Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney
Turnabout Of The Revengers
By Derald Snyder
Investigation- Day 2
Court Record:
-Crime Scene Photos
-Broken Stage Light
-Piece of Cloth
-Red Spots
-Crime Scene Diagram
-Autopsy Report
-.30-caliber Machine Gun
September 17, 12:22 PM
Lastation Basilicom
Noire's Office
"The Dragon Killer?!" gasped Noire. "You're kidding me...!"
"Part of me wishes I was, Lady Noire," Kei stated. "But the bloody symbol on the victim's body matches perfectly with his MO..."
"And K-Sha was supposed to be one of his victims?!" The goddess added. "She's lucky to be alive, if that's the case...!"
"W-well, maybe the D-Dragon Killer thought K-Sha was j-just another i-innocent schoolgirl," Rei hypothesized. "Until s-she pulled her g-gun on him, anyway..."
"...Yeah, I could see that happening," Noire agreed. "So you were the one that recognized the symbol, Uni?"
"Um... actually, it was His Honor that figured out the blood pattern was actually a dragon kanji," Uni admitted. "I just thought that something looked strange, but I couldn't put my finger on it..."
"W-well, the fact that the s-symbol was partially w-wiped away p-probably d-didn't help..." Rei pointed out.
"Well, even so, good catch, Uni," Noire complimented her sister. "Good to see that sniper's eye of yours is good for more than just lining up headshots on Ancient Dragons..." Uni couldn't help but blush from her older sister's praise...
"A-anyway," Rei cut in, "c-could someone p-please t-tell me more about th-this Dragon Killer?"
"Of course," Kei nodded. "Though to be honest, we don't know that much more than you do..." She then cleared her throat. "The Dragon Killer is a serial killer whose reign of terror began about three and a half years ago. He started with homeless people, then grew bolder, attacking people inside their homes or apartments. His victims were always marked with a bloody dragon kanji, which was often the only way anyone knew it was his handiwork."
"A-are you saying he l-left n-no evidence b-behind?" Rei inquired incredulously.
"Indeed," Kei nodded solemnly. "It didn't help that he would sometimes leave evidence that pointed to someone else, only for their alibis to check out, or their movements would fail to match up with the Dragon Killer's other victims. It was almost as if he was taunting us... The only definitive evidence we ever got were two partial fingerprints and a single strand of hair. We don't even know if the Dragon Killer is male or female..."
*Dragon Killer's Fingerprints/Hair added to the Court Record.*
"K-Sha referred to him as a male, though," Uni pointed out. "After all, if she survived an attack from that guy, it'd make sense..."
"Perhaps," the Oracle conceded. "Anyway, his killing spree continued for six months, and then stopped abruptly. None of us knew what happened, if he'd gotten imprisoned or killed, or simply bored of killing people..."
"M-maybe K-Sha m-managed t-to shoot him or s-something...?" Rei suggested.
"That could very well be," Kei nodded. "The killings started up again a year later, but at a less frequent pace... but, as before, we couldn't make any headway in our investigation... until now."
"But for the Dragon Killer to have framed K-Sha like this, he had to have known the filming schedule almost by heart," Noire pointed out. "As much as I hate to say this, I'm afraid that means the Dragon Killer is either among the camera crew, or even one of the actors in the film..."
"Well, we can rule out Mr. Downer," said Uni. "Back then, he'd just crashed and burned due to his drug addiction, and he didn't get out of rehab until about a year and a half ago..."
"Indeed, I remember how loudly you wailed when he was arrested for possession," Kei noted.
"Me too," Noire concurred. "You were inconsolable for days..."
"D-did you have to bring *that* up?!" Uni cried, her face reddening.
(Wait... don't tell me *that's* why Uni agreed to stick by me in case I went berserk?!) Rei groaned inwardly.
"Well, putting that aside," Kei said, "our next course of action is clear. Ms. Ryghts, I want you and Lady Uni to visit Miss K-Sha in prison and see what she remembers from her encounter with the Dragon Killer..."
"What about you, Kei?" Uni asked.
"I'm going to the laundromat," the Oracle answered. "After all, I have to ascertain that Detective Thomas is doing his job properly this time..."
"Oh, right," Uni muttered. "I almost forgot, you're the prosecutor for this case..."
