Post by Mr. Showtime on Mar 29, 2021 22:56:14 GMT -5
Detective Jefferson took a long sip of his old stale black tar coffee in a daze as he stared through a one-way mirror. He was beyond tired, he’d been awake for two days straight, since this interrogation fell to him. The man who sat in the interrogation room was a suspect in a missing persons investigation, and possibly worse. Jefferson didn’t have a good feeling about this case. High profile suspect showing up after a vanishing act, missing family with no leads, and a ridiculous story to go along with it.
“Do you plan on going in there any time soon?” asked a voice from the doorway.
“Captain Murphy, I didn’t see you there,” replied Jefferson.
“How long has he been in there?”
“A little over twelve hours,” sighed Jefferson. “He hasn’t moved either. I turned up the heat, no water or food and yet he just staring at the glass like he can see us. He’s really starting to creep me out.”
“You think he’s guilty?”
“I don’t think there is a question about it. He has no alibi outside of his outlandish story around being held captive against his will.”
“What, you don’t believe in the Illuminati?”
“He calls it the Black Hand, and no I don’t believe it. Nor do I believe in Q, the Easter Bunny and trickle-down economics. They are all figments of the collective imagination. I think he is starting to slip into obscurity and something in his mind snapped, too many times being dropped on his head, if you ask me.”
“I don’t know, Jefferson,” Captain Murphy interjected. “This Michael Wryght we’re talking about. He’s been a pillar of the community for a long time. He even helped me to become captain. We’ve all known him for a long time, how many people has he helped around here?”
“And what, does that mean he can do whatever he wants?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You know, Captain, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you might not have the ability to be unbiased in this case.”
“You’re right, I’m not, that’s the only reason I’m not leading it. You’ll also find an entire precinct are sitting out there wondering two things.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that.”
“First, they’re wondering what crawled up your ass that you’d leave a potentially innocent man sitting in a room, where you jacked up the heat, for twelve hours without questioning him.”
“Because I’m the only one around here that seems to be thinking clearly. I also know that no matter how squeaky clean a persona Wryght has cultivated, he is still at risk at making a terrible mistake. One that could cost innocent people their lives. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“That’s fair, even if you aren’t being so.”
“What’s the second thing?” Jefferson asked, breaking eye contact from Michael Wryght for the first time in the conversation.
“Not one person can understand why this place isn’t swarming with lawyers. Wryght has a legendary history with them, even help clear a gentleman named Whitey Ford of murder. It makes absolutely no sense they aren’t here demanding his release.”
“Maybe, he didn’t call them.”
“Innocent or guilty, the first thing he would do is call his lawyers.”
“Well maybe it’s time we go and ask him,” Detective Jefferson said, he was right in his commanding officers face before he peeled off into the hallway. Captain Murphy was close to follow when Jefferson burst into the interrogation room. He threw a chair across the room and got so close to “Mr. Showtime” Michael Wryght’s face Showtime could feel the officer’s breath through his beard. “So, why’s you do it Mikey?”
“I’m not guilty of anything,” replied Showtime, who didn’t take his eyes off the reflective side of the mirror.
“How are we supposed to believe that? You can’t tell us where you’ve been over the last few weeks or months. Then when you do appear from the ether, you show up the night you home burns down and your family is missing. It all seems too coincidental to me.”
“Funny how things work that way,” replied Showtime, in a calm even tone. “The moment I escape imprisonment my captors go after my family. Actually, saying it out loud it doesn’t sound all that coincidently, but more like cause and effect. Now instead of wasting your time in here, I would’ve hoped that you’d be out looking for my missing family.”
“I assure you that we are doing everything in our power to find them,” interjected Captain Murphy.
“Is that so? Then why hasn’t anyone asked me where they might be? Why have I been stuck in this sweat box all day without one person asking me any questions at all? Why haven’t I been offered any kind of common courtesies? You guys didn’t pick me up and drag me here in cuffs, you called me, and I came right away. I haven’t done anything, and you don’t have any proof that says otherwise.”
“What if I said we did have proof?” sneered Jefferson.
“Then I’d say you’re a liar,” spat Showtime, and instantaneously Detective Jefferson smacked Showtime across the face. His cheek seared in pain, as Showtime watched Captain Murphy hook his detective under his right arm and across his chest. As Jefferson was pulled out of the room Showtime notice something written on the palm of the detective’s hand. Phinehas knows.
After a few minutes, Captain Murphy reappeared, alone. He picked up the chair and pulled it back to the table. He sat down across from Showtime and said, “I’m so sorry about that, Michael.”
