From: chrismg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (christian gadeken)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: Miyu/Frame (Part 6)
Date: 1 Oct 92 02:44:46 GMT
Reply-To: chrismg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (christian gadeken)
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
Originator: chrismg@dumbo.cc.utexas.edu


	        	Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu?
           			    Part 6

	Matthew and Rob were walking through a twisty criss-cross
of narrow streets.  In the background, they heard a low rumble of
overlapping voices.
	Rob looked skeptical.  "Are you sure this is the way?"
	Matthew still looked tired.  "If we have to, we'll go
through a building or over a wall, but if we keep heading towards
the noise, we'll get there."
	"I guess... It must be a demonstration over the hearing."
	"Well, the cabbie said the streets around the courthouse 
were jammed-"
	"So you pulled out your map and tried a back way-"
	"-I guess they're really eager for her blood."
	"Now don't start getting depressed again... Where's Larva?"
	"We gave up around 2:00 this morning, and he went to give
Miyu a shoulder to lean on.  I just went home... Oh, and don't worry
about getting lost in Tokyo: everybody does."
	"Oh *that* makes me feel good... Hey, is-"
	"Yah!  I told you we'd get there."  Matthew sped up for a
moment.  "Of course when we do get there, we'll have to listen to-"
He turned the corner-and stopped dead.  "Holy blazing saxophone!"
	They'd come around a shop onto a plaza in front of the
courthouse.  Facing each other across a police line were two groups
of people.  On one side, holding signs bearing a brush and ink with
a red diagonal over them (the 'not' symbol) was a mixed group of
Japanese.  On the other were literally hundreds of animates, some
of which were obviously crowd-scene or bit-part players, but dozens 
more Matthew knew by sight.
	"I- don't believe it! This is like a who's who... I haven't
seen all four Knight Sabers together since Crash ended...  My god,
*everybody* from Miyu's series  is here... And all the Miyazaki 
girls, and the Takahashi gangs and..."  He gaped as Kiki and Lum
floated by overhead, each carrying one end of a banner saying,
"FREE THE INNOCENT VAMPIRE"  
	He felt a tug on his elbow and saw Pai motioning them inside.
"Did *you* set that up!?"
	She smiled as the door closed behind them.  "Not really.  I
just called a couple friends, who called a couple friends, who...
You know how it goes.  Well, ready to see your "koibito" cleared?"
	"She's not my... What do you mean, cleared?  Has something
happened?"
	Pai raised a finger to her lips.  "Shh... It's a secret."
	Matthew smiled tentatively.  "Himitsu kudasai?"
	Pai made a face.  "Not likely."  She led them down the corridor.
"Did you see who was in the anti-anime group?"
	Matthew frowned.  "I didn't notice anybody I recognized, who do
you mean?"
	"Miyu's creator."
	Matthew stopped in his tracks.  "What!?  I knew he'd gotten really
anti, but still, to come to something like this..."
	Rob leaned forward.  "Was his wife killed by an animate or
something?"
	Matthew gave him a disgusted look.  "You're close, but fortunately
it was a bit more subtle than that.  She was the writer of Miyu's comic,
and they had a car accident on the way to negotiations for a new series
for Miyu.  He lived.  She... didn't.  Pretty Freudian, huh?"
	"And that's why she got dumped out of the industry?"
	Matthew blinked.  "You mean, like a blacklist?  I don't think so,
it's just that she had so little time to find a new job, plus her being..."
	Pai called back to them.  "Well don't worry, she's got a good job
and in a few hours she be free again."
	Matthew looked at her.  "You *must* have something up your sleeve, I
haven't seen you this confident since the suit over the Ayukawa concert."
	She winked and opened a courtroom door.  "In here."
	The door closed behind them.

