118. Are You In Or Out?
"Fortunately there is no evidence showing my client acted violently unless under the influence of that illegal drug. The forensics have been very thorough with their investigations. My team and I have kept off and let them do their work as we did ours.
On the other hand, my client's father has bribed a number of the investigating squad, some who were undercover police men and women and we have proof of this. As you remember, the first and second arrests were dismissed, rendering our opponent a free man but upon another appeal, the third search in his premises was done and a lot was discovered, some of which will be disclosed if you still wish to take this matter infront of the judge and be exposed along the way.
We have recorded confessions from victims who have witnessed the brutal nature of our opponent." Throwing a numer of A4 sized colour printed pictures with images of open wounds and scars, Elric's mother added. "These pictures clearly show evidence of my client being a victim of prolonged brutality. The first picture is the victim's back. We have a qualified medical practitioner ready to come forward to prove how and which equipments were used to bring about these scars. His torture was delivered by someone skilled since the scarrings have a repettitive pattern.
The same wounds have been inflicted on my clients chest, thighs, outward and inwards. What do all these places have in common? They are all hidden parts of the body."
Throwing another file on the table, Elric's mother spoke while watching the four men infront of him scan through the documents, some comparing them to the pictures. "As per this report, the depth of each wound and direction or point of strike is similar to those found at his back. This was an intentional torture, done precisely to tame a wild dog. My client was initially the accused, but we can clearly see he was never a culprit but a victim, a tool perhaps, a pawn, or a mare cheap puppet that could be disposed off once used and abused.
Forensics investigations are being conducted in the accused premises and I can predict quite vividly what they will find but I do not wish to be accused of slander from here on."
Elric's mother waited to give the four men a moment to speak but none of them said a word. They marely placed all the documents back on the table infront of them and looked back at Elric's mother, who appeared rather dissapointed by their uncooperativeness.
"Since the silence here has become too loud, if you have anything to say, now will be a good time." She coaxed.
"You can not represent his son." One of the four men spoke up. "You stand to loose more if you protect a relative of a criminal."
"This meeting has been set privately and all of you have signed a pledge, binding you to secrecy. That means the moment you had put your signature down, you agree that you fully understand what you can also loose when we chose to wage war in court. I summorned all of you here because of the position you hold in your respective fields and your relationship with the accused. My team has looked into all of you for months and have observed your daily routine. The evidences brought to us added to our findings will not only make you loose whatever you hold dear, but also land you in jail with the accused. Therefore, I would rather you worry of yourselves more than whomever I'm choosing to defend, whether related to the opponent or not. What I would have expected you to be asking me is if we really do share a common goal at the end of the day or not."
"What right do you have to spy on us. That's already a crime...!"
"Then you should have thought of that before getting involved with the accused. The four of you knew the drug was dangerous yet you have helped in supplying the most corrupted version of it."
"It is legal to use it!"
"It's been banned in may places. That is why some of your facilities had to get a special lisence to administer it." Pointing at them, Elric's mother spoke. "Each and everyone of you here only cared about profits. You knew something like this was bound to happen some day so do not look so surprised."
"What do you want from us?" One of the men asked looking suspicious. He had been the most silent of the four. "You did not call us here just to only expose us. I'm certain aside from airing our dirty linen, you want something too."
Elric's mother sneered. "I have lost a lot of cases and won ten times more. The end to this issue can be seen as clear as day. I have the upper hand. I have eyes everywhere and a set of eyes to each and every spy you have put out there. All of us sitting here know the accused is a scoundrel who has left nothing but a legacy of unscrupulous deeds hidden behind a good family name. We have been victims to his brutal nature in business and in our private lives...well, except for me.
Do not make a mistake of confusing this as revenge, but it is a chance to get even regardless. Some of you have been victims of his drug, or perhaps he ripped you off in some way and you probably lost a few assets." Standing up, Elric's mother said. "I know you all want this so enough with the pretense."
"You want us to bait him."
"I have nothing attaching me to him but you know what, that drug has spread far and wide too fast that I fear for our future. You have seen what he can do to his own flesh and blood, so who the hell do you think you are to challenge him unprepared? After all, he is a major shareholder in your family businesses and has you held by the balls incase you betray him."
"So what? We help you and then what? We rid ourselves of him? You're naive to think it will be over just like that. This is not the first time someone has tried to bring that barbarian down."
"I'm not asking for all of you to go to war with him unarmed. Infact, I'm marely encouraging you to use me as a weapon. My team is efficient and this is your only chance to reclaim what is yours."
