"We'll take it one step at a time, starting with Marlene's case. I'll call the first witness." Skipper said. Private's corazón pounded, slightly due to nervousness. "Marlene, can tu come to the stand, please?" Marlene hesitated, then climbed slowly to the parte superior, arriba of the counter and sat down on the overturned bowl that would be used as the witness stand. Skipper took a deep breath and approached her. "Marlene," He started. "Can tu please tell us in great detail what happened two days hace at your habitat?" He asked her.

Marlene took a deep breath to gather her thoughts. "I was swimming in my pond, I went inside for my playa ball-I was only inside for maybe..." She thought for a moment.- "Two o three minutes. When I came back out..." Her voice trailed off, but she recovered, though no longer able to look Skipper in the eye as she dicho her siguiente words. "There was a small skull floating in my pond. Surrounding it was deep, red blood. I screamed, and that's when tu and the others came." She finished, doing her best to not cry from the horrid memory.

Skipper nodded. "And tu didn't hear o see anything? Anything at all?"

Marlene shook her head. "No, I didn't."

"What about before tu went in for your ball? tu didn't see o hear anything suspicious?"

Marlene thought for a moment, as if replaying the scene in her mind. "I don't think so." She finally answered.

"The siguiente morning, tu dicho that tu think tu saw someone in your habitat during the night. Can tu describe him?"

"Well, I was sleeping when it happened. I really don't know if it was real o not."

"But tu could have just been half asleep when it happened?"

"I suppose."

"So what did he look like?"

"Well, I don't remember much. All I recall is that whoever it was had gray fur."

There was a small murmur among the other zoo animales as they took notice of Leonard's gray fur. Leonard looked from them to Private, who seemed deep in thought. Leonard wondered what he was thinking about. Skipper turned to Private. "Your witness."

Private took a deep breath and went up to Marlene. "Marlene, did tu actually see Leonard anywhere near your habitat at the time of the incident?"

"No."

"Did tu actually see him anywhere near your habitat shortly before o after the incident?"

"No."

"And during the time tu saw a gray-furred figure in your habitat, did tu actually make out Leonard?"

"Well, no."

"And have tu ever known Leonard to bring harm to tu o anyone else?"

"No."

"Has he ever threatened tu o anyone else?"

"Not that I know of."

Private nodded and said, "No further questions." then returned to Leonard's side.

"You may step down now, Marlene." Skipper told her. Marlene got down from the counter and returned to the crowd of zoosters. Kowalski was called to the stand next.

Private took notice of Leonard's concentrated, worried eyes. He wished there was something he could do to calm his nerves. He watched as Skipper approached Kowalski.

"Kowalski, how long do tu suppose the walk from Leonard's habitat is from Marlene's?" Skipper asked him.

"Oh, a few minutes, I suppose." Kowalski answered.

"Do tu think that it's possible for Leonard to have planted the evidence and return to his habitat in the dado frame of two to three minutes, as heard in Marlene's testimony?"

"Well, enough to place the evidence, yes. But it would probably take a few extra minutos to get back to his own habitat."

"At the time of the lémur, lemur incident, what did tu see on the cameras?"

"There was a breech in another zone. I concentrated on that frequency for a few minutes, when I saw nothing, I returned to the multifeeds. por that time, the camera feeds to and around the lémur, lemur habitat were interrupted. I tried to fix it when I got your call, but por the time it cleared it was too late. I never saw anyone in o leaving the zoo."

"I wanna ask tu about the evidence found in Leonard's habitat. Can tu tell everyone what it was?"

"We only found one thing that rose our suspicions." His voice trailed off for a moment. "There was a bucket high in his tree. In it was bloody water." He answered slowly. The murmur among the zoosters rose again and they stared at Leonard, making him más nervous than he was.

"What do tu suppose this water was used for?" Skipper asked loud and clear to be sure the chattering zoosters could hear him. They quieted.

"After I examined it, there was small patches of Leonard's pelaje, piel in it. So I assume he used this water to wash off his paws after he'd gotten blood on them."

"And where do tu think this blood came from?"

"The DNA results were a match for the victims I found in the evidence found in Marlene's and Julien's habitat." Kowalski answered.

"How many victim's DNA was found?" Skipper asked.

Kowalski looked at Private, then at the other zoosters. He didn't want to tell anyone else how many other victims there were. But considering what's at stake, he closed his eyes and answered. "Thirty-eight."

