APRIL 11, 2014 4:30 PM

IVY UNIVERSITY

PHARMACOLOGY BUILDINGS

"You think she's suspicious?"

Lana gave him a look. "No, of course not. Why would anybody involved in a murder case be suspicious?"

"...it was a rhetorical question."

"I gathered. What do you intend to do?"

Shirou sighed. "We have twins, who are identical other than that one has hair dye. Not exactly a reliable trait. One is probably involved in the murder, and is trying to frame the other. I can't see the other one willingly calling herself Dahlia Hawthorne, whether or not it's true, since Dahlia has a...sketchy background."

Lana blinked. "Wait, you didn't mention that."

"I didn't? Well, long story short, two attorneys from Grossberg Law Offices were defending a client, a man named Terry Fawles."

"I remember that case. I was a newbie detective at the time, so I helped with the arrest."

"No kidding? Huh. Well, the principal witness was a woman named Melissa Foster; apparently Dahlia Hawthorne had faked her death. The case ended tragically, with Fawles' suicide, and the record was mostly buried. Judge sealed it, apparently."

"Because of the death?"

He nodded. "Anyway, one of the lawyers was poisoned in the courthouse last August, and Hawthorne was the main suspect. Not enough evidence to convict, though."

Lana nodded, clearly understanding his logic. "So you think that Dahlia wants to use this murder to more conclusively fake her death? To escape from her criminal record?"

"Exactly. It's the only motive that makes sense."

Her brows furrowed, and she bit her thumb. "Then how is Wright involved?"

"That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?" He sighed. "I don't think he was framed. If Dahlia did it all herself, she wouldn't have had enough time to get rid of all the evidence and escape from the scene of the crime before Wright returned."

"So either he's an accomplice or a murderer?"

Shirou shook his head. "No, probably just an accomplice. I could see Hawthorne playing the victim enough to get him to support her when she 'gives Swallow his due for his cruelty,'" he said, using air quotes rather dramatically. "He's a bit of a lovestruck fool."

She tilted her head, resting it on her left pointer finger. It was a surprisingly cute action for the usually rather dignified detective, Shirou noted. "But we have no idea what Dahlia Hawthorne's like. Sure, this girl is demure and charming...but is this Dahlia Hawthorne?"

Shirou's eyes widened. "Ngah..." he groaned. "You're absolutely right." He sighed. "There's only one person who knows what Dahlia Hawthorne is really like."

"The other defense attorney?"

Shirou nodded. "The extraordinarily biased Mia Fey."

Lana stared for a minute, before reaching up and massaging the bridge of her nose. "Mia's a part of this?" She blinked. "What am I saying, of course Mia's a part of this."

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "You know Mia Fey?"

She nodded. "We were friends at law school. She was my underclassman, and we became friends."

Shirou had a brief image of Mia Fey with Sakura's hair color, shyly blushing as she talked to "Lana-senpai." It was...decidedly horrifying. He shook his head to clear it of the image. "In any case, Fey is too biased; frankly, I just can't trust that she's going to tell the truth about who's who - too much of a conflict of interest."

"How do you expect to distinguish them, then?"

He sighed. "There's two ways I can think of. Get one to confess, which is unlikely, or find some kind of distinguishing evidence."

"Which is even less likely." She glanced at the cordoned off area that surrounded the scene of death. "How did Dahlia and Wright even destroy the evidence?"

"I think it's more likely they hid it, but God only knows how."

"How long would they have had to hide the evidence?"

"Ten, fifteen minutes."

"So...since at least Wright would have to get back here in time, they couldn't have hid it more than six minutes' walk?"

"Could you cover that?"

She nodded. "I've only got a couple officers, so it'll take a while, but I should be able to find anything in the area."

"You're a lifesaver, Lana."

She snorted softly. "Just doing my job, sir."

"I'll get a search warrant for the buildings, then, and file a subpoena on...whichever Hawthorne is at Hazakura."

"...is there even precedent for subpoenaing somebody who could be somebody else?"

"Who knows."

She shrugged. "Well, in any case, I'm going to have to ask a favor."

"Of course — what do you need?"

"Ema — you remember her, right?"

