Chapter 24—The Final Phases

February 24, 2017

Wright walked into the room, Ema by his side. Lana greeted them with her usual cold gaze.

"L-Lana…" Ema stuttered.

"Mr. Wright," Lana said. "It seems I keep causing you trouble."

"Falsifying evidence…" Wright said, amazed. "I didn't think you were the type."

"Criminals don't mind playing foul, why should we?"

"But Lana!" Ema cut in. "If you're wrong… an innocent person might be found guilty!"

"Believe me… I understand the risks." If you knew the risk disobeying Gant involved, you'd realize my motive, Ema.

"Lana," Wright said. "Ema told me about you."

"Oh?"

"About how you were a detective two years ago, and how the SL-9 Incident was the reason for your transfer to the Prosecutor's Office."

"That's right."

"Could you fill me in on the details? Especially about that unusual change of jobs."

The details? No… I can't tell you everything… but I'll tell you what I need to. "I suppose you have a right to know, Mr. Wright. It's true. I was a member of the police force two years ago."

"She was amazing!" Ema chirped. "They still talk about all the cases she and Chief Gant cracked together!"

"Chief Gant?" Wright asked.

"Then he was the Vice-Head of Criminal Affairs," Lana explained, "but he still worked the crime scenes. Damon Gant… he was everything I aspired to be." Until I learned his true intentions, that is…

"They were the best team ever!" Ema exclaimed. "They solved crimes before the reports could even be filed!"

"But now you're Chief Prosecutor…" Wright said. "What happened?"

"I always planned on being a prosecutor," Lana replied. "The reason I became a detective was…"

"to gain experience investigating crime scenes," Ema finished, "so you could later use that experience in court."

"Gant's help in the SL-9 case was critical in its resolution. After that, he became Chief of Police, and arranged my transfer to the Prosecutor's Office."

"A lot of revelations were uncovered at the trial today," Wright said, "not the least of which was the fact that this case is largely connected to another one, two years ago."

"Evidence from that case was stolen…" Probably by Gant… "I expected as much. I know how obsessive Officer Marshall can be."

"That trial…" Ema sobbed, "it really wasn't 'fair,' was it?"

Ema… If only you knew why…

"I believed in you, Lana!" Ema cried. "I believed that no matter what happened, you'd always stick to the truth!"

"It couldn't be helped, Ema," Lana replied. "At that trial two years ago… I sold my soul."

"Well," Wright cut in, "all drama aside, the fact of the matter is at 5:15, there was no murder at the Police Department."

"Tell me it's not true, Lana!" Ema begged. "What the witness… Ms. Starr said! About you stabbing Mr. Goodman with a knife!"

That much was true… but not in the way Starr would have you believe.

"Lana!" Ema snapped. "I don't understand! Why won't you tell us?"

"Ema…" Lana finally said, averting her gaze. "This doesn't involve just me."

"Um…" Wright said, "going back to SL-9…"

"Two years ago I was second-in-command of the detectives investigating Darke," Lana said.

"'Second-in-command'? That means the Chief Detective was, no doubt, Damon Gant?"

"Yes. Detective Gant and I shared the same office, and the same investigations. We led a team of the best detectives on the force: Detective Goodman, whose case it was, Jake Marshall and Angel Starr. It was the first time Marshall worked with his brother. He was quite… 'gung ho.'" Not unlike Gumshoe when he works with Miles.

"Without a doubt," Lana continued, "Joe Darke was the serial killer. We asked him to come in for questioning. We were desperate for evidence. That was when the last murder took place."

"Prosecutor Marshall was trying to save me from Darke…" Ema said.

"You see, the first person who happened upon the scene of the crime… was me."

Wright looked surprised.

"Detective Gant and Prosecutor Marshall were the ones questioning Dark that day," Lana continued. "The investigation was in its final stages, when Darke must have panicked. He waited until Gant and Marshall let their guards down, then fled the room. From there, he ran straight to…" she took a deep breath, "the office shared by Detective Gant and myself."

"That's where he found me," Ema squeaked.

