Forlot: Who Framed Her? - Book Seven {Completed}

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Ash let go of the suitcase and grinned. "Look at what we have here," she said. She bent down and scooped up a tape. There was white, sloppy writing on the front of it, and she read it out loud. "'Tape that will lead to Ash's demise.'" She glared at George. "Things are not looking good for you, mister."

"What the crub fell on the floor?" Elliott demanded. "Dirt?"

"I have dirt if you would like some, sir," Billy piped up as he took out a handful of dirt.

Tank had a disgusted look on his face. "Billy...why do you have dirt in your possession?"

"In case that anybody wants some."

"Why do you think that somebody would want dirt?"

"Dirt is good for the planet, sir. You can do all kinds of things with it. Play with it. Make a sculpture out of it. Dirt is a gift."

"And you carry dirt everywhere?"

"Yeah. What is wrong with that? I love dirt. It is like a friend of mine."

"So I guess that Tim and I, your best friends, are chopped liver," Jim stated.

"Of course not. I love chopped liver!"

Scott clapped again, louder this time. "Enough with the jokes and smart remarks. We have a case to settle."

"Ash, could you tell us what flew out of George's suitcase?" Joe asked.

"Gladly," Ash said. "What you see before you are tapes, and one of them..." She held up the tape that she had. "...is written in white marker, clarifying that this is the tape that would lead to my demise."

Ian leaned over the leaders' desk and squinted. "Ah. I see what you mean. And luckily, I am familiar with that handwriting. It is George's." He frowned at Mr. Parks. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

George let his empty suitcase slip out of his hands and fall to the floor. "I-I...it is not what it looks like!"

Our writer placed a hand on her hip. "Oh, really? 'Cause it seems to me and the rest of us that you stole all these tapes without LaVein's or LaVon's permission. You did not even get permission from me!"

"I-I left a note. I was borrowing them! I swear!"

"You know, if you did not leave that note saying that you are the one who took the missing tapes, my friends and I would never have known, and this case would have gone a lot differently," I explained. "You set yourself up."

George clenched his teeth and uttered a low growl. "This is your fault, kid!"

"Whoa. Who are calling kid? I beat you."

"Us!" Jenny corrected. "Do not take all the credit."

"That is right. Us. All of us who are on Ash's side. You lost. Good always triumphs over evil."

Suddenly, he leaped up from his chair and reached for me, his arms outstretched and his hands in gripping positions. Reaching for my throat.

"George, stop!" Barbara cried as she also jumped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around his, pulling him. "You have already caused enough trouble. Please. Do not make it worse."

"He ruined everything, Barbara! He and his dummy gang!"

"Who are you calling dummy?" Jenny said. "You want me? Come at me, you son of a dang it!"

Barbara let out a whimper. "Sweetheart, please. Please! If you harm that boy, it will not be good for you. And I do not want to lose you!"

"No!" George yelled. "He deserves what is coming to him!"

"Calm down, sweetie. Calm down. Take slow, deep breaths."

"Now is not the time to do that!"

She hugged him tightly. "Be calm. Honey, please. Contain yourself."

Lisa stood up. "Leaders of Forlot, may my clients step out of this courtroom for a few minutes?"

Ian nodded. "We will allow it."

Lisa glared at George and Barbara. "You have five minutes, you two. So get in check."

"We understand the terms," Barbara said. She helped her boyfriend out of the room. Cassandra and Kathy followed them so that they would not flee if they decided to.

Scott folded his hands together. "I would like to view the tapes. Particularly the one with the white writing."

Joe stared at him. "But we cannot if Ash does not desire to take in the tapes as evidence."

"I would be more than happy to use the tapes as part of my evidence," Ash cut in.

Joe looked at her, and then back at Scott. "George and Barbara are not in the courtroom right now. Do you not think that they should? What if either - or both - of them pressed the button?"

"We can always play back the tapes for them," Tank suggested. "I am too curious to wait."

"Besides, this case needs to end once and for all," Elliott admitted. "It is ridiculous. To think that our own writer would doom the real worlders."

Tank looked at Linda. "Linda, could you please bring out the television from the back?"

"Yes, sir," Linda responded. She got up and left the courtroom.

I picked up each tape that remained on the floor and set them on the desk where George and Barbara were at. Ash walked up to me and patted my shoulder, smiling.

"Thank you very much for believing in me," she thanked. She looked at the others. "Thank you all. You have made me a happy writer once again."

I hugged her, wrapping my arms around her waist. "I am always happy when you are happy."

She patted my head, and I let go of her. Linda returned with a small television that was on a television stand with wheels. She rolled it to the front and sat back down. Ash stepped up to it and wiped off the white writing with her shirt.

"It is time!" Ash proclaimed. She slid the videotape in

"Wait!"

Everybody turned and noticed Caleb standing.

"It is me," Caleb said. "It is all my fault."