Dick Gumshoe's face fell as he lowered his cell phone. Phoenix had rarely seen him look so depressed. "I can't reach him either, Mr. Wright."
"I'm really worried, Nick," said Maya. "It's been five minutes, and we've tried him on all of our phones."
"I know," Phoenix quickly responded. "But...look, let's not panic just yet. What about Adrian's phone?"
"She won't answer either, Nick. She left it in the employee's lounge--" The girl's eyes widened. "...Oh! You mean let's try her phone! But…Nick, do you think it'll even make a difference? I mean, none of us were able to get through, and considering everyone in L.A. is on the network after that earthquake…"
"It's worth a try."
Maya nodded. "All right. I'll go get it." She left the man's side and headed toward the employees' lounge, the museum's emergency lights sufficiently lighting the way.
When she was gone, Phoenix turned his gaze toward no particular point, a sickening feeling twisting at his gut. Though he had been the one trying to calm his friends for the past few moments, inside, he was just as anxious as the rest of them. Why did this particular event seem to occur only when they couldn't get to him? The first time had been in the detention center, a wall of glass dividing them. The second time, Edgeworth had been at Hazakura Temple with Iris, who had run off to the training hall the moment the man collapsed from fright. God only knows where he is this time...and there's no word on Adrian, either. I have to make sure they're all right. Otherwise, Franziska will never let me hear the end of it...if we ever find her. Phoenix stopped himself then. No. I have to think positively. We will find Franziska. And we will find Edgeworth and Adrian. And everyone will be okay. I just...wish there were some way to know how they're doing...
The sound of Maya returning brought him out of his thoughts. She was holding Adrian's phone as she approached Phoenix, and she was shaking her head. "I'm sorry...Nick," she said, lowering the phone. "No luck here, either."
Phoenix exhaled. "And Adrian hasn't gotten back, either. I imagine they both ended up in the parking lot, but after that--"
"Mr. Wright, that's it!" Gumshoe cut in, immediately rejuvenated by that thought. "I'll go check the parking lot to see if they're there!"
"W-wait, Detective," Maya said. "There could be a lot of debris, and the power's not back on yet. There's no guarantee that y--"
"I can't just sit around here doing nothing!" the detective fumed. "Don't worry. At least the emergency lights are on, so it's not like I'll be wandering in the dark. And even if that were the case, well, I'm prepared!" He produced a small flashlight from his coat pocket, switching it on and off a couple of times. "All right! I'm off to find Mr. Edgeworth and Ms. Andrews! Don't you worry! I'll bring them back in no time!" Before either one of them could protest, the man was off, rushing toward the emergency exit.
After letting Gumshoe's sudden departure sink in, Phoenix moved toward one of the windows overlooking the city. As he gazed outside, he could see that power was absent from many of the buildings, though other light sources managed to paint enough of a picture of the unfolding chaos. About a couple of blocks away, a fire had broken out, and headlights from several cars littered the streets below...literally, in fact. Despite the small volume of traffic, none of the cars seemed to be following any sort of straight line. Figures...with the sudden tremor. I'm not surprised there are a couple of accidents, with those swerving vehicles. With that thought, Edgeworth returned to the forefront of his mind. Damn it, I hope he wasn't...
"Nick..." Maya joined him at the window. "He'll be okay. Both him and Ms. Andrews. I know it. Detective Gumshoe will find them and...they'll be okay."
"I know," Phoenix replied, though the words didn't give him comfort. "I...should know. It's just...Maya, what if Edgeworth was driving down that road there when it happened? Can you...can you imagine? He said he passed out the last time. He could have gotten into an accident, or worse--"
"Nick." Her hand was touching him on the arm. "Let's...let's not go there just yet. We don't know enough, and we'll just worry ourselves sick. We have to keep positive."
Positive. "Y-yeah," he said, turning back to Maya. "You're right. I'm sorry. He could still be in that parking lot with Adrian. He could be..."
The girl smiled at him. "That's the spirit." It wasn't a full smile or even one of her mischievous smiles, but somehow, seeing it helped to improve his mood. I always did feel better after seeing one of her smiles...
"Thanks...Maya."
Just then, Phoenix's phone rang.
"Ah." Surprised by the fact that someone had gotten through on the network, Phoenix dug a hand into the pocket of his sweatshirt, pulling out the cell. "Detective Gumshoe? Did...did you find them?"
"No, sir!" came Gumshoe's voice, loud enough to be heard without enabling speakerphone. Still, the signal crackled from time to time. "They're not in the parking lot! But..." He trailed off with a rather anxious sigh.
Phoenix knew that sigh. It was the kind of sigh that, had there been some good news, the festivities were about to be spoiled. "Detective...please, tell me, what is it?"
