Frame-up

-PART ONE-

Convinced they had cracked the case; the detectives drove to the forest where they found lost familiar things. They asked sheriff to lead them to the last site the man has been saw. To their dismay, they found the lifeless body, even come closer they recognize that its him. On returning to the police station, he announced: "Knight-drain Pendelton Chase is dead" During at least 10 subsequent interrogations in the following days, Chase refused to repeat his answers. The night after the interrogation, Chase ran away and hide but his fate wasn't that good. Police officers found his body on the woods, full of scars, bathing with his own blood. Hearing the news, his friends do nothing but to mourn and cry. The mayor of the town, raise thousand dollars just to find the culprit behind the death of his son.

By the summer of 1901, after all the incidents happened, Richardson's trying to move on from Copper's death, the media feasting Drain's last testimony. The lead detective Sheriff Castillo who found young Chase's body was replaced, and being a suspect behind the murder, as the private investigators of the mayor saw a bullet from Chase's head same with Castillo's.

The new police team found more evidence of the Serial killer's methods, including a wire that they had strung through the trees along the lakeside path to serve as an alert system during the abduction. But investigations of other suspects that Castillo mentioned came to nothing. By the end of the month the investigation had wound down.

Across town, most people still remembered the shocking unsolved case. Prosecutors hoped that the development of DNA profiling over the previous weeks might help crack the case. The mass of evidence from the original investigation, including the threats and calls even the recovered things such as clothes, towels and others, was painstakingly re-examined. Numerous hairs were found, from which the forensic experts were able to build the DNA profiles of several different people. Now they just needed a match.

After a week they got one.

A genetic sample recovered from Copper's jacket matched with the sample found through the grass in the forest where Pendelton found but the police excitement about a breakthrough was short-lived. On trial for the Blade Chase murder also known as Copper Richardson, the victim's twin brother, who was only a few weeks revealed was being murdered. After extensive forensic investigations, the judges ruled that no link could be established between the two criminal cases, and Pendelton was convicted for Copper's murder. How the match with the sample from the both sides case occurred remains a mystery though very rare, mistakes do occur in genetic profiling.

The prosecutors looking at the case, time was running out. The death of Richardson and Chase had not been deemed a murder, but rather set-up sort of kidnapping with deadly consequences, yet the million-dollar question is "WHO" and "WHY". A crime that carried a 2-year statute of limitations. The authority can stop the statute clock any time as a person is proven guilty towards it. In five years, the people responsible would be in the clear.

The state prosecutors went back to other case files, to look at the possible main suspects. The siblings' case seems to be a raging fire, though the superior authority is slowly resolving it yet the case keeps burning, no matter who investigator holds the result always be "Pendelton who killed his brother". It seems that the law is not equal. Pendelton needs justice but how come the law didn't review his side. There is no proper evidence saying that Pendelton actually committed the atrocious and terrible murder of Copper yet he is blamed by the law though like Copper, Pendelton is also a victim of careless murder and mourns for justice.

At the start of the trial, few people in court had taken much notice of Sheldon Chase. Despite his distinctive appearance, the man wears his grey hair in a ponytail and at the time also sported sideburns down to his jaw serves as a battle scars, he is unassuming, not the kind of man who draws attention to himself. After all, he does not like to show his face and identity in front of people, usually only his right hands do his job in public. People who knew what happened to Chase Twins sometimes asked if it made Sheldon anxious about his own fostered kids on the other town, but for some reason it didn't. Nor did he ever think about looking for the perpetrators himself, that was the job of the police. Though he felt at peace in his life, grandsons' death still felt to him like an "unclosed circle". The trial, and his status as a co-plaintiff, playing the role of person bringing lawsuit to court, by filing a plea or motion offered an opportunity to close it. While most authority are passive observers in court, Sheldon decided to take his role far more seriously. He would not allow the family to be victims a third or more time. Before the trial started, to the surprise of his state-assigned lawyer, Sheldon had requested full access to the case files both Richardson's and Chase', which ran into a thousands of scanned pages. In the first few weeks of the trial he got through hundred pages, locking himself in the study at home at night, unable to stop reading.

