Episode B1–4: Turnabout Friendship

Quick note from GBG. There is a very slight moment in this case discussing physical abuse from a man to a woman. I wrote it in a way that hopefully would not be disturbing to anyone. It is only hinted at and not descriptive. I just wanted to put that out there for anyone who may not want to read that. It is in the 2nd section of the chapter and can be skipped over.

[DETECTIVE GOODMAN: WRITINGS ON NEWEST RECRUIT]

August 22. 7:57 AM. Deddison Diggory's House.

First thing first, Goodman had to get that gun away from Pam. He couldn't be sure what had caused Asha to suddenly pull a gun out. He would have to figure that out later. Asha was shaking so much she probably wouldn't be able to shoot straight, but he still couldn't risk Wright's life like that. Benny was still gone. There was no sign of the other officers showing up any time soon. Goodman placed a hand on his hip, close to his gun. The other he held up.

"Asha, think about what you are doing here."

"I know what I'm doing!" Scared, but determined, Asha's finger twitched over the trigger. "I'm making sure no one else gets in trouble for my mistakes."

"No, that's not what you are doing." Goodman took a step forward. Asha glared at him, taking a step away, keeping the distance between them. "Threatening a police officer is only going to make things worse for you."

"Y…you're wrong!" She blinked large tears out of her eyes. They raced down her cheeks, falling to the carpeted floor. "This'll fix everything. One shot, and that's it. Nobody else will have to get hurt because of me…"

Goodman and Pam shared a look. Wright still looked uneasy, but she was doing a good job hiding it. She nodded, just a little, to Asha. She must have been thinking the same thing he was. He took another step forward. Asha didn't move this time.

"Tell me what you mean Asha. Who was hurt because of you?" He took another step forward. Isha whimpered in the corner.

"Stop! Stop moving!" Asha swung the gun from Pam to Goodman. Now he was the one staring down that small but deadly barrel. Wright didn't draw her weapon, though her hand did twitch towards her holster. One wrong move on their part and Asha was likely to put metal in both their heads. Asha resembled a swivel fan, oscillating back and forth between the two of them. Goodman's hand hovered over his gun, but he didn't draw it. Asha stumbled backwards until her back hit the wall. "I-I-I'll shoot."

"I don't think you will," Pam said, hand moving toward her weapon. "I think that if you really wanted to kill one of us, you would have shot me before Goodman ever got in here. You had plenty of time to shoot. But you didn't, because you aren't a killer, are you?"

"She's right, Ash!" Isha crawled forward, despite Goodman's order not to move. "You wouldn't hurt her!"

"Shut up, please!" Asha's lip trembled. The gun drooped a little further to the floor. "Isha, please…just be quiet."

"Miss Asha, everything is okay. You got scared by my questioning, right? You're just nervous." Pam took another small step forward. Asha seemed frozen in her place. "Just put the gun down. We aren't here to hurt you."

Goodman also stepped forward. Slowly but surely, they were closing in. "Was someone hurt, Asha? Someone close to you? Was it Deddison?"

And just like that, the fire returned to Asha's eyes. She leveled the gun back at Goodman. He cursed under his breath.

"Never!" she spat. "I would never let him close to me! Don't even say his name!"

"Please, Asha," Pam held out her hand, eyes flicking from the gun to Goodman. Was he seeing things, or were her hands shaking? "Put the gun down, and we will listen to what you say. But you have to work with us."

Asha sniffled. "No, no no, I'll confess now. I did it. I killed him. There in the park. I killed him. And…and I'll shoot you—" She leveled the gun at Goodman's chest. "—and then I'll be punished for my crime."

"Don't you dare!" snarled Pam, grabbing her gun. The rookie had once again made a foolish, rash mistake. Goodman winced, waiting for a gunshot, but it never came. It wasn't Pam who managed to stop the crazed girl, but Isha.

"Asha," she said, quiet. "I won't let you do this."

"I said shut it, Isha!"

"No." Shaking, Isha managed to stand. She didn't raise her hands, and despite his warnings, she crept closer to her friend. "You won't do this. I can't allow it." She put a hand on her friend's shoulder. Asha jerked to the side, aiming the gun at the ceiling.

"Don't touch me!" Asha shrieked, her hand twitching just enough to fire the gun. It went off with a loud bang, causing Goodman's ears to ring. The bullet lodged itself in the ceiling. The smell of gunpowder filled the room. Pam lurched forward, grabbing Asha's arm and twisting it around her back. The gun landed on the carpet, far away from the crying Asha. He pushed it away with his foot as Pam forced Asha against the wall, putting her in cuffs.

