Athena went through enough deja vu in the past couple of weeks alone to determine that it was overrated. She took a deep breath, but Apollo was already on the ball. She didn't remember mentioning Caden's name to her coworker, but it was possible. If she didn't, she knew that Apollo didn't watch much TV. Had he researched the case, to the best of his ability? Athena felt a pang in her chest. Things had been awkward between them ever since he accused him of Clay's murder, even though she had forgiven him almost immediately. He didn't have to do that, and she was touched by the gesture.
"I was under the impression this was primarily an arson case," Apollo said, frowning. "Are we talking about the car accident here?"
Athena sighed. "Yes. A woman who was supposed to be in the car was found in the woods with a gunshot wound."
"But this car accident-"
"Was so serious that it killed the other three who were in the car," Athena said. "A murder charge shouldn't even be possible."
Apollo stared at her. "You're kidding me."
"If only," Athena replied. Her voice felt and sounded thick to her. She shouldn't have been so surprised, despite knowing what would happen only minutes ago, but the fog wouldn't disperse. She remembered that the woman was still standing there, watching their conversation. "I'm sorry," she directed at Caden's mother. "I didn't catch your name."
"Sonya Barrow," she said immediately, stretching her hand. "You're Athena Cykes, aren't you?"
"You know me?"
The older woman started nodding before checking herself. The woman's salt and pepper hair was tied back too harshly for her face, and crevices started to form under her eyes, cheekbones, and neck. But her bright eyes, identical to Caden's, showed intelligence, and her mouth set off her jaw in a way that Athena identified as strength. "Well, we've never met, but I recognized your name outside the office."
"I'm lost," Apollo said.
"Sit down, please," Athena told her. "I'd like Apollo on this case, so we'll need an explanation."
Her eyes widened, and for a moment, her expression was panicked. "What about you?"
"I'll be leading the defense, of course." Athena gestured towards a chair, and repeated herself. "Please?"
The woman sat down. She gripped her hands together as if she had a bird in between them, and she didn't want it to fly away. Athena could see the minute trembles in the tendons of her wrist, her jaw, her bottom lip. Athena relaxed, but only a fraction. It generally said a lot if a relative looked shocked at their loved one's murder charge.
"I'm going to get her some water," she said under her breath to Apollo.
He nodded. "Good idea. I'll try to get caught up to speed."
Athena hurried along, bringing a glass to the bathroom tap. Apollo wasn't exactly the picture of tact and sympathy, as much as he tried to be.
Ms. Barrow had problems explaining everything, having to pause often to compose herself, so Athena helped her fill the gaps, sometimes taking over. When they were finished, Apollo sat back in his seat.
"Yeesh," he said. "That's a mess right there. No wonder you've been so busy."
"Yeah, well." Athena bit her lip. It wasn't like she was handling it that well. The file on Alexandra Ford seemed a lot closer to her than just her desk, all of a sudden. She rubbed her hands together. She didn't handle Aura with any sort of composure the day before.
"Simon will have his hands tied. And he'll want to shield you the best he can, anyway."
Athena sat back in her chair. Did that mean he was the prosecutor for this case? How much had he told Aura, anyway?
It occurred to her that there was probably a lot Aura knew that Athena didn't. She assumed that Simon was just as closed lipped with anyone else as with her. She knew it wasn't fair, but a pit of anger began to blossom in her stomach.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "What exactly are the charges?" Athena winced, and Apollo gave her a look. She sounded way too brisk. This woman nearly lost her son, and now this...?
"I'm sorry," she added. "I can only imagine how difficult this is."
It was a platitude that she had repeated to countless clients, especially after the retrial of the UR-1 Incident. It always seemed like the right thing to say, but like all platitudes, it lost meaning to her after saying it so many times.
But it seemed to comfort Caden's mother, who relaxed by fractions into the chair.
"He was cleared of any wrong doing for... for his other friends." Her lip trembled. "His blood alcohol content was well below the legal limit, and there was nothing to indicate that he was driving recklessly."
"Wasn't it raining that night?" Apollo asked.
Athena remembered something to that effect as well. Wasn't that the day she found the tiny bullet on her desk?
"Yes. He must have hydroplaned."
"Makes sense. But then, the murder charge is for...?" Apollo trailed off.
"Aly Ford, yes. The one they found murdered in the woods."
"How?" Athena blurted out. "Caden was found unconscious and in life-threatening condition. He wouldn't have even been able to get out of the car, much less shoot someone."
Ms. Barrow wrung her hands together. Apollo shot her another look, and she remained silent. Simon was right. She wasn't handling this well at all.
Maybe...
