Chapter Ten: Symbiosis

"So the old lady you interviewed earlier was the one who got murdered?" Wright asked as he and Edgeworth watched a pair of coroners carry out the second body bag of the day. "And she rhymed at you?"

"Yes." Edgeworth idly glanced at the procession as it passed by him in the manor's entrance hall. "During the time between when I spoke to her and returning to the manner, she ran afoul of someone with ill intent."

"You didn't do it, did you?"

Edgeworth flattened Wright's inquisition with a positively poisonous glare.

"Hey, I know how you are around limericks. It's a fair question." said Wright. "Do you think it was that client she said she was going to meet with who did her in?"

"I can't say at this point who it might or might not have been." Edgeworth folded his arms against his chest. "All I know was that upon my departure, Mrs. Voyant was still alive. Other than that, I am in the dark about this just as much as you are."

"Hm. It seems we're faced with quite the conundrum, then." Wright rested his chin in the crux of his thumb and forefinger. "Are there any cameras or CCTV in there?"

"No. According to the good doctor, nothing of the sort is allowed in a spirit channeling room. Too many paparazzi have tried to steal the footage for their articles, so the Synod banned their use entirely."

"Oh. Well, crud." Wright chewed on his cheek. "I suppose it can never be easy, huh? How's Maya doing? Is she alright?"

"I sent her to get some air." said Edgeworth. "She should be out in the garden if you wish to speak with her."

"Right, I think I'll do that." Wright ran a hand through his hair. "I want to make sure she's okay."

"A commendable aim." Edgeworth nodded. "Speaking of which, Wright, where is the young lady that Maya asked you to take care of?"

"Mercy? She's in the infirmary. All the stress took it's toll on her and she passed out. The EMTs said it was just a case of nerves, so she should be alright with some rest."

"Did she say anything to you before she succumbed?"

"Not really." Wright closed his eyes as he recalled the events of earlier. "She mentioned something about an ark, but nothing to do with anything she saw in the chamber. I think she was in shock. I also couldn't really hear her all that well because she was mumbling and murmuring into my suit coat before she passed out."

"Yes, I can see she was ardently clinging to you." Edgeworth pulled a light brown hair off Wright's lapel and tossed it aside. "Anyway, thank you for telling me, Wright. If you wish to speak to Maya, now is a good time. I'm needed elsewhere."

Ema had just come out of the hallway leading to Mrs. Voyant's chamber looking especially glum, closely followed by the entire forensic team.

Edgeworth's eyebrow arched.

Why was the whole team out here when there was an active crime scene to investigate?

"Glad to see you're dismissing me, sir." Wright scoffed sarcastically, but he broke into a wide grin, anyway. "Welp, here I go. Wish me luck."

He might've looked perky, Edgeworth thought as he bid him farewell, but he knew better to believe his mien was genuine. Wright only ever employed that smile when his back was flush against the wall and he was desperate to turn the situation around, be it with his cases, his interpersonal relationships, or, in this instance, Maya's mood.

"Detective Skye." Edgeworth bowed to her in greeting after Wright departed for the garden. "What have you gleaned from the scene?"

"Not a thing, sir." Ema replied with a huff as the rest of the team passed them by. "The head doctor, Dr. Bolysm, chased us out and banned anyone from entering the room until Maya's back."

"What?!" Edgeworth drew back, thunderstruck. "Whatever for?!"

"I dunno, sir." said Ema. "Everything was fine until she spotted the pools of blood where the victims had been discovered. Once she did, she ordered everyone out immediately and closed off the area."

"Did she say why?" Edgeworth's brow furrowed.

"Nope. All she said was only those possessing the blessing of the master will be allowed to tread on such dangerously sacred ground. Basically, we can't examine the crime scene without Maya's say so and that's only if she accompanies us the entire time we're in there."

"Have you tried reasoning with her?"

"Yeah, but that was a bust. The old doctor won't budge on the subject and she won't budge from her spot in front of the door, either. She said 'it was too dangerous to let us rummaging ruffians near the seal now that there was blood spilled, or else we might let loose something we can't put back'."

Edgeworth snorted.

More religious ridiculousness was at work here, he suspected.

"Have you simply tried moving her?" Edgeworth suggested. "She's not a particularly large woman."

"Yeah, one officer tried that. He's got an egg on his head now from where she clonked him with her walking stick." Ema's cheek puffed out. "I thought about arresting her for assaulting an officer, but nobody wanted to get close enough to actually do it. She's scary."

"Did the body at least get removed?" If it hadn't, he was awfully curious what was inside the body bag he'd just seen go by.

"Yeah, the body's out, but that's as far as we got." said Ema. "The doctor was hovering over us the entire time when we were removing the corpse and outlining the body with tape. Taking pictures of the scene was even worse. We could barely see anything, even with our flashlights, and when one guy got too close to a streamer attached to that rusted out old sword, she snagged him by the ear and hauled him out, ranting at him the whole way about 'getting a shoe with his name on it'. When she came back, that's when she saw the blood near the sword. She threw us out after that. Said it was too hazardous."

"What became of the unfortunate forensic specialist?" Edgeworth asked with a slightly morbid curiosity.

"I didn't ask and I don't want to know, but I saw him wincing and rubbing his backside a minute ago, so I can only assume she meant what she said about the shoe. So, we have some pictures of the scene being developed and the body's been outlined, but until we can get back inside that room and the autopsy report comes back, there's nothing else we can do."

"Mm, so that's how it is, then." Edgeworth murmured to himself more than to Ema. "Very well. I suppose that means I have no choice but to speak with Maya about this. In the meantime, I still need all those reports I asked you to deliver."

"They're in transit as we speak, sir." said Ema promptly. "I, um… also feel really bad about bugging Maya right now, but the old broad won't budge without her. Literally. And, by the way, how can something be sacred and dangerous at the same time?! That doesn't make any sense-"

"I think you'll find, Detective Skye, that the Feys are a remarkable convoluted bunch and very little they do makes any sense." said Edgeworth. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with Miss Fey." He pivoted on the spot and began walking towards the garden, but halfway down the corridor, his pace halted and he turned back again.

