July 19

Happy House Carnival

4:30 PM

Niamh Wood

I was loitering around near the entrance to the carnival after we arrived. The one and only witness of note for this case (at least the only one testifying) was still being interrogated by the police, so I couldn't do much of anything. As irritating as it was that I was basically useless, I was using this time to clear my head. I was still getting used to taking on a case with somebody I didn't know very well. I was praying to whatever higher power was out there that my anxiety wouldn't end up being an issue later on. I didn't want to randomly snap during the case because of anxiety.

I simply couldn't go to the crime scene due to the method the murder was executed. I always got light headed when I saw a knife. It had been this way for quite some time now. I wouldn't be able to randomly get over it just for this case. I'd only end up placing undue stress on myself, which would make me even more prone to anxious breakdown. I was just going to need to avoid the crime scene and keep from looking at the photos of the body. I didn't want to pass out. That would make me even less useful than a bump on a pickle.

A car came driving up not long after. I let out a small gasp and got to my feet. I saw two people clamber out of the vehicle, one on the taller side and the other one about as short as Anton. I wasn't entirely sure who they were, but I would find out soon enough. Part of me was hoping that it would be a police officer here to bring back the witness, but the car didn't have the decals of red and blue, so it was just somebody else. I took a few steps closer to investigate who had come.

I didn't recognize the older person, but the younger one was Cassidy's younger sister, Yuri. I waved to her shyly. We were in the same grade at school, so we saw each other in the hallways a few times a day when classes were in session. Yuri waved back and gestured for me to come over. I did so, twirling the edges of my braids between my fingers as I did. Okay, Niamh. You got this. There's no need to worry. Just go over there, talk to them, and then go and find Prosecutor Kalles. We'll need to talk to the witness for a little bit later on.

"Hey there, Niamh!" Yuri chirped. I could tell that she was holding back sadness, not that I blamed her. The deceased was her older sister. That would rattle anybody to their core. "I didn't expect to see you around here. Are you the prosecutor on this case?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah... I'm working with an older prosecutor on this one," I explained quietly, not wanting to meet her eyes. I could feel the anxiety bubbling up inside of me, so I tried to silence it by staring down at my toes.

"I'm glad to see a familiar face around here, honestly," Yuri admitted with an awkward but forced smile. "Deirdre and I didn't think we'd be running into somebody we knew well. Oh! Speaking of Deirdre, I don't think you two have met. Niamh, this is Deirdre Brigit. She's one of the newer coworkers down at the agency. You've already met Lily because of the murder back in May, but I don't think you two have crossed paths before. She and I are working together on this case to figure out who really killed my sister. I'm not going to be letting them get away. Deirdre defended me when I was a suspect for murder a few months ago. She's somebody I trust enough to help us figure out what really happened. I know that you'll be able to help us out too. You're a good kid, even if you're quiet and we don't talk much. Well... Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions. Are you going to try to help us out in finding the real killer? I hope so, at the very least..."

"Of course!" I cried, hoping my voice wasn't going to shake. "I'm not just going to let Cassidy's murderer get away. I didn't know her very well, but it goes against my morals to let somebody's death go unsolved when we can figure out the truth. I have faith that I can pull it off with Prosecutor Kalles. She's apparently pretty good at what she does, if Prosecutor Lin is to be believed. I haven't ever heard of her before, but I think that I can trust Prosecutor Lin's judgement on the matter since she's been at the Prosecutor's Office longer than I have."

"Where is she, by the way?" Ms. Brigit asked, glancing around with a small frown. "I don't see her around here. Is she already inside of the carnival? Also, if you don't mind my asking, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside investigating? It wouldn't do anyone much good if one of the two prosecutors on the case didn't know much about the murder."

"Oh... Well... I can't exactly investigate the body," I admitted sheepishly, pink tinting my cheeks. "I'm waiting for the police officers to arrive with the witness. They're questioning her right now to hear more about what she saw this morning. We can't exactly talk to her if the police are interrogating her though, so I'm camping out around here while I wait for her to come back. Prosecutor Kalles and I can talk to her again after she comes back here."