"The prosecutor's office didn't tell me why they decided to charge him," Caden's mother said eventually, punctuated by shaking breaths. "But I imagine they found evidence that she was shot before the car accident happened."
Athena processed this.
"How well did your son know the victim?" Apollo asked, using a gentle voice. It didn't match him at all, and Athena was astonished he was even capable of such a thing. He must have practiced.
Ms. Barrow sighed. "I never approved of the two of them."
Apollo frowned. "Excuse me?"
The older woman picked at the leather with her fingers. Her nails were acrylic, Athena noticed, filed to flat and clean edges. "My son turned 31 last month."
"Okay..." Apollo said slowly. "I'm sorry, but I don't follow."
"Aly is - was - our next door neighbor. She's only 20 years old."
A year older than me? The only emotions Athena heard in this woman's voice were dark: heady feelings that could only be destructive.
"Were...?" Athena picked her words carefully. "They were involved, I suppose?"
"I don't know for certain. But they have been close ever since she moved in the neighborhood. Which was... fifteen years ago? I'm not sure."
Athena tasted salt. She wished she had grabbed a glass of water for herself.
"They've never been inappropriate, or anything," Ms. Barrow hastened to say. "I didn't mean... Goodness." She hung her head. "That came out all wrong. Aly was a wonderful girl. And nothing untoward happened, not until she..."
"Became legal?" Apollo offered.
"Like I said, I don't have any proof." She looked at the far wall, away from the two of them. "I shouldn't have said anything," she said again.
Athena changed the subject. "Do you know anything about her? Aly?" The word seemed foreign on her tongue, even though she heard Caden refer to her as that name before. Afterwards, her acquaintance with the victim was purely academic. It was both a relief and a curse to hear about her in this kind of way. It meant that Athena had to see her as human.
She wasn't used to that part of the job yet.
"Oh yes, she was very bright." Ms. Barrow sat back in her seat. "Even as a child, her intelligence was undeniable. High IQ. She loved science. Particularly robotics."
Athena sat up straighter. "Robots?" she echoed.
"Yes. She and Caden hit it off right away. Yes, it was fifteen years ago. I remember Caden was over fifteen when he first met Aly. She was five, then. He was always so gentle with her, and they talked for ages, even though they had to be so different." She sighed. "Why did that have to change?"
"I'm a little more interested in the robotics thing," Apollo said, and Athena silently agreed with him. "Did she ever work at the Space Center as she got older, like Caden?"
Caden's mother shook her head. "Not to my knowledge. That was something she abandoned about a decade ago. She was studying chemistry... before..." She put her forehead in her hand.
"I know this is hard," Athena said.
"If you want to know more about Aly, you will have to ask her family," Ms. Barrow said with finality. Athena could clearly hear the edge in her voice, and from Apollo's raised eyebrows, she knew it was distinctive enough for him to hear it too.
"Okay," Apollo said with a casualness that Athena knew he didn't feel.
"Will you accept the case?"
Apollo looked at her. "I'm leaving this up to you, Athena."
Athena was quiet for a moment. "Fifteen years," she murmured at last, running her hands down her ponytail. There was no question that this whole case gave her misgivings. But at the same time, she knew the facts of the case. She didn't know how Caden could manage to kill this girl, much less one he knew and deeply cared about for so long.
She nodded. "I'll do it."
Athena knew she made the right choice the moment the older woman's face crumpled, the lines giving way to relief and sorrow. "Thank you," Sonya Barrow whispered, bowing her head. "Thank you."
The stark, genuine chords strummed her ears. It was unmistakable. This woman cared deeply about her son, even if she didn't approve of Aly.
"I have one last question, Ms. Barrow." Athena said gently. "And I need an honest answer from you."
Caden's mother's eyes were wary.
Athena took a deep breath. "Do you have any idea who could have done this? Who killed her?"
She didn't speak for a moment. Athena felt a moment of desperation.
"Any lead at all could help," Apollo added.
"You can call me Sonya, first of all," she said. "I can't think of anything at the moment. Aly was a sweet girl. She didn't have many enemies."
The sound in Athena's ears was unique.
"But if I think of anything, I'll give you a call," Sonya added, standing up from her chair. "I'll be in contact anyway, naturally."
"Of course," Athena said, and she sounded far away even to herself. She gave Caden's mother a quick smile that hopefully offset it.
"I'll take my leave, then." She made for the door. "Again, thank you."
"It's our pleasure," Apollo said, and he sounded off kilter as well.
The moment she left, Apollo turned to Athena. "Did you hear discord?"
"Did your bracelet go off?"
They stared at each other for a moment, and then laughed. Athena put her hands on her cheeks, blowing out a puff of air.
