February 2nd, 5:47pm
Arkham Asylum - Secret Passage
After Phoenix and Franziska had entered the secret hallway, with no lighting of any kind making investigation more difficult, their initial examination was enough to show it was relevant to the case, and the second that was established Franziska gave Phoenix a death stare and made it clear he wasn't touching anything. Instead, she called in the forensic team she'd had brought to the Asylum, told them where they were, and waited together as they lit up the area and did their work. As they gathered evidence, Phoenix marvelled at the place he'd found himself in. Where most of the asylum had clearly been retrofitted to fit the modern purpose it had been assigned, this roughly hewn stone hallway felt like something from a spooky castle, and was clearly untouched from its original 1600's design.
Once they'd gathered enough for a preliminary report, delivered far enough away that Phoenix couldn't hear a word of it, Franziska approached him once more. "You may get whatever answers I deem relevant from me, Phoenix Wright. In brief, we discovered three sets of fingerprints, one of which we were able to identify, as well as a bullet lodged into a wall. Do not forget that I am a gracious opponent, giving you information so freely."
Even after all this time, Franziska never was able to resist an opportunity to toot her own horn. Still, it was nice of her to share the information, though considering they may not have found the secret room without his help, it seemed more like a fair trade to him, rather than a favor. "Where were the set of prints that we're able to identify found, and whose are they?"
Heading towards the hinged bookcase that had been their entrance to this hidden passage, Franziska gestured to a pull handle attached to the back end of the doorcase, with a button just above it. "The button sets and unsets the hinges for the bookshelf, and the handle is for opening it from this side. On the handle, we found many sets of incomprehensible prints, but one solid match: Diane Krueger, the current head of security for Arkham Asylum."
The prosecutor didn't say more than that, but Phoenix knew that she, like himself, was remembering what the Joker had told them earlier. The head of security's prints in a secret hallway, it fit the theory that there were dirty guards helping orchestrate the breakouts. "What about the other two sets?"
Pointing to a nearby stone wall, Franziska explained, "One set of an index finger and ring finger, both clear, are on that wall by the bookshelf." Then, pointing towards a hole in the wall farther down the hallway, she added, "The other set, just one index finger, was found about an inch from that hole. Neither set match any suspects or witnesses in the case thus far, but we're keeping copies of what we found on hand for later comparison, should more opportunities for matches appear."
"What about the hole itself?" She'd mentioned something about a bullet hole, and considering the issue in the trial regarding the murder weapon, that had to be worth investigation.
Franziska approached the hole, and Phoenix followed her. "This wall is made from a porous enough stone that a bullet buried into it instead of merely ricocheting on impact. There is evidence that someone tried digging in with their fingers to get the bullet, trace residue of skin cells and such, but not enough to attempt a DNA match. They weren't successful, and we have the bullet. A full ballistic markings test needs to me made, but so far it seems likely the bullet matches the type of ammo used by the guards, which would include the murder weapon as a possibility."
Considering where the bullet was found, and the mystery of who fired it, Phoenix made absolutely sure to file it, as well as the fingerprints, away in the Court Record. Now that he'd received that evidence, Phoenix rubbed the Magatama, hidden in his suit's pocket, and as he did so the world fell away again. Franziska von Karma faced him, and five locks held her heart closed to him, locks he was going to have to break. "Franziska, I know you're hiding something from me, and I want to know what it is."
His friend didn't react physically to his question, but something in her eyes steeled against him. "Oh really? And what exactly am I failing to share with you, Mr. Phoenix Wright? Did I not just give you free access to all the new evidence we have worked together to find?"
Phoenix struggled not to roll his eyes. Was she really trying to use a guilt trip to try and avoid this conversation? "Franziska, we both know that there's more to your work these last few years than you've been telling me. Interpol has no reason to take part in the trial of Harvey Dent, let alone to send one of their personal prosecutors to directly run the trial."
"An interesting theory, though one you have no actual evidence to prove it," Franziska allowed, giving him a smile that made him think he might be on the right track. "In that case, why exactly am I taking this case?"
