Forensic Labs: Ema's Office
September 7 10:00 a.m.
This was clearly not her day. Scratch that. This was clearly not her week. The forensic investigator for a moment humored that perhaps the whole world was out to get her or maybe this was just coincidence. Or perhaps correlation may be better word for it rather than causation... She just wanted to lock her office door and keep it shut for the remainder of her investigations. That's until she finally runs out of snacks or has to use the bathroom. In that case, next time, if there is one, she'll have a fridge and toilet installed in there like good college days. First it began with that horrible morning when she was assigned to investigate an alley drenched in blood. Then her life was threatened by a freak of nature that was scientifically impossible. Afterwards, the chief prosecutor having a hard time believe her story, which she took ineptly personal, she humored to herself that she was no lying witness on the stand. She, was in fact, telling the truth. Now, to conclude all the jumbled mess called her life, it was now going to be horrendously wrapped up in glimmerous fop.
'Someone kill me now...'
The prosecutor had that grin on that face that she disliked with great passions as his hands were in his pockets. He stood outside the door, awaiting for her to open it. Ema had hoped the door would guarantee keeping this one out. Busily snacking away, she continued to ignore the former entertainer outside her door until he would finally let up and leave her be. She made sure the snackoos packed her mouth to the brim and chewed loudly to refrain from hearing any unwanted nuisances to disturb her. The constant munch and crunch in her brain from her grazing was mind-numbingly well until another knock stirred her from her thoughts, horrid memories being resurfaced. The investigator jumped softly in her seat, feeling an unwelcoming chill run down her spine. The prosecutor wasn't letting her off easy.
"Fraulein, why must you keep me waiting? At least I humored to knock for you." The prosecutor teased, his voice muffled by the thick frame and glass. The snackoos became a chore to swallow through the strained nerves. Slumping in the chair, she raised her gaze to the ceiling, persisting to concede to what antics the world barraged her with. 'Why? If there is scientifically a God in existence, please answer me why the world continues to torture me so?!'
With the knocking seemingly ceasing, she stared down at the snackoos. 'I should use these as ammo…,' she contemplated. 'No… That would be a waste of good food… Plus, not even they deserved to be used as a weapon towards the star singer of the Police behind that door… They're too good to go to waste.' The chair swiveled in a complete 180 to face the door. The investigator finally turned to see him still there, "Go away!"
She stammered, not even considering eye contact before rotating the chair once more, "Leave me in peace."
"I was in the prosecutor's office when I heard a stressed melody. Chasing it down, I realized it was you." Gavin leaned forward on the glass, "Did something happen? Was there something I said to offend you? Proving you wrong about the disbanded Gavinners isn't getting to that head of yours?"
The sly reply wasn't making Ema feel any better. "Not even close." She answered in annoyance. "And neither would I want to get into it because I don't think that head of yours would comprehend."
She, herself, was having a hard time believing it, but there is no doubt that the events that took place two days ago, definitely happened. The evidence was gone and there was not a single lead in her current case. "If that is so then...," he snapped his fingers rhythmically, "Why did you leave me hanging on the other side of the phone line the other day?"
Ema's brows furrowed, 'must everything be about you?' Her arms folded, "despite my urge to actually hang up on you, the phone line was cut off, so it wasn't intentional. I was…" She shivered. "Preoccupied."
Klavier giggled, "I know I have very few phrases such as, 'where is the toilet,' but I called your office, specifically." He kneeled his head down to almost feighn stargazing. "It is a nice one by the way."
Ema bursted, "I wasn't in the bathroom you… You!" She huffed throwing her hands in the air, shooing him in his direction, "Forget it. Just go away." She turned, almost pushing some papers from her desk. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."
"It wasn't me then, ja?" The satisfaction a relief. He looked up, his platinum blonde flicking backwards with his head. "That settles that then."
All he heard was the continuous munches from behind the door. The investigator started chewing again, it seemed. The white of her lab coat visible to him only. "Herr Fraulein, what was, or perhaps, who were you 'preoccupied' with that was more important than our phone call? If it was one of the staff, then I could possibly let this little fuss slip by."
