October 3
Detention Center; Visitor's Room

Phoenix had to wait for ten minutes before Vincent, his client, entered his side of the visitor's room. Vincent looked flustered and irritated. The moment he sat down and saw Phoenix on the other side of the glass, Vincent took out another packet of sunflower seeds and began munching on them.

("Judging by his mood, I'm glad I don't have to be pelted with seeds.")

"Well, what brings you back, sonny?"

Phoenix cleared his throat. "Mr. Kudo, I just did my investigation on the accident site."

"Bah! Just get me out of here, quickly."

("This is going to be a longer investigation the sourer he gets…")

"I have some more questions to ask you, actually."

Vincent's face could be read as I-don't-care-just-get-me-out-of-here.

Phoenix shook his head. "I need your full cooperation on this matter," he told him. He adopted a sterner approach to interrogate him, hoping for some cooperation. "And there's something I want you to tell me about something."

The grumpy Vincent grunted. "Fine. What is it you wanted to ask?"

With some level of cooperation, Phoenix prepared his Magatama. He would have to force Vincent to speak about something unpleasant to his work. Once he gripped the Magatama firmly and closed his eyes in deep concentration, the environment around the both of them darkened (unknown to Vincent, of course) as ghastly chains wrapped around the client, bound by two Psyche-Locks. When Phoenix opened his eyes and saw the locks, he began his questioning.

PSYCHE-LOCKS: Cause of the Crash

"Let's get this straight, Mr. Kudo," started Phoenix. "You claimed that your truck crashed because of a flat tire."

Vincent looked irritated while he waved a fist. "T-That's right, sonny. I'm not about to lose my life to some pain-in-the-ass flat tire!"

Phoenix sighed and shook his head. "I did my investigation and found no flat tires. You should tell me what happened."

Vincent did not make a verbal response, instead opting to munch on sunflower seeds.

("If I can't convince him with words, I'll have to convince him with evidence.") "If you're not willing to talk, I guess this evidence will show what really happened."

Take that! Phoenix showed the accident site photograph, showing the truck that collided with two cars on the left side of the lane. The truck was obviously on the wrong lane. "Without flat tires, any person could always wonder how the truck ended up on the wrong side of the lane. And you can't accuse me of making up this photograph. After all, the detective-in-charge was with me."

"Uh… uhmmm…" Even without an outburst, Vincent's sudden silence was enough for Phoenix to realize that he was getting somewhere. The first Psyche-lock shattered, its pieces fleeting to oblivion.

"So… willing to tell me the truth?"

Vincent quickly snapped out from his shock. "Not telling you anything, sonny! So what if my truck ended up on the wrong lane? My brakes failed! That's why!"

Phoenix tried to resist a smirk. "That's not true."

"W-What's that you say?"

"An inspector at the scene said that the brakes and steering were in perfect condition," said Phoenix. "With perfect brakes and perfect steering, the only reason the truck ended up on the wrong lane is a result of driver error."

Vincent looked even more irritated. "You're putting my driving into question?"

Phoenix shook his head. "No, Mr. Kudo. The fact that you've been driving these kinds for twenty years is incredible in its own right." He prepared his next piece of evidence. "However, this is the reason why you unintentionally steered the truck into the wrong side of the lane."

Take that!

Vincent leaned forward to read the breath analysis report. "W-What is that supposed to be, sonny?"

"I'm not gonna go into the specific details," said Phoenix. "But the result simply shows that on the eve that you began your delivery, you were drinking."

On this revelation, Vincent flinched. There was no way he could question an investigator's result. He looked down.

"Mr. Kudo, I can see why you've been doing this. I'm sorry."

Vincent grunted. "Bah! I'm not gonna let you sit here and listen to my pity story." He put away the packet on sunflower seeds and sat up straight. "You win, lawyer." The second Psyche-lock broke and all the chains unwrapped themselves and vanished.

UNLOCK SUCCESSFUL

("This accident could have been completely avoidable. However, he had no idea what was going on at the back of the truck.")

"Even if I get you acquitted, your job will still be in jeopardy, you know that?"

Vincent nodded. "I ain't tellin' you a mucked-up story, sonny." He sighed. "Fine. I've been a heavy drinker since my wife's gone. Something to keep me sane, you hear?"

("I hope I don't end up intoxicated just because I lose a lot in my life.")

"When the truck crashed, it's like I suddenly got into high alert."

Phoenix was relieved his client was getting back to the topic. "What did you do?"

"First thing I checked was the container," he answered. "Did ya find the door?"

"Yes," answered Phoenix. "But it was locked."

"Key's with me," he said as he took out a set of three keys from his pocket. "Door can only be opened from the driver's side. There's another room between the container and the driver's seat." He pointed out the key to unlock the compartment behind the driver's seat and the key that would unlock the door connecting the compartment and the container.

("Are the trucks from Summerbridge really that complex?")

"What will I expect in that room?"

"Not a lot of things," answered Vincent. "The key to start the engine was left in the ignition. Dunno if it's still there."

("He could be hiding the bottles there, but I don't think they'll be relevant to the case.")

Compartment Key received from Mr. Kudo.

"What did you find in the container?" Phoenix asked.

"A big mess," answered Vincent gruffly. "I swear the boxes were tight and sealed in case these muck-ups happen."

("A big mess, huh…")

"I admit to the drinking, 'kay? It's just gonna be another muck-up in my record," continued Vincent as he reached for his sunflower seed pellets.

Phoenix ignored the uneasy feelings associated with the sunflower seeds. "Er, did you find the victim?"

Vincent frowned. "I… I din't see no one, ya hear?"

"How come?"

Vincent growled for a bit. "I… I got knocked out."

Phoenix blinked. "D-Did you get to see your attacker?"

"That's a negative, sonny," answered Vincent. "At least it knocked some sense into me when I woke up."

"Where were you when you were awake?"

"At the same place where I was knocked out. That's when emergency services an' the cops came hollering."

The new pieces of information brought up by his client prompted Phoenix to press a question when he presented the delivery report.

"So… you were drinking on the night you began your delivery," said Phoenix. "Did you happen to see the victim enter your truck that time?"

Vincent closed his eyes as he recalled the night of the incident. "Well… I was taking a whiff near my truck and I can say that I didn't see anyone of the sort." When pressed further, Vincent was adamant on not seeing anyone else enter the truck.

Phoenix nodded. ("Hmm… could he have been intoxicated by then? No, that's not possible. He was still able to drive up until the collision.") He had a hunch but wanted more information.

"How are items loaded into the truck?"

"Well, after doing a check based on the delivery report, we sorta just chuck the necessary boxes into the truck," answered Vincent. "O'course, we need to be careful with those things." He explained that the boxes are loaded in the specific order based on the delivery report. "First items on the list will be the first ones to go out upon reachin' the destination, ya hear? That means we gotta put the ones last in the list inside the trucks first."

Phoenix pulled out the delivery report from earlier. "There are ten items here, so that should mean… ten boxes, I presume?"

"Yessir," Vincent answered proudly.

"But not all the boxes have the same quantity," Phoenix noted.

"Hrrm, some may be lighter than others, but that's only because of the different, er, uhm, capacity," Vincent responded, a slight vagueness in his answer. "I'm just doin' the drivin', ya hear?"

("Perhaps I need to investigate the truck once more. Maybe I'll find out a little more about the compartment.")

Delivery Schedule updated in the Court Record.

He felt as if he had already pulled enough questions from his client. As the lawyer, Phoenix instructed Vincent not to talk with any outsiders about the case and that any new information that he could recall would be very helpful, even if somewhat damaging. As he left the visiting room, he saw Vincent furiously munching on his sunflower seeds while waving his attorney goodbye.

October 3
Highway 29 Underpass; Accident Site

The heat was more bearable as the afternoon turned into dusk. In the accident site, some of the investigators were wrapping up their work. Prosecutor Blackquill was nowhere to be found, but Phoenix spotted Detective Gumshoe emerging from the container at the back of the truck. As he approached the detective, Phoenix was startled by someone speaking from behind him.

"I thought you would need some help, Mr. Wright."

Phoenix turned around to see Apollo.

"Why are you here?"

Apollo grinned. "There's something I realized about the case you're working in. I did catch up on the news after all." He said to Phoenix that Devine Lopper, the victim, had visited Khura'in a few months before and also helped to restore the country's legal system. "She was well-versed in technology and was an adviser for the monarch when Zheng Fa came under fire. The two countries are on good terms, after all."

"And the point is…?"

"Whoever killed Ms. Lopper must have a deep, dark connection to what's happening in the other side of the world," concluded Apollo. "It might be weird to say this but… I'm thinking that this case has something to do with the raids happening back home."

Phoenix took out the photo of the unusual weapon Apollo gave him earlier. ("I guess I also need to find more answers about this weapon.") He tucked it back and said, "Okay, Apollo. I'll let you in."

The red-suited attorney pumped his fist in excitement. "Alright! We're officially back in business!"

Phoenix relayed the development of the case so far. He narrated everything that happened on the evening of the crash based on his interrogation with the truck driver. Apollo listened intently, absorbing every information he could get to aid his former mentor into the investigation.

"You think a valuable clue lies in the compartment," said Apollo.

Phoenix nodded. "The investigators were unable to open it since Vincent had the key with him all this time. That's where I'm headed next."

Apollo snickered. "Always one step ahead of the detective, eh?"

At that moment, Detective Gumshoe's unmistakable gruffly voice piped from nearby. "Did I hear someone calling my name?"

"O-Oh!" Apollo exclaimed.

("Detective Gumshoe looks tired.")

"We're just about finished with the investigation," said the detective. "We've combed up every nook and cranny of the place and got most of the clues intact."

"R-Really?" Phoenix said.

Detective Gumshoe scratched the back of the head. "You see, there's a door leading to somewhere at the back of the container and we have no way to open it."

("That's because I have the key.")

The detective's eyes fell on Apollo. "And who's this horned head with you, pal?"

Apollo nearly did a double-take while Phoenix restrained himself from laughing. ("Great, and I thought the new queen abroad only gave Apollo the royal title of 'Horned Head.'")

Phoenix introduced Apollo to Detective Gumshoe. "He worked under me for a few years and is quite reliable," he said proudly.

The attorney and the detective shook hands. "And, uh, where are you associated now, pal?"

Phoenix blinked. ("I'm startled that Detective Gumshoe isn't updated with the world news.")

"I'm practicing law back in the Kingdom of Khura'in," answered Apollo. "It's my childhood place."

Detective Gumshoe frowned. "Hmm, never heard of that place. But, uh, I'll keep posted."

"Can we investigate one more time?" Phoenix asked the detective.

Without missing a beat, Detective Gumshoe complied. "All yours, pal. However, if something new comes up, I'll be within an arm's reach."

Phoenix whispered to Apollo. "Basically, he means he won't go away until we do."

Before proceeding with the investigation, Phoenix had a few questions for the detective.

"Detective, I saw you coming out from the container. What were you doing in there?"

"Looking for anything that would build the case, pal," answered the detective. Oddly for Phoenix, though he had already gotten used to it, Detective Gumshoe did not seem enthusiastic. "Look pal, just… get on with what you do best, okay?"

Phoenix blinked. ("Does Detective Gumshoe even have doubts about the suspect?") He turned to the contained. "Anything new?"

Detective Gumshoe shook his head. "Unless the compartment is opened, nothing. Knowing you, pal, you probably have the key to it."

("Yikes! Our friend's no goofball anymore. I better up my game.")

When Phoenix and Apollo were free to move, the first thing Phoenix did was reenter the back of the truck. His curiosity was drawn to the large, unmarked box as he looked around and compared notes with the delivery report.

"Mr. Kudo said that there were ten boxes," muttered Phoenix. "We should see if it matches up here."

A minute later, Phoenix concluded that there were ten boxes. He was slightly disappointed, hoping to find the first major contradiction.

"But it doesn't add up," said Apollo, his astute sense of observation kicking in.

"How so?"

"Think about it, Mr. Wright, if this large, unmarked box shouldn't be part of the delivery, we should count eleven boxes," said Apollo. "We are only left with nine marked boxes that would ordinarily be part of the delivery. Where did the other one go?"

Phoenix closed his eyes and thought of a hypothesis. "Maybe the last one was left behind in Summerbridge."

Apollo nodded. "R-Right…"

"But what if…?" Phoenix returned his attention to the unmarked box. "What if this box was the one that held the body? After all, there seems to be only very few parts there."

Apollo smiled. "And this is where this comes in. I hope you still remember this, Mr. Wright." He took out something from his pocket and gave it to Phoenix. It was a small bottle with a label, "Luminol testing."

("Nice one. I hope Luminol testing is becoming a thing in Khura'in.")

Phoenix accepted the bottle while Apollo produced a set of special glasses that would let them detect the Luminol traces.

"Is Luminol accepted there in Khura'in?" Phoenix asked Apollo.

Apollo's face turned sour. "Uh… Remember, Mr. Wright? It was used during… that case?"

Phoenix nearly flinched. ("Oh, I forgot. And I promised myself never to bring it up again.") He took a deep breath to compose himself. "Right, right, sorry I forgot."He looked at the Luminol bottle. "Anyway, I think we'll find a good use for it, now that we're here." Phoenix turned to Apollo and accepted the glasses when Apollo offered it. "Don't worry, I still remember how to use this."

The two attorneys positioned before the box while Phoenix produced a pair of surgical gloves for the investigation. ("I better be careful not to overuse the Luminol. There's limited quantity after all.")

Apollo suggested that Phoenix spray on the interior of the unmarked box. He reasoned that if the victim already died when she might have been thrown into the box, there would be a considerable amount of blood.

Careful not to scatter the remaining parts – a few nuts, screws, bolts, and bars – Phoenix peered into the unmarked box.

"We have to find out if she was placed there before the murder or after the murder," said Apollo.

Phoenix continued his investigation until he found something. "Look at this."

Apollo peered closer as Phoenix shone a flashlight. "W-What is that?"

The two attorneys were looking at a cut through the box. Since the box was made of a sturdy variety of wood, a sharp pocketknife wielded by a strong person would be able to pierce through the box.

("I should apply some Luminol here.") Phoenix sprayed the area around the cut. "Well, what do you know?"

"What did you find, Mr. Wright?" Apollo asked.

"A considerable amount of blood," answered Phoenix. "The box is varnished – probably to help preserve the quality of the contents. The color of the interior seems to be a dark brown."

Apollo nodded, studying the cut. "The cut seems to be wide enough for a single blade to pass through."

"I think we know what happened." Phoenix emerged from the box and listed the version of events on how the victim died. "She may have been chucked into the box as she was unconscious then stabbed through the box for good measure. Of course, we'll expect the autopsy report to list the cause of death as blood loss due to a stab wound."

"A bit overkill, do you think, Mr. Wright?"

("I admit someone must have gone through lengths to make sure the victim stayed silent permanently.")

Large Unmarked Box updated in the Court Record.

Phoenix looked around the truck interior one more time to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. Outside, the unbearable afternoon heat from a few hours ago had dissipated, making the investigation more bearable. He suggested that they check the compartment using the key Vincent gave them.

"Apollo, what else do you know about the victim?" Phoenix asked Apollo when they emerged from the truck.

Apollo repeated what he had said about Devine visiting Khura'in and helping with the legal system in terms of adapting to technology while preserving its culture. "She was also investigating the rebels who were planning to use the weapon I showed you."

Phoenix took out the picture of the unusual weapon and looked at it. ("The more I look at it, the less it makes sense.") He put the picture away. "How long did she stay in Khura'in?"

"About two weeks or so," answered Apollo.

"And nothing out of the ordinary happened? Did you two meet?"

"We talked for a bit in my office," said Apollo. He crossed his arms as his expression showed like he remembered something. "Now that I think about it, there was something interesting." Apollo narrated that Devine was planning to investigate a group of rebels who she believed were out to cause chaos in Khura'in and the neighboring countries, including Zheng Fa. "She managed to get a photograph of one of the weapons being procured by the rebels when a police raid happened in one of the hideouts."

"Did Nahyuta assist in the raid?"

Apollo shook his head. "No… but I heard another international prosecutor was visiting the country at that time."

Phoenix connected the dots. "Prosecutor Angelique came to Khura'in?"

Apollo blinked. "Y-You know her?"

"Mercury faced off against her in his first trial," clarified Phoenix. "I'm helping Mercury investigate this matter. He thinks this case is connected to what he and Prosecutor Angelique have in common. Anyway, what about Devine?"

"I asked for her reasons for coming to Khura'in. She said that she was tipped by some informant in the kingdom of a raid by these rebels."

("So the kingdom was able to prepare in case they struck. Who was this informant?")

When asked if Devine knew about the informant, Apollo answered, "She just said that she did not know the other person. And you know what happened?" He raised his fist. "My bracelet reacted."

"How so?"

"I knew she was being fidgety," said Apollo. "I'm thinking that the prosecutor must have summoned her to Khura'in as well."