"Has there been any word about Pearl's condition?" He inquired quietly.

"Yes, sir. I just got a call from the hospital. It turns out Pearl wasn't nearly in as bad a shape as that junior doctor first thought. There was blunt force trauma to her head, but it's only a concussion, not a contusion. She's got a nasty laceration on the back of her head, but other than some stitches, she should be fine."

"Good." said Edgeworth. "What about the witness from the train station? Is a task force watching him, or has he given you the slip?"

"The manju salesman? Oh, he didn't go anywhere. He's just moved his cart to the side of the manor and set up shop there instead. It was a good thing, too. Some of the officers were getting hungry."

Edgeworth's eyebrows got lost in his hairline.

"Are you serious?" Of all the people he had expected to stick around after the commotion at the train station, 'Mr Doe' hadn't been one of them.

"Yes, sir. The officers have been working for ages with little rest, so a food cart showing up was a welcome sight, let me tell you."

"... I see. Well, just... just keep an eye on him, Detective." Edgeworth cleared his throat and regained his sense of professional conduct from where it had been a minute ago; out the window. "I haven't completed my interrogation of him yet."

"Will do, sir. Don't worry, the police have him surrounded, mostly because they're waiting their turn to order." Ema reached into her evidence bag and retrieved a small white paper baggie filled with pastries. "The manju's pretty good, by the way. Do you want one?"

"I'm fine, thank you. What about the other detective? Has he been told about the victim's identity from the train explosion?"

"Detective Time? Yeah… he found out." Ema droopily stuffed a manju into her mouth. "He snatched the report out of Mr. Wright's hands when he heard him reading it under his breath- he's got amazing hearing- and when he saw who it was that had passed away on the train, I thought all his freckles were going to faint. He hasn't said a word since."

"I thought as much. That is unfortunate."

"He's trying to keep a brave face about all this, but I saw him break down crying behind a tree about twenty minutes ago." Ema sighed tiredly and munched on her manju. "I don't like the guy, but nobody deserves to find out what happened to their sister like that. I actually feel kind of bad for him. Not enough to let him near my crime scene, but y'know. Bad enough."

"Well, he can't go near there now. He's a person of interest, and people of interest can't be involved with crime scenes." Edgeworth adjusted his glasses. "Standard policy."

"What about Maya?"

"... It's complicated. Anyway, well done, detective. Go enjoy your manju and let me know when those reports I asked you for are completed."

"Thank you, sir." Ema smiled, but it was a forced one. "I'll let you know when the autopsy report shows up along with the other ones."

"Excellent." said Edgeworth. "Oh, and Detective Skye, before you go, I need you to do something else for me."

"Anything, sir."

"Will you see to it that there is an interview room set up inside the manor? I need to interrogate everyone involved with this case and I would prefer to do it in a closed setting."

"Absolutely, sir." Ema saluted one more time and swiftly walked down the hallway into the front room to set up arrangements.

With that taken care of, Edgeworth removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. His headache was back with a vengeance and, unfortunately, no matter how much he attempted to recreate the motions Maya employed earlier, it just wasn't as soothing.

Maya.

Edgeworth spared the corridor leading to the garden another dismal glance. He didn't particularly wish to badger her, but in order to find the truth, his preferences were of little consequence.

Well… he wasn't going to get anywhere just standing there.

So, keeping that in mind, he strode down the corridor, pulled back the sliding door, and entered the winding way.

Curled up into a ball on the footpath that led out into the garden with her arms over her knees and her head in her arms was Maya. Wright sat next to her, patting her on the shoulder, but if the sniffling Edgeworth could hear coming from their direction was anything to go by, his efforts weren't that effective.

"Wright."

"Huh?" Wright looked up and saw Edgeworth standing near the doorway. "Hey, Edgeworth. How's the crime scene?"

"I wouldn't know." Edgeworth stepped into the way and shut the door behind him. "The forensics team has been evicted from the crime scene by Dr. Bolysm until the master is present to oversee the investigation. We are essentially up a creek in a leaking canoe and I am currently in search of the paddle."

"This paddle right here? Sorry, this paddle's a puddle." said Wright. "Go get a pedalo."

"Wright, be serious. This is no time for pedalo jokes-"

"… What's a pedalo?" asked Maya from inside her sleeve.

"It's a funky name for a paddleboat." said Wright. "We don't have many of them around here, but I tried one when I went to Europe. It was in the shape of a swan. It's a lot of fun, Maya. Do you want to try it later?"

"Only if you're the one who pedals." Maya sniffed inside her sleeve miserably. "I don't like wet feet."

"You don't, huh? Hang on... you're not getting 'cold feet' about going on a pedalo, are you?"

"Oh my god, Nick." Maya groaned into her knees.

Wright grinned impishly.

"C'mon Maya, don't 'swan' off on me now. That wouldn't be very 'ice' of you."

"Nick, no. Argh... your dad jokes. They burn."

In spite of herself, Maya was chuckling a little.

"Oh, how 'thaw'tful of you to ask so 'ice'ly." Nick's grin widened. "Edgeworth should really take a 'chill' pill, huh? Should he 'snow' away?"

"Wright, don't involve me in your horrific puns." said Edgeworth.

"What, you don't like my 'fridge' humor? Don't be so 'frosty'."

"Wright, if you are quite finished, I need to have a word with Miss Fey." Edgeworth rolled his eyes. "You seem to have broken the ice well enough, so if you would-"

An enormous grin spread across Wright's face.

"Edgeworth... did you just make a pun?"

Edgeworth went pink.

"What, I- N-no, of course I didn't-"

"Edgeworth, you just made a pun. I'm so proud. Wait until Trucy hears about this. Don't worry, Edgeworth. Nobody's going to 'pun-ish' you for finally growing a sense of humor-"

"Wright, if you want that same courtesy extended to you and decide to grow a sense of self preservation, you will go do something else that doesn't involve being right here, right now." The pink color in Edgeworth's cheeks rose to a warning shade of scarlet. "I need to speak with Miss Fey."

"Go ahead, speak away. I'm not stopping you."