"Don't move," Pam ordered. "Asha Greensbury, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law—"

"Wait!" Isha held out her hands. "Please, there's been a mistake."

"If you have any concerns, feel free to join us at the precinct," snapped Goodman. "I'm sure one of our officers would be more than happy to give you a ride in the back of their car. Wright!"

"On it." Pam didn't have to struggle to get Asha through the door. Since losing the gun, Asha had become a ghost, barely fighting back. "Come on, Asha. We have some questions for you…"

She pushed the girl out of the room and down the steps. Officers rushed up past her, finally drawn by the gunshot. Goodman really needed to talk to Gant about this police problem. No way it should have taken them that long. He sighed, following Pam down the carpeted steps. He was stopped when someone tugged on the back of his white coat.

"Wait, Detective!" Isha looked at him, eyes glossy with tears. He could see the outline of a necklace, tucked away under her shirt. She bit her lip once, twice, before speaking again. "Please, Asha didn't do it! You have to believe me!"

"Oh, and I suppose you did?" He rolled his eyes. "You and everyone else in your group. If you want to confess again, I can arrange an escort to the station. Otherwise, you must stay here."

"Then…then arrange the ride." Isha wiped her eyes. She looked just a bit more determined now. "I want to confess!"

Great. More work for me. They had less than a day to nail their killer. Having even more confessions would just make things harder, for Pam and for himself. Still, he couldn't deny her request. One of the guards was more than happy to take Isha the same way Pam had gone. He followed them down. At the bottom of the stairs, Benny was watching the women leave, face pale.

"Isha…no…please…" Benny fell to the floor, clutching at his heart again. Goodman paused long enough to station a guard to watch him. He left, feeling a web closing in. Finally, it seemed this case was coming to a close. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He should retire soon. He was a tired, old man after all. He didn't need this type of stress every day.

Goodman walked outside, seeing Pam put Asha into the back of their cruiser. The rookie wasn't smiling, lips drawn into a thin line. When she saw him, her shoulders dropped, as if the weight of the whole world had been removed. He wasn't a fool. He knew she was looking him over for any sort of injury, even though he hadn't been hit by anything at all.

He remembered what she said, during the Stirman case. 'I was making sure you were all right! You could have been injured, or worse!' And her behavior just now, how defensive she had been…a bit more aggressive, almost protective? She'd only known him for a few months, not long enough to form any sort of connection. It was like she was trying to protect herself. What had happened back at New York? Had something hurt her? Or someone she was close to?

He frowned, reaching for a hat that was no longer there. It wasn't the time for those questions, not yet. She was a detective, but she was also young. Something may have happened in New York, but it wasn't his place to pry. He had to do his best to protect his partner, as every cop should. Perhaps later he could gain her trust. He'd have to earn it first, though. He would keep a close eye on her.

He stepped toward the car. He was exhausted. Luckily, he had a young detective who could do all the hard work for him. Now it was time for the final act. Goodman was more than happy to let Wright close the curtains, once and for all.

August 22. 9:00 AM. Police Department. Detention Center.

Goodman had his hands planted on the table, leaning against it. He watched Pam through the one-way mirror. She had the case file nearby, sitting across from Asha. The girl hadn't looked up from the floor. She had long since stopped crying, blue eyes blank. The young detective cleared her throat, and the interrogation began.

"Can you state your name for me?"

"…My name is Asha Greensbury."

"Okay Asha. I had some questions for you about the murder of Deddison Diggory." Pam pulled out a paper and photo from her file. It was the body of Deddison in the forest. Asha paled, turning from the photo. "I need you to tell me about what happened that night. The night of the murder."

"I killed him!" Asha slammed her hands on the table, eyes wide. "I did it! I stabbed him!" Pam shook her head.

"Tell me the truth, Asha."

"It's the truth! I'm telling you the truth, okay? I killed him." Asha crossed her arms best she could in her cuffs. "I even had a motive."

"Oh?" Pam's back was all Goodman could see, but he could imagine her raised eyebrows. "You have a motive? Well please, tell me."

"H-he…" Asha seemed choked up. She hugged herself, hard enough to leave white marks on her skin. She swallowed; her eyes were glued on the table. "He tried to make a pass at me. Multiple times. He always did, and I always said no. That day, he just wouldn't stop…" Asha closed her eyes. "So I stabbed him. Then I moved the body."

