Author's Notes: Seems like I have people following the story and adding it to their Favorites and I had a review to boot in the few days since posting the first chapter. So, here's the second chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter Two: Shock

[February 13, 8:01 AM, Brooks Mansion]

Amber stretched her arms to the ceiling after putting together some yogurt parfait with fruit and oats; a healthy meal to get through the photo shoot scheduled for later in the morning. With a cup of warm tea, she took her bowl of breakfast to the living room. Sierra and Nadia were laying in the vast doorway connecting the dining room to the living room, enjoying a couple treats she had given to each of them. Once she was comfortable, she reached for the remote on the coffee table and turned on the television, a breaking news flash coming on screen.

"The celebrity world faces a terrible shock and loss today. Actress and model Jessa Miller, twenty-six, was beaten and bludgeoned to death in her own home late last night. The crime has been classified as a homicide and an investigation is currently underway."

Amber nearly choked on her breakfast, shock running throughout her veins. Jessa is dead? Unbelievable. What the hell is going on here?

Her cell phone rang, and she looked to see that it was her manager.

"Trent?"

"Hey, love," replied a masculine voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm guessing you just saw the news?"

"I did."

"Please be careful when coming into the photo studio. The killer could be anyone, and I don't want that happening to you."

A slight smile formed on Amber's face. "I'll take precautions, good sir. Don't worry. I'm a big girl. I can hold my own. I'll see you at the studio."

"Still, be careful, okay? See you at the studio."

She ended the call and proceeded to finish her breakfast.

Let's hope these necessary precautions will keep me safe until this lunatic is caught.

[February 13, 9:34 AM, Wright & Co. Law Offices]

Phoenix sat at his desk with a cup of coffee, ready to pick up where he left off in his paperwork. Maya and Pearl sat on the couch and turned on the television, eager to find out more information regarding Amber's music video and latest album. The first thing they saw when the television came on was a breaking news flash.

"Twenty-six year old actress and model Jessa Miller was found dead in her home earlier this morning. Based on the brutality done to the victim, the police have classified this as a homicide."

Shocked looks formed on the faces of the spirit mediums, and Pearl tugged on Mystic Maya's clothing.

"Mystic Maya, will that happen to Amber too?"

Maya looked down at her. "I hope not, Pearly."

The phone on the desk rang, and Phoenix answered it. "Phoenix Wright speaking."

"Hey, pal! It's Gumshoe."

The defense attorney chuckled at the familiar voice of the clumsy detective. "What's going on?"

"Well, "I'm sure you've already seen it on the news. The death of Jessa Miller."

Phoenix glanced at the story airing on the television. "I saw it."

"Do you think you could lend us a hand and investigate? We could use some additional help, especially considering most of the other officers are trying to keep away the press and the paparazzi. They're out of control now that this murder has gone viral."

"Sure thing, Detective. We'll be right there. See you in a few."

He ended the call and stood up from his chair, straightening out his suit.

"Are we going somewhere, Mr. Nick?" Pearl asked.

"Yeah, Pearls. We're heading to the crime scene."

[February 13, 9:45 AM, Edgeworth Mansion]

At last, he finished folding up the last few pieces of clothing to pack for his trip overseas. After aiding in a case and helping his childhood friend in the process, Miles Edgeworth was ready to go back abroad and continue his studies. He was still somewhat shaken up over trying to figure himself out, and he hoped some more time abroad would help clear his mind and put him at ease of his insecurities.

His cell phone rang, and when he looked to see who it was from, he was surprised to see that it was Gumshoe.

"Hello? Edgeworth speaking."

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir! It's Gumshoe."

A slight hint of irritation began to course through his veins. "What is it, Detective?"

"We're in the process of investigating another murder. Do you think you could give us a hand at the crime scene?"

The prosecutor let out a small sigh. "Is it serious?"

"It's another celebrity homicide, sir, and it's a big one. Hold on a second. Ms. von Karma wants to talk to you."

He could hear the detective handing the phone to the woman he called his sister.