"I see... Do you think you'd be able to show us where the murder took place at least? We need to do investigating of our own if we're going to be ready for the trial tomorrow. I can't believe they're holding it so soon. Even if our legal system is a bit on the intense side, it seems odd that they'd still have the trial tomorrow. The investigation from the police didn't get started until late in the afternoon... Then again, trying to understand law can be a bit of a pain in the neck at times," sighed Yuri.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt for me to lead you there... I heard that it's a bit on the messy side though. While I haven't actually been there myself, I've heard quite a bit about it from Prosecutor Kalles, but I'm afraid I don't know the details," I said. I was hoping that I didn't come off as weak because of this. I didn't want to come off as a scared little child. I already knew I looked like that at the high school. I didn't need people thinking the same of me when I was at work. Just the thought turned my stomach to knots.

"Okay! Thank you!" Yuri exclaimed. She rushed forwards and wrapped her arms around me in a sudden hug. My shoulders went tight and tense. I had never been the best with physical contact. It had been this way as long as I could remember. The fact that there was no warning only made it worse. It took me a few seconds to relax, but by that time, she had pulled back and was looking into my eyes again. "I heard that it was at the Ferris wheel. Isn't that usually near the back of a carnival?"

"Yes... The crime scene is messy specifically because of that. The Ferris wheel was blown up thanks to a bomb stationed at the center of the wheel. It was thought to be just a mass of wires used to keep the center stable at first. Since the Ferris wheel isn't staying around forever due to the carnival traveling, it has a lot of wires near the middle to keep things safe and stable. The actual bomb part was facing away from the main segment of the festival. The Ferris wheel was the far border of the area," I explained. "It marked where the carnival ended. Nobody aside from high-ranking employees was allowed back there, so it was a good place to hide a bomb."

"I bet that there's debris everywhere. It isn't like you can keep a blast site like that clean," Yuri cringed. "It's easy to see why it would be a bit of a mess... What's the whole deal with the body? Was it found at the center of the debris? I don't know any of the details... I bet that it's at the bottom since it was definitely in a car of the ride before the murder took place."

"Yeah. That's what I've heard, at the very least," I told her as we started walking. "I don't really want to get too close... I-I don't really respond well to knives, so I'm staying away so long as I have the choice... Once we get closer, then I can leave you with Prosecutor Kalles. I can come back here to wait for the witness to come back. Does that sound alright with you?" I didn't honestly know why I asked that. I wasn't going to be able to stick around anyways, so why ask about it in the first place? I guess that's just my nerves showing themselves...

"What sort of bomb was used to cause such a large explosion? Anything that was able to topple an entire Ferris wheel, temporary or otherwise, must be incredibly powerful. I heard from our client that a remote was used to detonate it. His prints were found on it, if I recall correctly," Ms. Brigit cut in. "He didn't tell us exactly what kind it was, so I assume that he didn't know. You've done a bit more investigating, even if you haven't been at the crime scene, so you must have something to tell us, yes?"

"I don't know what specific type it was," I admitted. "Then again, I'm no professional bomb squad member... I just heard that it was on the smaller side, but despite being small, it is pretty strong and effective. While not able to topple a building or anything since it is so tiny, a Ferris wheel connected at one central post was no problem. All the cars connected to the Ferris wheel fell along with it. A fire started shortly after the bomb went off due to a few wires being cut by falling debris. The body was burned badly, so badly that the body couldn't even be identified upon sight. DNA tests didn't work very well either. In fact, the lead detective wasn't able to figure out who it was until they came across an ID that had managed to escape the full force of the blast. It was what tipped us off that the body belonged to Cassidy... I'm sorry to say it, but there's not exactly very much left of her..." My eyes caught my feet, hoping that I wouldn't make Yuri too sad by mentioning this.

"It's alright," Yuri told me, though I knew she was faking it. "I can worry about that when we get there... Speaking of, it seems like we're pretty much at our destination. Perhaps it's time for you to look away. I don't want you throwing up or anything. I remember the last time somebody showed you a sharp object at school. You were out in five seconds flat. We don't want to repeat that. Thanks for showing us here though. It means a lot to me."

"No problem," I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. Now that we were here though, it was time for me to head on back to the front segment of the park. The witness could arrive any minute now. Plus, I was starting to feel a bit useless since I wasn't able to look into the matter of the dead body. Even if there wasn't much left of it, I wasn't going to take any chances. I didn't want to pass out or anything like that. I'd never be able to do my job if I was unconscious.

"Hey... Um, are we in the right place?"

I turned upon hearing a voice from behind me. Standing nearby were two people. One of them was an older woman I recognized as a detective. The other one was the defendant from the case back in May. In other words, the witness had arrived while I was away for a few minutes. I guess that's just how my luck works. The universe hates me as usual. I don't know why I would have ever expected anything to be any different today regardless of if I was feeling a little bit more confident or not.

"So you've finally arrived," Prosecutor Kalles said with a smile as she walked closer. "Hello, detective. Hi, Niamh." She waved to me briefly before turning to look at Ms. Brigit and Yuri. "You must be the attorneys on this case. My name is Amy Kalles. I'm the assisting prosecutor on this case. I take it that you've already met Niamh, my coworker. It's a pleasure to meet you." She smiled and extended hand out for a shake. Ms. Brigit accepted it with a nod and a small but professional smile.

It took a moment before her words sunk into my head. "Wait... You're the assisting prosecutor on the case? Does that mean I'm the lead?" I asked, feeling my face go pale. My eyes were wide instantly. I didn't expect this at all! I thought that I was going to be helping her! I was under the impression that I was just going to be learning from the sidelines, not actually putting in much work! I felt my heart skip a beat in my chest. This wasn't going to go very well...

"It's alright. I believe in you," Prosecutor Kalles smiled to me. Before the attention could entirely shift onto me, she changed the subject. "So, I believe that we have a few important things to discuss. First and foremost, how has the investigation been going down at the police station, detective?"

"Rather well, love," the detective said. I didn't know her name, but I was too afraid to ask out of fear that I'd come off as rude or something. "However, we haven't been able to come up with any sort of motive as to why the defendant would possibly want the victim dead. As far as we are aware, the two of them are close friends and would never wish to harm one another. It will take some serious digging to hear about any plausible reason that he would try to have her killed, especially in such a gruesome and over the top manner. You don't see successful bombings very often nowadays. The police have been getting on top of the attempted explosions recently, so it's not normal to see one actually work. We do wonder how he managed to avoid suspicion though. After all, it isn't easy to plant a bomb anywhere, much less a public place surrounded by countless people. On top of that, a Ferris wheel is difficult to access. Planting an explosive at the center of it would be quite a feat, to say the least, if not somewhere near impossible."

"We can figure out how he did that soon enough. I'm sure of it, Detective Wattson," Prosecutor Kalles assured her. "However, first, we should look into the body a bit more. Do you happen to have any extra copies of the autopsy report on hand? As far as I am aware, the defense just arrived, so they don't know much about the case at hand. An autopsy report would be a good place to start, especially considering the fact that they're already here at the crime scene. I gave my only duplicate to Niamh before we came over here, I'm afraid."

That reminded me that I had been completely avoiding the autopsy report this entire time. Ever since Prosecutor Kalles had given it to me, I had been trying my best to ignore that it was there. I was too afraid that I'd overreact if it had any gruesome details involving the stabbing. Even if such details had never happened in my experience as a prosecutor, I was far too nervous. Just thinking about it made my stomach toss and turn violently enough to make me feel dizzy and sick.

However, I couldn't put it off any longer. I sifted through the stack of files I had been keeping in my evidence bag draped over my shoulder and pulled it out. I gulped and stared at the surface for a moment, still not wanting to open it. I took a deep breath and forced my fingers to pry the side open to show the front page of the report for me to read:

Name: Cassidy Rinko

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Cause of Death: Single stab wound to chest area not far from heart

Time of Death: 11:05 AM

Other: Victim was badly burned until death due to explosion on Ferris wheel she was riding. Body was nearly unidentifiable due to severe burn wounds

~ Jasper Kent

"I have a few other copies, yes," Detective Wattson told Prosecutor Kalles as I hurriedly shut the report. There hadn't been any gruesome details in there, but I still didn't really want to look at it for any longer than I had to. I took another deep breath, happy that I had managed to survive without panicking in any form. It was an accomplishment for me, even if it was a small one. While I was recovering, Detective Wattson produced another copy of the autopsy report, which she handed over to the defense team. "As you can see, the explosion really did a number on her. It's nearly impossible to get a good DNA sample at this point due to the severe burn wounds. If not for the ID that was found on the ground nearby, we never would have been able to figure out who it was that had died." The detective did a bit more digging through her evidence before showing us a bag. Inside was a charred driver's license. A name and picture could be made out, though not very well. "It didn't come out completely undamaged, but it is in better shape than the body, as I'm sure you can guess. It was a real lifesaver in the end though."

"Where is the body?" Yuri asked. "I don't see anything that looks notably dead around here... Is the body under debris or something? There was a huge explosion when she died, so it wouldn't be completely surprising to see that it was buried under glass shards and other pieces of garbage from the big blast of the bomb."

"Actually, no. The body was buried under the burning debris when it was first found, but we've since managed to dig it out. The forensics team has since taken the body away to be tested. I doubt their results will bear much fruit, but it's worth an attempt in my eyes," Detective Wattson explained. "I do have a photo of the body from when it was found though." She pulled out a set of photos from her stack of evidence and handed one to everybody present. I didn't let my gaze fall on it. Instead, I shoved into the autopsy report. There was definitely a knife in that picture that I didn't want to see. I had been doing so well so far. I wasn't going to fail this now.

"Hey... There's something in this picture," Yuri frowned. She pointed on the photo to a section near the top right. "Is that... It looks like a crumpled up piece of paper. Did you guys figure out what this was? The paper looks a bit too flimsy to be the ID that you used to identify the body. Plus, it's way too big to ever be a driver's license."

"As a matter of fact, we did figure out what it was," Detective Wattson told her. "It was a photo that was rather important in a case back in May. If you remember the drowning case from the lake, there was a picture found at the scene of the murder. Said photo ended up being the final crucial piece of evidence that pinned the crime on the real killer. Another copy of it was found right next to the body. It was a bit singed, but it still escaped the full force of the blast by some miracle." She pulled out a piece of paper for what seemed like the thousandth time and handed it to the defense. I found myself crowding over to them, wanting to see what it was about. It didn't take me very long to recognize it. Chrysalis and Ms. Shield had been using it in the drowning case back in May, just as Detective Wattson said. There were eight or so people on it, two of them being Prosecutor Lin and Chief Prosecutor Bespoke. Another pair of figures happened to be Cassidy and her sister, Venus. Just thinking about them made a shiver run up my spine. It was so strange to think that they had been alive and well, only to be murdered out of the blue...

"I remember that from the case not long ago, yes," Prosecutor Kalles frowned, placing one hand on her chin. I guessed that she had been in the gallery when the trial was going on, just like I had. I mean, that was the only explanation I could think of since she wasn't assigned to the case. "It seems peculiar that it has returned though. I don't know why it would be here at an amusement park of all places. Unless somebody brought it along with them, it seems unlikely that it would end up here. Do you know where it came from? I feel this will end up being a rather important aspect of this case. Call it mere instinct as of now, but I don't want to let it slide just to be on the safe side."

"We got the driver's license of the victim from her wallet. It was rather severely burned, but we were able to get a few more things out of it. Like I said, we managed to salvage her driver's license, which helped to identify the body. There were a few dollar bills found inside as well. There were ponytails, a thing of chapstick... However, the most notable thing was that picture. It fell out due to the explosion. The wallet was blasted open and the photo was blown out by the wind not long after," Detective Wattson explained.

"I see... I guess that makes sense... I just wonder what significance it will hold. If it's like the case from May, it may end up playing a pivotal role in the case later on. It leaves me a bit unsettled. I don't know how else to describe it," frowned Prosecutor Kalles. "Do you know why the victim would want to carry something like this around with her? Does the photo bear any significance in her life?"

