Third Trial

[stagemanagers]

[Once again, the sound of opening doors echoes through the opera house as the investigation draws to a close.

Time for your third trial.

The courtroom looks the same as ever, save that Darla and Eliza's podiums are now arranged in the same funerary fashion as the other deceased cast members. The lights from the bulbs standing in their places seem to cast the rest of the house even more in shadow, even as the crystal chandeliers still glitter dimly above. The Balladeer is hidden backstage once more, somewhere behind the red curtain drawn shut across the stage. Once everyone's taken their places, he speaks up.]

Alright. Let's do this.

Comments

[sunshineprincess]

[Wow that is an awful way to start a morning. Anna is gonna go run across to her boyfriend to give him a hug.]

It's okay. Take some deep breaths.

[Please don't throw up on her.

Red around the mouth?]

Wait, maybe she had an allergic reaction to whatever she ate or the poison?

[inforapenny]

[He wraps his arms around her. He smells like toothpaste, because after he bailed out of the laundry room he scrubbed his teeth like nobody's business. He buries his face in her hair and trembles in her arms, but he draws strength from her all the same, gulping down a couple deep breaths.]

It made her sick. I think that's what it was, somebody...

Anna, she was-- somebody did this to a child...

[sunshineprincess]

[Just gonna pat your back a few times before Anna lets out a nervous laugh.]

Billy... that girl tried to drown animals. Because of her fame. I don't think whoever did it cared she was a kid with a confession like that. You've gotta be mentally pretty adult to want to kill even animals.

[inforapenny]

[He says nothing, just holds her tighter for a moment before letting go. Tries not to think about how little that little body had weighed when he pulled it out of the machine.]

We have to figure out who did this to them.

[He squeezes her hand and tries to offer her a small smile, to let her know he's ok.]

[sunshineprincess]

[Sorry your girlfriend has a unique way of looking at the world.

She returns the squeeze before kissing his cheek.]

I know. We always do.