They called forensics experts to testify that the gun that Drain was shot in the head with was Castillo's. They called the Doctor who did Drain's autopsy to tell everyone about how young Chase' suffer. They showed pictures, one witness was showing x-rays of Drain's head and explaining how he had been shot twice in the head. The man was showing with a metal rod the trajectory of the bullets. The rod was on the very top front of his head pointing down.

The man sitting at the defendants table. He had a blank look on his face no emotion at all in fact he showed no emotion through the entire testimony. The man never looked to any family's side in the eye even though everyone is looking and watching walk in the courtroom from behind the judge's chambers.

The distinct attorney continued to call witnesses. They called a young lady to the stand. Her Amazonian figure sat well on her wafer-thin body. She had a decanter shaped waist and her complexion had an impeccable, ochres hue. Her pencil-thin eyebrows eased down gently to her black, beetle's-leg eyelashes. A sculptor could not have fashioned her seraph's ears and pixie's nose any better. When she broke into a smile, her beguiling, oyster-white teeth lit up the room. It could jolt you like an electric current when that megawatt smile gave you her full attention. Filed to perfection, her Venus-red fingernails ran through her solferino-red hair. Spools of it plunged around her photogenic face and hid a swan's neck, elegant and smooth. Her nebulous, Eden-green sort of gray eyes which were a-sparkle with the 'joie de vivre'. They were like two beryl-green jewels melted onto snow. Her calamine-pink lips tasted like rose petals. Her voguish clothes still kept captive an aroma redolent of cinnamon and meadow-fresh mint that lingered in the room.

No wonder why the great Pendelton fall for her

Then the question started.

"what's the truth… what's true?" a sweet mourning voice echoed all throughout the court room. "I think we each have our own truth… and own lie"

"So let me go straight… Do you know why Mr. Knight-drain Pendelton Chase murdered his own brother… twin brother to be exact" a puzzling question rises by the other side's attorney.

"Objection your honor!" as its attorney objects to the idea of Richardson's lawyer

"Proceed questioning the witness" as the honorable judge dismissed the idea of their side, the tension on the court room rises as Richardson's lawyer succeeds interrogating the woman.

"Let me start from the first idea based on your answer… What do you mean by We have our own truth and own lie?... Can you please elaborate everything?" as the Richardson's lawyer proceeds asking, the woman sitting on the witness sort-off chair looks at unfamiliar direction on the room and give the lawyer from opposite a glance and smirk. Curiosity filled the room that makes the tension to rise even more.

"Each one of us, men, women have their own truths to believe for. Own lie to save an allies? Maybe? Though others believe that their lies was the truth others want to know—" the lawyer didn't let the girl spill out any as it walks in front of her again planning to ask more.

"Do you know why Mr. Knight-drain Pendelton Chase murdered his own brother?" the lawyer teasingly hissed in front of everybody and give the woman a sort-of humiliated gaze in front of the guests.

"Drain didn't kill his own brother, he's just angry that's all. No any physical contact between the two happen"

"Really?... coming from you Chase was angry to his brother did you know why?"

"Drain is angry because he doesn't happy with the idea of Blade… I mean Copper to leave their friendship and be with the Ravens with its popularity sort contract with the varsity." The maiden calmly stated as if there's nothing to worry about.

"if that's so… why do young Chase ran away after the night of his interrogation?"

"because he heard to someone that the sheriff is planning to kill him the night after his interrogation."

"what did you say to him? Did he come to you before he leaves?"

"Yes…"

"What did he say?"

"He said goodbye" as the woman try to speak calmly, her eyes burst into tears as the tension ease for a bit. "I'd never thought that… that moment was the last."

"And what did you do?"

"I did nothing"

"Why did you let him go?"

"I did I let him go… because Drain just want to tell his brother the truth about his identity yet Richardson's reversed everything and make Drain the antagonist to the story of lie that the Richardson's Invente—"

"You Bitch!" The old man Richardson shout at the middle of interrogations

"Honor at the court"

*TAK!*

"Isn't true? That you invented all of this?" as the woman wiped her tears a way a smirk arc on her pinkish lips.

"That's all for my interrogation your honor… Thank you!" as those lines escape from Richardson's Lawyer, the man unbuttons his navy blue suit and sat on the table in front.

