May 27, 11:59 pm
Oppel Boarding School
Dorm 506
The young man smiles at the girl standing in front of him. She eyes him back with flirtatious eyes. Leaning forward, he gives her a quick peck on her bright red lips before letting his hand slowly fall. Giggling, she playfully pushes him back and places a small bouquet of white carnations onto his dorm bed. Smiling, her hand graces the balcony door handle, and slowly turns it.
"Are you sure you don't want to wake Nata for this?" the boy begins. "It's a tradition!"
The girl shakes her head as she leans over the balcony edge, staring at the bright stars and the matching city lights before her. "No, she went to sleep a couple of hours ago and she'll kill me if I wake her up."
"All right, if you say so." The boy exits the dorm and stands next to the girl, looking out into the city. A scream quickly escapes the girl's mouth, and within seconds, the whole school has joined her. Midnight has arrived.
May 29, 10:37 am
Wright & Co. Law Offices
Main Office
A throbbing pain fills my head and I can't help trying to forget the dream of Edgeworth chasing me with a giant squid out of my mind. It isn't until I realize the pain is a response to a prolonged ongoing scream that I manage to raise my head and look at my attacker.
"Are you going to sleep through lunch or what, Nick?"
Maya stands in front wearing her normal purple spirit charmer kimono and as peppy as always. I block out her screaming by hiding my head under the… binder? What's this doing here?
"I've been looking for you all day, Nick! I searched the burger joint, Kurain Village, your apartment-"
"You got into my house?!" I immediately look up, stunned. I know Maya has special… talents, but last time I checked, pick pocketing wasn't one of them.
"Oh, yeah. It was obvious that you hide your keys under the doormat. I mean, it says, 'Don't lift' right on it."
Oh, Maya. I rub my eyes and slowly get up. I don't even remember why I ended up sleeping at my office. Something about a case, I suppose. The Binder has the title, "Case AW-4" on it. Case AW-4, a case I had actually just heard about last night, about the murder at a boarding school. Back before I attended Ivy University, I actually spent a semester at Oppel, a prestigious four-year college-prep boarding school. It's a nice place. Quiet halls, clean campuses- it's got the works. But this new case surrounding it… it's just too bizarre for words. I decided when I left Oppel that I never wanted to go back, but she just pulled me back in. She wouldn't do anything so stupid as that, would she?
"So are you just going to stand there all day, Nick, or what? What were you doing here anyway? I thought we were going to get lunch and then go see Pink Princess: The Warrior of Little Olde Tokyo… ON ICE! Pretty exciting, right?"
A sheepish grin is all I have to offer her, after all, I have business to attend to, "Sorry Maya, but I don't think I'm going to have any time today. I'm off to visit a boarding school for a case."
"Oh, this isn't one of those fake cases, is it Nick? Like the one about stolen corn, you made up to get out of seeing Pink Princess: The Rise of the Azure Assassin… ON ICE!?", She glares at me with an intensity I don't think I've seen since she ate that burger that was the size of Pearl.
"For the last time, Maya, I didn't make that case up." I hope it worked. The last thing I need her to find out is that the 'Ancient Corn Factory' that I told her about isn't real. By the looks she's giving me right now though, I think I can assume she's caught on.
May 29, 12:06 pm
Oppel Boarding School
Main Courtyard
Expansive, gorgeous rows of trees and hedges shaped like animals are scattered across the water-filled landscape. There's a manmade river flowing around the area and a giant dolphin fountain in the center of the courtyard. Frankly, it's more beautiful than I remembered. I can't quite recall why I left here.
"Hey there homie!!! What you doing here?!!"
Ah, yes. That's why, "Why hello, Mr. Goodman."
The man standing before me is the former, (or current?), Principal of Oppel Boarding School: Avery Goodman. He's wearing his trademarked horrifyingly red suit and blue tie. His graying hair has a nasty blonde dye-job, and his thick-rimmed glasses don't seem to compliment his appearance. Needless to say, he's never been very good in the style department.
Goodman's a bit overly cheerful and tries way too hard to fit in and be hip with the students. I guess he never really realized that the reason why he's constantly made fun of by students is because he tries to fit in. He should have taken hip lessons with me.
… Maya's giving me a look as if to say, "You were never hip, Nick. Don't even try." Speaking of which, why does it seem like everyone can hear my thoughts all the time?
