Chapter Six: Photographic Memories
"Okay, before we go into investigation mode, there's been something that's been bugging me and I want to get it cleared up before my mind explodes." Maya piped as the pair traipsed through one of the side streets leading away from the hospital.
"What is it?" asked Edgeworth. He'd been fairly quiet since he'd been discharged, but that was mostly because Maya hadn't stopped talking and there hadn't been a chance for him to get a word in edgewise. He didn't mind, though. He was still exhausted, even with the half a coffee Maya brought him, and if she wished to dominate the conversation so he could keep his energy in reserve, that was fine with him.
He was also enjoying listening to her chat away, though he would never have said as much out loud for fear of what that might invite.
"Where did you learn to slip out of those cuffs?" Maya held up her wrists and showed them to him. "I've been thinking about it for ages now and it's been driving me batty."
"Why do you wish to know?" Edgeworth blinked in mild astonishment at the question.
"Curiosity's sake, mostly." said Maya. "You really shouldn't have been able to get loose, Mr. Edgeworth. Those cuffs are virtually ironclad, and yet you slipped out of them like it was nothing. How'd you do it? Where'd you get so slick?"
Edgeworth sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose. Well, if she really wanted to know that badly, he'd tell her, he supposed.
It wouldn't hurt anything if he kept things broad.
"When she was much younger, Trucy had a period of time in which she developed a strong fondness for escapism techniques that were employed by Houdini." He explained as they turned the corner that happened to be in the direction of the train station. "However, she quickly found that she was not able to do them as well as she wanted and instead took to practicing on other people in order to figure out the mechanism so she could circumvent the locking system."
"Many times she lost the key. Thus I had to improvise." Edgeworth's eyes drifted upwards in thought. "I already had… extensive training in regards to escaping restraints, though from time to time it failed-"
His memory lingered briefly on when he first met Kay Faraday in an amusement park's haunted house where he'd been knocked out by a park mascot and tied to a girder.
"-but, thanks to Trucy, I had many opportunities to hone my skills. I can slip out of almost any restraint with little difficulty now. So, say what you wish about those cuffs, they didn't deter me whatsoever once I got the feeling back in my arms." His attention shifted back towards Maya, who was eyeing him with rapt interest. "Does that suffice for an answer?"
"So, you're telling me... you let itty bitty Trucy practice her magic show on you and that's why you became so good?" Maya clasped her hands behind her back and beamed at him. "That's adorable. Mr. Edgeworth, I didn't know you were so good with kids."
'Gnnrk~!'
The smile from the previous night had returned.
"I'm not. I was only doing a favor for Wright when he was moonlighting as a pianist." Edgeworth coughed discreetly into his fist; She really needed to learn to control that lest she catch others off guard and stall the conversation. "She was insistent on mastering them, so I let her do as she pleased. The locks simply became more elaborate as she progressed. Though, come to think of it, she never lost the key when she was testing them on Wright."
"I bet she thought it was a game, her picking tougher and tougher cuffs and you slipping out of them." Maya swayed back and forth as she ambled down the road in step with him, though every stride of his equaled two of hers. "Wait, you were watching her for Nick when he'd been ousted from the legal world and looked like a dirty hobo?"
"S-so? It's not as if I did much. All I did was put her in front of an entertainment device and hoped she didn't move. It didn't usually work, but-"
"That is so precious. I want pictures. There has to be at least one. I can't see Nick passing up an opportunity to snap a photo of you being manhandled by Trucy's magic act- wow, that is a lot of yellow tape."
Though he'd been more preoccupied in recounting his story to take note immediately, the pair had arrived at the scene of the scorched train station, a charred remnant of when he'd last seen it, while the local police force swarmed the wreckage like ants on an abandoned picnic.
"Hey, do you see Nick or Ema?" Maya stood on the tips of her sandals and craned her neck as far as she could. "I can't get a good look enough to tell if they're here or not because I'm too short."
"So it would seem." Edgeworth peered out onto the scene, but saw hide nor hair of Wright or Ema. "Hm. No, I don't believe either of them have arrived yet, but that's not surprising. They did say it would take time to come here by car. We probably have not given them enough time to traverse the distance."
"Right, I keep forgetting they have to drive here." murmured Maya. "It doesn't help that Ema had to double back for Nick, too. So, you're the legal expert. What do you think, should we start investigating the scene to see what we can find out?"
"No, we should hold off until Detective Skye and Wright arrive." said Edgeworth. "Moreover, if we don't have the detective give us proper clearance with the police on the scene, we won't be able to get in."
"Do you really need a detective to give you clearance to investigate a potential crime scene if you're the Chief Prosecutor?" asked Maya.
"If this were in the city, no, I would not. However, since Kurain village isn't under my direct jurisdiction, it's best to follow a certain modicum of protocol to ensure that no misstep is taken. So until Detective Skye says otherwise, I am a civilian."
"Well, if this dock is off limits to civilians, let's just move on to the manor, then." Maya puffed out a brisk cloud of air. "Nick'll call us when he gets here. We might as well make the most of our time."
Edgeworth agreed and they soon set out towards Fey Manor, the spacious building right square in the middle of the village. As they went along, they chatted about this and that, nothing of true substance, but Edgeworth found himself more interested in observing Maya than actually devoting much energy to speaking.
