Author's note: And, I'm back, guys! I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter, but WOW id writer's block hit me hard. I know exactly where I wanna go with this story from here, but trying to find ways to keep the dialogue between characters interesting is a real pain in the Butz. I'm hoping next chapter will be a bit better, because I have notes on all the events in right now, along with a few lines of dialogue that I'll be sure to work in.

As always, guys, feedback is greatly appreciated! I feel like my writing improves a bit when people give me critique and ideas. So don't be shy about tossing some ideas my way, telling me how I could improve something, or even just telling me that you love the story!

Now, I've kept you guys waiting long enough, here's chapter 7!


June 14
12:26 PM
Office of Dr. Vince

Apollo and Athena arrived at the vet's office and stepped inside to see several people, all with their pets. There was a woman with a parrot on her arm, a man with large bags under his eyes who had a cage in the seat next to him that said 'Rigby', and another man with a large snake draped around his shoulders. Athena glanced at the snake and visibly shuddered before taking a step away and hiding behind Apollo.

"Huh? Something wrong, Athena?" He asked.

"Ummm, I-I… don't like snakes very much." She stuttered out.

Apollo held back a chuckle. "Snakes, huh? I figured you had to be afraid of something, but never guessed snakes."

She punched him in his good shoulder as they made their way to the reception desk.

The receptionist looked up at them. "Oh, Mr. Justice. It's good to see you. I assume you're here to pick up Icarus?"

Apollo nodded. "Yeah. I hope he wasn't any trouble."

The receptionist smiled and shook her head. "Not at all. He was very kind and playful, even as tired as he was."

Apollo smiled. "Yeah, that sounds like him alright."

The receptionist picked the phone up from the receiver. "Give me just a moment, Mr. Justice." She keyed in a number. "Hello, Dr. Vince? Mr. Justice is here to pick up Icarus. Yes. Ok. Really? Ok then." With that she hung up and turned her attention back to Apollo. "He would actually like you to meet him in his office for a moment." She then gave them the directions to the veterinarian's office.

"Alright, thank you." Apollo said as he began to walk to the doctor's office. He and Athena finally came to the door and Athena excitedly knocked on it.

"Come in!" They heard a man's voice from the other side, followed by a bark

Athena turned the knob and they stepped inside. Almost immediately, Apollo was attacked by Icarus.

"Icarus!" He cried, kneeling down to the dog's level and petting him. "I'm so glad you're okay, buddy! You had me worried." Icarus barked excitedly.

Athena smiled at the two, then heard a young man chuckling. She looked up to see a man, who looked to be in his mid-20's, with brown hair and square glasses on his face. He was clothed in a white lab coat.

"He's been riled up like this all day. Mr. Justice, I assume?" The man spoke.

Apollo stopped petting Icarus for a moment to look at the man, he then stood up and extended his hand to him. "Yeah, that's me. And this is Athena. I hope you don't mind that she came back here with me."

Dr. Vince smiled and shook Apollo's hand. "Not at all. Icarus seems to be a 'the more the merrier' type of dog."

Apollo smiled. "That's an understatement, doc."

Dr. Vince chuckled. "Now, onto business. There is a reason I asked for you to come back here."

"Is there something we should still be worried about with Icarus?" Athena asked, beating Apollo to the punch.

Dr. Vince shook his head and adjusted his glasses. "No. Icarus will be fine. He just needs to eat the special food we've prepared for him." He fumbled with the clipboard in his hand, flipping over several pages. "No, I wanted to talk to you about the cause of his condition. As I'm sure Mary told you yesterday, he was suffering from food poisoning and I had to pump his stomach. Looking over the contents, I actually found something… troubling, to say the least."


June 14
12:34 PM
Peppa Cinni's, Interior

Phoenix, Maya, and Gumshoe all stepped into the pizza place, shocked to see how crowded it was.

"Yikes. I figured it would be busy, but this is crazy. We definitely need to talk to the manager, but that may not be so easy." Phoenix said, looking around the crowded restaurant.

"We could always order something and ask an employee." Maya said, excitedly looking over the menu hanging above the register.

Phoenix slumped forward. "Maya, we don't have the time or the money for that. Right, Gumshoe?" He asked, turning towards the detective.

