Chapter Seven: Mrs. Voyant
"So she's down there, is she?" Edgeworth peered around the corner of the wood paneled wall that led down into a dark corridor in the heart of Fey Manor.
"Mmhm. Just down that door." Maya peered around the bend too, though she was lower along the wall than he was. "You'll need to knock to let her know you're there to be admitted. She doesn't like it when people just barge in."
Edgeworth snorted.
"If she's so psychic, why do I need to announce myself?"
"After that, it should be fairly smooth sailing." Maya ignored him and squinted into the dark hallway. "Okay, I don't see anybody coming, so if you're going to go for it, now's the time."
"Alright." nodded Edgeworth. "However, before I do, I have one question."
"What's that?" said Maya.
"Why are we sneaking around like this?"
"Because it's fun."
"Oh, for- Maya, of all the times to be messing around, this isn't one of them." He removed himself from the wall crossly and stepped into the hallway, feeling ever more the fool. "We're on a time table as it is and-"
"Mystic Maya? Is that you?"
"Huh?" Maya glanced over her shoulder as an acolyte dressed in the full uniform complete with a hood softly padded down the hall towards her. "Oh, hiya, Mercy. What's up?"
"Not much." The nun in question was built very similarly to Sister Bikini, plain, round and ball-like, but unlike the good nun Edgeworth met all those years ago at Hazakura Temple, this one shared none of the former's natural optimism, verve or vitality; Her shoulders were slumped, her eyes were a dull brown and her pudgy cheeks hung in a state of resigned misery, much like that of a bulldog that had been kicked around too much as a puppy. "Um… can I talk to you? That is, if you have a minute."
"Of course I have a minute." Maya smiled reassuringly at her. "Whatcha need?"
"Are… are you sure?" asked the nun, who, in Edgeworth's opinion, was remarkably fidgety for someone at that time in the morning. "I don't want to bother you if you're busy."
"Oh, pish tosh." Maya waved her hand to dispel the notion. "As the master, it would be remiss of me to ignore the plights of anybody under my wing. So, what's going on? How can I help?"
"Well... okay." The nun wrung her hands, but she didn't look Maya in the eye. "I, uh... I wanted to talk to you about what happened at the train station and I- Oh!" The nun nearly jumped out of her skin when she finally noticed him standing there.
Edgeworth snorted to himself. It took her long enough.
"Hm? What's wrong, Mercy?" Maya looked in the direction the nun was staring and laughed. "What, him? Oh, don't worry. That's just Mr. Edgeworth. He doesn't bite, not unless you're a defense attorney, that is. Come on, I'll introduce ya." She wrapped her arm around the nun's shoulders and steered her closer, but if the nun's heels dragging against the floor were any indication of her mental state, Edgeworth wasn't sure she was entirely okay with getting anywhere near him, let alone being formally introduced.
"Mercy, this is Miles Edgeworth, the Chief Prosecutor and an old friend of mine." Maya introduced her congenially. "Mr. Edgeworth, this is Mercy. She's a medium in training and one of my loyal minions."
"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Fey." Edgeworth bowed to her, despite the fact he half expected her to faint if he so much as spoke.
"H… hello." The nun mumbled while looking like she was about to be filleted on the spot.
"Well, now that everybody knows each other," Maya squeezed her hand around Mercy's shoulder and gave her a one-armed hug. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"
Like the thunderous roar of the judge's gavel slamming down its verdict, several chains came flying out of the ether and surrounded Mercy's entire body in a web of metal, latched into place by four elephantine red locks.
Edgeworth's brows furrowed and his mouth set into a thin line.
Psycho-locks.
It seemed the magatama Maya gave him worked like a charm, which made sense since it technically was one.
"I, um… er-" The nun, on the verge of a panic attack, stumbled out of Maya's grasp. "I'm sorry, Mystic Maya, I'll talk to you later, but I have to go, bye~"
Then, without giving either of them time to react, she turned tail and flew down the hall as fast as she could, the locks still wrapped and floating around her.
"Mercy, hey, wait just a-" Maya called after her, but it was no use. "Darn it. She's gone."
"She's quite fast on her feet, isn't she?" said Edgeworth.
"Yep, she is." Maya's cheek puffed out. "And she took off without even telling me what she wanted to. Shoot. Now I'll have to go hunt her down later. I just hope I can find my pith helmet. Anyway, I wonder what was bugging her so much."
"I expect whatever it was had something to do with the four psycho locks that appeared when you asked her."
"She had psyche-locks?" Maya sucked in some air through clenched teeth. "Hoo boy. Speaking in the vernacular of the peasantry, that's not a good sign."
"Indeed. Maya, if I might be so bold, did I… do something?" Edgeworth looked askance at her. "I don't think I did, but as you've pointed out many a time in the past, I'm not very good with this sort of thing."
"No, it wasn't you." Maya shook her head. "Don't take it personally. Mercy's had a lot of bad experiences with men, and since you're a man, you can figure how she'd be. I've been working with her on it, but I don't know how well it's taking."
"Oh. I see." Edgeworth gazed back down the hall.
"Yeah. From her dad taking off when she was a kid, to her brother being a gambling addict and raking up a ton of debt only to dump it on her, not to mention all of the terrible relationships she's had over the years, Mercy's not got a good rapport with men. I thought she was getting better when she said she met this guy at her day job, but then I heard he got sent to prison, so it's anybody's guess how she's holding up now. She'll probably find somebody else and then the circle of bad life choices'll kick up again."
"It sounds as if she is a woman who is destined to become attracted to ill-meaning men."
"Some people unfortunately are, regardless of whatever anybody else has to say about it." agreed Maya, who then gestured to the door with the placard reading 'C. Voyant' nailed to the front. "Alright, best of luck to you. I won't keep you or her waiting any longer."