Pam leaned back in her chair. She sat there for a minute, maybe two, before standing. She paced in front of Asha, hands behind her back. She looked like a drill sergeant.

"By yourself?"

"No…no, the others helped me." Asha was quick to say, "but I threatened them! With…that gun from before! They were forced to help me!"

"Hm…" Pam turned to the mirror. Goodman could see she was chewing the inside of her cheek. She couldn't see, but he nodded. They both knew it couldn't have been Asha. She was too quick to answer, too quick to pin the blame on herself. This wasn't the confession of a hardened killer. Pam turned back to Asha, tapping her chin.

"Well, I find that hard to believe, Miss Greensbury."

"Huh?"

"Well, sorry if this is rude, but you don't really seem like the type of person who would commit murder. I think you're lying to me." Pam copied Goodman's pose, leaning on the table near Asha. "I think the victim did make some sort of pass at you, and I do believe that you tried to get away from him. But I think someone else did the stabbing."

"No, it was me!" Asha's eyes had narrowed into thin slits. "I can prove it."

"And how would you do that?"

"I know where the knife is. I hid it, and I can show you where."

Pam froze for a moment before slowly standing up straight. She tugged on a piece of her hair, humming under her breath. "Miss, do you need any water?"

"W-what?" Asha's mouth dropped open. "But…I just told you I know where the murder weapon is!"

"I know. But I was going to grab a water, and I was wondering if you wanted some." Pam shrugged. "No skin off my back. I'll be back in a moment." Wright made for the door, leaving the file on the table. She closed the door quietly, walking up to Goodman.

"Listen," she started, "this is going to sound weird, but I want you to bring Isha in here."

"In the investigation room? I don't suppose it would be an issue, a bit strange, but—"

"No, I mean in here, with you." Pam pointed to Asha, who was looking anywhere but the photo on the table. "We both know it's not her. She may have had a hand in it, but she didn't twist the knife." She sighed. "I guess I lose my money. It's not Asha. She's covering for someone. There's only one person I can think of that seems close enough to Asha that she would want to go to prison for her, and that's Isha."

"She did stay with Asha at the hospital, and she was caring for her at the house." Goodman nodded. "Alright. I'll bring her in here. If all you want is to let her watch, I don't see the harm."

"Oh, and—" she grabbed a scrap piece of paper, scribbling something on it. Folding it, she gave it to Goodman. "—when she comes in, give her this." She cleared her throat, coughing. "I wasn't lying about that water though. Excuse me."

While Pam went and got her water, he looked at the note. We know it's you. She's your friend. Tell the truth. Dramatic, but…Goodman sighed and called for Isha. The girl came in without complaint. Her brown hair was loose, wearing a headband to keep back pesky small hairs. Isha was still wearing the necklace. She had become much calmer since that morning. Now she was sporting a small smile. She didn't look afraid at all.

"Hello, Detective Goodman. Am I here to confess?"

"Not quite." Goodman answered, her eyes widening. He handed her the slip of paper, watching as she carefully read it. "I just need you to watch. Speak whenever you feel the need."

Pam reentered the room, two glasses of water in her hands. She didn't look at Isha, instead going into the interrogation room and placing the glasses down. "Sorry," she said to Asha, "but we can continue now. Where were we? Oh, yes, I was saying that you couldn't be the killer."

"But I just told you I know where the murder weapon is!" Asha slammed her hands on the table.

"And I know where my brother's favorite tie is." Pam shrugged. "That doesn't mean I'm my brother. Just because you know where the knife is doesn't make you a murderer. No, I am more interested in the crime itself. So, let's imagine, shall we?"

"But I killed him! I'm confessing—"

"Quiet." Pam didn't have to yell. The ice in her tone shut Asha up just as quick. "So, the victim tried to do something to you. Will you tell me what that is?"

Asha was quiet. Goodman saw Isha shake her head.

"I know what happened," she muttered, watching Asha with a sad smile. "Deddison had always tried to get Asha to go out with him. He'd always been persistent. That day he had gotten more physical than usual. I walked in just as things were getting bad."

"Fine, you don't want to tell me." Pam took a sip of her water. "We can assume you were feeling threatened. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I grabbed the knife and stabbed him," Asha spat. Pam shook her head.

"No, you didn't."

"You can't prove I didn't!"