"Er, actually, I could eat, pal. How about we all grab a bite here? My treat!" Gumshoe exclaimed.

Phoenix and Maya looked at the detective as if he'd grown a second head.

"Uh, did I say something weird, pal?"

Phoenix attempted to speak. "Uh, well, it's just, you know, you usually don't have uh-"

Gumshoe chuckled. "Oh, I get it. You think I'm broke, don't you? Nothing to worry about, pal! I've actually had my salary raised several times over the years! Mr. Edgeworth's been real impressed with me lately."

Maya was awestruck. "Wow, you've been getting RAISES, detective? Does that mean you're off the instant noodle diet?" She asked as they all took a seat at a table.

"Well," Gumshoe started. "It's less of a diet now, and more of an addiction. The stuff grows on ya after a few years."

Phoenix chuckled. "That stuff'll kill you, detective."

Gumshoe scratched the back of his head as he looked over the menu. "Yeah, I know, pal. Maggey's trying to help me quit the stuff." His smile dropped after mentioning his wife's name.

"Gumshoe, cheer up." Maya said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get her out tomorrow."

"She's right, detective. I'm certain all the evidence we need is somewhere in this pizza place."

"Y-ya really think so, pal?" Gumshoe asked.

Phoenix nodded. "Yes. I do."

Gumshoe smiled as a waiter strode up to their table. "Hey there, guys! My name's Tommy and I'll be your server. What can I get you guys to drink?"

"Lemonade for me." Phoenix said.

"A Coke would be great, pal!"

"Make that two Cokes!"

Tommy jotted their order down. "Alright, guys, I'll be right back with your drinks!"

Gumshoe turned to the two. "So what sounds good, pals?"

Maya beamed. "I wanna try the cheeseburger pizza!"

"Maggey says that one's pretty popular. But the best-selling thing here is the pepperoni. She says the chef makes the pepperoni himself with a recipe he won't even tell the owner."

"A secret pepperoni recipe? Now I've heard everything." Phoenix said as Tommy returned.

"Here's your drinks, guys!" He said, placing the drinks in front of them. "Have you decided on your order?"

"Yeah, I think so, pal. We'll have a personal pan cheesebur-" Gumshoe cut himself off when he saw Maya's face drop at the mention of a "Er, uh, make that a medium cheeseburger," Maya's smile instantly returned. "And a large pepperoni."

Tommy jotted this down. "Alright, one medium cheeseburger and one large pepperoni. Anything else before I go?"

"Yes actually." Phoenix said as Tommy turned to leave. He flashed his badge at Tommy. "My name's Phoenix Wright. I'm a defense attorney, and I'm currently representing one of your co-workers."

Tommy thought for a moment. "Oh, yeah, Maggey! I heard about what happened. I don't think for a second that she did it."

"Then maybe you could help out my investigation. I'd like to speak with the manager, if possible. She may be able to help me."

Tommy wrote something down in his notepad. "So, you wanna talk to Miss Cinni? I'll see what I can do, man. Is that all?"

Phoenix nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"Wow." Maya said. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone so responsive to your badge."

Phoenix slumped forward. "You couldn't let me have this one moment, Maya?"

"Nope!" She said, bringing her soda to her mouth.


June 14
1:07 PM
Apollo Justice's Apartment

Apollo opened the door to his apartment and led Icarus inside, who immediately jumped onto his favorite spot on the couch. Apollo smiled at his furry friend as Athena entered the apartment.

"I bet it's nice to have him home, huh Apollo?" She asked, walking over and rubbing the dog's belly.

Apollo smiled as he watched his girlfriend pet his dog. "You have no idea." He said, walking into the kitchen to grab a soda.

Athena joined him, grabbing a bottled water from the fridge. "I wonder what the boss is up to." She said as she sipped from the bottle.

"Well…" Apollo said, thinking for a moment, sipping from his can. "If I were him, my first stop would have been the pizza place."

Athena poked his gut. "Really? I think you've eaten out enough lately. You're gonna get fat."

Apollo shot her an annoyed look. "Not to eat. To investigate. Clearly the best thing to do at this point would be to interview the employees."

Athena pondered this for a moment. "I guess you're right. But I bet you anything they're sitting down and having pizza right now."