"They're not here," Gumshoe repeated, "but both of their cars are. There's only one emergency exit from the exhibit to the parking lot, and...well...since I didn't run into either one of them..."
Whatever had been digging at Phoenix's stomach was now pulling it to the floor. He knew what Gumshoe was thinking, though normally, that in itself was a frightening thought. Adrian and Edgeworth had likely taken the elevator to the parking lot, and if their cars were still there at the time of the earthquake while they weren't, then only one conclusion could be drawn.
"Nick," Maya murmured. It seemed she had caught on as well.
"This is bad, Maya," Phoenix heard himself responding. "I mean, I'm glad he wasn't out there driving, but if Edgeworth was in that elevator during that earthquake..."
"W-well, um...but...if Ms. Andrews' car is there, too, then maybe she's with him, too? At least he's not alone..."
"I know, but..." He felt the anger building inside him, a feeling he was fighting to suppress. Damn it! An elevator...that's the last place he needs to be in an earthquake....
"Mr. Wright!" Gumshoe's voice interrupted. "Listen, I'm coming back up! This parking lot's empty, so I'm pretty sure they're on that elevator. I knocked on the doors, but couldn't hear anything, so they're probably closer to your end. Try calling out to them, okay? And...if that doesn't work, we can try his phone again. If anything, maybe Ms. Andrews will answer."
"Right, of course," Phoenix said. "See you in a bit." He hung up and pocketed the phone, and then he and Maya hurried toward the elevator.
"Ms. Andrews!" Maya called out, her palm rapping against the metal doors. "Mr. Edgeworth! Are you there? Are you okay?"
There was a distant gasp, but it was unmistakable. "Maya, is that you?" asked a woman's voice.
"Adrian!" Phoenix exclaimed, feeling a bit more optimistic. "Are you okay?"
"Mr. Wright! Yes, I'm fine, but..."
"Is Edgeworth in there with you?"
"Y-yes...he is. I...don't know how to say this. He...he's out cold."
Phoenix lowered his head in defeat. "I knew it," he muttered to himself. To Adrian, he said, "Listen. I hate to ask this, especially when you're trapped in there, too, but could you look after him? Try to make him comfortable."
"Uh...all right. I'll do my best."
"Thank you," he replied, though not loud enough for the woman to hear.
"Mr. Wright!" Gumshoe's voice caught the attention of both Phoenix and Maya, and they both looked in the direction of the emergency stairwell. "Mr. Wright, did you have any luck--"
At the precise moment the detective opened the exit and passed through the door, the power switched back on. Emergency lights lost their glow as the fixtures overhead became fully illuminated, and electronic devices came back to life.
Phoenix was momentarily marveling at this event when he heard that critical sound--the soft bumping of a large metal object behind the walls. He and Maya stared anxiously as the floor number display above the elevator played a game of passing a light from one number to the previous one. Detective Gumshoe was approaching them when the game stopped, one number standing still, completely lit.
The elevator bell sounded, and the doors slowly opened.
Lying on the floor, every bit as unconscious as Adrian had claimed, was Edgeworth, his head pillowed in Adrian's lap. Adrian was looking down at him solemnly, her face at times showing a mix of worry and confusion. It was no wonder. She didn't know Edgeworth well enough to know his weakness...or the fact that he had one, for that matter. She must feel pretty weird right now, Phoenix thought. Sorry, Adrian. I wish I could tell you, but it isn't up to me to spill Edgeworth's secrets.
Gumshoe was the first to react. "Mr. Edgeworth!" he shouted, rushing up to the door.
Adrian looked up. "Detective, I didn't see it...but he must have hit his head or something."
"Uh..." Gumshoe now looked the confused one. "...Yeah, that's possible."
"What do you mean, that's possible?"
"Well, he could have just fainted. Mr. Edgeworth doesn't really handle earthquakes all that good."
"What?"
Adrian's expression was one of near-panic, Phoenix saw. My cue to hurry up and join them. "Detective," he said firmly. "Let's get Edgeworth to that sofa in the lounge, okay?"
"Right, Mr. Wright!" The man drew closer to Edgeworth and bent down.
Phoenix attempted to help, but Gumshoe was strong enough that he had managed to scoop up Edgeworth in his arms, all by himself, and stand back up with little trouble. It was almost comical watching him carry the unconscious prosecutor out of the elevator as though he were moving the body of a mere child. Whatever fire raging within the detective's soul at that moment was inexplicable, unstoppable...almost impossible. He charged on, not stopping until he reached that door.
Phoenix heard Adrian move to her feet, and together, everyone followed Gumshoe into the lounge.
Gumshoe waddled over to the sofa, bumping the table once or twice as he set Edgeworth across the cushions.
Adrian's voice was soft against all the racket the detective had been making. "Is he...is he really that frightened of earthquakes?"