Phoenix rubbed his chin. ("Did some recent event suddenly spark something that compelled the two of them to investigate?") He made a mental note to question Prosecutor Angelique upon her return. He remembered something about the trial Athena handled two months ago. "Now that I think about it, the emergency landing from that plane was attributed to a cyber-terrorism attack. Mercury's case also had a similar involvement as well."

A wave of realization washed upon Apollo. "So that's why Devine returned here before the raids began."

Phoenix nodded. "If she caught up with the news there, she probably knows that those cyber-terrorists were preparing to strike… here."

Phoenix nodded as he took a deep breath. "The fact that the news already reported Devine's death would probably accelerate the goals of this cyber-terrorism group, whatever those may be." The two attorneys walked over to the front side of the truck. "So why is Prosecutor Angelique still in Khura'in?"

Apollo shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe some unfinished business."

With the conversation concluded, Phoenix entered the driver's compartment of the truck. ("How does a short man like Vincent get up here easily?")

The driver's compartment was surprisingly spacious. A grown man could sit down on the passenger's seat and still have space to stretch their legs. The driver's seat and the passenger's seat were slightly apart; dividing the two seats was a short staircase that led to a metal-framed door.

"I guess this is it," muttered Phoenix as he fit the compartment key. The door unlocked, and Phoenix pulled the door open.

The late afternoon light did not completely illuminate the interior of the compartment, so it was difficult for Phoenix and Apollo to make out the surroundings. Instinctively, Phoenix reached out the wall to his right for any light source and, surprisingly, was able to flicker a light switch the illuminated the area.

The first thing they saw was another box, this time a marked one. ("Ah! So that's the tenth box. What's it doing here?") The box was not as large as the other ones in the back of the truck. It was slightly larger than Phoenix's build and was lying down.

"A new mystery, huh," said Apollo.

"Right you are," agreed Phoenix. "If all ten boxes were boarded from the back of the truck, and only the back of the truck can be accessed from the door here… how did this box get into the interior?"

Apollo approached the box and crouched, examining the box's exterior. "Looks like the box wasn't moved at all."

This made Phoenix suspicious. ("Not moved? A highway accident was surely to have made it move at some point.") He looked around for any traces that the marked box might have moved. Near where he was standing, he alerted Apollo.

"Look at this," Phoenix told him. "It's faint, but if you can see… there are drag marks from the outer wall to the box."

"Drag marks?"

Phoenix nodded. "That would mean that this compartment was not used for a very long time… until recently."

"Should we alert the detective?" Apollo asked.

("I'm sure this place might serve as a new piece of evidence for the prosecution, but Detective Gumshoe knows that we have the compartment key.")

A minute later, Detective Gumshoe joined the two attorneys in the cramped compartment. He looked flabbergasted. "What in the blazes is this, pal? And why is this one box not with the others?"

"We just found it," responded Apollo.

Phoenix had a sinking feeling that told him to have the box examined. "I am curious on the box's contents," he told the others. "Should we open it?"

"I don't know," answered Apollo slowly. He turned to Detective Gumshoe. "Should we open it?"

Detective Gumshoe looked around. "Well, this isn't tampering with the crime scene since you just discovered this place. You have my permission, pal."

Phoenix smiled but frowned almost immediately as he looked at the box. "So… how do we pry this open? This is marked after all."

Apollo went to the other side of the box and peered closer. "I think I found it."

Phoenix and the detective immediately rushed to Apollo's side. Apollo was pointing to what seemed to be a lock. The three of them took a matter of five minutes to figure out how to open the box. In a wild guess, Phoenix used the compartment key given by Vincent and the lock to the box surprisingly unlocked.

"Let's take a look inside," muttered Phoenix.

They expected to find some more parts just like those in the unmarked box. But when they pried open the box fully, what they saw inside immediately made their hair stand on end and shook their humanity.

"What the…?" Phoenix murmured, his voice in rasping horror.

"Is this…?" Apollo muttered, his Chords of Steel failing him.

"Y-You gotta be kidding me, pal," said Detective Gumshoe through gritted teeth.

It was Prosecutor Seraph Angelique.

Author's Notes: I apologize for not updating. Online classes have been hectic and making lessons for the online setup can be quite tedious. Don't expect fast updates from now on, though I'll try to post new chapters in an interval of a few days to probably two weeks. I think I have a good outline where I want the case to go. I already have the killer in mind and a possible twist. Let's hope this fans out nicely.

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