Apollo stared at his wrist. "I felt uneasy the entire time, but my bracelet didn't detect anything. It was the weirdest thing. Usually when I feel like that, there's at least some indication."
Athena nodded. "Same for me. I didn't hear anything that was straight up discord, but it sounded so stunted. If I had to phrase it..." she paused for a moment. "I would describe it as hesitation."
"Well, I think we can take that to mean she was telling the truth," Apollo said. "And she doesn't think Caden murdered Alexandra Ford."
"Right."
"Well, as your co-counsel, my advice would be going to the scene."
Athena thought of the evidence folder in her desk. She supposed she could show it to Apollo, see his take so much faster. But what if he could find something at the scene, even though it was days old? She only had her own eyes and Simon's to go off of.
"Athena?"
Athena grinned at him. "Ándale!" She pointed at the door. "I'll drive. I brought my car today."
The misgiving stayed in Apollo's eyes, but he laughed. "That's a first."
"What are you doing?"
They had already picked through the woods. Athena drove the two of them to the Space Center, since there was no place to park at the scene of the accident, much less where the body was found. Once they arrived, however, Apollo passed where Alexandra was found and straight towards the scene of the accident instead.
"You said that you and Simon examined the scene of the murder pretty carefully, right?" Apollo didn't slow his pace, but he was already out of breath. Athena could jog past him easily, if she wanted to.
"Yeah, I guess," Athena said. "He even found dried blood on a tree. In an odd spot."
He looked at her for a moment. "Of course he did. But anyway, that's my point. It doesn't look like the accident was examined too carefully."
"The body is kind of a bigger deal," Athena said, but she still mulled over his point. "There was no indication that this was anything but an accident."
"And I believe that. Regardless, there's no harm in looking."
She couldn't argue with him.
They picked through the grass together. Behind the yellow tape, the scene was mostly empty. They did hear a familiar sung tune though, one that had both of them rolling their eyes.
"No motive... no crime. No motive... no crime."
Dick Gumshoe, true to form, marched around the perimeter of the yellow tape. Apollo slowed to a halt as well as Athena, and watched him go for a while. From what they both heard from their boss, it was for the best to let this song and dance, literally, to take its course.
"Every case is gonna be airtight... every case is gonna be airtight..."
He stopped when he started to pass them, and then stared at them with wide, unblinking eyes. Athena and Apollo stared at him back, and Athena was too bemused to fidget from the awkward situation.
"How long have you two been standing there?"
Apollo's response was automatic, but Athena could hear a bubble of laughter deep inside his voice. "We just got here."
"Oh." He scratched behind his head. "Good. Whatcha two doing here?"
Athena ducked under the yellow tape, and Apollo followed her. She faced Gumshoe as Apollo tiptoed past him. "How's Maggey?"
"She's good. She knocked over a vase this morning, cut up both of us pretty good, but otherwise she's great." Gumshoe lifted a bandaged hand. "Oh well, worse things have happened. Hey!" He whirled towards Apollo, who knelt near a scattering of broken glass. "What are you doing?"
To Apollo's credit, he didn't even flinch. Athena picked her way towards him, careful to not step on anything. She didn't know if glass from windshields were sharp enough to cut through her shoes.
Gumshoe rounded on her. "What are you doing?"
"Investigating," she replied.
"Oh, okay." Gumshoe paused, and then his eyes narrowed. "Wait..."
Athena grinned at him. "Airtight, right? Want to help us?"
"You said you didn't hear anything!" Regardless, he sighed. "I guess it's not part of the murder investigation. As long as you don't touch or move anything around."
"It's not like I would want to," Apollo piped up. "There's so much glass."
Athena beamed at Gumshoe. "Thank you," she said. "Do you have any sort of report for us?"
"Other than autopsy reports on the passengers? No." Gumshoe rolled his weight to his toes before going back to the balls of his feet. "I don't suppose you need copies of those?"
"Athena, don't you have those on Widget?"
"Yup."
It was like kicking a puppy. Athena bit back a sigh at the forlorn look on Gumshoe's face. "Well, Apollo lives in the Stone Age, so it might not be a bad idea to give him copies. Just in case."
"Hey!"
Athena mouthed 'Sorry' to her colleague as Gumshoe handed him three autopsy reports. "Don't even ask for the one on that poor girl in the woods, though," he said.
"Are they not done with her yet?" Apollo asked.
Gumshoe sighed. "No, I just don't have it. They want me working this scene and the arson scene at the Space Center."
Athena frowned. "But you're the senior homicide detective."
"I know! That's what I said." Gumshoe stomped his foot, which was adorably contradictory that Athena had to press her knuckles into her mouth to keep from giggling. "But they wouldn't listen."