"My, my, my!!! Phoenix Wright!!! I've heard you've gone quite far since you're an away!!!"
An involuntary gulp lodges itself down my throat. "Um, Please Mr. Goodman, you don't have to talk that loudly, we're right here. And I didn't run away! I just didn't have the… necessary skills to really… enrich my learning experience."
Maya glances at me slyly, "Oh, Nick never has the necessary skills to do anything."
"Well, Mr. Wright, are you back to be one of the boyz?" He does a little "hip" dance. Please, kill me now. "After all, Wright, you had a lot of potential, and I can definitely see you wanting to come back and join the 'in crowd.'"
"Um, no", I stammer. "That's not exactly the reason I'm here. I'm here regarding the murder case. The murder that happened on Sunday, May 27?"
Mr. Goodman's eyes seem to have dilated. I haven't seen that expression since he read my first paper. Needless to say, I flunked it. "Oh no, Wright. Nothing of the sort happened last night. The poor girl, Ms. Otherone, just happened to fall off her… balcony."
Sure enough, the familiar semi-transparent chains wrap their way around his body forming two giant red locks: a pair of Psyche-locks. Great, just great.
He looks up at me, "Well, uh, if you're intent on checking this place out, then go ahead. I can't say whether or not you'll actually find anything. Good luck anyway though, bro." He walks away, poised as always. As weird as the people here are, I find myself actually kind of missing this place.
It's strange, Maya's not saying anything. A quick glance over my shoulder tells me that she's mortified over what she just saw.
"Nick… Is this the reason you suck at talking to people?"
Before I can reply, a loud thud causes Maya to yelp and hide behind my legs. Upon further inspection, it's just Gumshoe. He tripped. As always, Gumshoe's messy black hair hides a band-aid on his cheek, and his trademark tan trench-coat trails so long that he has a tendency to trip all over it.
"Hey pal! How're you doing?"
I sigh and help him up.
"Hey, it was a rock! Quite a big one too. She's a beauty, isn't she, Maya? I wonder what I should call her…"
What did I do to get stuck with these two? "Listen, Gumshoe, can you run me through what you know about the murder here?"
"Oh, um… I'm not supposed to help you. Mister- I mean the prosecution said so." He looks up at me like a sad puppy. It'd almost be cute if he wasn't… Gumshoe.
Maya flashes a giant smile, "I'll help you name your rock if you help us!"
After a brief moment, Gumshoe's eyes light up and he smiles his wide-mouthed grin. Sometimes, I wish I was so easily pleased. And how'd Maya get so good at getting stuff out of Gumshoe anyway? Not like it's actually hard or anything…
"You got yourself a deal, pal! You guys ready for this? You're not going to believe this case!"
I hold my breath, grabbing the sides of my blue pants with sweaty palms. This is it. This is what's going to help me get down to the bottom of this case, "Go on, Gumshoe."
He lifts his hands as if he's about to tell a scary story, "The victim, a student named Nata Otherone… fell off her balcony!"
His hands drop and his eyes continue to shine with glee. From Maya's silence, I can tell I'm not the only one disappointed, "…That's it?"
"Oh, there's more of course, pal. I just wanted to water the taste buds a bit."
Again. Why?
Gumshoe continues, not at all fazed by my reaction, "So Nata was rooming with her friend Minnie on the top floor of the dorms. At midnight, all the students were participating in the annual Finals Week Scream-a-thon. During the three minute scream-fest, Nata got into an argument with Minnie. Minnie, in a fit of range, kicked Nata on her right cheek with her stiletto. The two ran out onto the balcony, where Minnie pushed Nata over. The body was reported being seen falling at 12:03, right about where the scream-a-thon was scheduled to end. Here's the autopsy report."
I had better keep the autopsy report safe. I'm going to have to file it into the Court Record later, anyway. To be honest, though, the incident sounds gruesome. Falling from the top floor of a dorm after being kicked by your best friend doesn't sound very pleasant. And what is this 'Scream-a-thon'? It must have started after I left. Chances are, some stupid student thought it was a great idea to have the whole school scream out their balconies at midnight before finals. What an idiot, "So Gumshoe, what happened after Nata was pushed? When were the authorities contacted?"
