AN: We're back to finish up the investigation! With the darkness looming overhead, this one has a bit more humor. Trial will be out sooner than later, seeing as I've already began writing it 5,000 words in. I guess that's one thing to do with all this extra time on my hands.
In case anyone is wondering at the part where the journals come up, the events mentioned are a reference to some events in Mischievous Turnabout. Check it out if you're into additional material and Milyn stuff!
The end draws near and I'm excited to conclude this interesting experiment over the past 7 years :). I'll be in the process of revising soon. There were a few other things I wanted to add, so expect a couple of extra chapters to help with the flow of the whole thing.
That said, cheers to the 7th year anniversary, which was a couple of weeks ago incidentally! Regardless, as always many thanks for your support of this story through your kind reviews, favs, and follows! Above all, stay healthy and safe out there!
OBSERVER01: Yes, this won't be a cake walk, that's for sure. Good thing Phoenix is on her side!
TrilbyBard: Lol, well yeah, Their court system is inherently flawed and easy to exploit, honestly.
Jack54311: Could be! Is she crazy or not? I'll leave it up to you guys to decide. She's definitely not unchanged from the situation.
JordanPhoenix: Two things for the price of one! Yay, it was fun to write the two of them. I don't the AAI characters get enough screen time! Perhaps one day Maya and Kay will encounter each other, who knows? It would be an epic meeting that's for sure. We'll get some Maya soon. As for Badd I tried to do him justice lol. It was a nice change from always writing Gumshoe as our head detective. Heh besides the usual suspects, he might have a few more admirers out there~
Jerviss: Thanks! Hope you have fun reading :)!
TopOneTheBoss: Lol, well I won't say, but keep reading and you'll find your answer ;). Thanks for checking the story out!
June 1st, 1:02 PM
Detention Center
After escaping the precinct without being caught by any police, we made our way back, walking through the security gate after being cleared by the guards.
"I always keep marbles on hand in case of emergency," Kay proclaimed, rubbing a self satisfied finger under her nose.
The sweat started to drip from my forehead. "And that was an emergency?"
"Um, yeah! If I didn't do anything, you'd be caught! Busted! Compromised! At the police station too," she said arms folded, looking at me with slight disdain. "A good thief of truth, never ever gets caught!"
I couldn't complain, though that scene was rather messy. I'd give credit for it being a creative distraction at least.
"Yay! People!" Lyn cheered as we walked into the room. "I've been...super bored in here."
"Be bored no more! We're back with some info on our investigation!"
"Really?" she asked leaning forward with her hands pressing into the table.
"Well, we learned a few things. Not much in terms of your innocence unfortunately," I said plainly. I had realized that there wasn't much to prove she didn't do it. And this meant we'd have to fight our way through court tomorrow. "But there was mention of some organization that is playing into this, something called Seeker. Do you know anything about them?"
Lyn stiffened up, as she sat in her chair with a more erect posture. That definitely caught her attention. "Can't say I know too much personally, but we've had a run in last summer."
I presented the tabloid article to her. "Care to divulge more?"
"Well, I already told you about the whole fiasco where I thought Miles had died, but then he had returned believing himself to be the Steel Samurai at that dinner party."
"No way!" Kay's jaw practically unhinged. "You didn't tell me about that!"
"Way," Lyn said with a bit of a grin. "I thought I mentioned it to you, but I'll tell you about it later."
"You better!"
"Moving on," Lyn said said, adjusting her glasses. "The guy killing everyone in the mansion was an agent of Seeker. We were pretty much stalling for time until the police showed up to rescue us. We hadn't realized that the police were keeping an eye on the whole situation, as there was a plant agent of Interpol among us. And do you know who the prosecutor leading the operation was?"
There was only one logical choice. "Could it be Franziska by any chance?"
"Bingo," she said with a nod. "Ms. von Karma told me to hang on until the cops showed up...and boy did she ever make a scene with a hundred of them! After all that...I got a chance to talk to her about what happened that night. I was told there was a shady organization, named Seeker who caused all those murders. And plenty of others. Their goal was apparently to start a "Dark Age of the Law". They go around killing people who don't get punished under normal circumstances... or so I was told."
She had tilted her head to side, casting a glance at the table in front of her.
"So you were told? Is there a different agenda?" I scratched my cheek. Lyn said it as though she weren't quite certain, which was odd considering her first hand experience with them.
The woman folded her arms and didn't speak for some time, keeping her eyes fixed on the table. Eventually, she removed her glasses and began twirling them in her hand. "You know, I'm bored in here. Could you bring me my book? It's a good read, and I'm sure you'd get plenty of value out of it too."
I shook my head. "I don't really have time to read-"
"Yes, you do," Lyn asserted, with a glare. "You have plenty of time to read if you're standing here. And besides I believe it will help answer some of your questions about the case."
"Ah...I guess when you put it like that..."
"Now, I'll give you the key and..." she pat herself down, digging through her tiny pockets, until she came up empty handed with a sigh. "Ah, nuts. I didn't take it this morning. Guess you'll have to borrow it from Miles."
I gulped. I had a strong feeling that Edgeworth wasn't going to be happy to see me now.
"And you're right," Lyn said looking at me directly. "He won't be happy at all."
"H-huh?" Was she psychic or something?
"You have the look of a guilty man, or rather dead man walking. That says it all," she remarked dryly, but with a small teasing smile. "Miles actually had come to visit me while you were out and Franziska happened to storm down here around the same time... in a rage."
"Oh boy..." I could only imagine, remembering how quickly she stormed out of the crime scene.
"It was quite the scene...between the crack of the whip and the yelling, some guards had to come in and figure just what in the world was happening," she chuckled to herself.
" 'MILES EDGEWORTH! You foolishly, foolish, fool! How dare you withhold this from me! You are dating a criminal?! How dare you sully my investigation, fraternizing with criminals!' " Lyn imitated with the slight German accent.
"She whipped him quite a few times. And then said I was next...so I'm not really looking forward to the next interrogation. Between her and Detective Badd, I can't tell you who's going to be more of a nightmare today," she said absentmindedly twirling her glasses in her hand.
I swallowed again. If I knew I was going to open a can of worms, I wouldn't have said anything. "Erk...I'm really sorry. I thought she knew..."
"Well, she certainly knows now," Lyn remarked sarcastically. But she wasn't so much annoyed as she was scheming, since she chuckled and pointed a mischievous index finger at me. "That's why you're going to be a good boy and grab me my book."
"Yes ma'am," I replied automatically, all of a sudden feeling like a shamed dog forced to do my master's bidding.
"Hehe," she looked all too pleased to be bossing me around. "My book is periwinkle. I keep it in the guest room on the second floor, it's the room that has all of my junk inside and is the messiest room there."
I nodded, keeping a mental note. Yay, scavenger hunt time. "Alright. Let's get going, Kay-"
"Um, actually, I'm going to leave that to you, Mr. Wright," she grinned sheepishly.
"You're not coming?" I asked surprised.
