Work Text:
Detective Williams stopped by the jail cells. "You're free to go," she said simply. Then she made her way down the row, unlocking the cell doors.
"But… why?" Charles asked.
"He's just joking," Oliver hastened to explain, a large smile on his face. "We are definitely not complaining."
"Not at all," Mabel added.
Williams waited till her three now-freed prisoners were gathered around her. "I could not sleep all night-"
"Because you knew we couldn't have possibly killed anybody?" Mabel asked, pointedly.
Williams turned on her. "No. Because-"
"Oh! The murderer showed up!" Charles put in his guess.
Williams raised an eyebrow. "And through some crazy plot twist, he confessed?"
"Well... yes."
"Is that what happened on Brazzos?" Mabel wondered.
"Sometimes," Charles admitted. He realized he had everybody's attention. "Most times."
The police detective continued. "I couldn't sleep because your fans kept on calling me-"
"Aren't they great?" Oliver asked.
"- and waking me up with their weird, fantastical, conspiratorial ideas. So. I finally got up and listened to your podcast."
"That put you to sleep?!" Oliver was scandalized.
"No, that-"
"That helped you find the murderer?" Mabel broke in.
"No," Williams waited to make sure there was silence. "After I listened to your podcast, I reviewed all the evidence of the case.
"And then you found the murderer?" This time Charles tried to get to the bottom line.
Williams just glared at him. "Do you want to listen or do you want to tell the story?"
All three nodded silently.
"It made me realize that Miss Mora here could not have murdered the victim. Our lab techs found blood in the victim's apartment and the corridor, which fit with the story that the victim came into Miss Mora's apartment after she had been stabbed. Besides," she pointed to the cameras at the end of the corridor, "you don't sound like murderers."
Charles was shocked at the idea that somebody had been listening in to every word they said. "Don't we have a right to privacy?"
"Don't pay him any attention." Oliver patted Charles to calm him down. "The most important thing is that the police realized we're not criminals."
"I said you're not the murderers," Williams repeated, "in this case."
Oliver smiled at her. "This leads us in a whole-"
"Hold on!" Charles hurried to add. "That's my line!"
"So you say it."
"Well, now I don't feel like it," Charles pouted.
Oliver rolled his eyes. Actors were so touchy. "Okay, so let's find out who killed Bunny."
Charles looked at him. "You had to get the last word in, didn't you?"
"No, I didn't."
"There you go again."
"Guys!" Mabel's voice broke through the spat.
Both men turned to the young woman.
"Shut up! We've got a murder to solve."