"It feels k-kind of weird, though," Rei chuckled nervously, "to be d-discussing the c-case with the p-prosecution so c-casually. I almost f-feel like I'm c-colluding w-with the enemy..."
"Nonsense," Kei Jinguji shook her head. "Though we may be on opposite sides of the courtroom, we have a common goal: to figure out the truth of what happened. Which is how it should be. Though, I can see why you would not think that way, given the inherent unfairness of Lowee's court system..."
(Well, Lastation's court system doesn't seem that different to me...) Rei thought to herself. She didn't vocalize her opinion, however, as they had far more important matters to attend to... (Speaking of which, I don't think I'll need this piece of evidence anymore...)
*Photo of Red Spots discarded.*
"We should probably go touch base with S-Sha while we're at it," Uni then suggested. "Maybe K-Sha can tell us where she's staying..."
"That's probably not a bad idea," Noire agreed. "I wish I could help, but I'm still swamped with paperwork here... so I'll just say good luck, and I hope we can find and nail that Dragon Killer this time!"
"I share your sentiment wholeheartedly, Lady Noire," Kei concurred. "So then, let's be off, everyone..."
September 17
Detention Center
Visitor's Room
(is it just me, or do the walls in this prison look even *darker* than in the other nations?) Rei couldn't help but think to herself as she and Uni waited for K-Sha to be escorted in. (I know Lastation's primary color is black, but still...) Soon, the Gold Third member walked in and sat down on the other side of the bulletproof glass.
"Hi, K-Sha," Uni greeted. "How're you holding up?"
"Like I said, I've survived worse conditions," K-Sha muttered in a low tone. It helps that S-Sha came by earlier and told me that C-Sha and B-Sha were sending their best wishes for me..."
"Th-that's nice," Rei nodded.
"Yeah, and Noire sends her best wishes too!" Uni added. She'd probably be helping out herself if it weren't for her goddess duties..."
"Really~?" K-Sha's eyes lit up at this. "Wow, Noire still believes in me after all this?"
"We *all* do," the CPU Candidate insisted. "You know the only reason Kei put you on trial in the first place was because of that dumb reporter..."
"S-speaking of th-the trial," Rei interjected, "The reason we c-came here w-was t-to ask about wh-what you said a-at the end of p-proceedings yesterday... about the D-Dragon Killer..."
"Right..." K-Sha's voice lowered again. "I figured I'd have to tell you this story sooner or later..."
"Take your time," Uni said. "We understand this can't be easy for you..."
"I know," the mercenary nodded, before taking a deep breath to steel herself. "Well, it was about three years ago... Back then, I was still part of the Order, and I wouldn't meet S-Sha and the rest of Gold Third until about 5-6 months later... Anyway, I was on night patrol, and even though it was pitch-black outside, I knew the area I patrolled by heart. But then, suddenly, someone came up behind me, putting a hand over my mouth and a knife to my neck... And then he whispered in my ear..."
("It'll be over soon. You have the honor of being the Dragon Killer's next victim.")
"Out of instinct my hand went to my waist, pulling out my machine gun, and I quickly pointed it behind me..."
(*ch-click*)
("Shit-!")
(*tatatatatatatatata*)
K-Sha paused for a moment, shaking with fear. "I don't think I'd ever come so close to losing my life... I honestly thought he'd end up slitting my throat anyway, but I only came away with a minor nick. I heard his footsteps running away, so I quickly turned and got my gun in proper firing position... I could just barely make out his silhouette..."
("Stop right there, bastard!")
(*ratatatatata*)
("Gaaaaaahhhhhhh-!")
"I'll never forget that scream he made..."
Uni suddenly interrupted, "Wait, you mean you managed to wing him?!"
"G-guess our th-theory about w-why he stopped k-killing all of a sudden was c-correct..." Rei stipulated.
K-Sha nodded at this. "Yeah... I saw him clutch his left shoulder in pain... but then he disappeared around a corner. I tried to pursue, but by time I got around the corner, he'd vanished into the night..."
"How come you never told anyone about this before?!" Uni inquired.
"I told my superiors in the Order," K-Sha responded. "They ordered me not to tell anyone else about the encounter, mostly because they wanted to catch the guy themselves... but obviously they never did." She then took a deep breath. "Honestly, I'd just tried to put that harrowing experience behind me, and not think about it anymore... guess that's why I did what I did when that documentary came on before my shoot..."