'This pompous narcissistic solipsistic egotistical-!' Ema almost bit her tongue. 'Is he actually insinuating I was doing something unprofessional?!'
Her thoughts were interrupted by the curious prosecutor, "...or is that a personal note?"
The bag filled with snackoos received all the strain from torsion due to her angered grip and twisting, contents in the bag crumbled, "For your information, I shouldn't have to tell you details on anything. You're not involved with this investigation in any way, shape, or form." The investigator finally faced the prosecutor behind the door. "And get that mind of yours out of the gutter! I wasn't doing anything that was outside of my field of study."
The prosecutor smirked before tossing his head up, "That's hurtful, Fraulein. Can my curiosity be quenched by at least knowing why it wasn't me whom you were looking for?"
Ema could almost feel her lungs press against her ribs from the loathsome inhalation she had taken to prevent her from uttering every syllable from her subconscious to the prosecutor. 'He's not leaving, is he?'
"No thanks, Adele…" She smirked. "Next time I'm hanging up before anything happens…"
"Ah! Sorry, detective, but that wasn't Adele, but perhaps you may compare with the distressed damsel. You did make me lose your connection." The prosecutor's fingers strummed the guitar that was mentally apparent to him, and him alone, on the notes of the song. He played so quickly, Ema could almost hear the song, "That was good ol' Lionel… You cannot let go of classics, Herr Skye."
"That was like the Victorian Age!" She yelled loudly enough for the glass's muffle to be absent. "But if you're so curious, Richie Rich… Just go ask one of the people who work here. They might tell you!"
"Careful, detective, that Era was more than a hundred years back. This song is less than forty years of age…" His voice slowed down, teetering back to the subject. "The witnesses… You had an audience?!" His voice boasted suddenly, "You must've been amazing to show such a display! It's almost admirable." The comment leaned towards a mocking sneer. "But I want to hear it from your lips. I am here for you, too."
'You really want to hear my song? It's leaning towards onto Killing Me Softly to Misery the longer that you're here!' She thought painfully. "Fine. You really want to know?"
The investigator stared daggers at the man behind the glass. The way she was eyeing, the daggers probably would've stuck into the metal. 'Knowing this Fop, he might make a song dedicated to how crazy I am… Then again, it would make him go away. Just get it together, Ema. To get him off my back!'
The glare receded to a lackluster stare. She knew too well that his facade wouldn't fade by any crowd, it would just liven up more.
"I am all ears." His finger traced along the lobe of his ear, pushing back the platinum blonde, tucking the hair behind it.
'I can't believe I'm doing this...' She mentally facepalmed, having to go down this level just to be left alone. "I won't tell you the case because you're not on it… But I'll tell you what happened afterwards..."
The ex-rockstar took the first stanza, "the wonks said it was related to that bloodbath that happen not so long ago." He snapped his fingers, "I am familiar with it."
"They can't keep their mouths shut, can they?" Part of her grumbled, another was unsurprised. Surely they were professional practitioners, but their mouths were more gaped than a black hole. 'I'll yell at them later!'
"It's not actually... that's a different case. I was going through the files of a certain case before you oh so rudely interrupted me." Her lips pursed to the side. 'Like right now!'
"I had the geeks check out a sample taken from a separate crime scene for another investigator at the time." Her face crinkled to a wince. "She's working with a prosecutor on an important classified case, not even I know what it's about so don't bother asking…" Her expression became suddenly distant.
"I had no intention of asking, Herr Skye." The prosecutor noticed the way her face contorted from bull rage to puppy whimpers. "You shake more than a fan after a dedicated solo. Why do you shake as so?"
Even the investigator had a difficult time to emerge the anger just to hide the fear in her eyes and in her body. 'That's the part I don't want to talk about…'
"Some-..." She paused, contemplating. 'Do I say someone or something…?!'