"So you were the first person to run to the scene, Lana?" Wright asked.

"It appears so," Lana replied. "I was filing some papers while Gant and Marshall were questioning Darke. When I returned to my office, I saw three bodies on the floor and smelled blood."

"Three bodies? Prosecutor Marshall, the victim, Ema, who had passed out,"

"and the suspect, Joe Darke," Lana finished. "During the struggle, it seems Mr. Marshall struck a final blow before he died. Joe Darke had incurred a minor concussion, and lay unconscious."

"What did you do?"

"To be honest, I panicked. I picked up Ema, carried her out of the room and just held her. After that, I placed Darke under immediate arrest."

"Let me get this straight. You were all involved in the SL-9 Incident?"

"That's right. Quite a coincidence, hmm?"

"I don't buy it."

"W-what are you saying?" Ema asked.

"There's no way everyone involved in this trial was also involved in that incident just by 'chance.'"

"But that case was solved two years ago!"

"At least one person went to extremes because they didn't believe it was truly solved."

"Officer Marshall…" Lana commented. "Yes, his actions came as a surprise to me as well. Ever since his brother died, he's changed completely."

"I guess he wasn't convinced with the ruling against Joe Darke," Ema said.

Well, that makes sense, considering that we lied. "Life doesn't end with the closing of a case. Everyone has to live the rest of their lives with their memories." Which is why I couldn't bear to let Miles know…

"That 'case' just might not be over yet," Wright said.

No, please…

"Ema was assaulted by Darke at the Police Department, right?"

"Yes, in the office that Damon Gant and I shared," Lana answered. "The office that Mr. Gant now occupies by himself: the Chief's office."

Wright nodded and got up, walking out the door. Ema hesitated, looking to Lana sadly before following.

The final day is tomorrow… It'll be over then. Ema will finally be safe…

Lana's right hand shook. Her face contorted into a glare.

Gant… May your death be slow and painful, and may you be conscious right up to the end. May it last for as long as you have caused others pain. For what you've done to me, to Miles, to Ema, and everyone else who has suffered at your infernal hands, you deserve sympathy from no one.

How often have my thoughts wandered down this path? I feel as though I have hated you my entire life. I have you to thank for very much, though all you helped me achieve, and every pleasure I have felt because of you, has been taken from me now. Thanks to my post as a detective, Ema and I could finally move to a more comfortable home. We even were able to get another cat. And then there was Miles. Had you not taken me under your wing, I probably would never have met him.

But after SL-9, you robbed me of it all. Nothing in life pleased me as much as it used to. Every second, the guilt of what I did, and the torture of being powerless to fight you, engraved a frown into my face and encased my heart in ice.

It's not over yet, though. Even though I will surely fall, you will fall with me. You've robbed me of almost everything I held dear; it's only fair that I do the same to you. When that case is finally closed for good, I'll tell all; you'll be exposed. Ema will be perfectly safe with the closing of the case, but there are still forgeries you have committed that are subject to punishment. At last, the world will know the beast that is Damon Gant.

Miles didn't come that day. He was no doubt still furious about the forgeries. It made sense, though; he trusted Lana more than anyone else, and then she told him she had been lying to him.

Lana heard the door open. It was Wright again.

"Where's Ema?" Lana asked.

"Chief Gant wanted to talk to her," Wright replied. "He needed to ask her some questions."

"I see. So the Chief asked Ema to come in for questioning…"

"It's no use thinking about it. Tomorrow's the final day in court. I'm committed to doing everything I can to defend you, which is why I'm here."

"But I've already told you all I can…"

"What you've told me over these past couple of days… is absolutely nothing. Not a single, useful thing."

So you're really going to try to take him down? I'm sorry, Wright, but I've made up my mind. I'll defeat Gant on my own.

"Really?" Lana asked. I believe I did mention something quite important. Something I told you right at the beginning. I said that I was the one who stabbed Detective Goodman."

"You know, I think I've finally figured it out…" Wright said. "Who it is you're hiding behind those words."

You're making a mistake, Wright.