"Soooooooooo. Mr. Edgeworth said I wasn't allowed at his house ever again without his supervision," Kay explained, with a slight blush. "And if I did come back again when he wasn't there, he'd have a very long talk with Uncle Badd..."
"What did you do?"
"It's my fault," Lyn said awkwardly scratching her cheek with a lone finger. "We had a plan involving chocolate, a unicycle, some wild ducks, and a raccoon, and it kinda went down hill from there."
(Do I even want to know what type of trouble the two of them got in?)
"So, I'll just stay here! Don't slack off when I'm not there, alright Mr. Wright?"
"Right. I'll see you later."
"Bye!" waved Kay. Lyn certainly wouldn't be bored anymore with Kay around to chat, I thought. But her entertainment would be the least of my concerns thinking of where I was headed...
June 1st, 1:24 PM
Prosecutor's Office, Room 1202
I stood outside the door for the longest time. Taking a deep breath, I finally found the courage to knock. It was silly, but when Edgeworth was mad he could really chew you out. It had been some time since he had last done so, but I considered the last time it happened to be over something minor. This time, I was certain I'd be getting the criticism of a century...
"Come in," I heard from the other side of the door. He sounded calm, though slightly peeved.
It's with a mildly sweaty hand, that I let myself into the lion's den. Edgeworth was sitting at his desk, hunched over. He scribbling something with so much pressure on the pen, that he'd probably leave marks in the wood.
"Hey, Edgeworth-"
His head shot up from whatever he was writing only to glare me down. "Wright!" he boomed.
(And here it comes...)
I was frozen like an ice statue, just waiting for the hot beams of the sun to melt my being into a puddle of existence. He sat down his fancy fountain pen and fully directed his gaze, as harsh as the arctics, at me as I awkwardly stood in the middle of his office. "Just what are you doing blabbing my personal business to Franziska?"
Edgeworth, as usual, wasted no timing in getting straight to the point.
"I'm sorry, Edgeworth. I had no idea she didn't know!" I protested. I mean, I would have thought he'd mention it to her at some point. I had no idea that this was some sort of issue to be wrapped in secrecy.
"It doesn't matter if she didn't you, gossipy twit!" he seethed.
"Edgeworth-" I started.
"Because of you, Franziska wants Lyn's head on a stick."
"Well, I'm sure Lyn can hold her own against Franziska, right?" I placed a hand on the back of my head, looking at him with a marginal degree of hope.
"What?" Edgeworth looked at me in exasperation. He rubbed his temple. "Idiot, do you think this is the World Wrestling Federation?"
"Well, actually, it's World Wrestling Entertainment now," I corrected.
He didn't even bother to reply.
I coughed. "I mean...um..."
(What's the worse Franziska could do to her besides give her a thousand lashes? If it came to a fight, they're about the same size. And it seems Lyn has a demanding streak of her own...it would be interesting to see if I'm being honest...)
"I had no intention of ever telling Franziska about this."
Now, that was curious. "Because of her reaction?"
"Not for the reason you think," he said arms folded in an aggravated manner, tapping his fingers on his arm. "She wouldn't have cared. But she had to learn now thanks to a certain imbecile, that Lyn being accused of not one, but two murders, might be linked to a criminal organization she has been passionately pursuing for months. To prosecute this person, that I not only personally know, but happen to be seeing might cause some tension."
"Urk..." Well, when he put it like that, this...was terrible timing.
"So, I must thank you for further complicating the matter," Edgeworth said, voice dripping in thick sarcasm. "And even without that burden, I didn't speak of it. It's soon to be over anyway."
"Huh? Soon to be over? What do you mean?"
"...I don't wish to discuss it," he said grabbing his arm, looking away from me.
Did he mean they were breaking up? I wouldn't press the matter since I had already annoyed him today, but it seemed sudden if that was the case.
Edgeworth sighed, having calmed down a bit. Maybe he needed to chew me out to release some tension. "I'm sure you didn't simply come for a verbal lashing, so what do you want?"
(That was savage, Edgeworth.)
"Well," I began. "Besides being annoyed by me, how are you?"
"Tired, though of your ridiculous actions or life at the moment, it's a bit difficult to tell," he remarked wryly. "It's been one thing after another."
I stroked my chin. "You mean between Lyn's arrest and that hostage situation?"
"That, the murders at the club, her car crash, the hallucinations... it's all draining," Edgeworth sighed, as he leaned back in his chair.
I could only imagine. But I hadn't heard much about that last portion. "Hallucinations?"
"Yes. After that car crash, Lyn sustained brain damage. The result is incredibly vivid hallucinations. She has medication, but I doubt it's doing much of anything to stop them."
That...must have been why she was talking to herself earlier. I wouldn't lie and say it wasn't a little disturbing. It was like one of the people you'd often see wandering the streets of LA without homes, medication, or anyone to look out for them. Yet, she wasn't so far gone that she couldn't have long periods of lucidity thankfully. I wouldn't know what to do for our case if she was incomprehensible.
"I'm guessing that's why it looks like she hasn't slept in weeks."
"Partly," he frowned. "You'd have to ask her more about it yourself, since she doesn't share much about it with me."
Throughout the conversation he had already sounded strained, but he seemed most hurt by that. "Sorry, Edgeworth. That sounds difficult."
But Edgeworth being Edgeworth ignored me and promptly changed the subject. "This may be of use to you in court."
He passed me some unknown but lengthy documents. "What are these?"
"Lyn's medical records," he said. "Knowing Franziska, she's most likely going to bring Lyn's mental state into question."
"...Of course. It'd be easy to write off anything she said now with that in mind."
(I'll have to read this over carefully.)
Lyn's medical records added to inventory.
"What happened to your eye?" I asked him. I had noticed it when it came in, puffy and swollen.
"One of those brutes during the hostage situation punched me," he scowled.
Yikes. That looked like it hurt. "Do you have any idea as to why the prosecutor's office was taken over?"
"I have my suspicions that the people here were used as a bargaining chip for whatever goal the hostage takers were aiming for," Edgeworth said, giving me a newspaper clipping from today's news. "You'll do well to note that the perpetrators weren't asking for money."
Hostage newspaper clipping added to inventory.
I gave it a quick once over. "But if it wasn't money, what did they want? What made them leave?"
"They said they'd release us once they got whatever it was they wanted. As you can see, I'm standing before you now," he said. "If it wasn't money, I can only assume it was for some ruling, considering it was the prosecutor's office they held captive."
And if it was a ruling, what or who for? What did they need the whole building needed to be taken over for? It must be essential to whatever it was to hold so many people captive.
I figured I ought to get to the main purpose of visiting. "Anyway, I actually came by to borrow your key."
"And the key to what exactly?" he asked squinting at me. Already, I could feel the judgement. And already I could feel the waves impatience washing over him.
"To your house."
There was a long awkward pause. Edgeworth had a tendency of just looking at person after they've said or done something ridiculous with an expression that could only be seen as 'what in God's name is wrong with you?'. I hated it-probably because I experienced it more often than I would like to admit.
(I should have worded that better…)
He folded his arms, strumming his fingers against them. "And why do you need that? Shouldn't you be investigating?"
"Interpol is taking up the scene now and well, Lyn asked me to grab something for her to read," I laughed uncomfortably, putting a hand behind my head.
His critical glance melted away at the mention of her name. I wondered if I could use her as an excuse to escape his judgement more often. I'd have to keep it in mind... "Fine," he said as he reached into his pocket, pulled his golden house key off, and tossed it to me. "Just don't take any of my things."
"Edgeworth, come on, I'm not a thief," I complained as I caught the key in my hand.
"I saw you eyeing my plunger the last time you visited. I think I have a right to be concerned."
Urk. It was nice plunger and the one at the office should probably be replaced soon…I just didn't want to pay for another one now. I waved a hand, as though I were brushing his comment aside like a bug. "I'm sure you were just seeing things."
He rolled his eyes. "And don't be snooping around where you shouldn't be either."
"I won't, I won't. No chamber of secret digging for me," I said. "If you're so concerned, why don't you come with me?"
"I would rather do it myself, but I'm confined to the office for yet another police questioning soon," he grimaced. "I'm sick of them questioning me instead of finding the real culprit."
"If it makes you feel any better, I can't imagine the police are happy about it either, at least not Gumshoe."
"I'm well aware," he sighed tiredly."But I'm afraid that it won't alleviate much of this...pressure."
It was a tough spot to be in. Hopefully it would be over soon. "I'll be back later."
"Don't bother," he said. "Once the police are done here, I'm going to the detention center. I'll see you there."
"Gotcha."
June 1st, 1:48 PM
Edgeworth's House
There was nothing I could do for the guy besides keep investigating. Once Edgeworth was in one of his moods, it was hard to get him out of it. He may have mocked me for being sentimental, but he had his moments too as much as he liked to pretend he was above it all.
It hadn't taken me too long to bike over, thankfully. Leaving it in the driveway, I jogged over to the front door and unlocked it with the key. I stepped in, feeling a bit weird. I know he had lent me the key, but it was strange to enter the house like it was mine. Not like I could afford a house. I shut the door behind me, recalling where Lyn said the book was.
Since I had been over a few times before, I quickly headed upstairs, browsing the hallway in search of a messy room. She was right when she said it'd be easy to spot- the door was wide open and t-shirts, books, shoes, CDs and a whole lot of other stuff was strewn around on the floor, the desk, and the bed. On the bed next to the night stand, were a couple of books stacked on top of each other.
"Hm...periwinkle?" They were both purple. One was a very light shade, while the other was dark.
She said it was relevant to the case, so, it shouldn't hurt to check them both out to be on the safe side. I flipped open the darker colored book on the left with a bookmark ribbon hanging out.
Since I'm stuck not going out or doing anything with much physical exertion because of this dumb pneumonia, I started writing again. It's a good distraction for how everything is right now after that crash...it helps to not think about the shadow so much.
So for today, for fun I decided I was going to do rankings of the hottest guys I've seen:
#1: Obviously, how could I not choose Miles? It's self explanatory if we're talking about looks. Personality wise, he's just what I like: bossy, witty, and competitive. He won't put up with any of my shit. On top of that he's fun to annoy.
#2: I would never ever ever tell Miles, but I do think Simon is cool. He's just such a dork with being obsessed with Japan. And that rude sense of humor, I can get behind.
#3: Mia was one lucky woman, cuz Godot was smoking. Then again they both were. He was just really hot seeing him in person and not just like from the game.
#4: Klavier, I guess is attractive, but he doesn't really get super hot until like 7 years later.
#5: Surprised with myself here, but I did actually think Larry was cute. Sure he's an idiot, but he's helped me out a lot. And I can say he's never boring to be around.
#6: Hmm, well for Phoenix he's not bad looking, he's just more cute to me than hot. Like he's just a HUGE dork. Like if Simon were to go to Weenie Hut Jr's , Phoenix would be at Super Weenie Hut Jr's. He's just way tooooo nice for me. Maybe if he snarked more often out loud, but naw...
...
I was dead last?
It made sense for Edgeworth to be at the top, but I was dead last? Larry was above me?!
….That couldn't be right. I refused to accept it. And in hopes of seeing something different, I read the rest of the page.
You know, I totally forgot to write about that awful double date with Gumshoe and Maggey. It was a mistake to ever say yes to those pathetically pleading puppy dog eyes! It had started okay, but went straight to hell within an hour...screw that wench. Was it overkill what I did? Maybe, but NO ONE takes what's mine! Angel Starr could be as promiscuous as she wanted to be, but not with my tin man!
...And yeah, Marshall tricked us into marriage...and after that Miles grabbed the pictures and stuffed them in the trash we got into a huge argument...we were pretty pissed with each other that day ...Is it wrong that I'm kinda into that? Sometimes I like fighting...when there's too much quiet, I end up stirring something up. Mostly on purpose, but sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it.
Anyway, he pushed me into the car and...
...he called me a slut and….
Right in Gumshoe's car! Crazy, am I right? But at least we stopped fighting. Maybe I should piss Miles off more often hehehe...
(Oh...my God.)
My face was on fire. Did I...did I really just read what I thought I read? That she and Edgeworth...would do anything like that... It was... any synonym for the word unbelievable.
I was about to close the book and set it back where I found it, but a small piece of paper drifted from it to the ground.
"Hm?"
I bent over to pick up the little square. It was about half the size of a journal page. Flipping it over, my eyes were drawn to the blue and red ink.
(Huh? Is that me and Edgeworth?)
The drawing was actually nice for scratchy ball point pen-the two of us drawn back to back.
(I should put this back. I think it fell out after where it was bookmarked...)
I flipped it open to the last written pages.
...It's weird, you know. I'll be leaving when I finish the job once and for all.
I don't wanna go if I'm being honest. It's like telling a kid to get out of their imagination and to leave it at the door. It's not like I don't miss home. My life was decent.
But I had no direction...always so...pathetic. I act confident...but sometimes I don't feel like it. It's just in the hopes that one day I'll be able to be that way. To hopefully stand up for myself and my values...whenever I figure out what they are…
I'll miss everyone. These people are my heroes after all.
And...I guess I'll miss him most. I'm scared of how much I feel, and I'm just trying to hold back. It's gonna suck when I leave. But if I could say it...ha. It's embarrassing to even think about.
(...Ah. That's right. She did talk about having to leave once everything with Kristoph was sorted.)
I slipped the pick back where it belonged and shut the book. That definitely wasn't what she wanted me to read. Setting the diary aside, I picked up the other lighter colored purple book.
"I will be blunt: If you are reading my journal, I am deceased. Most likely killed. It will not be an accident by any means. It might look like an accident, but it will not be, I assure you."
What...? I continued on reading the first page. It was all intense, but the ending caught my attention most:
The Seeker Organization is planning to create absolute chaos across the globe. What they want is unfathomable, but if they achieve their goals they will have created a dystopia in which law does not reign supreme. Of course, the law is easily manipulated with its many loopholes. However, what they want is to tear down its structures all together and create something they refer to as the Dark Age Of the Law...They made the mistake of crossing me because in this journal you will find all of the intel I've gathered on the organization in the past year. So, I imagine, if you want to protect yourself...your friends...and that truth you so care about so much...you will take what I have to say seriously.
Destroy them.
-Kristoph Gavin
Dark Age Of the Law...I shook my head.
Kristoph had written this? And not only that, from the sound of it, this was meant for Lyn to have. He didn't have any other as vocal enemies, so it could only be her. On top of that, he knew about Seeker. Heck, he was claiming to be a part of it!
If this was to be believed, it sounded insane. It all did. But if I could see Maya channel Mia's spirit and meet an alternate reality time traveler, anything could be possible right?
...One day at home, I had turned around to see a figure immersed in black standing before me...telling me to die before vanishing in front of me. I don't know how it was done. But they were there. I saw them...I locked myself in. I could not go to the police for who would believe me? Not like the police could be trusted anyway. And who would even want to help me after that trial? Not even my brother trusted me at this point. But I had no other choice. Someone needed to know about them. The shadow. I called him over.
...I told him how it was watching everything. And to be wary of it.
While it all sounded fantastical, the other part that caught my attention most was the references to "the shadow". At this point Kristoph sounded like he had lost his marbles. He was definitely paranoid. But he warned Klavier about it, and even believed it had a part in Vera's kidnapping...which is when Lyn said she had heard from Klavier again after going AWOL for weeks. Only in regards to Vera's disappearance.
And come to think of it, Lyn mentioned it in her diary. Writing to distract herself from "the shadow". I would have to ask about this "shadow" when I got back.
...And tell Klavier it was for his own good and I stand by my choice.
What could he have meant by that? "It was for his own good." Gumshoe did say, he might show up in court if necessary. And from this journal, unless Kristoph was out of his mind, he talked to Klavier before the murders.
For good measure, I picked up both journals and took them with me.
June 1st, 2:27 PM
Detention Center
(Alright Phoenix, when you go in there act as normal as possible.)
I exhaled, trying to wipe my brain of what I had recently read, as I walked back in.
Lyn, enthused to see me again greeted me with a smile. "Great you're back! Did you bring it?"
Crap. It wasn't working. As soon as I looked at her, I flushed. My mind went right back to that car situation... "Uh, where'd Kay go?" I asked, trying to stall for time.
"She went back to the crime scene, to try to make the detective speed it up."
"Ah... I see," I caught myself frowning. Of all the times for her to leave! She could have made her talent for distractions useful here.
"What's the matter with you?" Lyn asked cocking a brow. "Did you get the journal?"
I couldn't bring myself to look at her directly. "I-It's nothing. I did grab it but..."
"Why are you so red?" she was squinting, looking at me like I were some bug under a magnifying glass.
Sweat began to pour from my forehead. I couldn't hold it in any longer. "I read the wrong book at first..."
"Huh? What book..." It took a moment before the realization dawned. Mortified, she turned blue in the face. "You! YOU DIDN'T READ MY JOURNAL!"
"I mean...no judgement about Gumshoe's car..." Did I even have words for it?
She clutched her chest. "You're taking this to the grave! THE GRAVE!"
I swallowed as I put my hands up in the air. "I won't tell! I won't I swear-"
"We're making a blood pact, now!"
"I don't think you can through the glass…"
"I DON'T CARE!" she slammed her fists into the table.
"I'm sorry," I squeaked, taking a step away from the glass barrier. "It was an accident!"
"An accident?" she laughed incredulously. "An accident that you kept reading the details of my private inner most thoughts?!"
(It was certainly revealing. It was hard to stop...)
I hunched over, breaking out into a cold sweat. "Sorry, I got the colors confused..." That was true...I had only checked to make sure I was getting the right book...
"I thought you studied art. Periwinkle and purple are different!"
"...Like I said, there's nothing wrong with...what you did," I coughed, trying to quell her nerves. "Though...erm, you like Edgeworth calling you names?"
Suddenly, all I could see was the white light reflected on her glass. "Are you...judging me? Are you?"
"No...I was just-"
"You've got some nerve! Y-you overblown...cinnamon roll! she stood up, pointing a finger at me. "It's not your business if I like being treated that way!"
Cinnamon roll, what did that even mean?
"Not like a guy like you would ever understand! You're too fucking nice!"
"...Is that why I ranked so low on your list?" I needed to know. Why in God's name was Larry above me?
"Oh, read that too, huh?" Lyn smirked. "Minus the snooping into intimate matters, you're an ok guy. But totally not my type! I'd run you into the ground in a matter of days!"
"Eep..." She definitely would. I imagined being kept a leash forced to do stupid errands for her amusement...I shook my head. Edgeworth could manage her, but not me...
"The ultimate man..." she started dreamily, before her glance turned fiery. "...is one that can fight me! None of this nice ooey gooey shit!"
"But Larry reeks of that stuff!" I protested. "On top of that he didn't even go to high school! What does he have that I don't?"
"Excitement?" the woman shrugged.
I scoffed. "You're seeing Edgeworth! Come on!"
"Dude, you're too nice! I hate nice! I want someone to be mean to me! Why are we even talking about this? Why do you want my approval so badly anyway?!"
"...I just want to be higher than Larry."
"Tough luck! Come back when you're willing to be a jerk!" she snapped with her arms folded across her chest.
I still hated being beneath Larry for any way shape or form, but I guessed it was a compliment to be seen as nice person. With that out of the way, I could ask about the more pressing problem.
I give a minute for her to calm down and then cleared my throat. "So, I noticed that in Kristoph's journal, he talks about 'the shadow'. And in your journal you also mention it...could you tell me more about it?"
Her eyes shifted at the mention of the shadow. Instead of looking at me, she cast a fixed glance at the wall to her right, now rubbing her arms as though she were trying to warm herself up. "I don't wanna talk about it," any fire in her voice had dissipated and was replaced with a peculiar quietude I hadn't seen in her before.
"But-"
"It...comes for me almost every night," Lyn trembled, as she cut me off. "I refuse to spend my day thinking about it."
"Only nights?" I took a step closer. Something, something was here.
"Never day. Only night," she whispered. "At night, it blends in...under the cover darkness. Don't let it catch you."
I nodded with slow deliberation. Lyn for better or for worse was enchanted by this shadow, and I would take advantage of it. I pressed on. "How can I avoid it?"
With sharpness, she whipped around to directly look at me, causing the metal chair she was in to scratch against the floor. "Do not let it catch you," she reiterated, with the volume of her voice suddenly rising. The pitch, shrill sent a shockwave right through my body.
My breath stopped. She had this empty, fixed focus on me that made me squirm. It wasn't the same happy girl I was accustomed to seeing-it was like she was replaced with a mad woman.
"If you're in its line of sight...it's over. You're done."
In other words, don't be seen.
I ignored the tingling at the base of my neck. Edgeworth never mentioned anything about him seeing a shadow. However, he did mention the hallucinations Lyn had felt real to her... Was this shadow the hallucination she refused to talk to him about? Had Kristoph hallucinated it as well? He spoke about it in length to the point where he lived his last waking moments in fear, enough to write a journal. And maybe enough to dress up as his brother.
...Could it actually be real?
My chest tightened. No, there wasn't anyway it could be. I glanced at Lyn now fidgeting and playing with her hands, once again looking at the wall, muttering something. No...I shouldn't take her word alone. It was most likely her hallucinations. As for Kristoph, he probably was seeing things as well- after all, he didn't sound totally sane in his journal. And since he was murdered pretending to be Klavier...something was definitely wrong.
I pushed the thought of it out of my mind. It was something I needed more reliable information about. I wasn't going to get it here.
"Where did you get this from?" I asked, presenting Kristoph's journal. "There's no way you got it the night of the murder, considering your car submerged into the ocean. This would have been destroyed."
She took the time to stop muttering to herself and look at me, face going slack. "You don't need to know."
I furrowed my brows. "Why is that?"
"I'll tell you, if it becomes pivotal to the case, but right now," she pressed her glasses up closer to the bridge of her nose. "it's not. I'll need real reason to tell you."
(Other than it can probably help me defend you better?)
But I should have known better. Most of my clients did little to make my life easier. At least she had told me about the journal. It was better than nothing. "Oh well, at least I found the full details of why I was so abused by you at that dinner party," I said, deciding to take my cheap shot and lighten the mood.
"...Ugh!" she flushed. "Look, I didn't want to do it!"
"In the car?" I smirked.
Lyn's mouth fell open. It took her some time before she found words again, as the blush already present deepened. "Y-you! S-shut up!"
"What's going on here?"
I wanted to take the moment to bask in her speechlessness, to prove that I wasn't a pushover and deserved to at least be above Larry on the list, but we had company.
And it wasn't the company I wanted now either- of course, I recognized the voice as Edgeworth's.
Swallowing hard, I turned to the face the man who had walked up next to me. He looked at Lyn first, then cast me a quizzical glance. "Don't mind us, Edgeworth. We were just having a friendly chat..." I forcibly laughed.
"Miles!" Lyn yelled, no rather whined. She no longer looked offended-now she was on the verge of tears. "Phoenix is being an ass!"
(Are you serious? She deserves an Oscar for this act!)
I couldn't let her throw me under the bus. "No, wait I can explain-" I said trying to prevent the onslaught that was fast approaching.
Edgeworth directed all of his focus back on me, glowering in anger. "What did you do?"
"He read my journal! And now he's making fun of my private preferences!" she sniffed, while very sneakily casting a tiny smirk at me. I glared back. It was a dirty move.
"Wright…" he started. "You promised you weren't going to go digging!"
"It was an accident!" I could feel the angry laser beam glares of the two of them staring me down, though one was more genuine than the other...regardless, it made me feel like hiding away...
Edgeworth, turned his attention to Lyn, ignoring me for the time being.
"I'm sorry that your privacy has also been violated today. A pity to be a competent lawyer, but an incompetent boor in regular life," he said cutting me in two. "But I have just the thing that will make you feel better."
"Huh? What's that?" she asked perking up slightly.
"When Wright was in 2nd grade he wet himself in front of the entire class during a presentation," smirked Edgeworth.
I flushed hard. "Edgeworth, come on..." He picked one of the worst incidents out of all of them, of course.
"Woah, really?" Lyn laughed. "How'd he do that?"
"Wright had a pretty weak bladder, always needing the toilet every 10 minutes. The substitute teacher didn't believe that anyone could humanly use the toilet as much as him."
"Don't remind me..."
"Oh, and for a little while everyone referred to him as PEEnix Wright."
I groaned covering my face with my hands. Even though it was so long ago, it was still embarrassing! Especially that awful name! They called me that for over a month!
The woman behind the glass chortled, in hysterics. "DUDE! That stinks!"
"It certainly did," remarked Edgeworth sardonically.
"I hate you."
"Hehehe, you were right," Lyn said giggling. "I really do feel a lot better now."
I had almost half a nerve to bring up the incident with Gumshoe's car to retaliate, but knew Edgeworth would probably murder me on the spot. I had gotten into enough trouble today. "Now, that we're done making fun of my humiliating experience, can we talk more about Kristoph's journal?"
"Oh, you mean the one I actually told you to bring back?" she asked arms folded.
"Er, yes," I presented the journal bowing my head slightly.
Edgeworth, taken aback recoiled at the mention of the name. "Wait. You have Kristoph Gavin's journal in possession?"
I nodded. "It's pretty...crazy sounding if I'm being honest. But it's proof that Kristoph was a part of Seeker and that they are without a doubt linked to this case."
"Let me see that," Edgeworth said snatching the journal out of my hand. He was a fast reader, blowing through the many pages in the course of only a couple of minutes. "What the...you're right. This is total madness."
Lyn shrugged. "Crazy or not, I told you it'd help most likely."
"Where did you get this from?" he asked her.
"Does it really matter?" Lyn waved a hand dismissively. "It was meant for me to have, if you clearly read the message at the beginning."
Edgeworth displeased at her evasiveness, shot her a mean glare. "Where?" he demanded.
"It's not important," she said looking away from him.
"Woman, so help me when you say something isn't important and it usually is," he snapped. "I will not ask you again. If you insist on not speaking, I will leave now. And I won't be back for the rest of the day."
I was fairly certain that was an empty threat. Edgeworth was too miffed over the whole situation to not visit her, but it got the gears in her head turning. Lyn brought her head up with such alacrity, you would have thought an invisible wire was controlling her movements. Sweating now, she took her glasses off and cleaned them on her shirt.
"...Prosecutor's office, Klavier's room. In his safe," she confessed, though clearly unhappy about it.
Did I hear that right? Klavier's safe?
"What?" Edgeworth's eyes flashed in surprise, and his face turned red. "When did you do that? How did you get into the safe?"
She didn't say anything, though she was doing her best to avoid eye contact with him.
"Lyn!"
"Alright, would you calm your tits?" she snapped, before exhaling. "That night...in the club, we were playing pool. I didn't know it was Kristoph. I thought he was Klavier. And well...you know, Klavier. He's a flirt. He gave me some key, saying something like, 'I want you to have to key to my heart'. I didn't know what to think of it at the time."
"So, that was the key to his safe?" I asked.
Edgeworth shook his head with a scowl. "No, the keys are for the office doors. To access the safe, we need a code." He looked at her again.
"The code, he gave to me as well," she sighed. "I had been drinking wine, and he ...'accidentally' bumped into me causing it to spill all over me. And then he had, discreetly slipped something into my hand, as I was headed out to clean myself in the bathroom."
"But if you received it all on that night..." There was no way she had it. She had to have gotten it after.
"Yes, I'm aware I was half dead in the water. I had someone else do it get it for me. You can already take a wild guess as to who," she said.
His eyes were bulging, and I felt that any second he'd explode into flames. "...Lyn, Kay is a minor! Stop using her in your half thought out schemes!"
"I needed help...and well she'd be doing things like this anyway, if she isn't already," she shrugged.
"It's illegal. You're enabling her," he chastised, tussling his hair.
"Well it's not my fault I was given the key and safe code, I didn't steal it. It was given to me and I passed it on," she folded her arms. "Like I said, at the time I thought it was Klavier, so I thought it was something he wanted me to do in secret."
"You are impossible-"
The woman turned her focus to me, acting as though she had already heard everything Edgeworth had said plenty of times before. "Ignoring all that stuff, what did you think of it? His writing?"
Edgeworth was still stewing, now crossing his arms as he walked away from the glass.
"If this can be trusted, maybe we have a suspect," I scratched my chin. I didn't want to put all of my money on it, because this could easily be ramblings of madman. But the prominence of this shadow person, I couldn't ignore even if I didn't believe the myth. "This 'shadow' he talks about hunting him."
"Perhaps," Edgeworth snapped. "Before you jump to any unfound conclusions, I suggest seeing what you find out in court tomorrow."
I nodded. Of course, I wouldn't take this book as gospel. Kristoph didn't sound like he was a good state of mind writing this. Until I could confirm some more things, I couldn't be totally sure about the reality of the contents. But a lead was a lead. And if we couldn't find a culprit...this shadow might help buy us some time.
Lyn removed her glasses and twirled them in her hand. "Honestly...I believe it. Why would he try to get this to me if he were making it up? To like, die doing it... On top of that he knew about the mansion killings. People here wouldn't really know anything about it. He even confessed to forging the evidence in TL-5 and other cases, when you saw how adamant he was at denying it before."
"I can see some things being more plausible than others," Edgeworth said wrinkling his nose. "But consider the possibility he made it up to convince you (who is quite unfortunately fond of ridiculous ploys) to help with his asinine plan to go against a dangerous criminal organization. We don't have a way to confirm the truth of details such as the reason behind the murders of the mansion, other than that assassin who did confirm Seeker's MO."
She leaned forward as she put her glasses back on. "But what if Kristoph was right? What if it was a red herring?"
"Then is the shadow real? A person that can appear out of nowhere, into locked rooms even? Marking their targets?" he sneered.
"...Alright, then what about Maxwell Miller?" she was sweating, tapping her fingers against the table. "Even you agreed that there was no way that case was a suicide, and yet the police said it was."
"...I'll concede there," he said arms folded, strumming a finger against one. "It was unthinkable that anyone could tear off their own arms and shoot themselves. However, it doesn't mean necessarily that Seeker is behind it."
I remembered hearing the graphic details of that case. There was no way some guy shot himself with his arms removed from his body. Why the police decided to label it a suicide and close the case was beyond me, but the police could be incompetent as evidenced by the many times I've dealt with them.
Or corrupt. My mouth felt dry at the memory of Damon Gant and how he did what he could to secure power.
She grew silent. His lips pressed into a fine line. A stalemate.
"They're playing into it all somehow," I started scratching my head. "But until Franziska shows her hand we can't really say for sure how exactly. Though..."
I nearly forgot the other detail that had caught my eye. "He talked about Vera. If he confessed to being a part of the organization and confessed to forging evidence...why deny kidnapping her? If he knew he was about to die and was coming clean about everything else, why lie about that?"
"Perhaps even Gavin had standards," Edgeworth shrugged.
"As if!" Lyn blew out some air. "He tried to kill Vera once with poison! He didn't care that she was a child. That screams no standards to me."
"Yeah. I actually believe that he didn't have anything to do with it," I agreed. "I found it interesting that...well it was most likely him was the one to contact you about it."
"Why do you think it was him? Why not Klavier?" Lyn asked.
"It would be a good way to lure you out. Kristoph himself could have contacted you about Vera, but would you have gone to see him?"
"Please say no," Edgeworth muttered.
She folded her arms. "No probably, not. I was pretty wary of him, but not so much Klavier."
(Could that be the reason why Kristoph dressed up like him? Hmm...)
I figured I got enough from her for the time being. I should probably go back and check to see if the crime scene was available.
"I'm going to check to see if the big Badd wolf will allow me to enter the room," I said. "I'll be back."
Edgeworth nodded. "You can tell Kay, she'll have a piece of my mind at the earliest convenience," he said grimly. Then he turned to Lyn, arms folded. "And we are going to have a long talk."
I could almost hear him saying the equivalent of 'young lady' by his stern tone.
"Buuuut Moooooooooooooooom," Lyn said tongue in cheek.
"Would you stop with that?" Edgeworth snapped turning red again. "You can try to distract me all you like, but you aren't getting out of this...seeing as you can't go anywhere unless you're forced back to questioning," he said rather smugly.
The look of horror on her face was present as she broke out into a cold sweat, eyes wide. "L-look. I'm sorry," she said raising her hands up. "Please...I've been questioned to death already. I don't wanna be lectured to death next!"
"A pity."
Oof. I hated when Edgeworth was mad at me, but somehow...being lectured by him while upset, struck me as a worse alternative. Especially seeing as the detention center didn't close until 5... This didn't sound like any kind of discussion I'd want to stick around to witness, so I'd leave them to it.
June 1st, 3:15 PM
The Oceanic, Private Room 3
"You made it!" Kay exclaimed as I entered the room. I would have arrived soon, but I was reminded that I was human and prone to hunger. I cautiously stepped in, surveying the area. A couple of cops were still around, hanging out by the door, but Detective Badd was nowhere in sight.
"So...Detective Badd is finished examining? He's not going to come back and tell me to get out?"
"Um, so Uncle Badd is done investigating the room, but I'm not sure about the other part," she said scratching her face. "He went back to the police station for bit anyway."
I sighed. I should just get this done as soon as possible to limit my contact with him. "Alright, let's take a look around...finally."
I went over to the pool table first. It was pretty ordinary, if you ignored the white tape outline stemming from the pool table down the ground. One of the cues on the table was covered in dried blood.
This must have been the murder weapon.
Bloody pool cue added to court record.
"Hey, Mr. Wright!"
"Huh?" I turned in the direction of her voice. She was looking at the ground by the window behind the pool table. "Did you notice all the glass here on the ground?"
"Glass...?" I moved from behind the pool table and observed the floor. The view of the window had been somewhat obscured by the pool table being in front of it. Pointy shards of glass of varying sizes, big and small were scattered on the floor by the window. The window's glass had a nice hole in the lower right hand corner. Not too far away, there was a gray stone.
Someone had thrown a rock in, since all the shards were inside...but the question was why?
Broken window added to court record.
"Oh, by the way, I'm pretty sure Edgeworth is going to give you a long lecture like he's doing Lyn right now," I said after I finished noting the new evidence. "Just a heads up."
"Aww man," Kay's shoulders slumped. "I'm guessing he found out about the journal...Mr. Edgeworth is gonna bore me to tears."
I repressed a snort. How was it that somehow Trucy was more mature than Kay and Lyn combined?
She didn't stay sulking for long, springing up on her feet. "Eh, whatever. He'll understand when I steal some more truth!" The girl hopped over to one of the plants next to the fireplace and began poking around in the dirt.
From the pool table, I moved farther into the room, stopping at the small wooden table and two arm chairs to match. Nothing remained on the table's surface so I looked underneath and on the floor seeing if I'd have any luck. I was about to give up, until my finger ran against something smooth and cold.
The heck was that? It wasn't squishy or dried like gum, so it wasn't that. I clawed away at whatever was holding this item up and tore it off. A slender, small black device was in my hand.
...Was this a listening bug? It reminded me of the wire tap I had found at the Gatewater. But...why would it be in here? Who would want to listen to their conversation? Quietly, I pocketed it away, not to arouse any attention. This could be an ace in the hole for me and I wouldn't let it get away.
"Ooh...Mr. Wright?" Kay asked in a hushed voice, an odd thing considering how loud and boisterous she was. She was staring at the potted plant in awe. "I think, I found something...REALLY interesting."
"Something other than dirt?" I asked stepping past the table and chairs to the opposite side of the plant by the fireplace.
"Obviously! You always have to dig deep. Don't you know anything about buried treasure?"
"I do." (And I'm pretty sure it involves islands and maps, not potted plants in bars...)
"Then you'll understand, that this is an X marks the spot!" she said as she pulled out the mystery object from the pot.
My jaw dropped. "W-what the..." I couldn't believe my eyes. In her hand was a knife. Nothing appeared to be on it other than dirt, but still...finding in this room in a plant?! No way it was the murder weapon-it was way too clean. If it wasn't the murder weapon...what was it doing in the pot? The knife used to kill the guard was left in the other room...so why was this here to begin with?
I had no choice but to peace it together later on. Regardless, it was a good thing she wore gloves.
"I guess, I'll take that..."
Hidden knife taken carefully from Kay and added to court record.
"I'm gonna look in the other pot!" she hopped over to plant next to first chair by the table. Who knew being a thief was such dirty work? Since she had that covered, I figured I'd take the only available spot left to check being the fireplace.
I poked around, raising and shifting around pieces of wood. As I grew bored, my hand brushed against something that was not for a change bark. I reached in deep, and pulled some black material out. It was light and soft, minus the frayed edges. Interesting... It felt like this was some type of clothing fabric.
Black scrap added to court record.
Whoever left it to burn almost pulled it off, but not quite. I would have thought that by now people would check if their items burned completely or not, but that day hadn't arrived yet and it was working to my benefit that it hadn't.
"Any luck with that pot?"
Kay had her arm in deep, shifting dirt around with a frown. "No, I don't think anything's in this one."
It would have been incredible if something else was buried in a separate pot, but I'm guessing whoever tried to hide things, didn't have that much time on their hands.
I reexamined the same places once more for good measure, but nothing else caught my eye. That pretty much covered everything left in this room. "I'm going to call it a day."
"Nothing else to check?" she asked, finally finished playing around in the dirt.
"No other places I can think of for now," I shook my head. There was quite a lot to think about with what was collected. Anything I didn't have I'm certain Badd and Franziska would fill me in on tomorrow. Plus, I wanted to head back to the detention center soon in the hopes of catching Edgeworth if he was still there. I was sure he also wanted to hear the progress, and I'd rather kill two birds with one stone if I could.
"I'm going back to the detention center," I said.
"Well, it's been real!" she said extending a hand. Confused, I shook it.
"I take it you're not coming?"
"Nope! My thief instincts are telling me Mr. Edgeworth is still there. And it's in my best interests to not get caught," she said with a grin, tugging on her scarf. "I'll be rooting for you during the trial tomorrow though!"
Ah, avoidance. That didn't surprise me in the slightest. "Alright, thanks for all of your help today," I smiled. It was quite useful and it was nice to have an assistant again even if it was temporary. While I had began to get used to Maya not helping me out, it did feel strange at times to have no one by my side.
"Of course!" she said giving me a thumbs up. "It was cool to see 'that man'. Till next time, citizen!"
And without any more words, she took off out of the room, scarf and long hair flowing from the speed at which she was barreling down the hall from. I blinked. Yeah. It would probably be very dangerous if she and Maya ever met...
By myself I exited the room, and walked down the hallway through the dance floor. That same waitress I had encountered earlier was standing by the door, filing her nails. She looked up from her post and gave me a quick smile. "You've been doing a lot of running around today, huh?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "But I'm not coming back here at least for today."
"Too bad," she said examining her hand. "I was hoping to have more time."
"Huh? More time for what?"
"To leave an impression on you, of course," she giggled. "But I suppose I will have to leave it for court."
I flushed slightly, but I ignored that sensation. "You're a witness?"
"Mhm," she said going back to filing. "I mean, I was the one to bring everyone their orders that night."
My mouth hung slightly open. "Seriously? Can you tell me about-"
She took a step closer to me, pressing a finger against my lips. "Let's not rush anything. I'd like to take things slow...especially since stars aren't born over night."
I felt my heartbeat quicken, as this lady was only mere inches away from my face. Unsure of what to do, I didn't move.
But just as quickly as she had done that, she took a step back and returned to filing with a laugh. "We'll have plenty of time to talk later."
I was about to protest, opening my mouth, but I shook my head. I'd leave it alone. For now. I got the very strong feeling that trying to talk to this woman wouldn't wield any results. She was seemingly friendly, but closed off all at once...If what she said was true, she'd probably be one of the first witnesses tomorrow. And plus I needed to get to the detention center before it was too late.
June 1st, 4:12 PM
Detention Center
I was about to head in to share the results of all I've learned today, but I stopped short of entering the space, for I heard voices.
"I'm sorry," Edgeworth said.
"Huh? Sorry for what?" Lyn asked.
"That I can't do anymore for you right now than this," he said. "I...feel useless."
"And you complain about me apologizing for things I have no control over?" she asked in jest, though her tone was soft. "Miles...don't sweat it. You've been here a lot today. That's not useless to me. You should get some rest."
"I should be the one telling you that," he grumbled.
"Well, she's right, you know," I chimed in, deciding it better best to make my presence known now than later as I walked up. I made myself known now, not wanting to intrude on anything and get myself into trouble yet again.
Edgeworth sighed. "Back from the scene?"
"Indeed, I am," I beamed. "It's not much, but I did manage to find a couple of things that suggest another person committed the murders."
Lyn gasped. "R-really? There's some hope?"
"So, there was this," I presented the scrap of fabric in one hand. "And this," I said holding up the listening bug. "Someone else was definitely present on the night of the crime...not only in the room, but listening."
"Which leads us to who was there listening and why," Edgeworth said.
"I'm not sure yet, but this is something to fight with at least," I ran a hand under my chin. "We know Franziska is going to argue Lyn is the killer in both cases, so this could put a dent in her theory."
"Alright!" Lyn said pumping her arm. "That's better than nothing!"
"Don't get too excited," I said, trying not to bust her bubble. "This isn't going to be an easy trial."
"Agreed," Edgeworth nodded. "Franziska is going to fight tooth and nail for this. You should prepare yourself mentally for tomorrow."
"Ugh, I know! But it's like...you, you know? You always come out on top, even when it's through hell and back...So, I trust you!" she said looking at me with a genuine smile.
"...Thanks." I would do my best. Because of her interfering in that last case, I still had my badge. And I obviously couldn't let Edgeworth down either.
"I got everything I could today so I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning at the court."
She nodded. "Okay. I'll see you then."
"...And you too, I guess," I said looking at Edgeworth, who hadn't made any effort to move despite the detention center closing soon.
"Without a doubt."
Then it was settled, we were all in this battle together. Saying my final goodbyes, I headed home.
June 1st, 5:30 PM
Wright & Co. Law Offices
Once settled in, I dropped to my couch like a sack of potatoes. What a long day. And it still wasn't done. I'd have to review everything I'd learn and come up with some type of strategy.
But before then, I took out my phone and dialed Maya. I should see how everyone was doing today.
"Hey Nick! Where have you been all day?"
Come to think of it, because I hadn't spoken with her at all today, she didn't know. "I got a case. Lyn's case actually."
"H-huh?" There was a pause. "Don't tell me she's been arrested!"
"Yeah, pretty much," I said, loosening up my tie with my free hand. "Accused of not 1, but 2 murders."
"Woo boy...that's nearly as bad as me," I could imagine her slumping as she said that. "Darned! I wish you told me sooner. I'll have to wait until later to call her."
"Sorry...A lot happened today, so it slipped my mind."
"Liiiiiiike? Details, Nick, details! Being master in training means I get to miss the excitement."
"Unless you call being whipped by Franziska, being assisted by a 'great thief', or being yelled at by virtually everyone involved with this case exciting, I don't think anything qualifies."
"Wow, a great thief? Is it MaskDeMasque again?"
"No," I sweat. I couldn't imagine working with Ron in an investigation...he'd probably scream the whole time. "This was the 'Yatagarasu'. You'd probably like her."
"If she steals me burgers I definitely would!"
Would Kay actually do it? I didn't know and probably wouldn't ever ask... "How's Trucy and Pearls today?"
There was a rustling sound over on the end. "Hi Daddy!"
"Hi Trucy, how are you?"
"Good! Pearly and I watching TV now. It's really informative! I might use some of this in my next trick."
I shook my head. Maya had better watch out... Trucy's creativity knew no bounds. "Alright, as long as it doesn't use knives. Remember not to upset Maya with anything."
"I know, I know. I won't do that again, Daddy, I promise," she said. "And I wouldn't dare make Mommy upset!"
I flushed. Pearls had really got her into that idea of Maya and I...
"Oh! This is a good part! Sorry, Daddy I have to go!" she said hastily.
Maya laughed as she grabbed the phone back. "Yeah, there's a marathon of Children's Masterpiece Theater on right now. Lucky me, got a break from supervising magic tricks! Thank goodness! Your daughter really goes all out..."
"You haven't seen the office...it's barely recognizable with all her supplies."
"It must be a mess over there without me!"
"...Yeah, it is," I caught myself in a wistful smile. Many things were a mess with Maya, but just as many were a mess without her too.
"Ah shoot. I remembered I have to cook something soon," she sighed. "I should call you back later tonight, but if I don't, you'd better kick some major butt in court tomorrow, Nick! Lyn's counting on you! Don't slack off because I'm not there!"
"I wouldn't dream of it," I said. "I'll talk to you later."
"Bye!"
I flipped my phone case down. Knowing Maya she would get back to me later like she said. I was grateful to have her around...even if it wasn't as often as it used to be. Her watching Trucy was a great help to me in more ways than one. She had more experience since she was with Pearl...and it would help to have a woman involved, since...well there was plenty of things I wasn't in the no about when it came to girls.
Woman, huh? I threw off my jacket and let it hang from the side of the couch, as I leaned back and stretched out. I had been viewing Maya as a kid for a while, but I couldn't really do that anymore. Not with what she had been through, losing her Mia and her mother, watching Pearl and now Trucy on occasion, and becoming Master...It would be a lot for a kid. It'd be a lot for anyone to take, honestly. I wasn't really sure how Maya did it, but she did. And she was handling it well on top of that.
I probably hadn't said it enough, but to me Maya was amazing. An amazing woman.
Shaking my head to only myself, I chuckled. Time could change quite a few things it seemed.
And speaking of time, I did have some time to relax before thinking of what to do for tomorrow's case. I began to close my eyes, but a black wisp flew by me. I opened my eyes up fully now, looking in the direction in whatever it was went past.
But the office was empty.
I blinked. I stood up and looked at my desk, behind it, by the bookcase, and by Charley...but there was nothing.
Maybe, I was just seeing things. I had only gotten an okay night of sleep before, so maybe that was it. I closed my eyes slowly this time, to ensure I didn't see anything again. But now, I couldn't relax.
Somehow...I had a weird feeling that I was being watched.
Evidence:
Attorney's badge: It's my all-important badge. It shows that I am a defense attorney.
Autopsy Report #1:For Kevin Hutchinson. Estimated time of death 9:05 PM. Cause of death slit throat. Died within 1 minute. Traces of benzodiazepine discovered in system.
Autopsy Report #2: For Kristoph Gavin. Estimated time of death 9:22 PM. Cause of death blunt force trauma to head. Died instantly.
Crime Scene Photos: Show Kristoph dead on the pool table and Kevin slumped over in the chair.
Seeker Tabloid: Article that talks about Seeker's goals.
Lyn's Medical Documents: Discusses the injuries and damages she sustained from the car crash, as well as medication taken.
Hostage Newspaper Article: Discusses the hostage taking at the prosector's office.
Lyn's Journal: ...Has some interesting personal details.
Kristoph's Journal: Contains instructions and information about the Seeker organization.
Bloody Pool Cue: Murder weapon that ended Kristoph Gavin's life.
Broken Window: A rock was thrown through the window, and one has to wonder why...
Listening Device: Found under the table in private room 3 where Kristoph Gavin was murdered.
Hidden Knife: Steak knife found in a plant pot in private room 3. Has no blood.
Black Scrap: Burned fabric found in the fireplace.
Profiles:
Maya Fey: Age 19. A close friend. Used to be my assistant before leaving to become Master of Kurain.
Trucy Wright: Age 8. My adopted daughter. Already dresses the part of a magician to the hilt.
Detective Badd: Age 53. In charge of the Interpol investigation. Very gruff.
Franziska von Karma: Age 19. Prosecutor in charge of this case. Working with Interpol.
Kay Faraday: Age 17. Claims to be the Yatagarasu. Edgeworth's mischief making assistant.
Detective Gumshoe: Age 33. Homicide detective at the local precinct.
Lyn Doom: Age 25. My client. A feisty prosecutor who helped saved my badge.
Miles Edgeworth: Age 27. A close friend. A well known prosecutor.
Kristoph Gavin: Deceased. The attorney who tried to revoke my badge. Pretended to be his brother the night of the murder.
Kevin Hutchinson: Deceased. Body guard hired to look after Lyn the night of the murder.
Klavier Gavin: Age 17. Star prosecutor and leader/vocalist for the rock group, the Gavinners. Still alive.
Eva Green: Age 36. An obsessive dentist, witness for this case.
Judge: Age ?. Judge who presides over my trials.