"-One…" The words impulsively flew forth, "put the forensic teams to sleep and stole some evidence from the lab..." She stopped, the dark figure reincarnating herself to her memory. Knives that could cut flesh just by peering for too long plagued her mind in utter terror. The snackoos began to suffer in her sweaty grip. The struggle was but a ploy, by what she could remember. The threat somehow buried itself in her subconsciousness just not to talk about it. It's as if her very mind wanted to protect her, not a peep to be spoken, to prevent her from greeting this perpetrator to come back as he promised. He did come at that moment when she spoke of that evidence when Mr. Edgeworth and Detective Gumshoe were there, making sure she kept her side of the bargain. Yet, she felt completely vulnerable. Gumshoe was armed, yet she knew that gun wouldn't even put a dent into whoever this masked demon was. Even though it was scientifically impossible for a being to be impervious to bullets without some sort of alteration of protective gear. He completely incapacitated the chiefs. The Chief Prosecutor and Chief Detective! Just by a piercing maniacal laugh. It was maddening from this mad hatter. The scruffy detective, Gumshoe, had to lower his firearm and trust the word of this beaked man to release his beloved wife, Maggey. This man had power and control over the situation. He dominated all three of them without even touching them at that moment. She scowled at herself for fainting during the ordeal, shamefully. She could've done something. Could she? She could've snapped Edgeworth out of his daze and Gumshoe would've been more courageous to shoot. Maybe if he did maim this person, it would've ended this whole fiasco earlier. Maggey would probably be saved and this devious thief would be unmasked. Now that she thought about it, she didn't want to see anymore of this person's face than what grotesque horror she had recently endured. It was only the lower area of his face. And poor Maggey… She probably saw the whole lot when she was captured... Even if this culprit were to escape, at least there would have been some DNA evidence to identify this person. There would have been a clue to find him and even figure out who he was. Or what he was…? Wasn't human. 'What if I just end up unconscious like the others at the lab? What if he is still hiding?! He came in here once! He can come in here again!'
"Fraulein… Are you okay?" In front of his very eyes, Ema lost all color of her bright complexion and became a statue of her former self. He could compare her form to the statue that was commemorated to him back at Themis Legal Academy, except the one part shattered about this Ema Stone, was her mind. The topaz orbs lost the reflection of the illuminated office as they darted left and right for the obscured areas of the room. The locked door and glass was all that prevented him from touching her. At least comforting her, but he needed her permission. "If you would let me in…?"
"No!" The strained horror emitted scratched her voice. She threw her arms in the air angrily, the sheer force whacking the air. "You got the gist of it. You got what you wanted!"
"I asked what happened during our conversation. You stated what happened to the wonks down at those labs. What I can tell from where your office phone is…" He pointed towards the desk phone. "You weren't with them."
"Keep your investigations outside of my office, thank you…" The ignited flare managed to waterdown the trepidation from overpowering her.
"I am outside of your office," he laughed. "I'm just concerned. I am lending you the mic now, Herr Skye."
'...how badly must this experience be for obliging to vent to this fop…?!' The words miserably echoed in her brain. "I had the geeks view the sample. The detective of the ongoing investigation was cleaning up the scene for evidence because the Chief…" She cut herself off. "The victim of the scene asked the chief prosecutor to call it off, which I find rather odd, now that I think about it. There was an unidentified sample left at the crime scene, which was one of the few pieces of evidence left over. We didn't know what it was… As it was being tested in the labs, I headed to my office. That's when our little chat began." Her eyes rolled onto him.
"I called right before you had your rude awakening? Perfect timing." He snapped.
'Honestly, I don't know which one was more rude. You or whoever that was?' Her eyes fixated on him. "You did. I probably would have seen them too, if you didn't interrupt me. I could've probably called for help!"
"Your charade is a bit questionable if you think about it, detective." He said matter-of-factly.
"Questionable?" She let out unrestrained. "How? Oh please tell me, oh Mighty One!"
"If this evidence was stolen and in the other labs, away from your office…" He paused before hitting the wall beside him. "Tell me… Why would this person come to you? If you did not have the evidence, and the wonks were already out cold, then why would they come here?"
"..." Ema stood quiet. 'For the first time in forever, this fop actually has a point.' She responded dryly, "I'm not sure."