"Oh, so *that's* why you shot out the TV," Uni sweat-dropped.
Rei then spoke up, "K-Sha, I know th-this must b-be hard for y-you, but I have t-to ask... is there a-any other d-details you c-can remember about the Dragon K-Killer? Anything at all w-would be h-helpful..."
The former mercenary closed her eyes in thought. "Well... he had short hair at the time... he was kinda thin, but not skinny-thin... I don't think he was that tall either, from the way he grabbed me..." Her eyes opened. "He was probably about as tall as you, Miss Rei, not counting your horn..."
"Y-you're sure it was a m-man?" Rei pressed.
"I didn't feel breasts pressing into my back when he grabbed me," K-Sha clarified.
"Hmmm..." Uni thought for a moment. "Well, that still doesn't narrow it down much... quite a few of the camera crew and studio staff could fit that description. Heck, even the victim fits the description!"
"I-it's more th-than what we h-had, though," Rei pointed out. "And it d-definitively r-rules out Mr. D-Downer..." she smirked.
"Oh, funny," the CPU Candidate sighed. "I'm never gonna hear the end of this, am I...?"
"Oh, so you're a fan of Tony Downer?" K-Sha inquired.
"Th-that's not important!" Uni cried, her face slightly red. "Look, uh..." she racked her brain. "D-did you ever hear anything about the victim going to the laundromat the night before?"
"Of course, almost everyone knew about it," K-Sha nodded. "It was pretty much routine for Mr. Wright to take care of the costumes after a day's shooting... even though he was just a light technician, he liked to do what he could to help Director Iceberg... in fact, I heard he'd started as Mr. Iceberg's errand boy before getting to his current job. Those two have apparently been best friends since high school... I feel so bad for the director, he lost a good comrade..."
"R-really?" Rei said. "Wow, I w-wish I'd h-had a f-friend like that... M-maybe I w-wouldn't have g-gone off the d-deep end in Victory, if th-that had b-been the c-case..."
"Speaking of friends," Uni cut in, "What's S-Sha up to right now?"
K-Sha hummed for a moment. "Actually, she spoke to me briefly after court adjourned, saying she was going to head back to the studio to see if she could find any clues about the Dragon Killer..."
"W-well, in th-that case, we should g-go over there a-and t-touch base with her, b-before we investigate th-the laundromat..." Rei proposed.
"Guess that's what we'll do then," Uni agreed. "Alright then, we're off... just hang in there, K-Sha! We're all rooting for you to get acquitted!"
"Good luck!" K-Sha called after them as they left...
September 17
Lastation City Production Studios
Main Entrance
When Black Sister and Rei touched down, they were mildly surprised to find S-Sha leaning against the wall outide the door, which had two police officers standing guard. Tori was also there, leaning next to S-Sha, looking bored out of his skull.
"Hi, S-Sha!" Uni greeted as her transformation reverted. "And, um... Tori, right?"
"Yep," the boy answered. "Kinda flattered you remembered, most people just know me as 'boy' or 'errand boy'..."
"So what are you doing out here?" Rei inquired.
"...I wanted to go back in the studio to look for clues on this Dragon Killer, but they won't let me in," S-Sha explained.
"Yeah, while the investigation's going on, everyone in the movie's effectively out of a job," Tori sighed. "And worse, S-Sha keeps saying no to all my suggestions!"
"I'm not interested in kid's games," the white-haired woman grunted. "And besides, I don't like the fact that you don't seem to have any sympathy for my friend..."
"Yeah, well, it's kinda hard to have sympathy for a psycho who tried to kill one of the goddesses in the past!" Tori retorted. "At least you had a good reason for pulling what you did in Leanbox- trying to give E-Sha a new body!"
"Hey, with all due respect, you don't know K-Sha like I do!" Uni cut in. "She's well aware of her issues, and she's worked hard to get over them!"
"Indeed," S-Sha nodded, "And I as well as the other members of Gold Third have done what we can to support her in this endeavor..." She then looked over at Tori, "And need I remind you that E-Sha considers her a friend as well..."
The boy withered under the woman's fierce glare. "OK, OK, I'm sorry... I crossed the line." Desperate to change the subject, he asked, "So! Did K-Sha tell you anything about that Dragon Killer guy?"