Shirou chuckled. "How could I forget?" Ema Skye was Lana's little sister, and Lana had been her guardian for the last few years, after their parents had apparently passed away in a car crash. A few months ago, Lana brought Ema with her while investigating one of Shirou's cases, due to a time conflict. Somehow, the little girl had managed to find a crucial piece of evidence hidden out of sight that allowed him to pin down the criminal. He'd promised the girl a favor as thanks, which she proceeded to almost immediately cash in to have a city prosecutor as her subject of show and tell.

...wait, why did they have show and tell for seventh graders anyway?

"Her club lets out at five. Could you pick her up, since..." She motioned towards the crime scene. "I'll call ahead, make sure she and the teacher know."

"Of course. I'll bring her here, if that's fine? I need to drop off the warrant anyway."

She nodded. "That's fine." She turned, and called over the idle officers.

Shirou turned, and headed for his car.

APRIL 11, 2019 5:00 PM

LOS ANGELES CENTRAL CHARTER SCHOOL

"Hey, Mr. Emiya!" Ema practically bounced right through the door of Shirou's car. Frankly, she must have gotten in while she was blinking, because he didn't even notice the door open.

"Good evening, Ema." He sighed. "One minute."

He stepped out of the car — rather slower — and walked over towards the clearly panicked man running over to the car. "You're Miss Skye's club teacher, I assume?" he asked as the man neared.

The teacher slowed, before nodding. His head practically bounced back and forth. It looked painful. "Y-y-yes. I am — that is — well — yes! Yes, I'm Mr. Alexander. I'm a teacher here and I teach the sixth graders and I also teach some seventh graders and I also run the STEM club but we call it the forensics club because they think it's cool and — anyway, who are you and why is Ema in your car?"

Shirou almost wanted to take a breath on the man's behalf. "I'm Shirou Emiya, district prosecutor." He pulled out his wallet, and handed the man an ID card blazoned with a mugshot of his.

"You're — oh! I know you — you're that guy — the crazy one — Ema brought you for 'Bring-A-Worker-to-School-Day'!"

Oh. That was what it was called. He was flattered that Ema considered him a "worker," truly.

"Yes, that would be me. Detective Skye, her sister, requested that I pick her up. I understand Skye called?"

He nodded just as violently as before. He glanced back and forth between the ID and Shirou for a few moments before handing it back. "You look good!"

"Glad to hear that. Have a good evening, sir." He pivoted, on a dime, and cut that conversation happily short.

He walked back over to his car, and got into the driver's seat, before turning to Ema. "If that man is indicative, you've got an interesting faculty, Miss Skye."

She pulled a pencil from behind her ear and started nibbling at the eraser. "Mr. Alexander is a fun teacher. He's...a little bit eccentric, sure, but he's really interesting at Forensics Club!"

You're calling somebody eccentric?

Shirou eased his foot onto the accelerator, and pulled out of the parking lot well below the speed limit. A speeding prosecutor would be too ironic for his taste. "So, Mr. Emiya, is my sister busy? Are you two hot on the tails of a master thief again?"

"No, it's a murder this time, and not nearly so...colorful, unfortunately."

"Oh...she's not in danger, right?"

Shirou snorted. "I wouldn't be driving you to the scene of the crime if she was, Miss Skye."

"Wait, we're going to the scene? Great! Good thing I brought my stuff!" Shirou spared a glance at the girl. Out of...somewhere, she had pulled out a spray bottle and a small container.

"Is that...?"

"Luminol and fingerprint powder! My very own stuff!"

A gift from Lana, probably. "I appreciate the offer of aid, Miss Skye, but the area has already been swept for fingerprints and thoroughly examined for blood traces. Your sister's officers are pretty competent."

He felt bad when she visibly wilted. "Oh..." What could he do? Maybe...

"Tell you what, Miss Skye, your sister should have some new evidence by the time we return. If you can convince her to let you sweep one for fingerprints..." That was probably permission in all but name. Lana wasn't particularly good at telling her sister no.

A renewed flame burned furiously in the girl's eyes. "Ahahaha! Awesome! You'll see, Mr. Emiya, what victories can be achieved with the power of science!"

Shirou went over a speed bump rather faster than he would've liked. A rod of molten steel slid down his spine as he converted a nerve into a Magic Circuit, and fed his energy into the car's transmission. Nothing was wrong, thankfully.

He sighed. He didn't particularly find the irony funny, though he knew Kiritsugu was probably laughing his head off in wherever souls go.

APRIL 11, 2014 5:15 PM

IVY UNIVERSITY

PHARMACOLOGY BUILDINGS

"Ema!" Lana greeted her sister with a weary smile as Shirou and the little girl approached.

"Hey, Lana! Mr. Emiya said you're on the case of the century?"

Lana gave Shirou a look, and he just responded with a shrug and a confused smile. "I see," said Lana. "Sir...we did find something."

"Even without the warrant? Where was it?"

"There's a pool that way," she replied, pointing towards the center of the campus. "The school let us in. It was in their lost and found; apparently somebody had left it in their rental locker at the end of the day."

"Or, in other words, Dahlia Hawthorne never got a chance to surreptitiously remove it all and bring it somewhere further."

He sighed. "Well, just in case..." He pulled the warrant out of his suitcase, and handed it to Lana. "Sent it to forensics yet?"

She nodded. "Here's to hoping it's something conclusive."

"Any idea when it'll be ready?"

She shook her head. "Tomorrow morning, probably around eight. Blood tests are the only thing that take longer than that..."

"And there was no blood." She nodded. "Did you sweep the locker itself for prints?"

She shook her head. "No, we're waiting on somebody to come over from forensics with supplies. They're really busy, apparently. It might be a while, if they come today at all."

Right on cue, Ema bounced into view. "TAKE THAT!" She pulled her fingerprint powder out of wherever she was holding it so fast that Shirou was half worried she'd hit Lana in the face.

He sighed.

"Forensics extraordinaire, Ema Skye, on the case! Not a single mystery will go unsolved, with the power of science!"

Lana gave Shirou a look that spoke essays - essays about how she knew exactly what deal he'd struck with the little girl, and how she was probably going to make his life a living hell once the case was over. Lana's intuition was scary. "Mr. Emiya has already given his approval?"

She nodded. "Yep! In fact, he said he was eager for me to save the case!"

"Oh, did he now?"

No, he didn't now.

"Ab-so-lutely! I mean, nobody knows the power of science like Mr. Emiya!"

"Well, then." Lana sighed. "I suppose I can allow you to sweep it. But I'll be monitoring." It was a bit of an open secret that Lana was terrible at telling her sister no.

Ema nodded indulgently. "You don't have to lie to me, Lana. I know you want to see the power of science too!"

...didn't Lana give her the printing set?

"Follow me," Lana told the two of them, her voice as exasperated as it could get, and led them around several buildings until they got to the pool. An officer was standing right inside, and she motioned for him to open up the door. "The students have ID cards that they swipe to open the door."

The door swung open, and the officer saluted. "At ease," Shirou said to the saluting officer. "Are the card swipes recorded?"

"No, just checked against a database."

He sighed. "That's a security risk if I ever heard one."

She nodded. "It's an old setup, apparently." Dahlia Hawthorne was way too clever.

They approached the men's changing room, which was cordoned off with police line tape. An officer lifted it, and they stepped through the gap — Shirou and Lana ducking while Ema just passed right under without noticing — and through the doorway. Lana led them over to an open locker. "Ema." She gave a pointed look at the girl. Ema nodded, and fished around in her bag for a moment before pulling out a bag of plastic gloves. She handed two to Lana, who held it while Ema put them on backwards. To make sure her own fingerprints were on the inside, if Shirou had to guess.

After unscrewing the top, she glanced at Lana, her face showing more nervousness than Shirou could remember seeing on the little girl. Lana smiled softly. "I wouldn't have let you in here if I didn't trust you, Ema. I know you're plenty capable."

Ema brightened. "Right! Then..." Gently, the girl dipped a brush into the powder, and brushed it along the slim lock-handle of the locker. Back and forth, slowly moving outwards — "Ahah!"

"You found something?" asked Lana.

"One second..." Ema responded, biting her lip. She shuffled slightly, moving over to the opposite side of the handle. After a moment, she grinned. "Yep! Two prints!"

"On opposite sides of the handle?" Lana asked, and Ema nodded. "Thumb and pointer would be my guess." She motioned for one of the idle officers to come over, and pointed at the prints. "Have these photographed and sent to Criminal Affairs and the FBI."

"Yes, sir!"

"Officer," Shirou interjected.

"Sir?" The female officer gave him a questioning look.

"Have them earmarked for comparison to Phoenix Wright, Dahlia Hawthorne, and Melissa Foster."

"Understood, Sir!" The woman rushed off.

"...good job, Ema," Lana said, turning back to her sister. The girl beamed. "That should be quite valuable." The results wouldn't come in until tomorrow morning, if Shirou had to guess, but there would at least definitely be results, and that would be a lifesaver. If it was one of the twins' prints...that would be conclusive evidence of who was Dahlia Hawthorne and who was not.

Shirou nodded. "Yes, thank you."

She grinned, before her eyebrows furrowed. "Can I-"

He cut her off. "No, you can't come to court tomorrow. Do you want me to have to file truancy charges?"

She wilted, but Shirou did have a line. "Okay..." She bent down, to put her things back in her bag and take off the gloves, and Lana shuffled over to Shirou.

"Truancy isn't a criminal offense in California, Shirou," she whispered.

"Do you think anything short of criminal charges will stop an Ema on the warpath?" he whispered back. She tilted her head, then nodded.

APRIL 11, 2014 7:22 PM

DETENTION CENTER

LOBBY

Shirou sighed as he stepped into the lobby of the detention center. He had hoped he could get a bit more information from Wright, but the defendant was keeping strictly mum. Apparently, he was worried he'd accidentally get Dahlia in more trouble. As if she wasn't already, but Wright didn't know that.

"Mr. Emiya...?"

He glanced up to see Mia Fey, her brow furrowed. "Miss Fey," he greeted, noncommittally.

"...what was going on in court today?"

"I'm sorry?" He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You kept...covering for me, against the judge. But you still seem to be prosecuting Wright full-heartedly."

He sighed. He was rather less convinced of the clarity of his case by this point, as opposed to this morning, but... "Mr. Wright deserves a proper defense, and you clearly weren't giving one."

She frowned. "Excuse me?" There was a twinge of anger in her voice.

"Why did you take his case?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Because nobody else would defend him, obviously."

"Please don't lie to me, Miss Fey. We both know the reason you took the case."

"Really." Oh, he'd probably insulted her. That...may have not been the best tactic for convincing her. "Then, what is it?"

"Who, rather, is the question. And it's obviously Dahlia Hawthorne."

She recoiled, before biting her lip. "I'm simply sure she's the murderer. She's the only other possible candidate."

"No, it's more personal. Mr. Armando...he wasn't simply a coworker with an unfortunate fate. He was..." He frowned. "Well, I don't know. Mentor-and-student, romantic, or close friendship, I'm not sure what your relationship was. But it was close."

"...do you have any proof?"

"You have the facts of his poisoning incident memorized."

"Gah!" She paused, then breathed deeply. "You're right. I hate Dahlia Hawthorne. She's a murderer, and she needs to go behind bars."

"And you're willing to throw your client in there too if it means she is convicted?"

"I don't want him behind bars...but if he did help her..."

Shirou shook his head. "You need to figure out who you are as a lawyer."

"...what do you mean?"

"Every lawyer is an idealist in one way or another." He scratched the back of his neck idly. "That's what I believe, anyway. We all have faith in the law for one reason or another. Otherwise, we'd be vigilante heroes — fighting on our own terms for our own views we choose to impose on others — or...or we'd be villains. What's your ideal, Miss Fey?"

"...hmm. What's yours?"

"To create a world where nobody has to suffer. Where as many people are saved as possible." Before she could speak, he continued. "It sounds childish, doesn't it?" She nodded slowly. "It probably is. Truth be told, when I was little, I wanted to be a superhero. I wanted to stop the bad guys and save the innocent, so they could smile again."

He sighed. "Life doesn't always work out that way. I can't save everyone. It's an impossible dream. I've come to terms with that. But...I can make the world a better place. Those who do evil can be stopped, and the innocent can at least get closure. That's my ideal, that's who I am as a lawyer. Sit down, think about it, and figure out who you are."

"...I...was going to speak to my client," she replied, rather lamely. Her anger had faded at some point, and she just looked confused. She was already thinking about it, Shirou hoped.

"He's in questioning right now, and..."

"He deserves better than someone on the warpath."

Shirou nodded. "Tell you what." He reached into his bag, and pulled out his business card. He didn't give them away terribly often — nobody really needed them — but they came in handy occasionally. "Once you've figured it out, if he's still in questioning, give me a call, and I'll order the police to let you talk to him."

"...thank you, Mr. Emiya."

"Put up a good fight in court tomorrow, and no thanks are needed."