One day, Barney was on his morning commute to work. Justice had been offering up a lot of business deals these days for his members to earn their keep. If he wasn’t passing out orders at their headquarters, then you know damn well ThisCharmingMan was ready and waiting with more than enough work. It was simply another day in the life of The Supreme Court. Barney was happy and willing to take on any task assigned to him. He often found his mind wandering during the drive in. Usually, he would be daydreaming about song writing, birthday parties, and concert halls.

When suddenly, he slammed on the breaks because of an obstacle in the road. He was worried that he was going to bulldoze right into it. For a split second, he thought it might have been one of Roco's stray goats. Fortunately for both of them, it was only an abandoned brown couch cushion. It had probably fallen off the back of a pickup truck during a crosstown move. Barney carefully maneuvered around it and continued on his merry way. Quickly letting the obstacle and memory subside. The workday passed by uneventfully and Barney returned home with no other notable events.

The following day, Barney was on the road again but noticed that the pillow was still there. Luckily, it had been relocated to the side of the road by some good samaritan, no longer obstructing any oncoming drivers. All was right in the world and the drive went uninterrupted otherwise. He was happy that he didn’t have to take an initiative and play chicken with oncoming traffic. Someone else had taken that burden and he once again let it slip away as a casualty of the day’s thoughts and activities. 

For a couple of weeks, this became a common occurrence. Each morning, Barney would drive to the office and see the pillow laying dormant on the side of the road. It barely moved, or if it did, was hardly noticeable. He started to grow an admiration for its staying power. Certainly, someone would claim this long lost pillow, or at very least, toss it in the garbage. But he couldn’t be bothered to do it himself. There was daydreaming to be done! Songs to be written! He was quickly becoming an important singing-songwriter in his own daily daydreams. Yes, yes, life moved on, but that pillow stayed put.

Until one night after a long night out with the crew, a heavy drinking affair, Barney made the wise decision to pocket his keys and leave the car at the bar. The rest of the crew had stayed out to continue partying, celebrating the latest windfall of cash. Justice was buying everyone in sight a drink and couldn't be stopped. Barney had drank far more than his fair share, but desperately needed to sleep. As he stumbled back towards his humble abode, guided only by the dimly lit street lights, he made steady progress. This dinosaur was quite nimble on his feet. 

As he rounded the bend, a wild creature came into sight. If Barney had hair, it would've been raised in fright. He wasn't quite sure how to approach the situation. Stopping in his tracks, he looked both ways and crossed the street. The creature still stood in his path. Barney stumbled back again. Yet, the creature continued to stand its ground. Barney knelt down and put his hands on his head. The world began spinning around him. What to do? What to do?

Barney steadied himself as he returned to a standing position, his arms falling by the wayside when he bumped into something at his waist. It felt cold and metallic. In his drunken stupor, he peered down at a brand new pistol glistening in the moonlight. He had already forgotten his gift from Justice earlier in the evening. Carefully drawing his weapon, closing one eye, aiming at the creature, Barney held his breathe and pulled the trigger several times. Entirely emptying the clip into this wild beast. He was safe for the time being. His heart racing, he shut his eyes and sprinted past, completely terrified of the remains. He couldn't remember a happier return to his home than this one. Safe and sound, finally making it to his bedroom.

The next morning with a killer hangover, Barney was rudely awoken by the morning light. Clearly forgetting to shut the blinds the previous night. He needed greasy food immediately to ease this headache. Wobbling towards the front door, possibly still a little drunk, he quickly realized he hadn't driven home last night. For that he was thankful, but it meant a long walk back to the bar. His memory was hazy at best. The last memory of the night included serenading Mai with his guitar while standing on the bar. The song and reason for singing was completely forgotten. Maybe she would remember why. But first and foremost, breakfast after retrieving the car. 

The walk was a familiar one leading him down the same path towards headquarters. He rounded the bend slowly and saw a confusing sight. The forgotten brown pillow was ripped to shreds along the sidewalk. Memories began flooding back quickly. The beast from last night must've done this! His inanimate friend! Gone too soon. At least he had avenged the fluffy friend. As he got closer, the realization slowly set in. Those weren't animal markings... they were bullet holes. The stuffing was falling out of them and the empty casings laid beside it. Barney's memory of the evening suddenly began clearer. It wasn't a wild beast. It was only a pillow. 

"Oh, fluuuffffff...." Barney groaned. 

He was never going to live this one down. 

Mai decide to take the walk and check on Barney.  What a crazy night last night it was and she wanted to make sure he was OK.  As she turned the corner toward The Supreme Court Headquarter she spotted Barney walking like he hadn’t slept in years.  She hurried up and grabbed Barney. What you are doing on the streets, we told you to stay home and lay low.  Barney looked at Mai like he didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. She rushed him into the Headquarter and told him to sit down.  You don’t remember anything that happened last night?  Barney lowered his head and shook it “No”

Be calm and let me run it down to you.

We were all hanging out at Boozy Barney's having a few drinks when you told us you were going to walk home.  Now I thought you were way too tipsy, especially when you serenaded me with Elvis Presley’s sentimental song Love me tender.  Mai could still hear the song in her head,

Love me tender, love me sweet,

 never let me go.

 You have made my life complete,

and I love you so.

 But the guys thought you could walk it off. So they, not I, let you go. Ben-Siegel, I and a few others continued to finish our drinks.  All of a sudden Prince one of my inherited cleaners, you might remember  him he worked for my mother.  Mai’s mind drifted to her mother’s journals.  She recalls reading how Prince was involved in a similar incident, but dealing with a woman using knives. Mai snap out of it and went back to talking to Barney.