Gumshoe looks down sadly, "Well… since she was pushed down nearing the end of the scream-a-thon, people were still outside on the balconies. Obviously, they kept screaming, but for a different reason. And the student in Dorm 108 reported the murder at about 12:05."
There is one thing that seems strange about the whole ordeal though, especially about the architecture of the dorm building, "Just a question Gumshoe. The dorm building is built so that it resembles a semicircle from above. Doesn't that mean that the other students could have looked to the side and seen the crime?"
"Oh, it's not that simple, pal. Y'see, Nata lived in Dorm 508. There are sixteen dorms per floor. Odds are on the north side of the building, and evens on the south. So, I guess students on the fifth floor could see her. The thing is, 508 is smack dab in the center of the building, so the students in floors below couldn't catch a good view of her, and the majority of the students on the fifth floor were attending a party of sorts in Dorm 507, on the opposite side of the building. That, or they were on a different floor at the time. After all, it's not fun to study alone." He chuckles like he actually made a joke.
"I see. Thanks, Gumshoe. I guess I should go check out the crime scene and dig up more information on the party, then. Where can I find it?"
"Nata fell almost completely straight down. She landed almost right outside the large sliding door window of Dorm 108."
"Thanks Gumshoe!" Maya hugs him. "I think you should name him… Rocky!"
By the way Gumshoe looks like he's about to jump up and down, I think he's pleased with it. I start to walk straight towards the dorm building, but Gumshoe is quick to stop me.
"Why're you so interested in this case, anyhow? It doesn't seem to have anything to do with you."
From the looks of it, Maya seems interested as well, "Forget it, Gumshoe. It's a long story."
May 29, 12:32 pm
Oppel Boarding School
Outside Dorm 108
From the chalk outline drawn outside the sliding door window of Dorm 108, I can tell that the scene of the crime was quite gruesome. Apparently, the first floor of the Dorm building is the only level that does not have a balcony. Instead, each dorm has a glass sliding door with curtains and a small, outstretched patio. The patios seem to extend considerably father out than the balconies- probably so it still gets sunlight instead of being blocked by all the floors above it.
Maya looks at me confused, "…Nick? Why is the chalk all messed up? It's on both sides of the patio fence… and it's not on the fence!"
Thinking about it now, it is kind of strange. Before I can reply, though, Maya jumps in, "Nick! Was Nata… cut in half by the fence?!"
The thought of it disturbs me, and for a moment I yelp. Maya looks terrified. There's just one problem with that theory, though. If Nata was indeed cut in half by the fence on her fall, she would have left blood all over it. Also, that would mean she would have to be falling extremely fast, considering the bluntness of the fence. "No, Maya. I think she fell partially on the fence. The autopsy report didn't say anything about being cut in half. It just says that she fell and hit the fence, breaking several bones on impact and dying immediately."
Maya looks relieved and disappointed, but I can't help but- wait a second. Disappointed? Why would Maya look disappointed?!
"I kind of hoped it would be more exciting."
Sometimes… I worry about this girl.
A quick scream breaks the silence and I once again find myself holding on to Maya. What? She's very comforting! It's not that strange… is it? The young man on the other side of the sliding door with its now-open curtains peers at us with frightened eyes. He looks like he's about to run away at any moment. I better show him my badge and hope he takes it well.
"Uh, hey… I'm Phoenix Wright, Defense Attorney. Can I ask you some questions?"
…I don't think he can hear me. And I don't think he's willing to open the glass sliding door either. He has messy brown hair, probably from just waking up, and he's wearing the boarding school's uniform. The school colors are white and blue, and he's dressed accordingly. There's the familiar dark blue slacks and overcoat with a neat button-up white shirt and a blue tie. I can't help but wonder why he would get into his uniform when there's no school today. Could it be that he doesn't realize there was a murder the night before?
"Um, Nick? Wasn't he the one that found the dead body? I'm pretty sure he knows."
Ack. Outsmarted by Maya of all people. I'm starting to feel ashamed. The look on Maya's face tells me I should probably pay more attention at hiding what I'm feeling. Maya starts climbing the fence and it takes frantic disapproval from both the boy and I to get her to stop, "Maya! Don't touch the fence! It's vital evidence! Besides, a person died on it!"
The boy shakes his head in utter terror. Finally, he slowly starts to open the glass screen door, "Please don't hurt me! You're- you're a lawyer, right?"