"A thief would want to remain as stealthy as possible. Not a note would be heard, yet, whoever this was, sang to you." The determination in his eyes caught her off guard. "Too bad I couldn't hear it…"
"So you're saying this guy wanted me to know purposely?" The logic in her brain slowly began to seep in. '... whoever this was, did wait until Mr. Edgeworth and detective Gumshoe were there…' She rocked herself, thinking. "Well… He did take something. He took an early analysis of the sample, but it was still a deterrent. The geeks only figured out that it wasn't natural to the human body. It was a biochemically made though… Wait!" She finally caught onto his little scheme. "I'm telling you too much!"
He laughed with his hand deep in his pockets, "this science lingo is for the experts only. That's all on you." He snapped again, "think about it."
Her brows furrowed, despite looking at him, it wasn't towards him. 'This guy took the sample, the evidence and analysis, waited in the labs and then told off Gumshoe about his wife… This was a setup, no doubt!' The tension seemed to be relieving. 'I should tell this to Mr. Edgeworth… He probably figured it out already. He is talking to Maggey after all. Still, a few lingering details may help…'
The investigator looked at the prosecutor, seemingly entertaining himself with a tune. 'I guess I have to thank this fop… not out loud, though! He would never live it down! ...This raises another question though… how did he get in the labs in the first place!? Only prosecutors and investigators are allowed in here.'
"You've been quiet for a while, Fraulein..." He interrupted her train of thought. Looks like it was time's up for him.
"I was thinking. We, investigators, do that from time to time." She gave him a hinting smirk. "I have more questions than answers now though."
"Looks like my job isn't finished. What happened?" He stood up straight, "may I have a private VIP pass into this cozy office of yours?"
'I guess I can humor him just this once… He made some things clear; intentions, but not reasons.' She walked around her desk and held onto the knob. Her neck stretched and swerved, searching around him, making sure there was no one occupying the hall besides Klavier.
"I know. I know, you don't have to tell me, Fraulein. Even the air around me is gorgeous." He offered a toothy grin with his reply.
"You know I don't have to let you in here." She deadpanned. The doorknob twisted, the prosecutor was finally allowed in Ema's space. He inspected it shortly, not judgingly, but accomplished.
She quickly locked the door before turning back to her desk. "Alright… I'll tell you." She stated as if she were retracing her steps, "when you called, I just finished bringing in the evidence. I set it on my desk and had myself a snack. I've been up all morning, I was called in early by the chief detective to scan a crime scene and I was given an assignment by an investigator to see through with the sample that was taken from another crime scene because she was busy. As soon as you called me I heard something in the hall…" She stared back at the vacant narrow corridor. "It was empty. I returned to my desk, but I felt something pass by. I saw the door closing… I didn't see anyone! That's when the line cut off." She touched the desk phone for emphasis. "I heard this weird… This weird grumble…" Her hands circled the air, trying to come up with a word describe this sickening sound. "Like a sick predator ready to kill… And that's when I was attacked…"
She looked over the desk, frightened. "He threatened me!"
From her viewpoint in front of the desk, it must've been sad to see her struggle, crumbling the papers underneath her back when she squirmed. "If I uttered anything, he would… make me permanently silent. He would disembowel me like some butcher! I heard him."
"Perhaps I can look for this man for you?" Klavier's expression became serious. "What did he look like?"
"I don't know what he looked like… He wore a mask!" She exclaimed. "This weird white faced, black-eyed beak mask! Something you'd see during like in a black plague or something! I don't know!
"It's the Black Death." Klavier corrected, his face showing a hint of sympathy. "The Great Pestilence... It was one of the most tragic events in human history…" It later morphed into a goofy smile he shot at her. "We have a Nostradamus come back stealing evidence? I have heard of grave robbers, but this isn't good. You reported the prosecutor or investigator of this incident?"
"I did tell the chief… he knows the evidence is stolen but he doesn't believe me on how the thief looked like!" She huffed angrily.