But anyway Prince discretely rushed into the bar sat down next to me really close.  I knew something had happened. He whispered but loud enough for both Ben and I could hear.

Mai, Barney just shot a mother fucker outside, down on Main Street. Mai could feel her heart start to pound fast. What are you talking about Prince?

Listen all I know is you better get down there.  That fucking gangster Fedora he bought at the complex earlier has gone to his fucking head.  Barney was calling the mother fucker a creature, shot him five or six times, because he was holding a fucking pillow.  Poor Barney just put his head in his hands and just shook it.

So I turned to Ben-Siegel and said come on we have to go get him.  Ben quickly said “his fat ass can’t fit in my car”.  Fine, I told him, his " CAR " that the kids like so much is outside; let’s just hot wire that one.  We went outside, Mia had to laughed to herself a little, Ben quickly hotwired your car like a true professional. We drove the few blocks to Main Street to get you.  This is the horrible "SCENE" when we arrived.

I rushed you to the car while Ben-Siegel convinced the cops, they were delusional, and they didn’t actually see any purple looking thing at the scene. Prince cleaned up the scene and laid back to take care of any other witness and see what he could find out.

We drove you home, had to almost carry your drunken ass up the stairs, told you to stay home until we find out who this guy was and how deep you are into it. 

Mai put her arm around Barney’s large shoulders.

You don’t remember any of this Barney?  With a sad confused face Barney shook his head “No again”

Damn, this is a mess.  Barney I know you.  You wouldn’t just kill someone you don’t know.  There’s a lot more to this story. You might have to get Judge Justice to help you; he has connections with the police department. We just have to keep investigating.

Somebody out there knows what really happen.

Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours as Ben-Siegel sat in a rear room inside the local police station, he had requested to talk to the police commissioner and not one person below the rank. Of course, Ben always got his way, especially when the request had came from his crew leader, Mai. He wasn't one to let down his family, or friends of.

He had been gone for hours, night had turned to day and Ben was yet to sleep. He had to assist with cleaning up the mess Barney had made the night before. He had met with the commissioner and despite now being $400,000 down, the commissioner had struck a deal to remove the links leading to anyone inparticular. Along with this deal meant Ben assisting the commissioner with a task, but one thing at a time, Ben would deal with that later on.

Walking out into the morning, Ben sighed, he needed coffee and a strong one at that, but first he removed his phone and called Mai. "Mai? It's done. Money handed over, and no witnesses came forward, we should be ok".

It felt like Barney hadn't slept in days. He was exhausted, but his mind kept racing. If there was a way for his popular suit to grow a bear, he was sure there would've been a five o'clock shadow or worse by now. He sat with his head down between his legs. Hands perched on top of his scalp. The words of Mai wouldn't leave his brain. Whether he wanted to believe it or not, Barney was now a murderer. How could he possibly live with the guilt? 

It had been such a fun evening at Boozy Barney's drinking away the cares of the day with the locals. So much laughter, entertainment, and free-flowing cocktails. Perhaps he shouldn't have hopped behind the bar to test out his mixology skills. It usually ended poorly with overly heavy pours and concoctions that were likely flammable. He had no one to blame but himself for the cloudy recall of the prior evening. 

At Mai and Ben-Siegel's request, he had been holed up in a safe house. The lack of stimulus was getting to him. Staring at the blank walls of the bedroom from the neatly made cot almost felt like a prison cell. He only lifted his head after hearing the door open. It was Mai looking concerned. It had been hours since they had heard anything. But finally, she had good news from Ben-Siegel. They were in the clear. 

"Mai, thank you. I don't know where I would be without you. Thank you so much for cleaning up this mess. I just wish I hadn't gotten lost in the alcohol and forgotten the walk home. It would've been so much easier to deal with if I could only think straight. What's done is done. I will have to make due with what's left. Please send the bill to me directly for the cleaning services. I don't want to trouble you anymore than I already have," Barney remorsefully spoke. 

With a knowing smile and nod, Mai led them out of the safe house. Barney hugged her and wandered off towards Boozy Barney's. Maybe it was time to redecorate and liven up the place. Maybe it was time to rebrand altogether. Only time will tell. 

Mai started to get a little upset with Barney. His kind of nonchalant attitude was getting the best of her.  She just contributed it to the fact he was still hung-over

Barney listens up.  This is far from over. There’s a man out there dead and you could be charged with murder. There’s a picture of you at the scene.  I don’t know if it’s because you are just a likeable guy in the community or people know of your mafia ties, but no one seems to be talking. However we don’t know how long that’s going to last.

Mai sits Barney down.  Let’s go over this one more time.  You got to think really hard and try to remember. Barney shook his head OK.

Now you said carefully drawing your weapon, closing one eye, aiming at the creature, you held your your breathe and pulled the trigger several times. Entirely emptying the clip into this wild beast.

Then you said your memory of the evening suddenly began clearer. It wasn't a wild beast. It was only a pillow.

Mai stands in front of Barney.

OK, so now, is it possible that this beast was actually holding the pillow and you shot him?

Or, is it possible that you didn’t fire any shots at all but witnessed someone shooting this man?

Barney dropped his head in his hands one more time and shook his head he just didn’t remember.

Alright Barney don’t you worry?  What we are going to do is post a reward.

One hundred thousand dollars reward for any information regarding the events that took place on the corner of Main Street and Dark Alley Avenue on the night of Sept 10th 1955.