It didn't take a lot of thinking for Phoenix to answer that question. "Well, it has to be about Harvey Dent. After all, he's the defendant, and a famous criminal besides."
Franziska stared at him in silence for a few seconds before shaking her head. "I'm afraid you are incorrect, Phoenix Wright. Perhaps you'd like to guess again?" As she made clear that he'd gone down the wrong track, Phoenix felt a sudden pain in his chest, one entirely unconnected with his physical body but instead preyed directly on his mind, if not his very soul. That was the danger of relying on the Magatama: failure has consequences.
Struggling to piece together who else she could be trying to investigate with this case, Phoenix suddenly recalled another suspicious figure. "It's Juan Morto, isn't it? The victim is the reason you're trying this case."
For just a moment, Franziska's stone face winced in recognition of the truth, and with it a lock shattered into pieces that immediately evaporated into green fire. Phoenix was glad he'd managed to get it on the second try, but hoped he didn't make any more wrong moves. "If you're so confident that I was investigating the victim, tell me what on Earth would have made him of any interest to me or my employers."
A moment's thought was all that was necessary for Phoenix to figure this one out. Pointing a finger towards the room they'd come from, Phoenix replied, "It's simple: Juan Morto is in charge of keeping the contraband from the patients in the asylum."
This time, there was no reaction, no breaking of a lock, and no immediate pain. Phoenix felt like he was on the right track, but he hadn't gone far enough. "Please explain to me," Franziska asked, her voice easily emulating faux curiosity. "Why exactly would the contraband of an asylum for the criminally insane be of any interest to anyone, let alone someone of my stature?"
With a question like that, Phoenix had to wonder if Franziska was actually trying to help him figure this out, though the red magic locks hovering in the air somewhat disproved that notion. "Franziska, this isn't any asylum, it's Arkham. One of the patients, Jervis Tetch, has invented a form of mind control that only he seems to understand and has resisted all forms of reverse engineering. This place is full of geniuses. Whoever holds their contraband holds a lot of interesting stuff, especially considering he can easily help smuggle it out." After waiting for a moment, Franziska nodded in acquiescence to his point, and with it two locks shattered one after another.
"Your point is well made, but I believe you require evidence that such an operation was actually going on, don't you think?" It was always satisfying for Phoenix when his opponents asked for evidence that he already had available and ready to use.
Taking out his phone so he could show her a picture he'd taken of the evidence, Phoenix gave her the proof. "In the middle drawer of Morto's desk, there was an empty bag with the label 'Citizen Abra'. That particular drawer was the most tightly guarded, but the contraband that was supposed to be filed there was gone, suggesting it had already been smuggled out."
A fourth lock was smashed apart, leaving just one left between Phoenix and the truth he was seeking. "You have carved out quite the fascinating fiction, but I do not believe an empty bag in a drawer is much proof of such a conspiracy. Unless you have other evidence towards this theory?"
Phoenix hadn't expected being asked for further proof, and he started to sweat as he combed through the Court Record for anything he could use. Sure, he could always back out of this and ask her later, but he knew from fairly recent experience that sometimes people with Psyche-Locks didn't wait around for you to find what you needed to break their locks. Finally, his eyes caught onto a more recent piece of evidence, and he quickly shouted out, "The email!" His sudden exclamation made Franziska jump, but Phoenix continued regardless. "Juan Morto had received a suspicious email from someone called the Blue King, talking about payment for the delivery of a wand, and the amount was $100,000. If that doesn't prove his was smuggling out contraband, I don't know what does!" Phoenix watched with bated breath as the last lock shuddered, split apart, and was destroyed, the chains disappearing as Franziska opened her heart to him.
With that, Phoenix also felt the damage he'd taken earlier begin to mend, and was happy it had only been one mistake this time. Having to walk around with that pain in his soul was never something he liked doing. The resolute facade Franziska had been using against him was gone now, and she actually looked at him with pride in her eyes. "I must say, your skills at investigation and interrogation have not diminished in all these years. I will tell you the truth, though you must understand that you are not to share this information with anyone else." She made a hand sign at the investigation team, who quickly left the room in response, leaving Phoenix and Franziska alone together. "The truth of the matter is, I have not worked for the international police for three years now. Instead, I've been working for an organization known as Checkmate."