"You're not coming in as well?" asked Edgeworth.
"Nope, I can't." said Maya. "Mrs. Voyant only takes visitors one-on-one and that means I can't come with. Don't worry, though. I'll guard the door and whup anyone who tries to get in. After all, nobody fights like a Fey."
"Well, with you guarding the door, what do I possibly have to worry about?" Edgeworth brought his open hands like he did in court and smirked.
"My point, exactly." Maya either missed the sarcasm, or chose to ignore it again. "Good luck."
Figuring his jest was lost to the wind, Edgeworth straightened his shoulders, approached the door and knocked three times.
"Enter, young man." came a voice from inside. "Though I'd prefer you be as fast as you can."
Edgeworth's hand stayed to the doorknob and he looked back at Maya.
"Go on, go on." She urged him to press onwards in a hushed voice. "Keep her too long and you'll get an earful."
"I'm already getting the sinking suspicion I'm about to." Edgeworth hissed back, pushed open the doors, and slipped inside.
"Welcome, welcome, and dare I say, it took you long enough. It always pays to be on time, even if this meeting's off the cuff." The voice said while he fully entered the room and briefly glanced about the place to get his bearings.
Edgeworth's eyebrows creased together.
It was terribly lit in here.
However, it wasn't so badly lit that he missed the hunched figure sitting on the center tatami mat who was probably the best example that Edgeworth had ever seen of a living human raisin. She was dressed in the traditional acolyte robes he'd become accustomed to seeing on Maya, but her hair was whisked upwards into a bun he could only fathom was possible through the use of a well applied hand mixer, and her skin looked like year old crepe paper soaked in pretreated detergent water.
The room in which she sat didn't have much to set itself apart from any other channeling chambers he'd seen before, except for the massive wooden door with a large green magatama painted on it along the back wall.
Hm.
He wondered where it led.
Well, in any case, it was time to get down to business. He wasn't there for a leisure tour.
"Good morning, Mrs. Voyant. My name is Miles Edgeworth. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me on such short notice." He bowed low to her in respect as the door swung shut behind him, almost blanketing the room in complete darkness, save for the one brass lamp in the corner. "I hope I did not catch you at an inopportune moment."
The old woman smiled at him, but her milky eyes didn't register his face whatsoever. They simply swiveled in the direction of the sound of his voice.
'She's blind.' He stared at her vacant eyes for longer than he intended and started to chastise himself for doing so, but realized it didn't really matter if he gawked since she couldn't see him do it anyway.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Sit down so I can see you, right here upon the floor."
Taking a steadying breath, Edgeworth did as she commanded and situated himself on the square tatami mat in front of her that she indicated.
"Erm… pardon me for being impertinent, but how do you intend to do that?" Edgeworth asked as he attempted to make himself comfortable. "Not only is it poorly lit in here, but you are blind, are you not?"
"Indeed I am, but I've never been one to let that hold me back. Sometimes not having one sense makes the others pick up the slack." Mrs. Voyant smiled at him. "Now then, you had some questions for me? You may go ahead and ask, but I don't know much help I'll be."
"Thank you." Edgeworth nodded politely. "Miss Maya Fey claims that you told her that there was going to be a murder, but of whom or when she doesn't know. Would you please elaborate?"
"Yes, of course, I'll do just that. Do yourself a favor, though and hold onto your hat." The old lady straightened up as much as her coiled spine allowed and cleared her throat. "It was two weeks ago at the end of the Synod meeting. Mystic's Maya's performance was nigh perfect, but her happiness became rather fleeting. The council chastised her on some decisions that she'd made and left her in a funk. Then she went into the hall to clear the air, which to her, had quite stunk."
"The council and Maya got into an argument during the meeting?" asked Edgeworth.
"I daresay they did, but I'm not at all surprised. The traditions of old and the ideas of youth are seldom compromised. In any case, as a member of the council, I called her to my chambers right after that. She was still in a mood, but did her best to hide it and put up with this old bat."
Edgeworth paused.
Had she just called herself an 'old bat'?
"What caused her to become so angry with the council?" He asked.
"That's on a need to know basis for only those that are Fey." said Mrs. Voyant. "Don't take it personally, it isn't, so please do not dismay."
"Madam, with all due respect, if someone is going to be murdered, clan confidentiality no longer applies." said Edgeworth. "Public safety is far more important than-"
"No, no, no, stop right there and do not jump the gun. That didn't have anything to do with the warning, you're on the wrong track there, son." interrupted Mrs. Voyant. "I'm merely telling you what happened before, no more, no less. Run away with too much of the beginning and you'll only make a mess. Anyway, when we were talking, I went into a trance. Normally I don't do that on a whim, it's usually scheduled in advance."
"What exactly did you say to her?" asked Edgeworth.
"I can't recall the exact words because I wasn't quite all there. Divination's a tricky business of which the practitioner's not aware."
"Ah. So you don't know what you said at the time?"
"Not beyond the notes I reviewed after the fact. They made little sense to me, but did for her; her insight I sorely lack."
"You do have notes, then." Edgeworth caught onto the shred of information like a trout on the end of a wormed hook. "If you would permit me, may I look at them? That may prove useful to my investigation."
"Perhaps you shall or perhaps not, it all depends on you." Mrs. Voyant replied thoughtfully. "But first, I'd like to know more about whom I'm talking to."
Edgeworth subconsciously stiffened.
"Why would you want to know anything about me personally?" He asked quietly. "There's not much to tell and that sort of information isn't important to the case at hand."
"I'd like to get to know you, if you'd be so kind." said Mrs. Voyant. "It's hard to place one's trust in those one doesn't know, I find."
Edgeworth internally groaned. He didn't want to engage in twenty questions about himself with anyone, let alone a nosy old woman who spoke in nonstop rhyme. However, given the current situation, if he was going to get his hands on the manuscript that held the warning which upset Maya so much, he had little choice but to indulge her.
"… fine. Ask what you want." He resigned himself to his fate with a sigh; he could already tell he was going to regret this. "What do you want to know?"
"First off, I want to know what kind of man you are. I want to know what your true face is like, every mole and scar."
He wasn't sure what to make of her remark at first, but he quickly got it when she lunged at him and proceeded to run her gnarled, wrinkly hands over his face like a man searching for his dropped keys in the middle of a blackout.
"M-madam, what are you doing?!" Edgeworth balked at the sudden touch and tried to pull away, but found himself unable to do so. Her grip was unusually strong.
"I"m looking at you fully the only way that I can." Mrs. Voyant lightly ran the tips of her fingers over his face and gently gripped his chin in her hand. "And my, oh my, I'd no idea you were such a handsome man."
Edgeworth flushed. Twice in one morning he'd been referred to as such, once from a photo and the other from a blind woman, and he couldn't tell whether or not he should be rattled, insulted, or just a little bit pleased.
He also really didn't like people coming into close contact with him, so a complete stranger doing as she wished with his face was nothing short of traumatizing.
"Handsome, well built and rather striking, aren't you?" Mrs. Voyant's bony fingers pushed lightly on his brow bone, caught on a forehead furrow and trailed downwards to rest on his shoulders. "Decent shoulders, strong in posture, and you're young, too."
"Madam, I assure you I am far from young." Edgeworth couldn't keep the mildly depressed tone out of his voice. It had been a long time since anyone was interested in his demographic for advertising. "Also, I must know. What does my physical appearance have to do with divulging details of a murder plot?"
"Everything, dear. It's a policy of the Feys to never fully trust a handsome man." said Mrs. Voyant. "We might have our differences, but that one rule's unanimous throughout the clan."
"Why?" asked Edgeworth. "Not that I consider myself handsome, but-"
"It's a long story and not one that I have time to tell. Now, that that's out properly out of the way, let us chat for a spell." Satisfied with her appraisal of his features, Mrs. Voyant sat back on her heels. "Mystic Maya refrained from appearing at the meeting because she claimed that you were ill. I imagine it was rather serious and not solved by just taking a pill."
"Yes, I was discharged from the hospital this morning." Edgeworth brushed off his shoulder; he really didn't like being manhandled. "I am not sure if Miss Fey told you the details or not, but it was a case of acute carbon monoxide poisoning. She also said that she spoke with you about it and you cancelled the meeting as a result. While I understand and appreciate the sentiment, you needn't have done that. It was unnecessary."
"Yes, she said you'd say that, but I agree with her call." said Mrs. Voyant. "If someone I knew was in the hospital, canceling plans is only natural."
"Hold on a moment." Edgeworth interrupted. "It was her decision to cancel the meeting? Not yours?"
"Yes, of course it was her decision. One can't have a meeting with the master if the master isn't in."
"She said it had been you who cancelled it." Edgeworth's eyebrows furrowed against his eyes.
"Oh, did she? How intriguing." laughed Mrs. Voyant. "Does this fluster you at all, or is it just fatiguing?"
"Neither." said Edgeworth. "It just wasn't necessary, that's all."
"That's all? On that point, my dear, I simply don't agree. Besides, Mystic Maya needed a break from that whole menagerie." said Mrs. Voyant. "The council members think they know better than she and thus they poke and prod, but what they sometimes fail to remember is that the master's not a god."
"How do you mean?" frowned Edgeworth. "They don't deify the matriarch, do they?"
"No, they heap pressure onto the master until she almost buckles from the strain. It doesn't help that Mystic Maya's already in an unfair amount of pain."
"Miss Fey's in... pain?" Edgeworth blinked, genuinely taken aback. "I was not aware of that."
"Oh, yes, my dear, the worst pain anyone could e'er endure. It's not fitting that it plague someone so endearing and sweet as her."
Edgeworth was shocked. He knew Maya was under a lot of stress from her responsibilities and facing a potential threat head on, but she was in pain too?
How much weight could one person bear before they snapped under the load?
"If she's in pain, then why are they pushing her so hard?" He pressed. "Surely if they knew-"
"They do know; that's half the problem, I'm afraid. It's because she's not at her best, they do their utmost to twist her like a braid." sighed Mrs. Voyant. "They're pushing her to do something she doesn't want to do, and as the standstill between them mounts pressure, there may be a full on coup'."
The heat in Edgeworth's sternum flared. He greatly disapproved of anyone whom thought it their right to push all their whims on someone who was already too overwhelmed to properly fight back. If anything, it was bullying and he didn't abide such practices.
"What are they pressuring her into?" He inquired sharply. "Is it something illegal, or is something that she just finds revolting?"
"You'd have to ask her yourself if you really wish to know. I don't know all the details and that isn't my row to hoe."
"… fine. I'll just have to do that later, then. In any case, Mrs. Voyant, if you are the leader of that congregation, why haven't you done something to reign in their tyranny?" Edgeworth pressed on. "As the head of the council, it's your duty to maintain order, is it not? This seems like the opposite of order to me. If anything, it's sheer chaos."
Mrs. Voyant laughed.
"I may be a senior member, but I'm not at all in charge. I'm merely an old junk ship and the leader is a barge."
"I'll keep that in mind." replied Edgeworth sourly. "I'll just look for a woman that resembles a yacht and see where things go from there."
"Such cutting words, Mr. Edgeworth. I hope for her sake you're waxing poetically and just a man of mirth."
"… I'm not and please don't rhyme using my name."
"Oh, fine, if you insist, I'll do my best to refrain. As for your sentiment, I suppose given the circumstances, there's little on which to complain." Mrs. Voyant shrugged and continued. "However, I do find it interesting you instantly took her side. For all you know, it's all her fault and Mystic Maya lied."
The frown of irritation suddenly morphed into a full on scowl.
"Madam, I don't know what you are attempting to imply, but despite all her faults, Miss Fey is not the sort to go about causing problems when none have arisen. It's not in her nature, nor is it present in her past behavior." Edgeworth replied in a cold, clipped voice that would've made his younger subordinates quake in their shoes. "If anything, she is usually the victim of a plot designed to incriminate her as the culprit. I would know, having reviewed the many cases which involved her. So, by going off my experiences on the subject, I know how these things play out. Clearly, there are darker elements at work here and while I may not yet know what they are, until the truth has been unraveled, I refuse to unduly pass negative judgment on what would be an otherwise innocent party."
Though she was blind, Edgeworth could feel the gaze of Mrs. Voyant staring intensely at him, and at that moment he didn't rightly care. His pulse hotly danced in his cheeks and the horrid pain in his sternum right where the magatama rested had flared up again, but he was too honked off to give a hoot at that point.
"… Mmhm. Well, isn't that interesting." She murmured more to herself than to him.
"What's interesting?"
"Nothing, dear." Mrs. Voyant quickly brushed his question away. "I've merely poked the lion with the stick too many times, I fear. Let's get back to the topic of murder. It seems safer than that of the sheep, the flock, and the wayward herder."
"Fine." Edgeworth agreed readily, wanting to wrap up this malarky and get out of there as soon as possible; as far as he could tell, this whole endeavor had been a colossal waste of his time. "Mrs. Voyant, why did you tell Miss Fey to avoid getting the police involved? Surely if anyone would be of use to rout out a murderer, it would be them."
"Perhaps it would be good to call the cops, but not upon this time." The old lady grinned at him, showing a set of immaculate false teeth. "While they might be of use to some, it depends upon the crime."
Edgeworth's nose wrinkled.
"What are you talking about?"
"At this point, it matters not, so put it from your mind." sighed Mrs. Voyant. "The crimes that caused events to flow are beginning to unwind."
Edgeworth fought the urge to sink his face into his hands. What was he doing with his life? He could be over at the train station examining the crime scene, but no, he was stuck here indulging the whims of Miss Cleo-
"Also, I've been wondering, and I know you're under stress, but do you know about the locks that you happen to possess?"
"What?" Edgeworth looked up at the batty old woman and found himself transfixed.
Mrs Voyant was gazing at him with the glassy eyed stare from before, but unlike before, her eyes actively made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
"I wondered when you first walked in, but now I am quite sure." She said without any humor in her tone. "The number of heavy locks you bear is not something to ignore."
"Locks?" Edgeworth repeated incredulously. "You mean, like psycho-locks?"
"Oh, yes. Five of them, big and dark, are weighing on your soul." She prodded him in the center of his chest with one of her gnarled fingers. "Unfortunately, they have already begun to take their crippling toll."
Edgeworth could barely believe what he was hearing.
He had psycho-locks?
Whatever for?!
All the skeletons in his closet had all been cleared up with the DL-6 incident years ago. He didn't have any secrets.
At least... he didn't think he did.
His expression nothing short of perplexed, Edgeworth looked down at himself, pressed the magatama hidden under his shirt close to his chest and focused as hard as he could.
No locks came.
"I don't see anything." He closed his eyes, opened them again, but there was still nothing. Was she pulling his chain?
"Do not try to see them, you will only strain your eyes." admonished Mrs. Voyant. "You are going to need those later should the truth begin to rise."
"Mrs. Voyant, I don't intend to sound impertinent, but how can you be so certain of there being locks at all?" He gestured at her milky irises. "You are blind, are you not?"
"Dear, I may be blind, but it's impossible they be missed." said Mrs. Voyant. "However, if you're dead set on knowing, I will tell you if you insist. A time ago, I traded my earthly sight for one that sees beyond. It's helpful with my work, but I have fallen into many a garden pond."
So that was how she managed to master an art not even Pearl could. Interesting. Then again, he knew how far some people went to achieve their career aims, and those of their pupils, so, while drastic, he couldn't say it shocked him.
"I see." Edgeworth poked at the magatama in an effort to kickstart it, which, naturally, didn't work. "So you're a living magatama of sorts?"
"If you like to view it as such, I will not stop you there. Although, before you prod and pry, there is something of which you must beware."
Mrs. Voyant leaned forward again.
She smelled like old cabbage.
"You should not once treat them lightly, for those locks are black as night. If you have further questions 'bout them, you should ask your old friend, Wright."
Edgeworth stared at her.
Wright?
What did he have to do with anything regarding this?!
"Hold on a moment. 'The locks are black'?" Edgeworth repeated curiously. "But all the psycho-locks I've encountered have been red. What does black mean?"
"You've a secret, shameful or not, but one you dread to know. As such, you took and hid it where you'd never dream to go. You are clever in both book and word, but that only goes so far. It's at times like these that the mettle tests the very fabric of who you are. However, you best get this addressed or else you will regret… all the time that you could've had and the people you'd have met."
Edgeworth sat there, still as a statue and just as speechless, while the old woman sitting across from him leaned back, twiddled her thumbs and began humming a little tune to herself.
Though he expected he was going up against someone who wasn't really on this earth anymore and about as sane, he genuinely had no clue how or what he was supposed to make of her pronouncement.
"Well then, I think that will be all, my dear, so you had better go." Mrs. Voyant swayed from side to side. "Unless you wish to hear more of my nattering, which I do not think is so."
"... very well." Edgeworth suppressed the urge to explode and got to his feet. He wasn't cut out for this fantastical falderal. He was a man of science, not witchery and other ridiculous occult nonsense.
However...
The black locks she talked about didn't bode well.
"It's for the best, you must understand, I have a session with an old friend of mine." said Mrs. Voyant. "I don't dare doubt you'll want to leave, unless that mess you wish to intertwine."
"You have another appointment today?" Edgeworth asked stiffly.
"Yes, she is due here quite soon, so you best be on your way. Don't worry, dear, you'll thank me later on, now go without delay- Oh, but before you go, check inside the chest right over there." The old lady pointed to a dark corner of the room behind her. "There's something inside that will be of use, as far as I'm aware."
Edgeworth looked to where she indicated and saw a small wooden chest tucked in the far corner of the room. He went over to it, saw that it was unlocked and flipped open the lid.
Inside was a ramshackle old notebook which housed paper the same consistency of card stock, several strange tools, and a tape deck that hadn't been last on the market since the 1980s.
"Take the notebook, for it is the only thing of use in there, in case you are wondering about what I wish to share."
"And this would be?" Edgeworth plucked the notebook out of the chest and readjusted his glasses.
"This is my manuscript in which I write all my divinations." She replied. "It will surely prove of use when you combat future machinations."
"You decided to let me look at it, then?" He glanced over his shoulder at her. "I passed your little test?"
"You did, though just by barely. It wasn't 'no contest.'."
Edgeworth snorted.
No contest, little contest, he didn't care.
He got the book and that was all that mattered.
"What about the other things in here? The tape player, for instance."
"I usually erase the tapes upon the book's recording, lest the contents go to someone with aims that are most discording."
Hmph. That was unfortunate. Still, if he managed to get his hands on a transcript of the entire story, it was worth sitting through this old lady's whirlwind of crazy for it.
Edgeworth internally punched the air and cracked the tome's spine open.
Finally, some actual answers.
He flipped to the first page.
His expression grew very dark.
"It's in braille."
Mrs. Voyant laughed.
"Of course it is, you silly man. I'm blind. Now go on, quick as you can."
"So, how'd it go?" Maya asked once Edgeworth stepped back into the hall and the door slammed shut behind him. "It's good you finally came back. I got unbelievably hungry while I was out here waiting for you, and for some reason, I really want to eat a marshmallow cake and I have no clue why. At any rate, did you get the goods?"
"You didn't tell me she rhymed." Edgeworth's glower was more sour than an overripe lime.
"Well, if I told you that, you wouldn't have gone in." Maya huffed, which he had to concede was true. "So, did she give you a reading? She told me she was going to, but other than your suit, you don't look 'read' to me."
"I don't know about a reading per se, but she didn't tell me much that was of use. If anything, it was a test of my patience and temperament under strain." He pushed his glasses up his nose. "I did manage to get a copy of the manuscript of her trance's contents, but in its current form, it's utterly useless to me."
He held out the book and gestured for her to take it.
"She gave her journal to you? Wow. She told me she wouldn't part with it unless she thought it was in good hands. She must've liked you." Maya took the book from him and flipped it open. "See, I knew you were the right man to get on board. You've always been a hit with the older ladies."
"One older lady." Edgeworth shuddered. He was already having a bad day. The last thing he needed was to think about the wicked witch of the witness stand.
"Sister Bikini liked you, too. So that's two, two older ladies! Ah, ah, ah."
Edgeworth blinked.
"... I beg your pardon?"
"What, you don't get it?" Maya grinned awkwardly at him. "It's the Count. Y'know, the Count? Count von Count? He always does that when he finishes counting things? I thought I'd make a little joke because we were... y'know... counting old ladies."
"I'm still not understanding you."
"Mr. Edgeworth, have… have you never watched Sesame Street?"
Edgeworth thought about it for a minute.
"No, I can't say that I have."
Maya's jaw dropped.
"What?! Are you serious!? Jeez, what kind of childhood did you have?! How did you learn how to read, or count, or spell, or annoy people like a cute, furry, adorable blue flight attendant?"
"I learned by reading my father's law books and going over the accounting records in detail." Edgeworth eyed her with a great deal of scrutiny. "As for the other things, I still have no idea what you're talking about and, at this point, I don't think I want to."
Maya looked completely appalled.
"Good freaking lord, were you ever a kid, or did you just spring out of a cabbage patch already forty years old?"
"Maya, I'm not even forty now."
"I meant forty mentally." pouted Maya. "Mr. Edgeworth, you totally ruined my joke."
"It's hardly a joke if the other party doesn't understand it." said Edgeworth.
"People would understand that joke easily. A two year old would've lost it laughing and somebody who's fifty would've gotten it, at least. That's a joke people are guaranteed to get. It's practically burned into the cultural DNA."
"Apparently, I'm not people."
"Apparently not." Maya, thoroughly deflated and a little sulky, opened the diary and peered inside. "Uh huh. Just as I suspected. Braille. Well, that's not very helpful, is it? Can you read braille, Mr. Edgeworth?"
"No, I cannot." said Edgeworth. "When she gave me the diary, I hadn't expected that at first, but in hindsight, I should've seen that coming."
"Was that pun intended?"
"No."
"Pfft, spoilsport." Maya turned to the last entry and skimmed her eyes over the dots. "Well, since I don't know the first thing about braille and you can't read it either, we'll have to find somebody that can decipher it for us. I wonder if Nick knows anybody that would fit the bill."
"What makes you think Wright would know anyone fluent in braille?" asked Edgeworth.
"You'd be amazed by the vast collection of whackadoos he's come across over the years." Maya tapped the side of her nose. "Present company fully included, of course."
"Naturally." Edgeworth smirked.
"Oh, hey, speaking of Nick, I've got some good news." Maya handed the book back to him. "He and Ema finally got here and are heading to the train station as we speak. We'd better head over too before they blow the place up... again."
"Still sore about that, are you?" Edgeworth tucked the manuscript next to the book the doctor had bestowed upon him earlier.
"Of course I am!" Maya's cheek puffed out. "I had to pay for those watermelons!"
Edgeworth regarded her charily.
"'Follow that Bird', 1985, it's a classic." explained Maya with another huff. "It's a Sesame Street thing. Seriously, the next chance I get, I'm sitting you down and we're watching it. It'll do your soul some good. Anyway, let's get to the train station before all the good getting's gone."
"Good. I could use something more concrete and not completely insane."
Having finished their business, both of them made a hasty exit from the manor and before long were headed for the train station at a brisk pace.
Despite his fervent wish to return to the land of the factual, Edgeworth couldn't stop thinking about what the old woman had said about Maya, her tiff with the council, and more specifically, the claims that she was in pain. Although she appeared to be fine, he was still just a little uneasy. She was already under enough duress as it was, the last thing she needed was to be in physical agony, too.
Not that he believed that crazy old crone, of course.
He didn't.
However... it wouldn't hurt to check.
"Maya, might I ask you something?" He said as they broke off from the main square in favor of a side street.
"Shoot." nodded Maya. "What's on your mind, Mr. Edgeworth?"
"Are you... alright?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Maya tiled her head curiously.
"Er... I was just curious how you were doing." Edgeworth cleared his throat, feeling like an idiot; he wasn't cut out for this kind of thing. "And if you were... uncomfortable."
"'Uncomfortable'? In what way?" asked Maya. "Ohhh, I get it. If you mean, 'am I uncomfortable strolling around town with a tall, imposing, cranky looking, older man', then no, of course not. Why would I? You're great company, and contrary to what Nick thinks, you're actually pretty fun to talk to when you aren't ruining my jokes."
Edgeworth's brows knitted together.
Just what had Wright said to her?
"Oh. Well... thank you, but that wasn't what I meant." He reiterated, trying to find the right words to convey what he wished. "Are you in physical pain of any kind? Headaches, muscle tension, things of that nature?"
"Um... no, I think I'm okay. I'm a little stiff from sleeping in one position all night, but, other than that, I don't need any painkiller X or anything." The look on her face shifted from confused to suspicious. "Why?"
"Oh, no reason. Mere curiosity, nothing more."
Maya's eyelids fell halfway.
"Did Mrs. Voyant say something to you?"
"Er..."
Damn.
Maya was far sharper than he gave her credit.
"She... might've said something to that effect." Edgeworth circumvented the topic with a delicate touch; Maya was looking rather testy. "I was only checking to make sure her claims were unfounded, which they were, just as I expected."
"Uh huh. Sure." Maya retorted skeptically. "Well, if you happen to run into her again, you can tell her from me that I am just fine and have everything under control, and she doesn't need to go around scaring lawyers into next- Nick!"
Maya suddenly started waving enthusiastically at the train station's main platform and took off at a dead sprint, leaving him firmly in the dust. Upon looking in the direction of where she'd gone, Edgeworth saw what had made her mood boost.
Standing in front of the remains of the train station with his signature happy go lucky grin, was Phoenix Wright, ace attorney, best friend to Maya Fey, and a rival/childhood friend of sorts to him. He was wearing the same three piece suit he did in court, Edgeworth suspected he only owned the one, and his defense attorney's badge he kept pinned to his lapel flashed proudly in the sunlight, though if given the opportunity, he'd flash that badge at just about anyone who stayed still long enough.
"Hi, Maya!" Wright waved back at her. "Long time no- Oof!"
"Hiya, Nick!" Maya beamed at him as she hugged him tightly around the middle, though she wasn't looking at him directly because her face was buried in his suit coat. "We've been waiting for you!"
"I thought that was my line." laughed Wright while he tried to get his breath back. "Just careful of my back. The roads around here jostled it too much for comfort and you tackling me didn't do it any favors, either. They need to fix those potholes and soon, because they weren't potholes, they were pot-ravines."
"The ride would've been shorter if Ema hadn't had to double back for you." Maya let go of him and smiled puckishly. "Why didn't you do what Pearly did and leg it yourself? She was just a kiddo and she could handle it. You've got legs, you oughta use 'em!"
"What?! Run?! Maya, you're joking-"
"Of course I am. It's good to see you, though. How've you been-"
"Mr. Wright, I need your help over here. I've going to need something lifted and you've got bigger shoulders than I do, so- Oh!" Ema Skye, lab coat, forensic armband, pink glasses and all, looked up from the fingerprint dusting she was conducting on a nearby handrail and saluted Edgeworth as he joined the motley crew, her face glowing like the midday sun. "Mr. Edgeworth! Nice to see you up and about, sir! How are you feeling?"
"At ease, Detective." Edgeworth winced and placed a hand on top of his sternum; the pain in his chest had flared up again. "And I'm fine, thank you."
"Are you sure, sir?" Ema watched him uncertainly. "With all due respect, you look like someone just stabbed you with a scimitar."
"It's nothing, just a residual affect of the monoxide." He dismissed her concern with a swift flick of his hand. "More importantly, what's the current situation here?"
"Simply put, not good." Ema's cheek puffed out in frustration. "We've only got one witness who is refusing to make an official statement worth anything, the majority of the crime scene burnt away before the fire brigade could douse it, and to top it off, my bag of snackoos went missing."
Edgeworth stared at her.
"... 'Your bag of snackoos went missing'." He repeated tonelessly.
"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure I know who the culprit is, sir." Ema's eyes flashed in Wright's direction. "He thinks he's clever, but I heard munching on the way here. I'm onto him and his pilfering ways."
Edgeworth sighed.
Sometimes he was suspicious he was the only adult in the vicinity.
Other times, he was sure of it.
"If it will put your mind at ease, here." He reached into his coat pocket, retrieved his wallet and pulled out a few bills. "There's a vending machine down at the end of the street. Go get some snackoos."
"R-really?" Ema gasped when he handed her the money. "Are you sure, sir?"
"I do what I must to perpetuate your work ethic since that correlates to the quality of your results." said Edgeworth. "A package of processed sweets is a sound investment."
Ema's face lit up like a hyperactive toddler at Christmas.
"Yes, sir!" She saluted with even more gusto than the first time. "You really are the best boss ever. Do you want anything, sir?" He started to say no, but something stayed his answer as his eyes shifted to the pair conversing by the platform.
"... get me something with marshmallows in it."
"Yes, sir!" Ema took off down the street, kicking up a cloud of dust in her wake.
'She must really have been desperate for those snacks.' Edgeworth thought as he watched her dash away. 'Well, if it keeps her from murdering Wright and making the crime scene more complicated, I will allow the snackoos.'
With that potential snafu taken care of, Edgeworth approached the gabbling duo near the edge of the crime scene, who seemed to be arguing over Wrights' long distance marathoning capabilities.
"Hiya, Mr. Edgeworth." Maya greeted him cheerily once he reached them. "Where'd Ema go?"
"To procure some more snackoos." said Edgeworth. "It would seem someone stole her previous package."
He looked pointedly at Wright.
"... Nick?" Maya's eyes narrowed into slits. "What did you do?"
Wright grinned guiltily.
"Hmph. That's what I thought." Edgeworth radiated disapproval. "Really, Wright, you, of all people, should know to keep your hands off a detective's accoutrements. You could have contaminated evidence."
"Uh... I plead the fifth? Look, it was a long ride and I forgot to eat dinner last night and they were just sticking out of her pocket-"
"So you really did burgle her snacks!" Maya thrust one finger in his face while trying to appear menacing. "Nick, how could you?! Mr. Edgeworth, you need to prosecute him for this! Snack burglary is punishable by ten years in prison, right?"
"Hardly. The only people who think that it should be are you and possibly Detective Skye." said Edgeworth. "Wright, I'll let you off with a warning this time, but if you would refrain from stealing the detective's snacks in the future, I would appreciate it. It's interfering with her work."
"You're letting him off way too easy, Mr. Edgeworth." pouted Maya. "He should at least be flogged and left for the pigeons."
"When did you get so bloodthirsty?!" Wright blanched.
"Since she came back from Khura'in, I expect." Edgeworth commented nominally. "So, you took your merry time getting here, didn't you? I trust you've been well."
"Better than you." said Wright as he tried to shake off almost being turned into the star of a Hitchcock film reenactment. "I would've come sooner if I'd known what a party you were throwing at the hospital, Edgeworth. How're you holding up? Carbon monoxide's nasty stuff."
"I'll be fine." said Edgeworth. "An overnight stay and some blood work showed that I was fit for discharge this morning, and I daresay the head doctor would not have let me leave had I still been in dire straits."
"That's true." agreed Maya, her hand up against her cheek. "She probably would've drugged him and handcuffed him to the bed again if he'd tried to leave without her say so."
"Wait... what was that last bit again?" Wright broke out into a sly grin while his eyes slid to the left where Edgeworth happened to be. "Well, well. Handcuffed to a bed and not allowed to leave unless a lady says so, huh? Sounds like quite the party you were having. And here I thought you were good at escaping handcuffs because you br-"
"Don't let your licentiousness bleed onto the rest of us, Wright." scowled Edgeworth. "It's bad enough when Larry pulls that nonsense. I don't need it out of you, too."
Wright might still have been wearing his condescending grin, but, luckily for him, he got the message to change the subject.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." He stuck his hands in his trouser pockets. "So, where've you guys been? I've been texting Maya for a half hour."
"We were following up a lead for something else not related to this." Maya explained promptly. "Mr. Edgeworth's been helping me out with some of my master's duties."
Edgeworth spared her a discreet askance glance. It appeared Maya truly was dead set on keeping Wright out of the loop on this one.
"'Master's duties'? What was he doing, arguing with an old lady on your behalf?" Wright ventured cheekily with a half grin.
"There is more truth to that than you realize." sighed Edgeworth. "So, what have you and Detective Skye learned so far about the bombing incident? Has a suspect been identified?"
"Yeesh, can't we at least have some pleasantries first before we deal with the heavy stuff?" Wright drooped a little, but bounced back quickly enough. "Well, from what Ema told me, they don't have a suspect yet and the only witness is being persnickety as all get out."
"I see. I will just have to deal with them myself, then." Edgeworth folded his arms across his chest. Hopefully this one wouldn't rhyme at him.
"That's probably for the best." Wright anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. "Ema already tried, but came back really cranky and complaining about being out of snackoos. She didn't even noticed I'd stolen them before that point, that's how much the witness stressed her out."
"Did she say why?" asked Edgeworth.
"No, she didn't. She was too focused on her snackoos and lack thereof."
"She must really love those things, huh?" Maya mused aloud.
"She's a stress eater." Edgeworth explained curtly. "So it seems I will have to debrief a witness as well. That's fine. I wasn't already doing enough already. Why not add one more thing?"
"Well, if you really want to, I need help with a light fixture fitting that could use a good rustling."
"Maya, I was being sarcas-"
"Anyway, the forensics team is going to investigate what's left of the train that was parked inside the station when the bomb went off, but as soon as they're done, we can head in to take a look." Wright interrupted. "It shouldn't be much longer."