I nod my head and hold out a hand, "Phoenix Wright, Defense Atto-"
"MINNIE DIDN'T DO IT, I SWEAR! SHE COULDN'T HAVE!"
"O-okay. Please calm down." I wonder what this kid has to do with Minnie? I remember her saying something about having siblings…
"All right, I'll tell Nick not to bite. After all, he only does that with Ed-"
"Augh! So what's your name?"
The guy looks at me strangely as Maya ribs me. I swear I'm going to strangle her later.
"Um… my name is Mikey. Mikey Sloth. Um, I'm a student."
"According to the police report, you were the one that found the body," I start, "could you tell us exactly what you saw?"
Mikey nods hesitantly.
Okay, this is it. I'm finally going to find out the truth about what happened to Minnie! …Why isn't he saying anything, "Um… Will you tell us exactly what you saw?"
Mikey slowly nods again. What's wrong with this guy? "Well… at eleven o'clock or so I was studying for finals. It was late, and I didn't eat much earlier, so I was pretty hungry. I stock up on the 'Wright Way Lunches' that I get in stock."
"Wait," I cut in, "Did a woman wearing pink give it to you?"
Mikey looks at me confused, but slowly nods anyway. Maybe she has something to do with this case.
He continues, "They're bitter as defeat at the top, but sweet as victory at the bottom. Everyone at Oppel loves it around Finals time, but I ran out, so I got a packet of Cup Noodles instead and brought it to the Dorm Kitchen to microwave. By the time I got back to my dorm after eating, Nata was lying on the ground outside of my dorm with her right leg hanging on the railing of my patio fence! I called the police immediately after that."
His account sounds pretty solid, "And what time was that?"
"I don't know. Probably at like 12:05."
That checks in with Gumshoe's report. Maya gives Mikey a weird look, and then turns to me, "It took him more than an hour to finish a packet of Cup Noodles? At Eldoon's, I can down three of those giant salty bowls of noodles! This guy can't even finish one in that time?"
It is kind of strange. I guess Maya's nonstop hunger is useful after all, "Maya's right, Mikey. Why'd it take you so long to finish eating in the kitchen?"
He looks at me worriedly, and immediately the semi-transparent Psyche-Locks are back, this time clamping him with just one red lock. Why does it seem like everyone has something to hide?
"Um… I have to go. But, please! Help Minnie! I know she's not the killer! She couldn't have something like that! I would know. I'm… her boyfriend."
He's her WHAT?! I didn't think Minnie would go after this type of guy. This is surprising, to say the least, "I promise you I'll get an innocent verdict. This is personal, anyhow. We should be going to the Detention Center. Thanks for your help, Mikey."
He nods, closes the door, and rushes off. Suspicious little guy.
"Say, Nick," Maya wonders aloud as we walk away from the Dorm, "Do you know Minnie?"
I choose not to answer and keep walking.
May 29, 2:18 pm
Detention Center
Visiting Area
"Phoenix Wright?! Have you heard the good news? Finals week is cancelled!"
I stare at Minnie Cooper. Is this girl for real? She has her familiar fire-red hair but it's tied into two pigtails, and her Oppel Boarding School uniform has a giant yellow smiley-face button pinned on the left side of her stylish blue coat. Like all the girls at the boarding school, the slacks, short socks, and semi-formal black shoes are replaced with a blue skirt, long white socks to her knees, and semi-formal black high heels.
"Um… Minnie… do you know why Finals Week is cancelled?"
She stares at me confused, "…Mr. Goodman loves us?"
"Well… that's true, but that's not why. You're charged for the murder of Nata Otherone."
Her eyes widen, "WHAT?! But why would I kill Nata? I had better style, anyhow."
I cock my head to the side and take a sideways glance at Maya, who looks equally confused. This is not the Minnie that I remember, "Minnie? Are you okay? You don't seem the way that you were back in our first year at Oppel."
"What are you talking about?" She looks confused, "This is my first year at Oppel."
"What?!" I stare at her, not knowing what to say, "B-but… we almost dated! How can you forget your Feenie?!"
"… … … … … … …"
All this silence is making me nervous.
"Didn't you date my sister?"
Her… sister? I couldn't possibly have confused her with…
"Winnie Cooper. My sister. Flame red-hair in a bum? Slim and loves to swim? Hey, that rhymes!" She hums happily to herself. Now, I'm pretty sure it wasn't Minnie that I got along with. I already have Maya to play the role of the oblivious sidekick. She glares at me as if to say, "I'm not oblivious… whatever that means."