A far cry from how she'd been the night prior, all unkempt tears and worries, Edgeworth suspected Maya's talkative cheery nature was, in actuality, her way of maintaining her own version of a stiff upper lip. Maya was indeed an emotional flail boat on most levels, but when under a massive amount of emotional strain, she always did her best to not let others know how much she was suffering, instead opting to keep a smile on her face and the temperature around her warm for the sake of everyone whom relied upon her.
Truthfully, he hadn't expected any less.
As he told Wright all those years ago, Maya was a much wiser person than she appeared. It was precisely during times such as these that she needed to be the strongest she could be, and when faced with adversity, it was best to keep calm and carry on.
So, in a way, he could relate.
Not in the same capacity, of course, but trying to keep on with things despite the threats looming in the horizon was no small feat and, whether she knew it or not, he highly approved of her efforts. The fact she had come unglued in front of him when pressed only showed the vastness of her concern towards an unknown person's wellbeing, not an inability to cope, and also it showed how much she trusted that he would keep her confidence on the matter.
He was actually quite flattered, though he never would have said such a thing aloud.
It was unfortunate all this stress was taking such a physical toll on her, though. Not everyone was built for the realm of stoicism as well as he, and in her, it showed.
"Okay, we're here." Maya pushed open the main gates of Fey manor and beckoned him inside. "It's just down here a ways. Come on."
"What are we going, exactly?" Edgeworth asked as she led him through the front gates, but instead of crossing the bridge that stretched into the main building, she veered off into a side garden surrounded by colorful boughs of flowers.
"My personal quarters are through here." Maya ducked under the flowers and waved at him to follow. "If you're going to get an audience with Mrs. Voyant, I'll need to request a session for you first. If we go without an appointment, she'll refuse outright. You can wait in my chambers until I get back."
Despite his wish to avoid the flowers like the plague, Edgeworth did as she instructed and ducked under the flowers. Luckily, his allergies weren't too aggravated.
The garden's barrier of floral delights quickly parted as they dove further in thankfully, and Edgeworth and Maya soon emerged into a secret enclosure that held with a dainty miniaturized version of the manor perched right at the back of the garden.
"Ah, there it is. Home sweet home." Maya practically glowed at the sight of it. "It's not much, but it's enough for someone like me to do just fine. I get to watch the flowers open up every morning when the sun rises and the birds like to flap on the window and say hello, so it's pretty friendly, even if it is just me."
A tiny swallow swooped down and flew several circles around her head to illustrate her point before perching on a low lying branch.
"Yes, I can see that." Edgeworth observed the bird fluff its feathers.
"Do you like birds?" asked Maya.
"I wouldn't know. I don't have much experience with them."
"Really? What about Taka? He lives in the Prosecutor's building, doesn't he?"
"I take it you met Prosecutor Blackquill and his hawk." Edgeworth tore his attention away from the bird to look at her instead.
"Yep." nodded Maya. "When I was visiting Nick, they stopped by the office to see Athena and check on how she was doing with her defense work. He's charming."
Edgeworth arched an eyebrow.
"The hawk or the prosecutor?"
"Both." Maya strode to the front door of the structure and slid it open while Edgeworth attempted to get his head around the idea that anyone in their right mind would ever find Simon Blackquill charming. "Okay, in, please. Oh, and shoes off here, if you would. Pearly insisted on polishing the floors, no clue why, and I'd like to keep them shiny for as long as possible."
Edgeworth surmised Pearl likely did it because she thought it would be Wright whom was coming at Maya's request, but he saw no point in voicing his deductions. Instead, he did as she asked and, after Maya slid the front door shut, she took him down a narrow hallway that led into her front room.
Her remarkably clean front room.
"See what I mean about them being shiny?" Maya admired the polished wooden floors. "Pearly said she'd have them looking fantastic and boy, did she do a good job. I'll have to think of something excellent to do for her as a thank you."
"Yes, shiny indeed." Edgeworth peered down into the wood and saw his reflection staring back at him.
"Maybe I'll make Pearly something tasty. She really likes pie, so I think I'll make her three, one of each of her three favorite flavors." Maya put her hands on her hips and gestured to one of the cushions on the floor next to the unlit kotatsu table. "You can sit if you want."
"No, I'm fine." Edgeworth set down his briefcase next to the wall and surveyed the interior of Maya's tiny apartment, more astonished than he cared to admit at just how spacious it was.
Where was everything?
It wasn't empty per se, Maya had some traditional floor furniture, a white floor table, some cushions, an arrangement of flowers on the console table and a television, but where was all of the 'Steel Samurai', 'Pink Princess' and- Edgeworth stifled a shudder- Plumed Punisher garb piled up in heaps like he'd expected?
Edgeworth's brow creased. Had Wright lied when he blamed Maya's influence when Edgeworth had called him out on the slatternly state of his office?
"Okay. Just thought I ought to offer. Suit yourself." Maya ducked into the side kitchen area. "I'll be right back with some tea, so hang tight."
Edgeworth found himself far too preoccupied with examining her living quarters to properly answer. Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself. Maya hadn't been the most slovenly person he'd known, that title went to Larry hands down, but he had seen her with many a piece of memorabilia in the past.