"Anything, huh?" Apollo asked, putting his soda on the counter. "Name your terms."

Athena thought for a moment, fiddling with her earring before putting on a wide grin. "Alright, if they're eating right now, you have to go with me on my next morning run!"

Apollo grimaced at the thought, but nodded. "And if they're investigating?"

Athena fiddled with her earring again, thinking. "If they're actually investigating, then I'll pay for us to go to whatever dumb movie you want!"

Apollo thought this over for a moment. "Snacks too?"

"Sure, if you don't mind sneaking them in."

"Hmmmm," Apollo put his finger to his forehead before holding out his hand. "You're on."

The two shook on it as Athena whipped out her cell phone and dialed her boss's number, putting the call on speaker phone.

It took three rings before they got an answer. "Wright speaking."

"Hey boss! How's it going?" Athena asked, Apollo listening closely to the call.

"Oh, it's going good I guess. We're just starting to investigate the pizza place." Athena sighed as she watched Apollo pump his fist into the air.

"O-oh, so you're already investigating?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're- hey, that was my slice, Maya!" Phoenix cried from the other end. The two faintly heard Maya in the background. "Ya snooze ya lose, Nick!"

"Huh?" Apollo stopped celebrating.

"Boss? Are you guys… eating?"

"Oh, c'mon, Maya! You had your own pizza all to yourself! Oh, uh, yeah, we decided to have a bite before we really started the investigation."

Athena turned to Apollo and stuck her tongue out at him.

"What about you and Apollo?" Phoenix asked. "Did you get Icarus home from the vet?"

Apollo sighed and spoke up. "Yeah. We just got back to my place a second ago. In fact, when we were at the vet, we actually learned something that may help your case."


June 14
1:12 PM
Peppa Cinni's, Interior

"Help our case? How?" Phoenix asked, his curiosity piqued.

There was silence on the other end for a moment before Apollo spoke again. "Well, the vet kept Icarus overnight, as you know. But he went through the contents of his stomach too and found what caused his condition."

"Apollo, I'm eating. I really don't wanna hear about what the vet found in your dog's stomach." Phoenix said, noticing Gumshoe suddenly put a slice of pizza down.

"Oh, you'll wanna hear this." Apollo said, Phoenix hearing him pull out a piece of paper. "According to Dr. Vince, the cause was a certain type of pepper. It's apparently dangerous to eat when not prepared correctly. And as it turns out, it was more than food poisoning. Icarus was paralyzed for some time."

"Paralyzed? By a pepper?" Phoenix mulled over this information for a moment. "I guess I see how that's strange, but how does it help our case?"

"Because," Apollo started. "He found the remains of that pepper mixed with a slice of pepperoni. And I fed Icarus a slice of pepperoni the night of the murder."

Phoenix's eyes went wide. "Wait, so do you think the victim may have been poisoned too!?" Gumshoe and Maya were now looking straight at Phoenix.

"It's a possibility. From what the vet told me, even if someone's been paralyzed by the effects of it, it's not very easy to detect it."

Icarus's Condition added to the Court Record

"I see. Thanks, Apollo. This may just give us a lead." Phoenix said, pushing his plate away.

"Not a problem, Mr. Wright. Let me know if you need any help with anything."

"Will do, Apollo." Phoenix then hung up and looked around the table at his companions.

"Uh, what was that all about, pal?" Gumshoe finally asked.

"That," Phoenix started, stuffing his phone into his pocket. "Was exactly what we needed."

"Whadya mean, Nick?" Maya asked, sipping on her soda.

"You'll see. Hey, Tommy!" Phoenix cried, trying to get their server's attention.

"Oh, hey guys! Do you need something?" Tommy asked, returned to the table.

"Just the check, please. Also, did you speak to your manager?" Phoenix asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! When I told her you were Maggey's attorney, she told me to just have you guys head back to her office." Tommy said before telling them how to get to Miss Cinni's office and handing them the check.

"You guys have a nice day!" Tommy said as he ran off to another table.

"Well Maya, Gumshoe," Phoenix said, standing up from the table. "Shall we?"


