Comfort Crowd Δ SPN [ 1 ]

111. ON TRIAL

They're at the motel and Sam is reading news archives on his laptop.

"Elizabeth Duren. Killed ten years ago when a neighbor backed out of his driveway. Didn't see her bike. No one was ever charged. Police ruled it an accident." Sam informs.

"Let me guess. The neighbor's our tenth floor pancake." Dean says and Sam nods.

"At least we know he felt bad. I mean, the flowers..." Sam trails off.

"Kind of makes you wonder if the guy wasn't drunk when he ran her over." Dean says. He looks at his beer bottle before taking a swig.

"Yeah. All right. Well, regardless, now that we got a decent bead on ghost rider, let's go." Sam says.

"What?" Dean asks.

"Burn her bones. Put her to rest."

"The fun never stops."

+++

"Oh, another night at the office. Why don't you take the first shower?" Dean tells his brother as they walk into the hotel room. Ophelia is asleep, but Libby is still awake, tiredly waiting up for her father.

"Listen to this." Sam says as Libby goes over to him, sitting on his lap and cuddling into his chest. ""A local man, Christopher Fisher, was ripped to shreds in a wild animal attack last night."" He reads.

"It is a dangerous world out there." Dean says, taking his jacket off and sitting on the bed Ophelia is on. He lays down.

"He was in the restroom of a diner." Sam states making Dean sit up.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound right." Dean says.

"Apparently, uh, none of the patrons saw anything. Guy calls 911, screaming about a dog, but the operator didn't hear anything either." Sam says, looking up something on his laptop. "Wow. Looks like this guy had a history with dogs."

"Meaning?"

"Five years ago, he was arrested for running a dog fighting operation." Sam says.

"Classy." Dean says.

"It sounds mean." Libby yawns.

"All right. So, what? He causes so much misery that some Rottweiler goes Cujo on him from beyond the grave?" Dean asks, sitting across from his brother and niece. "Wait a second. Do... do dogs even have ghosts?"

"Five I've heard of it." Sam says.

"That sounds weird. Ghost dog?" Dean asks.

"I don't know if that's cooler than it is sadder or sadder than it is cooler." Libby mumbles.

"No weirder than ghost car, you know?" Sam says.

"You know what does make sense? Vengeance on the guy that Michael Vick'd you. I mean, I'm no one to judge, but it sounds to me like that guy had it coming." Dean says.

"Maybe... but maybe not. So, he got busted, got probation, started volunteering at an animal shelter." Sam informs.

"Yeah, cause he had to."

"At first, yeah. But he kept going long after he served his time. Looks like he got really into it. Raised a lot of money for the cause."

Sam turns the laptop to Dean to show him and article.

"Huh." Dean hums.

"People change." Sam says.

"Yeah, tell that to ghost dog." Dean says, getting up.

"All right. Uh, get suited up. Let's go check out the body." Sam says.

"What?" Dean mumbles.

"What?" Sam asks.