"Okay," Phoenix said, confused as to why that name was said as though it had some sort of inherent importance, "What's Checkmate?"
Franziska looked like she wanted to thump Phoenix on his spiky-haired head. "Phoenix, how is it you have a talent for asking the most difficult to answer questions?" Then, after thinking for a few seconds, she began supplying an explanation. "Considering the vast threats humanity and our various civilizations have faced recently, whether extraterrestrial, arcane, metahuman, or entirely mortal, Checkmate was formed as a way to combat those challenges in a way that protects human life and the world in which we currently live. Full control of the organization is given to no one person, instead it is lead by four people, each with equal check over the others, working within their own fields of expertise and co-ordinating when possible to attain the maximum event."
Pointing to the embroidered white horse on her shoulder, she continued. "I am one of two White Knights, and I serve the White Queen. I cannot tell you her identity, nor that of any other operative in our organization, but I can tell you that my queen's role is to work within existing power structures, through legislature, law, and law enforcement. The Blue King mentioned in the email is one of our top threats, and we know that the Red King was also after the same item in this case, namely a wand belonging to Citizen Abra. He's a time traveler from the far future, and his technology is so advanced it seems as though it were magic to us, and he has used it to fight the vigilante known as The Flash." Pulling out her own phone to look at the time, she quickly said, "Unfortunately, that is all the time I am able to give you today. I have a date soon, and must depart now so that my appearance will be perfect. I shall see you at the trial tomorrow morning. Please, do not be late this time."
With that, and a quick hug, Phoenix watched Franziska walk away, leaving him to ponder everything she'd told him. She was working in a completely different area than he'd been expecting, and if what she said was true, then this case was tied to people of impossibly large scale. Phoenix had taken on some dangerous people in the past, but even he hesitated at the thought of trying to tackle foes who struggled against international covert organizations. Choosing to put all of that aside for now, Phoenix looked down the passage, turned the brightness on his phone screen as high as it would go, and descended into the dark to see where this thing led him.
February 2nd, 6:20pm
Arkham Asylum - Break Room
If he was being entirely honest with himself, Phoenix was not surprised in the least when the other end of the passage held a similar set-up as the one he'd used to enter, only this time with a vending machine. After hitting the secret button and pulling open the makeshift door, Phoenix emerged in a reasonably sized break room, with a few tables and cheap chairs littering it's center, an ancient refrigerator chugging along audibly like it was going to explode any second, and as much canned food on the shelves as the employees could stand to eat, which wouldn't be much considering there wasn't any dinnerware or even a microwave.
It also wasn't devoid of people. A couple guys in guard uniforms were sitting at a table, chatting, when Phoenix entered the room through a most unexpected route. Standing a few feet away from their table was a woman who looked like she was in her late sixties, with graying black hair and a thin frame. She too was dressed as a guard, but with a special name badge on her chest that read 'Chief of Security'. Her eyes focused on Phoenix and narrowed in suspicion as he entered, and without moving her eyes from him she reached out and pointed towards the regular exit of the room, the seated guards quickly grabbed their lunch bags and leaving as quickly as they could. Once they were alone, she approached Phoenix, cautiously. Uncomfortable with the tension gathering in the room, Phoenix extended his hand and began, "Hello, I'm Phoenix Wright, attorney at law. My firm is currently representing Harvey Dent for his murder charge. You are?"
The woman looked down at his hand, but didn't shake it, leaving Phoenix extending it awkwardly until he withdrew it in defeat. "Diane Krueger." The Chief of Security's voice was clear, precise, and didn't carry any sign of her age. "Can you tell me what you were doing skulking around a hidden passage of the asylum, or will you be needing your own attorney?"
Phoenix frowned at her tone, and supplied, "I was investigating the crime scene with the permission of the prosecutor in charge of this case, and together we discovered the passage. It's clearly relevant to the case, and I had every right to be there." She didn't react at all to his explanation, instead looking like she was waiting for something else from him. "Can you tell me about yourself at all, Ms. Krueger?"