Yet no matter which way he looked at it, the stuff just simply wasn't there.
It was far too clean.
Was this Pearl's doing as well?
No, surely not. A simple dusting wouldn't have rendered the entire space so airy and light with only a few anachronistic, yet lovingly cared for, furniture pieces carefully positioned about the room.
He'd come in expecting an avalanche of paraphernalia to cascade down upon him at every juncture.
To his horror, in comparison to this, his office almost looked like Wright's.
That thought alone was completely unacceptable.
"Do you really live in here?" Edgeworth looked from side to side, half expecting a camera crew to jump out and let him in on the joke.
"Yep, I do." came Maya's voice from the kitchen. "I'm guessing you're probably wondering how the master can live so far away from the manor when I've got my duties and other responsibilities, right?"
"Something like that." Edgeworth nudged open the closet and peered inside; had she stashed everything in there?
No.
No, she had not.
It was even cleaner than the front room.
No, cleaner wasn't the right word.
It was tidier.
'This can't be everything. It just can't be.' Edgeworth thought to himself, wracked with disbelief. 'This is Maya we're talking about. Maya. Steel Samurai enthused, burger loving, merchandise collecting Maya. Is this a prank? It has to be. Either that, or I'm dealing with a doppelganger.'
"-That's a perk of being the master. I get to pick where I want to live and this is where I picked. Hey, whatcha looking at?" Maya returned from the kitchen with a cup of tea and set it down on the table. "Is something up? You look kinda disappointed."
"No, not exactly." Edgeworth slid the closet shut. "I was just expecting action-show detritus littered about the place, that's all."
Factoring Maya's avid love for the shows, he'd first pictured her abode to possess a veritable mountain range of themed belongings that was traversable only by skis.
"What, that?" Maya laughed goodnaturedly. "Well, you weren't too far off. Once upon a time, there was loads of stuff all over the place, but then I read this book that helped me figure out what I wanted to keep and how to discard the rest, so now packed, cluttered spaces are a thing of the past."
"How so?" He found himself just an iota intrigued.
"See, it's all about mindset. It's not about deciding what to get rid of, but rather deciding what to keep. What things-" Maya put her hand over her heart and made a swoosh outwards with her index finger, "'Spark joy'. So I went through everything that I owned using the steps in the method from the book and only kept my favorite favorites of everything and discarded the rest. I still have some Steel Samurai pieces, but I only kept my ultra favorites that give me a thrill every time I look at them. Everything else was either donated or sold."
"And that works?" Edgeworth asked mildly as he sat down. His back was starting to ache from having been stuck in one position so long and then thrust into movement without permission from the vertebrae.
"Completely. It was absolutely life changing, almost magical even. Heck, I haven't had an ounce of rebound at all and it's been five months." Maya chirped. "Going through the 'papers' stage kinda kills your love of stuff so it's dead, buried and rotting, so trust me, nobody ever wants to go through that again. Hence, no rebound."
"I can imagine." He picked up the teacup and took a sip; it was boiling. "Thank you for this, by the way."
If not properly dealt with, paper trails of any kind were destined to become a nightmare. He was a prosecutor. He would know.
"You're welcome. Back to the tidying thing though, it's been fantastic. I've actually been finding I enjoy what I decided to keep even more now than I did before." Maya pointed to a bright red box perched on top of a shelf with a series of tiny little dolls resting inside. "See how beautiful the 'Steel Samurai Doll's Day' set glimmers in the natural light? I never noticed how sleek the case was before, or how the morning rays of sunlight glint off the samurai spear on the emperor doll, but now I can't not notice it. It's fantastic."
"It is winsome, to be sure." Edgeworth looked up to the shelf she had indicated. "I see you didn't discard the bouquet from Ellen Wyatt's wedding, either."
"Hm? Oh." Maya reached up and plucked the dried white flowered bouquet off the shelf on the wall above the Doll's Day miniature display. "Yeah... that. I haven't quite worked up to that yet, but it's going, make no mistake."
"Oh?" His intellectual interest piqued as he watched her look at the bouquet with a complicated expression.
"Yep. To tell the truth, I'm thinking about seeing if Pearly would like it. If she does, great. If not, I'll donate it to somebody else- Oh, hey, do you think Ema would like it instead?" She suddenly wheeled around on him. "That's an even better idea than giving it to Pearly, since she was actually at the wedding and all."
"If I might be so impertinent, why do you plan on getting rid of it?" Edgeworth gestured to the bouquet. "You worked so hard to wrestle it away from Larry at the wedding, one would think you would wish to keep it."
Watching Larry getting chased down and tackled by three angry women was probably one of Edgeworth's most cherished memories of all time, if they were indeed talking of something 'sparking joy'.
"You mean when I elbow-dropped him in the face?" Maya tilted her head to the side as she rotated the bouquet in her hands. "Yeah, that was a fun day, but the more I look at it now, the more I realize it's a waste for someone like me to keep it. It would be better if Ema or Athena had it."
"Why do you think it's a waste?" asked Edgeworth. "Isn't it a common custom among women that whomever catches the bouquet at a wedding is to be married next?"
As far as he was aware, such articles of status were more effective than some forms of currency among a portion of the female population.