"Alone."

"What?! Oh, come on. It's just me and it's not like we're on opposite sides of the proceedings. You can say what you want with me in the room just fine-"

"It's okay, Nick." Maya looked up from the crook of her arm and tugged at his sleeve. "I can handle it. You go get some food or something. You hadn't eaten at all, right? I don't want you getting sick or anything, so… go get food. I'll be okay."

Wright's stomach seconded that idea with a gurgle.

"Well... okay. If you're sure you'll be alright talking with Mr. Stodgy Skeptic on your own, I'll go." The humorous tone Wright had been using faded away and he patted Maya's shoulder. "Just don't say anything that could get you arrested, okay?"

"No promises." Maya smiled weakly. "Getting arrested's kinda my thing."

"Heh, it is that." Wright offered her a faint smile of his own and got back to his feet. "Well, I guess I'll, uh, vamoose, and and leave you two to it."

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better, Nick." Maya curled herself into an even tighter ball. "Sorry it didn't work that well."

"Any time, Maya." Wright smiled at her one last time and turned to Edgeworth. "She's all yours, Edgeworth. Just don't make her cry. I worked hard for that smile."

"Contrary to popular belief, my main goal in life isn't to make people miserable." Edgeworth sniped back, but they both understood what Wright had meant.

'Good luck'.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya asked once Wright left the garden, though she didn't bother looking at him. "I'm guessing something's come up."

"Yes. Dr. Bolysm is refusing to allow us entry into the crime scene." said Edgeworth. "She did not explain why, but she has decreed that it is too dangerous without the master present and she's kicked the forensics team out of the room until you arrive. We can't get past her."

"Oh." Maya rested her chin on top of her arms. "I see. I'll... be there soon, then. I just need some more time to... to compose myself."

"Unfortunately, of that we are in little supply-" Edgeworth stopped when he noticed Maya was shivering.

"I know, I know. We don't have a lot of time." Maya dropped her head back into her arms and burrowed herself deeper into a ball. "I'm trying to... pull myself together. It's just... taking longer than I thought it would. So, is there anything else, or can I be left to wallow for a bit?"

Edgeworth's forehead furrows deepened as he assessed the situation from his spot in the winding way.

Maya was very much in distress, that was obvious, but the more he thought about it, the more Edgeworth realized he genuinely did not know what to do in order to make her feel better.

Although he'd been witness to many a crime scene in his day, he wasn't the sort of man who was well versed in tackling the emotional fallout that happened afterwards with other witnesses; that wasn't in his purview. He was a man of the law, not a man of... whatever this was.

So what was he supposed to do?

He didn't have many reference points when it came to comforting those in emotional distress. He was fantastic at making them distressed so they would slip up in testimonies, but when it came to assuaging them, he was a neophyte of the highest order.

What was the right thing to do, then? Should he leave her alone? That sounded like an amenable idea to him, but it contradicted what she said earlier about not wanting to be alone when upset. So, should he stay, then? He would if that was what the situation called for, but she didn't seem to be all that keen on conversation and she had curled herself away from the world, so it looked to him like she was attempting to shut herself off.

Nngh.

Wait.

He did have a reference point.

In the deep recesses of his memory, Edgeworth vaguely remembered a time when he'd stopped by his father's office after school one day and saw his father handling the woes and whims of one of his clients, a young woman if he remembered correctly. She was upset about something, Edgeworth couldn't remember why, nor did he particularly care, but he remembered his father had gotten her to stop being upset and he'd been very good at it.

So...

What would his father have done had he been faced with this situation?

"Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya lifted her head again and gazed at him with watery, red-rimmed eyes. "Is something wrong? You're staring at me."

"Nothing's wrong." Edgeworth's attention honed in on her and he readjusted his glasses; okay, he could do this. "I was just merely... curious."

"Curious? What about?"

"I was curious about... how you were faring." Edgeworth slowly approached her like one would a spooked doe and took a seat next to her on the wooden footpath. "So... how are you doing?"

"Well, I tried preventing a murder and I ended up with three." Maya sniffed again and stared out into the lush greenery of the garden. "So, as for how I'm feeling, pretty lousy, if I'm honest."

"Here." Edgeworth took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "You're shivering. This will help."

Please, please let it help.

Maya glanced at the coat around her shoulders and sniffed a third time.

"Thank you."

Edgeworth let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Alright. So far, so good.

"Maya, you were also wrong in your last statement."

Maya peered up at him curiously from underneath the coat which hung on her petite frame like an empty burgundy sack of feed corn on a scarecrow.

"The 'thank you'? No, I'm pretty sure I meant that."

"No, not that. Three. You said three, but that was wrong. It's two." said Edgeworth. "I heard from the detective who had just spoken with the hospital. Pearl is suffering from a concussion and a laceration on her head, but the doctor is certain she will pull through with little issue. So, it isn't three. It's two."

Though two murders were certainly nothing to dismiss, it was better than three.

"You… you mean Pearly's okay?" Maya's face was awash with a mixture of desperate hopefulness and a reluctance to believe for fear of it being too good to be true. "She'll be alright? Really?"

"Yes, she should be fine." A small smile ghosted about his face. "You have nothing to fear on that respect."

"That's..." Maya's chin drooped back onto her arms as her body's tension uncoiled. "That's wonderful. Thank you."

"You needn't thank me." said Edgeworth. "You simply needed to know."

"Yeah... I just... I just wish that were the case for everything else, too." Maya buried her face in her arms. "This is all my fault."

Edgeworth frowned.

"How is it your fault? You did nothing of the sort to instigate any of these actions, did you?"

"No, but-" Maya lifted her head out of her arms again and unfolded herself from her ball. "I was just so certain I knew what Mrs. Voyant was talkingabout, but I was blind. Stupid and arrogant and blind. I missed the mark completely. I wasn't even in the right sports stadium, let alone the same ballpark."

Edgeworth's brow furrowed deeper against his eyes and his mouth set into a thin line.

"I just... I thought that I could-" Maya looked like she was struggling to find the right words. "I thought I could handle this. As the master, the welfare of everyone who comes into this village falls under my responsibility. It's my job to protect them and everybody else I care about, so I... I thought I could do something about this, to make sure it didn't happen. I thought I could save... who I thought the victim was going to be."

"Maya."

"That's why I did all I did, dragging you here, lying, begging you for help, all that. I even did things I shouldn't have done, things I didn't want to do, but... I was so blind that I never thought for a minute that I might've been wrong. I never once thought I'd gotten it wrong, not with what she said to me, not with how she said it. I knew it had to be... I knew it had to be who I thought it was, but I didn't know anything. I got it wrong. And, even if I didn't get it wrong, other people died anyway because I was so focused on that one person, I never thought to safeguard anyone else. I'm an idiot. An incompetent fool. A foolish fool, even."

"Maya, listen to me." said Edgeworth.

"I let a murderer slip by me and now Pearly's in the hospital and Mrs. Voyant's dead, not to mention that poor woman on the train. I failed. I'm a failure." Maya's shoulders sank into her chest. "What kind of master lets this happen?"

"Maya, this wasn't your doing, so stop saying-"

"What kind of master fails her villagers like this? What kind of master allows her cousin to get hurt? What kind of master lets people die?!" A few tears careened down her face. "I should've done better. I shouldn't have let myself get so myopic. I should've done more, I should've told-"

"Maya, stop this self flagellation at once!"

"Eek!" Maya jumped when Edgeworth struck the wooden way underneath them like he'd made an objection with the palm of his hand. "Wh-what was that for?!"

"To make you cease your belaboring castigation of yourself before you whip yourself to flinders, that's what!" Edgeworth snapped. "Maya, what you should or shouldn't have done is irrelevant. Your wish to keep everyone safe is admirable and you should not hate yourself for wanting to protect them. However, what you need to get through your head is that just because you might want to take care of your subordinates, that doesn't mean sometimes bad things don't happen to, and as a result of, your subordinates. That is not something you can prevent, nor is it something that you are expected to, because to expect that of someone is to expect the impossible."

"To expect that of yourself is a foolhardy and asinine method of thinking and you need to drop it immediately lest you get yourself hurt. In order to be an effective leader, you must realize there is an area that you are not capable of influencing, the actions of others. So, drop this puppeteer charade of yours and face the facts. You are not a god, nor are you a psychic capable of seeing into the future. You are a young woman with a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, coping as best she can, all the while taking care of a bunch of whirling dervishes who, frankly, are magnets for nothing but trouble on a good day. No one will blame you for any of this and they're not going to, either. Flaying yourself will get you nowhere and all it's doing right now is making my hair hurt, so knock it off and stop punishing yourself for a matter that is not of your own making!"

Breathing heavily because he'd run out of air about halfway through his rant, Edgeworth took a moment to focus on Maya more clearly again and as soon as he did, he instantly felt awkward. Silent as the grave, Maya kept her gaze locked on him and she didn't say a word, but her mouth was hung open in shock.

Cringing a little on the inside, Edgeworth took a deep breath to calm himself and peered upwards into the greying sky, utterly annoyed with himself for getting so worked up over something so trivial.

"... Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Yes?" He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "What?"

Maya stared down at her feet.

"I blame me for it, though."

Edgeworth sighed tiredly.

She hadn't heard him at all, had she?

"Yes, I suppose you do." He retrieved his handkerchief from his coat pocket and offered it to her. "It's pointless to do so, however. Here."

"Thanks." Maya took the handkerchief from him and dabbed at her eyes. "Y'know, I don't think I've ever seen you get like that, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Like what?" Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. He'd yelled at people before. Surely she didn't mean the dressing down he'd given her because she was flogging herself to death. He'd never yelled at her before, he didn't think, but that was only because he reserved his yelling mostly for Wright when she was in court alongside him.

"All passionate about what you were saying about something other than lawyering, I guess." Maya rubbed her nose with the kerchief and chuckled a little, in spite of the circumstances.

Edgeworth blinked.

Passionate?

Him?

He snorted and resumed his sky watching.

"Do... do you have any experience with this sort of thing?"

"Not this exactly, but something akin to it, I suppose."

"Like what?" Maya scooted a little closer, despite the fact he'd just scolded her into next week.

"When I became the Chief Prosecutor, with the exception of Klavier Gavin, Simon Blackquill and Sebastian Debeste, I purged the entire Prosecutors' Office of all its prosecuting attorneys. Nahyuta Sahdmadhi was merely on call from the Kingdom of Khura'in, but don't think I was dragging him back and forth between countries merely for the amusement alone. We were that short on hands."

"What about Franziska?"

"She's in league with Interpol now. She's decided to do something more up to her speed. I don't think she ever truly got over her defeat at Wright's hand, so it's probably for the best she's not prosecuting domestic cases regularly anymore."

"Is she going to whip them into shape?" Maya asked a little puckishly.

"Figuratively and literally." Another little smile ghosted across his face, but it quickly fell away. "Anyway, there was an incident where several prosecutors were less than willing to leave their position upon my termination of their services. They had enjoyed a wealth of power up until that point and weren't so keen to give it up without a fight. One in particular made quite the nasty scene in front of the Prosecutors' Office. He kept insisting he wasn't the one who committed the crime of purposefully convicting innocent men and throwing out guilty cases in order to profit off of a gambling ring he had orchestrated and operated within the courthouse."

"He was throwing trials so he could get money off of them?" Maya gasped in horror. "That's horrible!"

"Yes, the dark age of the law has many facets of how it operates its' dirty tricks. He was rigging the legal battles to win or lose as he saw fit so the gambling ring he was a part of could profit hand over fist. I exposed his wrongdoings and saw to it that not only was he fired, he was arrested for it."

"What happened?" asked Maya.

"He put up a fight and had to be dragged from the building. He was in quite the apoplectic rage. He even threatened me."

"That must've been really scary." Maya gripped the coat around her shoulders tightly.

"It was for the security team. He was a former olympian, so wrestling him away from the building was no mere feat. Still, he maintained his innocence even as he was dragged away by police. He claimed he was framed for it, but I wasn't fooled. I knew he was guilty, I had the proof. I was even going to see to it personally that he was convicted for it. However, later that day, he died while in police custody after one of the inmates he wrongfully convicted attacked him; that man had been innocent all along and the prosecutor knew that before the trial happened and did nothing, which is just reprehensible. Now, do you think I should blame myself for that? For his actions or his death?"

"No." said Maya. "You didn't do it. You didn't have a gambling ring. You didn't do what caused the whole thing. You're not a criminal."

"Exactly." said Edgeworth. "That is why I do not. In order to accept certain aspects of leadership, it is imperative to recognize what faults are yours and what faults are those of the people under you. You cannot shoulder the world's problems, you know."

"No... I don't know." Maya smiled at him, though it was still somewhat sodden with unshed tears. "But I get now why I shouldn't."

"Then I haven't wasted my breath." said Edgeworth. "Just don't call yourself a failure. You're not. You're only human. Furthermore, you're not stupid or blind and hearing you say so on either front is offensive to me. So, don't."

Silence descended between the two after Edgeworth finished speaking, and it stayed there for about a minute until it was broken by Maya snickering into the handkerchief.

"What?" Edgeworth warily regarded her as her snickering evolved into a full fledged giggle fit. "What's so funny?"

"You. I don't know what was worse, Nick's puns or your encouragement speech." Maya brought down the handkerchief to reveal the radiant smile had made its return. "I have to hand it to you, Mr. Edgeworth. That was, by far, the worst pep talk I have ever gotten in my entire life."

Edgeworth sat there, slightly nonplussed.

His attempts to mollify her had been bad?

Really?

He'd thought he'd done a halfway decent job.

"However, I appreciate that you tried and I get what you were saying, so you get an 'A' for effort." Maya scooted over, perched herself on her knees, and pecked Edgeworth on the cheek. "Thank you. I can't promise immediate results, but I'll try not to be so hard on myself from now on."

Edgeworth's mind went blank.

If he hadn't been nonplussed before, he most certainly was now.

"I have to say, I'm pretty impressed." Maya rearranged the coat on her shoulders that was threatening to swallow her whole while Edgeworth stared at her with the same brilliance of a bird that had just flown headlong into a window. "You've really come a long way."

"What do you mean?" Edgeworth asked numbly.

"Well... let's just say, you're not the same man I met all those years ago." Maya beamed at him. "You actually turned into a person."

"... I still don't follow you."

"I know. That's okay, though. No one said you had to." Maya stretched her arms over her head. "So, you said you guys couldn't access the crime scene without me, huh? Well, I suppose I'll just have to suck it up so we can get back to business. Those murders won't solve themselves. Do you want your coat back?"

She waved a floppy sleeve at him.

"You can keep it for the time being if you want." said Edgeworth. "I was getting overheated, anyway."

"Hey, that's fine with me." Maya burrowed herself into his coat so only her eyes were showing. "Your coat smells fantastic, just like the inside of your car. Anyway, I'll go on ahead and see what I can do about Dr. Bolysm. Are you coming?"

"I'll be there in a minute. Go on without me."

"Okay, I'll see you there." Maya got up, inhaled, let out slowly and smiled the best smile she could manage. "Right… Let's do this thing. I can do this. Just gotta keep on truckin'." She then shook her shoulders, puffed out her chest and marched towards the door leading into the manor, his coat billowing behind her like a cape.

As he watched her leave the garden, Edgeworth couldn't help but find it amusing how comical she looked while wearing his coat. It was gigantic on her, yet for some strange reason, it suited her.

Now alone with only his thoughts to occupy himself, Edgeworth stared out into the garden and wondered just how bad his speech had been. Admittedly, he wasn't one for public speaking if he could help it, but surely it hadn't been as horrendous as she made it out to be. Besides, if it had truly been as bad as she claimed, Maya would still be parked out here on misery avenue.

And...

He reached up and ran the pads of his fingers over the patch of skin where she'd kissed him.

The spot still tingled.

"Feh." Edgeworth shook off his doubts, though his fingers still rubbed at the spot. His pep talk was perfectly adequate, thank you. Maya was probably just teasing him again-

A rustling of leaves shook him out of his revelry and his hand dropped.

Someone else was in the garden.

"Who's there?" Edgeworth called sharply out into the garden. "Make your presence known this instant!"

If that was Wright out there spying on him, he swore to all things holy that he would take that badge of his and shove it so far up his-

Out from behind a fig tree, a ginger head poked its way through the foliage and a golden watch attached to a wrist waved at him.

Edgeworth sighed derisively.

It wasn't Wright.

It was just Detective Time.

"Time, what are you doing over there?" He inquired tartly. Though he sympathized with the detective for having just lost his sister, Edgeworth did not abide eavesdroppers.

"Pokin' the ficus, sir." The detective hung his head.

Edgeworth's eyebrow arched.

"Why are you poking the ficus?"

"It was judgin' me for my sins, sir."

Edgeworth pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Time, stop bothering the ficus and get over here." He directed the detective away from the fig tree and beckoned him over. "What are you doing, skulking around the garden like that?"

"I wasn't skulkin', sir." said Time. "I only wanted to speak with you when you had some availability and I didn't want to interrupt your conversation with the lady. She sounded mighty upset and I didn't want to spook her."

"You weren't eavesdropping, were you?" Edgeworth's gaze narrowed.

"No, sir. I was not." Time straightened up. "I don't listen into conversations like that. The lady was clearly in distress and it wouldn't be right to pry into a lady's sensibilities without her say so. So, I kept my eaves to myself and didn't drop nary a one."

"Oh. Well… good. In any event, if you wish to have my attention, now is a decent time." Edgeworth crossed his arms over his chest, which felt strange since he was no longer wearing his coat because Maya had absconded with it. "What is it you wished to speak with me about?"

Time deflated again.

"Well, I... I read the report about the victim of the train explosion. I apologize for snatchin' it away from the blue suited fella like that, but when I heard her name, I... I don't know what I was thinkin'. I've been pokin' the fig tree ever since."

Detective Skye had mentioned something about Time having broken down behind a tree. That ficus must've been the tree she meant.

"So you're here to apologize?"

"Not just that, sir." Time took a deep breath and stood up straight like someone had jammed a rod into his back. "I want to formally request that I be taken off the case. I don't want whoever killed my sister to get off because I'm involved with the investigation, sir. If my involvement would in any way hinder the prosecution's case, I'd rather not be involved at all. I can't let whoever did this to run free and, sir, I can't be a part of this case now that I'm a person of interest with a connection to the victim. I should've just let Detective Skye have her run of the crime scene in the first place, regardless of whether or not the county set me on this incident."

"I see." Edgeworth considered his words and saw the merit of what he was saying. "Well, first off, you have my condolences. I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, sir." said Time stiffly.

"And secondly, Detective Time, would you be biddable to an interview?"

"An interview?"

"Yes. You are a person of interest. Your insights could shed light on this entire investigation." said Edgeworth. "Surely you would not deny the possibility of such information coming to the surface?"

Time's face hardened with resolution.

"Sir, I would love to help in any way I can."

"Then be seated. This is a fairly secluded area, so there is no one else around to overhear us, unless there is someone else roaming about the garden poking the fig trees." Edgeworth gestured to where Maya had been sitting and pulled out a small notebook he kept in his waistcoat pocket. "State your name and occupation." He flipped open the leather lid of the notebook and took out the pen.

Time blinked.

"Uh... don't you know that already, sir?"

"Time. Name. Now."

"Okay, okay. Sorry, sir. Er... My name is Justin Time, and I'm a detective with the local county sheriff's office."

"Detective Time, please testify about the victim of the train station incident, Miss Milly Time. What kind of person was she?"

"Well... she's a right sweetheart. The best little sister a man can have." The rims around Time's eyes grew rather moist and red. "She was a darling, through and through."

"How old was she?"

"She was 22. We're seven years apart because she's got a different mama than I do, but we're peas in a pod, her and me." Time reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a creased, worn photograph. "Here, this is a picture of us when she just got her train attendant job. I took her to Gatewater Land as a treat and she'd never gone before because we couldn't afford to go, but with my promotion to detective, the extra cash flow really helped out, so I got to bring the whole family."

Edgeworth took the photograph and unfolded it.

His jaw promptly dropped.

"... sir?" Time looked at him and then at the photo. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no, it's nothing." Edgeworth quickly dismissed his inquiry. "And this is your whole family?"

"Yeah, me, Milly and the old man." Time indicated the people in the photo with his finger. "We're all that's left now. We used to be a huge family, but... well... stuff happens. Sickness, age, car crashes, that stuff. We'd be the Weasleys if they just whittled us down to three. Milly's the one right there, the one smilin' her head off. She got ice cream in her hair when she fainted in the haunted house because one of the badger mascots jumped out at her. It was a good day. I... I can't believe we won't have any more like that now."

"... I see." Edgeworth handed the photo back to Time. "What does your father do?"

"My old man? He's a watchmaker. 'Otto Time's Watch Emporium'. He'll make any kind of watch, big or small, wrist or pocket. See?" Time pulled back his coat and the gold timepiece on his wrist flickered in the sun. "I'm a walking advertisement for his products. He made this one for me when I joined the police academy. They're one of a kind, y'know. Every watch he makes is special and only the owner knows why."

"It's lovely." complimented Edgeworth.

"Man... my old man. How am I gonna tell him?" Time ran a hand over his face. "Milly's his life. He'll be all alone now."

"He still has you, doesn't he?"

"Eh, it's not the same. She was special. More 'n me, anyway."

"Why do you say that?"

"Just the way I was brought up, I guess." Time smiled ruefully. "Milly was one in a million, so…so… oh, god."

As Time's shoulders started to shake and he turned his face away so all that could be seen was a smattering of red hair, Edgeworth quietly occupied himself with his notebook and pretended not to notice. Despite trying to put on a brave face, it was clear the young man was beside himself with despair and bringing attention to it would only make it worse.

"When did Milly begin working for the train line?" He asked when Time had calmed down enough to speak properly.

"About eight months ago." Time exhaled slowly and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "She was really good at makin' conversation with the attendants and breakin' up fights amongst the passengers. The tales she'd bring home about them gettin' really riled up because of some medium wasn't who they wanted for their channelin' and beatin' on each other about it, man, it made my blood boil. I said I'd go in there and sort them out myself, but Milly, she was prideful. She said she could handle it and I needed to keep my Ps and Qs to myself. Maybe if I hadn't listened to her, she would've... she would've come home."

"She valued her occupation that much?"

"Yes, sir. You'd never meet a more attentive attendant than Milly." said Time. "She made sure to get to know the passengers' names and that they knew her, too. She always tried to be as friendly as possible and she never met a stranger in her life."

Time hissed out a bitter breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"A whole lot of good it did her. Damn it all. I knew somethin' was wrong when Milly didn't come home this mornin'. I knew somethin' had to be up."

"Was it possible she met someone on the train? A man, perhaps?" Edgeworth pressed while writing down some notes.

Time's expression grew sour.

"Begging your pardon, sir, but hell to the no. Milly never didn't come home. She wasn't the type to go around cavortin' with men of any kind, and especially not ones that had ulterior motives. She knew better than that. She was a good girl. She also didn't like men like that, sir. She liked cats, not dogs, if ya get my meanin'."

"Ah."

"So, um… is that all, sir?" Time glanced over the edge of the notepad curiously and quickly retracted his gaze when Edgeworth glared him away. "I... I need to call my old man. He… doesn't know about Milly yet."

"There's one more thing I wish to clarify." Edgeworth glanced over the rim of his glasses. "Were you really assigned to this case, Detective Time?"

Time blinked.

"Huh?"

"You obviously cared for your sister. Upon hearing of what happened to the train station, you mysteriously appeared by yourself, demanding to know the details of the case, even though no one had cleared you before your arrival." Edgeworth replaced the pen, shut the notepad, and pocketed it. "If you had actually been dispatched by the county sheriff's office, you would have had an entourage accompanying you along with a letter of introduction."