"Ah! That's why you stormed out of the prosecutor's office, ja?" By the way his expression was, she guessed he was mostly satisfied now. "He didn't believe what the man looked like? I thought you said he wore a mask of some sort. That means you're lying to me… That's very hurtful, Fraulein."
"He was wearing a mask! But he…" The investigator froze once more. "He took it off… at least I think he did… I don't know…" She finished in thought, 'what came out of it!'
"The culprit was either wearing it or not. It cannot be both unless he is in drama." He came to the conclusion immediately. "That would mean you got a good look on his feature. What did it look like?"
'WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME ALL THESE QUESTIONS!? Making statements and assuming!?' Attempting to put the words together was difficult for the investigator. "It looked like…" She cut herself off. 'No…'
The chief, as she had known him, is a very skeptical man. The reaction she would gain would be negative if she knew this prosecutor. "You won't believe me anyway. If the chief didn't, why would you?!"
"The chief…?" Klavier slowed his tone. "The chief didn't believe you? Must be one interesting fellow, ain't it? If the world is running down, you make the best of what's still around." He made himself comfortable on the surface of her desk, just enough for his bottom to be on it without touching any of the papers occupying the rest of the area. "I should hear this tale of yours."
The indignant behavior he displayed wasn't bothering her. Maybe that's why he showed that monstrosity of his: no one would believe her! Ema could feel her defenses crumble slowly the longer this man occupied the office. He seemed to be the only one to care at the moment. She knew Gumshoe would possibly care and Maggey, but they were held up by their own trauma. This pompous rockstar was the only one hearing her out, until he would finally come to realize how insane her story would sound. With whatever energy she had mustered up, she psyched her brain out of it, retreating the emotion a little, just to muster a smidgen of courage to tell the prosecutor. It almost caused her to sweat.
'... I've got nothing to lose… Except what's left of my dignity…' She thought sadly to herself. 'This better not end up as a new hit single for his sudden comeback, Mind in the SKYE! Or PSKYECHOTIC! Featuring the Crazies!'
She spoke quickly before she further regretted it, "it wasn't his entire mask… It was just the bottom part. He had this…" Her hands shook, trying to emphasize. "This… It was kind of like… a jaw. Have you ever seen the Discovery Channel? Or Animal Planet?" She asked swiftly.
"I have skimmed over some views of beautiful beasts, ja." He confirmed.
'Well at least he knows some sort of educational television…' She affirmed. "Have you seen how an insect's mouth looks like? Like pincers…"
She thought for while until she could come up with a good word to phrase it. "Like mandibles! The jaw was split in two and had these sharp teeth. And then this...!"
Her voice managed to reach a few decibels higher. "...This… thing… I don't know! It was like a tentacle… like a snake!" The investigator clamped her fingers together, trying to portray something of a mouth. "It came out of his mouth! And it was sharp with these stingers… It was like some freak of nature. Like a monster out of a sci-fi movie! Like a science experiment gone wrong!"
The prosecutor barely looked convinced, but he was listening. He searched behind him on the desk. He found a pen and paper. "Perhaps you could draw this sort of figure. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just a rough sketch would be nice."
"That's actually part of my notes... Hold on…" She took the note away from his offending hand before frantically searching for a sheet she knew she wouldn't need. When an empty sheet found her way into her sweaty hands, she went quick to work. "Arts and crafts weren't exactly my major…" She mumbled as she doodled the best of what her frightened memory could remember, "so it's not going to be Leonardo DiCaprio perfect."
"Da Vinci, Herr Skye…" He corrected reluctantly.
"Yeah Yeah… I get it." She continued to draw the masked figure. "You get the bigger picture…"
"No. I haven't." He laughed. "Not yet at least. I have to wait until you're finished."
'Eh ehehe... I forgot how to laugh.' She grumbled inwardly as the pen skidded across the white paper.