"Pretty much." Gumshoe had stated it so freely, so matter-of-factly, that it was almost sad. "It's kind of complicated, though. And a bit of a sensitive issue with him, too. Er..." He looked embarrassed, as if he had suddenly remembered his place. "Speaking of which, I've probably said too much already."
Yes, you have, Detective Blabbermouth, Phoenix thought, though he knew Gumshoe was only looking out for the prosecutor.
"I...I see..." Adrian said. "Well, I'd feel better if I knew for sure that Mr. Edgeworth didn't hit his head."
"...Then you may relax, because I did no such thing," came the cranky voice from the sofa.
Everyone turned around, looking at Edgeworth, who was slowly coming to.
"Mr. Edgeworth!" Gumshoe and Maya exclaimed simultaneously.
"Edgeworth!" Phoenix said, relieved.
"Mr. Edgeworth," Adrian murmured.
"It figures," the man continued, bringing a hand to his forehead. "I go off to do important work, and all of you are still in here, simply fooling around." With a rather weak smile following the quip, he moved to a sitting position, bringing his feet to the floor. "Well, if you have time for leisurely chats, then you can start by telling me what's going on. After all, I...can't seem to recall."
Was that another joke, or is he getting worse? Phoenix wondered. "Edgeworth, you...don't remember the earthquake we just had?"
"Earthquake...?" Edgeworth repeated, then suddenly turned away as though he had been slapped, almost gritting his teeth. "Argh. I was there, wasn't I? The last thing I remember was...the elevator, and..." He trailed off, grumbling fiercely to himself.
"Mr. Edgeworth...are you all right?" Adrian asked.
Edgeworth looked back at them, his gaze eventually falling upon the blonde woman. "Er...I...I'm fine. My apologies, Ms. Andrews. Whatever I put you through back there, I am truly sorry. It must have been quite an inconvenience for you..."
"No...not at all...really..."
"Come now, there's no need to hold back for my sake. I can handle it." His smile was small and sheepish, almost bitter. "I don't have the best history with earthquakes. That's a fact that I'm well aware of. But it's no excuse for what happened back there--"
"Mr. Edgeworth, please," Adrian said, seeming agitated by his words. "I don't know what your situation is exactly, but it's quite clear that it is no light issue. Don't trivialize this by assigning a label such as 'inconvenience.' And please, for your own sake, stop apologizing for what happened. We all have our own fears...and carry around secrets we aren't proud of. That's nothing to be ashamed of. It's only when you cover up your fear instead of working to overcome it that you should apologize...for doing yourself injustice."
Phoenix didn't know which was more impressive, Adrian's ability to turn her own past into a positive lesson, or her ability to render Edgeworth speechless. Adrian had told him to not be ashamed, but now he seemed ashamed over that fact alone. He had broken eye contact again, saying nothing.
"...Anyway," Gumshoe began, "We're all glad you're okay, Mr. Edgeworth. Why don't you relax for a while? You won't be able to get back to Criminal Affairs tonight, anyway."
Edgeworth let out an inaudible sigh. Despite the earthquake episode, it was apparent he was thinking of Franziska, and was likely feeling disappointment at his investigation being put on hold.
"Um...Mr. Wright..."
"Yeah." Phoenix turned at the sound of his name. "What is it, Adrian?"
"I just wanted to thank you for finding us so quickly," she told him. "There's no phone in that elevator, and Mr. Edgeworth's cell phone had a bad signal. I wasn't sure anyone was going to find us."
"You can thank the good detective here," Phoenix replied, gesturing to Gumshoe. "He was the one who insisted we check there."
Gumshoe chuckled. "It was no big deal. I just had a pretty strong hunch you two were there. After all, Mr. Edgeworth never passes up the chance to escort a pretty lady back to her door."
"D-Detective!" Edgeworth exclaimed, finally returning to the conversation. "What on earth are you implying? I was concerned for her safety, nothing more!"
The detective shrugged. "Well, whatever. I just know you're the courteous type." He paused, but the grin didn't fade. "Sheesh, Mr. Edgeworth. Don't take it so personally."
Phoenix also found himself unable to wipe the smirk from his face. Edgeworth had always been so serious about everything...a quality that made picking on him all the more fun. But Phoenix also knew there was a time and place for everything, and it was a little too soon in this case. "All right, now," he declared. "Leave the guy alone already. Detective Gumshoe, there was something I needed to discuss with you. Could we talk out there?"
"Huh? Oh, sure thing, Mr. Wright."
Phoenix looked at Edgeworth and gave him a nod. He then turned and exited the lounge, Gumshoe following after him.
"What is it, Mr. Wright?" the detective asked as soon as they had entered the museum exhibit.