"Maybe for other women, but not me." Maya pressed her fingers over the dried petals. "Marriage doesn't tend to work out for Feys for many different reasons and even if it did, I... I don't think it's doable."
"Because you're the master?"
"No. That doesn't help me any, but that's not what's outrightly preventing it." She rubbed one of the petals in between her thumb and forefinger. "Sometimes... we have to face the truth no matter how painful it might be, and this instance is no exception."
Sighing, Maya smiled at him with a saddened wisdom that only comes from age and experience.
"I'm not an idiot, Mr. Edgeworth. I might want the world to be a certain way, but I'm not fool enough to think that it is. Just because I might want something doesn't mean it's going to happen. Keeping the bouquet means I'd just be holding onto hopes that are fruitless and irremediable, so there's no point in my keeping it. So, out it goes."
"I see." Edgeworth considered her ruminatively over the edge of his teacup; Wright might not have been able to see it, but Maya had indeed blossomed into a mature adult. "Well, despite what the judge may say about it, there's nothing shameful or outlandish in staying unattached. I myself made the decision long ago to remain unmarried and it hasn't hurt me whatsoever."
"... yeah. You're right." Maya let out another little sigh and put the bouquet back on the shelf. "Well, that settles it, I guess. I'll get rid of it today. If Ema wants it, she can have it, and if not, it'll be food for the trash can."
"So, what did you do with your unwanted Steel Samurai things?" Edgeworth discreetly inquired. "I am asking out of curiosity's sake, of course. Nothing more."
"Oh, I just bet." Maya chuckled. "Sorry to break it to you, but the internet vultures already picked that carcass clean. It turns out that stuff was all extremely valuable and diehard collectors were willing to pay a pretty penny for it, so I sold it all. It took a while, but that's okay. It was worth it in the end. I needed the money."
"Why?" asked Edgeworth.
"To build a new train station." Maya smiled ruefully. "Anyway, make yourself at home. I'll go have a chat with Mrs. Voyant and see what she says. Back in a minute."
With that, she briskly padded her way out and slid the door shut with a snap, leaving Edgeworth with only his thoughts for company.
Edgeworth rested his chin in the palm of his head and sipped some more tea. He hadn't realized the village was in such dire monetary straits that it would require Maya to part with her precious collection, even if she had been on a tidying crusade. From what he heard, business in the channeling world was, as they say, booming.
However, to build a new train station with the proceeds...
"Just how valuable is that merchandise?" He pulled his phone out of his pocket and did a quick internet search.
His jaw dropped.
"They'll pay how much for my statue?!" Edgeworth exclaimed as the listing price came up on the auction appraisal website, absolutely scandalized. Even for someone with his pecuniary means, that was a lot of zeroes.
"Hmph. Well, they can wish for it. I'm far too fond of it to part with it, no matter how exorbitant the amount they are willing to pay may be." He clicked off the browser and let his gaze drift back up to the Steel Samurai Doll's Day set, which eventually led his eyes further upwards to rest upon the bouquet once more.
Getting up from his seat, Edgeworth passed by the antique record player- he idly wondered what sort of music Maya liked to listen to- and removed the lace arrangement from the shelf.
"Just as I suspected. It's just a silly bundle of flowers." He examined the flowers in his hands with a mild grimace. "I don't see what's so special about these that would cause the need to make such a fuss in the first place-"
A stabbing pain erupted from the center of his chest and he almost dropped the bouquet.
'Ah… urgh. That is... not pleasant... whatsoever.' Edgeworth winced in pain and set the bouquet back down. The pain radiated from the center of his sternum and spread outwards, though he wasn't entirely sure of the cause. Was this a residual effect of the carbon monoxide poisoning?
Probably.
Nevertheless, it wasn't life threatening, he told himself as he sat back down at the table with his hand firmly pressed against his chest. If he had been in any danger, the doctor would never have let him leave. As much as he detested doctors, especially that one, he was forced to admit she was sharp as a tack and didn't miss much.
'Besides, the CO detector hasn't gone off.' He turned his attention to his silent briefcase and tightened his grip on his chest. 'So that means there is no chance of additional exposure to- hm? What's this?'
There was a hardened lump in his breast pocket.
Figuring he hadn't developed an impromptu tumor in the past thirty seconds, regardless of what the internet would say if he did another search, Edgeworth reached into the pocket of his coat and found to his utter surprise that the master's talisman was still there.
'What's this still doing in here?' He pulled out the bright red talisman which jingled a happy 'hello' at him. 'I thought Maya said she'd already taken it.'
Apparently not.
'That's strange.' Edgeworth thought as he inspected the box. 'I could've sworn she took it. She thanked me as much for bringing it to her, so one would think she would actually take back the-'
His thumb flicked the magatama detail sharply to the right and the talisman fell in two pieces in his lap.
Edgeworth stared down at it.
Hopefully, he hadn't just broken a priceless heirloom of the Fey Clan. He'd yet to read the book the doctor'd given him and hadn't learned what to do when faced with a mob of angry women, other than run.
Upon a closer inspection, however, he realized to his relief that the talisman was designed to come apart and reveal a secret compartment within when the magatama was turned to the right.
A secret compartment, he noted, that appeared to already have something tucked inside.
Edgeworth didn't consider himself a prying sort, but before he knew what he was doing, he removed the folded up bits of paper and smoothed them out on the table.
They were photos.
The first one was by far the oldest, a dog-eared, ripped and smudged ancient old photograph of two little girls, one crying and the other panicking, assembling probably the most moth-eaten, tattered, sorry excuse for an urn he had ever seen in his life.
He flipped it over and noticed some writing on the back in a smooth, yet gentle hand.
'Maya and Mia, my most precious treasures.'
'This must be Maya and her older sister.' He turned the photograph back so he could see the little girls again and a small, amused smile flickered across his face. They looked so young and innocent, a far cry from how he had come to know either of them, and he wondered for a brief moment who was at fault for the state of the urn.
Probably Maya.
As for the elder sister, he hadn't crossed swords with Mia Fey very often, and they rarely spoke, but she had been a fully capable defense attorney and quite the worthy opponent. By the same token, he supposed he also owed her a sizable debt of gratitude. If she had not gotten Wright a 'not guilty' verdict and then taken him under her wing as a defense lawyer, Edgeworth wouldn't have been long for this world himself when his own trial came to pass.
With that thought in mind, he set down the first photograph and picked up the second just underneath it.
His breath stalled.
'I know this. This is from right after I was pronounced 'not guilty' for Robert Hammond's murder.' Edgeworth's eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he scrutinized the photo. If he remembered correctly, this had been taken just after Maya had chastised him for his inability to express indebtedness, though not in a cruel way, and insisted he come with them to celebrate the success, even if that meant having a second celebration because he still needed to be discharged from the detention center and wouldn't be out until morning.
Edgeworth shook his head, though still wearing the modest smile from earlier, and turned the photograph over.
There was some writing on the back of this one too, though the hand wasn't nearly as legible as the first's.
'Everyone celebrating after the DL-6 case was finally cleared up and Mr. Edgeworth was pronounced 'not guilty'. A fantastic day to be sure, even if I was still sore from the electric light orchestra from the day before. Nick doesn't look too happy I pulled that sign out right in front of his face, but everyone else was in a great mood. Mr. Edgeworth was even actually smiling a little bit. A rare sight!'
'A rare sight?' Edgeworth wanted to protest, but further thinking led him to the conclusion she was unfortunately right on that venue. Back then, he never smiled. He barely smiled now, but eleven years ago, he was so weighed down by what he thought was his albatross to bear for the rest of his life, the unwitting murder of his father, that he rarely felt the urge to do so, let alone act on it. However, thanks to Wright's and Maya's efforts in clearing his name, he could safely say he held his head higher than he did before and ever since, he had been known to smile from time to time.
Why she noted that he smiled ever so slightly in the photo was beyond him, though.
And what did she mean by 'electric light orchestra'?
A smidgeon confused, but with no means of enlightening himself at present, Edgeworth flipped to the next photo.
In this one, Maya, this time at her current age, was hugging a boy no older than nine around the shoulders. The boy didn't seem to be doing anything much, other than trying to smile and not pass out from the blush splattered all over his face, but he looked happy enough that Maya had come from behind and captured him in a fearsome bear hug of affection.
Edgeworth snorted at the photo with a little disfavor. Though he couldn't remember his name, he knew that boy all too well.
That was the boy whose dog attacked his cravat and almost strangled him when he tried pulling the dog off.
'Ahlbi and me training up in the mountains. Talk about a pumpkin. He didn't have to go everywhere with me, but he insisted on accompanying me everywhere, so I never got lonely. I, of course, didn't mind. I always love company when I'm standing under a freezing waterfall and can't feel my anything. It's the only way I can tell I'm still alive. I hope he'll come visit me soon at home. Then I'll be his guide. Mwah hah. I hope he likes burgers. I'll give him the tour of the century!'
"Maya, don't you dare." Edgeworth sighed tiredly and set down the picture. Given the limited food options in Khura'in, the sudden explosion of choices in palette sensations could very well send the boy into a culture shock induced coma.
The next photo held a picture of Pearl and Maya outside the house he was sitting in, Pearl's arms bedecked with flowers and her tongue between her teeth as she arranged Maya's hair with as many blooms as the thickness would allow.
'Pearly and me messing around. Pearly's the best cousin a girl could have. She's always great to talk to and the best support I could ask for when it comes to my master's disciplines. Nobody keeps me on task better than Pearly. But seriously, she's gotta stop trying to set me and Nick up. How many times do I have to tell her that's not going to happen? Meh, probably infinity and two.'
"It will take at least that many." Edgeworth agreed, put the picture down and set down the stack so he could check his pocket watch.
Maya had been gone twenty minutes, a lengthy time to be sure, but not long enough to become concerned about her whereabouts.
He still had time.
Picking up the stack again, Edgeworth idly flipped through the pictures to see where he'd left off. There was only one left that he hadn't examined, but what it was, he wasn't entirely certain. The others covered their bases well enough for friends and family, one of them even had Gumshoe in it.
"If I have to venture a guess, I imagine it will be a group picture of the faculty of the Wright and co. anything/law offices or perhaps some other friends from her time in Khu-" Edgeworth flipped to the final picture and froze.
It wasn't a photo of the Wright law office employees, nor was it of some unnamed friends in Khura'in.
The last picture was of him.
In the photo, he, Miles Edgeworth, was standing right near the picturesque window of his former office, the one he was thinking about moving back into thanks to the CO debacle, looking nothing short of mournful. He was holding his arms behind his back and staring upwards out into the far flung stretches of the city's skyline, while puffs of white fluttered by the window and kissed the glass before they melted into oblivion.
The snow bitten light of the evening reflected off the pale features of his younger self's face, making him appear as though he'd been carved from white marble, and the wistful melancholic expression he bore was haunting. It was almost like he himself had departed from the realm of the living, but still held unfinished business that prevented him from eternal rest.
"What... is this?" Edgeworth readjusted his glasses, as if it were they that were manipulating his vision, and stared at the photograph. That was indeed a younger version of himself, no mistake about that, but when had Maya taken this picture? He didn't remember posing for this.
He didn't pose for anything.
Well... judging by the cut of the coat, he was in his mid twenties and it was snowing, so it had to be Christmas time or thereabouts.
However, he didn't remember any time he stared out the window contemplatively when it snowed at midnight.
And yet, here was proof he did.
Hm. Perhaps the back of the photo garnered further information about this.
He flipped it over.
It did.
'Mr. Edgeworth looking pensively out the window. I took this photo right after Iris' trial was concluded. Nick had gone to hang out in the detention center- he's so not over Iris- and I went to Mr. Edgeworth's office instead to thank him for all of his help. However, when I got there, I saw him standing by the window, looking all sad and crestfallen, and I just had to snap a photo. I don't think he knows I have this and I don't think I'll tell him I do, either. He might get embarrassed or something. Dunno why when he looks so handsome in it, but that's Mr. Edgeworth for you.'
'Still, it's such a good photo of him, I think I'll keep it, anyway.'
"... she thought I looked handsome?" Edgeworth turned the photo back over and gave it another once-over.
Well, she was right about one thing. He was indeed embarrassed. What did she think she was doing, carrying around a picture of him looking like some sort of poster boy for an anti-depressant commercial?!
However... he did wonder what he'd been thinking about when she'd taken that picture.
"Mystic Maya? Are you in?"
Edgeworth glanced up from the photograph.
Someone had come into the garden, but Edgeworth didn't recognize their voice.
"I hate to bother you and I wouldn't have if I hadn't seen you come through here, but-" The voice kept on as it came closer to the house. "I... I heard what happened over at the train station, and I just want to say how sorry I am and you have my full condolences about the loss of- Oh!"
The voice gasped, though what over Edgeworth had no idea.
"Huh. That's funny. She doesn't usually lock the door." murmured the voice. "Well... she must not be in. I could've sworn I saw her come through this way, but… I guess I'll... I'll come back later, then."
The sound of footfalls clopping across the cobble stones died away as the person, whoever they were, left.
"Hmph." Edgeworth's gaze narrowed at the door for a few seconds, but he eventually dismissed the incident and honed back on the photos.
At first, he found it distinctly odd that Maya would carry around such photos, but people did have a tendency to be fond of possessing familiar faces whenever they grew homesick as a way of alleviating it. So, the photo of him being in there was not all that strange. Maya herself said she just liked the way it came out, so there was nothing more to discuss about it. She just collected photos of people she knew and liked and this photo of him was no exception.
She would probably grow irritated if she knew he'd examined them without her express permission, however.
"I'll just put them back." Edgeworth stacked the photos on top of each other and gently stashed them back inside the talisman before sealing it shut. He wasn't too sure how Maya would react to a breach of privacy, whether or not it was accidental, but if she was anything like Franziska, he didn't wish to face that sort of whip wielding explosion.
He didn't think she was, but he wasn't risking it.
Placing the talisman back into his breast pocket, Edgeworth rested his chin in the palm of his hand and drummed his fingers on the tabletop as he waited for her to return.
Ten minutes soon passed, and when Maya didn't come back, Edgeworth finally admitted to himself that he was bored. With nothing to do, he spared his briefcase a minor glance, grabbed it and pulled out the CO detector.
"I suppose I might as well test this out." Edgeworth picked up the detection wand attached to the stopwatch-like device, pressed the manual detection button and waved it around the room.
The detector made a quick beep and said that there was no CO detected.
"Hm. So far, so good." Edgeworth put the detector into his pocket and looked in his briefcase again for something else to distract him while he waited.
"There must be something in here I can- aha." Edgeworth caught sight of the old issue of 'Oh!Cult!' magazine that train attendant had thrust upon him the day before.
He still hadn't bothered to read it yet.
Well, if he was going to examine it, now was as good a time as any.
Sitting with his back leaning against the table, Edgeworth peeled open the magazine and flipped to the article featuring Maya. There wasn't much he didn't already know, having had a hand in personally getting her out of Khura'in in one piece, but the flavorful text in the article describing Maya left him a little lost for words.
'-having just announced her return to Kurain Village this year, the new master of the Kurain Channeling Technique will surely turn the tide and send the prosperity of the Fey clan soaring to new heights. The only question now is who will tame this rare, voluptuous creature long enough to claim her for themselves? As we all know, anyone who manages to secure a lasting romantic entanglement with the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique is destined for an elevated status (among other things) unparalleled to any other in personal and career-related success. So, if your ambitions are high and so are your standards, this might be the opportunity you're looking for. I just hope you're cut out for wrangling such a cheeky, busty beauty!'
Edgeworth flipped to the next page and blanched.
Pasted across the article were an arrangement of candid photos that featured Maya in a myriad of shots. It started out fairly innocuous with a photo of her walking down the street and another of her picking flowers outside her house with Pearl, but both those quickly laid forgotten when the picture of Maya asleep in the winding way with her robes loose and the one of her clad in just a towel having emerged from the bath came to the forefront, and they were just the starting line up.
The furrows in his forehead deepened dangerously.
Someone had been following her.
As bad as that already was, the worse part was that all the photos featured in the article had been taken without her knowledge. Not a single shot held her focus and the majority of them looked to have been taken by a long range lens, probably so whomever it was who took them could stay hidden.
At least, he suspected that was the case.
Edgeworth really doubted Maya would have agreed to having her picture taken while changing robes, frolicking around in a towel, or hanging her lingerie out to dry.
'This humble reporter wasn't sure if the prospective master would match up to the good looks and charms of her sister, Mystic Mia Fey, but one look at her from the photos from our intrepid researcher in the field, and all that concern went flying out the window. From her alabaster skin to her glossy dark hair to the way her chest bounces when she laughs, this young lady is not someone you see every day, nor is she someone who anyone worth his purifying salt would pass up.'
'So you suitors better start queuing now, because you don't get there soon, you'll miss out on the chance of an after-lifetime-'
"'Intrepid researcher'. How laughable." Edgeworth glared at the magazine. "They are confusing their terms. I believe the term they're looking for is 'veteran stalker pervert'."
This was outrageous. First someone had invaded Maya's personal space to take these photos and then someone else wrote a piece on it, but an editor actually allowed this peeping tom erotica to be published. Not only was this an egregious breach of privacy rights and a perfect case of stalking if he'd ever seen one, for god's sake, children could easily get their hands on this publication if they wanted to. It wasn't even sealed up in cellophane like any self respecting piece of-
"Hi, Mr. Edgeworth, sorry that took so long. What are you reading?"
"Nothing." Edgeworth hid the magazine behind his back as Maya curiously peeked around the corner.
"Er... okay, then. So, I've got some good news and some not so good news." Maya came into the front room and clapped her hands in front of her chest. "Which one do you want to start with?"
"It doesn't matter. One usually begets another." Edgeworth brushed some of his silver bangs out of his face hoping that would hide the lingering pinkness.
"Alrighty, the good news first. So, I went and talked with Mrs. Voyant and she would be happy to give you a reading."
"Reading?" Edgeworth wrinkled his nose. "I don't need a reading, nor do I want one. I only want to interview her about the previous 'prophecy' she gave, nothing more."
"Yeah, that leads us into the not so good news." Maya puffed out her cheek in thought. "She won't hand over the prophecy's manuscript."
"What?! Why not?" demanded Edgeworth.
"She's invoking medium- client privilege." explained Maya. "She said, and I quote, 'Being a lawyer as he is, he will understand, that divulging matters such as these should and ought be banned.'
Edgeworth's nose wrinkled again.
Hmph. That rhymed.
"So she's being obstinate, is she? Very well. If she doesn't want to give me the information voluntarily, I shall simply have to pry it out of her." Edgeworth got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Let's go. I shall put up with this farce if it means I can converse with her."
"That's the spirit!" Maya cheered.
"And, before I forget," Edgeworth reached into his coat and pulled out the talisman. "I believe this belongs to you. While you said you found it in my coat, you never took it back. How come?"
"I didn't want to take anything out of your coat pocket without permission." said Maya. "That would've been going through a lady's purse; some things you just don't do. See, I have grown up a bit, regardless of what Nick says."
He twitched a little.
Great, she just had to bring that up after he'd inadvertently snooped through her things.
"Maya, it's your talisman." Edgeworth's eyebrow arched.
"It's your coat." Maya countered. "Hey, I've got an idea. How about a trade?"
"A trade? Explain. I'm not giving up my coat."
"No, not that, silly. I mean a trade for the talisman."
"Why? It's already yours."
"Because. So, you'll trade me my talisman back and I'll trade you..."
Maya dove a hand into her robes and retrieved a lustrous light blue 'nine' hanging by a length of brown leather cord.
"This gorgeous magatama." She gestured to it like she was showing off a product on a shopping network. "Pretty, isn't it? Just don't try to eat it, this one's made of gemstone."
Beaming, Maya took the talisman proffered to her and placed the glassy gem in the palm of his hand.
"So, what do you think? Do you like it?" She waited on tenterhooks while he stared down at the pendant in his hands.
"Er... yes. It's, um... it's very blue. Thank you." Edgeworth pushed his glasses up his nose and took a closer look at the pendant. "What precisely is it made of?" The semitransparent sheen of the stone shone a brilliant blue when held up to the sunlight, but it was much too thick to be glass.
"Aquamarine." said Maya.
"Pure aquamarine?" He gaped at the nine in disbelief and then sternly frowned at her. "That's quite expensive to just give away, especially when there was no need to bargain in the first place."
Especially if she was forced to sell her Steel Samurai collection in order to pay for the town's infrastructure.