"N-not much..." Rei sighed. "It was p-pitch-black w-when she was a-attacked, so..." She then proceeded to tell them the vague description K-Sha had recalled.
"...Yeah, that doesn't help much," Tori sighed. "That could describe about half the men in the studio..."
"Well, K-Sha said she'd managed to wing the guy in the shoulder..." Uni recalled. "Which means he might a have a scar of some sort there..."
"Hmmm..." S-Sha pondered. "I don't remeber seeing anyone with a scar like that... How about you?" she turned to Tori.
"I dunno either," the boy shrugged. "I mean, it's not like those guys are wandering around topless... and besides, I'm a Leanbox citizen like Director Iceberg, so I don't even know the majority of people here anyway..."
"Oh, that's right, I forgot..." Uni muttered. "Well then, if we can't go in the studio, then we should probably head over to the laundromat..." Suddenly her Sand-Song phone rang. "Huh?" She pulled it out and checked the ID. "Oh, it's Noire... hold on a sec..." The walked a few steps away as she answered...
"The laundromat?" Tori blinked in confusion.
"Ms. Ryghts proved in court today that Mr. Wright might have actually met his end the night before K-Sha's scene shoot, at the laundromat," S-Sha clarified.
"Ooooohh," Tori said, putting his hands behind his head. "So that's why the police went over there... I thought maybe they were just questioning the owner about that red vest I ran over there, that Mr. Wright had been wearing..."
"OK, see you soon!" Uni said as she hung up. "Ugh, sorry, Rei, I have to go... There's an urgent Quest that needs to be done, and Noire's still way too busy..."
"I-it's fine," the horned lawyer assured her. "It's n-not like the l-laundromat's th-that far away... and besides, Kei will b-be there, too..."
"And if that Dragon Killer decides to try something funny, I'll fend him off myself," S-Sha stated.
"I kinda doubt he would," Tori shrugged. "I mean, if *I* was that guy, I'd be laying low, especially now that my plan to frame K-Sha failed... but hey, I'm no phantom serial killer."
"Yeah, you're right," Uni nodded. "Alright, I'd better go. See ya!" With that, she transformed and flew off.
"Bye!" Tori waved.
"Shall we head to the laundromat, then?" S-Sha said.
"Right," Rei nodded.
September 17
Outside Wash-O-Laudromat
"HOLD IT!" said the police officer standing at the entrance. "This is a crime scene! Only law enforcement personnel are allowed in!"
"B-but I'm K-Sha's l-lawyer..." Rei pointed to her badge.
"Let her in, Officer," came Kei Jinguji's voice from inside.
"Yes ma'am!" The policeman acknowledged. "Alright, you can come in... but your companions have to stay out here, understand?"
"Y-yes sir," Rei nodded.
"Figures," sighed Tori. "Might as well head to the arcade... you sure you don't wanna come, S-Sha?"
"Not interested," S-Sha intoned. "I wish to remain out here, just in case something happens."
"Fine, your loss," the boy shrugged as he sauntered off...
September 17
Wash-O-Laudromat
Front Room
"Good of you to join us, Ms. Ryghts," Kei greeted. "But where is Lady Uni, if I may ask?"
"Got called away by Lady Noire for a Quest," the lawyer explained. "S-so, how's t-the investigation c-coming along?"
"Quite well, actually," Kei gave a rare smile. "Turns out it was just like Director Iceberg guessed- we detected blood that was soaked into the old rug in front of the washers. Also, luminol testing confirmed that blood had been wiped away from one of the washers, as well."
*Old Rug added to the Court-Record.*
"S-so this *is* the s-scene of the c-crime," Rei said. "S-so d-does this mean K-Sha is o-off the h-hook?"
Kei looked somewhat uncertain. "...Well, thanks to another piece of evidence we found, she may just be exonerated... but not in the manner you'd like."
"W-what d-does th-that mean?" the lawyer inquired nervously.
The Oracle stared straight into her eyes. "We also found blood spatter... on one of your spare suits, Ms. Ryghts."
Rei blinked for a moment as that fact sank in... "W... WHAAAAAAAAAAATT?! MY clothes?!"
"Which fits perfectly with the Dragon Killer's profile," Kei quickly continued. "This must have been his back-up plan, in case his plan to frame K-Sha fell through..."