"I heard that it was taken during a murder case two years ago. Of course, the group of people in this picture aren't exactly together anymore. The victim is in this picture, obviously, and she's now gone from this world. Her older sister, Venus Rinko, is also present, but she was killed earlier this year. On top of that, one of the other people in the picture has gone missing and hasn't been seen in years. As of right now, his status is unknown. None can say where he disappeared to following the murder case. He could easily be dead, but if he is, there has not yet been a body discovered. On the other hand, if he is alive, nobody can say for sure since he's been gone for so long. This photo is the last known placement of him, but even so, it was a long time ago. Not even the people closest to him have any idea what happened to him," Detective Wattson continued. "This murder seemed to be an important moment for quite a few reasons. First and foremost, if the rumors are to be believed, this murder case was the start of the Oracle of the Law project. I think that it was mentioned by Occisor during a trial earlier on this year. On top of that, we've already gotten confirmation that one of the people in this picture was involved with Oracle thanks to another murder. I'm sure that you heard about what happened with Venus Rinko back in February, back when she was murdered. We learned she was involved with the Oracle somehow."

"I remember that," Yuri nodded. "I had no idea that she had anything to do with Oracle up until that point. It was a real shock, to say the least... But I don't understand how you think that could be relevant. I don't think that this picture could imply that anybody else has something to do with Oracle. That would be a bit crazy." She looked to Detective Wattson, who had a frown on her face as she stared down at the ground. "Please don't tell me that you think this picture has something to do with Oracle..."

"It may, love," Detective Wattson nodded. "I can't say for sure. Of course, it could just be coincidence, but if it isn't, this picture could be very important to determining the identity of Oracle. I don't exactly have evidence that the victim had something to do with Oracle or anything like that, but it could be something to look into. I won't be doing anything of the sort though. I'm not exactly the most interested in the matter. I should perhaps leave the deep theorizing on the matter to those with a bit more knowledge regarding Oracle."

"Do you think that we'd be able to keep this photo? Since it's in relatively high quality, I take it that it's a copy," Ms. Brigit said. She continued to look down at the picture for a moment or two longer before meeting Detective Wattson's eyes. "Of course, we'll only keep it if you're alright with that. I think that it could end up being vital in the near future. As Prosecutor Kalles mentioned before, I want to be on the safe side and make sure that we have all our bases covered before we go into the trial tomorrow."

"That's fine with me, love," the detective nodded. "I have a few copies on hand anyways. However, I'm afraid that I can't stay for much longer. I came here to deliver a few messages to the prosecution regarding the case at hand. We'll have to go to a separate area to speak. In the meantime, feel free to investigate and speak with the witness." She gestured to the young woman beside her, who had been completely silent up until this point. I had almost forgotten that she was even there... "This is Neptune Mercure. Neptune, this is the defense team. Feel free to share with them what you saw the day of the murder. I'm sure that they'll find any pieces of information you can give them helpful. I'm going to go to another part of the amusement park to talk a little bit more with the prosecution. Just come and find me should you need anything. I'll be back in the blink of an eye, alright?" She gave the young woman a small pat on the shoulder before turning on her heel and starting to walk away.

"It was nice meeting you," smiled Prosecutor Kalles to Ms. Brigit and Yuri. "I look forward to seeing you in the trial tomorrow. I have faith that you'll be strong opponents in the battlefield that is courtrooms and logic. Until then, I hope that you'll be able to stay out of trouble. Make sure that your client ends up alright as well. Cotoli and I go way back. I won't tolerate anything other than your best when you take him into court tomorrow. I'll see you later." She turned around, waving to them as she did so. She disappeared from sight not long after.

I bowed briefly to Ms. Brigit and Yuri. They both waved in return. I was a bit curious about what Prosecutor Kalles meant when she said that she and the defendant 'went way back'. I could ask her about it later. I had to go and see what she and Detective Wattson were talking about. Since I was (apparently) the lead prosecutor on this case, I couldn't afford to miss out on any crucial information. That would just be a recipe for disaster, and I was definitely not about something like that.

An update that's actually on time? What witchcraft is this?

Okay, I'm just going to come out and use this entire author's note to talk about the Smash direct today. Wow. Piranha Plant. I did not expect that. Everybody got Thanosed except Kirby. Help this little baby boy.

AND THAT SONG FROM THE END (LIFELIGHT) IS SO GOOD I CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO IT OH MY GOD-

Ahem.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! I think next week will either be a double update here or one here and one on EA. We'll see. Until then, I'll see you all around!

-Digital