He spared the detective a piercingly unamused scowl which caused Time's freckles to go white.

"So, that leads me to only one conclusion. The county sheriff never sent you, did he?"

Time opened his mouth to rebuff him, but no words came.

"So you don't deny it. That was wise." said Edgeworth. "I don't brook liars."

"What... are you gonna do?" Time asked in a whisper as Edgeworth stood.

"Oh, I've already done it." Edgeworth replied lightly as he dusted himself off. "Your motives were pure enough, so I shan't file a formal complaint, but I've let you know that no matter how sneaky you might think you are or what tricks you might pull..."

He leveled the detective with a downright corrosive glare.

"Nothing gets past me. So. Don't. Do it. Again."

Time shrank in on himself and stared down at his shoes.

"... yes, sir."

"Oh, and one more thing. What is your relationship status?"

"Wha... what?" Time looked back up again, his whole face wracked with confusion.

"Just answer the question, detective."

"Um... single?" said Time. "Why?"

"No reason. I merely wanted to know." Edgeworth exited the winding way, leaving a very flummoxed detective alone in the garden.

"Are you sure you don't want it, Maya?" asked Ema. "I mean, you really did a number on him to get that thing."

"I'm sure, don't worry." Maya nodded just as Edgeworth came into the main hall. "I did a lot of thinking about it and it's a waste to keep something like that for myself, so I was hoping you might like it instead. It'd be happier with you. It's just not happy with me."

"Oh, hey. Don't say that." Ema patted her shoulder. "You'll find the right one, trust me. There's one out there for everybody. The trick is just finding 'em."

"Eh, I'm okay. I'm more of a one trick pony." smiled Maya. "If I can't have what I want, I won't have anything at all."

"Well... that's not the worst idea in the world. The last thing you want to do is settle." Ema puffed out a cheek knowingly. "It would be awful to end up stuck with the wrong one."

"Exactly."

"What are you two on about?" Wright asked while he munched on a manju.

"Oh, nothing. Girl stuff." Maya brushed off Wright's question and snagged a manju out of his paper bag. "You wouldn't be interested."

"Does that 'girl stuff' have anything to do with gaining entry into the crime scene?" asked Edgeworth.

"Oh!" Both ladies spun around. "Mr. Edgeworth, you're back."

"Obviously." Edgeworth's eyebrow arched. "Now, what is the situation regarding the crime scene?"

"Dr. Bolysm's going to let us go in to investigate the scene, but only if I go with you and if she comes along with me." Maya reported, her cheery smile a far cry from her earlier woebegone self. "So, when you're ready, we'll head off."

"I've been ready for a while." said Edgeworth.

"Well then, let's get this gravy train on the road." Maya chirped and headed down the hallway with a spring in her step.

"Wow, she's a lot better than when I saw her last." Wright commented as he watched her round the bend. "Hey Edgeworth, what did you do to her?"

"I subjected her to the world's worst pep talk, evidently." Edgeworth folded his arms against his chest. "I also gave her my coat. She was cold."

"Yeah, I noticed that much." said Wright. "That red coat flapping behind her makes her look like a superhero, like Superman, or Thor, or Captain Underpants."

"Poor Maya. She just can't catch a break." Ema pensively stuffed a manju into her mouth. "First all these murders happen right under her nose, then Pearl's in the ICU and to top it all off, she got dumped by some-"

"Dumped?" Wright repeated. "What do you mean 'dumped'?"

"Oh!" Ema swallowed the manju down hard. "Er, nothing, I didn't say anything. Nope, I didn't, not me-"

"Yes, you did! You said 'dumped'!" Wright pressed onwards. "What did you mean?!"

"Er..."

"Edgeworth, order her to tell me." He wheeled around at Edgeworth. "You can do that, you're her boss. Threaten to cut her pay or something. You did it all the time with Gumshoe."

Ema turned to him in a panic.

"Sir, you wouldn't-"

"Wright, you don't get to tell me what to do." Edgeworth reproached him. "However, I wish to know as well, so unfortunately on this front for you, Detective Skye, I am ordering you to report. What did you mean by 'dumped', exactly?"

Ema cringed.

"B-but I... oh… oh, crud. Yes, sir." She reached to her bag, fished out another manju and crammed it into her mouth. "Jeez. Using my own boss against me. This is why people don't like lawyers, Mr. Wright. Alright, do you remember that bouquet from the wedding that we all chased Larry down for, me and Maya and Athena? The one that he almost got drowned in the fountain for?"

"Yeah, his nose is still busted." Wright tried to hide a grin, but he did a poor job of doing so. "I bet he'll think twice about sending the feds to my office next time he runs off with a murder suspect."

"I'll take that bet." Edgeworth smirked. "Mostly because this is Larry we're talking about and no, he won't. So, on that regard, I've already won."

"... alright, then. Well, Maya was the one who ended up with that bouquet. She was really happy about having it at the time. She even did a victory lap around the reception deck." said Ema. "However, we were talking a minute ago and she just offered it to me."

"She offered you the bouquet?" asked Wright.

"Yes, she did mention something of the kind." concurred Edgeworth. "We talked about it when I visited her house for a brief time earlier in the morning. She was going to see if you wanted it."

"Oh. Well, if she talked about it with you, then you must already know, sir."

Edgeworth's eyebrow arched again.

"Already know what?"

Ema stared at him.

"You do... know... don't you, sir?"

"I can't say that I do, Detective Skye." said Edgeworth, growing a smidgeon impatient. "Out with it."

"Mr. Wright?" Ema turned to the defense attorney.

Wright shook his head.

Ema gaped at them.

"Oh, c'mon. It's obvious. Why would a woman who worked so hard for a bouquet suddenly want to get rid of it? What would cause her to do that?"

Wright and Edgeworth looked at each other.

"... the flowers wilted?" offered Wright.

"No." Ema stuck her hands on her hips. "Maya's been jilted, that's what happened. That's why she doesn't want the bouquet anymore. She got her hopes up and some guy trashed them, that's why she wants to ditch the flowers. That's why I said her life's pretty awful right now. All this stress on top of getting the boot from a man, it's a miracle she can keep her head above water, let alone swim. Maya's not having a good time of things right now and you two prying certainly isn't helping, even if it is just prying at me."

"So, when you said 'dumped', you really did mean by a guy!"Wright's hair spikes stood on end, which was impressive given how pointy they already were. "Maya never told me she was seeing somebody!"

"Nor did she tell me as much." attested Edgeworth. "I did not know she was in a romantic relationship with anyone. I daresay Pearl didn't know either."

"Yeah, because if she did know, there would've been a third murder." shuddered Wright. "Pearls is cute most of the time, but she's scary when she's mad."

"You speak from personal experience, I imagine." commented Edgeworth languidly.

"Yep. So, do you think this guy's a local?" Wright looked from side to side. "If so, where's his house and who's got a match?"

"Wright, no arson schemes in front of the Chief Prosecutor." said Edgeworth.

"No, it's more likely she was dating somebody when she was overseas, though I'd put the emphasis on 'was' in that statement." said Ema. "Furthermore, factoring in all the evidence, it's clear she must've been let go, had the relationship terminated, dumped, jilted, ditched, given the old heave ho, thrown out like yesterday's newspapers, I've got more euphemisms if you want me to go on-"

"No, I get it." seethed Wright. "Maya never told me she was seeing a guy, but what kind of monster would do that to her?! That's... that's unforgivable!"

"The kind of guy that just got bored of her or someone else came along that he liked better, probably." said Ema with a shrug. "It happens. It's not nice or fair, but it happens. Such is the way of a wandering lust."

Edgeworth mildly wondered who could be strange enough to ever find Maya boring.

Wright, however, wasn't so mild.

"Names! I want names! Edgeworth, get Interpol on the phone- don't you look at me like that, I know you know their number- I'll track this guy down and give him a piece of my mind! He'll choke on it for a week-"

"See, this is probably why she didn't tell you, Mr. Wright." sighed Ema. "She probably figured you'd react like this if you found out. You do have a tendency to be overprotective of every female in your vicinity. It's part of your charm, but it's also really annoying sometimes."

"But it's Maya-"

"What makes you think it wasn't her decision to terminate this supposed relationship?" Edgeworth asked while Wright stood there muttering to himself about his revenge plan on Maya's behalf. "Surely that might be an equal reason for disposing of a bouquet."

"Maybe from a logical standpoint, but not on something like this." Ema rebuffed. "If Maya had been the one to end the dalliance, something like a bouquet wouldn't cause her so much emotional turmoil. Its' presence is probably a reminder of what happened between her and her former paramour, so getting rid of it is a reasonable step to take when trying to shake off the dust of a failed relationship."

"I still don't see the difference."

"Mr. Edgeworth, to get dumped by somebody when you still like them is astronomically different from when you dump somebody yourself. Yes, it will hurt regardless because the relationship ends, but she had no control over its ending and it was probably too abrupt for her to handle. She was rejected and thrown away before she was able to let go herself, there's no nice way to sugar coat it. Poor Maya must be in a lot of pain right now."

"This guy will burn..."

"Wright, don't threaten people in front of me or I will be forced to have you arrested." Edgeworth admonished. "Wait until I am out of earshot first."

"I'm going to go talk to her about it." Wright sucked in a deep breath and puffed out his chest. "Whoever this guy is, he's not going to get away with-"

"No!" Ema moved in front of him and blocked his way. "Mr. Wright, you can't do that!"

"Why not?!" flared Wright.

"Because you'll only make it worse." Ema stuck her hands on her hips. "Mr. Wright, I know you want to help, but Maya's processing a lot right now. Press her too hard or say the wrong thing, and you could end up doing a lot of emotional damage and creating hangs ups that will take her years to bounce back from, if she does at all. People have developed all sorts of clinically proven issues from not allowing themselves to come to grips with what happened after a relationship turned sour or they were rejected, so just leave her be and if she wants to talk about it, she'll come round. Until then, mind your own business and don't push."

"Given his profession, your request might be nigh impossible, Detective." said Edgeworth.

"Hey, what are you guys doing, standing around?" Maya poked her head around the bend. "I thought you were the ones raring to go and I was holding up the procession, but here I find it's opposite day- Nick, why do you look like you're going to explode?"

"I'm... not." Wright stifled down whatever he wanted to say, briskly strode forwards and caught Maya in a tight hug.

"Huh?!" Maya gasped in surprise at the embrace and returned it until Wright let go. "Um... okay, thank you for that. Hugs are always good, but what was that for?"

"Reasons." Wright said curtly and he disappeared down the hall.

"... alright, then." Maya watched him go and turned to Ema. "So, what was that all about- Ema?"

Ema was gone too.

Maya blinked again and glanced at Edgeworth, utterly bewildered.

"Wow, they're both acting weirder than usual, huh, Mr Edgeworth-" Maya paused. "Uh, Mr. Edgeworth? What are you looking at me like that for? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Edgeworth shook off her question and put a hand on his chest; the stabbing sensation from earlier was wreaking havoc on his sternum. "It's nothing."

He figured Maya might know something about the locks afflicting him and had planned on seeking her counsel on the subject when the opportunity arose, but Ema was right. Maya was under a lot of strain at the present moment and him adding one more thing to her pile of unresolved issues might just be the straw that broke the camel's back, so he decided he would refrain from troubling her for the time being.

So, with that in mind, he cut a sharp exit around her in pursuit of Wright and Ema, leaving Maya alone in the front hall.

Maya's mouth fell open.

"Did everyone go bananas in the past five minutes when I wasn't looking?!"

(A/N- Not gonna lie, this is probably my favorite chapter so far. I'm rather pleased with how it turned out, especially since my hands went numb when I was working on it because I typed for too long in one sitting and overestimated my finger strength. Oh, well. Live and learn, I suppose. I'm just happy I was able to post it online as soon as I was. I wasn't so sure for a while because things where I am have been getting a little precarious financially lately, so that's been a thing cutting into my writing time. However, I'll do my best and attempt to keep within the parameters of my upload schedule as much as I can. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!)