"Mia did a good job mentoring you," Lana said. "I'm rather jealous… It seems Edgeworth was right."

"Edgeworth…?"

"Once you're convinced you know something, no one can persuade you otherwise. 'Thick headed' is the term he used, I believe."

Wright looked as though he was mulling something over.

This case is too much for you. Get out before you send Ema to prison with me.

"I have to admit I was more than a little perplexed at first," Wright finally said. "You insisted you 'did it,' yet there was no incriminating evidence. That's when it hit me. It's not that you're unwilling to tell the truth, it's that you're incapable of doing so, because of a certain individual."

"What an intriguing notion," Lana said, averting her gaze from Wright. "A certain, 'individual,' you say? So you think I'm… protecting this person?"

"Protecting? No. I think 'afraid of' is more like it."

He's figured it out… I can't let him know that, though.

"If I'm not mistaken," Wright continued, "the person in question may have persuaded you to silence."

I have to keep quiet about this… Ema's well-being—possibly her life—is at stake.

"For argument's sake, Mr. Wright," Lana requested, "whom may I ask is this person you're speaking of? The one I am supposedly so 'frightened' of? What is this person's name?"

"Damon Gant," Wright answered. Lana felt her muffler getting sweaty. "Well, Ms. Skye?"

Lana turned around, facing away from Wright to conceal the broken face she felt trying to escape. "Mr. Wright. You are addressing the Chief Prosecutor. Do not forget your place. My apologies." She turned back to face him, her usual face back. "Could you please tell me a bit more about the circumstances?"

Wright motioned for Lana to continue.

"We were partners until two years ago," Lana said. "I respected him as a detective."

"Assuming he is respectable, then tell me something…" Wright said. "Why would he try to hide his crimes?"

"His 'crimes'…?"

"Both you and Edgeworth will be brought before a board of inquiry for what you did. Specifically, hiding and forging evidence."

"Of course, these are serious offenses…"

"Why is it, thought, that Chief Gant's name was never mentioned?"

"Chief Gant…?"

"Edgeworth didn't know the truth behind the forgery. The only party who could have possibly investigated that evidence was…"

"Me," Lana said. "I had access because I was second in command of that investigation."

"Yes you, but also one other: Damon Gant."

Yes, you're definitely Mia's student. She was too persistent for her own good, too.

"If you intend to accuse Chief Gant," Lana said, "you'll need more than just words." She glared at Wright. "Show me proof that Chief Gant falsified evidence in that case!"

"Take that!" Wright shouted, taking a jar from his bag and pointing to a section with red lines—probably blood—on it. "This jar piece, and this strip of cloth." He took out a piece of cloth with a handprint on it. "Do you know what these are? They're pieces of evidence from the SL-9 Incident!"

"I…"

"The person concealing evidence was none other than Chief Gant himself. Now tell me! Why are you taking all the blame for him!?"

He knows… I… suppose there's no point in playing dumb now…

"Touché, Mr. Wright," Lana said with a sigh. "It's as you surmised. I cannot disobey the Chief's orders… even if it means being found guilty for murder."

"Why not?"

"Come now, Mr. Wright. You can't possibly expect me to be able to tell you that. Three days ago… I had no choice but to cooperate. Or perhaps I should say, 'follow orders.' Yes, that's more accurate than 'cooperate.' Although I can't tell you the details, I can say that I was given an order that day. 'I need you to dispose of Bruce Goodman's body. You'll find it in the trunk of Miles Edgeworth's car.'"

If I did nothing, Miles would have been accused instead.

"Just as I suspected," Wright said. "Despite what everyone believes… you were not the one who murdered Detective Goodman!"

"Correct," Lana admitted. "I was trying to take the body out of Edgeworth's car. The trunk was broken. I discovered that murder weapon while inspecting the body."

"The murder weapon… You mean, Edgeworth's knife?"

"No. When I found the body, this was the knife stuck in it," Lana said, pointing to Darke's switchblade in Wright's bag. "I couldn't just leave that knife in him, so I took it out and stabbed him with another knife."