"They being...?" Athena spared a glance towards Apollo. He was shifting through something in the grass. She maneuvered herself so the detective would have a harder time seeing what he was doing.
"The prosecutor for the case, and Mr. Edgeworth said he was too busy when I said something. Which is what he always does." He sighed. "I'm sorry to complain."
"No, it's quite alright. It sounds frustrating." Athena glanced over her shoulder. Apollo was standing up and brushing off his pants. She thought for a moment. "Do you happen to know who the prosecutor is?"
"I don't know his name. Black-squirrel or something like that. He's relatively new."
Athena blinked. "You mean Blackquill?"
"That's it! Anyway, I'm not sure about the details on the Ford girl. If you want to know more, ask him or Ema."
"Alright, thank you for your help."
"Athena, I've seen what I need to see," Apollo said, and he joined the two of them. "Do you want to take a look at the other places?"
"Sure!" Athena turned to shake Gumshoe's hand, and Apollo followed suit. "We'll be heading out, then. Thanks for letting us look around, Detective."
He blinked. He probably forgot about Apollo looking around. "Hey, do you know this prosecutor?"
Athena stilled. She wasn't surprised that Simon took on this case. In fact, she expected it. But she avoided thinking about him ever since the awkward incident in her apartment yesterday, and she didn't expect someone outside the office to mention him. "Why?"
"There are other people who can look over these two scenes," he said sheepishly. "I'm a homicide detective."
Athena thought for a moment. She doubted she would see Simon before the trial's beginning. "I'll see what I can do."
Athena pulled into her usual parking spot at the Space Center and yanked her keys out of the ignition. The keys clattered in her hand as she stared at the main door. She really, really hoped Apollo wouldn't ask to go inside. She didn't want to risk running into Aura. Or talking with her. She knew it was a fault of hers, avoiding confrontation at all costs, but after yesterday...
"Who would set that part of the Space Center on fire?" Apollo scratched the back of his head. "It's pure metal. If they wanted to burn the place down, that wouldn't be the place to do it."
"That's one of the mysteries," Athena replied. "We found traces of paint thinner there, though, so it definitely wasn't an accident."
"And could be done by the average person," Apollo mused. "Paint thinner is great for arson because of how accessible it is."
Athena wouldn't know, as she hadn't ever needed paint thinner, but she believed him.
"Well, let's get going." Apollo got out of the car, and Athena took a minute to follow him. She envied Apollo's linear thinking and calmness here. She felt so scatterbrained while he went from one thing to the next, as if it were easy. She broke into a jog until she caught up with him.
"You alright?" Apollo asked.
"Yup."
"Good."
They reached the area, and Apollo frowned. "Wow. The smell is super faint."
Athena smiled. "Yeah. I didn't even notice. Simon had to tell me to check it again."
Apollo thought for a moment. "Doesn't that imply that the fire was burning for a while before it went out?"
Athena's smile faded. "I guess? Maybe it went out naturally. It was late at night."
"Then it's a miracle it didn't spread to the woods."
Athena shrugged, but she was glad she had Apollo along. When it came down to it, they still worked well as a team. "It did rain recently. But you're right." The more she heard, the less she liked. It seemed like the Space Center escaped more because of luck rather than the doing of other people. She hated that.
A thought struck her. "Couldn't it also mean that they didn't use a lot of it, too?"
"I doubt it. They would need a lot for the Space Center."
Athena thought about it. The weird location, the utter failure of it all, the fact that it didn't spread very far... "Maybe the Space Center wasn't the target," she said. "Maybe it was an object. Something outside it that the perpetrator wanted to destroy."
Apollo was scribbling notes before she finished speaking. "That's a good call," he said. "We can look into that. So far, though, no proof that this was linked to the accident or Aly- wait a minute."
Athena leaned toward him, and tried to follow his line of vision. She didn't see anything, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Her ears were her strong point, not her eyes, and that was part of the reason Apollo was so handy to have around. Simon had similar, uncanny vision, but they didn't examine this area too closely. "What do you see?"
"Is that glass?"
Athena started, and scrutinized the area further. Apollo leaned towards the charred grass and poked his finger into it. He immediately winced.
"Ow."
"Well, don't touch it without gloves!" Athena dropped to her knees to his side. "Where-oh."
Suddenly, she could see light reflecting in the blackened area. She looked closely. "It's super small."
"Glass shards often are." Apollo lifted his finger and looked at it. The cut was small, but glass always made the slightest of wounds bleed like crazy.
"Let me." Athena pulled the glove she used for Widget off and used it as protection to pick up the piece of glass. Apollo had a bag, and they dropped the sliver of glass inside.
