As the prosecutors entered Tyrell's abode, an awkward silence fell. No one spoke, they could have heard a water drop from a leaking pipe. Everyone stared at each other, not knowing who should speak first or what to say.

"...So...what do you want to know?" Tyrell asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Why did Liuxang get you out? It's been days since you were in jail for unlawful break and entry?" Franziska asked.

"Liuxang ... he was responsible for creating ... the Yatagarasu, even the name ... was chosen by him." Tyrell paused thoughtfully and took out his mirror. He glanced at his reflection before continuing," He...warned us about Yew... we thought he was just jealous that he would be replaced..."

"And then, when it happened?" Miles asked.

"I regretted ... that a lot... I should have listened to him ... if I did then I wouldn't have lost a friend ... and Kay wouldn't have lost her father."

Before Franziska could make a remark, Miles shot her a warning glance. He had a feeling he knew what inappropriate smart-mouthed comment she would make, and if she said it, Tyrell wouldn't be whipping up that mirror of his anymore.

"How did you, Liuxang, and Byrne meet?"

"We meet at the courthouse ... when Coachen was acquitted ... he knew this was going to happen... so he met us ... then and there... he suggested we form a team."

"How old was he then?"

"Liuxang was very young ... but he was smart and ambitious ... he was fourteen when he formed the Yatagarasu with us ... he was a prodigy."

Franziska was shocked. "A prodigy? How could you know?"

"He was our most trusted coroner ... he was a natural at telling the C.O.D at the first glance ... Told us that the dead could speak to him ... he said that Cece Yew never had a sister ... as I said ... we thought he was just jealous ... and lying stupid ... so we never believed him."

"Did he tell you anything when you got out?"

"No ... just that a man gave me a parcel ... a pretty huge one." With a gesture, he showed them a huge gift wrapped in a red bow. It was as big as a desk.

"What is that?" Miles asked," Aren't you afraid that it might be a bomb?"

"Shelly gave it to me ... said it was from the Phoenix ."

"Sh-Shelly? As in Shelly de Killer? But he's dead! And from Phoenix? How could Wright have any connection to this?"

"Oh sorry ... I meant Walter ... he's Liuxang's butler." Tyrell ignored Miles's other question. He stood up and went to the parcel and opened it. Miles and Franziska could do nothing but stare at it. A black statue of a Yatagarasu stood before them in all its splendour. It had ruby eyes, and the wings were decorated with opal, its feet had diamond encrusted claws and its beak was made of dark pitch black metal. A card fell off, and Tyrell picked it up.

To Former Detective Tyrell Badd,

This statue represents the good times and hardships we have endured from the day the Yatagarasu was formed, to the the day it had disbanded. Please do not see this as a bribe but as a gift to represent a new beginning for the Yatagarasu. Please use it as you see fit, you can sell this or keep it, although this is priceless in sentimental value, the monetary value of this is $10,000,000,000. I appraised it myself, and did some researching on the Yatagarasu legend, I have slipped the copy inside the beak, I made the beak to be able to open and close so all you must do is open it like force feeding a duck. I made this all by myself with atroium hence, its pitch black color, I also included the earlier designs inside the beak should you want to see it.

Thank you once again,

Liuxang

"Liuxang. He made this?" Miles asked, he was impressed by the craftsmanship Liuxang had, yet he noticed Liuxang still had soft hands as if the only thing he carried was the umbrella cane he used to support his limping.

"I ... wouldn't be surprised..." Tyrell replied. He opened a small drawer and showed them a webcamera. He attached it to his computer and opened a file. "You ... might want to see this ..." He played a video that was contained in the webcam.

"G'noon Prosecutor Faraday, Detective Bad!" Liuxang's voice was heard, and the camera focused in on Byrne's and Tyrell's face.

"Liuxang, what is that infernal thing?" Byrne asked, he pointed at the camera.

"It's my latest creation, I tinkered with the webcam and I put in one terrabyte of memory."

"That's too much!"

"Heck it is, the more the merrier!"

"Gentlemen... sorry to cut the conversation ... but our target is?" Tyrell asked as he put a lollipop in his mouth.

"Oh sorry Detective Badd, got carried away by my new creation, Anyway, our target is Fol Towers, some dirty dealings there, bribes and corruption run amok o'er there."

"That's great! Calisto was defending them in court today," Byrne said," we can count on her for information."

Liuxang paused. Tension filled the room. Liuxang arched an eyebrow.

"Prosecutor Faraday, Calisto cannot be trusted. I said that to you after you met her, didn't I?"