"You must know he is a recently restrained serial killer with an obsession to dominate. He is ruthlessto to those that betray him"
Unmoved, Elric's mother said. "The choice is yours in the end."
"This man killed my daughter infront of me without batting an eye and do you know how he did it? By using a transparent plastic bag. He said he wanted me to look at the eyes of my daughter as she struggled to breath, then went ahead to explain how my daughter was dying. 'The longer your daughter tries to stay alive, the tighter the bag shirinks, taking the shape of her head', he said. Then he asked me to imagine the pain of being unable to breath till I die and if I couldn't comprehend it, I should just think of my daughter."
"You're forgetting every contact leaves a trace." Elric's mother retorted. "This is a game he is playing. He made sure not to leave any evidence yet you are a loose end that we can use against him. Your confession..."
"No one believed me! It was my word against his!" The man looked frightened. He covered his eyes and gritted his teeth in anger. "I hear my daughter's voice every time I close my eyes and then his words and the image of my her dying plays in my head over and over again." Lifting his head up, he looked at the other three men seated next to him. "All of us have been crippled by him one way or another."
"Yes. He is a high functioning psycopath...a criminal one at that. He enjoys dominating his oppponents and once he sets his eyes on something, you either learn to live sharing with him or he takes it all, and by all, I mean your will to live."
A loud silence befell the room as each person present got lost in their thoughts until Elric's mother decided to break the silence.
"I commend you all for answering my call. The fact that you showed up shows courage, but above all, it proves you not only have the interest to bring this phantom down, but you believe you have the power to do so, whatever of it is left that is.
Therefore, I urge you to ask yourself this, if those in the lower and middle class can dare challenge him when they have no access to power, what about you big giants in business? The public is already backing you all up! All you need to do is act, start that fire and let it burn."
Elric's mother frowned when none of them seem fazed.
"The only reason why he is still in remand is because none of you has come forward with his crimes or you didn't insist and fought harder."
"Or didn't have the right lawyer." One of the men said sarcastically.
"Exactly. Help me help you help us."
"I didn't mean that as a compliment."
"Fine then. I see I'm wasting my time here. If none of you are willing to testify, I'll have you all exposed and mark my words, I intend to make everything ugly. Including your private lives."
"So, you're telling us to pick our poison?"
"If I expose your crimes, you'll meet this same person we are trying to bring to justice in prison, or we win and none of you will ever have to see him again."
"What about the things you know of us? To think you are different from him is arrogant and rude."
"I've never taken any life and I do not intend to."
"We can't say we know that for sure..."
"She is right. I've worked with her family before. I often do a thorough background check on anyone I associate with, especially after that psychopath tricked me so I looked into her before I agreed to come here."
"Fine then." One of the men stood up and looked at Elric's mom at eye level. "It's exhausting to negotiate and I'm an impatient man. I want all this to end."
"I'm tired of being threatened as well." Another stood up and added. "What else is there to loose if we don't try? We are already frightened by that criminal."
"What about anonymity? Our comfessions..."
"Your confessions will be kept anonymous as earlier agreed when you were contacted to come here. As long as you work exclusively with my team and not reach out to your lawyers then all will be well." Elric's mother assured.
After a few seconds, the man who'd confessed of losing his only daughter stood up. "You are one formidable individual to go after him. Unless you eliminate him, he will come after you so do not loose against him."
"I won't loose as long as all of you do as I say. I have hard evidence against him presented to us by an anonymus source. That was how I discovered the link between all of you and him. Secondly, there are critical issues looked into while his properties were searched and I can guarantee you we have enough evidence to bring him down. Do you know the five principles of CSI done by forensics? I guess not. If you look into it, and a place comes to mind as we record your statements, then be sure to let us know. I will do my due diligence and make sure any trace left behind is discovered or whatever he took from you, trails back to him. Locard's principle executed through and through."
The four men nodded while exchanging looks. They appeared sceptical yet somehow, they seemed slightly hopeful.
"Where do we sign then?"
"No need for now. Each of you will be lead to a separate room to give your confession, both written and verbal.
"What?"
"Are you detaining us?"
"You are free to leave and I'll meet you in court." Elric's mother threatened.
"Is this trickery you're pulling after we promised to cooperate?"
"No. I'll have you sign afterwards. Just like you are cautoious of me, I have to be weary of you all giving your confessions together. It has to be done seperately and if I have to trust that you are telling me the truth, your common stories have to match or else I will not protect any of you."