	Rob leaned close to Matthew's ear.  "I hope what she's got is good,
what I've heard so far is pretty damning."
	"Well..." Matthew glanced over to where Pai was conferring with a
pair of policemen.  "I'd guess those cops are the next witnesses she's 
going to-"  He broke off as Pai approached the front of the court.
	"Your honor, I call Officer Kanamori as my next witness."
	As Kanamori was sworn in, Matthew leaned back.  "This must be a 
friendly witness, she's only got two eyes open."
	"Officer Kanamori, please describe the events in Shinjuku last night."
	Kanamori cleared his throat.  "At approximately 2:10 this morning, one
Kagayaki Saitou was seen leaving the bar where he had been drinking.  At
approximately 2:30, his body was found in a nearby alley.  I was sent to the
scene and began investigation."
	"In the opinion of the police coroner, was this murder comitted by
the same person as the murder of which Onigami-san is accused?"
	"That is the opinion of the coroner."  He handed her a sheaf of
papers which she took to the judge.  "Your honor, I ask that this coroner's
report be placed in the record."
	The judge nodded.  "Very well."  He examined it briefly.
	Pai turned back to the policeman.  "How accurate are the times you
gave to the court?"
	"The times I gave were the outer limits of the period in which the
murder took place."
	"In other words, Kagayaki-san was killed no earlier than 2:10 a.m.
and no later than 2:30 a.m.?"
	"Correct."
	"Thank you.  That will be all."
	As Kanamori stepped down, Rob leaned forward.  "That's it, isn't it?
If it was the same person, and she was in prison..."
	"Not yet...  Miyu can teleport, so it's got to be airtight..." He
broke off as another policeman took the stand.
	"Officer Mehito, what was your duty last night?"
	"I was on duty in the cells from midnight to eight a.m."
	"Please describe what went on between 2:00 and quarter to three."
	"A little after two, I heard something from her cell.  I was kind of 
scared, what with her reputation, so I called for backup and went slowly
down the hall.  When I got there, I saw she was hugging that big fellow
in the cloak.  I told him to leave, but they just ignored me.  My backup
came, and we all argued till, like you said, about 2:45, when he finally
gave up and left."
	"So between 2:10 and 2:30 she was in her cell continuously?"
	"She was there, not a second she wasn't."
	"Thank you.  That is all."
	Matthew was gaping.  "I don't believe this!  Did Larva know some-
thing was going to happen?  Why did it happen right before the hearing?"
	Rob smiled. "Maybe it was just luck?"
	"Yeah... Maybe..."

	Miyu and Matthew charged along the narrow streets he and Rob had
taken to get to the courthouse.  Miyu pulled up.  "Whoa! Whoa, big fella!
I think they're gone."
	Mathew bent over, panting.  "You know, I can understand the anti
people being angry, and the animates being happy, but when they mob us 
simultaneously, I lose all sympathy.  I mean, at one point I had Ranka
hugging me, Souichiro-san barking at me, Leon pounding me on the back, and
Akane fighting miscellaneous antis! That's not even funny, when you're in
the middle of it."
	Miyu smiled.  "Well *I'm* glad to see anyone besides policemen and
other prisoners.  I thought that statement you gave the reporters was
really good, about sympathizing with the victims' families and friends...
how you'd prefer none of this had happened."
	Mathew leaned against the wall and stared down.  "Yeah, well if
there had to be a second murder, I'm glad it happened when it did.  I'd...
really hate to lose you."
	"Matthew..."  She came over and hugged him hard.
	A voice from above!  "Aha! I knew it!"  Matthew and Miyu looked up
to see Larva floating above them, carrying Rob by his arms.
	Matthew looked around frantically.  "I- Hey! this- You- I-"  He
shook himself.  "Have been hanging around Ranma too much.  Anyway, I
never said I didn't *care* about her."  
	Larva set Rob down.  "Yeah, well I still think-"
	"Oh, hush!  This is no time to get smarmy, we've got some serious
partying to do!"
	And they did.

			T S U Z U K U . . .

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now BEFORE YOU EXPLODE, calm down. This is NOT the end, or the climax, I've
got a few surprises left to give you.  Bear with me, OK?

-- 
			C h r i s t i a n  G a d e k e n

Yakumo: "But I really did destroy a monster in Hong Kong!"
Saru  : "Ahem, ahem"
Yakumo: "Saru, do you believe me?"
Saru  : "Where's my Hong Kong souvenir?"
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime