July 7, 1:30 PM
District Court~ Defendant Lobby No. 3
Viola let out a sigh of relief as she sat down. "That was close..." she said. "I almost thought I was finished back there...hee...hee...hee..."
"We're still not out of this yet," Iris pointed out. "We still don't have any leads or clues on who framed you for Mr. Powers' murder."
"Ms. Shade...or is it Cadaverini?" Pearl asked, raising a brow.
Viola chuckled. "Just call me Viola, dear. All of my friends do...hee...hee...hee..."
"Okay, um...Viola, do you have any ideas on who would want to frame you for murder?" Pearl asked.
"Hmm..." Viola paused, rubbing her chin in thought, then frowned. "No...I was mostly quiet with the other people in the studio. Before Don Powers' murder, I had a good relationship with the people I work with. Sure, that...security woman..." she cringed. "...and Ms. Starr were the only ones that didn't like me much, but they would never hurt Mr. Powers! None of my coworkers would!"
"And why do you think that?" Iris asked, crossing her arms.
"Don Powers was a good man," Viola said. "The best actually. He was more than just the show's direction. He was a great friend to some of us, but me and a few others...he was like a father..."
"A father?" Iris and Pearl said at the same time, to which Viola nodded.
"Yes. Like I said before, he was the first person to find out about my past, but he accepted me and took care of me. Ms. Nichols and Ms. Starr also held him in high regard, viewing him more like their father than their boss..."
"How so?" Iris asked further, but Viola frowned.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know much..." she said. "From what I can remember, Don Powers consoled Ms. Nichol's when her real father died...and Ms. Starr doesn't really talk about her past that much..."
"Ah, I see then," Iris said, rubbing her chin in thought as she mentally wrote that detail down. "So that's those are the reasons you don't believe any of your coworkers committed the murder. Then perhaps we should look at this from another angle.
"You used to be a member of the Cadaverini Family," Iris said. "Could it be possible that your family found out your location, then murdered Mr. Powers and framed you as punishment for abandoning them?"
Viola's body tensed up at that. Her hands clenched her dress tightly as she glanced away from Iris.
"I...I want to say that there's no way it could happen, but..." she said, but stopped when her eyes widened in horror. "Oh my god, Don Tigre...!"
"Don Tigre?" Pearl asked.
"He used to work for my family!" she said frantically. "He helped me get away from my family. If they really did find out about me then...you have to go to him! I-I already lost Don Powers, I can't lose Don Tigre too!"
"I-It's okay, Viola!" Pearl assured, holding onto Viola's hands tightly. "We'll go to help your friend! We'll make sure he's okay!"
"Really...?"
Iris and Pearl's warm smiles and confident stares were all the answers she needed.
"Oh, thank you!" Viola cheered, failing to hold back tears as she enveloped Pearl with a large hug. Upon letting the girl go, her face turned serious. "Don Tigre owns a restaurant called the Roaring Tiger at Chinatown. Please hurry...I don't know what I'll do if something ever happens to him...!"
Iris nodded, giving Viola a determined look. "We promise that this Mr. Tigre will be unharmed, Ms. Cadaverini. However, once we check up on him, we will need to talk to you again regarding your case. Is that alright?"
"Whatever you say, just please go now...!"
. . .
July 7
The Roaring Tiger Entrance
"Wow..." Pearl whispered as her eyes sparkled in awe at the sight of the restaurant. A wide, looming building of Chinese design, its shadow cast over Iris and Pearl, as well as an entire portion of the street. The roof of the building was made of black tiles and the walls were painted with an intense orange that could give anyone staring at it a chill down their necks. The most noticeable aspect of the building, however, was the large billboard that resembled the head of a tiger roaring out the restaurant's name, the Roaring Tiger.
"Well, it appears we've found the place," Iris said, chuckling nervously. Turning to her side, she noticed a suspicious trio of men stepping into the building. They were tall, bulky figures with dark suits and intimidating expressions. She noted one of them carrying a blunt stick in the shape of a katana. Iris paled at that.
"Now let's go," Pearl said, taking a step toward the restaurant, only for Iris to move right in front of her.
"I...I think you should stay in the car, Pearl," Iris said to her little sister. "We don't know what this place is like, Pearl. From what we know, this could be a den of hoodlums who could hurt you the moment they see you."
"But this place is owned by Viola's friend?!" Pearl said. "Don't you trust Viola?"
"I do, Pearl, but we don't know what her friend is like," Iris said. "I know he helped Viola escape from her family, but we have to remember he was a criminal once, Pearl. For all we know, he might have gotten back to crime."
"You don't know that," Pearl retorted with a huff.
"And that's why you need to stay in the car," Iris said, her tone more firm. "Just please, stay in the car, lock the door, and wait for me to come back. If I don't, well...call the police, okay?"
"But...I don't have a phone," Pearl mumbled. Iris smiled and handed Pearl an old flip phone that belonged to her late mentor Diego Armando. Despite that its previous owner had died, it still had the fresh smell of coffee emitting from it.
"Just call in case if I stay there too long, okay?" Iris said. "Detective Gumshoe's number is already there."
Pearl stared at the phone for a moment, then opened her mouth. She wanted to protest to her big sister and say that she can handle whatever's inside the Roaring Tiger, but in a moment of thought, she nodded in agreement with Iris' request.
"That's a good girl," Iris said, kissing her dear sister on the cheek. "I won't take too long."
Once Pearl went inside the light purple car, Iris quickly locked it to ensure no one would try to enter and get her dear little sister. After giving Pearl a reassuring gesture, she turned to the door of the Roaring Tiger restaurant. With a deep breath, she moved forward and entered the building.
. . .
June 7
The Roaring Tiger Restaurant
Iris had expected to see an area filled with thugs and hooligans in this establishment, but to her surprise, all she saw were regular men and women in formal attire. They were all sitting beside round Oriental tables; they were either waiting for their meals or enjoying themselves with delicious Chinese cuisine as a soothing melody played all around the restaurant.
The sight and the smell of the food could make anyone's mouth water, Iris thought as she licked her lips and observed the delicacies these people were feasting on. If this place weren't so suspicious-looking, she would've gladly taken Pearl here for lunch. As she strolled throughout the dining hall and scanned the clean floors, the wonderful Chinese tapestries, as well as the entire aesthetic of the building, Iris had to admit that Viola's friend had class.
Perhaps he's the sophisticated type? Iris pondered. A man of debonair taste with charismatic charm and high respect towards culture?
"GGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!"
Iris shrieked in terror as she spun around, her arms raised high. She then saw a large intimidating man whose skin was red-orange and had a spiky hairstyle that made Iris blush upon seeing it.
He wore an orange suit that consisted of a pair of pants and a blazer depicting a tiger gnawing at the neck of a dragon. She and some of the patrons of the restaurant watched the man grab a cowering waiter by the collar of his shirt, growling at him with seething rage.
"What do youse think you're doing, huh!?" he shouted at the waiter, who was sweating bullets as he stared in fright of the looming tiger man. "Youse supposed to bring 'em Chinese Chicken Salad, not SALMON!"
"I-I-I'm sorry, sir!" the waiter stammered, raising his hands defensively. "I-It was a simple mistake!"
"A SIMPLE MISTAKE!?" the man roared, tightening his grip on the collar. "Youse think this is a simple thing ya can screw up any time!? What if the customer was allergic to fish and died 'cus ya sent them the wrong order! This is MY restaurant and I ain't lettin' screwups like youse ruin my business!"
"HIS restaurant!?" Iris exclaimed in shock, causing a few of the restaurant's patrons to eye her questioningly. She let out a nervous giggle in response before focusing back on the man.
"P-p-please, sir, let me fix this-Ack!" the waiter was cut off when the man tightened the grip of his shirt, almost choking him.
"Youse been screwing up too many times on this job, ya lousy good for nothin'! I oughta-!"
"E-excuse me?" a gentle voice spoke up. "Mr. Furio Tigre, I presume?"
The man's eyes widen in surprise upon the mention of his own name and his anger seemed to have dissipated...only for him to turn to Iris, gritting his teeth, angrier than ever before.
"What did you call me...?" he whispered in tranquil fury.
"Um...Furio Tigre?" Iris said, taking a step back. "I-I don't mean to cause any trouble, I just need to talk to you on behalf of-"
"Back."
"W-what...?"
"I said BACK!" Furio shouted, now moving towards Iris, who back away each time he stepped closer. "Youse better head to the back so we can have...proper chat, ya hear?"
"Y-y-yes, Mr. Tig-" Iris said, but snapped her mouth shut when Furio snarled at her. Knowing that anything she said can and will piss this tiger man even further, Iris hurried off to find the back of the restaurant. Once she was gone, there was a moment of silence throughout the restaurant, but that ended quickly as Furio turned back to the waiter, who yelped in terror from the tiger man's glare.
"Get back to work!" he demanded and the waiter immediately ran off for his dear life. Furio watched the waiter scurry away until he saw that several of the restaurant's patrons were staring at him. He snarled. "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?"
The patrons immediately looked away from Furio, who grinned in satisfaction at this. "Yeah, that's what I thought...YOUSE ALL ENJOY YOUR MEALS!"
. . .
At the back alley of the Roaring Tiger, Furio glared at Iris suspiciously as he circled her and studied her appearance. Iris stared at him as well, trying (and failing) to look brave in front of the large tiger man.
"Um…" Iris paused to think of what to say. "I...I apologize for intruding your business, Mr. Ti-"
"Lǎohǔ," Furio interrupted with a snarl. "The name's Chéngsè Lǎohǔ. Furio Tigre bit the dust and I ain't lettin' some broad prove otherwise..."
Iris sweated nervously when she picked up on the murderous edge in Furio's voice. "Now, now, Mr...um...Lǎohǔ, I'm not here to cause any trouble."
"Sure youse are..." he growled, taking a step closer to her. "Who sent ya? Is it the Cadaverinis? If ya try to rat out on me to them, I swear I'll-"
"No, no, no! I-I don't work for the Cadaverinis, I swear!" Iris shouted frantically. "I-I came to visit you because of Ms. Viola..."
Furio's anger faded the moment he heard that name. "Viola...?" he mumbled in surprise before his expression went back to anger. Before Iris could even react, Furio grabbed the rookie lawyer by the collar of her blazer and effortlessly hoisted her up into the air.
Iris screamed as her legs moved violently and her fists punched Furio's arms to make him let go of her, but to no avail.
"What did ya do to her...?" he growled, glaring at Iris.
"W-what...?" Iris whimpered.
"I SAID WHAT DID YA DO TO HER!?" he roared out, making Iris yelp. "I SWEAR IF YOUSE DID SOMETHIN' TO HER I'LL-!"
"S-she sent me to check to see if you're alright!" Iris shouted hastily. "I...I'm her lawyer!"
"IF YA THINK I'M DUMB ENOUGH TO BELIEVE-!"
"It's true!" Iris shouted, quickly digging one of her hands into her bag to pull out the letter of request that she had used on Oldbag yesterday. "Here's your proof!"
Furio hesitated for a moment but decided to drop Iris to the ground and snatch the letter from her. Iris stood up and wiped the dirt off the back of her skirt while Furio read the letter.
"I know this writing style. Yer story checks out," Furio said upon finishing the letter. "Alright, who are ya and what business do youse got with me?"
Iris stares at Furio for a moment. This is it, Iris. Don't screw this up...
"My name is Iris Hawthorne, good sir. A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Iris said, bowing to Furio. "As I said, I am Miss Viola Cadaverini's lawyer. If you haven't heard yet, Ms. Viola is on trial for murder and-"
"Murder!? Ya think Viola's a murderer!?" Furio shouted angrily, jabbing his finger onto Iris' chest. "I'll have youse know that Viola's an angel! The only good egg in her family! There's no way she'd-!"
"I represent her in court, Mr. Tigre! I'm working to prevent her from going to jail!"
"It's Lǎohǔ, ya dumb broad!" Furio boomed, now angrier than before. "It took me and Viola a long time gettin' our fake names just so we can start our lives over, and if youse keep calling me Tigre one more time...!"
"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she shouted, bowing profusely to the furious tiger man. "I-I know you're upset with me as it is, but please, I just need to ask you certain questions involving Miss Viola and her past."
"Grrr...forget it," he snarled, which resulted in a warm feeling that Iris' felt from her magatama. Suddenly, a set of chains separated her and Furio as four Psyche Locks appeared to keep the chains in place. "I gotta get back to work. Youse already wasted enough time as it is."
"B-but I need your help, Mr. Ti-Lǎohǔ!" Iris begged. "It's the only way we can help clear her name!"
"What part of 'forget it' do ya not understand?" Furio said. "Sure, that letter ya showed me looks legit, but what's not to say it's just forgery? And maybe Viola IS in trouble like ya said, but after lookin' at ya, there's no way someone with good judgment like Viola would hire a bimbo like you to defend her!"
"B-but...but..."
"So unless youse can convince me otherwise, I ain't tell ya anything!" he said, stomping his foot and pointing to the door. "Now get out of my restaurant or I'll make ya the next meal for tonight!"
"B-but...please, sir, I-"
"GGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!"
Iris shrieked in absolute terror and fled for dear life. Once Furio was alone, he took a minute to calm himself before thinking back on Iris' words.
Could it be true? he wondered. Was Viola really arrested for murder?
The idea sounded awful to the tiger man. It seemed that no matter was he or Viola did to put their past behind them, the past would always find a way to catch up to them.
Furio blamed himself mainly. Not just because he didn't know what happened to Viola before that lawyer showing up (he really should find the time to watch the news), but also because he should've stuck with the girl more.
Viola insisted that they separate ways, but he shouldn't have agreed to it and stayed with her. At the very least, it would've been possible to prevent her unjust arrest.
I'll check up on Viola once I'm through with my work today, Furio thought to himself. I'll find her and help her outta that mess she's in...hell, maybe I can become her lawyer. God knows I'd do better than that spineless broad!
With a humorless chuckle, Furio strolled back to the restaurant kitchen and went back to his routine of shouting at his employees.
. . .
"How did it go, Big Sis?" Pearl asked her older sister, who stepped into the car. "Is Miss Viola's friend alright?"
"More than fine, I guess," Iris sighed. "He refused to talk to me about Viola's past though. I think he's suspicious of me and doesn't believe I'm Miss Viola's lawyer. He won't talk unless I can convince him otherwise."
Pearl frowned at that, but she soon perked up when an idea flashed in her mind. "Maybe we can ask Miss Viola to convince him."
"Hmm...that can work," Iris said. "Let's go meet up with her then. She probably has time to speak with us now that the trial ended."
. . .
July 7
Detention Center
"What do you mean Ms. Viola can't talk to us right now!?" Iris exclaimed, raising her arms high.
"I'm sorry, Miss, but Prosecutor von Karma is currently interviewing the Cadaverini for tomorrow," the guard said. "If you wish to speak to her later, I suggest you find a seat and get comfy. She'll be interrogating the Cadaverini for 2 to 3 hours."
Iris groaned in irritation, burying her face with her palms. Pearl then tugged at her older sister's dress.
"What do we do now, Big Sis?" she asked.
"Let's..." Iris paused. "Let's go back to the Studio and find clues there."
Court Record:
Evidence:
1. Iris' Attorney Badge
2. Letter of Request
3. Security Cameras
4. Will Powers' Autopsy Report
5. Crystal Crusader Dress (Costume No. 1)
6. Key Card
7. Crystal Sword
8. Torn and Tattered Crystal Crusader Costume (Costume No. 2)
9. Mysterious Letter
Profiles:
1. Pearl Fey
2. Viola Cadaverini
3. Franziska von Karma
4. Detective Gumshoe
5. Will Powers
6. Wendy Oldbag
7. Celeste L. Starr/Emerald Empress
8. Penny Nichols
9. Furio Tigre
Author's Note: Sorry if this chapter took so long, I really wanted to get this out early. So what do you guys think of Furio Tigre in this fic? I know he's somewhat different in this, but I wanted to take some liberties with certain Ace Attorney characters. I just hope it's good.
His alias Chéngsè Lǎohǔ means "Orange Tiger" in Chinese, and the reason why I made him the owner of a Chinese restaurant was that I sort of felt he was part Chinese in some way. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and feel free to share your thoughts on it in the reviews. Thank you!