefit of the doubt.  At least until--”

    They both turned as the door to the office opened.  Flapjack stuck his head in and winked at Yuki, who rolled her eyes.  “The police are here.”  he said.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Until that?”  Jay finished Yuki’s sentence as he left his office.



TO BE CONTINUED


-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2009 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
--    reprinted without permission.  
-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
--  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
--  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin