Chapter Nine: Compunction Junction
"How are you feeling?" Maya asked after twenty five minutes or so passed by in the carriage.
"Like I've been hit by a bus crossways." Edgeworth replied stiffly. After the last remnants of the earthquake's wrath purged itself from his system, Edgeworth had been wracked by a horrendous sense of self reproach. As a rule of thumb, he prided himself on maintaining a certain level of propriety in all things; he conducted himself with a sobriety envied by lawyers the world over. Mind, it didn't always work, but he at least attempted to keep a grip on his senses. However, all dignity, respectability and refinement that he spent his every waking hour cultivating evaporated when an earthquake erupted. In a matter of seconds, Edgeworth went from a polished, sophisticated, decorous gentleman to a sniveling, shivering wreck of a sorry excuse for a human being.
Simply put, it was downright humiliating.
Edgeworth glared at himself. He was a grown man, for god's sake. He knew better than to let some age old trauma best him. He knew his mind was just rehashing a bygone event that had no bearing on the present moment. He knew everything to do with that episode was over and done with.
But...
At the same time, he didn't know that.
Not when an earthquake hit.
So, in his opinion, it was perfectly reasonable that he was cross with himself. To be in one mind about an issue and still acting in another was a trait he hated about himself when it came to one of his more impressive weaknesses.
Unfortunately, that brought him to one of his other more impressive weaknesses; explaining himself to anyone else.
Edgeworth spared Maya an askance glance.
Hmph.
It seemed he had accrued yet another debt to her, much to his shame.
Not that he was able to tell her that, of course.
Other than his last statement, he had barely spoken a word to her since she had begun coaxing him back to reality. She had talked to him quietly about nothing of substance while she massaged the back of his head and neck with her delicate, porcelain-like fingers, but he hadn't returned any of her conversation, first because he'd been too numb, and then because he was too embarrassed.
Had he been a more articulate man when it came to emotional turbulence, he would've had no qualms in letting her know that his discourteous manner was not directed at her personally, that he was merely furious with himself for his lack of self control, and that he was grateful towards her for her swift actions to stabilize him in his moment of... fragility.
Unfortunately, Klavier Gavin he was not, so all he could do in the meantime was stifle any overt curtness and hope she didn't become too offended by the brusque attitude that slipped out.
Strangely enough, Maya hadn't seemed to take his reticence nearly as personally as he first expected. She just sat there, talking to him in a soothing voice and working her fingers into his flesh like she was kneading pastry dough.
Even when they'd moved from the floor to sit on the compartment seat, she hadn't once stopped her pursuit of eradicating his muscle tension. Her hands worked their way around his head and neck, and eventually traveled down his arm to his right hand, which she was still massaging. Instead of being angry, Maya looked the picture of repose as she deftly maneuvered her thumbs in the center of his palm. If he had to nail the image down, he supposed she had the air of a hand painted china doll that had sprung to life and decided to attack a muscle knot or two because it could.
Edgeworth looked down at the hand Maya tenderly held between her own pale, slender ones and then back at her face, his insides reeling with guilt.
Though he hadn't been cognizant of it at the time while in the midst of his flashback, he had still tackled her, pinned her against the wall, and held her in place with every piece of muscly sinew he possessed to the point she couldn't even breathe properly, let alone move.
His shame intensified.
She must have been scared half to death.
"Hey, what's up?" Maya noticed he was watching her through the corner of his eye. "You look like you want to say something. Something on your mind?"
Edgeworth bit back a groan of contrition.
He needed to say something to her, but what? An apology? An explanation?
Would that really be enough?
Nnngh.
He wasn't cut out for this at all.
Oh, to Hell with it. He was just going to throw caution to the wind and let fly with the first thing he was thinking. If he could think his explanation through and apologize in his head, why couldn't he just come out and say whatever he wanted without so much as a 'by your leave'?
If Larry could do it, then so could he.
It couldn't be that hard.
"Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya snapped her fingers in front of his nose. "Uh oh, I think I lost him."
Edgeworth inhaled a rallying breath.
Okay.
He could do this.
Here went nothing.
"Maya, you should run away from me!" Edgeworth straightened up and glared at her so vehemently, one would think he'd spotted a hole in the defense's argument.
Maya dropped his hand.
"Why?" She stared at him like he'd lost more than just a screw. "Are you gonna throw up?"
"What?-No, I- Argh…" Edgeworth sank his forehead into his free hand and stifled a groan. That hadn't been how he'd wanted it to come out at all.
Okay, apparently it was that hard.
"Er… Maya- Miss Fey. Though I never intended to have done so, I put you in a position of great distress during my earlier... episode." Edgeworth began awkwardly and removed his hand from his face so he could fully look at her; if he was going to do this, he was going to do it properly. "That, however unforgivable and inappropriate, is an irrefutable fact. I was not aware that I could react like that, but now that I am aware of the possibility of my actions reoccurring, I must do so now. So, in the future, when I am in the throes of one of my... issues, it is imperative that you stay far away from me. I have no desire to do you any harm and-"
Maya's eyelids fell halfway, she reeled back and bopped him square on the arm with her fist.
"Ow!" Edgeworth rubbed at the offended arm. "What was that for?"
"Being a goober, that's what." Maya puffed out a cheek. "Mr. Edgeworth, I know you didn't mean any harm. Say what you want about yourself, but you're a good guy. You don't go around hurting people. So, you can stop being so hard on yourself. I'm not upset now and I wasn't at the time, so knock it off with the self perpetuating guilt trip already."
"Why?" Edgeworth asked before he could reign in his curiosity. "Surely my actions would have rendered any woman into hysterics."
"How would being hysterical have helped?" Maya stuck her hands on her hips. "If anything, it would've made you worse. Panicking never helped anybody do anything useful, especially not during a crisis."
Edgeworth considered her sentiment. It was a valid one.
"Besides, if I had wanted to be hysterical, I would've waited until after you calmed down all the way and then I would've fallen apart. That way, you could pick up my pieces. It's called 'symbiosis', Mr. Edgeworth. It doesn't work if we're both scared at the same time. Besides, you're making too much of a big deal about it. I won't lie and say you didn't rattle me a bit when you snatched me up, but I never once felt like I was in any danger, so stop beating yourself up." Maya retrieved the hand she had dropped and reconvened with the massage. "You don't need to worry about me. Nick's the one who you should be warning. Unlike me, he wasn't too sure."
Edgeworth froze.
"He thought I was going to hurt you?"
"Nooo, he thought you were going to hurt him." Maya whistled through her teeth. "When he pulled back the door and saw you staring him down like that, hoo boy, I thought he was going to pee himself. That's one of the reasons why I threw him out. I didn't know what you were going to do if he got too close or just stood there looking like a steak."
"... oh. Was it truly that bad?" He didn't really want to know, but it was vital that he find out.
"Let's just say, I didn't know you could go feral." Maya playfully pawed at his arm. "If you did that in court, the judge'd be having daily heart attacks."
Ah.
Always good to know, he supposed.
"Maya, if you would indulge me, I am curious about something. How did you know how to calm me down?" Edgeworth inquired as Maya reconvened her perusal of his hand by moving one of her hands to his fingers while the other stayed on his palm.
"I've had some experience dealing with this sort of thing." Maya pliantly worked on his knuckles with the pads of her fingers. "Some of the mediums have had nasty experiences when channeling unsavory souls and end up with panic attacks afterwards. It usually works to calm them down, so what you did wasn't anything I haven't seen before, even if it was new for you. I'm just glad I could help you snap out of it so you didn't have to be like that for ages. You seem to be doing better in any case, even if you got hit by a bus crossways."
A small smile flickered on Edgeworth's face.
"You really do take great care of your subordinates, don't you?" He murmured quietly. "That is commendable."
"Thanks, but it's just part of being the master, so don't thank me too much." Maya hummed contentedly. "I do everything in my power to protect anyone in this village whom I deem in need of it and are fit to receive it. So, yeah. I try."
"Hey, Maya?"
"Oho, speaking of one such customer, hi, Nick." Maya looked at the door that was knocking at her. "What's shakin', bacon?"
"It's been thirty minutes. Is it safe to come in yet?" The wall outside the compartment asked. "Is he tamed? Tell me the truth. I don't want to die, not like that. It'd be so embarrassing. What would they put on my tombstone?"
"Oh, I've got it!" Maya chirped at the door. "'Phoenix Wright, gone from this earth. Mauled to death by a rogue Edgeworth.'"
"Maya, that's not as funny as you think it is." said the door.
"I'm not so sure of that, Wright. It's actually a little catchy." Edgeworth stifled a mild chuckle. "You might want to consider it for an epitaph."
"You like it? Really?" Maya's face lit up.
"Yes, it's not bad at all."
"I think it's bad."
"That's because you don't like the implication of the statement." said Edgeworth. "Now, are you going to come in here, or are you satisfied with shouting through the door like a drunk sorority girl?"
Wright didn't reply, but the door to the compartment slid open, anyway. However, instead of a lawyer, all they saw was a white napkin stuck to a pencil with a paper clip waving vigorously at them.
"Really, Wright?" Edgeworth's eyebrow arched. "A white flag? Isn't that a tad histrionic?"
"What? I improvised." shrugged the flag as it swayed back and forth. "Just letting everybody, that means you, know that I come in peace and would like to leave in one, preferably."
"Tch." Edgeworth scoffed disdainfully at the flag. "If you truly come in peace, why is it that when you're around, I hardly ever get any?"
"Oh, hey." Maya chastised him with a poke to the arm. "Be nice. He's worried about you and it won't kill you to let him in so he can fuss without worrying about his life being in jeopardy. It's okay, Nick, you can come in now. He's almost back to his normal self, but watch out, he's a little crotchety."
"Yeah, when isn't he?" The lawyer attached to the flag gingerly stepped into the compartment. "Hey, Edgeworth. Back to your usual frilly self? How are you doing?"
Edgeworth bristled. What did he mean by 'frilly'?
"How do you think?" He glanced at Wright with a sour expression worthy of a thwarted lemon.
"That bad, huh?" Wright pocketed the flag.
"That's putting it mildly." Edgeworth leaned up against the backrest of the seat and exhaled. "It's ridiculous. To know that even now I am still haunted by what happened in the past is just humiliating. At one point, I thought I was making strides to be rid of this, but it seems I may never fully be able to move on."
"Oh, hey, c'mon. It's not that bad, Edgeworth. Don't be so hard on yourself." Wright said consolingly as he rested against the wall and crossed his arms. "I mean, sure, you went into a state of psychosis, which was new, and squished Maya against the wall, which was also new, and were about two seconds away from tearing my head off when I opened the door, which isn't exactly new, but still kinda terrifying, but, hey, it could've been worse."
"How, pray tell, could it have been worse?" demanded Edgeworth exasperatedly.
Wright shrugged.
"I dunno." He scratched the back of his head. "You didn't lose a defendant you were chaperoning this time. That's a plus."
Edgeworth groaned and sank his temple into his hand.
Oh, he had to bring that up.
"Nick!" Maya stuck her hands on her hips and glared at Wright like an irked schoolmarm lecturing a misbehaving student. "You're not helping."
"What? He's the one who asked. Besides, he didn't lose one, so that's an improvement. He also didn't curl up into a ball, or start shaking, or pass out or cry, so you've gotta admit he's making some headway, right?"
"Yeah, maybe, but you didn't need to reach so far for an example you were about ready to pull a muscle." Maya retorted reproachfully and turned to Edgeworth instead. "Hey, I've got a great idea. How about we talk about something happier? Something that's happier and distracting and doesn't have anything to do with earthquakes- Oh, I know. Let's talk about Mr. Edgeworth's favorite thing in the whole wide world."
"Neck scarves?"
"No, not those, Nick. Autopsy reports."
Edgeworth regarded her from the corner of his eye.
"Autopsy reports are not my favorite thing, Maya."
"Really? From the way you change them up all the time, I could've sworn they were."
"Heh, she's got you there, Edgeworth."
"She does not. Also, they're cravats, Wright, not neck scarves. Get it right."
"Eh, same thing. Out-of-date fashion worn by little old ladies in the 19th century."
"Wright, so help me-"
"Nick, did you get the report for the body removed from the train?" Maya interjected before Edgeworth's blood pressure spiked past the point of no return. "You said you were going to go get it."
"Huh? Oh, yep, I've got it. Hang on a minute." Wright reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the makeshift flag from earlier. "Ema just handed me this a minute ago, so it's still hot off the presses."
Edgeworth was riveted to the spot.
"You were using the autopsy report as a flag?!"
"What? I use what I've got. What are you going to do, dock my pay?"
"I just might!"
"Why's the autopsy report written on a napkin?" Maya poked the napkin with her index finger.
"The officers who created the report ran out of paper. It seems somebody cut their funding." Wright detached the autopsy napkin from the pencil, unfolded it, and cleared his throat. "Anyway, according to the autopsy report, the cause of death was due to an explosion which went off in close proximity to the victim, big shock there. Time of death is set around 11:15 pm approximately, so that matches up with what the witness said about when the bomb went off. Death was instantaneous when the explosion occurred inside the first class train compartment, and the victim's dead body was burned to a crisp when the fire spread throughout the train and the station outside it."
"Poor thing." Maya's shoulders drooped sadly. "Well... at least they didn't suffer."
"Do they know who it is yet?" asked Edgeworth.
"No, not yet. The body was too badly burned to be identified by a face alone and the fingerprints were destroyed by the blaze. The only reason we know the victim was female is because the skeleture belongs to a biological female and the body was wearing the remnants of a female employee uniform, so we can only assume she identified as such." replied Wright. "They're running dental records now."
"They'll need to cross-reference the dental results with the train employee registry if she was indeed an employee of the line." Edgeworth considered the information with a ruminative mien. "That will cut down on time in identifying the body. Wright, where was the body discovered?"
Wright grimaced.
"Oh... y'know. Here. And there. And over there." He pointed to several spots in the compartment. "Everywhere, really. She was kind of all over the place. And on fire."
"Ew." Maya shuddered. "Um... was there any sign of foul play or a struggle? What was the state of the body when it was found?"
"Other than extra crispy, in pieces, and riddled with smoke like a Texas barbecue gone terribly wrong?" Wright perused the report. "Let's see... a grand helping of not very darn much."
"Elaborate, you knob." Edgeworth snapped. He didn't have time for games.
"Maya, he just called me a knob!"
"Stop being a knob and he won't call you that, then." Maya replied unrepentantly.
"Tch. Why do you always have to take his side?" Wright started to sulk like a petulant child, but went back to the report, anyway. It was difficult at times for Edgeworth to remember that Wright was only a few months younger than he was. "Anyway, there weren't any signs of what you were asking about. The victim was in perfect health before death and no ante or perimortem damage was detected on the body. There were no stab wounds or strangulation marks, no signs of sexual trauma or of a struggle, nor were there any other indications of anyone other than the victim being in the area at the time of the blast, just a little smoke in the lungs and that's it. Sorry to say it, but this autopsy report's fairly cut and dry."
Wright then turned the napkin over so he could see the other side.
"The scene report's not much better, either. Nobody found any bomb remnants or an incendiary device anywhere near the explosion site, and there weren't any signs of things being tampered with either, so the police are ruling it as a fluke accident and wrapping it up as we speak."
"Is that it, then?" Edgeworth inquired as Wright folded up the napkin and tucked into his breast pocket where a pocket square should've been, yet wasn't.
"Yep, that's all she wrote." Wright tiredly scratched his chin with his thumb. "I looked over it three times and while it rubbed me the wrong way at first, I guess all we can do now is figure out who the victim is and alert her next of kin."
"Well, I suppose they can't all be sensational murders." Maya murmured glumly, but there was a definite hint of relief in her voice. "It's still horrible it happened, though."
"Yeah." nodded Wright.
Edgeworth, on the other hand, wasn't so assuaged.
"Wright, let me see that report." He held out the hand that Maya didn't have in her possession. "I want to take a look at it myself."
"Huh? Why?" asked Wright. "I read what was on it word for word. Are you saying that my narration abilities aren't up to snuff or something?"
"Wright, would you please just hand it over?"
"Nick, he said 'please'. You'd better hand it over. It's only fair."
Wright started to controvert the issue, but in the end thought better of it and handed him the autopsy report.
"See anything?" Maya craned her neck over his arm so she could see the napkin from one side, and Wright looked in from the other as Edgeworth replaced his glasses upon his nose and began to leaf through the report.
"Wright, I think I may have found your contradiction. Look here." Edgeworth gestured to a spot on the autopsy report. "I thought I heard something that didn't quite match up and there it is."
"The victim's tox screen?" Maya read where he had indicated.
"Yes. It says that there were traces of smoke inhalation in her lungs."
"So? There was a fire in here, so that's not too strange that she breathed in... smoke." Maya's eyebrows shot upwards. "... oh."
"I see you got it." A microscopic smile of approval showed itself on Edgeworth's face, but it quickly died away. "Look at the passage right here. 'Death was instantaneous'. Now why would there be smoke in the lungs if the victim had already ceased breathing before the fire occurred?"
"Was the victim a smoker?" suggested Wright, though he too was focused intensely on the report.
"No, the autopsy report clearly states that the victim was in perfect health, i.e. not a smoker." said Edgeworth.
"So, if she wasn't a smoker, why would there be smoke in her lungs from the fire if she was already dead before the fire happened in the first place?!" Wright slammed the wall like it was the desk on his side of the courtroom. "See, I knew there was something about this thing that I didn't like and there it is, right there!"
"So glad you caught it." sniped Edgeworth bitterly.
"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth, don't be like that." Maya chided him a little and squeezed his hand. "Nobody's taking your achievement away. So, what does all this mean?"
"It means either the victim was still alive after the blast went off, or there was something else in here she inhaled that wasn't from the fire." Edgeworth handed back the autopsy report to Wright and stood up. "Wright, tell the police not to label this as an accident just yet. There are still clues that need to be explained."
"Right, I'm on it." Wright made to leave the compartment, but stopped right at the edge of the doorframe. "Oh, and before I forget, I've got a message from Ema. Things have only gotten worse with the witness and Ema's at her wit's end, so if you could do something about that, that'd be great. She's already plowed through her bag of snackoos and was pestering me to go buy some more."
Edgeworth frowned.
Oh, yes.
In all that had happened since the earthquake, he had forgotten about the witness who was causing problems.
The one who was being...
... excessively stubborn.
He felt a pit form in his stomach.
Oh, god.
Please, please don't let it be her.
"Mr. Edgeworth, are you okay?" Maya asked concernedly when Edgeworth pressed his hands to his temples and grimaced in pain.
"Nnngh... no." He shook his head, removed his glasses again and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
"Are you getting a tension headache?"
"It's impossible not to with that woman."
"You really think the witness is Ms. Oldbag?" Maya craned her neck around the corner so she could catch a glimpse of Ema off in the distance arguing with someone standing underneath a biliously gigantic pink and red umbrella.
"I have my suspicions." Edgeworth peered around the corner just above Maya's head and narrowed his eyes in a flinty glare; that blasted umbrella was blocking his view. "I just hope I'm wrong."
"But wouldn't she be dead by now?" Maya wrinkled her nose. "She wasn't exactly a spring chicken when Nick and I met her and that was every bit of eleven years ago. You remember, you were there prosecuting for the Steel Samurai case. She called you 'Edgey-boy'."
"Some evil never dies, Maya." Edgeworth scanned the area for a jumpsuit of blue with a crone in it. "You also needn't remind me. I have had it burned into my brain ever since the first time I heard its' utterance and I don't need to revisit that, thank you. However, I happen to know for a fact she is still alive. Her tenacity knows no bounds."
"It figures she'd be immortal." Wright stuck his head around the corner so it was just above Edgeworth's. "Nothing short of the world's best serial killer could cause Ms. Oldbag to shuffle off this mortal coil."
"So, what makes you think it's her, Mr. Edgeworth?" asked Maya. "Are your Oldbag senses tingling?"
"Mrs. Voyant mentioned to me earlier she was expecting an old female friend to come see her and that I would want to leave posthaste before she arrived. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now that things have presented themselves as such, I cannot risk the possibility, however unlikely, that Ms. Oldbag was whom she meant."
Maya smiled up at him with a broad, smug grin.
"I thought you said she was a nut. 'A first rate escapee from a loony bin', I think you'll recall."
"It's merely conjecture at this point, but given my lack of fortune when it comes to witnesses, it's reasonable for me to be a tad trepidatious, regardless of the source." Edgeworth replied stonily; he hated it when people used his own words against him. "I am not a superstitious man, but running afoul of that old hen is not something I am willing to chance. She is not getting the jump on me this time."
"Well, if it is her, that means she would've had to come in on the train you arrived on." Maya put her thumb to her mouth. "Did you see her at the time?"
"I don't recall running from the train screaming, so no."
"Pearly didn't say that she saw her, either. So, that means she's either wandering around somewhere, or she came on a later train, or you're just imagining things."
"Or she's the one who got blown up." added Wright.
"I highly doubt that is the case, Wright." said Edgeworth.
He wasn't nearly that lucky.
"So, when did you last see her, Edgeworth? From the sounds of it, it had to have been recently."
"I was investigating a case involving the Baytown Butcher about a week ago." said Edgeworth. " We don't have many leads on him, so I was eager to interview anyone who might have seen anything at the time. However, the only witness who saw anything worked security down by the docks and... well, you can fill in the rest on your own."
"Poor Mr. Edgeworth." Maya fluffed the cravat that was dangling over her nose. "It must've been really hard without Nick and me around to distract her long enough for you to make a break for it."
"It was harder to do so, yes." sighed Edgeworth. "Detective Skye wasn't a very good distraction and, without one, Ms. Oldbag is singularly focused on her pursuit; that pursuit namely being me. So, while you two might not have run into her as of late these past few years, I have not nearly been so lucky."
"I'm not gonna lie, that was the one thing about being disbarred that I didn't mind." Wright shuddered. "I don't envy you, Edgeworth. She always did like you just a little too much."
Edgeworth snorted incredulously.
A 'little too much'?
Tailing him at every opportunity, bestowing upon him all manners of pet names, invading his personal space with unwanted advances and sending all sorts of unnecessary tributes to his office, even when he barred their delivery, was a 'little too much'?!
"Hey, if there's a chance she could be sneaking about, I say that it's only right to be careful." Wright continued. "I don't want to run into her any more than you do. Seriously, if she calls me 'whippersnapper' one more time-"
"What, you don't like being called a 'whippersnapper'?" grinned Maya. "I figured you'd be glad to get the compliment, old man."
"Old man?!"
"Why are either of you complaining about what she calls you? If anyone has a right to complain, it would be me." Edgeworth rolled his eyes and honed back in on the food stand. "Well, at any rate, we won't find out who it is by just standing here and gawking from a distance. Wright, go check it out."
"What?! Why me?!"
"Because I'm the Chief Prosecutor, Maya's the village master, and you're expendable. Go."
"Sorry, Nick. It looks like you're the canary on this one." Maya reached her arm up past Edgeworth's head and patted Wright on the cheek. "Chirp, chirp, little bird. Into the mine you fly."
"B-but I… urgh." Wright looked like he wanted to fight the issue, but two sets of faces telling him he wasn't going to win eventually made him give up the ghost. "Fine. I'll go. However, you guys owe me big. If I get gassed down that stupid mine, I'm gonna come back and haunt you."
"I'll have Pearly channel you so you can yell at us properly, then." winked Maya. "How's that for a plan?"
"A canary in a mine." Edgeworth murmured to himself as he watched Wright stomp away towards the cart. "Hmm."
"You say something, Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya glanced upwards and brushed his cravat aside.
"It's nothing. So, now all we have to do is watch Wright and gauge his reaction once he reaches the umbrella." Edgeworth positioned his chin in the crux of his thumb and forefinger. "That should determine whether or not it is safe to proceed."
"You really are thorough, aren't you?"
"I would not have gotten as far as I have without being so, Miss Fey."
"My name's Maya, Mr. Edgeworth." Maya cast her sight back towards the cart and tugged twice on his cravat. "Oop, looks like the coast is clear. Nick's waving us over."
"Maya, my cravat isn't a door bell. You don't need to ring it." Edgeworth rubbed at his neck where the fabric had chafed against his skin. However, in spite of her methods, he did note Wright was waving them over, so at the very least, his fears of encountering Wendy Oldbag were mollified for the time being.
"Let's go, Maya." He beckoned her to follow and strode towards the cart with the enormous umbrella.
"Hey, I just thought of something." Maya rested her hand pensively against the side of her face after she caught up with his long strides. "What if the witness really is Ms. Oldbag and Nick only called us over to get back at you for sending him there in the first place?"
"Wright wouldn't do that." said Edgeworth.
"Why not?"
"He wants to see tomorrow, that's why not."
However, as he drew nearer to the cart, Edgeworth could hear heated arguing, which he expected if Ms. Oldbag was involved, but when they arrived, there was neither hide nor hair of her anywhere in the vicinity.
Instead, he found two young people angrily bickering with each other and Wright, who stood on the sidelines, looking exceedingly uncomfortable.
"Hi, Nick. How was the mine?" Maya greeted cheerily. "If you found any gold, you'd better share."
"Wright." Edgeworth inclined his head to the defense attorney. "I see you are, indeed, a most effective canary. Well done."
"Yeah, great, glad to be of help. Don't ever do that again." Wright then indicated the squabbling pair with a jerk of his head. "And you'd better do something quick, Edgeworth. Ema's about to go rabid and I think from the way the other guy's looking, he might too."
"What's happened here?" Maya frowned in confusion. "I thought it was the witness who was being a pain. Is this guy the witness?"
"I don't think so." said Wright. "From what I got in between the shouting, this guy is from local law enforcement sent to investigate and I don't think Ema likes sharing. I saw how she reacted over her snackoos. Imagine getting her to give over half her crime scene."
Edgeworth placed a hand to his temple. So the local police decided to meddle with the train station crime scene and therefore caused Ema to make a scene of her own, did they?
Perhaps there was more to Mrs. Voyant's wish to keep them out of the proceedings than he first realized.
"Hey, Mr. Edgeworth, if you're getting a headache, I can do that thing again if you want." Maya made a motion with her hands and pointed to his temples. "You seemed to like it before. It might help."
Wright raised an eyebrow.
"What thing?"
"Nothing, Wright. You and Maya stay here and don't get too close. This could get messy." Edgeworth mouthed a silent, yet discreet 'later' at Maya and steeled himself as he approached the feuding duo of police turned school children.
This was going to be unpleasant, he could already tell.
"I've got this all under control!" Ema stomped on the empty snackoo bag that had crumpled up on the dirt and ground it beneath her heel. "I don't need your help, or whatever it is you want to give me! I can handle this just fine without getting some local law enforcement yahoo mixed up in my investigation and-"
"Your investigation?!" The second man retorted with an unimpressed scoff. "Let me tell you something, Ma'am. I've got all the talents of investigating crime scenes to suit the spanish and letting you city slicker types mess with my turf without proper supervision is enough to make a man roll in his grave. You're not doin' it right, and if you won't hand over the keys like you're supposed to in these circumstances, at least let me help you out so you don't go upsettin' anybody's sensibilities! In layman's terms, you'll screw up without me helpin' out."
"I don't screw up!" Ema squawked furiously. "And you've got a screw loose if you think I'm going to hand this case over to some whackadoo I don't know from a hole in the ground!"
"And just what's that supposed to mean?! Are you, by chance, insulting the nearby county's landscape?"
"What are you gonna do if I am?"
"Do you really want to find out, Ma'am?" The young man's expression darkened and he didn't look like he was bluffing. "'Cause I've arrested people for less than that-"
"Detective Skye, is there a problem?" Edgeworth interrupted. "You look rather irate."
Both Ema and the man jumped.
"Oh, sir! Thank heavens you're here!" Ema saluted and foisted one very accusing finger at the other member of the law. "You have to help me! I was almost getting somewhere with the witness, but then this jack-off of a local detective showed up and started badgering the biscuits out of everybody and the witness clammed up again. Make him go away, sir!"
"Well, I wouldn't have if somebody'd been doin' her job right and knew what a suspicious character looked like right from the off!" The young man, who apparently was a detective, folded his arms against his chest and fixed Edgeworth with a mistrustful look. "And just who might you be, sir? You must be mighty important if she thinks you can chase me away just like that."
Edgeworth quietly returned the discerning stare as he evaluated the young man in front of him. He was a tall, pale young man covered in orange freckles and was built like a popsicle stick, but the pair of light blue eyes lurking under his cerise colored hair narrowed in response to even the slightest movement and didn't miss a trick.
He had the natural instincts of a detective, that much was obvious, but if Edgeworth had to venture a guess, this young man was not much older than Prosecutor Blackquill and probably new to his rank if his clothes were any indication. His fresh navy blue detective's coat hung off him as if he was playing dress up with his father's clothes, but at least his blue three-piece seersucker suit fit him well enough to see he'd had it tailored and he'd paired it with a single gold timepiece strapped to his wrist.
Edgeworth smirked.
Well, regardless of what he was wearing or how he chose to present himself, this greenhorn had no idea with whom he was dealing, clearly.
"She gives me far too much credit." Edgeworth replied coolly. "However, it is only fitting that I introduce myself. My name is Miles Edgeworth. I am the Chief Prosecutor for the metropolitan area and I am overseeing this incident. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
The ginger detective's thin eyebrows shot upward.
"Wait, hold on. 'Mr. Edgeworth'?" Like someone had flipped a switch, all of the suspicion in the young detective's pale eyes vanished and what looked a mixture of awe, admiration and nausea swiftly took their place. "The prosecutor who passed the bar at the age of 20 and then, through a tumultuous, yet prestigious career, rose to the rank of Chief Prosecutor and singlehandedly spearheaded the revolution within the dark age of the law while swearin' to return it to its former glory where the trust of the people was restored within the legal system? That Mr. Edgeworth?"
"I wouldn't go so far as to say it was singlehanded, but yes, that's me." Edgeworth replied nominally. "You've heard of me, I take it?"
"Yessir. I've… I've been followin' your work ever since I was a kid, if you'll pardon me sayin' so, sir." The detective, who appeared to be in shock from unexpectedly meeting his version of a celebrity, stood up as straight as his lanky body allowed and saluted Edgeworth with every fiber of his being. "It's an honor to finally meet you, sir, and you have my sincerest apologies, I didn't realize you were the one in charge of this whole outfit. If I had, I wouldn't have nibbed in without directly comin' to you first, sir."
"Oho, looks like somebody's got another fan." Wright whispered under his breath to Maya as they both edged away from the scene so as to avoid getting hit with any friendly, or not so friendly, fire.
"Yeah, I can see that." Maya whispered back. "Shame Ema doesn't look too happy about, though."
It was common knowledge to anyone who had been within range of her for more than five minutes that when it came to the subject of hero-worshipping Edgeworth, no one was a more skilled practitioner than Ema Skye. Furthermore, if the crimson glow flaring in her cheeks, the grinding noise her teeth made as they slid tightly against each other, and the clenching motion her hands were doing all on their own were any indication of her internal emotional state, she did not like the competition.
"I see. Well, next time, I expect you do to so before barging into any potentially active crime scenes." Ignoring Ema for now, Edgeworth regarded the fresh greenhorn through narrowed eyes and folded his arms against his chest. "Anyway, since you're here, I may as well make use of you. You are a member of the local law enforcement, are you not?"
"Y-yessir." said the detective. "How might I be of service, sir?"
"You can start by telling me what is going on here." said Edgeworth. "When I heard Detective Skye was encountering problems, I, at first, believed that she had run aground of a difficult witness. Is that not the case?"
"Sort of, sir." Ema's cheek puffed out. "But it's not the witness so much as it is this guy. He just waltzed into my crime scene and told me that he'll take over, so I didn't need to worry about dirtying my hands with anything, and I told him it was all taken care of, but he won't listen and-"
"I won't listen?!" The second detective's salute fell away and he reeled around at Ema angrily, his navy blue detective's coat swishing in the breeze. "That's rich right there. I've got every right to investigate the scene just as much as you do, Detective Skye! Besides, all I said was I'd help out if you needed any heavy lifting done around here, so you don't have to get all touchy! Man, and people wonder why chivalry is dead-"
"Don't you pull that old fashioned garbage on me! You're the one who started badgering the witness!"
"He's suspicious! Anybody looking at him right can tell he's suspicious, yet you're acting like he's totally normal! I don't know what kinda weirdo witnesses y'all run into back in the city all the time, but let me tell you a thing or two, around these parts when we see somebody that strange, that's reason for an arrest."
"That's profiling!"
"Yeah, but it works!"
"Oh, go get a cat out of a tree!"
"I would, but you're not up one yet!"
"Enough." Edgeworth held up a hand, silencing the pair of them. "Detective Skye, I expected more from you when it came to keeping a professional air in the crime scene."
Ema looked crushed.
"But, but sir-"
"Be that as it may, this crime scene has henceforth officially fallen under the metropolitan police's jurisdiction and that means Detective Skye is still in charge here, regardless of who else might appear. Would I be right in assuming you are a detective dispatched from the local precinct?"
"Yes, sir!" The second detective briskly saluted again. "Detective Justin Time at your service."
Edgeworth paused.
"Time? You wouldn't, perhaps, be a relation to Milly Time, would you?"
"You know my little sister, sir?" blinked Time.
"We met once." said Edgeworth. "Anyway, in regards to the witness, you both will stand down. I will deal with the interview myself, so that should cease any further discussions on the topic and open you both to covering other duties elsewhere."
"Well, I... alright, sir." sighed Time. "If that's what the boss says, that's what the boss says."
"Good." Edgeworth nodded in respect to Time and looked at Ema. "Detective Skye, that means you, too. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal, sir." Ema deflated at him.
"Detective Skye, don't look so miserable." Edgeworth suppressed a sigh and gave her a sardonic little smile. "I have other things that are in dire need of your attention beyond that of a difficult witness."
"Sir?" Ema curiously glanced up from her shoes.
"Take this lighter fragment and get it analyzed for fingerprints. I know how much you pride yourself on your lifting abilities, so this should be quite the fun challenge for you." Edgeworth reached into his pocket, removed the evidence bag that held the melted lighter and dropped it into her hand. "Have at it."
"Yes, sir!" Ema gazed at the baggie in her hands like he'd just given her candy.
"There are also some oxygen canisters in the storage cupboard that Maya told me you and she discovered during your investigation. I want every detail about them in a report, their serial numbers, contents, conditions and technical specifications examined and documented, along with them dusted for prints and bodily fluids. Do not leave any suspicious nook and cranny unchecked. Furthermore, I want a list of all of the train personnel employed with the line, a list of pictures and dates of employment, along with any terminated employees spanning back a year."
"Yes, sir. Anything else?"
Edgeworth thought for a moment.
"Yes. In addition to that list, I want the registry of the entire Prosecutor's Buildings' employees, lawyers, janitors, receptionists, detectives, police officers and so on, with pictures and the lot, spanning back at least three years, five if you can manage it. There should be a registry of every hiring, firing and self termination in the archives, so I want copies of all of them. Do not fail me. I am counting on you."
"Yes, sir!" Ema crowed gratefully and she took off for the train compartment, leaving Edgeworth and the new detective alone.
"What would you have me do then, sir?" asked Detective Time, now looking just a tad wary thanks to the workload he saw unloaded on Ema. "I may just be a country detective, but I've got a job to do and I'm not leavin' just because she wants me to get outta dodge. Wouldn't be right."
"I never expected you to do so." Edgeworth replied in a polished tone and pivoted on the spot so his back was to the detective. "I have something very important for you to do, Detective Time."
"Sir?" The detective looked in the direction that Edgeworth had angled himself, one that just so happened to be in the same direction of where Maya and Wright were standing.
"I am expecting the dental results from the victim's body to arrive soon." said Edgeworth. "I need you to meet the courier and deliver the contents to me immediately upon their arrival. Afterwards, we will see if there is something that you can to- Detective Time? Are you listening to me?"
"Huh?" Detective Time jumped from where he had been staring off into the distance with his mouth hung slightly agape. "Yes, sir? Sorry, sir. I was just... thinkin'."
"Thinking about what, exactly?" Edgeworth's eyebrow arched. "Is it important to your work?"
"Er... not exactly, sir." A cropping of pink dusted across Time's freckly nose.
"Then put it from your mind and listen. I shan't repeat it again. There will be a courier soon arriving with the identity of the victim from the explosion. Watch for them and deliver the contents to me when it arrives. I need them immediately upon completion."
"And... is there anything else, sir?" Detective Time didn't look too happy about being put on fetching duty, but he smartly did not say so aloud.
"I am not giving you much to do just yet." said Edgeworth stiffly. "I must see whether or not you are worth my time first."
"You mean... you're testing me, sir?"
"Yes."
"And you're letting me stay on this case? Even though I'm not a city detective like Detective Skye?"
"For now." said Edgeworth simply. "Do well and you will be allowed to stay on. Don't, and I'll rip you off this case faster than an old bandage on a wound. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!" Instead of being intimidated, the detective's face looked he'd been hyped up and ready for battle by a seasoned general. "I won't let you down!"
"See that you don't." Edgeworth nodded in acknowledgement.
"Yes, sir! Oh, but before I go, you need to know something, sir." Time flicked his head behind him towards the other side of the umbrella. "That witness, the guy runnin' the manju stand... there's something up with him. He's just... not right, y'know? He left to go get some ingredients, so he should be back in a minute, but when he gets back, just watch yourself, sir. He makes my neck hairs all stand up on end."
"I will consider your advice." Edgeworth fired a warning look at the detective. "Now go."
"Yes, sir!" The detective saluted again. "Your witness is the man workin' the manju stand under the umbrella, so as they say, good luck, sir!"
Once the second detective took off, Edgeworth exhaled so deeply, his shoulders almost lost their definition.
Dealing with all these young people was like herding territorial alley cats.
"Mr. Edgeworth, can we come over now?" Maya called from where she and Wright still stood. "I saw Ema leave and so did the other guy, so is it safe, or should I send Nick first?"
"Maya, I am not your guinea pig!"
"Don't be ridiculous, of course you are."
"Yes, things have been defused somewhat. You may approach." Edgeworth beckoned them over. "Also, Wright, you are indeed her guinea pig. Don't deny it."
"Great, now you're taking her side. Jeez, no tag-teaming, you guys." Wright groused as he and Maya joined Edgeworth by the stand. "So, you gave Ema something new to do, did you? What was it?"
Edgeworth quickly recounted the detective's to-do list.
"Yeesh, that's quite the workload." Wright cringed. "If she's happy that she got all that to do, just how toxic is this witness?"
"I don't know for certain, but the other detective warned me that there was something amiss, so I suppose I will find out in a minute." Edgeworth glanced towards the other side of the manju stand, but he didn't catch a glimpse of any witnesses. "If all goes well, that will take the edge off Detective Skye's nerves and give her some time to cool down while I deal with the fallout."
"Well, well. It seems I'm not the only one who cares about their subordinates." Maya playfully whispered to Edgeworth. "That was nice of you."
Edgeworth snorted.
"Hmph. I am merely putting her to good use elsewhere, nothing more."
"Uh huh. Sure."
"Hey, speaking of happy looking people, I haven't seen Pearls around at all." Wright scanned the scene for a bagel hairstyle and came up wanting. "Is she okay? I hope she isn't sick or anything."
"Pearly? Come to think of it, I haven't seen her today." murmured Maya. "Not since last night."
"Nor have I." said Edgeworth.
Maya took a little gander over at the train station and her brows knitted together.
"Y'know what? I'm gonna go call her right now, just to make sure everything's okay. She's probably fine, but it never hurts to be thorough. Excuse me a minute, you guys. I'll be right back." She pulled her phone from her pocket and quickly scampered off into a nearby rain shelter.
"So, what's the plan?" Wright asked while Maya punched in the call and fidgeted with her sleeve while she waited for Pearl to pick up.
"We wait for the manju proprietor to return." Edgeworth readjusted his glasses. "He should be back presently."
"Magata-manju, huh?" Wright's stomach gurgled hopefully as he read the sign next to the unbelievably gaudy red and pink umbrella sticking out of the center of the stand. "That sounds really good. Then again, I've barely eaten anything in a day and a half, so your arm's looking pretty tasty, too."
"If you want to keep your teeth, you will leave my arm alone." said Edgeworth. "Actually, the manju here is not half bad."
"You've had some before? When?"
"Maya brought them when I was in the hospital. She said Pearl fetched them from a nearby food stand, so I gather this must have been where she had gotten them."
"Oh, I see. Hey, do you think after you're done interrogating the witness, you could confiscate some manju for me? Other than those snackoos, I'm running on empty over here."
"Wright, I'm a prosecutor, not a purveyor of snack foods. If you want some manju, go buy some yourself."
"You bought Emasnacks."
"That's because she works for me and her work results are directly connected to the sanctity of her stomach-"
"Oh. Mr. Edgeworth. Fancy seeing you here. While I was not expecting to come across you in these circumstances, I cannot say this is an unwelcome development."
Edgeworth stopped bickering with Wright. Though he couldn't quite place it at first, that voice sounded oddly familiar.
Shifting his attention towards the source of the voice, he stopped stone dead his tracks.
"Edgeworth?" Wright looked at him perplexedly and then at the newcomer to the stand. "Oh, hey, this must be the guy who saw the blast go off." He elbowed Edgeworth lightly in the ribs, but Edgeworth didn't make any show that he'd felt the impact.
He just stared at the witness like a deer in the headlights of a four wheeler, unwilling to move or even blink.
Once Edgeworth had heard that the witness to this case was being unnecessarily uncooperative, he figured it would lead him to find Wendy Oldbag waiting for him on tenterhooks. However, while he was grateful that he wasn't forced to deal with whom he first thought he would...
Things had definitely take a turn for the worse.
"Mr. Edgeworth, it has truly been too long. I hope you have fared well these past few years." The tall, thin man dressed in a plain black suit and tie underneath a brilliantly pink manju uniform coat, bowed respectfully to him. The hair perched on top of his head was starkly white, though the sides remained pitch black, and a matching black mustache sat perfectly groomed above an eternally unreadable expression, only marred by a vertical stitched scar running the length of his face. A well-maintained monocle fit into the eye socket of his left eye, and while his coat was remarkably out of place for one dressed in such a minimalist fashion otherwise, the red conch insignia on the breast of the pink coat was all too appropriate, though no one knew just how much at first glance.
Edgeworth's insides ran cold.
"Is this a friend of yours, Edgeworth?" Wright sized up the manju salesman, though he was wracked more with confusion than wariness.
"More like an acquaintance I have not seen in a very long time." Edgeworth folded his arms against his chest and eyed the man before him with a sober stare. "I never would have expected to see you here... 'Mr. Doe'."
'Mr. Doe' chuckled.
"Yes, it is truly amazing where one's life takes them and whom they might meet along the way. Speaking of which, I heard of your promotion to the position of Chief Prosecutor. You have my sincerest congratulations. They could not have chosen a more capable man."
"Thank you." Edgeworth replied stiffly. "If I might, just what are you doing here?"
"What an interesting question." Mr. Doe tilted a bag of manju back and forth in his right hand. "It is a shame the answer is not as such. I am here selling manju, for I am a simple manju salesman."
"Don't bother playing games with me." Edgeworth's tone grew terse. "That didn't fool me all those years ago with the ice cream charade and it's not going to fool me now-"
"Now, now, Mr. Chief Prosecutor." said Doe in a calm, concise tone. "I wouldn't go around spilling too many beans if I were you. Too many beans scattered along the floor is liable to cause someone to fall, if you understand my meaning."
"Ggnrk!" Edgeworth's shoulders tensed.
Unfortunately, he did understand the meaning. If he let slip who this man really was, there was likely going to be casualties.
"Edgeworth, who is this guy?" Wright hissed under his breath. "He's giving me the creeps."
"I'll tell you later." Edgeworth hissed back. "Just not here."
"So you decided to make the wise decision. I commend you for that." said 'Doe'. "Then again, since you were able to solve the murder of Rooke all those years ago, you've already proven you are a wise man. I am still indebted to you on that front, I hope you realize."
"Who?"
"Later, Wright."
"Oh, so this is Phoenix Wright." Doe turned his attention to Wright. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mr. Lawyer. I heard you recently reattained your defense badge after the unjust disbarment was overturned. That was a most welcome piece of news. A defensive mind such as yours is wasted in any other profession."
"Uh… thank you?" Wright ran a hand through his spiky hair and grinned uncomfortably. "So, you know me, huh?"
"Quite." said Doe. "Though I see you have forgotten me, which in hindsight is probably fine. After all, I did put you in quite a precarious situation once upon a time, and while regrettable, I understand that you are quite... tenacious when it comes to grudges. On that front, we share a striking similarity."
"Why are you really here, Mr. Doe?" Edgeworth inquired succinctly. "On 'business', are we?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. I am."
"What kind of business? Did it involve the train station?"
He wasn't sure what lengths this man would go to in order to fulfill his requests, but given the nature of 'Mr. Doe's' dedication to his work, Edgeworth wasn't about to rule it out as a possibility he had found his train station bomber.
"Yes, it did. I was outside the station selling manju, for I am a manju salesman."
"Hmph. Still going with that line, are you?" Edgeworth raised a challenging eyebrow.
"Yes, because it is true. I am just a simple manju salesman."
"Okay, we got that." said Wright, still watching Mr. Doe heedfully. "Where were you when the train station went up in flames?"
"I was outside the station selling manju. It was 11:15 pm when the bomb went off and I was flung along with my cart when the blast hit. I sustained little injuries, but it seems I was alone in that respect. I heard of the death on the train. It is very unfortunate that someone lost their life in such a way."
Edgeworth stifled a snort of derision. This man had no room to talk when it came to expressing sorrow at another's untimely demise.
"Did you see anyone come from the station or leave it?" asked Wright. "If somebody left before the bomb went off, they could be the culprit."
"No one came in the station or went out from there when the explosion occurred." said Doe with a small shake of his head. "The street was deserted by that time. I was closing up shop when the bomb went off."
"And you're sure of that?" pressed Edgeworth.
"I am quite sure. I would have noticed if someone had left or not. The last person I saw was around ten o'clock or thereabout. I am not one to leave anyone unnoticed, for they might wish to buy manju."
"There was another person? Who?"
"A young lady with a bagel-like hairstyle. I sold her some manju around 9:00 that night, but she did not buy them again when I saw her again at 10 pm." said Doe. "Unlike the first time, she seemed to be in a hurry. I surmised she must have been going on a trip and wished to make her train before it left."
"'Bagel-like hairstyle'? That sounds like Pearls." Wright turned to Edgeworth. "Edgeworth, did Pearls say anything about going on a trip?"
"Not within my hearing." said Edgeworth. "However, who's to say that it wasn't you who set the bomb, Mr. Doe?"
Doe didn't seem remotely phased by that accusation.
"Why would I set a bomb or know the very mechanisms on how to create one in the first place?" replied Doe. "I am but a simple manju salesman. Manju is all that I know."
"You're not fooling anyone, you know. Do you have anyone to corroborate your story?"
"Only the manju." said Doe. "Also, you best hope it does. Like I said before, if beans were spilled, other things might be as well, and I dare say your hostess would be most upset if that happened."
Something wrathful and pyretic deep in the center of Edgeworth's chest roared into life, yet the rest of his body remained frozen like he was made of ice carved from a cavern in the tundra.
"You leave Miss Fey out of this." He hissed in a deadly whisper.
Doe's eyebrows lifted a millimeter.
"Hmm, it seems I struck a nerve. How interesting."
"Edgeworth, I know this guy isn't a normal manju salesman, but I don't see any holes in the testimony and he doesn't have any locks. I think he's telling the truth." Wright muttered out of the side of his mouth. "I don't suppose you can interrogate the dumplings, can you?"
"You cross-examined a parrot. Who's to say what I can and can't do?" Edgeworth murmured back, his frigid black look still focused on Doe.
"Oh, don't bring that up-"
"Nick, Mr. Edgeworth! Something's wrong!" Maya came running over, her phone clutched to her chest. "I tried calling Pearly and she's not picking up. So I tried her voicemail, but her phone's shut off and the 'find my friends' app isn't working and I'm getting really worried. Pearly never shuts off her phone or ignores it, so I'm going to go look for her before- Oh!"
"Ah, Miss Fey." Doe bowed to Maya, though his face kept its natural neutrality as all the color seeped out of hers. "It is a pleasure to see you again. I trust you've been well."
"... I've been fine. Thank you." Maya's voice was even, but her white knuckles betrayed her. Edgeworth's glare deepened. It seemed that, unlike Wright, Maya remembered who this was absolutely perfectly.
"Mr. Doe, if I might, let's get back on topic." Edgeworth sidestepped in front of Maya so his body created a makeshift barrier between the two. "If you weren't the instigator of the bomb, then why are you here?"
"I told you. I am on business." said Doe.
"What kind of business?"
"The business kind."
"Maya, what's wrong?" Wright whispered over his shoulder as he too stepped in front of her, but on the other side. "Just who is this guy?"
"Mr. Edgeworth, sir!" Detective Time dashed towards them at top speed and skidded to a halt in front of him, a manilla envelope clutched in his hand. "I have your report from the courier just like you asked, sir. He just arrived with it not ten seconds ago."
"Good. Where is the courier now?" Edgeworth took the manilla folder and unsealed the top.
"He's over there, sir." Time pointed off towards the edge of the ticker tape. "He's getting yelled at by some old lady, something about skirting off during their search or something. He kept saying 'Sorry, Doctor', so they must be medical types of some sort. Do you know them? The old lady said she wanted to speak with you about something."
"Yes, I dare say I do." Edgeworth looked over and recognized the pair immediately. "Bring them over here, Detective."
"Sir." The detective saluted and within minutes, both people had joined the gaggle by the manju stand.
"Hi, Phil." Maya greeted with a wave, though her smile was strained.
"Heya, Mystic Maya." Phil the junior doctor saluted her with two of his fingers and did the same to Edgeworth. "Mr. Owl."
Edgeworth's eyelid twitched.
"Sorry it took so long to get the report to you guys." grinned Phil. "I had to ditch helping the doctor for a minute long enough to run that stupid thing all the way here- Oh, hey, are you the blue crested porcupine I've heard so much about?"
"... what?" Wright looked at the young doctor like he was a lunatic.
"Phil, there's a time and a place and right now is neither." Dr. Bolysm whacked Phil in the back of the arm with her walking stick. "Mr. Prosecutor, Phil just wanted to let you know the dental records came up with a match and now we have a name for the victim. Feel free to read it whenever. So, back to the point at hand, have any of you seen a young lady by the name of 'Mercy'? Phil and I are looking for her and we haven't been able to find her anywhere."
"I saw her in the manor a couple hours ago." said Maya while Edgeworth flipped open the file and began to read it. "You should try there. Oh, and I haven't been able to get a hold of Pearly either. Have you two seen her today?"
Edgeworth began perusing the records, sifting through all the medical jargon in pursuit of the name of the victim.
"Pearl? Nah, I haven't seen her all morning." said Phil thoughtfully. "The last time I saw her, she was running around the hospital last night. I said hi to her, but she didn't respond."
"Pearly didn't respond? That's funny. She always says hi when people call her name."
Finally, Edgeworth found the name.
He suddenly felt ten years older.
"I figure she must not have heard me or something. She looked like she was pretty busy carrying something heavy, so I offered to carry it for her, but she just ran off. Kinda weird, really."
'Milly Time'.
Edgeworth closed his eyes. He had a sinking suspicion it was her.
"Well, if you see her again, will you tell her to call me? I haven't seen her since last night and I'm getting really worried."
"Sure thing. I'll let her know."
"Detective Time, might I have a word with you?" Edgeworth resealed the file and handed it to Wright. "Wright, watch the witness for me. Make sure he doesn't decide to leave."
"What, I'm a guard dog now?" Wright frowned at him.
"Do it and I'll get you a biscuit."
"... it better be a big one."
"Oh, I assure you, I have no intention of going anywhere, Mr. Chief Prosecutor." said 'Mr. Doe'. "You needn't worry about that."
"Don't worry, Mr. Edgeworth. I'll watch him." Maya steeled herself and puffed out a gust of air through her nose like a bull. "If Nick fails, I'll do something about it. Don't you worry. I can handle this."
"Very well." nodded Edgeworth; he could see Maya was attempting to conquer her innate fear. "Now, Detective Time, might I have a word with-"
"Hey, what's this Mercy gal look like?" Detective Time's light blue eyes focused on something off in the distance. "She one of them mediums? Wears a weird channeling getup? Kinda plain? Built like a ball?"
"Yes, that's her." said Dr. Bolysm with a succinct nod. "Why?"
Time gestured to where he was staring with his index finger.
"Is that who you mean, Ma'am?"
Every eyeball in the area swung around to where the detective was pointing.
In the distance, running at an impressive speed for someone of her stature, was a crying hysterical woman, waving her hands and looking thoroughly distraught.
"Help! Please help!" Mercy cried at the top of her lungs as she charged straight for the police tape. "Something's happened in the manor!"
"What?!" Forgetting her promise to watch the witness, Maya ran to meet her halfway and caught her in a hug before she collapsed onto the pavement. "What's going on, Mercy?! What's wrong?!"
"Oh, Mystic Maya! It-it's awful!" Mercy sobbed in Maya's robes, absolutely beside herself. "It's the manor, something's happened and- it's Mrs. Voyant, she's- and Pearl is- Pearl is- Please, you have to help!"
"Pearl?!" Phil's lackadaisical manner dropped like a rock and he took off like a shot towards the manor.
"Pearls' in trouble?!" demanded Wright. "What's going on here?!"
"I-in the chamber... there's.. there's..." Mercy gulped back some tears. "There's... there's blood everywhere..."
"B-blood?" All of Maya's drained out of her face.
"There's not a moment to lose! Quickly, after him!" Edgeworth took off running after the junior doctor's dust trails.
"You're not going anywhere without me, Mr. Edgeworth!" Maya shouted and transferred Mercy to Wright's care. "Nick, keep an eye on her for me, I'm counting on you!"
"But Maya, I-" Mercy latched her fingers onto Wright's coat, crying even harder than before, and Maya sprinted away just as quickly as Edgeworth had in an effort to catch up with him.
"Apologies, but I have no intention of letting you out of my sight." Doe took off after them as well.
"I still wish to talk to Mercy, but as she is in no condition, that will have to wait." sighed Dr. Bolysm and she too followed in their wake.
"Welp, I'm not just going to sit around here on my thumbs waitin' for the rain to show up and water the grass." Detective Time puffed out his skinny chest resolutely and he took off as well, leaving Wright alone with a sobbing, hysterical acolyte getting his suit soaked in the middle of a crime scene.
Wright sighed.
"I should've stayed at the office." He muttered and lightly patted Mercy's shoulder.
Without bothering to obey entrance rules, Edgeworth dashed through the manor and came to a screeching halt right outside Mrs. Voyant's doors, both of which had been swung wide open without care. His pulse screamed in his ears as blood spiked with adrenaline coursed through his veins, and his breath was so hot and strained from running so quickly on such short notice, he had to take a minor reprieve in the hall lest he pass out from oxygen deprivation again.
It was at that point, however, Maya finally caught up with him, only she didn't know it, and she promptly barreled into his back with all of her weight behind her.
"M-maya?!" Edgeworth gasped for air and attempted to stabilize himself since the impact of the collision had almost knocked him off his feet. "What are you doing here?!"
"Chasing... after you, what's it... look like?!" Maya's fingers buried themselves in the fabric of his coat as she clung to his back and breathed heavily into it. "Woof, I need to work out more."
"Where's... where's everyone else?" Edgeworth had expected an entourage right at her heels, but found there was none.
"They'll... they'll catch up." Maya gulped in more air and began to catch her breath. "They were right behind me last I checked, but... I think I might've lost them. As for Nick, I left Mercy with him, so... she'll be okay, I think. Any sign of... Phil or Pearly?"
"Not as such. I haven't... gotten into Mrs. Voyant's chamber yet." Edgeworth tried steadying his own breathing and focused on the open doorway in front of him. "Maya, I know… you are not new to these sorts of situations, but we don't know what we might find upon going inside. So, be careful."
"I know." Maya drew in a deep breath and let it slowly. "Let's go."
Taking care to step quietly, Edgeworth and Maya walked into the dark room and the doors swung shut behind them so only a tiny sliver of light could be seen through the cracks in the frame.
"Stay close." He whispered as they made their way further inside. "We don't know what the situation is yet, so don't stray far from me."
"You don't need to tell me twice." Maya dug her fingers onto the fabric of his coat sleeve and held fast. "Do you see anything?"
"No." Edgeworth scanned the room for any signs of blood like Mercy had described, but the room where he had spoken to Mrs. Voyant was untouched. The only change at all that he could see was the chest from which he had retrieved the journal wasn't in the corner anymore.
Mrs. Voyant wasn't present either, but the door behind where she had been sitting that had initially caught his interest when he'd arrived for his interview was now open.
"Maya, where does that door lead?" Edgeworth pointed to the door and slowly approached it.
"I'm not sure." said Maya in a hush. "I've never been down there myself. These are Mrs. Voyant's chambers. No matter the rank, we don't just go waltzing about in a place like this without her express permiss- Mr. Edgeworth, watch out!"
"Nngghoo!" Maya pulled his arm back with a mighty tug and he almost fell back into her. "Maya, what's gotten into you?!"
"You almost fell down the stairs!" Maya cried, still latched onto his arm like she was a barnacle and he, a pier.
"What stairs?!" He demanded hotly.
"Those stairs!" Maya thrust one finger through the doorway where he had attempted to go. "You almost took a header down them, but I pulled you back at the last minute. What, you didn't see them?!"
"How could I see them?! Other than the light by the door, it's pitch black in here."
"No, it's not. There's a light coming from down there. I can see it."
"There is?" Edgeworth searched the darkness, but he didn't see any light at all.
All he could see was black.
"Yeah, it's coming from down there." Maya indicated the open doorway with the magatama painted on it. "It's down the staircase and off a bit to the left, but I can see a sickly green light flickering against the far wall. It's kinda creepy."
"I can't see anything of the sort." Edgeworth squinted into the darkness.
Maya stared at him, her mouth slightly ajar.
"You... really can't see it?" Her brows hoisted upwards and she rolled up a sleeve. "Ohh, I get it. Hold on." Maya let go of his sleeve, placed one hand on his chest where the magatama hung beneath his shirt, moved the other on top of her own magatama, and muttered something under her breath.
"What are you doing?" Edgeworth winced as the magatama underneath his shirt flashed bright blue in tandem with Maya's own and stung his ill-adjusted eyes.
"Giving you a boost." said Maya. "Can you see the light now?"
Edgeworth peered inside the doorway and found that yes, he could indeed see a light coming from within. He could also see the wrought iron spiral staircase that he'd almost fallen through had Maya not pulled him back at the last minute.
"Is that it?" His eyes narrowed in on the source of the light; it danced along the far wall like a flame from a match.
"Yes, that's it." Maya removed her hand from his chest and replaced it on his coat sleeve. "Watch your step this time."
"Why couldn't I see the light before?" Edgeworth asked as they crept down the stairs of the spiral staircase that plunged into the darkness below.
"The light's probably coming from a channeling candle." said Maya, her hold on his coat as tight as a vice. "They're special, so not everybody can see them. We keep them around as the only source of light in certain rooms just on the off chance somebody outside the clan tried sneaking in and stealing a valuable artifact or three. Kinda makes me wonder what's down here that'd be so important they'd take such steps to protect it."
"If that's the case, then why can I see it now? I couldn't a minute ago."
"That's because I infused you with some of my spiritual power. You'd have never seen where you were going otherwise." Maya replied shortly. "You need spiritual power to see a flame from a channeling candle, and I hate to break it to you, Mr. Edgeworth, but you're what we in the spiritual biz call a 'null'. Don't worry, you're only borrowing it. It'll wear off in a while."
They stepped off the staircase onto a hard wooden floor and, across the length of the large room they'd entered, Edgeworth could see a solitary candle flickering its green flame by an even greater door than the one they first came through. This mountainous door was expertly carved with extensive flowered motifs and what looked like an inlaid mural depicting some event or another on the outlying walls, but it was impossible to make out what it was, even with the candlelight to guide him. However, by far the most striking thing about the door was how the majority of its surface was covered in ancient warding paper charms.
Dozens of streamers attached to the charms snaked away from the door and towards the ceiling in an arc, clustered in a concentration and hung downwards in the center of the room like a chandelier, but instead of simply hanging loosely, all of them were wrapped tightly around what looked like a rusted old broadsword in a chipped pedestal that had clearly not seen use in ages.
Edgeworth's eyebrows creased.
"Maya... just what is this room?" He looked down to her for an explanation, but Maya didn't match his gaze.
"Mr. Edgeworth..." She held out one shaky finger in front of her. "Who... who's that on the floor?"
Reflected in the shadows of the candle's glow a ways away from the sword's pedestal were three figures, two inert and unmoving on the floor, and one frantically attempting to rouse one of the first two with everything it had.
The figure moving about was Phil, the junior doctor.
However, lying underneath his frantic movements in a small pool of blood forming around the crown of her head was Pearl Fey, lifeless and limp as a rag doll thrown by a toddler.
"Pearly!" Maya charged forwards, but Edgeworth quickly seized her torso and held her back. "Pearly-"
"Stay back!" Phil's yellow eyes dangerously flashed through the darkness at them. "Stay back, both of you! Don't touch anything and especially don't touch the streamers!"
Maya's attempts to break out of Edgeworth's hold halted instantly, and he suddenly found she was actually more clinging to him rather than pushing him away.
"Pearl, Pearl, can you hear me?" Phil cupped Pearl's cheek in his hand and held the bleeding from her head with the other in an effort to stop the outpour. "If you can hear me, stay with me, Pearl!"
"Phil, what's happened to her?!" Maya may have ceased her attempts to break away from Edgeworth's grip, but that didn't mean she wasn't any less desperate to get to her cousin. "What's wrong with Pearly?!"
"She's been struck on the head and is bleeding heavily." Phil stuck an ear onto Pearls' chest and listened. "She's still got a heartbeat, though- I can still save this one!"
Edgeworth's blood ran cold.
"... Mystic... Maya?" Pearl blinked her eyes slowly in a haze; she was obviously suffering from a concussion. "Is that... you? Where... am I? What happened? My... head hurts..."
"Get out of my way!" Phil scooped Pearl's limp body up in his arms and dashed for the spiral staircase, taking the stairs two at a time. "Pearl! Pearl, listen to me. You've got to stay with me, alright? Keep your eyes open and don't go to sleep. Just stay with me. You have to stay awake!"
"P... pearly..." Maya weakly watched her beloved cousin being taken away, unable to do anything other than allow Edgeworth to move them both out of the way. "Why? Why was Pearly-"
"I don't know." Edgeworth let her go and carefully approached the second figure on the floor, the one that Phil hadn't been able to save.
His breath hitched.
Lying in a crumpled heap on the wooden floor in a pool of her own blood was the body of Mrs. Voyant.
She was dead.
"Mrs... Mrs. Voyant..."
Maya's knees gave out and she sank to the floor.
"Miss Fe-" Edgeworth knelt down on one knee and put a hand on her shoulder. "Maya, are you alright?"
"... this is my fault." A single solitary tear ran down her cheek as she stared blankly at the scene in front of her. "This is all my fault."
Edgeworth stared at her.
"How is this your fault?" His grip on her shoulder tightened.
Another tear slid down Maya's cheek.
"I... I got it wrong."
(A/N- O.O Wow, you guys, I'm literally gobsmacked by the level of feedback, support and praise I've been getting lately on this platform and my Ao3 account. Thank you all so much! I'd initially planned on updating earlier, but between birthdays, cleaning, the stuffy humid air and a slew of horrendous headaches due to the changing weather pressure that made it so I couldn't read, let alone edit, I just couldn't get it prepped in time. Gah, I can't stand summer, it's way too hot for my taste. Anyway, I'm just happy I could get this up and running when I did. This last chapter ended up being my longest one to date, well over 13,000 words, so it took a while. I normally try to keep things within a certain word margin, but I just couldn't cap the length of this one because of there being so much I needed to include. So it ended up taking a lot longer to tackle this properly than I first expected. I regret nothing, however.
In any case, thank you for reading and please review! :D)