The bottom attire was very vague to her. It was his face that was stained to the mind. Klavier couldn't help but notice the detail going into the mask. It was almost admirable. The figure had a black top hat, it was long, but flat on top. The brim of the hat landed where the eyebrows would be, just above the large metallic rimmed dark eyes, giving it a festering rage. Klavier couldn't help but feel a composite vibe of sadness come from them. The mask was white with a metallic elongated beak. The sides curved to a sort of mustache, like the Inca Tern or the white facial feathers of a male peacock. It was in a strange artistic sort of way, beautiful to him. That's until it got to the lower half of its face. Her hand began to noticeably shake. This part was completely black, save for the few edges of white. It was similar to how his mind envisioned it. A jaw broken in two, like an insect, as if a human jaw broke perfectly where the incisors were located right down to the chin. The pen was beginning to loosen from her grip, but she held onto it tighter until she finished. The prosecutor noticed the glistening pen in her clumsy fingers as she reached for a red pen. She was going all out. The macabre took form as the red gums held daggers on each end. The prosecutor winced when he finally focused on this snake she was speaking of. He could only describe it as a wide stem of a flowerless plant that had two wide enormous leaves on each side in a bird's eye view. A perfect split in two, these leaves had dark hooks in the center, almost clinging to life on the paper, the middle had two more thorns, noticeably smaller but much more threatening than the other two."
When she finished, he noticed her breathing was erratic. "There. That's what it sort of looks like..."
"Good job, detective. I would almost buy this fine work for myself if it did not creep me out." He turned the paper, alleviating his neck from the odd angle he was admiring the entire time. "This ...weird mouth…" His finger floated atop of the paper where the mandibles were, "was part of the mask?"
Ema shook her head, "It looked too life-like to be fake… it moved on its own."
"What happened after this maneater left?" He asked calmly.
'He isn't taking this serious, is he?!' She silently argued. She almost felt like her ameteur artskills were all for naught. "He stood some time in the labs, I guess… When he returned, he came out perfectly when the detective and chief came in."
"Sounds like a scheme to me." He sung, snapping his fingers again. "Shall I accompany you with my presence from now on? Keep you safe?"
Try as she might, despite how much she disliked him, it felt better than being alone now. To make his presence more tolerable, she questioned his integrity. "You do believe me?"
"I just have to go with what the witness tells me and go on from there." He slyly replied.
'In other words… No.' She glowered.
"This person is a danger, no doubt. Not everyone is trying to kill a mockingbird." He picked up the rough sketch. "What we need here now is evidence. Perhaps a scan of this sneaking man will help."
"A scan? Are you talking about footage?" Her arm rested to her hip as she stared down at her work. "Well, I already did a sort of facial composite as reference…"
"Exactly!" He gestured smugly.
'This fop may not believe what I saw… I can tell by his voice… But he does believe someone took the evidence. The chief just needs to be put in his place. And when I prove him wrong, he's going to be looking up to me! This is going to be good!'
She jumped in her spot. "The floor is lava now?" He inquired. "You should sit on this nice desk of yours, too.
Ema halted mid jump, "Quiet! Get off my desk. Let's start this investigation." The investigator had to figure out where to start. 'Sadly I'm going to be accompanied by an ex-rockstar prosecutor fop-adour… What do we call ourselves? ...The Dynamic Dunderheads?!'
"Investigator Skye…" Ema felt the world almost collapse around her. That voice... "There you are. I've been searching for you. Where have you been?!"
Ema turned to see a familiar face at the door: a woman with a pale narrow face and serious demeanor. Her hair was in long black tresses, scaling her back in curves, tinted a pearlescent pale green as light hit it. Her eyes were squinted, dark with the similar fringe of pale green like her hair. The bangs curved around her face like a mask. She had a similar lab coat like the one Ema wore, with the same armband strapped above her forearm.
Ema gasped. 'OH NO! She's going to kill me if she finds out the evidence is missing!'
Ema's mind and her mouth were completely out of whack as they struggled to form a cohesive syllable. As her mind was trying to sync together with her body, the woman at the door pointed towards the knob in extra emphasis to let her in. Ema threw herself to the door, her sweaty palms slipping to unlock the forsaken barrier. As the metal finally twisted, she delicately opened the door allowing the older woman in. "I…! I! Dr. Toss!"