Byrne raised an eyebrow also. "Liuxang, you just base everything on how you feel it, nothing else. Are you threatened that I think she can be part of this?"

"What? No! Calisto is not Cece's sister!"

"Then what makes you so sure?" Byrne challenged, he bump toes with Liuxang.

"Cece told me!" Liuxang's face turned beet red.

"When? You openly told me you never knew her!" Byrne asked. Liuxang's eyes darted away. He mumbled a few words, he knew Byrne wouldn't believe him if he told Byrne the reason.

"I can't hear you Liuxang."

"She told me after she died!" Liuxang shouted. Byrne looked at Liuxang, and then at Tyrell, and he laughed. He exploded into a huge barrel of belly laughs. Liuxang flushed crimson with shame and humiliation, no one would believe him, no one. Byrne calmed down and looked at Liuxang sternly.

"What do you think, Detective Badd?" Byrne asked, sarcasm dripping in his tone. "Liuxang's a smart boy."

Tyrell closed his eyes and sighed. "Liuxang ... just because Calisto is older than you ... doesn't mean we won't have you in the team ... after all ... you supplied us the name..."

"Detective ... Badd " - Liuxang looked at him, eyes full of betrayal -" not you too."

"Liuxang, you're older than that, you sometimes act older than Badd and me but this is no time to be childish!"

"Damn you! It's not about the Yatagarasu, Byrne! This is for your own safety!"

"Liuxang!"

"Wu Song never heeded the innkeeper's warnings because he thought the innkeeper had ulterior motives, so he was attacked by a tiger. You sir, are not Wu Song, you can't kill a tiger even if your life depended on it, you will be like those unlucky civilians who ended up eaten by a tiger."

Liuxang stood there not moving, hoping his words would sink in. It didn't, to them, he was just a boy who was acting like a spoiled brat. Seeing no other way, he left after saying," Never mention me to Calisto."

He slammed the door hard enough for the lights to go out momentarily.

"Liuxang ..." Tyrell said.

"Leave him be, Badd, he'll just come back crawling to his knees."

"He ... left his camera ... should we give it back to him?"

"Nah, he'll just have to come back to get it."

Tyrell picked it up and turned it off.

"Ah, so that's Liuxang when he was young. No one believed him, they thought he was crying wolf when in truth the wolf was there in sheepskin," Franziska remarked.

"No wonder there's some sort of bitterness in him," Miles said.

"It ... was our fault ... we didn't believe him ..."

"No ... you mean daddy's death could have been prevented?" Kay asked, she had been listening through the door.

"Kay..." Tyrell said slowly.

"Why didn't you believe him, Uncle Badd? He was always telling the truth when he needed to be! How could you?" Kay demanded, bright angry tears fell. Sola and Luna were there just behind her. Kay was shaking, filled with grief and anger. "Liuxang was nice and warm, no wonder he's like this!"

"Kay, Mr. Badd didn't -" Sola was interrupted by Kay's outburst.

"I don't care, I hate you, Uncle Badd! I hate you!"

Kay ran out crying, Sola followed her. Luna stayed just in case she could be helpful

Tyrell didn't move, he was like a statue.

"Mr. Badd?" Miles and Franziska asked.

There was no response. Tyrell's was as immobile as a rock, but Miles saw the wounds Tyrell was suffering.

April 02, 1998

Dear Diary,

Today I saw a ghost, Huoniao also saw him. He was Wenrou, our great-grandfather! He said he was happy to have twins for great-grandchildren even when he wasn't alive anymore. We tried to hug him, but he was as intangible as air. We played with Shi Long today, he was having problems trying to find us in hide and seek. Mom taught us how to speak German! I fell asleep today and so did Huoniao, we had an out of body experience. Mom was worried when she couldn't wake us up, but our dad saw our spirits and he whispered something to mom. Mom suddenly smiled and she shook our bodies really hard! We also got shook, we moved like those tuning forks. Finally we woke up dizzy and nauseous.

Qilin vK. Long

Hi guys! Thanks for taking the time reading Turnabout Innocence. If you are wondering what Liuxang was referring to when he talked about a man named Wu Song, he is a hero in a Chinese Classic, The Water Margin, in Japanese it is Suikoden. It tells the tale of a band of 108 bandits, 105 men and 3 women, who are vigilantes. They are loyal to the emperor but corrupts men defamed them and called them bandits. The popular translation ends happily but in the original book, most of them end tragically, some died, some became monks, others were poisoned. I hated the ending but what can I do? The author's dead.