February 23rd, 2017

Police Department

Criminal Affairs, 4:55 PM

Judy's POV

Ema: H-Hey, you guys! Look who's standing at the Head Detective's desk!

Phoenix: It's Chief Gant!

Gant: Are you sure this is all, hmm? You know what it means if there is anything missing!

Chief: Sir! I'm sure it's most likely totally perfect! We checked the drawers, the lockers, the garbage cans, the coat pockets, the pillowcase, behind the computer machines, the coffee machine…

Gant: I see. Well, if anything does turn up, you call me right away, deal?

Chief: Y-y-y-yessir! We'll scour the place again, sir!

Judy (Thinking): What was all that about?

Gant turned around and was walking about in the department.

Judy: Excuse me, sir.

Chief: Uh, o-oh. Sorry you had to see that.

Ema: Uh… what exactly did the Chief of Police want you to do?

Chief: Well, see over there? That's Goodman's desk? He wanted me to check it for anything that might be a clue… They took away every last piece of garbage in the trash can.

Ema: So nothing belonging to Detective Goodman is still here?

Chief: Of course not! Well, expect for this.

Judy: What is that?

Chief: It's lost item report. I figured it wasn't important. He didn't even finish writing it!

Phoenix: Lost item. So Detective Goodman lost something?

Judy: Sir, could we please have that item report?

Chief: Sure. Don't see why not.

Gant: Hey, hey, it's Wrighto and Hopper! How've you two been? Swim much lately?

Judy: O-oh, Chief Gant! Reporting for duty sir!

Ema: Why are you saluting him, Ms. Hopps!?

Phoenix: Um… sir, is Edgeworth going to be okay?

Gant: Oh, Worthy? Oh, you know, they're doing a little inquiry committee with him.

Ema: Sounds like an inquisition…!

Gant: Yep, well, we've had no end of trouble with the boy since last year…

Phoenix: You mean… the incident on Gourd Lake?

Gant: It doesn't look good having one of our top people sitting in the defendant's seat. Now, you and your fox friend got someone else found guilty in that case, right, Wrighto?

Judy: You mean, von Karma?

Gant: A legend he was, undefeated in his forty year career! But in court you and your fox friend fixed it so he was caught for forging evidence…

Judy: Hey, Nick didn't do anything wrong! He did forge evidence!

Phoenix: Judy, calm down.

Gant: Well, in any case, the Prosecutor's Office is in a bit of a turmoil, you might say. Why, they'd do just about anything to restore their reputation. Now, depending on what that inquiry committee decides… It could be bad for Worthy.

Ema: Wh-what!?

Gant: It's downright odd, I tell you. I mean, it happened at exactly the same time!

Ema: Scientifically speaking, it's impossible!

Gant: Yes, but that's what the evidence is saying. "Goodman was stabbed in two locations at the same time!" That's what it says.

Phoenix: What evidence is this…?

Gant: Now, now, Wrighto. I can't give away all our secrets like that! And this in particular, well it's a little sensitive… and I can't talk about it.

Judy (Thinking): Should have known.

Gant: You know, one thing I hate most of all is hiding stuff. Secrets. Can't stand 'em! But you know… It's a full-time job just keeping the Head Detective's trap shut!

Judy: Yeah, we saw.

Gant: Oh, you did? Whoops!

Phoenix: Actually, we were wondering if we could ask you a favor?

Gant: Hmm? Well, I never thought the day would come when Wrighto and Hopper asked me for help!

Phoenix: I was wondering if we could investigate the evidence room?

Then Gant just stared at us for about a minute or so. It was starting to get creepy.

Gant: Now, Wrighto…

Phoenix: A-actually, I'm sorry, I d-don't need to investigate after all!

Gant: Wrighto, please, do I look like a selfish man?

Judy: Huh?

Gant: Heck, if anyone asked me "sir, can I borrow $50?" I'd give them $50, no problem. So, go ahead! Investigate that room to your heart's content! Knock yourself out!

Judy: R-really!?

Ema: It just goes to show, you never know until you ask!

Gant: And for you, here, you can borrow this.

Ema: Huh… hey! This is a detective's ID card, isn't it?

Gant: That's a special card for guests, so don't lost it.

Ema: Y-yessir! It's an honor!

Gant: You just run along and do your best, now. Later, folks!

With that, The Chief left the room.

Ema: Heh heh! It looks pretty cool on my lapel, doesn't it? Just think, a real ID!

Phoenix: You seem… happy.

Ema: Yes, sir! Because, sir, we get to go into the evidence room now, sir!

Judy (Thinking): Boy, was I ever this happy when visiting a police station?

Evidence Room Entrance

Guard Station, 5:20 PM

Phoenix's POV

Phoenix (Thinking): The evidence room is beyond that door.

Ema: Alright, let's head in!

?: Howdy, pardners. Well, well, what's made my bambina's skies so gray?

Guess who.

Judy: O-Officer Marshall!

Phoenix (Thinking): Somehow, I knew…

Marshall: What's that "somehow I knew" look for? As you may have surmised, this here's my saloon.

Ema: Um… we're here to investigate a crime scene.

Marshall: … Yeehaw! That card you got there on your chest. That's better than a sheriff's badge in these parts.

Ema: Y-yeehaw?

Marshall: Well, what ya standin' there for? Get along, little dogies. The crime scene's a waiting!

