July 6th, 5:02pm
Detention Center
Visitor Waiting Area
Edgeworth, Gumshoe, and Kay ran into the detention center less than an hour before the visiting window closed. They cut a line of angry visitors to request a meeting with Steven Viper. "It is vital we are given an audience with this prisoner immediately."
The guard on duty winced, pulling his cap down to obscure the top half of his face. "Sorry, Prosecutor Edgeworth, sir. You... missed him."
What? Edgeworth blinked, uncomprehending. "I'm… not certain I understand you, officer. Is the prisoner being transferred?"
"Yeah. Transferred outta here. He paid his fine for the illegal gun and left a few hours ago. All he was waiting on was a friend to bring the money for him."
"What do you mean, pal?" Gumshoe was starting to get angry. He raised his voice on the guard. "That Viper guy was on trial for murder! He did a lot more than own an illegal gun."
The officer blinked, unaffected by Gumshoe's shouting. "You three didn't get the news, did you?"
"Clearly not." Kay crossed her arms. "What news?"
"That rookie prosecutor lost in court today. He's been going around personally apologizing to everyone who helped him with the case because he thinks he failed us." The officer shook his head. "He got here right as Viper was leaving. It… wasn't pretty. The two looked like they wanted to throw down with each other."
"I hope Prosecutor Blackquill carried himself with more decorum than that." Edgeworth's hand tightened around his sleeve as he fought to keep the vortex of emotions off his face.
So that's where Blackquill had gone off to. Edgeworth wished he'd noticed the signs before now. He had incorrectly assumed that Blackquill's first case ended with a guilty verdict, never giving the younger prosecutor a chance to clarify matters. No wonder Gavin had been insufferable earlier.
"That's messed up, pal! I testified the first day in that trial. Viper's a guilty man and everyone knows it."
"Tell that to the judge who let him off." The guard didn't want to linger on the subject any longer than he had to. "If you all aren't here to see anyone else, can you stop holding up the line? There are family members of criminals waiting behind you."
Edgeworth swallowed. He forced his group of three to step aside. "Thank you for your time, Officer."
They walked to the back of the waiting area, collecting jeers from the people they'd cut in front of earlier. Edgeworth, Gumshoe, and Kay clustered in a corner, doing their best to block out the angry noise. The group needed to discuss their next move.
Edgeworth addressed the situation first. "That… did not go as planned."
"How can they just let him go? You were there for the investigation, sir! You and I both know Viper killed that driver."
"Prosecutor Blackquill must feel terrible," Kay added. "He seemed down to me when we first met him, but I hadn't met him until today. I wasn't sure if that was normal for him or not."
"Conducting an effective investigation is one thing. Preparing and executing an effective prosecution in court is another. Prosecutor Blackquill is still new to his job. A murder case is not easy to take as your first trial." Edgeworth talked himself through the situation slowly, as if he could comfort himself with knowledge he already possessed. "The chief prosecutor had no intention of starting him off on a difficult case. When Prosecutor Blackquill was first assigned to the case, the prevailing belief was that it had been a car accident."
"Cases tend to rise in difficulty when you get involved, sir. Have you ever noticed that?" Gumshoe asked. He paused, then jumped back onto the topic at hand. "But what do we do now, sir? Viper could be anywhere. How are we supposed to track down a freed killer?"
"I doubt he is just 'anywhere,' Detective. The police know his address and place of work. We can question him at either location for our current investigation." However Edgeworth felt about the results of the car murder case, he had his own investigation to worry about. He did his best to let other concerns fade from his mind. "If what we have found is truly evidence that Viper has killed more than one person, we may be able to send him to prison yet."
"Is that where we go next? Question this Viper guy in his home?" Kay asked, a worried look on his face. "He won't be happy to see the police again. You two were part of the investigation against him in his last case. What if he doesn't wanna talk?"
"I personally don't care if Viper is thrilled to see our faces. He's our biggest lead in figuring out what happened to Bower. If he had something to do with our victim's abduction or murder, then we will find out what it is."
"Besides, the police confiscated his gun already. It's not like he can shoot us for visiting him." Gumshoe added cheerfully. "I'll keep us safe, pal!"
That does not inspire confidence in me, Detective. Edgeworth doubted Viper would try anything on them so soon after a close scrape with the law, but just to be safe… "We will speak to Viper at his place of employment. Somewhere in public where he cannot attempt anything without facing severe consequences."
"You don't think he'd be there today, do you?" Gumshoe wondered. "The Quick Journey convenience store wouldn't schedule someone to work the same day they're on trial for murder."
Kay laughed. "Yes, they would! I used to have a crappy job like that. If they needed you, they didn't care what you were doing. They would schedule you for twelve hours with a day's notice like it was nothing!"
Edgeworth didn't like to think the convenience store across from the Prosecutor's Office was such an unscrupulous employer. At the same time, he didn't want to wait any longer than he had to to speak with Viper. "We will visit the store today then. Perhaps Viper will be there."
July 6th, 5:37pm
Quick Journey Convenience Store
Outside Storefront
Even before entering the convenience store, Edgeworth could tell he made the correct call to go to Viper's place of work. As the party of three approached, they could hear raised voices muffled by the glass exterior. There was a shouting match happening inside.
Peeking through the glass, Edgeworth could make out what appeared to be Viper hunched over the cashier counter. He was in the midst of an intense argument with a rather familiar looking prosecutor. I may have spoken too soon regarding my hopes for Prosecutor Blackquill's decorum.
Edgeworth quickened his pace, bursting into the store. He needed to stop whatever argument was taking place before it could escalate. Unfortunately, both Viper and Blackquill were so caught up in their argument that they appeared not to notice his entry.
"-don't care what that absolute fool of a judge said, you and I both know you're guilty!"
"Once again, I deny any wrongdoing. Not that I really need to, Prosecuta. Double Jeopardy's a thing." Viper's tone was full of both mockery and disdain. "Frankly, tha's something a law-man ought to know. Did you forget the rules of your own job? Or maybe it was never taught to you in whateva overpriced law school made you a prosecuta. You sure didn' seem to know how to work your witness. She spent all her time on the stand yelling at you. Something else they never bothered to teach in your class?"
Blackquill's face shifted from mere fury to murderous rage and the man reached toward his left hip. Doing so pushed his coat to the side, revealing… was that a KATANA sheathed there?!
"Speak one more word of mockery. I beg you, give me a reason to cut you down as a wretched murderer like you ought to b-"
"Prosecutor Blackquill!" Luckily for everyone involved, Edgeworth's shout seemed to finally break the two men out of their tunnel vision. Both turned in surprise towards the new arrival. "I desperately hope you were not about to commit any rash or violent acts."
Blackquill stared at Edgeworth for a moment before looking down to his hip where his katana was already mid-draw. Slowly the other prosecutor resheathed the blade, looking momentarily abashed.
"Huh-huh, Mr. Edgeworth sir, why… huh-huh, did you take off so quickly?" came Gumshoe's voice as the detective finally arrived, Kay on his heels. The man clearly hadn't been expecting Edgeworth to break out into a run when he did. When he looked up, the detective failed to detect the immense tension running through the room. "Oh hey, Prosecutor Blackquill. Didn't think we'd find you here."
Edgeworth crossed his arms, still outraged by the younger prosecutor's behavior. "Detective Gumshoe, if you would. Please wait outside with Prosecutor Blackquill while I speak with Mr. Viper. If I am to do what I came here to do, I will require a sword-free environment."
"Prosecutor Edgeworth, please." Blackquill bowed his head. "I.. let this cur's taunting get the better of me. It will not happen again."
"See that it does not by waiting outside," Edgeworth repeated his order. "We will discuss your conduct at a later time."
Blackquill did not meet his eyes. "Yes, Edgeworth-dono."
Gumshoe led the younger prosecutor out the door, leaving Kay and Edgeworth inside with a man all four of them believed to be a murderer. The risk was muted by the circumstances, but it existed nonetheless. Edgeworth kept his eye on Viper, watching for any sign the man intended to harm them.
It was a risk the investigation had to take. Edgeworth would not give backup officers time to arrive. Bower had waited too long for justice as it was. Edgeworth hoped his removal of the threat on Viper's life would be enough to endear Viper to them.
This was not the case. If anything, Viper was more agitated to see Edgeworth than he had been to see Blackquill. "Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do with me? You're the prosecuta who accused me of this damn murder business in the first place! What kinda shakedown is this?
"And what kinda prosecuta carries a sword around? He's lucky I had to give up my gun. Otherwise, I woulda claimed self-defense while I shot his ass back to the ancient days!"
Edgeworth addressed the katana question first. "I also did not know Prosecutor Blackquill kept a katana on his person. While he is within his rights to own such an object, I shall endeavor to make sure he does not make inappropriate use of his weapon in the future. As for why I am here…"
Edgeworth squared his shoulders. Just thinking about what he had to say next made him sick to his stomach. "I may personally disagree with the verdict you received in court this morning, Mr. Viper, but as a prosecutor, I am committed to upholding the rule of law. No matter what I think of your exoneration, I will not place my own opinions above the law I serve."
"You're smarter than your friend, then." Viper leaned on the counter once more. His tone carried a fraction of the smugness it'd held earlier. No matter how the man played it off, he hadn't been expecting a sword to enter the fight. Blackquill's threat had thrown him off balance. "So why you here, then? You can't keep pesterin' me about somethin' the law don't think I did. My lawyer said that's not allowed."
"Let's just say we aren't here to ask you about the case from this morning." Kay spoke up for the first time. Behind her head sat a display of chewing gum.
"And who are you, lil' lady?"
"She is my assistant." Edgeworth refused to give Kay's name to Viper. No criminal needed that sort of information. "You did not meet her last time because I was not formally assigned to the case that involved you."
"Well, then what do ya wanna ask me about? I'm supposed to be workin', here!" There was no one else in the store besides them. Viper had nothing else he needed to be doing at this moment.
"Mr. Viper, where were you on June 30th, the day before our fateful first meeting?"
Viper scoffed at the question. "None of ya business where I was. Why, ya got another murda to accuse me of?"
"I may, indeed." Edgeworth flipped his Organizer open to the relevant page. "I have evidence that connects you with my current case… here!" He presented "Viper's Receipt" to Viper with his signature "TAKE THAT!"
Viper leaned forward to read what was on the slip of paper. He pulled back after a split second of reading. "That dumb- nope. I got nuthin' to say to you."
Edgeworth blinked. He exhaled slowly, allowing his surroundings to fade away. A blue chess board took over his field of vision.
"I have defeated this man in Logic Chess before. He should not be a difficult opponent this time either. No matter how much he has increased his defenses."
Five days ago, Viper had guarded his secrets with only two chess pieces. Now, there were three. A pawn, a knight, and a king. Viper was less agitated than he had been the night of July 1st. Edgeworth had received fewer chances to wear him down beforehand as well. No doubt his playing strategy would have to change as a result.
"If that's all you want, you can leave. Some of us have real, honest jobs to do."
"I will need to update my strategy to account for Viper's new position. A man who has escaped a murder conviction before will have a different attitude than one who has never faced the law. If I want him to talk, I should put our differences from five days ago aside."
Easier thought than said. "First, I shall ask him about returning to his job at the convenience store. Let us begin!
-Begin Logic Chess-
"You returned to your job at a remarkable speed, Mr. Viper. Just this morning, you faced the chance of never working again."
"Yeah, well. The people who run this store don' care who they have to hire. They just want someone who can count change and clean the store at closin' time." Viper laid a hand on the cash register. "I missed three shifts here already. You people kept me from earnin' an honest living!"
-As if a murderer like you could do anything honest!
-Wait and see
Edgeworth chose not to respond, giving Viper the space he needed to vent.
"Oh no, I'm not falling for this again. Ya don't get to stare at me until I talk no more. I won't play the fool twice now."
"Then perhaps I will need to be more active in my questioning." Edgeworth shrugged. "I am merely surprised that you care so much about working here. It's… not a job most people would be proud to have."
"Ya don't get to make choices when ya need money. I done plenty of odd jobs since I left school. Pride has nuthin' to do with it."
Edgeworth nodded. "It can be difficult to struggle financially.
-How long have you had this job?
-What other jobs do you take to make ends meet?
-Wait and see
"How long have you had this job?"
Viper shrugged, noncommittal. "A few months. They like me 'cause I can work the weird hours."
"Are you assigned many shifts in a regular week?"
"...Enough." Viper glared at Edgeworth. He was suspicious, but he didn't yet know where Edgeworth was going with his questioning. "Like the first o' the month. I had a full shift here includin' clean up. Got here after lunchtime."
-Do you often get shifts on consecutive days?
-Why did you bring your gun to work?
-Wait and see
Curious as Edgeworth was about the answer to his second question, he shouldn't remind Viper of his previous murder now. Not directly, at least. "When we last spoke, you also told me you had the opening shift assigned to you for the 2nd. Was that true?"
"Hell yeah it was. Bossman was pissed when he heard I couldn' make it."
"Are you often assigned to work shifts on consecutive days? Closing one night just to open the next sounds brutal."
"It ain't bad. You work crazy hours every day too, don't ya?" Viper looked up at Edgeworth, then shook his head. "You're a crazy man, Mr. Prosecuta"
-Not crazy enough to murder anyone, though.
-What about the day before we met?
-Wait and see.
"And what about the day before we met, Mr. Viper?" Edgeworth conjured an attack pawn in his mind. "Were you working then?"
Swing and a miss. "Like I told ya, Prosecuta! I won' tell you nuthin' you don' already know. If you had enough evidence to accuse me of a new murder, you wouldn' be chattin' me up right now."
That was true, sadly. However, the statement did give Edgeworth an idea for his next move. "You are right that I don't currently know if you were working here on June 30th. However…" he shook his index finger by the side of his temple. "I do have my ways of finding out."
Viper grit his teeth, tattoo on his neck bulging. "Yeah? Like what?"
"I could…
-Investigate this store for a work schedule
-Invite Prosecutor Blackquill back in here
The second option was decidedly not Edgeworth's style. Even for a bluff, it was cruel. "I could investigate this store here and now. Most establishments of this nature have a work schedule on display somewhere. Considering how concerned you are about money, Mr. Viper, I doubt you would risk missing a shift. I could even call your manager to confirm my findings."
The second attack pawn made its mark. Viper had two pieces left to guard the path to his secrets.
Already, the murderer was rethinking his strategy. "Gah! Fine. You don't quit. I did work on June 30th. Not a full shift, though."
"What were your hours that day, Mr. Viper?"
"I took over the shift of someone who had to leave early. Started at 9am, went 'til 1pm."
Hm… did that cover the timeframe of Bower's kidnapping? Maybe. Anytime that day after the manager checked on Bower was fair game. Viper's alibi for the 30th wasn't ironclad yet.
Edgeworth needed to widen his lane of questioning. "What did you do after that, Mr. Viper?"
"Why do you care?" Viper asked. "Ya think I commit one murder, so now I must be responsible for every crime on the block? What's up with that? This is harassment!"
He answered the question with as little information as possible. "The evidence I showed you comes from another murder. This murder took place on June 30th. If you can provide me with a solid alibi for where you were that day, I will not have to question you about your week-old whereabouts any longer."
"What's an old receipt got to do with a week-old murder case? That receipt ain't from last week!"
How much information should Edgeworth divulge at this juncture?
-This receipt was among the victim's possessions before his demise.
-This receipt came from the scene of a crime.
-This receipt was nearly stolen by an attacker from the victim's last known residence.
Edgeworth was rarely inclined to give away every card in his hand, but he needed to convince Viper of the gravity of the accusation against him. "This receipt was nearly stolen by an attacker from the victim's last known residence. Its contents were clearly important to the perpetrator."
"And you think I wanted to take it because the paper's got my name on it," Viper finished, then laughed. "You think I'm that stupid?"
Edgeworth's brow furrowed. He hadn't been expecting this reaction. "Explain your question, Mr. Viper."
"Nuthin' your little evidence piece says has anything about a murder on it. It doesn't make me look like a killer. So if I were killin' a guy and saw it, why would I bother tryin' to lift it?" Viper smirked. "I did say 'if' there, Mr. Prosecuta. Don't get ideas about me confessing now."
Edgeworth noticed something odd about Viper's explanation just now. When it was presented to him, Viper had examined the receipt for only a second. How did he know what timeframe the receipt was from?
"Viper must remember the receipt from somewhere. I should hold onto this clue."
In response to Viper, Edgeworth remained noncommittal. "Perhaps the criminal didn't want the evidence to remain on site for another reason."
"Or they wanted you to see it 'nearly stolen.'" Viper put the last two words in air quotes. "They knew you accused me of killin' someone and wanted to convince you I'd done it twice."
The timeline didn't line up on that theory. Edgeworth hadn't accused Viper of murder until late on July 1st. Bower's murder had occurred sometime on June 30th.
At this time, Edgeworth did not believe the receipt had been planted near the hotel room by the kidnapper. It fit too well with the other evidence on Bower's wall, not to mention the evidence Bower's emails implied he had possessed. Besides, it was as Viper said: the receipt didn't have a lot of information on it. If it were a fake lead intended to lead Edgeworth down the wrong trail, why not offer something more conclusive? All the receipt proved was that Viper had been paid by someone from Hakari.
Wait, that's it! That's the angle Edgeworth should be questioning Viper from. In addition to determining Viper's alibi, he should try to figure out the receipt's full significance. "Mr. Viper, the receipt itself reveals you were paid for services rendered to Hakari Inc."
"Yeah. What about it?"
-What did they hire you to do?
-Where did the money they paid you go?
-Wait and see
Edgeworth chose the first question. "I happen to know Hakari is a video game company. Given my knowledge about your occupation and skill set, I'm afraid I don't understand this partnership. Could you explain what Hakari hired you to do?"
Viper hesitated. "I… already told you, Mr. Prosecuta. I work a lotta odd jobs. This store don't pay me well enough to make it my only job."
"I see." Edgeworth conjured a new attack pawn in his mind. "Were you working a second job on the 30th, by chance?"
Miss. "No. I wasn't. It's none of your business what I was doing after work last week."
-It is if you killed Bower!
-I'll go away if you tell me.
-Wait and see.
Edgeworth prepared another attack on Viper's knight. "I don't understand why you don't want to offer me an alibi, Mr. Viper. Don't you know I'll end my suspicion of you if your whereabouts on June 30th can be confirmed?"
This time, the attack swung closer. Edgeworth thought the piece was his. Alas, it was not to be.
"And what are you gonna do to 'confirm' where I was? Pester more people?" Viper shook his head. "I'm on the clock, Mr. Prosecuta. You got no reason to keep me when my shift ends."
Viper was right. Edgeworth was running out of time. And fast. "I may have to speak to other witnesses in order to confirm your alibi, assuming I have no faster way of confirming your whereabouts." Edgeworth didn't want to waste his own time on tracking down minutiae if he didn't have to. If Viper presented a solid alibi, Edgeworth would probably send a police officer after the details.
"How many people are you gonna harass about nuthin'? I wasn't nowhere near no murder on the 30th."
Edgeworth got the strangest feeling at that moment. Was… was Viper protecting someone? If Viper wasn't at the hotel room himself, he must have another reason to hide his whereabouts from the police. Even though Viper hated talking to Edgeworth, he was willing to put up with him if it meant this other person stayed out of the investigation's sight.
Could this person be important? How did Edgeworth go about revealing their presence?
-Did you meet with anyone the afternoon of the 30th?
-Do you have other evidence I can use to confirm your whereabouts?
-Wait and see
"I… understand people in your circle may wish to not speak with the police, Mr. Viper. Whatever their reasons are, I will respect them unless and until they interfere with my investigation. I cannot afford to hold a grudge against you, Mr. Viper. The truth must take precedence." Edgeworth sighed. "If you have evidence that doesn't require me to speak to anyone else regarding your whereabouts seven days ago, I can use that."
Viper hesitated. "You won't quit 'til I give you somethin'."
"No, I won't." Edgeworth imagined a third attack on Viper's knight. "If you have evidence proving your innocence in my current case, present it now."
For reasons that made no sense to Edgeworth, that admission broke Viper's knight piece. He ducked under the counter, causing Edgeworth to start with alarm. Edgeworth relaxed when he realized Viper was only retrieving his jacket. He pulled a crumpled sticker out of the jacket's pocket. It was… a Dye Young visitor sticker? It's not every day someone presents me with evidence during a chess game.
"I… went to the hospital after my shift here. My friend got real hurt a while back. He can't walk, and the sight of cops makes his healin' worse." Viper confessed. "We talked a while. I got him dinner and made the nurse feed him. Didn' leave until it was after midnight."
Viper spent that long with his injured friend? They must have been close. It was odd to think this man could appreciate the preservation of life just a day before taking someone else's. Edgeworth would never understand murderers.
As for the alibi, Franziska's hospital case should (unintentionally) contain all the evidence Edgeworth would need to confirm it. Gumshoe had complained about sorting through all the visitor log pages for late June and early July, not understanding why Franziska didn't only take the day of the incident as evidence. If the evidence was on Viper's side, this would be solid proof of Viper's innocence in Bower's murder.
Which made the existence of Viper's final chess piece all the more confusing. What else was Viper hiding from him? If the receipt wasn't a sign of Viper's presence at the crime scene, what was it a sign of? Edgeworth ought to ask.
"Thank you for presenting your alibi, Mr. Viper. I will search for ways to confirm it that do not involve speaking to your friend. I have only one matter left about which I must question you."
"What? You said you'd leave me alone if I told you what I was doin' on the 30th. You lied to me!" Viper shook his head. "Crazy Prosecuta. You're scum, all of ya."
"Now would be a good time for that clue."
-Why is the receipt so familiar to you?
-At least I'm not the scum that murders others!
-Wait and see
This clue came in the form of a bishop in Edgeworth's mind. "For someone who barely examined my evidence, you seem rather familiar with its contents. Why is that, Mr. Viper?"
The king remained intact, but the attack was close. "Because it was mine! I got it for my Hakari work a few weeks ago. Receipts are useless and stupid, so I threw it away."
"How did it end up at my crime scene, then?"
"No idea. Ask your murderer."
Most likely Bower had recovered the receipt from Viper. But that didn't explain why a perpetrator would steal the evidence from the hotel room. If Viper wasn't the concerning aspect of the evidence, then what was?
Hm… I'm almost out of time. I can't think of any new questions to ask Viper. To which topic should I circle back?
-Where did the money Hakari paid you go?
-What other jobs do you take to make ends meet?
-Why did you bring your gun to work?
"Mr. Viper. I… no longer believe you are the most suspicious part of the evidence I have shown you. No, far stranger is the fact that Hakari's name was mentioned in connection with my current case." Edgeworth conjured a queen for his final attack. He put all his strength into this final shot. "Tell me what you were recently doing for Hakari. What other jobs do you take to make ends meet?"
The attack missed. Yet just then, something strange happened. Viper's hand reached out… and knocked over his own king. "Ya know what? I just realized somethin'. You can't get me for your sword friend's murder case no matter what you do."
What was going on? Had Edgeworth lost the Logic Chess? Why was Viper still talking to him? "That is how double jeopardy works, yes."
