"And that's why we're here now," said the former lawyer. His face fell.
"Because I presented a forged diary page."
"And Trucy?"
"She's been there for me this whole time."
"Even though she was the one who gave you the page?" Phoenix expression turned grim. He faced her head-on.
"I know she's not involved with Kristoph." Maya jumped inside. He gazed out of the window.
"She's only 10 years old and yet, she's already a great magician."
"You're a dad. Just proves how old you are."
"I'm only 27!" Phoenix glared daggers at her. She started laughing.
"Well, that doesn't stop you from dressing in an old man's shady getup! A hoodie with a disgusting beanie!" She was now crying between her giggles. Several heads turned. Phoenix pulled the beanie over his eyes to hide his shame.
"Some things never change."
Edgeworth felt as though his calm demeanor was deserving of praise. He was gently tapping his finger.
"Mr. Shields, you're most likely wondering why I brought you here."
"Well Miles, I can deduce that you want to introduce me to a client, but alas I…" He trailed off. "Why are you giving me that glare? Can't you tell I'm pretending to be you?"
"Mr. Shields… This is serious." His cheerful expression faded into a glum countenance.
"What happened Miles?"
Before he could answer the question, the guard opened the door and escorted the suspect.
"Kay!" Ray raised his hands defensively. "For real?"
"Mr. Shields! Mr. Edgeworth! You guys came!"
"How are you holding up? Are the guards mistreating you?"
"The interrogations have been harsh, but other than that, it's fine. If only Gummy was in charge of interrogating me. I'm sure that he couldn't be as scary as those guys!" She laughed loudly before trailing off. Edgeworth and Ray's faces were dead serious.
"I'll do it." Edgeworth stared at the seasoned attorney, wide-eyed. "I'll defend her."
"M-mr. Shields. Y-you haven't even listened to my story and yet, you want to defend me?" She rubbed her eyes. Tears itched at her eyelids.
"I believe in you. And when I get you out, how about we celebrate with a hug! Uncle Ray's treat."
"No." Ray grimaced.
"Mr. Shields. There's something else I want to bring up. The prosecutor assigned to this case is Franziska von Karma." Ray grit his teeth.
"Von Karma." Ray's voice was slow and rough. Edgeworth crossed his arms. A single bead of sweat trickled down the side of his forehead.
"Mr. Shields, keep in mind that she helped us stall Patricia Roland's trial."
"Only so she could extend her perfect trial record." Edgeworth sighed. He wouldn't try to defend her. Her firm refusal to fix her reputation always irked him. Alas, there was nothing he could do about it.
"I wish you luck. Franziska is a stubborn one." Ray nodded.
"So Kay, what happened?" He clapped his hands, smiling widely.
"I-I was walking around when I found a corpse in an alleyway. That's all I know!" Edgeworth crossed his arms.
"Hmm. That isn't very true. It was just another road in the city."
"Tsk, they're the same thing! And besides, when did you see the crime scene?" Edgeworth shut his eyes, wrinkling his brow.
"I decided to try and investigate the scene before coming here, but unfortunately, Franziska beat me to the punch. She barred me from entering the crime scene." Ray clenched his fists.
"She knows what will happen if you get the chance to investigate. She doesn't want us to win the case." Ray sighed.
"It's fine. As long as she doesn't bar me from investigating, things should be fine!"
"Don't worry Mr. Shields. She can't sit on the crime scene guarding it all day. And besides, I can investigate the case not as a prosecutor, but..." Edgeworth failed to suppress the smirk that crept onto his face. Ray flashed a knowing smile.
"Ready to be my assistant again Miles?"
"Heh. I look forward to it."
"Good luck in here, Kay. If von Karma does anything to you in the interrogation, make sure you tell us." Ray tipped his fedora. "To the crime scene, Miles!" He sprinted out.
"Good luck Mr. Edgeworth. Tell Mr. Shields I'll be careful!" She grinned widely. Edgeworth nodded solemnly.
"Be careful Kay… I know how taxing a detention center is on people." Edgeworth locked eyes with Kay. She flinched.
"Especially when they're hiding something in their heart."
The bright yellow caution tape cordoned off the small crime scene. Immediately upon arriving at the crime scene, they realized how run down the road really was. The road was cracked beyond belief and several potholes dipped into the road. In one such pothole, the white outline of a silhouette marked the corpse.
The building beside them was a plain white building with odd graffiti plastered on its surface and several cracks running up the wall.
"This is certainly a rather… run-down section of town."
"M-Mr. Edgeworth, sir!"
"Detective Gumshoe! What have you found?" Gumshoe winced.
"Not even a hello… that's Mr. Edgeworth."
"C' mon Miles! That's cold." Edgeworth sighed. He scrunched his face.
"How are you doing, detective?" Edgeworth's eyes shifted from side to side. Gumshoe's face brightened.
"I'm doing great, sir! Better than ever!" Edgeworth fidgeted with his hands.
"Errmm, why is that?"
"I went on a date with Maggie last night!" Edgeworth sighed.
"How rude! You made her pay for the meal?"
"N-no, you have it wrong! I used the raise you gave me to buy noodles for the date!"
"That's wonderful, detective. If you don't mind, could you please fill us in on Franziska's investigation?" Gumshoe leaned over, disheartened.
"She kicked me out during her investigation," Edgeworth's eyes widened. Ray breathed in deeply.
"Well, we need to investigate the case while we can. Miles, are you ready?" Ray smiled widely.
"I'm afraid I can't stick around Mr. Shields." Edgeworth turned away. "I need to talk to Franziska. Detective Gumshoe, please assist Mr. Shields in every way possible."
"Yes, sir!"
"I am once again in your debt detective." The esteemed prosecutor stepped away.
"So, err, are you going to investigate, sir?" The detective rubbed the back of his neck. The lawyer nodded.
"Of course. We need all the evidence we can get for Kay's sake. And… I don't know what Miles is thinking, but I'll trust him."
"Why am I not surprised that you were the one behind that… incident." He sneered.
"You have no evidence to prove that in court. But even if you did, you wouldn't, would you? You're pleased by this turn of events." The blonde man adjusted his glasses, causing the light to reflect off of the lenses. A smile curved onto his face.
"He's never going to hinder my operation again."
"That begs one question. Why would you call me here? If you really wanted to bring up that case, I'm certain there are others you could speak to."
"There's quite a simple answer to that, Kristoph. It's that I need you for something else." The man's grinned a wolfish grin. Even the hardened defense attorney was taken aback. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple.
"You'll see what I mean soon enough."
A/N: Oh my goodness! I'm completely blown away by the number of reviews last chapter. I appreciate all of your feedback!
I apologize for the short chapter and I appreciate all of the support! I'll try and update this story more often.
Cheers,
Muhammad Sban