The zoosters gasped in shock. Thirty-eight victims? Private went deep in thought, trying to contain the shock of absorbing that information. Leonard looked at him, then at the counter beneath his feet. His grip tightened on his thighs as he tried to refrain from trembling. Partly from nervousness, partly from shock, and partly from just plain fear. For a few minutos the zoosters talked amongst themselves about what they'd heard in Kowalski's testimony, then Skipper spoke up again. "No further questions."

"Kowalski," Private started. "Can tu describe your process in investigating Marlene's habitat?"

"Well, Rico and I started por carefully sweeping the outlying areas of her pond and I took water samples. We went through this process several times before we finally cleaned out the pond."

"Can tu describe the clues tu found?"

"We didn't find any clues. There was no evidence whatsoever that anyone was there."

"And what do tu make of that?"

"Well, I was befuddled. How could anyone get in and out of Marlene's habitat without leaving a single trace?"

"And approaching her habitat, tu didn't see anyone leaving?"

"No...I didn't."

"And shortly after, Leonard was seen in his habitat?"

"Yes, he was."

"Now, about this evidence that was found in Leonard's habitat. Couldn't it be possible that someone planted that evidence there?" Private asked.

"I suppose."

"And how did tu come across this evidence?"

"When we were about to leave, a drop of water fell from the bucket onto Skipper's head. We climbed the árbol and there it was."

"You didn't find it strange that not a single drop fell until tu were about to leave?"

"Well, no. I didn't really think about it that way."

"Is there any way to know if Leonard actually used the water to cleanse his paws?"

"Yes, actually. tu see, even after tu wash blood off of anything without the proper substance, residue from that blood remains behind for several days, sometimes weeks."

"How can we see this residue?"

"Only under a blacklight."

"Hypothetically speaking, if we didn't find any of this residue on Leonard's paws, what would that tell us?"

"It would tell us that Leonard most likely really is being framed. Without the residue, that would mean that blood had never actually met the surface of Leonard's fur."

"Do tu think tu could bring this blacklight in?"

"Can do." Kowalski replied.

"No further questions." Private said. He looked at Skipper. the expression on his face was very concentrated, very deep in thought. Though, the look in his eyes was hopeful. He knew that Skipper had been playing bad cop all night, but he understood why. If Leonard was somehow, someway actually guilty of this crime, Skipper had to be sure he wouldn't walk away. But he could also tell that even though Skipper was playing the enemy here, he still wanted Private to win this case. This made Private smile a little bit as he returned to Leonard's side. Leonard had tried to not get his hopes up since this had started, but he couldn't help himself. This trial could actually turn in his favor. He hadn't touched any blood. The blacklight would prove his innocence. The only trace of blood he could think of was the trail of blood on his foot from the junkyard, but he could easily tell them what had happened with that and surely they'd believe him.

King Julien was called to the stand next.

"Ringtail, tell the others what happened yesterday at your habitat."

The use of the words 'two days ago' o 'yesterday' reminded Leonard that this had only started a few days ago. But that just couldn't be right. Surely this happened years ago. But he knew that that wasn't true. This had started three days hace at the junkyard. He found it hard to believe that so much had happened in such a small amount of time. Fortunately, he knew that it was coming to an end. The blacklight would prove his innocence. He just knew it.

"We had just finished having the party, and I gave my kingly crown to Maurice to be polished. After he did so, he set it out to be drying. About an hora later, I sent him to fetch it, and he came back telling me that it was gone. Of course, I was outraged and I yelled a little bit, but then we all started looking for it. We found it at the edge of our habitat sitting on a skulls' head!" Julien cradled his tail.

"Did tu see anyone else around your habitat?"

"Eh, no. I didn't. I was too busy with the dancing to care about anything else happening around me." Julien answered with a nervous laugh.

"You didn't hear anything?"

"The música was too loud."

"Have tu o the other lemurs and Leonard ever have any problems with each other? Any tiffs?"

"Not really. Last week he did get pretty upset when we wouldn't be turning down the music, though." Julien explained.

"No further questions." Skipper said.

Private thought for a moment. "I have no preguntas for this witness." Private stated.

"You can step down, Ringtail." Skipper instructed. Julien returned to his subjects in the waiting crowd of zoosters. "Okay, I'll let tu call the siguiente witness." Skipper permitted.

Private scanned the crowd of zoosters, then made his decision. "I'd like to call Mason to the stand, please."

Mason stepped up to the counter and sat down on the overturned bowl, shifting his weight uncomfortably. It was obvious that he was nervous and unsure about giving his testimony. He rubbed his palms on his sides and took a deep breath as Private approached him.

"Mason, yesterday, Leonard was seen near your habitat shortly after the incident, did tu take notice of his presence?" Private asked him.

"I noticed him as he was walking away. I don't know when he got to our habitat. I don't even think he came in."