The woman raised her hand to pause the detective from further speaking. Ema bit her lower lip, trembling. She knew that the person she stared at was normally in a foul mood, today was one of those days where foul wasn't good enough to describe it. The woman finally opened her eyes as she lowered her hand, "did you get my sample checked out? I need it, especially now." The woman huffed out. "The prosecutor I'm working with is in a rush." The female then abruptly halted to look the prosecutor up and down. "Who's this?"
"This is just a visitor! He invited himself!" Ema blurted out nervously. Klavier was stunned. He was curious to see who this woman was.
"A visitor…" She stated more than questioned. "I just came from the ward. I have two people breathing down my neck and I have one that's been stalking me. However, this is a place of investigation… Not a funhouse. Vitamin Park and People's Park are a short walk from here…" She stared at Klavier's direction. He didn't seem to take it personally or the hint. The woman turned on her heel, facing Ema once more.
"We were actually discussing an investigation!" Ema shouted impulsively, her desperate visage contorted to Klavier. The anguish hinted a go with the flow idea. "Right?! Prosecutor Fop! I mean GAVIN!" She mumbled through nervous teeth.
"... Right." He started slowly. Improvisation kicked in, "We were discussing just now."
"Detective…" The woman's tone fell low. "I hope you're not discussing my case. This is a confidential investigation… Not a single public ear should be aware of this…" Her command deathly serious.
"NO!" The room began to feel like a sauna for Ema despite her limbs feeling icey. "It wasn't your investigation at all! It was a case I was assigned!"
"Which case?" Her head turned, but her dark pale green eyes remain fixated to the stuttering detective.
"The one the chief detective had me assigned to September 3rd, ma'am!" Her nerves were most likely shot by now, from what Klavier could predict. She's even saluting.
"That case!" She bobbed her head understandingly. "Ahhh! I had the chief send you to that one."
The investigator deflated. "You did?"
"Yes. I would have investigated it myself, but I can only be in so many places at once…" The vibe of agitation simmered down, but it was still there. "Did you get the memo?"
"Memo…?" Ema whispered. 'What memo!?'
"Detective…" The woman shoulders receded unpleasantly. "Please don't tell me… The memo involving your assigned case…?"
"I'm afraid I haven't, Dr. Toss…" Ema stared down, about ready to receive Hellfire.
"Ema… what has gotten into you?" The woman stated disappointingly. "You're so disorganized. I taught you better. I would have told you to have the day off, but I need you now. I need you at your best. More than ever!" The woman shook her head disapprovingly. "The body has been found."
"It has?!" Klavier would have humored she would have broken her own neck if Ema went any faster when addressing.
"I'm getting an autopsy report done. But…" She paused herself to stare at Klavier, condescendingly. "Hold on. Why are you still here?"
"I was just accompanying Detective Skye with an issue." He said smugly.
"An issue…" Ema knew that look she felt directed towards her. It was tacit for, 'Explain Ema.'
'This fop is going to get me into more trouble!' She cried inwardly. 'I'm drowning here!' Ema wanted to explain in a way where it didn't result her being on a autopsy table as she finished. "There has been an incident…"
"I heard something about the other techs and doctors being unconscious… but I hope everything is resolved." She agreed. "There are bigger things to worry about." The investigator exchanged her attention back at Klavier. "Excuse me, name, occupation…?"
"Prosecutor Gavin, Herr Toss." He stated unphased. The reaction he received wasn't one he was expecting.
"Oh…" She appeared to be reminiscing. "Gavin, I thought you were a defense attorney?"
Ema was surprised to see how Gavin's smile wiped quickly off his face. 'Wow… Dr. Toss managed to get even this popping rocker down in the dumps…'
The prosecutor seemed to be having a hard time clearing his throat by the way his adam's apple jutted, "...that is the other Gavin." His glance exchanged from Ema to Dr. Toss and back to Ema. Even Ema didn't need to clarify that he appeared pained, like a gut punch straight to the feels. "I will excuse you two to your work."
He raised himself from the office desk before heading towards the door. His shoulders were much more sluggish as he reached the knob. One last peer over his shoulder, he offered her a sad smile, "Get better, Herr Skye."