"Mrs," the guard corrected immediately, though there was nothing overtly harsh in her tone. Then, slowly, her tension disappeared, and a small smile graced her lips. "My apologies if I seemed overly harsh, this job requires quite a bit of unyielding determination on my part." Then, after thinking for a moment, she answered his question. "I've been working at Arkham Asylum for forty years, been the Chief of Security for the last twenty, and been married since I was just out of high school. It's a tough job, and the pay could be better, but someone has to do it."
Happy that this witness didn't seem to be as hostile as he'd initially expected, Phoenix asked her, "Can you tell me anything more about Arkham Asylum? I expect you know it better than anyone else at this point."
Phoenix regretted his question as soon as he'd asked it. Whatever casual closeness she'd been showing him disappeared as her body language became rigid once more. "I've worked at the Asylum longer than anyone else. I was here before the supercriminals started infesting Gotham like a plague of locusts, eating away at the remains of organized crime after it had been killed by the Batman. This Asylum started as a way to rehabilitate those whose mental health made them a danger to themselves and others. Now, it's a place where we try and hold back the most dangerous people in the city, and it hasn't done a damn thing to help the situation in decades."
It was a pessimistic view of the place, Phoenix thought, but it was also an entirely understandable one. Hell, Phoenix had only spent a few hours inside the halls of this institution, and already he could feel the atmosphere of this place oozing from every wall, it ranked of inevitable failure and cyclical injustice. "What about Juan Morto, the victim? I still don't know a lot about him." Of course, Phoenix did know that he was secretly smuggling dangerous patient contraband for extra cash, but either Krueger already knew, in which case Phoenix didn't want her to know he knew, or she didn't, in which case she'd find out once it was brought up in court.
While Phoenix had been hoping the question would bring down her guard again, those hopes were dashed against the rocks. "I didn't know him very well," Krueger told him, her face refusing to betray even a hint of what she was feeling. "People like him came and went all the time, those just looking for work between jobs, or trying to save up enough money to get out of town. There wasn't any devotion to the asylum, it was just something he had to do as a means to an end." Even without being able to read emotions like Athena, her word choice made it clear to Phoenix that she didn't care much for people like that.
After struggling to think for a moment on something else to talk about, he remembered how she reacted to him exiting out of the passage, how she'd talked about it, and the fingerprints they'd found inside the passage. "Mrs. Krueger, did you already know that hidden passageway between the break room and Mr. Morto's office existed?"
Mrs. Krueger blanched at his accusation, sweat beading on her forehead, and she started to say, "As the Chief of Security, there's no reason I shouldn't know about any secret-"
"Well, well well!" The newcomer's voice interrupted the guard mid-sentence, and both her and Phoenix turned around to see that Warren White and his bodyguard had entered the room. The pale, bald figure was smiling brightly at them, showing off his razor-sharp teeth in the process. "I come here for a snack, and I see my favorite guard chatting it up with Phoenix Wright!" Smiling far too wide for Phoenix's taste, he looked directly at Mrs. Krueger and told her. "I'd like to speak with Two Face's lawyer here alone. Just me, him, and Humphry." The guard looked down at the ground, refusing to look at Phoenix, and then she stalked out of the room, leaving Phoenix face to face with the disfigured criminal. The noseless patient approached Phoenix, settling himself far too close to Phoenix for his liking. "My, my, I've heard you've made quite the progress so far, Mr. Wright."
Deciding not to talk about his investigation with the criminally insane man, Phoenix asked him, "So, do patients here at the Asylum regularly come to the employee break room to eat?" Pointendly looking over at the shelves, cans of random foods sitting idly, Phoenix added, "I wouldn't really call this place the best for getting a snack."
Warren laughed at that, and it actually sounded rather normal, especially when contrasted with the high pitched giggling coming from his much larger friend. "Most patients can't do that, you're right on the money, Mr. Wright. The thing is, I'm on good behavior, let's say. I've got a bit more freedom than most." Then, he leaned in closer, his face inches away from Phoenix's neck, his mouth agape as his razor-sharp teeth were bared in the open air. "You might even say...I can get away with anything I like," Warren added in a whisper, one that sent shivers down Phoenix's spine, and for a second he was certain his life was about to end, that this criminal was going to tear his throat out with his teeth.