"Do you see anything else?" Athena sat back on her heels. "With that crazy x-ray vision of yours?"
"It's not x-ray, Athena," Apollo replied dryly. "But no, I don't. Whatever used to be here, it isn't here anymore. Thanks to our arsonist."
Athena didn't think there were crime scenes more frustrating than arson ones. She hoped she wouldn't be proven wrong. Every bad feeling she had for this case was magnified. She thought about Aly: the micro tears in her shirt, the gash in her thigh, the glass embedded in her hair.
"Can I hold on to this?"
Apollo gave her a weird look. "Yeah, but why?"
Athena bit her lip. "I want Ema to take a look at it. She would have a field day with it, anyway. We all know that."
Apollo chuckled under his breath. "You're not wrong." He handed her the little bag. "Just let me know what she says about it."
"Of course." Athena frowned at the bag. It was a tiny sliver shaped like a dagger. She wondered if that was significant in any way.
"Well, I think I'm finished looking." Apollo straightened up. "Those are the only scenes, right?"
"Other than where Alexandra was found, yes." Athena thought for a moment. "Do you want to go there?"
Apollo sighed. "I doubt we could even get close, with a new homicide charge. The police are probably not done investigating the scene. But we can try."
Athena lead the way to where Aly was found, but Apollo was right. The area was thick with police officers, scurrying around. They were probably looking for my clues to strengthen the prosecution's case, since the scene was already found several days before.
"I suppose you were right," Athena said.
Apollo shrugged. "It's not a big deal. We can always try to come back later today, if need be."
Athena scanned the area, ignoring her partner for a moment. She found who she was looking for, with his long hair and black surcoat.
Simon.
Instead of the odd feelings that Athena had started to associate with seeing him, her throat tightened and her stomach dropped. With his back facing her, he talked with an officer on the scene. He was far enough away that even Athena's keen sense of hearing couldn't pick him up.
"We should go," she said tersely.
Apollo stared at her. "You don't want to talk with the prosecutor?"
She didn't reply right away, staring at his back as if that alone could turn him around. She wondered if she was overreacting, that Simon did have some legitimate reason for leaving so suddenly. That it wasn't because of her, or how they behaved. Athena had analyzed every detail of their encounter overnight, and her only conclusion was that she should force the whole ordeal out of her mind. It wasn't worth it.
As if he could hear her thoughts, he turned around at that moment. She was so startled she didn't move for a moment, staring back at him with her eyes so wide she could feel them water. Her mouth slightly parted. His own instantly narrowed, and he turned his face to the side.
"Nope," Athena said. "Not even a little. Let's go."
Apollo trotted after her as she spun on her heel and began to leave. "Do you even realize how confusing you are these days? Weren't you guys becoming friends again?"
Athena bit back the 'apparently not' sitting on her tongue. She sighed, combing a hand over her face. "I don't know," she said. "I have no idea what's going on anymore."
"Well, I was going to ask if we could talk to Aura," Apollo said, "but I can leave that for tomorrow. You look tired."
That much was true. Athena's sleepless night was beginning to catch up with her. School had given her plenty of opportunity to burn the candle at both ends, and she had energy to spare, but even she had her limits. "A little," she admitted, and once again, she was grateful her colleague couldn't hear emotions. The relief in her at not having to deal with Aura today was stark. She checked her phone, and saw no missed calls.
Definitely relieved.
"Maybe you should speak with him," Apollo suggested as they reached her car. "Before this case truly gets underway."
She knew he was right, but Athena didn't want to think about it. She didn't reply.
"It would probably be for the best," Apollo said, and Athena heard mirth in his voice. She turned to him, eyebrow raised. "He probably would want to hear the whole Black-squirrel thing from you."
Athena opened her door and plopped herself in her seat, flushing as she did so. "Get in the freaking car, Apollo."
He just chuckled quietly as he followed instructions and buckled in.
After Athena dropped Apollo off at the office, she hesitated at her desk for a moment. She had put off this particular mystery for long enough.
"Hey Apollo, can you give me another one of those zip lock bags?"
She used her glove again to pick up the mystery bullet, still pristine, and dropped it into the bag. "I'm going to go see Ema for a bit. Is that okay?"
"We have to go talk to Caden eventually," he replied. "Is he still in the hospital?"
"I think so. His injuries are extensive," Athena replied. "And I know. I just need to take care of this real fast. I shouldn't be more than half an hour."
"Alright. I'll make some phone calls, in the meantime."
Athena was curious what calls he had to make, and more importantly, to who, but that just motivated her to see Ema and complete her visit all the faster. She took the bullet and the tiny glass shard and got back into her car.