He was gone. The door fell silent on its hinges as it closed. The aura was silent as if someone died.
"Ema…" The silence was broken by the doctor's shallow voice. "The sample is very very important. If I do not get it, I am set back for a while. Tell me you have it…" The words were almost begging.
"Dr. Toss…" Ema stumbled. She wanted to see if Klavier was okay. Yet, she knew she would be cremated by authority if she didn't answer. "The sample is um…! It was… stolen."
A brief paused occupied the room. The air felt thick. "The sample was stolen! EMA! How?!"
The forensic investigator wanted to sit in a dark hole in a fetal position for the remainder of her life. "Someone came into the forensic labs and stole it. That's why the other investigators were unconscious." She let out miserably.
Dr. Toss's tense fingers held her head. "This is bad…! Did you at least get an analysis of it? Or something?!"
"Yes…" Ema let out weakly.
"Thank goodness…!" The doctor threw her head up, "Some good news for the day. Where is it?!"
'Bad news… Bad news!' Ema held her baggage tightly, "I'm sorry, Dr. Toss. That was stolen too…"
"You've got to be kidding me!?" Toss buried her head in her hands, the green and black thrown forth like vines were brought back when she raised her face to Ema. "Do you know who stole it?!"
"No… But I saw who did!" Ema shook.
"Who?!"
"Some guy in a mask. He stole the evidence and analysis!"
"Did you report this?! This has to go to the chief, STAT! I need to tell the prosecutor assigned to this case… UH!" Toss registered all the new information at once.
"I did report it!" Ema interjected. "To the chief himself!"
"Then why hasn't this man contacted me?!" Her fingers strafed the muscles in her hands. "What did he say?!"
"He knows someone has stolen the evidence, but he doesn't believe me on certain details."
"I swear!" The doctor huffed angrily. "If you have to get things done right, you have to do it yourself!" The doctor took a moment before beginning again. "Investigator Skye…!"
"Yes ma'am!" Ema stood tall in her toes, saluting again.
"I need you to come with me. You're already somewhat on this case. We need your account and I'm going to need the footage of this man!" Her hands almost crushed the knob of the door. "Someone is going to get fired!"
'I hope it's not me!' Ema cried internally. "But I've already gone and tried to tell this man!"
"You haven't gone there with me!" A devious smirk crept onto her face, "Nor the prosecutor on this case!"
The doctor headed out the door. Ema picked up her belongings and pieces of leftover papers on her desk. She eyed the picture one more time, the one Klavier told her to draw. It was scary to look at it the more she focused, but now that she realized, it was sad. She stuffed it in her bag before following behind. As they traveled down the corridor, Ema stopped to see Klavier still waiting by the corner. "Gavin…?"
Toss kept swiftly walking down the hall, not even batting an eye towards the prosecutor, and already made a turn. Klavier swept back to see if the woman was gone. "Ah… Skye. Are you okay?" His tone mellowed.
"Y-yeah… It is… I mean! I am okay. Yeah…" She stifled. "Why are you still here?"
"I wanted to know who that woman was, is all?" He shrugged but not as smooth as he usually would.
"I'll put it this way. You know how there is a chief prosecutor, a chief of police and a chief detective? Dr. Toss is the Chief Medical Examiner. She does forensics and pathology here and in many other locations like hospitals and such. She's the top dog. Her opinion beats Criminal Affairs and is highly praised. She creates the evidence for us to use during court. She has her own team and she works with large investigative corporations… and she's my mentor…and boss..." She squeezed the last bit. "She can toss you to the side in an instant."
"I see where you get it from now." He laughed, it wasn't as excited she thought it would be.
Ema twisted her view to the side. If she didn't catch up to Dr. Toss, she would get into even more serious trouble. Her fears were confirmed when she heard a yell. "Ema…?! We don't have all day!"
"I'm coming!" She yelled. As she began her walk, she felt a hand tug her wrist. Klavier's fingers fastened around it, but not tightly. "Herr Skye... Be careful."
"..." She gave him a small nod before following down the path Dr. Toss escaped.
