Verstitution Pt14

Pt13: https://rumble.com/v6xxrp0-verstitution-pt13.html / 12: https://rumble.com/v6xr50q-verstitution-pt12.html / 11: v6xmsci-verstitution-pt11.html / 10: v6xl4ii-verstitution-pt10.html / 9: v6xkkis-verstitution-pt9.html / 6: https://rumble.com/v6x4cf2-verstitution-pt6.html

[Several of the diners begin trying to walk out of the restaurant since they've lost their appetites, and don't want to share space with a corpse.

Claudia notes the impropriety.]

Claudia: "Folks?! You can't leave, I'm afraid. I'm a police officer, just not in this city. I can assure you, though, that, as potential witnesses at a crime scene, you must remain here for questioning."

[Claudia scans the room for a staff member.]

Claudia: "Did anyone call the police already?"

Head chef: "I did."

Claudia: "Thank you. It sounds like the paramedics will be here any second. Do you have any ice or frozen peas for the manager?"

Manager: "I ca't buhweeve it'th takid dith log to get be a bag of fwozid peathe! Yuh aw fyud!"

[The head chef grimaces and menacingly runs his right hand down his face.]

Ernest: [Looking at the chef] "I wouldn't worry about it. He's gonna be on such a heavy dose of morphine that he won't remember saying that."

Manager: "Ad you?! Spweadig woobuhth dat I'b thuppothed to be dead. Evah hud of a widdow thig cawed stigbuh?"

Ernest: "Nope. Never heard of stigbuh."

Manager: "Dot stigbuh! Stigbuh! Ad swadduh, too!"

Ernest: "What's your impression, Claudia? You think I'll face any swadduh charges for spreading woobuhth that carry stigbuh?"

[The manager glares at Ernest, almost opens his mouth, but then shoos the air with his hand, in Ernest's direction, shaking his head in acknowledgement of his incoherent speech not aiding in maintenance of his reputation.]

Claudia: "I don't want to get involved in this. It's between you and nosey nut guy, here."

Manager: "Dozey dut guy?! How deh you?!"

[Claudis shrugs at the manager, unmoved.

The paramedics have arrived.]

Manager: "Fidawee! Baybe dey have thub paid kiwuhs!"

[Claudia raises her hand for the paramedics and shouts to them.]

Claudia: "They're over here!"

[Medic #1 checks on the doctor while Medic #2 loads the manager onto a gurney.]

Medic 1: "This man is gone."

[Medic 1 looks to Claudia.]

Medic 1: "We'll send another unit for transport."

[Medic 1 grabs a white plastic sheet from his supply bag to cover the doctor.

Three squad cars arrive, containing 6 officers in total: one of whom is Garfield.

The 6 officers file into the hotel restaurant. 2 of them stop where they see the covered body, while the other 4 approach the bystanders with the intent to separate them for individual questioning.]

Claudia: "Good morning, Detective. I'm Claudia Vanderzanden-Bergenheimer-Jacovich. This is Ernest Kittenish and Madison...?"

Madison: "Holloway. Good morning."

Detective: "Good morning, everyone. I'm Detective Symke and this is..."

Claudia: "Officer Garfield "Gary" Donaldson. We met last night. Does he have to deal with us, or could he possibly switch duties with one of the officers interviewing the other witnesses?"

[Garfield winks and smiles at Claudia. Claudia sneers at him.]

Symke: "I'm Donaldson's superior, and I saw the body cam footage from last night. He's been on a 12 hour shift since 9PM. I assure you that he's only going to stand guard while I question each of you privately. I'm not at liberty to discuss the extent of his reprimand, only that he's trusted enough to stop any of you from vacating the premises. Talking to you? No."

[Symke looks down at the plastic sheet, then back to Claudia.]

Symke: "So I assume this is the only one who died?"

Claudia: "No, the other one who was killed was taken to the hospital to have his skull, brain, nose, and testicles thoroughly examined and treated."

Symke: "WHAT?! Why would a corpse need treatment?!"

Claudia: "Lazarus Syndrome. It was verified by a physician here in the restaurant."

Symke: "Lazarus Syndrome?! I'm going to need a lot more information. Where might I find the physician?"

Claudia: "Beneath the plastic sheet."

Symke: "Great. It's gonna be a long day. Claudia, would you kindly accompany me to the lobby? Officer Donaldson? Stay here at the table and make sure nobody leaves."

[Donaldson nods to Symke, then treats Madison to a couple seconds of eyebrow gymnastics. Madison readies her battle foot.]

Claudia: "Did you arrive in time to assign an officer to the manager in the ambulance?"

Symke: "I'm afraid not."

[Ernest smiles at Madison and gives her a thumb's up from his right side, where Symke can't see: realizing that her self defense case is surely a slam dunk due to the presumably high dosage of morphine to be administered.

An eerie violin concerto begins as background music: the dynamics reducing with each statement from the various bystanding eyewitnesses.]

Bystander 1: "It looked like he wanted to feel her up."

B2: "I've been dining here for years, and the manager is a perfect gentleman."

B3: "I bet that guy's some sort of ear nibbler, or maybe he was going to whisper to her about her revealing dress. Who knows?"

B4: "He was about to bite her neck... LIKE A VAMPIRE!... I think."

B5: "Does that LBD chick have a cam site?"

[Symke and Claudia have already stepped outside to the lobby. Madison rises suddenly from her chair.]

Garfield: "Hey?! Where you goin'?"

Madison: "To get some coffee. What's your problem? You're not even supposed to be talking to any of us... Detective's orders."

Garfield: "He didn't mean it like that. Only suspect interrogations and eyewitness questioning."

Madison: "He said you weren't supposed to talk, period."

[Garfield grabs Madison's arm to escort her toward the coffee station. Madison flings his arm away.]

Madison: "Let go of me!"

[Garfield slips on the plastic sheet, falls sideways, smacks his right temple against the unfurnished wooden seat of Claudia's chair, then rolls limp toward the tile, onto his back.

Ernest looks down at Garfield.]

Ernest: "He's out cold. I guess I should check his pulse, but I don't wanna be touching his wrist or neck if he ends up being dead. You've already had physical contact. Will YOU do it?"

Madison: "How much are you gonna pay me?"

Ernest: "Really? We're going to negotiate over first aid?"

Madison: "Why not? None of the officers saw anything, obviously, or they'd have run over here by now, and the other diners don't look shocked, either."

Ernest: "You already got my car, worth $25K, and you're getting $10K over the next several days via my daily ATM withdrawals. How 'bout I let you off the hook with the rental car trip, and pay for a luxury rental car for you to use until you can get new plates for the one I gave you? I'll drive the car you have here at the hotel until then. You can take a cab over to the rental place, my treat, and I'll stay here."

Madison: "Deal, but I want 1 more night at the hotel."

Ernest: "What about your cam shows?"

Madison: "I'll go back to get my laptop, camera, and tripod, but I wanna show my clients some new scenery."

Ernest: "Fine."

[Madison steps over to Garfield to check his pulse, but first slaps his face in case he's still alive.]

Ernest: "You shouldn't do that. You better wipe off those prints."

[Madison reaches into her purse for a tissue, then dabs her tongue on it.]

Ernest: "NO! Not with saliva!"

[The other 4 officers and the bystanders turn their heads suddenly toward Ernest and Madison.]