June 14
1:19 PM
Peppa Cinni's, Manager's Office

Phoenix, Maya, and Gumshoe stood outside the door to the manager's office. Phoenix reached up and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Asked a thick Italian accent from the other side.

"Uh, my name's Phoenix Wright. I'm representing Maggey Gumshoe in court. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

"Oh, Signore Wright? Give me just a secondo!" The voice said. Some rustling was heard from the other side of the door before it opened to reveal short, round woman with brown hair. She wore a stereotypical chef's outfit and had small Italian flag pin attached to her hat.

"Ah, Signore Wright! Tommy spoke of you. Si accomodi! Come in!" She cried, pulling on Phoenix's arm, Phoenix fearing she may tear it clean off his body.

"Now, I understand you wish to talk to me about Maggey?" She said, releasing Phoenix from her death grip.

Phoenix adjusted his shoulder. "Uh, y-yeah. I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about what Maggey was up to before she left for the delivery on the night of the murder."

"Ah, si! Si! Signora Maggey behaved just as she normally does in between her deliveries." Peppa said.

"Normally, huh? Nothing strange at all?" Phoenix asked.

"Hmmm, well, during a slow time that night, I did ask her to go into the kitchen and help Mike with the pizzas. But, around 7:30, Mike threw her out, saying she was useless."

Hmmm, so Maggey worked in the kitchen for a while, huh? That may be worth keeping in mind.

"WHAT!? He called my wife useless!?" Gumshoe cried, stomping his foot on the ground.

Oh, signora Maggey is your moglie? Ah, you must be signore Dick! It is good to finally make your conoscente!"

"Uh, Nick? What's this lady saying?" Maya asked.

"Uh, I can only guess she's speaking Italian." Phoenix said, just as confused.

"Si, si! I am native of Italia. I often use words from my first language. Scuse, apologies!"

"Uh, n-no. It's alright Miss Cinni." Phoenix said. Is there anything else I should ask her about? Maybe I should ask her about the delivery itself.

"I understand you have a 30-minutes or less guarantee here on deliveries." Phoenix said.

"Ah, si! Never has a pizza been late. Mai, never!" Peppa cried happily.

"Never, huh? Does that include the night of the murder?" Phoenix asked.

Peppa glared at Phoenix briefly before pulling out a rolling pin and smacking him. "Idiota! When I say mai, I mean MAI!"

"OW! O-ok, I got it. The delivery was made on time. So, that would mean the pizza was delivered by 10:15."

"Si. Signora Maggey quite good at her job. Perhaps one of our best dipendenti, employees!" Peppa explained.

One of the best, huh? Never thought I hear someone say that about Maggey.

"It's true, pal. She's actually a senior delivery girl." Gumshoe explain proudly.

"Senior, huh? Sounds like the two of you have been pretty well off since your wedding." Phoenix said, smiling at the detective.

"Sure have, pal! Maggey's worked here for a couple years now, and according to Mr. Edgeworth, I may be getting another raise soon!" Gumshoe said happily.

Even the Goddess of Misfortune is in better financial shape than me. Well, should I ask Miss Cinni anything else? … Maybe she can tell me something about the victim.

"Miss Cinni-"

"Oh please, call me Peppa! I don't care for formalita, formalities!" Peppa cried, brandishing her rolling pin.

Phoenix flinched, his head still throbbing from the last smack. "Uh, o-ok. Peppa, I was wondering if you knew anything about victim, Miss Vicky Timms."

"Pah!" Peppa cried, swinging her rolling pin around. "That cagna! She come into my ristorante and threaten to shut me down!"

"Ow!" Maya cried as she was hit with the rolling pin. "Sh-shut you down? How could she do that?"

"Oh, that woman very annoying! She picky health ispetorre, inspector!" Peppa cried, still swinging away with her rolling pin.

"A health inspector? So, you'd dealt with the victim before?" Phoenix asked, narrowly dodging the rolling pin.

"Ah, si." Peppa said, finally calming down. "She come here several times, give us… Not so good health grade."

"So, the victim gave your restaurant poor health grades?" Phoenix asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Si. She very picky. Other ristorante owners in area have same problem." Peppa explained, batting her rolling pin into her hand.

A health inspector, huh. That could definitely be of note.