"It's a worthy trade." Maya smiled abstrusely. "Hey, why not put it on and let me see how it looks? I picked out the color especially for you. It'll bring out the color in your eyes."
Edgeworth internally snorted. His eyes were grey. He didn't have any color in his eyes.
However, he didn't say that aloud. Instead, he opted to examine the egg sized magatama in the palm of his hand. He wasn't partial to jewelry, it just got in the way, but if she was truly insistent on giving him such a precious stone, he'd humor her for the time being.
"Oh... fine." He slipped the pendant's cord over his neck so the magatama hung on top of his cravat. "How... how do I look?"
"With your eyes, mostly."
Edgeworth glowered at her.
"Hee hee, sorry. I couldn't help it." Maya giggled into her gloves. "It's looks great on you, so you can put the ice-king glare away. You're gonna give yourself frowny lines, well, more than you already have."
His glare thawed just a tad at her giggling- she really was an unusual person- and he gently picked up the magatama, holding it up at eye level.
"With this, will I be able to see the psycho-locks again?" He peered through the cerulean crystallization. "While I might not have believed in their potency at first, I won't say they weren't useful."
"You know about the psyche-locks?" Now it was Maya's turn to be bewildered. "How'd you find out about that?"
"Wright told me." Edgeworth let the pendant drop against his cravat. He didn't see the need to dive into intimate details of almost strangling Larry after breaking all of his locks only to have several more crop up.
It'd been like attempting to behead a vexing hydra that whined.
"Crikey, Nick can't keep a secret to save his soul- er, yeah, it should." Maya puffed out an exasperated cheek. "Why, do you want it to?"
"Since I'm about to go against an old woman filled with secrets, it won't hurt."
"Alright then, sure, I'll give it a charge. Hang on a tic and don't move."
Maya reached forwards and clasped the magatama between her hands, bent her head low and began muttering some sort of incantation under her breath. During the charging, Edgeworth stayed as still as he could manage so she wouldn't lose focus, all the while trying to ignore her forehead pressed firmly to his cravat or her breath on his chest.
"Okay, it's charged up to the brim, so it should show psyche- locks if anybody's got a secret lying around." Maya let go of the charm, which was now glowing blue, nodded for good measure at her own handiwork, and headed for the door. Edgeworth followed her, deciding to leave the briefcase in her abode for safekeeping, along with that torrid magazine which he planned to torch later when he got the chance.
"By the way," Maya slipped on her sandals. "I didn't know you wore boots. Is that a new fashion choice?"
She pointed to the pair of polished black leather riding boots left by the door with her index finger.
"No, not really. I've worn them for years." Edgeworth said as he reclaimed them and put them on. "You never noticed the lack of laces before now?" While he might not have worn his trousers tucked into his boots like Blackquill, his riding boots had been a mainstay of his wardrobe for as long as he cared to remember.
"I always figured you just wore slip-ons like Nick does. I only just recently found out he wore those because his back is bad." Maya scratched at her cheek. "Now I kinda feel bad about teasing him for not knowing how to tie his shoes."
"There are worse reasons to wear them." conceded Edgeworth. "However, yes, I wear high shafted leather boots."
"Even in summertime?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Years ago, I sustained injurious damage to my ankles which greatly weakened their overall strength. The boots stabilize them and compensate for the weakness. So, regardless of the temperature, I have little choice but to wear them."
"Ooh, ouch." Maya winced. "That sounds horrible."
"It wasn't pleasant." said Edgeworth. "Anyway, shall we press on? I'd like to get this meeting with Mrs. Voyant over with."
"Okay, that sounds like a plan to me." Maya slid open the door, but she stopped before actually stepping beyond the threshold. "However, before we do, I... I need you to promise to do something."
"That depends on what it is." Edgeworth crossed his arms across his chest. "I don't make promises without considering the implications."
"I know. Still, I need you to promise to do something, or rather, not to do something." Maya looked over her shoulder at him. "Don't take that pendant off."
"Why?" Edgeworth eyed the pendant around his neck suspiciously.
"It's really important. I'd tell you the details, but you're already having a hard enough time swallowing what I've already told you, so I'll keep those to myself for now." Maya smiled weakly. "Just promise me you won't take it off for any reason. Please?"
Although his initial instinct commanded that he press her for more solid answers than that, he could tell she was only trying to spare him a headache, so in a show of concession, he pulled back his collar and dropped the pendant inside, hiding it from view.
"Very well. I promise." Edgeworth smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt and rearranged his cravat to hide the indentation the magatama made underneath the fabric. "I assume keeping it inside my shirt counts? Or do I need to keep it on display so others might know that I am indeed humoring you?"
"So long as you're wearing it, where doesn't matter to me." Maya's smile emboldened.
"Are you going to tell me why?"
"Maybe when you're feeling more up to snuff and not about to battle an old lady." Maya pumped an arm into the air. "Alrighty, once more unto the britches!"
"You mean 'breach'."
"'Beach'? That's a great idea! It's been ages since I've gone! We should take everybody and make a day of it! I want to bury Nick in the sand and then leave him there for the fishes!"
"That's not what I... oh, never mind."
(A/N- Hello, everybody! I don't have a lot to say this time around, but, as always, thank you to everyone who favorited, alerted and commented. It's always a treat to hear from you guys. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please review!)