Instead, Warren leaned back again, smiling nonchalantly at Phoenix. Taking a breath to steady himself, trying not to show the fear that was still racing through his mind, or the adrenaline that was coursing through his body, Phoenix rubbed his Magatama, banishing Humphry into the darkness with the rest of the room, leaving just Warren White standing in front of Phoenix, the two separated by chains and a single lock. "If I'm being honest, Mr. White, I think there's a lot more to you than you've told me so far." The pale man didn't react at all to that, so Phoenix continued. "The level of freedom you have here is odd enough, but there's another name you go by that you haven't shared with me, and with it comes the respect and fear you inspire in others."
There was no laughing this time, just an inhumanly wide smile and eyes that didn't blink at all, boring into Phoenix's soul. "And who exactly are you claiming I am, Mr. Wright?"
"You're the Great White Shark." The second the words left his lips, the lock shattered, and the chains disappeared, and the world returned. That...had been too easy. Almost as if Mr. White was purposefully poorly hiding the information from him.
The patient reached up to scratch the side of his smooth head, in the process showing off the stubs where his index and ring fingers has once been. "You're good at gathering information, Mr. Wright. Of course, I should have known that from how you took down Redd. One piece of advice, though." Then, he nodded at Phoenix, and Mr. Dumpler quickly stepped forward and socked Phoenix in the stomach with one of his large, meaty hands. The blow knocked the air from Phoenix's lungs, and he flailed on the ground, struggling to breathe as the pain overwhelmed his senses. "They don't call me that lightly. Screw with me, and your daughter will be an orphan twice over." More than anything else, that chilled Phoenix to the bone: this creep knew about Trucy. "Humphry, show him the door."
Warren White left the room, and his assistant helped Phoenix to his feet, apologized, brushed off his suit, and escorted him out of the Asylum. A taxi cab was waiting for him, and it took him to his hotel without Phoenix having to say a word to the driver. He didn't even have to ask who had paid the man. As Phoenix entered his hotel room, his pulse still elevated, he knew which shark had prepared the ride home.
COURT RECORD
Evidence
Attorney's Badge (Other): My attorney's badge. It's good to have it on my lapel again.
Morto's Autopsy Report (Report): The time of death was between 2am and 3am. The cause of death was loss of blood due to gunshot wound to the chest.
Dent Psych Report (Report): Patient Dent is unable to make certain decisions without first flipping a coin, the result determining his actions. Heads leads to "good" choices, while tails leads to "bad" choices. Which choices require flips of a coin and which do not has yet to be determined, though so far every attempt to take a life has required a coin flip. After a failed attempt to remove access to any type of coin from patient Dent failed (see Incident Report R347), the Asylum has opted to voluntarily provide the patient with as many coins as he requires.
Security Footage (Video): Video recorded from midnight to 2:30am of the inside of Juan Morto's office. It features an hour of an empty office, followed by an hour and a half of the office's owner working at his desk. At 2:10am, Mr. Morto turns to look at the wall under the camera for several minutes before nodding and returning to his work. At 2:30am it cuts off abruptly due to the blackout, and the footage from after the system recovered is gone, possibly stolen. The wall the camera is affixed to and the area directly under it is obscured from view.
Riddler's Letter (Document): A green envelope with a purple question mark on it, the calling sign of the criminal known as The Riddler, delivered to Franziska von Karma. It reads, "Riddle me this: what observes what it can see, and tells far more than that?"
Silver Dollar (Other): An old-fashioned silver dollar with the tails side heavily burned and scarred. It was in Harvey Dent's possession at the time of his arrest several months ago, and he seems to be insistent, if not obsessed, with getting it back. It was confiscated and kept in Juan Morto's office by Arkham personnel, but upon Mr. Dent's most recent arrest the coin was found in his pocket.
Pistol (Weapon): A .22 caliber pistol, issued to the victim as a security guard for Arkham Asylum. Currently believed to be the murder weapon. Covered in Juan Morto and Harvey Dent's fingerprints.