"Wright, did you say the bomb was on the train?" Edgeworth queried, a little taken aback. "Not in the train station itself, but on the actual train?"
"Yeah. The epicenter of the explosion was in one of the compartments of the train that was docked here." Wright pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it and began to read. "'The last train was scheduled to depart at 11:15 pm after a period of maintenance which started at 9:30 pm. Just as it was scheduled to take off, however, the train car exploded.' We only found out it was the car that'd blown up about ten minutes ago."
"What was the train line?"
"It was the 'Blue Star' line, a luxury passenger train which also happens to be the only one that runs at that time of night, sir."
Ema had come back with a new bag of snackoos.
"I see. I had a sinking suspicion it might be that line." said Edgeworth, taking the pastry package Ema'd brought him and nodding to her once in thanks. "Were there any signs of foul play?"
"We're not sure yet. However, if you're interested in signs, we found a piece of the shrapnel over there." Ema indicated over the railing to a molten piece of metal slag left on the ground. "That thing almost cleaved our sole witness in two when it flew out of the train station."
"Was anybody hurt?" Maya asked concernedly. "I know not many people ride on those trains at night, but-"
"We don't know yet." Ema shook her head. "The forensic team is still searching for... evidence."
Everyone in attendance glanced at the station.
"Euch." winced Wright. "That's gruesome."
"No kidding. I'd hate to have that job." said Maya.
"Was the explosion localized on the train, or was it spread throughout in a series of miniature explosions all culminating into one inferno?" inquired Edgeworth. "This could be an act of terrorism."
"It was localized." reported Ema. "The explosion took place in the first class compartment, which ended up almost blowing up the engine, but luckily the engineer scraped by with just a few minor burns and a need for some new pants. So, other than scaring the bejeezus out of him, I don't think this was terrorism."
"That's good." Maya let out a deep breath of relief. "I was worried someone might've gotten hurt."
"Don't get too relieved yet. We don't know if everyone got out unscathed." said Ema. "Even if this was indeed an arson attack, it could morph into a murder very easily."
"A murder? Why do you think it's a murder?" Maya shared an apprehensive sideways glance with Edgeworth, who nodded tacitly in return.
"Well... don't spread it around, but from a tally of the staff on the train, there's one person missing who should've been accounted for that night." Ema continued in a hushed tone. "And they can't find her anywhere."
"Hey, Ema? You might to amend that last statement."
"Why's that, Mr. Wright?"
Wright pointed to the exhausted forensics team shuffling out of what was left of the train station, each looking more dejected than the last. They exited the building one after the other in a fairly straight line, until three specialists that made the rear came out carrying a body bag.
A full body bag.
"I think they found her."
"Oh, my god." Maya clapped her hand over her mouth. "No..."
Ema scowled and grabbed another handful of snackoos.
Edgeworth just closed his eyes and exhaled uncomfortably.
Even though he had been instructed to watch many different crime scene retrievals ever since he was a young child, both on film and in person, it never got any easier seeing a body removed. It always held the air of a personal failure, that because he hadn't been thorough enough in his efforts to route out all perpetrators, a criminal had slipped through his fingers long enough to carry out another atrocity.
"... Okay, so this has either been a horrific accident, or this arson case just moved up to murder." Wright cringed, no more happy about it than Edgeworth. "What's your call, Ema?"
"I'd say you hit the nail on the head, Mr. Wright." Ema munched angrily like it had been the snackoos that had committed the crime. "And here I thought we've managed to get out of this without any collateral. Come on. Let's go see what we can find."
"As they say, after you." Wright heaved a sigh and trudged up the stairs after Ema's quick steps, but Maya didn't move to fall in line with them. She just stood there, staring up at the station's remains with a haunted hollowness in her eyes that didn't suit one normally so vibrant.
Letting a slight breath escape him, Edgeworth reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya jumped at the touch.
"Maya, in all likelihood, this incident was probably due to an accident. As unfortunate as it is, they do happen. Detective Skye and Wright are just jumping the gun before gathering all the facts. There's no reason to think that this is a homicide just yet."
"So... it's probably just an accident?" asked Maya.
"Yes." nodded Edgeworth. "We are only going in to make absolutely certain."
"... okay." After a minute of silence while she absorbed what he'd said, she inhaled deeply through her nose, let it out slowly and smiled at him. "Thanks. I needed that. Right. Let's go and get this over with."
Nodding more to herself than anyone else, Maya then steeled her nerve and started towards the station, Edgeworth right behind her.
Though his words had bolstered her back to her normal buoyancy, Edgeworth didn't claim to have consoled her due to altruism, nor would he had he been pressed on the issue. He just did what he had to in order to maintain normalcy in stressful situations, like with Detective Skye and her snacks, and Maya Fey being less than a sunny delight was not normal.
Besides, regardless of the circumstances...
… it just didn't do to see her unhappy.
(A/N- Hey, everybody. I just wanted to take a few minutes to say thank you to everyone who favorited and alerted and a special thank you to all of you who reviewed. I always love hearing from you guys and I really appreciate it. As for why this chapter was a little past my self-imposed deadline, originally I'd planned on uploading last week, but unfortunately wasn't able to do because I was, ironically enough, camped out in a hospital room for the better part of a day and a half, so it took a while to get back into the swing of things and get enough sleep to read straight, let alone edit properly. So, if anybody sees typos, please tell me. I'm tired. However, it looks like things are winding down for the most part, so I should be back on schedule without much delay, which will be very nice. I march on my schedule or else I forget to eat.
Also, on a more personal note, I am never writing another rhyming character again. Oy.
Anyway, thank you for reading and please review!