Chapter 3
March 18, 2019
Street
12:32 AM
Edgeworth lay spread-eagled on the pavement. A small crowd was gathered around him, made up of paramedics and detectives. "Sir! Wake up sir!" yelled Detective Gumshoe, just arriving in his car. He nearly tripped fumbling with his umbrella while running towards Edgeworth. The umbrella opened, poking an investigator in the eye. Gumshoe paid no attention to it, instead kneeling down to shake Edgeworth awake. At the sound of Gumshoe's pleading, Edgeworth's eye's sprung open, and he quickly sat up, being poked by Gumshoe's umbrella.
"What happened?" said Edgeworth, getting up from the street.
"You were at a red light, and a body fell from above and ruined your car!" Gumshoe explained.
Edgeworth jumped back. "What did you just say?!"
"A body, sir!" Gumshoe said. "It's totaled your car!"
Edgeworth rubbed his temples. "Is is salvageable?"
Gumshoe placed is hand behind his neck, nervously scratching his head. "Well, we haven't gotten the autopsy report yet."
Edgeworth crossed his arms. "No, you fool, my car. Is it salvageable?"
Gumshoe lit up. "Of course, sir. Your car will be fixed in no time! The body came down from an apartment above, and it hit your windshield. Luckily, that and your windshield wipers were the only things that will need to be replaced."
Edgeworth was relieved. He adored his sports car. "How has the initial investigation been going?"
"Well, we haven't removed the body or the car from the scene yet, so we've been examining those." Gumshoe said. "We also have investigators at the apartment above, spealing with the neighbors of the victim."
"Good." Edgeworth tapped his index finger on the side of his head. "Have you identified the victim?"
Gumshoe flashed an ID card. "Yes sir, his name is Graham Cartlon. He had his driver's license with him."
Edgeworth held the card in his hand. The man was quite handsome, and he looked like a true party-goer. In the picture he was cool and calculated, but in his current state, his tie was untied, and his hair was ruffled. It was clear he had been drinking. "Are we sure that he was pushed?"
"Well, I don't see any other way he could have gotten down here, the neighbors say that he was a happily married guy, so it probably wasn't suicide."
"Objection!" Edgeworth's words echoed down the dark streets. "As you can clearly see, Mr. Carlton was intoxicated. It's very probable that he fell in a drunken stupor!"
Gumshoe looked at the ground. "B-but sir… We have a witness that testified to him being pushed."
"Why didn't you say this before?" Edgeworth asked. "Where is this witness?"
"She's in the apartment right now."
"Why is she at the crime scene?" Edgeworth inquired. "Shouldn't she be down here?"
"Well," said Gumshoe "she lives there."
Victim's Apartment
12:41 AM
Outside the crime scene, Edgeworth and Gumshoe made their way past the complaining tenants and shouting children to reach the victim's suite above. The apartment was a marvel. The party-going attitude of the victim definitely matched his living space. The suite was complete with a bar and billiards table, along with a large window, now in pieces far below. The witness was the victim's wife, Lolita Carlton. She was clad in a cocktail dress, with a drink in her hand, and her coat over her shoulders, but not with her arms in the sleeves.
"Are you the one in charge around here?" she asked.
Gumshoe perked up. "Yes, I am."
She shook her head drunkenly. "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to the posh gentleman here."
Edgeworth decided not to respond to that, and began the questioning. Meanwhile, Gumshoe meandered around, rummaging through the fridge. She testified that she was on her way home with groceries, and saw her husband pushed out of the window.
"I was walking home with some food, and I saw Graham get pushed out by a man!"
"Objection!" This made Gumshoe jump back from the fridge, only for him to start rummaging again.
"Do you expect me to believe that you bought groceries late at night with a cocktail dress?" Edgeworth shook his head. "Tell me the truth."
"Fine" she mumbled. "I was coming back from the club. Graham doesn't like me going out alone, but since he had company, I decided to split."
"What sort of company did Mr. Carlton keep?"
"Nobody special." Lolita said. "But I didn't know the guy this time. I think he worked with him or something."
"Where did your husband work?"
"He's a club owner. At the nightclub down the street."
"Detective Gumshoe!" Gumshoe jumped back again. "I want you to pay a visit to Mr. Carlton's place of business."
"Yes sir!" Gumshoe departed, racing down the stairs and around the block to the club. Edgeworth looked out the missing window at the Los Angeles skyline. Things were well on their way to making sense. But he pondered, what was it that he had slipped on earlier? It wasn't raining yet, and by now, the puddle is long gone, replaced by the Spring rainwater.
