Slap Comics

Recap: “The Cartoonist is at the local Comic Con. A dead body is found. His friend David in another friend’s bear suit. His other friend Ralph is now the prime suspect. Cidra tells him that there were in a secret business deal with someone the Cartoonist knows well…his father Gino. After talking with his dad, he comes home, and a gun is at his head. Ralph wants to talk”

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Click. 

That’s the first thing I here. Ralph is looking at me with a little crazy eye. He’s scared. I guess I can’t blame him on the count that he’s been framed for murder. I tell him to put the gun away and we can talk. He shifts in his seat and says “No. No. No. I don’t want you calling the cops. I can’t do prison. No. You sit down and we talk. With the gun right where it is”. 

I sit down on the couch and wait while he sits down on the armchair. We stare at each other for what it feels like an hour but more likely 5 minutes. It’s that tense. I start by saying what’s this all about. I definitely don’t ask him if he killed Dave. It may put him on edge. Although he may already be there. “I didn’t kill him. He was already dead when I came upon him” Ok that answers that question. “I saw him in the hall with the Bear suit on and panicked. I realized that people would think I did it”. That much I surmised. “I bolted from the hall and left the convention center and have been stuck in a hotel”.

I ask if he knew who would set him up. “Well, its obliviously Jimmy Thomas” I say ‘Jimmy? Why him?’ “He’s pissed about my newest business venture and how it means that I will be leaving Mugs Bear behind” I ask why would he be pissed. He can just put someone new in the costume. Doesn’t seems too much of a reason to frame a person for murder. “Well my contract states that I can dissolve my ties with Mugs Bear anytime and still keep my 5 percent stake in the company” 5 percent doesn’t seem like much to me. “Well when he owns 48% of the stock and wants controlling interests in the company it is. Plus if I am convicted of a crime the 5 percent is up for grabs” That does give Jimmy motive. But why kill Dave? “He knows my conflicts with him and I would be the first suspect plus he has access to the Mugs Bear costume” All good points. 

Then I ask about Cidra and the relationship between him, her and Dave. “Oh, that was nothing. I knew she was just a fling although Dave had other ideas. He said they were in love. Cidra said he was delusional” That something, I guess. Still doesn’t put Dave in a good light and I tell him so. “Yeah, that’s true but that doesn’t matter the most important thing is to clear my name and that means I need to get Jimmy to confess” I ask how he is going to do that. “I am going to his offices and beat it out of him” That not a good idea. I tell him that I will talk to him to see if I can get him to confess. He looks at me and gives me a look like he thinks I’m crazy. Then he finally says “Ok. I will try your way but if this goes wrong, I will put a bullet in his head”. I don’t tell him the obvious that he will then be a real murderer. I just nod and tell him I understand. 

He starts to leave and stops at the door. “This better work”. He says this while jabbing the barrel of the gun in my chest. He goes and I am relieved. He may not have killed Dave, but he may be killing someone. Hopefully not me. All this talk of death gives me a thought. I can die any moment. I don’t want regrets. I call Cidra. She answers. “So, Sugar, what’s up?” I tell her straight up. Do you want to go to dinner tonight? She is silent for a moment. 

“Sugar, I thought you were never going to ask” 

To be Continued…