"So, uh… Winnie, I mean Minnie. How is your sister doing?"
"NICK!" Maya glares at me looking like she's about to slap me, "So the reason why you took this case was because you wanted to date Minnie?!"
"WHAT?! No! I just… I was wondering what happened to Winnie!"
Minnie tilts her head to the side and looks up, as if trying to remember something. I stand there, avoiding Maya's gaze, waiting for Minnie to respond. The guard at the corner of the detention center turns to look at us, "Hey, if you guys aren't actually talking, can you leave?"
Ack! Please tell me that Minnie's going to say something, "Hey Minnie! What were you going to sa-"
"She's a Prospector!" Minnie beams at us, childish glee bursting out of her. All this happiness is kind of overwhelming. I haven't seen anyone like this since… Pearl? Obviously, this isn't the girl I dated.
"A Prospector? Like someone who finds mineral objects?" I cock an eyebrow.
Maya suddenly looks excited, "Ooh! Maybe we can go to her and check what kind of mineral Rocky is!"
I wonder if I should break the news to her that Rocky is just a rock.
"That sounds about right," Minnie smiles, "She's always busy travelling all over the place, she must really love those minerals. I was always more of a gymnastics girl, myself." She beams again. Geez, does this girl have any other mode except for "Obnoxiously Clueless and Happy"?
"So, um, about the case…" I start.
"What case?" She smiles back, her eyes shine with innocence.
"The, uh, case that you're charged for murder?"
Maya jumps in, "They think you killed Nata!"
"What?! Why would I kill Maya? I have better style, anyway."
Where have I heard this before? "Anyway, can you tell us what happened that night? We need to know everything that went on so we can defend you. I am going to be your defense lawyer, after all. If not for you, for Winnie."
Minnie looks at me confused, but nods anyway, "Okay. So basically, at about 11:30 I go to the dorm right next door to mine. I… forget the number, but facing the hallway it's the dorm to my left."
That would be Dorm 506, I'm assuming.
"I'm just hanging out with my friend Cody. We study and talk and at about midnight we go out on the balcony and scream for a couple minutes. That's all that happened. I wasn't even in Nata's room at the time!"
Hmm, her testimony adds up with all the evidence that we got… but so far we don't have any besides the Autopsy Report, "So who's this 'Cody'? Does he live in the dorm next to you?"
She thinks a bit, and then responds, "Yeah. He lives next door. He's really sweet and wouldn't hurt a fly… really generous with food, too."
Maya's eyes light up. I better keep her away from him, "So, you were studying with him for about half an hour?"
She looks up and thinks for a bit, and then happily nods. Something tells me she's not telling the whole truth, but there's no Psyche-Lock, "All right, this is the last question, Minnie. Did you, or did you not kill Nata Otherone?"
Minnie hesitates for a minute and looks up to think about it. This is beginning to worry me. Does she have to think to remember if she killed someone? After a brief moment, she worriedly looks at me and says, "No."
It looks like that's all I'm going to get out of her. I should go back and investigate this Cody, and examine Dorm 508.
May 29, 4:22 pm
Dorm Building
Dorm 508
So this is the crime scene, huh? It looks a mess, so there was probably a struggle. No one else is in here, so I guess we can investigate all we want. Maya looks like a kid at a playground, I should probably make sure she doesn't touch anything, "Hey Maya. Watch out for evidence. You don't want to mess with anything."
She gives me a sad look, "Oh, Nick. You're no fun!"
"It's not about fun, Maya. It's about the case."
The dorm is pretty messy, with identical beds on the left and right side of the room and books all over the floor. There's a vase of wilted carnations lying on the desk to which is hugging the left wall. From the pictures and trophies, I can assume it's Nata's. The desk on the right wall seems to be Minnie's. It has gymnastic trophies, posters of a boy band, and… more wilted carnations? Hmm, seems both girls liked carnations. I better keep a note of that.
There's also one living, white carnation lying on the floor next to a black stiletto heel. It's incredibly tiny. I wonder if Minnie has really small feet. Also, why is the carnation on the floor the only living one?
"Maybe they only had enough water to water one of them!" Maya smiles at me, as if proud that she figured something out. I think I should keep her away from Minnie.
