Baking up a New Adventure! (A Cookie Run: Kingdom Story)

Part 13: Shaken Testimony

"They picked up everything and ran off," Vampire continued.

"Hold it!" I exclaimed. "Where did they go?"

"They took off into the forest," Vampire answered. "I didn't see exactly where they went because the trees were so thick."

"So, what did you do after they ran off?" Wizard asked.

"But, in their rush, they left behind one small gem," Vampire told us.

"Hold it!" Gingerbrave cried out. "Could you show us this gem?"

"Uhh, I gave it to you yesterday, remember?" Vampire reminded him.

"Oh, right," Gingerbrave recalled sheepishly. "Here it is."

"Huh. What type of jewel is that?" Wizard wondered. "It's too small to be one of the gems we use as currency here... but it's the exact same shade of blue. Hmmm... I don't believe I've ever seen anything like it. Where did this come from?"

"I'm not sure," Vampire shrugged. "I just saw it lying on the ground after they left."

"And what did you do next?" Wizard asked him.

"They took off into the forest, and I fell asleep shortly after that," Vampire finished.

"Hold it!" I shouted. "Did you happen to see where they went at all?"

"Like I said earlier, the trees were just too thick," Vampire responded with a shrug.

"Well, I think that's all we're going to get out of his testimony," I decided.

"That thing about the gloves he mentioned could really help us turn this case around!" Gingerbrave agreed.

"If the defense is done cross examining this witness--" Wizard started to say.

"Just bring in the next one," Rye urged him, pointing her pistols at him.

"Are you... threatening me?" Wizard gasped.

"Depends," Rye shrugged.

"Bailiff, bring in the next witness," Wizard announced.

Vampire was escorted out of the room, and Sparkling Cookie was brought to the witnesses' stand. He glanced around the room nervously as everything became deathly quiet.

"Ahem!" Wizard cleared his throat. "Witness, please testify about the hooded figure that appeared in your bar the afternoon before the crime."

"R-right," Sparkling started to say as a single bead of sweat rolled down his face. "Well, everything started off normally that day, I had a lot of regulars come through and order the usual, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Until late in the afternoon, when this hooded figure wearing a cloak approached the counter. They ordered a bottle of hot sauce 'just the way they liked it'. The only person I could think of who ordered my hot sauce was Chili Pepper Cookie, so I prepared it just the way she normally ordered it. The hooded figure snatched the hot sauce bottle off the counter and took off without even paying, which is something not even Chili Pepper does nowadays!"

"Defense, you may now cross examine the witness," Wizard told us.

"There's a lot to unpack here," I commented. "Which means there's a lot that could potentially help our case."

"Right," Gingerbrave nodded. "Let's get right into it!"

"Well, everything started off normally that day. I had a lot of regulars come through and order the usual, there was nothing out of the ordinary," Sparkling began again.

"Hold it!" Gingerbrave exclaimed. "Regulars...?"

"Err... there's no need to yell, sir, I can hear you just fine," Sparkling assured him. "But, yes, they're cookies who stop by almost every day on a regular basis."

"And who are some of these... regulars you speak of?" I asked him.

"Well, Vampire Cookie is certainly my most regular customer," Sparkling explained. "He'll stop by multiple times throughout the day to order a glass of grape juice. Herb Cookie stops by frequently for my herbal teas, and Mint Choco Cookie comes in pretty regularly, too."

"Hmm... I see," I nodded.

"Err... how's that information going to help us prove Chili Pepper's innocence?" Gingerbrave asked me.

"I don't know, but it's never a bad idea to gather as much information as you can out of every statement in a testimony," I answered.

"So, what changed that?" Wizard asked.

"Until late in the afternoon, when this hooded figure wearing a cloak approached the counter," Sparkling told us.

"Hold it!" I hollered. "Did you see what they looked like at all?"

"Please, calm down, y-you don't need to shout, ma'am," Sparkling insisted. "But err... no, I couldn't really see their features. Except when they reached out to take the bottle of hot sauce. Then I saw that they were wearing some sort of blue gloves over their hands."

"Blue gloves...?" I gasped. "Just like Vampire saw! Well, if two cookies saw it, then it must be true!"

"Grr..." Rye grumbled, trembling with rage.

"Woah, err, c-calm down, ma'am, would you like some rye juice?" Sparkling asked her. "I made it just the way you like it--"

BANG! Rye fired and shot the glass of rye juice right out of his hands.

"I see what you were trying to do, and I ain't falling for it!" She huffed. "You were trying to get me to let my guard down and impair my judgement so that these two could easily defeat me!"

"Wh-what? N-No! That wasn't what I was trying to do at all! I-I just--" Sparkling tried to explain.

I noticed he was starting to shudder, his eyes darting around the room, sweat starting to pour more rapidly down his face.

"Err, your honor," I started to say. "I'd like to vote to take a recess--"

BANG! Rye fired her other pistol at me, but I formed a wall of ice to block the shot.

"Nobody's going anywhere until we get the verdict," She warned.

"Witness, if you'd please, carry on with your testimony," Wizard urged him.

"R-Right, y-yes, err..." Sparkling started to say. "They ordered a bottle of hot sauce 'just the way they liked it'."

"Hold it!" Gingerbrave shouted. "That's exactly what they said when they ordered it?"

"Y-Yes, that's exactly what they said," Sparkling nodded. "But... could you all please stop with the shouting? Let's all just stay calm and be reasonable--"

"So... how did you know what to make then when they asked for this?" Gingerbrave asked.

"Well, whenever Chili Pepper comes in, she just asks for the same thing," Sparkling explained. "So, that's what I made."

"I see..." Gingerbrave nodded.

"Gingerbrave," I whispered in his ear before Sparkling moved on to the next point in his testimony. "Go easy on him. This whole situation seems to be making him pretty uncomfortable."

"Oh, woah," Gingerbrave gasped as he noticed Sparkling's mannerisms, his shaking hands, stumbling over his own words, and the sweat rolling down his face. "You're right. Err... is there anything we can do...?"

"That's why I tried motioning for a recess," I told him. "I thought if he just had a bit of a break...But it seems Rye isn't going to let that happen."

"Ahem! Defense... is there anything you'd like to share with the court?" Wizard asked.

"Oh... err... no," I answered sheepishly.

"Then witness, please carry on with your testimony," Wizard urged him.