"Well, I'm glad you brought Hakari up. Truth be told, I'm a lil' pissed at them. The lawyer they told me to call is a jackass. Expensive one at that. He mighta got me off, but he took almost all the money I made on my last Hakari job to do it. I used the rest to pay my gun fine. I lost my best gun in this shitshow! And now I don't have no rent money." Viper gave Edgeworth an evil grin. "You wanna know what I did last week for Hakari? I'ma tell you."
-Logic Chess Complete-
That was the worst Logic Chess victory Edgeworth had ever had. It wasn't even a hard match! Viper had only three pieces, and Edgeworth had still managed to mess up. He was not on his game today.
"You know why your lil' friend out there failed to keep me in jail, Mr. Prosecuta?" Viper asked, not waiting for an answer. "He couldn' figure out why I would shoot a stranger. An' without the bullet that went through the River boy's head as evidence, my gun was less than smokin'."
Edgeworth was done ignoring Viper's guilt. It sounded like Viper was as well. "Why did you do it? Why did you shoot David River that night?"
"Same reason I do everythin', man. Cash rules everythin' around me." Viper reached for his lips as if searching for a cigarette. When he found none there, he put his hand down. "But crime didn' pay this time. It's like I told you."
Edgeworth gulped. "Are you admitting Hakari paid you to kill one of their own employees?"
Viper nodded. "They were real unprofessional 'bout it too. Called me the afternoon of sayin' this guy was stealing their files. Told me everythin' 'bout his car and gave me nuthin' on what he looked like. I had to run out mid-shift to get my gun. They even tried to stiff me the next day sayin' I was supposed to steal the files back too. As if I had any chance of doin' that!" He shook his head. "Not that it matters. Whole payment's gone now."
Kay gasped. "You're not just a murderer. You're a hitman! Just like Franziska's witness was."
Viper flinched at the word. "Well, I ain't hittin' nuthin' for Hakari after how they treated me. You just don' do that to your contractors. I'd hate to know how they treat their suppliers now."
"When we arrested you a few days ago, you claimed you had a personal reason for targeting River."
"Yeah, well. I lied."
Kay turned to Edgeworth. "So that's it? He confesses to murder and we can't do anything?"
"I'm afraid so. We've already established his alibi for our current case. And now thanks to him, we have confirmation that Hakari is in the business of hiring killers. The attacker from our investigation didn't want to hide Viper's name from us. They wanted to hide Hak… wait." Edgeworth froze. "Mr. Viper. The receipt we showed you was weeks old. You claim you only got the call to target River the day of the 1st. Who else did you kill on Hakari's payroll?"
"You can' prove I killed nobody. You can' even prove I did somethin' illegal to earn that receipt. As if I'm the kinda guy who takes receipts. Can' believe some corporate dumbass actually sent me that." Viper shook his head. "Shoulda ripped it up when I had the chance."
Edgeworth swallowed the thorny ball of rage building in his throat. He would never condone Blackquill pulling a sword on someone, but he was a lot more sympathetic to the act than he'd been at the beginning of this visit. "Why are you telling me this?"
"'Cuz you can' do anything about it. You're as helpless as your sword-flingin' friend out there."
"Who was your contact in Hakari?" If Edgeworth couldn't prosecute Viper for a murder, he could at least convict someone of ordering it. "If you're truly done with them, tell me. The police can put you in witness protection against other killers."
Viper grimaced. "I haven' heard good things about your witness protection program. Besides, I don't know no names. I never asked for any. He was a bigwig, though. Someone in the top office of the company." He shrugged. "Maybe he knows who killed your new victim."
Edgeworth couldn't bring himself to thank Viper for anything, not even a new lead in their case. He added a note to his Organizer without saying a word.
-"Truth of River's Death" added to Organizer-
-"Viper's Visitor Sticker" added to Organizer-
He gestured to Kay once he was done, careful not to use her name in front of Viper. The pair tried and failed to look dignified as they exited the Quick Journey Convenience store.
July 6th, 6:43pm
Quick Journey Convenience Store
Outside Storefront
Edgeworth did his best to keep a look of calm about himself as he left the convenience store, but from the way he flung open the doors to what was clearly storming off disguised as power-walking, he doubted he had succeeded. Both Gumshoe and Blackquill seemed to possess a healthy dose of professional respect which kept them from commenting.
Unfortunately, Kay did not. "Sheesh, he really riled you up, Mr. Edgeworth," Kay remarked, eyeing him critically. "You look almost as shaken as you did when you'd had to deal with Alba."
"It's infuriatingly similar." Edgeworth bit out. "Though at least with the ambassador we were able to get enough doubt going that he lost his right to diplomatic immunity. Here there is nothing we can do."
"The fault of which is entirely mine." Blackquill spoke up, his voice bitter. "I failed us all, Edgeworth-dono. You lent me your wisdom in pursuing this blackguard, and I wasted it. Please accept my deepest apology. It is not enough, but it is all I have."