Isha hugged herself. "When I walked in, I noticed he was drunk. Really drunk. He had that stupid costume on. He wouldn't get off her, no matter what. I managed to push him away, just for a second. Then Asha grabbed something heavy. It was hard to see in the moment; it was pretty big. She hit him with it."

Pam pulled out another picture from the file. Goodman couldn't make out which one this was. "See this here? It's a picture of the body, taken by our forensics team. Right here on the arm you can see a large purple mark. A bruise. Anything to say on that?"

Asha squirmed in her chair but answered. "I hit him with a bat. To get him away."

"What happened after that?" Goodman asked. Isha closed her eyes.

"He was angry. He always was, but even more so when he was drunk. He grabbed the bat from Asha. Her nails got messed up when she clawed to keep it in her grip. He was going to hit her, hit us. So…"

Asha and Isha said in unison: "I stabbed him, once, in the heart. It was self-defense."

"I see…" Pam leaned forward, elbows on the table. "And after that?"

"The others heard the commotion. They ran in and saw what I had done." Asha stared at her nails. "I threatened them. Hid the body."

"It was Benny who heard first. I had blood all over my hands, Asha was freaking out on the floor." Isha said all this with a calm voice. She hadn't wanted to be caught, but if her friend's life was on the line…Goodman motioned for her to continue. "Ben is so sweet. He was always threatened by his cousin, so when he saw what had happened, he got the others."

"Were you all blackmailed by the victim?" Goodman was trying his best to be kind. The girl nodded.

"All of us were, to some degree. It took a while, but we managed to clean up the room, and kept his body in the guest tub. After a few days, we decided to dump his body in the woods, and we would leave the next day. Each of us had an alibi prepared, so we weren't worried about getting called back." Isha laughed dryly. "We even dressed up in costumes, just in case someone saw."

"Tell me," Pam asked, "what did you do with the body after the victim was killed?"

"We put him in the woods." Asha said, temper short. "And set up the altar to try and make it seem like it was some sort of weird cult thing."

"That much is true," Isha noted. "We hoped it would be enough to spook whoever found him. When we got found, Asha fainted out of fear. The rest of us had to come up with a story on the spot. Mr. Richard was always the best storyteller, so he made up the tale of the spirit of the scorned woman. After that, we all just went along with it."

Goodman listened in silence. Finally, there was a testimony that made sense. He put a hand on her shoulder, not unkindly. "Where is the murder weapon, Isha?"

"It's buried in the flower garden." Isha held a hand on her heart, like Benny had. "They had just put in new flowers, so the upturned dirt wouldn't look strange. Ben wiped it off after, so I'm not sure if you can find my prints on it. But it was a small dagger. My personal one. I was supposed to get it before we left."

Inside the interrogation room, Pam stood up. "I do thank you for your answers. And…I am sorry."

"For the pointless questions when you should have just arrested me?" snapped Asha. Pam just shook her head. She stepped out of the room, leaving the door open.

"So?" she asked, looking from Isha to Goodman.

"I think we found the real murderer of Deddison." Even as he said it, Goodman wished it wasn't true. This wasn't a criminal intent on taking innocent life. It was just a girl trying to protect her friend. Pam must have thought so too. Her shoulders slumped, just a bit, but he noticed.

"I see. Miss, if you will come in here." She waved Isha inside. Asha straightened up, hands trembling on the table.

"What do you have her in here for?"

"Ash, stop it." Isha smiled. It didn't reach her eyes. "I told them. It's…over, so stop it, okay?"

"No…" Asha jumped up, but her hands were still cuffed, so it was easy for Goodman to drag her away. Isha took her place in the chair, letting Pam cuff her. Asha struggled, kicking Goodman with all her strength. He winced, knowing he would feel those in the morning. "No! Isha, no, it was me, not you!"

"Ash…"

"What am I going to tell Benny! Don't do this to him! It was me, I did it, I killed him!"

Goodman handed the girl over to another officer, who was quick to take the screaming girl off to the department cells. It was this part of the job that sucked the most. People wanted to help each other, defend each other. And yet it was their job to stop criminals, murders. Where did they draw the line? No matter who we arrested today, someone was bound to get hurt.

Pam sighed, pushing the untouched glass of water toward Isha. The girl took a sip. "I am…sorry about what happened." Pam sat down while Goodman stood beside her. The young detective held her hands together, glaring at the photo on the table. She said, "He sounded like an awful person."

"He was," Isha agreed, putting the glass down. "But now he won't hurt any of us. I wish it could have ended better, but I suppose it's too late for that now."