“Murph, what the hell was that? Who is he?”
“Detective Jefferson was transferred to us a few weeks ago. He insisted on taking lead on this investigation, because he was the only one around here that could objectively determine what happened.”
“That’s what passes as objective around here, hell I’d hate to see what it’d look like if someone didn’t like me. Listen, Murph.”
Captain Murphy cut him off, “You don’t have to say anything else. I had someone call your attorney. We invited them down to be here with you, which they replied if you weren’t released and gone before they arrived there’d be hell to pay.”
“I don’t care about my lawyers, I don’t need them. I didn’t hurt my family, and I need you guys to help me find them. I don’t care what it takes, and how much money I need to throw around, I want them found before…”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find them. I promise. What are you going to do in the meantime?”
“I don’t know. I have no home, no family, and really no one I can trust. I’d go out and find them myself, but I don’t even know where to start looking. At this point the only thing I have to distract me is wrestling.”
“You really think making such a public appearance is a good idea?”
“What else am I going to do, Murph?” replied Showtime, throwing his hands in the air. “It’s the only bit of normalcy I have these days, and honestly, I hope someone finds me there. At least this way it would be something.”
“Benjamin’s no joke.”
Showtime cracked the smallest hint of a smile, “You still watch, huh?”
“I’ve been a fan ever since I trained at your gym, hell what was that fifteen years ago?”
“Had to have been, but you’re wrong. Benjamin’s a joke. I’ve seen countless kids like this in the past. Overconfident and under prepared. He needs a team of people to strategize for him because he can barely put a few cohesive thoughts together for himself. Never works out well for those types. He’ll take a few losses and Stace will move on to her next pet project.”
“Now who’s sounding overconfident?”
“Me? Nah, I’m washed up and my head is in a different world. If this kid can’t get the best of me, you know he’s wasted muscle. Though what I am confident about is the fact that my family is out there. What are you going to do about it?”
“First, I’m going to let you walk out of here and we’ll call you in the morning to take a statement on Jefferson’s behavior. You have my full support to press all charges imaginable. That little shit has it coming. Rest assured, I do have my best men on this case, and we’ll find them.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Get some rest and let the professionals handle this. We’ll call you if we have any questions, and don’t get mauled by any bears on Sunday. Here take this,” said Captain Murphy, who threw something white in the air. It landed in Showtime’s palm.
He looked down, puzzled, then back at Murphy and said, “A lucky rabbit foot?”
“Figured you could use some luck, and figured a white foot is the opposite of the Black Hand.”
“Do you plan on going in there any time soon?” asked a voice from the doorway.
“Captain Murphy, I didn’t see you there,” replied Jefferson.
“How long has he been in there?”
“A little over twelve hours,” sighed Jefferson. “He hasn’t moved either. I turned up the heat, no water or food and yet he just staring at the glass like he can see us. He’s really starting to creep me out.”
“You think he’s guilty?”
“I don’t think there is a question about it. He has no alibi outside of his outlandish story around being held captive against his will.”
“What, you don’t believe in the Illuminati?”
“He calls it the Black Hand, and no I don’t believe it. Nor do I believe in Q, the Easter Bunny and trickle-down economics. They are all figments of the collective imagination. I think he is starting to slip into obscurity and something in his mind snapped, too many times being dropped on his head, if you ask me.”
“I don’t know, Jefferson,” Captain Murphy interjected. “This Michael Wryght we’re talking about. He’s been a pillar of the community for a long time. He even helped me to become captain. We’ve all known him for a long time, how many people has he helped around here?”
“And what, does that mean he can do whatever he wants?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You know, Captain, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you might not have the ability to be unbiased in this case.”
“You’re right, I’m not, that’s the only reason I’m not leading it. You’ll also find an entire precinct are sitting out there wondering two things.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that.”
“First, they’re wondering what crawled up your ass that you’d leave a potentially innocent man sitting in a room, where you jacked up the heat, for twelve hours without questioning him.”
“Because I’m the only one around here that seems to be thinking clearly. I also know that no matter how squeaky clean a persona Wryght has cultivated, he is still at risk at making a terrible mistake. One that could cost innocent people their lives. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“That’s fair, even if you aren’t being so.”
“What’s the second thing?” Jefferson asked, breaking eye contact from Michael Wryght for the first time in the conversation.
“Not one person can understand why this place isn’t swarming with lawyers. Wryght has a legendary history with them, even help clear a gentleman named Whitey Ford of murder. It makes absolutely no sense they aren’t here demanding his release.”