Edgeworth took a deep breath in. He felt a lot of anger about how Viper's case had turned out. Still, blaming Blackquill for everything wasn't the answer. "We were both deceived when we believed the investigation was complete that night. This was your first case, but I should have known better." He summarized what Viper had confessed to the other prosecutor.
Blackquill turned his face away in shame. "I should have investigated more. I should not have allowed myself to be deceived by that murderer's lies. I should…" His hand went for his katana.
"Oh no you don't, pal!" Gumshoe grabbed Blackquill by the arm. "I have never been in a case where swords made anything better. You gotta learn to fight your battles with words. That's what a prosecutor does."
"The detective is right. I don't care how heated matters become in the courtroom. A prosecutor never threatens the life of others in his pursuit of justice. If we did, we would be no better men than the sort we prosecute every case."
"I have left a murderer on the street. I can see this store from my office. It will haunt me for the rest of my days." Blackquill's voice rattled out, a broken tremor. "I am not worthy of the prosecutor's path."
"Prosecutor Blackquill. Don't speak that way. Do you want to know what happened in my courtroom debut?" Edgeworth didn't wait for an answer. "My defendant was slaughtered by his own defense attorney. This attorney also killed a fellow prosecutor of mine. Instead of bringing her to justice as I was meant to, I allowed the woman to escape. The incident haunted me for seven years. I was never able to enter the courtroom without thinking of it.
"Then, this spring, I found the woman again. She had been the accomplice of another murder. Thanks to the help of Kay, Gumshoe, and several others, she met her rightful end in a lengthy prison sentence." Edgeworth grimaced. "This is not meant to be a happy tale, but perhaps it could be a reassuring one. You will not win every battle you fight as a prosecutor. But only by fighting on will you have a chance to regain your honor. Escaped foes have a way of coming back to us, and it's our job to be ready for them when they do."
"Not just foes, Mr. Edgeworth. Friends too!" Kay reminded him. "I first met Mr. Edgeworth on his debut case. We weren't working together yet, but when we did become a team, it was like no one could ever stop us!"
"We'll help you keep fighting crime, Prosecutor Blackquill. If you don't give up on us, we won't give up on you," Gumshoe vowed. "I think you'll make a great prosecutor yet!"
Blackquill offered the three of them a small smile. "Thank you, all of you. I… wish you the best in your case. Let me know if I can be of any service to you on the battlefield."
"Our investigation will have to continue in the morning," Edgeworth announced. "Viper has an alibi for my murder case that I must confirm. If my evidence wasn't stolen to protect the recipient, it was stolen to protect the sender. That is, Hakari. Viper claims he was hired to kill River by a higher up in the company. If Hakari is used to hiring killers, they may have hired one for Bower as well."
Blackquill nodded. "I see. Why do we not confront them now?"
"Because their workday is over. I want to investigate Hakari headquarters with all their most important employees present." Edgeworth forced himself to feel a new wave of determination.
"Meet me in my office first thing in the morning. We shall discuss our investigation's strategy then."
To be continued...
Organizer:
Profiles:
Miles Edgeworth
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Description: Me. What can I say? Currently High Prosecutor for my local district.
Dick Gumshoe
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Description: A homicide detective, one of the many assigned to this district. How I nearly always end up working with him, I cannot say.
Kay Faraday
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Description: My self-styled assistant, best known for her claim of being the second Yatagarasu. Soon, her aspirations will be focused on higher education more than stealing from others.
Simon Blackquill
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Description: A new prosecutor on the scene, one who just finished trying his first case in court. Appears slightly uncertain of himself, but a respectful man besides.
Petunia Gardner
Age: 68
Gender: Female
Description: A retired landscaper who was tending to her home garden when her attention was drawn to the victim's body. Did not call the police until the next morning.
Apollo Justice
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Description: A teen orphan. Was wandering the street with the intent to vandalize when he noticed a corpse in the night. Identified by Gardner the morning after, though his current companion was not.
Kristoph Gavin
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Description: A defense attorney known for staying calm during his trials. Appeared on the scene of the crime to defend young Justice. Before that, he was Blackquill's opposing counsel in court.
Wess T. Bower
Age: 52
Gender: Male
Description: The victim of this case. Was once an Interpol agent until one case ruined his investigation abilities forever and he became an online reporter of conspiracy theories. Was already missing for several days at the time of his death.
Franziska Von Karma
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Description: ...Franziska. How else can I describe her? She's came to the city to investigate a tip Interpol received, but her contact (Wess T. Bower) never showed. He may well have been dead at the time of their scheduled meeting.
Joseph Caché
Age: 46
Gender: Male
Description: A former prosecutor who now works as a PI. He was investigating Bower's disappearance as a missing person's case before learning of his death.
Hotel Manager
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Description: Once a bellboy of Gatewater Hotel, this man now manages this Gatewater property. Was the last person confirmed to have seen Bower alive on the morning of the 30th.