"Miles Edgeworth, come on down here," replied a familiar, stern, feminine voice. "Things are already out of hand, considering the victim in this case is a well-known celebrity and the story of her murder has already hit the press. The police have their hands tied trying to keep the paparazzi under control."

"What? You can't strike them all down with your whip, Franziska?" he asked with a chuckle.

She laughed sarcastically. "Very funny. Just get down here as soon as possible."

With those words, she ended the call on her end, causing him to look at his phone with another sigh.

Guess my overseas trip will have to wait until this case is solved.

[February 13, 10:23 AM, Miller House]

When Edgeworth got out of his car, he was greeted to a scene of chaos as he took notice of the police attempting to keep the paparazzi at bay of the crime scene. It was just like what Franziska told him; the scene was out of control, and the fact that most of the police officers were tied to keeping them out of the scene was hindering the investigation into the murder.

Behind the crime scene tape surrounding the perimeter of the yard, he saw Franziska and Gumshoe chatting with Phoenix, Maya and Pearl, and made his way over to join them.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Miles Edgeworth," Franziska stated with a small smile.

A giddy look formed on Pearl's face. "Mr. Edgeworth!"

"Yes! It's good to see you again!" Maya said with an energetic smile.

Gumshoe patted the prosecutor's shoulder. "Great to see you, sir!"

"As nice as it is to have the group back together, we better get down to the business at hand," Phoenix stated, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Edgeworth nodded. "Agreed. What do we know?"

"The victim is Jessa Miller, a famous actress and model," Gumshoe replied. "She was brutally beaten to death by a blunt object; struck multiple times in the head until her skull was fractured."

"Who found her body?" Phoenix asked.

Gumshoe gestured in the direction behind the young defense attorney towards a man talking to a couple officers. "Jaden Michaels, her manager. He went to check on her when she didn't return his phone calls in regards to a photo shoot."

A police officer approached the group, breaking their discussion round. "Detective Gumshoe, forensics have finished combing the scene. You're clear to investigate."

"Maya, Pearls and I can talk to Jaden," Phoenix suggested. "You guys can go on ahead and investigate the scene."

Once the defense attorney and spirit mediums parted ways with the group, the others made their way inside Jessa's house to reenact the scenario that occurred.

"Did she have a security camera?" Edgeworth asked, taking notice of a small camera installed in the corner above the doorway.

"We checked the footage on her laptop," Gumshoe replied. "The camera caught someone hiding under a hood knocking Jessa out with a blunt object."

Franziska examined the outline that was drawn around the body. "So, the killer makes a sound of some sort, which would catch her attention, and when she opens the door to investigate," she turned around, looking at Edgeworth standing in the doorway, "he makes his move."

"Once she's down on the floor," Edgeworth slowly walked towards the outline, "he pins her down, and then proceeds to bludgeon her to death until she dies."

"There's been two other cases that came up in the past month," Gumshoe pointed out. "Like Jessa, they were both bludgeoned to death. The first victim was Kiley Prescott, and the second was Naomi Rollins. Both women were models, but neither of them were as famous as Jessa."

"Based on that information, we may have a disturbed serial killer on the loose here," Franziska stated.

Edgeworth glanced at the paparazzi through the window and shook his head. "They're already dubbing Jessa's murder the biggest celebrity homicide in history, and it only means one thing."

Franziska swung her trusty whip at him, striking him. "What does it mean, Miles Edgeworth?"

"The world will be watching," he replied.

The three of them went outside, reuniting with Phoenix, Maya and Pearl.

"What did you find out?" Edgeworth asked.

"Jaden spoke to Jessa on the phone last night just minutes before she was killed," Phoenix replied. "They talked about a photo shoot for a project she was starring in, and she was supposed to be in this morning to discuss scheduling."

Edgeworth nodded. "We better dig deeper into the previous crimes and then put the pieces together at the precinct."

[February 13, 1:04 PM, Stylish Portraiture, Dressing Room 3]

Amber was sitting in a director's chair as a makeup person dolled her up, her face and neck pampered in foundation and powder. She had spent the last couple hours in different outfits and doing different poses for pictures to promote her new album, and it was time to refresh and recharge for another round.

