Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2017 15:16:06 GMT -5
"Detective Holston, I've seen the files. The belt was cleaned, the only prints on them were Rumble's. You think he would have cleaned it before handling it? Rowan Blackwood's prints aren't even on that belt - and it belonged to her."
"It's a common practice to clean and polish championship belts, Miss Wolfram."
"That must have been your only time in the Ultraviolent Complex...that place is an absolute cesspool. Clean and polish? HA!"
*****
Rumble had been summoned by Annabelle Wolfram to appear at the San Diego Police Department. He had been here plenty of times in the last few months, and wasn't too keen on meeting her there, but he did as he was told. He parked, stepping out of his car and onto the pavement. As he looked around, he couldn't help but notice someone leaning against the nearby building. He was a homeless man, bleeding out from his throat.
Rumble had been summoned by Annabelle Wolfram to appear at the San Diego Police Department. He had been here plenty of times in the last few months, and wasn't too keen on meeting her there, but he did as he was told. He parked, stepping out of his car and onto the pavement. As he looked around, he couldn't help but notice someone leaning against the nearby building. He was a homeless man, bleeding out from his throat.
******
"Your client was in possession of an item stolen from a MISSING girl. A girl who is STILL missing. Exactly how do you think a judge or jury are going to see that? I'm after a confession, and location of the body. You give it up, maybe we'll consider a plea."
Annabelle held back a giggle.
"You and I both know you're trying to connect events that have nothing to do with one another. Rumble found the belt in his bag, and assumed his boss had named him champion. Is that so hard to believe?"
"Yes, actually it is. It's very hard to believe the sheer convenience of the situation."
"We both know this is all speculation, Detective. You really think your killer would be walking around with something that belonged to the very girl he's suspected of killing - right on his shoulder?"
"Murderers are interesting people, Miss Wolfram. I've seen worse."
*****
Downtown San Diego was a busy place, especially on a weekday. Many people flocked to the center of San Diego business for work, for events taking place, for sports games, and anything in between. Rumble was a large guy, he had gone his whole life always standing out from a crowd of people so of course, as he walked down the street, people continued to look his way. Each person he passed, had a bullet hole in the center of their head, bits of brain falling down their face.
*****
"You want to talk about worse, let's go ahead and talk about worse. You're aware of the Breanna Simpson case, who Zander Blackwood himself was suspected of killing. We all KNOW he did it, let's get serious here."
"Now THAT'S speculation. We take our jobs very seriously here, we're very confident we got the right guy."
"Is that so? You're telling me your powerful law enforcement, who that take their jobs very seriously, made a mistake? However, the wife of the man you suspected of murder turns up missing, and you blame somebody else? Do I have this correct, Detective?"
"Zander Blackwood was attacked, he's the one that called the police."
"Suspect number one is ALWAYS the spouse, there's no way you got through the academy without learning that lesson first. You're telling me you didn't launch any sort of investigation into Zander Blackwood, despite having a record? Please tell me I'm wrong."
Nothing but silence from Detective Holston.
"Zander Blackwood is an animal. Have you paid attention to any match he's ever been in, Detective? The man basically carved off Andre Walker's face when he fought for the Trans-Pacific Championship years ago. HIS FACE. He's ended careers. Not to mention he's just as strong as Rumble, and can exert himself just as long. Did you see him attack Rumble on Asylum XII, taking him right down with that massive boot. Plus the guy is a complete psycho, the man probably lost it on his own wife. Maybe Rowan even found out about the Simpson girl, so Zander had to get rid of her. I wouldn't put it past him.
*****
He walked up the stone steps leading to the front doors of the police department. Several men and women with briefcases continued to walk past him. Lawyers, more than likely trying to argue to keep their clients out of prison, much like what Annabelle was doing right now. Each person seemed to posses a different affliction - stabbed through the heart, wrists slit, broken neck.
*****
"Or what about Paige, huh? She was never a suspect in this?"
"Believing that Zander knocked himself out after killing Rowan Blackwood is one thing, but believing that Paige knocked out Zander, and then carried Rowan away? Not plausible."
"I'm just saying she had something to gain from this. She believes she's the number one contender, and has a decent record. She's been on the up ever since coming to So-Cal. She's got that perfect well-rounded competitor style to be champion. Plus, she's smart, she probably wanted Rumble and Rowan BOTH out of the way. That's motive - is it not?"
*****
He walked into the station, each and every person nothing more than a walking corpse, worms protruding from their orifices.
*****
"Miss Wolfram, your client is an actual murderer. We weren't interested in the people accused of murder, or people you think are smart enough to murder. Rumble Reyes killed that guy, and maybe it was ruled an accident but he did it. The size of the man gives him the idea that he can do whatever he wants in this world. You want to talk about these other possible suspects? Rumble destroyed Zander during the match he had with Rowan, would have probably broken both legs if Rowan hadn't broken it up. Zander tried, but Rumble's endurance was too much. And your Paige theory is so very far-fetched. No way can a woman of that size and skill knock out Zander Blackwood. Reyes is much more powerful, he's made to bend people to his will, Paige is not. Compared, Rumble is more of a monster."
"So...you're admitting to stereotyping Rumble and not even following up on other possible leads?"
The Detective starred back, she had said too much.
"I'll tell you what, you look into other leads, get some actual evidence then maybe we'll talk again...and I want the belt back."
*****
Rumble never even had to see Detective Holston, Annabelle was walking right up to him as he turned the corner, placing the Trans-Pacific Championship upon his shoulder again.
"Thank me later. Go ahead and win that title for real, just try not to blow up anyone at So-Cal World War. C4 Barbed Wire is no joke."
He looked down at her, expecting to see a rotting corpse, but only saw the same middle-aged blonde as always. He looked around, simple people walking around him. They were all...alive. Together, the pair walked out of the San Diego Police Department, the very championship he had longed for sitting safe upon his shoulder. He felt them all float away, the death of Leon Ramos, the disappearance of Rowan Blackwood. All gone. All that mattered was the Trans-Pacific Championship. It represented so much more to him now, his sins were gone, the belt had done it, he had been absolved.