He turned on the card reader for us.

Judy: Um… while we're here. I was wondering if we could talk for a bit.

Marshall: Sorry, cowboy, but I got no mind to tangle with you hombres.

Phoenix: You're… busy, then?

Marshall: Did I say that? I only said I didn't wish to speak with you.

Phoenix (Thinking): Actually, you said you had "no mind to tangle with us hombres."

Marshall: *grumble*

Judy: Wh-what's that?

Phoenix: I think I heard his stomach growling.

Judy: Hmm…

I saw Judy whistling to herself, while quietly slipping through the steak lunch Angel gave us.

Marshall: … That smell… Ah! Reminds me of Texas!

Ema: So, Officer Marshall… You're from Texas?

Marshall: No, I just saw a special on television the other day. Is this from my baby?

Ema: Uh, yes, Ms. Starr…

Marshall: Wh-what's this!?

Judy: Huh, is there a problem?

Marshall: A fillet steak lunch! I see… I see!

Ema: I don't see. I wonder what it means?

Marshall: Alright, bambina. You win. Ask mmph mmph munch munch Anything mmph munch smack.

Phoenix (Thinking): Finally, it seems like…

Judy: Thank you. Okay, first things first, you're in charge of security for the evidence room, right?

Marshall: You got good eyes, pardner. It's an easy job, and I'm grateful for it.

Phoenix: Actually Officer Meekins at the detention center told us.

Marshall: Ah, that poor little dogie? Poor guy, I keep getting his name wrong and calling him "Meekly."

Phoenix: Anyway, he told us something. He said that when the stabbing occurred… you weren't at your station.

Marshall: … Well, maybe I shouldn't be telling you this… But since I got demoted from detective two years ago… Well, it might not look it, but I lost my fire for the job, you know?

Judy: Yeah, Ms. Starr told us that you used to be a detective from two years ago, right?

Marshall: That's right, bambina. It was always my dream to be a rawhide wrangler on the scene of the crime… That's all gone now… Like a drinking hole in a prairie fire.

Ema: You're still investigating the SL-9 Incident with Ms. Starr, aren't you?

Marshall: That was my case… It's all "solved" on the record books. But it smells like a bad game of poker. I can't let it go… That's all there is to it.

Judy: What kind of case was it anyway? We've heard that name so many times, but no one around here as told us what it was about.

Marshall: … There are some things you're better off not knowing, Bambina. Anyway, that case is officially dead as of two days ago.

Phoenix: Two days ago… the day of our case!

Marshall: That's right… The evidence transferals.

Phoenix (Thinking): Edgeworth was talking about the transferals, too.

Phoenix: Sorry, but could you explain what this whole "transferal" thing is about?

Marshall: We keep only evidence from solved cases in this room. They're kept here under the presiding detective's supervision for two years. So we can re-investigate them if it turns out there was a mistake, see?

Phoenix: So, what happens to the evidence after two years?

Marshall: It goes to sleep forever in the underground vault at the Police Station. That's what we call "transferal." We do it every February.

Ema: I see now…

Judy: …

Marshall: "Transferal" is like a funeral for old cases. Two years after a case is solved… it's closed forever. Dead. Never to be reopened again. Never to be reinvestigated.

Phoenix (Thinking): And that happened to SL-9 two days ago.

Judy: Okay, one last thing. Officer Meekins said that we spotted a suspicion man on the security camera in the evidence room. Can you just explain the systems around here?

Marshall: Well I'm not sure I'll be of much help, Bambina. Me and machines don't get along so well. I only know about two of them in here.

Ema: O-only two of them? There must be a dozen!

Marshall: Like I said, Bambina. Me and machines, well… I like them as much as I like stewed cauliflower with my steaks. The easiest ones to understand are these here security cameras. If nothing happens, the tapes are automatically erased every few hours.

Judy: And are Officer Meekins and Detective Goodman on one of those tapes?

Marshall: I reckon they might be.

Phoenix (Thinking): You're the security guard and you "reckon"!?

Marshall: And one more thing. When you go into the evidence room… You need an ID card. Like the one you got right now. You swipe that ID card and the card reader leaves a record of every ID card passed through.

Judy: Can we see it?

Marshall pulls out the ID card reader and shows it to us.

Phoenix (Thinking): So this is the ID card record…

Ema: Hey! Look that fourth number, we've seen before!

Marshall: Well, unless you can provide me some evidence that you've seen it before, I can't just give you the record.

Ema: Actually we do! Mr. Wright, do you still have Goodman's ID card?

Phoenix: Oh… here take a look at this.

Marshall: This is the ID that found in the Prosecutor's Parking Lot, correct?

Phoenix: Yes. The ID number on that card is "5842189".

Judy: And that ID number is on this record once. At 5:14 PM, on the day of the murder.

Phoenix: 5:14… That was right before the stabbing!

Marshall: What's more, there's only one of them cards in world!

Ema: So, when the incident occurred, Detective Goodman was in the evidence room!

Phoenix (Thinking): But wait, didn't Officer Meekins say that when he asked for an ID he pointed a knife at him? Why would he point a knife if he had his ID card?

Marshall: Alright, compadre, you win. I guess I can give you this ID card record.

Judy: Thank you Officer Marshall. We'll be headed out now.

Marshall: Good luck on finding you're gold, Bambina.