Vicky Timms's profile updated

"Thank you, Peppa. You've given us quite a bit of information to go on. Though, I have one last request."

"Hm? Yes, what is it, Signore Wright?" Peppa asked.

"I was wondering if you might allow to investigate the kitchen." Phoenix asked.

"La cucina? Whatever for?"

She's not going to like what I have to say, but she needs to hear it.

"The day of the murder, an employee of mine ordered a pizza from here. When he did, he fed a slice of pepperoni to his dog. That piece of pepperoni happened to have been poisoned with a dangerous pepper that can cause paralysis when not prepared properly."

"P-poisoned?!" Maya exclaimed.

"Paralysis!?" Gumshoe added.

Phoenix nodded. "Yes. That's the diagnosis the vet gave for Icarus. It may have a connection to the case.

"Veleno, you say? I find it hard to believe that Mike would use such a dangerous ingredient." Peppa mused, still holding her trusty rolling pin.

"Maybe he didn't. Perhaps this is all just a coincidence. But we won't know until we look."

"Hmmmmm." Peppa thought this over for a bit. "Very well. I will close early today so you may indagare, investigate the kitchen without worrying about Mike."

"Thank you, Peppa." Phoenix said, smiling.

"I will close… at 5 PM today, just for you. Come back around then, capisce?"

"Yes, we'll be sure to come back then. Thank you again."

That kitchen is going to tell us everything we need to know. Don't worry, Maggey, we'll have you out tomorrow, for sure!

To be continued…


Court Record

Evidence

Attorney's Badge: Proof of my profession. No one would believe I was a Defense Attorney without it!

Feather Clip: A clip that Maggey is always wearing in one way or another. Found at the crime scene covered in blood.

Notes on Timms: Timms always answered the door wearing a nightgown. Also never paid Maggey for her pizzas.

Peppa Cinni's Work Uniform: Gloves are required as a part of the pizzeria's uniform.

Autopsy Report: Time of Death: Between 10:30 and 10:45 PM. Victim bled out from head wound. Stomach was found to be inflamed.

Cheese Pizza: A plain cheese pizza from Peppa Cinni's. It went untouched by the Victim.

Muddy Footprints: Right footprints found in the Hallway at Fenway Apartments. Lead to the victim's door before turning around.

Peppa Cinni's Schedule: Monday-10:30 AM-10:30 PM Tuesday- Closed Wednesday- 10:00 AM-10:30 PM Thursday- 10:30 AM-11:00 PM Friday- 10:00 AM-11:00 PM Closed for the weekend!

Peppa Cinni's Menu: A menu from the pizzeria. Advertises a thirty minutes or less deal on delivery orders.

Threatening Letter: The envelope bears Maggey's fingerprints. Reads as such:

The final delivery will be made tonight. I will finally be rid of you. I expect the usual order.
~M

Icarus's Condition: Icarus was paralyzed when he ate a pepperoni that had traces of a dangerous pepper in it.

Profiles

Maya Fey: My former assistant and current girlfriend. Also the Master of the Kurain Channeling technique and a powerful Spirit Medium.

Athena Cykes: One of my employees. Has incredibly powerful hearing that allows her to here the emotions in a person's voice.

Apollo Justice: One of my employees. Has incredible eyesight that, when coupled with his special bracelet, allows him to notice a person's tell when they're lying.

Vicky Timms: The victim in this case. Murdered after ordering a pizza. She was apparently a picky health inspector who gave poor grades to local restaurants.

Maggey Gumshoe: The defendant in this case. Accused of murdering Vicky Timms after delivering a pizza to her. Hailed as the "Goddes of Misfortune."

Dick Gumshoe: Maggey's husband and a detective at the precinct. A bit absent-minded, but reliable when push comes to shove.

Simon Blackquill: The Twisted Samurai and the prosecutor for this case. He is never without his faithful feathered companion, Taka, or his trusty katana in court.

Ema Skye: A homicide detective who uses science to conduct her investigations. I once helped her when her sister was accused of murder.

Victor Kudo: A perverted old man that I've had the displeasure of cross-examining in court before. Very irritable and prone to throwing bird seeds at those who annoy him.

Peppa Cinni: Owner of the restaurant of the same name. Kind, but also wucik to anger