Steven Viper
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Description: The defendant in Blackquill's first case as a prosecutor. He received a Not Guilty verdict after 3 days in trial. Has an alibi for Bower's murder.
Evidence:
Prosecutor's Badge
Type: Other
Description: My badge. It allows me to do my job, and is to be kept in my pocket at all times.
Caché's Flyer
Type: Other
Description: A missing person's poster for one Wess T. Bower. He is now known to be dead, and is the victim of my current case.
Gardner's Testimony
Type: Testimony
Description: Gardner saw a group of teenage boys from across the street the night before she called the police. Claims they had spray paint in their possession, but fled without using it upon discovering the body.
Can of Spray Paint
Type: Evidence
Description: Full can of blue paint that is applied via spraying. Found near dumpster. Bear's Justice's fingerprints.
Justice's Testimony
Type: Testimony
Description: Justice and his friends happened upon the body while out last night by complete chance.
Victim's Body Bag
Type: Evidence
Description: A large black trash bag in which the body of the victim was stored. The outside of the bag is littered with fingerprints, Justice's among them.
Toukai's Calling Card
Type: Evidence
Description: A mysterious business card of some kind. The design is most irregular. Has someone's email address on the back. Check
Bower's Room Key
Type: Evidence
Obtained from Joseph Cachè
Description: Key to Bower's hotel room at the Gatewater. Bower was living there before his murder.
Bower's Email Chain
Type: Evidence
Partially obtained from Joseph Cachè
Description: Three emails from a larger conversation between Bower and someone at Interpol. Bower proposes a case that Interpol initially refuses, then later agrees to investigate. Portions of the email are redacted using black marker. Check
Cachè's Timeline
Type: Other
Obtained from Joseph Cachè
Description: A list describing the progress of Cachè's investigation into Bower's disappearance. Includes a few of my own additions. Check
Evidence Board
Type: ...Evidence
Description: A web of nonsense covering one wall of Bower's hotel room. Includes details of the victim's case against Hakari. Appears to have pieces missing.
Desk Lamp
Type: Weapon
Description: A broken piece of hotel property. Has a large dried bloodstain on its lampshade. May have been used to hit Bower on the head.
Autopsy Report
Type: Evidence
Description: While Bower was concussed with a blunt instrument pre-mortem, his cause of death was a slit throat. Time of death: sometime on June 30th.
Gatewater Bath Towel
Type: Evidence
Description: A missing white towel. Potentially taken from Bower's hotel room by a kidnapper to cover the victim's head of the towel were caught on the hotel room's window, indicating the kidnapper's escape route.
Viper's Receipt
Type: Evidence
Description: A receipt detailing a payment from Hakari higher ups to one Steven Viper. Was found outside the victim's hotel room as a potentially stolen piece of Bower's evidence board.
Truth of River's Death
Type: Testimony
Description: Viper confesses to killing River on the orders of a Hakari higher up to prevent him from giving evidence to the Prosecutor's Office. Objective ultimately failed.
Viper's Visitor Sticker
Type: Evidence
Description: A week-old sticker that was on Viper's coat. Proves he visited an injured friend in the hospital on June 30th.
A/N's: PTV and Ajani wrote this chapter. Both wish to leave notes.
PTV: I was all excited to write the confrontation scenes of this chapter, and then I kept getting bogged down in minor logic issues that I worry no one but me cares about. But given the logic-oriented nature of our protagonist, I felt I owed it to you readers to push through. Kudos to Ajani for figuring out how the Logic Chess should end.
Also, shout-out to Allstarall on Ao3 for leaving several comments on this fic there and inspiring me to get out of my own head and actually write this thing. What I'm saying here is that reminders work on me. While I do not accept insults and will not speak for Ajani, you all should feel free to push me to get the ending sections of this case written. We are too damn close to the end to give up on this series now.
I think that's all I have in the way of A/N's. Ajani?
Ajani: I'm alright with reminders as well, though of course so long as everyone is cognizant of the real life stuff going on.
We're really near the end folks, only a few more chapters to go. Things are about to get really crazy guys and we really hope you enjoy what we have coming next.
Of course, if you guys are finding that you could use more Ace Attorney in between chapters, or hell even just some entertainment in general, then I do my streams. I mentioned it last time, but I stream on twitch and I've recently made it a full on scheduled thing. I've been playing lots of fan-games as it's what my laptop can handle and have recently been focusing on Ace Attorney stuff. I'm nearly done with the fan-game Conflict of Interest and I'm probably going to be picking up another AA fangame as the next bit of regular content. I've also got something special planned for the 31st for anyone who enjoys DnD.
Anyway, that's enough plugging from me. Hope it wasn't too much PTV.
PTV: I don't mind. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and let us know what you think below. Until next time!