I've been driving a lot, she thought to herself. She wasn't a huge fan. Her gas light was already on and the muscles in her legs itched for more movement. She would probably be back to biking after the case was over. Two or three days. She could do that. Hopefully.
She didn't understand how prosecutors did it, in their fancy cars. Of course, her thoughts went to Simon as a result: the one exception, who bought a car that was sleek but unassuming. Black, but no notable characteristics otherwise. It fit him to a T, naturally, but Athena's jaw tightened as she weaved through the town traffic. It was the first time she had been alone ever since the very short time in the office that morning, and she couldn't hold back her thoughts. Particularly of the moment he left her apartment, leaving in such a hurry that it was like it burned him to even touch her.
She was going ten miles over the speed limit.
Athena shook her head hard enough that she felt the earring her mother gave her hit the skin of her neck, and she rolled to a stop at a red light. Enough. There's a reason you're trying to not think of him. But the other moments came around anyway. The softer moments, the ones she would have reassessed to oblivion if he didn't leave like that.
You could have just thrown it away.
Never.
When did he learn to so effortlessly permeate her thoughts?
When Athena made it to the police station, it was almost a relief. She didn't much want to put up with Ema these days; she was in the process of retaking her tests to become a forensic investigator. That was all well and good, and the entire office supported her. But Ema's stress levels were high, on top of her bitter attitude. She was just as unpredictable as a certain prosecutor who wouldn't leave her brain.
She was greeted the moment she walked in the door. The chief of detectives typed away busily on his computer, but Athena didn't think for a second it was regarding work. A light smile tugged on his lips, and he was surrounded by piles of untouched paperwork.
"Are you looking for Detective Gumshoe?"
Athena grinned, but he didn't see her. Naturally. "No, actually. Ema Skye."
He snorted. "Who knows these days with that girl? She might be somewhere near the morgue... or the various testing stations."
Athena sighed. She didn't have time to spare for an elaborate search, but maybe someone else would help her. "Alright. Thanks, anyway."
She had started off towards the hallway too fast for him to reply. If he did. His voice suggested he was getting more and more distracted by... whatever he was doing.
Luckily for her, Ema's tendency to yell when she was frustrated made her easy to find. "What do you mean, the autopsy is proving difficult?"
Athena broke into a jog to try and trail her voice.
"The trial begins tomorrow! We need a finalized autopsy report or the prosecution will have our heads- oh. Hi, Athena."
"Why is Simon going to kill you now?" Athena asked, not even out of breath.
Ema sighed, and then turned her glare towards the forensic technician. Athena couldn't find it in herself to feel guilty.
"Do you know how awkward it is to have the defense and the prosecution in cahoots?" She threw her arms up in the air, like the matter was the poor man's fault.
The lights were so bright that Athena had to squint to avoid a headache. The white tile speckled with black and the vanilla washed walls didn't do much to help that fact. An odd medley of microscopes, towels, and scalpels caught her eyes on the counter tops.
"The victim has so many various wounds..."
It was then Athena found the biohazard trashcan, and she saw a towel dotted with blood. She saw Aly's torn up body behind her eyes. She flinched and tried to catch Ema's attention.
"What kind of excuse is that?"
"It's just-"
"Ema," Athena said. It didn't work. She tried a different tactic. "Detective Skye."
Ema hated the title so much that it caught her attention immediately, just like Athena hoped. "What?" she snapped. "I can't tell you anything. You know that whole routine."
"Even if it's not related to Alexandra Ford?" Athena held up her two plastic baggies. "I just need you to check these things out, that's all."
Ema paused for a moment. Athena could hear her heart rate accelerate, and almost her weighing the pros and cons in her head. She could never resist the call of forensics.
"How long will it take?"
"Not long at all."
Ema sighed again, but it didn't fool Athena for a minute. She could see the sparkle in the detective's eye as she stretched out her hand. "Gimme."
Athena complied.
"What are they?"
Athena hid a snort behind her hand. Of course she agreed before even knowing what they were. "One's a bullet I found on my desk."
"What?"
"That's what I said."
Ema gave the bullet a good long look. "What do you want to know about it?"
"I don't know," Athena said. "I don't know what you can do about a bullet's origin..."
"Nothing. Bullets can come from anywhere."
"I figured." Athena took in a deep breath. "But if you do find anything odd, I'd appreciate if you would tell me. It's more of a gut feeling than anything else."
Ema continued to stare at it, moving the bag as if changes in the light would tell her anything different. After a while, Athena thought she was going to refuse.
"Fine," she said at last. "And the other thing?"
"That is a glass shard that Apollo found near the arson site at the Space Center."
