Chapter Seventy-One: I'm your SISTER!
“What are you talking about?” Mobster Marion raised her eyebrow at her sister.
“It's Chuckles and Giggles!” Judith Jofrey cried. “They're Charlie Begly and Belle Masters!”
Mobster Marion blinked. Master Revolver cleared his throat.
“And how did you find this out?” Mobster Marion asked, sipping on her champagne.
Judith gulped. She couldn't tell them that without revealing that she'd been caught as Sidewinder.
“I just know, okay?” She snapped.
Master Revolver gave a small cough. He got up and walked to the rumpus room. Mobster Marion motioned for Judith to sit down. Judith sat on the sofa across from Marion, who poured a drink for her sister.
“I'm telling the truth.” Judith tried to convince her sister.
“Could you be mistaken?” Marion asked gently. “Belle Masters especially is the LAST person you'd expect to by flying around Pleasantville. She's too bookish.”
“I know, okay?” Judith groaned. “But I swear it's true!”
Marion sighed. She loved her sister, and knew that her judgement was usually sound. However, recently she'd been…troublesome.
“Judith…” She sighed again. She wanted to believe her sister, but there was simply no way that Belle Masters, junior lawyer, could be the agile gunslinger Giggles. There was no way a blacksmith like Charlie Begly could be the deadly swordsman Chuckles.
“We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?” Marion smiled. Judith pouted. “C'mon, I have some gold chocolate truffle you'll absolutely LOVE.”
Judith sighed, and sipped at her drink. Maybe sleeping on it would be a good idea.
—
Belle Masters had her nose firmly in a book as she walked back to her desk in the Pleasantville Council building. Mobster Marion watched her.
“See Judes? No way could Belle be Giggles, she hasn't crashed!” Marion chuckled.
Belle pricked up her ears. Oh no…
Marion patted Judiths arm, before walking back into Mayor Jones' office, while Judith Jofrey followed behind dejectedly.
Of course, right after they walked into the office, Belle completely missed her chair and ended up on the ground.
“That's not really a reason why Belle can't be Giggles.” Judith frowned as Marion helped herself to Jones' whisky stash.
“Judith…” Marion was starting to get irritated.
“Besides, everyone knows Belle is a regular at the shooting range.” Judith tried, almost pleading.
“So is half the bloody city!” Marion snapped. “I've tried to be nice about this Judes, but you're really pissing me off.”
“You're pissing ME off! I'm your SISTER, remember?!” Judith fired back.
“Keep it down idiot!” Marion hissed. “Do you want anyone to find out who you are?!”
Judith went slightly pale. “I'm sorry.” She swallowed. “But-,”
“Enough.” Marion snapped. “Do you want me to take you to the metalworks? You can see how Charlie Begly lumbers around carrying metal, without any of the finesse required to wield the Lions Claw Blade?”
Judith grimaced and stalked out of the office. Marion raised her eyebrow at her retreating form. For whatever reason, she'd gotten this idea in her head. If she would just tell Marion where the idea came from then she might be inclined to believe her. For some reason though, Judith was keeping mum on the subject.
Not for the first time, Marion wondered if Judith was plotting to take over the Mobsters of Misneach, breaking up the Death Valley Mobsters. It would spell disaster though, surely Judith wouldn't be that stupid? Maybe Judith was thinking of taking the Mobster assets for herself?
Marion knew that her Uncle had been killed because he'd wanted more power than he was owed. He wanted to keep the assets for himself, and not hand them over to his niece. She didn't want to have to get Master Revolver to kill Judith, least of all because she didn't have an heir yet.
There was also another issue brewing.
“Demon.” Marion narrowed her eyes at Mayor Jones as he walked into his office.
“Marion.” The Mayor of Pleasantville, Demon, glared back. “Do what do I owe the honour?”
“I want to know why Mark and Roger were in here.” Marion got straight to the point. “What business to you have with the March Hill Crusaders?”
“Nothing that concerns you.” Demon sat at his desk. “Now get out of my sight.”
“I warn you, if you betray us, you lose half of Pleasantville.” Marion warned him as she walked out.
Demon watched as the door slammed behind her.
—
“I have good news and bad news.” Belle ran to her friends after work that day as they sat at the tip. “Judith's figured out who we are, but Marion won't believe her.”
“WHAT?!” The others cried.
“She must have recognised my voice!” Daniel cried.
“And then she put two and two together, which helped her recognise my voice.” Belle groaned.
“But you said Marion didn't believe her?” Charlie raised an eyebrow.
Belle couldn't help it. She started laughing.
“She was after me all day, trying to prove it without giving it away to me that she knew.” She grinned. “But she didn't realise I'd overheard Marion flapping her gums!”
Everyone else saw the funny side of it too.
“Is Marion REALLY that idiotic?!” Sammy laughed.
“The power must really have gotten to her head if she's being so arrogant as to ignore her sister!” Petunia added.
“I wish I'd been there!” Charlie slapped Belle on the back.
“You should have seen Judith's face when she realised no one believed her!” Belle roared with laughter.
“She's probably going to try following us around with cameras now.” TJ grinned. “And if she does, we just remind her what's at stake!”
“She's gotta be furious.” Tammy grinned.
Sammy was about to join in, but then he noticed Daniel looking a little distracted. “Dan? What's up?”
“Nothing.” Daniel said, not paying attention.
“You seem very interested in that old car.” Sammy pressed. “Going to try and put us a vehicle together again?”
“After last time? We don't need another Chuckles and Giggles annoying us.” Daniel quipped.
“Don't be a dork!” Charlie shoved him off the bonnet he was sitting on.
The group laughed.
“I'm thinking if I can patch things up with Judy, if I can somehow influence her, and in turn, Marion.” Daniel told them. “They own half the city and if we can get them to turn on Demon, he's in big trouble at the next election.”
“It'll be difficult though. It's really hard to go against your family.” Sunny said, as Melody slept against her chest. “Especially when it's what you've been raised to believe.”
“And yet you did it.” Belle put an arm around her friend.
Sunny shook her head.
“I was…I was being abused. It's easy to turn on someone when they're mistreating you.” She sighed. “Judith and Marion are close. It's going to be really hard to get between them. I mean, if it were easy, I could have talked Dad around before he took over the city…”
“It's not your fault Demon is a jerk.” Charlie said. “Just like it's not your fault he killed my grandfather.”
Sunny looked at Charlie. That wound might have healed, but it had left a very painful scar. Sunny had to marvel that he'd even considered dating her at one stage after what her father had done.
“Push comes to shove, Danny'll just have to knock Judith up.” TJ grinned.
That suggestion was greeted with loud boos and jeers. Stay classy TJ.