"I think that's all we're going to find here, Maya. Why do you think that there's one living carnation? Unless, they were bought at a different time, but who would just buy one carnation if Nata and Minnie seem to buy vases full of them?" The whole scene is really puzzling. I better go over everything I have.
Maya looks up at me eagerly, "So, so far we have the Autopsy Report, a Single White Carnation found on the ground of Dorm 508, Two Vases of White Carnations found on two different desks in Dorm 508, and Minnie's right-foot stiletto heel. Do you have any idea what went on here, Nick?"
"No… none of this seems like concrete evidence to accuse anyone, but I guess the only real suspect they have is Minnie." Nothing is making sense. The difference in stages of the flowers, the tiny heel, and motive of Minnie, or lack thereof. No one I've talked to has a reason to kill Nata. I guess I should go talk to Cody now.
"Come on, Maya. We're not going to find anything else, here, at least without Gumshoe."
Maya nods, "Let's go find someone to talk to, then. I'm sure they'll be more helpful than if you just try to figure things out on your own, Nick."
What's that supposed to mean?!
May 29, 4:53 pm
Dorm Building
Dorm 506
I guess I should knock on the door. After all, unlike Dorm 508, it's not open as a crime scene. I knock twice before a young man opens the door, staring me like I'm an alien, "Um… can I help you?"
"Hi, I'm Phoenix Wright, the defense attorney for Minnie Cooper? She said she stayed with you the night of the murder, and I thought we'd ask you a few questions. Is that okay?"
He looks as if he's contemplating, but eventually he nods and leaves the doorway, letting us walk in. Immediately, Maya gravitates towards the bed. I know she can handle herself, but frankly I'm a little worried she'll stop jumping on it if I don't stop her. This dorm seems different from Dorm 508. It's larger and more spacious, and only one bed lies on the right side of the room, identical to the others of course. There's a single desk at the left side of the room and a small bathroom separated by a partition from the rest of the dorm.
The young man leads me to the bed before closing the curtains and switching on the desk lamp. I sit on the bed next to Maya and he props himself on the desk, "I'm Cody, by the way, Cody Pendant. How can I help you?"
"So," Maya looks up at him inquisitively, "Minnie says that she was with you the whole night. Is that true?" She looks like she's trying to figure something out.
"Well, yeah," Cody begins, "Minnie and I are really close, so it wasn't a surprise when she came over at about 11:30 to study."
"Was it a surprise meeting or planned?" I ask.
"Oh, it wasn't planned. She just showed up to study and participate in the Finals Week Three-Minute-Scream-a-Thon."
As I dreaded, the semi-transparent chains began to wrap around Cody, forming a giant lock on his heart. Why can't anyone I talk to tell the full truth for once? I sigh and look at him, "Cody… tell us the truth."
He stares blankly at me, "What?"
"The meeting was planned, wasn't it?"
Maya looks at me, confused, "Is it another Psyche-Lock?" I nod.
Cody looks behind his shoulder and says, "Okay, you got me. She planned to come over and study."
The lock stays firmly on his chest. Obviously, I'm not getting anywhere, "So what were you doing before she came over?"
He thinks for a minute, "I think… I think I was getting hungry, so I was going to go to the kitchen, but before I left the fire alarm went off."
Maya perks up, "What? How come no one has mentioned this before?"
"Oh," Cody starts, "It was a false alarm. A small cooking accident or something. There wasn't a real fire, but there was lots of smoke and noodles all over the ground. I heard about it in the morning. It's been spreading all over the school from the Oppel Opal."
Hmm, a fire warning? "Do you think I could have that issue of the Oppel Opal please, Cody?"
"Oh, yeah, keep it." Cody rummages through his drawer, revealing a stack of newspapers before tossing an issue titled, 'Noodle Mayhem at 11:00!' at me. Just my luck, it hits me in the head.
Maya sighs, "Nick never was good at catching."
What do I look like, a dog? Although… something tells me that's not what she meant.
Cody turns back at me, "Anyway, so I ended up not eating. I decided to just go out and look at the stars. Minnie came over at about 11:30 and we just studied and talked for a while. Near midnight, we went out to scream for the scream-a-thon. That's when… I saw it."
"You saw… what?" I can tell he's getting uncomfortable. Could he be… a witness?