Ema looked up sharply. "That's not entirely unrelated."
Athena sighed. "I know, but I figured you could at least take a look at it. If it turns out to be related, fine, don't tell us, but it might be worth it on your end."
Ema squinted her eyes like Athena did when she first walked into the room. The forensic scientist behind them cleared his throat, but she ignored him. Athena didn't quite get the logic behind his endeavor. If it were her, she would welcome any chance of reprieve from an envious, raging Ema Skye.
"I don't believe you," Ema said, "but okay. I'll get it checked out."
"Thanks, Ema. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome." Athena gave a start. The sudden graciousness in Ema's tone took her by surprise, and Ema seemed to notice. She let out another sigh, and took out her bag of Snackoos. Athena let her munch on a few.
"You can stop looking at me like that," Ema mumbled. "It's just nice having someone not jump down my throat, that's all."
Athena left a few minutes after that, when the detective and the technician dissolved into another argument. She walked down the hallway and out of the main room with minimal fuss, although the Chief Detective's giggling disturbed her greatly. Someone should probably say something, she thought, but she already had her nose in the Space Center's business already. The man had worked there for decades, anyway.
Athena felt a buzz in her bag as she plopped in her car. She dug out her phone and checked it; the most recent text was from Junie.
So, how is Simon? The text was accompanied by a winking face.
Athena groaned. She hit the back of her head on the headrest, and closed her eyes. How was she supposed to respond to that? Weird things happened and then he ran away?
No, she didn't exactly need Junie's help to dissect it. She frowned as she noticed that she had another text from Apollo, and opened it to read.
"Ay mi dio!"
She had yelled loudly enough that she got a few weird looks from police officers heading inside the department, even though her car doors were closed and the windows rolled up. She flushed, but she reread the text again.
Just got off the phone with Aura. She said some... interesting things. We need to talk.
Great. Just great.
Athena knew she had problems with confrontation. She tended to turn into a bumbling mess, and that was if she walked into it at all. If she could avoid it, she did, and that was what she had been doing the entire day. She avoided even thinking about Simon and Aura Blackquill if she could help it today, but these constant reminders popping through the day...
She didn't know why she was surprised. The Blackquills had been entwined with her life since she was eleven years old. Probably even longer than that.
It was aggravating.
After a few seconds of thoughts, she pulled her car into reverse and made her way back on the main streets. She knew exactly where she needed to go. And it sure as heck wasn't the office.
Before she could think any more about it and maybe psyche herself out of this entire ordeal, Athena gave three raps on Simon's front door.
She found herself wishing that she didn't. She didn't even know if he was home. Maybe he wouldn't open the front door. Maybe he would explode at her first. Maybe...
The door opened, halting her thoughts. It reminded her of her first visit, where they didn't quite know what to do with each other. But the air was definitely different this time. It was charged, imbalanced. Simon didn't even look a little surprised to see her, but his jaw set and the tendons in his neck strained.
"What can I do for you this time?" he said with a sort of dry irony that did nothing to soothe her mood. If anything, it just made her grit her teeth more. She forced herself to let out a breath before replying.
"I have a bone to pick with you," she said bluntly, sounding with more bravado than she felt. In fact, on the inside, she flinched from her choice of words and could only hope it didn't show. "Can I come in?"
It occurred to her that her request probably came a bit belated, but to her surprise, Simon stepped to the side to make room for her. She stepped inside, but didn't kick off her shoes or enter the living room. He shut the door behind her.
That was about as far as his courtesies extended. He didn't say anything further to her, didn't even gesture for her to speak. Granted, with her combative choice of words, it was a miracle that he even let her in his house. But that thought did nothing to soothe her nerves. She opened her mouth, wanting to get to the point, but...
"Detective Gumshoe told me that you stuck him on the car accident instead of the murder scene."
He snorted. "That's why you came?"
Athena blew out air in frustration. Gumshoe had little to do with why she came here.
"He's a homicide detective, Simon," she said. "Not accident detail. That scene hardly needs to be guarded by more than police, anyway."
"I have my reasons," he said in a level tone, although Athena still heard the threads of abrasive emotion in his voice. Frustration. Exasperation. Even bewilderment. "None of which I need to explain to you."
"I know you probably think he's an idiot, and he kind of is, but he's been with the force for years." Athena crossed her arms. "There's nothing he takes more seriously than investigations."
Simon stared at her. "That's a lovely sentiment," he said in a low voice that did nothing to hide his sarcasm, "but this kind of case needs a lot better than that."
Athena was silent. They hadn't assigned a replacement detective to him yet. She took in a deep breath. "It's not just feelings," she protested. "He has the experience to deal with this case."