“Maybe, he didn’t call them.”
“Innocent or guilty, the first thing he would do is call his lawyers.”
“Well maybe it’s time we go and ask him,” Detective Jefferson said, he was right in his commanding officers face before he peeled off into the hallway. Captain Murphy was close to follow when Jefferson burst into the interrogation room. He threw a chair across the room and got so close to “Mr. Showtime” Michael Wryght’s face Showtime could feel the officer’s breath through his beard. “So, why’s you do it Mikey?”
“I’m not guilty of anything,” replied Showtime, who didn’t take his eyes off the reflective side of the mirror.
“How are we supposed to believe that? You can’t tell us where you’ve been over the last few weeks or months. Then when you do appear from the ether, you show up the night you home burns down and your family is missing. It all seems too coincidental to me.”
“Funny how things work that way,” replied Showtime, in a calm even tone. “The moment I escape imprisonment my captors go after my family. Actually, saying it out loud it doesn’t sound all that coincidently, but more like cause and effect. Now instead of wasting your time in here, I would’ve hoped that you’d be out looking for my missing family.”
“I assure you that we are doing everything in our power to find them,” interjected Captain Murphy.
“Is that so? Then why hasn’t anyone asked me where they might be? Why have I been stuck in this sweat box all day without one person asking me any questions at all? Why haven’t I been offered any kind of common courtesies? You guys didn’t pick me up and drag me here in cuffs, you called me, and I came right away. I haven’t done anything, and you don’t have any proof that says otherwise.”
“What if I said we did have proof?” sneered Jefferson.
“Then I’d say you’re a liar,” spat Showtime, and instantaneously Detective Jefferson smacked Showtime across the face. His cheek seared in pain, as Showtime watched Captain Murphy hook his detective under his right arm and across his chest. As Jefferson was pulled out of the room Showtime notice something written on the palm of the detective’s hand. Phinehas knows.
After a few minutes, Captain Murphy reappeared, alone. He picked up the chair and pulled it back to the table. He sat down across from Showtime and said, “I’m so sorry about that, Michael.”
“Murph, what the hell was that? Who is he?”
“Detective Jefferson was transferred to us a few weeks ago. He insisted on taking lead on this investigation, because he was the only one around here that could objectively determine what happened.”
“That’s what passes as objective around here, hell I’d hate to see what it’d look like if someone didn’t like me. Listen, Murph.”
Captain Murphy cut him off, “You don’t have to say anything else. I had someone call your attorney. We invited them down to be here with you, which they replied if you weren’t released and gone before they arrived there’d be hell to pay.”
“I don’t care about my lawyers, I don’t need them. I didn’t hurt my family, and I need you guys to help me find them. I don’t care what it takes, and how much money I need to throw around, I want them found before…”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find them. I promise. What are you going to do in the meantime?”
“I don’t know. I have no home, no family, and really no one I can trust. I’d go out and find them myself, but I don’t even know where to start looking. At this point the only thing I have to distract me is wrestling.”
“You really think making such a public appearance is a good idea?”
“What else am I going to do, Murph?” replied Showtime, throwing his hands in the air. “It’s the only bit of normalcy I have these days, and honestly, I hope someone finds me there. At least this way it would be something.”
“Benjamin’s no joke.”
Showtime cracked the smallest hint of a smile, “You still watch, huh?”
“I’ve been a fan ever since I trained at your gym, hell what was that fifteen years ago?”
“Had to have been, but you’re wrong. Benjamin’s a joke. I’ve seen countless kids like this in the past. Overconfident and under prepared. He needs a team of people to strategize for him because he can barely put a few cohesive thoughts together for himself. Never works out well for those types. He’ll take a few losses and Stace will move on to her next pet project.”
“Now who’s sounding overconfident?”
“Me? Nah, I’m washed up and my head is in a different world. If this kid can’t get the best of me, you know he’s wasted muscle. Though what I am confident about is the fact that my family is out there. What are you going to do about it?”
“First, I’m going to let you walk out of here and we’ll call you in the morning to take a statement on Jefferson’s behavior. You have my full support to press all charges imaginable. That little shit has it coming. Rest assured, I do have my best men on this case, and we’ll find them.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Get some rest and let the professionals handle this. We’ll call you if we have any questions, and don’t get mauled by any bears on Sunday. Here take this,” said Captain Murphy, who threw something white in the air. It landed in Showtime’s palm.
He looked down, puzzled, then back at Murphy and said, “A lucky rabbit foot?”
“Figured you could use some luck, and figured a white foot is the opposite of the Black Hand.”