"Well… from my balcony, I can see Dorm 508 because of the curvature of the building. When I was outside earlier in the night, the balcony door was closed. When I came out with Minnie, the door was open. Also, there were two silhouettes facing each other and moving around. I remember thinking that maybe Nata was working out."
I stop him, "Does she normally work out at midnight?"
He stammers and shakes his head.
"Then why did you think that?" asks Maya.
He shrugs, and after a beat, continues, "We finished screaming and Minnie wanted to stay out, but when I turned around, I saw something happen. One of the figures was running frantically out to the balcony. I feared he or she was murderous, so I shoved Minnie back in the dorm and I locked the sliding door."
He looks visibly disturbed. The lock still stands, but I don't think I'm going to get much more out of him. His answers are all very vague, and by the looks of it, he doesn't seem to want to comply. I guess I'm just going to have to get it all out him in court tomorrow, "Are you a witness in tomorrow's trial?"
He nods, "Yeah, Mr. Wong briefed me earlier today."
Mr.…Wong? I wonder who he is. Nevertheless, he's looking really uncomfortable, I should probably go, "I'll talk to you tomorrow, then, Cody."
He nods and pulls out a lollipop from his pocket, "Hey little girl. Take this." He smiles the first real smile I've seen of him and Maya begrudgingly takes the treat from him.
"I'm not a little girl… but thanks anyway."
He shrugs and waves as we exit the dorm. I'm pretty sure this new evidence can help me break some Psyche-Locks.
May 29, 5:18 pm
Dorm Building
Dorm 108
"Oh, don't go in there!" Mikey's voice yells, "It's an absolute mess!"
Too late. By the time I hear him shouting down the hall, I've already opened his dorm room. It is indeed a mess. The two bunks are barely visible from all the sports equipment and books littering the ground. It's actually fairly gross, "What went on in here?"
Mikey grabs the back of his neck, embarrassed, "My roommate is a total slob. I hate when people come in our dorm, because they always judge me."
Poor kid, he doesn't seem like he has very much self-confidence. The one red lock is still attached to his chest. Looks like I better break it. "So, Mikey, can you recap what you said you were doing on the night of the crime for me?"
He glances at me nervously, "Um… sure. I was hungry at around eleven at night, so I went to get some Cup Noodles, since I was out of Ms. Starr's 'Wright Way Lunches'. After I finished eating, I came right back here and the first thing I saw was the dead body lying outside my patio door."
"Hmm, there's something about what you said that doesn't make sense." I look him in the eyes and I can see the droplets of sweat begin to form.
He looks at me frantically, "Um… what do you mean?"
Maya cuts in, "You couldn't have eaten at around eleven in the kitchen!"
"W-why not?"
"There was a cooking accident in the kitchen according to Cody Pendant at Dorm 506," I look at him, waiting for a reaction, "someone burnt something which set off the smoke alarm, and according to this issue of the Oppel Opal, there were noodles all over the floor."
Mikey jumps up and lets out a quiet yelp. After a brief moment, he looks at the ground and mutters, "You got me." Instantly, the red lock shatters, and the semi-transparent chains dissipate.
"So what really happened that night?" Maya asks with her finger on her chin.
Mikey looks up, like a sad puppy dog, "I… burnt the noodles. I forgot to pour water into the packet of Cup Noodles and I just stuck it in the microwave. It… burnt down and alerted the smoke alarm. I… was just so embarrassed. I ran out before they even came back to stop the fire alarm. Please don't tell anyone…"
Hmm… so Mikey was in the kitchen at around eleven, but he came back soon after. What was he doing between then and the time of the murder?
"Yo wazzup, my dawgs?!!"
Unfortunately, it looks like Professor Avery Goodman is here.
"Hey, Phoenix Bro, I appreciate you coming here and all, but I gotta ask you to leave. 5:30 is when all visitors not sleeping here have to bounce." There's still two Psyche-Locks attached to him, but it looks like there's nothing else I can do.
The trial's tomorrow and I still don't know everything that I should. I have a bunch of evidence and a few suspects, but there's still at least three Psyche-Locks at Oppel Boarding School, and I haven't even investigated the suspicious party at Dorm 507. Looks like I'll have to try to extend the trial tomorrow so I can have another investigation. The problem is… will I be able to pull that off?
To be continued…