The next witness for Chase' case walk in front after the lady walk down from the interrogation sort chair beside the jury. A Brad Pitt look-alike, the man had a touch of the Brad Pitt about him. His hair was Achilles-gold and coiffed to perfection. His eyes had the same startling clarity as a mountain stream and the lineaments of his face were in perfect proportion to each other. He seemed molded from a different cast as he had an androgynous look uncommon to most people. Lacquered and enameled by the sun, he radiated energy and brio. His mountain peak cheekbones appeared chiseled into shape by a master craftsman. They were of such sharp contours, it looked as if they were sculpted and pared to perfection. With eyes as bright and spellbinding as lode stars, they bewitched all those who fell under his steady gaze. They were a-sparkle with mirth and shone like two eternity-blue jewels inwrought in snow.

The knight of the king, Lock Lopez

As the man sit on the chair, here comes the lawyer, walking mighty straight forward in front of man.

"How well did you know Pendelton?"

"We shared a class together… since were kids… he's my best friend… brothers not by blood but by bond to be exact." The man calmly stated the lines as he looks at the same direction as the lady does.

Suspicious isn't it

"But he didn't confide in anyone about his ideas and plans, correct?"

"No. actually he always ran to me if there's something that bothers knight…until—" the man stop as if he's measuring his opponent's way of thinking.

"Until… what?"

"Until the night were Copper's body found at the band of L. Lodge"

"what happened then? The ex-Communicated Sheriff told that you and Pendelton are together when the incident happened, is that true?"

"ahh… Yeah, we're together at their Lodge because Uncle… I mean Mr. Mayor handed their Legacy to Knight." The man seriously glares at the eye of Pendelton's girl as if they're talking.

"Continue your statement a while ago…"

"Your honor, the Lawyer from the opposite sides ask too many questions on the witnesses… that's absurd" Chase' Lawyer stand up and buttoned its Americana-typed suit "Defense exhibit C, your honor, as stipulated"

*TAK!*

"This trial is adjourn!"

The rest of trial seemed like it flew by there was witnesses and forensics proving things in front of the Honorable Judge. It proved that Castillo had been near the car of Pendelton, his palm print was found on the top of young Chase' car. The police officers had evidence of his sheriff's hat near the car. Everyone knew that it's his hat from the DNA tests done on the hat. The officers on the scene of where the car found were witnesses, each one testified about all the stuff found near and inside the car, they even revealed pictures and items that proved.

All during the witness testimony, the defendant's lawyers asked very few questions of any of them, they never called one witness for the defense. The fact that they didn't show any physical evidence linking Castillo to Pendelton's scene of murder. There were lots of his belongings found over an embankment at the scene. Next thing happen was sentencing that started the day everyone heard the jury's verdict. Relatives and close friends of Pendelton gives victim impact statements. Both lawyers of the same sides would be calling professionals to the stand to try and save their client's life.

As they hear the tacking sound from the jury's mallet of justice, everyone stands up and find their own way home. If you were to look at everyone, they seem tired and confused on everything happened on the court. Hot afternoon welcomed them as they walked outside the justice hall. Dappled sun shone through the trees, creating mysterious shadows. The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze. Blazing midday sun shone relentlessly on the hikers. Roads shimmered in the heat of the midday sun. The sunlit skyscrapers pierced the hot, blue sky. Afternoon sun bathed the buildings in its warm light. Tiny specks of dust seemed to dance in the shaft of afternoon sunlight that slanted through the windows.

After the trial, everyone immediately rode their way to the funeral. Regardless of the heat, the bitter cry of Richardson couple was heard and reverberating at the funeral of their only child, Copper. On the other hand, Chase' mourns as the twin royalties gone. Everyone is mourning as they convey Copper on his last destination on human-kind.

It may take a long time to grasp what has happened. The shock makes everyone numb, other people carry on as if nothing has happened. It is hard to believe that someone is not coming back. The Family feel disorientated as if they have lost their place and purpose in life or are living in a different world. Feelings of pain and distress following bereavement can be overwhelming and very frightening, bereaved people can feel anger, completely natural emotion, typical of the grieving process. Death can seem cruel and unfair; Guilt is another common reaction. People who have been bereaved of someone close often say they feel directly or indirectly to blame for the person's death. The town of Realm cover with mourning grief as a part of its history died. The event that simply unavoidable. People grieve over a multitude loss of a loved one and go through an unacceptable process.

To forget.

The tragic crime remains unsolved.