*Rei's Bloody Clothes added to the Court Record.*
Rei's shock quickly segued into anger as her fists clenched. "Why that little arrogant worm! Thinking he could frame *me* because of my notorious reputation?! I am *so* going to enjoy squashing that maggot in court...!"
"Please, calm down, Ms. Ryghts," the Oracle sighed. "No-ne here believes you're guilty, though I do want to ask about your alibi for the night in question, just to ensure our bases are covered."
"...I was asleep in my dressing room in a sleeping bag," the lawyer deadpanned. "I'm sure there are security cameras that'll prove I never left the studio..."
"We'll look into that," Kei agreed. Just then, Detective Thomas came running up.
"Oracle! We've found something!" he exclaimed. "Ain't no way you're gonna cut my pay this time!"
"Spare me your prattling, detective," Kei deadpanned. "Just show us what you found."
"OK! Right this way, ladies!" The large man exclaimed, beckoning them to follow...
September 17
Wash-O-Laudromat
Basement
(Ugh! It stinks down here!) Rei thought as she covered her nose. Kei looked somewhat displeased herself.
"We found this in a trash can hidden in a closet way back in the corner," Thomas explained. "Someone really didn't want this to be found..." With that, he lifted up a blue hair wig and a crudely made horn, both in plastic evidence bags.
"Well, this confirms our earlier hypothesis," the Oracle observed. "Did you find any hair inside the wig itself?"
"Well, yeah, we did, but..." the detective's face turned crestfallen. "It was just one stand of dark hair, but there was no follicle, no DNA testing's out... Sorry."
"Hmmm..." Kei pondered for a moment. "Well, the strand of hair we found from our previous investigation of the Dragon Killer was also dark in color... so it's possible our killer has either dark brown or black hair..."
*Wig and Fake Horn added to the Court Record.*
Just then, frantic footsteps were heard as S-Sha abruptly appeared from upstairs, her hair looking slightly disheveled. "We've got trouble, everyone!"
"W-what happened?!" Rei asked.
"There's a mob outside," S-Sha stated simply. And the one leading them appears to be that Razzie Porter character..."
"Him AGAIN?!" Thomas growled. "Why I oughta go up there and give 'im a piece of my mind!" With that, he charged back up the stairs, the others quickly running after him...
September 17
Wash-O-Laudromat
Front Room
"Lock her up! Lock her up!" the mob chanted from outside.
"What the hell?!" Thomas gasped in shock. "There must be hundreds of 'em!"
Razzie Porter himself was visible from the entrance, briefly locking eyes with Rei Ryghts before turning back to the crowd. "And so the psycho lawyer goddess emerges! Clearly she knows better than to try to hide from justice!" A chorus of boos erupted from the crowds.
"HOLD IT!" Detective Thomas yelled as he marched up to the doors. "Just what do you think you're doing, buddy? This is a crime scene!"
"Yes it is!" Razzie agreed. "A heinous crime that the guilty party tried to cover up by acting as the defense attorney for the defendant, when she knew she herself was the killer all along!"
"Lock her up! Lock her up!" the crowd chanted again.
"This isn't good," muttered S-Sha. "I may be a member of Gold Third, but even I can't subdue a crowd that large all by myself..."
"...He must have overheard Ms. Ryghts' scream of shock when I told her about her bloody clothing," Kei theorized.
(What a time for Uni to get called away!) Rei thought to herself. Aloud, she said, "C-can't we g-go out the b-back door or s-something?!"
"No good," S-Sha shook her head. "I already checked, that's been blocked off too..."
"That's right, Ms. Ryghts! You can't escape justice!" Razzie yelled from outside. "You thought you could scare me off with your goddess villain shtick, but the shoe's on the other foot now, isn't it?!"
"LOCK HER UP! LOCK HER UP!" The crowd chanted even louder.
"Damn it!" Thomas growled, "We don't have near enough manpower to deal with this situation!"
"W-what do we do then?!" Rei squeaked in near-panic.
"This is completely unacceptable!" Kei growled to herself. "And yet, given the current circumstances, we have no other choice..." Turning to Rei, she stated solemnly, "Rei Ryghts, I hereby pronounce you under arrest for the murder of Reggie Wright. You have the right to remian silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney..."
The lawyer's eyes went wide with horror. "N...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
And outside, the crowd cheered...
To be continued...