"So he didn't say anything to you?"

"No. He didn't make his presence known."

"Did he do anything else?"

"No. I just saw him walk back toward his habitat. I didn't watch him but for a moment."

"Did tu see him go near the lémur, lemur habitat?"

"No."

"Did tu see him do anything suspicious?"

"No."

"No further questions."

Skipper thought for a moment. "I have no preguntas for you, simian. tu may step down." Skipper permitted. Mason relaxed slightly and tried to not make it obvious that he was hurrying off of the counter to rejoin Phil in the crowd of zoosters. "Call another witness, Private."

"I'd like to call Leonard to the stand."

Leonard's grip was tight enough around his thighs already, and now his claws were digging so hard into himself that if he didn't loosen up in a few moments they'd break skin. His eyes had widened and his corazón began to race, and the pelaje, piel on his back slowly stood up.

"Leonard?"

The sound of Private's voice made him flinch, snapping him out of his paralysis. He looked up at him.

"It's your turn for testimony."

Leonard remained silent, then slowly brought himself to his feet, his knees shaking slightly. He locked him to steady himself, then glanced out at the zoosters, who were watching him carefully. The sight of all of those eyes boring into him made him turn his head down to look at the counter they lie ahead of him. He stepped adelante, hacia adelante and sat down on the witness stand, taking deep, slow breaths to try to keep himself calm.

"Leonard, can tu tell us where tu were at the time of the first incident?"

"I was in my habitat...trying to sleep." Leonard answered slowly, not daring to take his eyes off of the counter in front of him.

"Trying, tu were having trouble sleeping?"

"Yes. I was."

"Why is that?"

"The night before when I was in the junkyard," He hesitated. "I watched a pit toro maul an innocent pup. Then he came after me and threatened me. tu four scared him off before he could do anything, though."

"So a dog murdered an innocent pup? Did tu see any other evidence of other victims in the junkyard?"

"Yes. There were bones. Some of them fresh."

Private nodded and crossed his flippers. "Where were tu at the time of the lemurs' incident?"

"I woke up near the chimp habitat shortly after it happened. I don't know how I got there. I went to cama in my habitat that morning."

"Have tu seen anyone suspicious lurking about?"

Leonard opened his mouth to answer, but closed it a segundo later. He sat in silence for a moment, then spoke finally. "I haven't seen anyone."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've...heard things...in my habitat. Rustles in the leaves. But I never see anyone."

"Has anything out of the ordinary happened to tu since the junkyard? To tu specifically, I mean?"

"No." Leonard thought for a moment. "Well, there is this one thing, but it doesn't really matter to the case."

"What is it?"

"A little bunny came into my habitat a couple of nights ago. He just came and left." Leonard explained.

"What color was he?"

Leonard sort of hesitated, not really believing what he was about to say. "Gray..." He dicho simply and quietly. Surely that little guy couldn't have caused any of this. Another murmur arose from the zoosters. The conversations were of mainly, how a bunny could tie into all of this. Most eventually pushed the thought away from their minds, rendering it ridiculous and irrelevant.

"That's very interesting. No further questions."

Skipper approached him. "Leonard, after the junkyard, tu were...in shock."

"Yes, very much. Anyone would be."

"I agree with you. But tu dicho tu woke up near the chimp habitat without knowing how tu ended up there. Couldn't it be possible that tu started sleepwalking due to post-traumatic stress?"

"Well, uh...I guess that's a possibility." Leonard answered.

"Can tu explain how that bucket of bloody water ended up in your tree?"

"I don't know anything about that." Leonard insisted. He found himself able to bring himself to look him in the eye. He didn't know why, maybe it was something to do with the fact that Skipper seemed to be against him.

Skipper stared back into his eyes for a brief moment. "I have only one más question. In Kowalski's testimony, he stated that under a blacklight would any blood residue left behind mostrar on your paws. Would tu be willing to use this in your testimony?"

Leonard looked over to Private, who nodded encouragingly. He shifted his gaze back into Skipper's. "Yes."

"Very well. Kowalski, bring the blacklight." Skipper ordered. Kowalski obeyed. Skipper took a step closer to Leonard holding the blacklight, they were now only an inch apart. "Hold out your paws." Leonard did so. Skipper glanced back over his shoulder. "Turn out the lights." A moment later the room went dark. Leonard saw Skipper's black figure turn his head back toward him, and felt his breath as he spoke. "Are tu ready?" He asked him."Yes." Leonard answered back through the dark. Skipper switched on the blacklight.

The room fell completely silent, and the heat drained from Leonard's face.