"If you don't mind," Goodman interrupted, putting his hands in his pockets. "I will need you to repeat your testimony again, so that it can be documented for court tomorrow."

Isha did just that. She went into greater detail: how Deddison had forced something from each of the group members, the murder, the planting of the body. She had such intimate knowledge of the killing, and seeing as the murder weapon was her personal knife, the evidence was solidly against her. Isha finished, drinking some more water.

"That's it," she said, smile falling away.

Pam tapped her fingers on the table. "You and Benny…are you a couple?"

Isha nodded, pulling out her necklace. On the end was a small ring. "I think he was going to propose soon. This was the promise ring he had given me in college. I suppose it's too late for us now."

"Was it his idea that everyone should confess to the crime?"

"Yes. He thought that if everyone confessed, they wouldn't be able to blame anyone with real evidence. When we were told Ben would be going to trial, he got himself a good defense attorney. With enough luck, he would get off with a not guilty verdict, and we could all go home. Everyone agreed. I think they saw me as a hero." She jerked her hands, the cuffs rattling. "I had slain the mighty beast, as it were."

Goodman nodded. "And that was it. The plan was set."

"Yes. I have no more to tell you. But…" She placed her hands over Pam's. "I do have something to ask of you."

"Me?" Pam sat up, uneasy. "…okay."

Isha brought her hands to her neck, tugging the necklace hard. It came off with a little resistance, and she handed it to Pam. "Give this to Ben for me. I don't think I could face him right now. Tell him I love him. And that I'm sorry."

Pam stared at the necklace, slowly closing her hands around it. "I will." Her voice sounded hollow. The interrogation had come to an end. More guards escorted Isha out, until it was just Goodman and Pam in the room. The younger detective hadn't looked up from her hand.

"Come on kid." He tugged her upright. "You should take a break. It's been…a long day, but we got our killer."

"It certainly doesn't feel like it…" Pam gripped the necklace, lips set in a line. "I'll take a break soon. I need to do something first." She made toward the door, but Goodman stopped her. He waited until she looked at him before speaking.

"Wright, listen. I may not agree with you all the time. You make some stupid mistakes in the heat of the moment. But—and I'm only going to say this once—you did a good job today."

Pam's lips twitched, just for a second. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it sort of thing. It might have been the start of a smile, but it was too quick to tell. Moments later her face was back to it's stony setting. She nodded. "Thank you, sir. I…need to call someone, so I'm just gonna…" She pointed to the door with her thumb, so he let her go. He followed her out the door, watching as she opened her phone, quickly typing in a number.

"Hey, Phoenix? Yeah, I could use some help—listen, is Mia nearby? I need a favor…" Her voice trailed off the farther she got down the hall. Goodman watched her leave. She was young, but she was also unbelievably stubborn. Mia…could she mean Fey? He had a thought as to where Pam was going with this. It wasn't often a detective tried to get a defense attorney for a murderer. If word got out, it could spread some bad press about Wright. The others would think she was too soft for the job, and it would definitely cause problems later.

So, Goodman did what any reasonable person would do. He returned to his desk, filling out their paperwork. It was so easy to forget things in the hustle of work. If anyone asked, he had no idea where Pam had gone. He certainly wasn't going to tell anyone he saw her giving Benny the necklace, along with a phone number for a certain defense attorney. He was an old man. His eyes did play tricks on him, after all.

Later when Pam came to his desk with a small grin, he told others it was because of the successful arrest. When the case hit the news, the other officers were first to offer them their congratulations. And when Isha was cleared with a self-defense plea by Mia Fey, everyone groaned about how unfair it had been for the young detective. It didn't seem to bother Pam much. In fact, she seemed a bit happier to him.

A few days later, Goodman saw a white box on his desk. Inside was a new, crisp fedora. It wasn't as nice as his last one, but this one had come with a letter. Thanks for your help – PW. It was just his size. Wright didn't say a word to him about the hat. He watched her from her desk, a smile playing on his face.

Their murderer was still out there. For once, Goodman didn't lose sleep over it.

Well, that's that. The Goodman case is finally over. Hopefully that helped flesh out Pam a little more. I personally think she would be very annoying to work with! Thanks again to the lovely viewers and reviewer who read this story.

(And Thrashing About, sorry that last chapter came out of left field. Maybe after this story is finished I'll go back and clean things up. Hopefully it wasn't enough to take you out of the story, lol.)

Next week will be back to your regularly scheduled Ace Attorney shenanigans.

- GBG