He stuck one of Taka's feathers in his mouth, rolling it to the far side. "Why do you care, anyway?"
Athena opened her mouth, and then closed it. Gumshoe did ask her to come, but she'd be lying if that was the real reason. Not just feelings. The irony was a bit much for her, and she could only imagine what Simon thought at this point. She flushed.
"Like I just stated, I have my reasons," he said, and his tone was now dismissive. "This isn't an ordinary murder scene, if you haven't noticed. Now, is that all?"
A lance of fury shredded through her chest, leaving an uncomfortable tightness in its wake. "Is there a reason you're being such a jerk?" she asked through gritted teeth.
His sharp intake of breath was the only real reaction that betrayed him. His pupils dilated to their normal size so fast that Athena thought she might have imagined the sudden contraction. He sighed, and looked away from her. "This is how I always am, Athena."
She bit back her protest. She could think back to eight years ago all she liked, but she knew things weren't that simple anymore. She tried to tell him as much, right? Athena wanted to rest her temples in her hands, pinch the bridge of her nose, flick her earring, just fidget in general. But now wasn't the time to show weakness.
"I'm not wrong that it looks odd," Athena said, trying her best to sound levelheaded and calm. She wasn't succeeding all that well. "Has the Chief Prosecutor said anything about it? About how you're leaving the case to someone who doesn't even want to be a detective and-"
"Athena-"
She ignored the warning tone in his voice and plowed ahead. "...and ostracized a senior detective?"
"I told you, and this is the third time, that I have my reasons," Simon said. "And considering you are the defense attorney on this case, I cannot tell you what they are. Not that I feel inclined to."
Athena flushed. "It's not me being unreasonable," she protested, although that didn't feel true. "If the detective felt the need to complain to me, he's going to complain to Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth too."
Simon started, and then sighed. "For the love of..."
She was quiet for a moment.
"I was worried about this," he said, and now he avoided her eyes on purpose. "We are too intertwined. I cannot do my job if everyone thinks if we are cohorts, and for all they know, they're right."
Athena let out a frustrated breath. "There is no rule saying we can't be friends, Simon." She put extra emphasis on the word friends. "Besides, we can't be cohorts if you keep things from me."
"You know too much as is."
Athena looked up at the ceiling, and let out a groan loud enough for Simon to look back at her. "Well, that's a problem," she said. "Considering I'm the defense attorney for this case."
"A poor decision."
It was the first time this conversation - hell, it was the first time ever since they started interacting again - that Athena felt hurt by what he said. Angry, sure, even frustrated or annoyed, but never hurt. She swallowed, trying to compose herself.
"What about you?" she said quietly. "Aren't you taking on too much?"
Simon gave her a look. "I'm fine."
"So you say, but I told you. I know when you're lying to me." Athena's voice rose. "You're not sleeping, I can tell. Half of what you say these days has discord. I'm not an idiot, Simon."
He gave her a tight smile. "It's none of your-"
"How is the Phantom none of my concern?"
Her outburst sent them both into silence. What little color Simon had started to regain in his face had drained from it, and Athena found herself out of breath. She didn't break eye contact with him, no matter how much she wanted to, and when he looked away, it was a bitter victory.
"Who informed you?" he asked at last.
Athena shrunk back a little from his icy tone, but she held her ground. "Mr. Wright," she replied. "He thought I should know."
Simon snorted. "Clearly, he does not understand his own disciple as well as I do. Now you will want everything to do with him. No matter the danger."
Athena's mouth dropped open. "Do you really think that?" she whispered, and it wasn't until she held her elbow in her right hand she realized she was shaking. "Simon, I want nothing to do with him."
"What?"
It was a truth that she didn't know until she said it out loud. But what she saw just from talking about him proved it: not Simon's apartment, mostly empty and reflecting her own, but a metal floor with a bench. A handkerchief. Robotic arms. A katana standing upright from a dead body. And blood. So much blood.
Athena had to leave. Now.
"This was a bad idea," she said, heading towards the door. Her voice was stiff and robotic. "I'm sorry to bother you."
She didn't expect Simon to say anything, to call after her. But she heard two footsteps, and she stopped at their sound. He didn't come any closer.
"I don't know what you wanted from me, Athena." Her lower lip trembled at heaviness in his voice. Yes, she knew what that emotion was. Exhaustion was one of the most vulnerable states a person could have. She knew it all too well.
She opened the door. "Neither do I."
TBC
Ándale - Let's go in Spanish
Ay mi dio - Oh my God in Spanish
Misunderstandings abound!
I want to thank the Guest reviewer from last chapter. Your review left me smiling for hours. Thank you!