As she was allowing herself to relax, she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door swung open, revealing a familiar face with a huge grin on his face accompanied with short pale hair and brown eyes. He wore typical business attire, and he held a couple grocery bags.

"Good afternoon, good sir Trent," she greeted with a smile. "Is that food I see?"

"Yes it is, my lady," he replied as he set the bags down on the table. "Caesar salad with fruit on the side."

Her smile widened. Though Trent had been her manager for only two years, they complemented each other personality wise, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She felt a pat on her shoulder from the makeup person.

"I'm going to go take a break for a bit. That should give you some time to eat. I'll be back, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

With that, the makeup person left, leaving her alone with Trent.

"I heard the photo shoot is going well thus far," he stated, pulling out a salad bowl, a bowl of fruit and a bottle of water, handing it to her.

She popped open the bottle, took a sip, and then began to get into her food. "So far, so good."

"I will say that I am excited about the new album. What got you to go in this direction of a darker theme?"

"I guess I wanted to try something new," she replied with a slight shrug. "The majority of the songs from my previous albums had a happy and encouraging tone. I figured if I switch it up and delve into a darker tone, I could really hit the hearts of my fans.

"All I can do is hope the album is successful in the end."

Trent leaned in towards her, placing his elbows on the table.

"Considering how successful your latest single has been, this album will shoot to number one in no time and you'll be the main attraction of the music and celebrity industry."

Amber giggled in delight. Trent's ability to be a clown always made her smile.

"We'll just have to wait and see, good sir."

[February 13, 7:30 PM, Criminal Affairs Department]

The group was gathered around a round table, each one of them looking over files and information. After a long day of investigating and helping the police deal with the persistent press and media stalking their every move, they were finally able to sit down and put the pieces they gathered together.

"So, what do we all know thus far?" Maya asked.

"Well," Phoenix began. "All three victims were celebrities, and they were all bludgeoned to death with a blunt object of some sort. There's no witnesses, no physical evidence or DNA left behind at any of the crime scenes."

"Kiley Prescott was killed jogging on a well-known path in the park, which she did every morning," Edgeworth stated. "Naomi Rollins was killed outside a salon, which she went to every Saturday, and Jessa Miller was killed in her own home."

"My guess is we're dealing with a meticulous killer here," said Franziska. "He knows how to blend in, and judging by the crime scenes of each victim, he follows them for a while and studies their habits."

"How are we going to catch this guy without any witnesses or solid evidence to rely on?" Maya asked.

"It's a game of cat and mouse. We chase him until we catch him," Edgeworth replied.

"Excuse me?"

The group looked to see a man in his mid thirties with short, pale hair, brown eyes and wearing a business suit, holding a tabloid magazine in his hand.

"Is there a Detective Gumshoe here?"

The detective stood up from his seat. "That would be me, pal."

"My name is Trent Ashford. I'm an entertainment manager. You're investigating the Jessa Miller case, correct?"

Gumshoe nodded in response.

"Is there a place we can talk in private?"

"It's okay. We're all working this case," Franziska replied.

Trent nodded in response. "Okay. I have a client waiting in the other room. She received a message just recently and she freaked out. I brought her here and told her everything would be okay."

"Where's the note?" Phoenix asked.

Trent handed him the folded up magazine, and Phoenix opened it to see a message written over the article of Jessa's murder, and read it out loud for the others.

"Jessa is dead. You were the one who instigated this. You ruined me. I will ruin you."

Shock flowed through the group, and Phoenix handed the magazine to Gumshoe.

"Can you call your client in?" Franziska asked.

Trent nodded and went into the waiting room. A minute later, he returned with his client following behind him. Shocked looks formed on their faces when they saw that the client in question is none other than Amber Brooks, save for Edgeworth and Franziska. They glanced at each other, speechless, with Edgeworth's throat going dry. When she saw them, she paused and felt her heart stop dead in its tracks.

Oh my God. I don't believe it. It's really him.

End Notes: The next chapter will be out within a few days. Check back!