"That would be Edgeworth's knife?"

"That's right. Even though he was already dead, my hands were shaking at the thought of stabbing him. That's why I ended up cutting my hand."

"And that is the reason for the bandage on your right hand?"

"Yes. It seems I got blood on the victim's shoes as well. And then… she saw me as I plunged the knife in."

"Why did you need to hide Darke's knife so badly?"

"It took a lot of work to finally close the Darke case two years ago. It was over with. I didn't ever want it to be opened again. My intent was to prevent that by whatever means possible." Lana turned away again, feeling tears forming in her eyes.

"So… you hid Darke's knife?"

"The weapon used to stab the detective was evidence in the Joe Darke case… If word got out, which it would, the reporters would have a field day with that."

"So you wrapped the knife in your scarf, and hid it," Wright said. "In Edgeworth's exhaust pipe…"

"Right. Then I called my sister," Lana said, turning back around, "to tell her what happened, and to ask her to hide the knife that was inside my muffler."

"You asked Ema?"

"I didn't want anyone on the force to know about this. Speaking of phone calls, I had a bad feeling about one of them that day."

"A bad feeling?"

"The truth is, after I received those orders from Chief Gant, the first thing I did was make a phone call. A phone call to Patrolman Jake Marshall."

"To Marshall? Why on earth would you call him?"

"The lead investigator for the SL-9 Incident had been murdered. I wanted that fact to be kept hidden, and I needed help. He was the only other person I could trust." Miles would have revealed everything. "Or at least, I thought I could trust him at the time. However, it seems that after I spoke to him he went off on an escapade of his own…"

"Oh! You mean…"

"Not wanting the case to die, he decided to take things into his own hands. He had already stolen the ID card… but it seems he still hadn't made up his mind to break into the evidence room. After my phone call, any remaining doubts he had must have disappeared."

"So your phone call caused the incident in the evidence room!?"

Lana turned around again to face away from Wright. "I'm afraid that's all I can tell you," she said.

"But Lana…"

"You've earned my respect, Mr. Wright. Both as a defense attorney and an investigator." She turned around and glared right into his eyes. "Now please… Don't pursue this any further in court tomorrow!"

Wright left without a word.

Why am I even trying to make him leave this alone… If he learned from Mia, he'll pursue this to the end. Lana sighed, closing her eyes. Think. That picture… can you save Ema with it? You've looked at it enough. That part of Marshall's vest… That piece of cloth must be from it. Wait… What if Gant cut that out? That would… No… Gant wouldn't keep that strip of cloth if it incriminated him.

Still… Perhaps I can still take Gant down with me with that picture. After all, if Gant had the cloth, that means he concealed evidence. Okay.

When Lana opened her eyes, she saw Gumshoe standing in front of her.

"What are you doing here, Gumshoe?" Lana asked.

"I… just wanted to see if I could help."

Lana closed her eyes again, and let out a calming sigh. "Actually, you're just in time. I need you to give Mr. Wright something. In my condo, there's a book that I want him to have. It's titled Evidence Law. If there's a break in tomorrow's trial, give it to him."

Gumshoe sighed, a little annoyed. "That's it?"

"That's it, Detective."

Gumshoe winced at the word "Detective."

"Okay, Ms. Skye," he said, clearly disappointed in not being able to do something he thought was more important.

"Also, after the trial is over, try to convince Mr. Edgeworth to visit me. For better or worse, I need to talk to him."

"Okay." He seemed to think for a moment. "Um… What do you think is gonna happen between you two?"

"I'd rather not think about that at the moment. I'll find out soon enough on my own. Now, you have your orders. Please leave me."

Gumshoe, saddened by what was all but guaranteed, got up and left.

I guess this is it. After two years, I'll finally be free… but at a more horrible cost than I could have imagined. Wright, you had better get Ema out safe. I don't care what that scene looked like. She'd never kill someone. It's just not in her nature.

And Miles… I'm sorry it had to end this way. Don't hold all this against me. I was a victim of fate, just like you. Perhaps you'll understand when the time comes.