Walky Talky (Other): The primary form of communication between guards at Arkham Asylum. They have a public channel that everyone can hear and private channels for each guard. It was used during the blackout to coordinate the recapturing of the patients.
Lockdown Button (Photographs): A picture of a circular red button on a panel near the monitors. Used to lockdown the asylum. Was not working at the time of the crime due to a blackout.
Breakout Email (Document): Sent to multiple Arkham staff members hours before the blackout, this email lists Edward Nygma, Jervis Tetch, and Harvey Dent as escapees and The Joker as a 'distraction'.
Delivery Email (Document): Mysterious email sent to Juan Morto thanking him for delivering a 'wand' and letting him know a payment of $100,000 is on the way. Sent by the "Blue King".
Morto's Drawers (Other): The drawers of Juan Morto's desk. The top drawer contained assorted patient contraband in labeled plastic bags, including an empty one with Harvey Dent's name on it. The middle drawer was more tightly secured and contained one empty plastic bag, which formerly contained a powerful piece of technology belonging to the supercriminal Citizen Abra. The bottom drawer contained scratch paper, including a list of computer passwords.
Hallway Fingerprints (Other): Several sets of fingerprints, found in the hidden passageway. The only identified set belongs to Diane Krueger, and they were on the handle used to open the hidden door to Juan Morto's office. Two other sets, from different people, were found, though they have yet to be matched to anyone. One was on the wall, near the bookcase, and the other was just outside the bullethole in the wall.
Bullet (Other): A bullet found lodged in the wall of the hidden passage. While ballistic forensics have yet to be used to find which gun the bullet matches, the type of bullet is the same as the kind assigned to guards at Arkham Asylum.
Profiles
Athena Cykes (Age: 18)-The newest member of the Wright Anything Agency. A brilliant psychologist and the lead defense on this case.
Harvey Dent (Age: 32)-Former District Attorney of Gotham City, now the infamous criminal known as "Two-Face". Also Athena's defendant. Unfortunately.
Bruce Wayne (Age: 33)-Billionaire philanthropist and the one who hired Athena to defend her defendant.
Alfred Pennyworth (Age: 56)-The Wayne family butler. Very British.
Harvey Bullock (Age: 51)-A gruff and rude GCPD Detective. Not in charge of this case.
James Gordon (Age: 54)-Famous and infamous, the Gotham City Police Commissioner seems undecided on the defendant's guilt.
Anthony Matthews (Age: 37)-A bearded guard from Arkham Asylum. An old friend of Harvey Dent's, he wants to help despite being a witness for the prosecution. He's covered in scars from working at Arkham, and can't stand being around the patients anymore.
The Judge (Age: ?)-The only Judge I've ever worked with. Was flown in to preside over this case.
Franziska von Karma (Age: 28)-A prosecutor and friend from my past. It's a little intimidating to see her again, but she's wonderful to investigate with. She's currently working with a mysterious organization called "Checkmate".
Renee Montoya (Age: 38)-The detective in charge of this case. Has a bad history with the defendant, and seems to have some interest in the prosecutor.
"The Joker" (Age: ?)-Real name unknown. A supercriminal with a rap sheet longer than the phone book and a penchant for humor and clownish antics. He attempted to escape during the blackout, but was recaptured by the guards. Tried to kill Athena, but failed.
Edward Nygma (Age: 29)-Known by many as "The Riddler", this patient recently escaped the Asylum.
Jervis Tetch (Age: 42)-Known by many as "The Mad Hatter", this patient recently escaped the Asylum.
Warren White (Age: 32)-Also known "The Great White Shark", this disfigured patient is able to walk around Arkham Asylum without restriction. He's made it clear that he isn't to be trifled with.
Humphry Dumpler (Age: 37)-Also known as "Humpty Dumpty", this enormous patient is Warren White's personal muscle. Seems a little nicer than his master.
Diane Krueger (Age: 68)-Chief of Security for Arkham Asylum. Married since high school, she's been working at Arkham for most of her adult life, and takes her job very seriously.