"I was just curious about something." Phoenix had spoken the words, but the moment they passed his lips, he was no longer certain he wanted that curiosity satisfied. "Um...remember when I went and reported Pearls and Trucy missing?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you have any idea why they didn't mention anything publicly? I mean, typically, when a child is kidnapped, they issue public alerts. And even when a child is missing and there's no suspected abductor, pictures are posted all over the news. But looking back to yesterday, there was nothing of the sort."
"Well, there was really no need to do any of that," Gumshoe replied, turning his head as the lounge door opened again. "Not after this young lady here called in."
Maya, who had entered the room, approached the two with a solemn look on her face.
"Well, that's true," Phoenix said, acknowledging the girl with a brief glance. "But a whole day had passed by then. Think about it, Detective. The police department had a whole day to report a possible kidnapping, and even after that, even after receiving confirmation of an attempted kidnapping, they haven't said a word. Aren't they worried about the safety of the other children in this city? Haven't they learned from past kidnapping cases?"
It took a while, but something clicked inside Gumshoe's brain. "S-sir!" he exclaimed. "You're...you're not saying...? The police department doesn't know how to put up alerts...?!"
Phoenix stared at him for a moment, stunned, and then let out a disappointed sigh. Just left of the bull's-eye there, Detective.
"Nick..." Maya said. "You don't suspect that someone at the police department is trying to cover up something, do you?"
"Well, I can't exactly rule it out," he responded. "I've felt like something was off ever since I made that report. Nobody put up any pictures, made any announcements, or even warned the public about children disappearing. It was by luck that nothing bad happened, but I still don't feel right that nothing was mentioned. Though I guess it would be mostly pointless now--"
"Hey, pal," Gumshoe cut in, "I know sometimes we screw up, but we're a pretty responsible bunch, too. To say we're covering up something... that's going too far! I mean...sure, that would have happened three years ago, but not now. That's just not our style. That's...that's, uh...well...someone else!"
"Someone else...like Damon Gant?" Phoenix suggested.
Gumshoe looked like he had just finished a ten-day-old bowl of instant ramen. "Well, I wasn't going to mention his name."
"Damon Gant..." Maya repeated. "I think my sister mentioned him once or twice. Didn't he have ties to Lana Skye?"
Phoenix looked at her. "Oh, that's right. You were back at Kurain Village when this happened. Damon Gant was the Chief of Police until around three years ago, and yeah, he and Lana...well, they had ties, like you said. Anyway, Chief Gant got caught up in forging evidence for a couple of cases and ultimately murdered some people. The court found him guilty of several crimes and gave him the death penalty. I heard they carried out his sentence last year."
"Yeah," said Gumshoe. "And all that forging and cover-up business ended with that trial! The new chief, he doesn't tolerate that kind of behavior. Not Chief Grayson. He'd slap your hand with a ruler if he saw you writing anything fishy on a report!" The look on his face suggested he had learned this fact by personal experience. "He certainly wouldn't put up with someone trying to cover up a kidnapping of all things!"
Watching Gumshoe argue with such passion, Phoenix couldn't help but feel a little sad. Gumshoe had headed the case in which Phoenix had lost his badge...over the charge of forged evidence. It's so strange, hearing him defend this guy now...where was he when I needed a voice like that? Phoenix pushed aside the thought, returning to the present. "But you have to admit it's pretty weird. Edgeworth told me they weren't taking the Gourd Lake letter seriously, when any other police department would have had men staked out, and units on standby."
"That's not exactly true, Mr. Wright. We were on standby--"
"Unofficially. Your chief didn't order that, did he?"
"You're really determined to make us look bad, aren't you, pal?"
Phoenix shook his head. "I just want to get to the bottom of things, Detective. There're just too many mysteries, too many things that don't make sense. Franziska von Karma is one of the most important prosecutors the courtroom has seen these last several years. I'm not saying one case is more important than all the other cases at the police department, but I can't imagine they wouldn't have put forth some effort in her search! Aside from you, Detective Gumshoe, it doesn't seem like anyone cares!"
The detective was silent for a long time. Phoenix started to regret having been so vocal, when...
"Yeah..." All the layers of aggression in Gumshoe's expression had faded, and underneath them was a weary man. "I've noticed. And arguing with the chief doesn't change a thing. But...as long as I could help...maybe...just maybe...he'd come around, you know? He's not a bad guy, really...he can be kind of stubborn, but that's part of his charm. And if he saw us making progress...even unofficially...maybe it'd inspire him, and he'd lend us a hand. Maybe it's pointless...but that hope....that's what keeps me going. But..." Little by little, the fire returned to his eyes. "...even if the chief never budges...even if the clues are hard to come by...I won't give up. Mr. Edgeworth deserves to see Ms. von Karma again, and both your daughter and Maya's little cousin deserve to play in a safe neighborhood. I'll do everything I can to make that happen, Mr. Wright. You can count on that."
