Phoenix and Maya hastily entered the Criminal Affairs Department. Phoenix knew for sure who he was looking for and thought this was the only way to get anywhere on Carol's case. If he was a witness, that was good enough. But for some reason, neither Carol, Gumshoe nor Maggey mentioned him even being there with them. Why exactly? That's what he was here to find out.

"N-Nick! What's this huge hurry you're in suddenly?!" Maya stopped once he did, trying to catch her breath.

"Officer Meekins! He was with them at the time!" Phoenix whispered harshly, trying not to draw attention to himself.

"W...What?! R-Really?!" Maya gasped, finding her breathing rhythm once again. She looked to him surprised for a moment. "Wait...who?" She asked, suddenly blank.

"Officer Mike Meekins, you remember!" Phoenix answered, sure of himself.

"Sorry, Nick...name doesn't ring any bells."

"Huh? B-But," Phoenix started, then thought for a moment. That's right...she was off on her spiritual training on that case...I was with Ema Skye. I guess they're just that much alike. Phoenix thought, scratching the back of his head. "A-Ah...sorry...you weren't there to see him when I did. One thing is important right now, he's a lead." Phoenix said, looking around the precinct, knowing he wasn't difficult to find.

*WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN*

"D-Detective Gumshoe, siiiiir!"

Phoenix jumped slightly, hearing a desperate yell from down the hall of the department.

"N-Nick?! Wh-What was that?!" Maya jumped as well. Phoenix knew that shrill cry anywhere and began after it. Once he and Maya got close enough, he heard more coming from inside a small office, or the large Detective made it seem small. Phoenix and Maya stood around the corridor and behind a wall, looking in just enough to spy in on the conversation, but not enough to be seen.

"Listen, pal...I'm sorry this turned out the way it has so far. We've got Wright as her defense attorney. You remember him, pal."

"Y-Yes, sir...but...sir, she shouldn't have to go through this, sir...I-I...I NEED TO HELP HER, SIIIIIIIR!" Meekins shouted, beginning to get even more desperate. Gumshoe looked away from him, sighing.

"You know there's not much else we can do for her. Until she's found not guilty at least, pal."

"Sir! I-Is Mr. Edgeworth taking this case as well, sir?"

"Uh..." Gumshoe scratched the back of his head. "That's another thing, pal. You don't know who he is, but it's someone well tougher than Edgeworth..."

WHAT?! Phoenix thought suddenly, hands starting to shake from listening in. Wh-Who...who is he talking about?! von Karma? No, he's still in custody...s-so...does he mean...

"Tougher than M-Mr. Edgeworth? H-How much tougher, sir?" Meekins stammered, getting nervous as well. "D-Does she at least have a chance, sir?"

Gee...thanks! Phoenix felt almost like he was just penalized.

"Of course, pal! We all know she's innocent!" Gumshoe chuckled, trying to keep Meekins calm.

"W-Well that's true, sir...but..." Meekins looked down to his hands. "I-I hate knowing she's in there for no reason, sir..."

"Sorry, pal...there's nothing we can do about that..." Gumshoe said sympathetically. "I know you care about her, but...you just started seeing her, pal. How do you know if you two are even in love?"

L...Love? Did I just hear that right? Phoenix thought, beginning to piece things together right then and there.

"B-But...s-sir, I...I never thought," Meekins looked away, turning red and appearing to get very close to breaking down. "Wh...What..." He suddenly grabbed for his microphone. "WHAT IF IT WAS SOMEONE YOU CARED ABOUT, SIR! WHAT WOULD YOU DO, SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR?!" He shouted, then paused, a tear slowly streaming down one eye.

"..." Gumshoe thought for a long moment, seeing just what he meant, just how he cared and, more than all of that, the memory of Maggey Byrde in the detention center, under almost the exact same circumstances. "...Alright, pal. For your sake, I'll see to it she gets cleared of this mess.

"Y-...You mean it, sir?" Meekins muttered, looking back up to the scruffy detective.

"You got it. I won't focus on anything else but this case. And I won't tell that over-caffeinated prosecutor a thing until I'm put on the witness stand."

"Th...THANK YOU, SIR! I KNEW I COULD LOOK UP TO YOU, SIIIIIIR!" Meekins shouted happily through his megaphone before bolting out of the office. Phoenix and Maya made sure to let him run by as not to let him know they were watching. However, Phoenix felt he needed to talk more with him later. Right now, he turned corner around to the office, stopping Gumshoe from walking out.

"Detective...may we have a word?"

"Sorry, pal. I didn't want to talk about them being together just yet." Gumshoe said almost lightheartedly. "That night was their first date, so it wasn't like they were completely in love yet."

"But that cop..." Maya muttered. "Officer Meekins? I just don't see him with someone like that...or anyone to be honest."

"Hey, pal! Just cause he's a bit loud with that megaphone of his, a little out of it and never really thinks before acting doesn't mean the kid doesn't deserve to be with anyone!"

"S-Sorry..." Maya looked down, ashamed of her judging side. "That was just my first impression of him..."

"It's alright, pal. It usually is for everyone that's met him." Gumshoe laughed slightly.

Sure was for me... Phoenix thought.

"Everyone except Carol, surprisingly enough." Gumshoe admitted.

"R-Really?" Phoenix began. "That is surprising...someone like her would automatically put someone like Officer Meekins down."

"You talked to her down at the Detention Center I imagine. That's how she's been since she started, pal. Never wanted anyone elses help, but willing enough to tell others what she knows. She even started complimenting some of the officers that were questioning her for what a good job they were doing."

"But what about the story of her and Officer Meekins? How did they wind up dating each other?" Phoenix asked.

"Well, listen to this, pal!" Gumshoe grinned proudly. "Poor little Officer Meekins came up to me and asked about her, mostly if she was seeing anyone. I gave him a little confidence boost, and the next thing I knew, I was praised with 'THANK YOU SIIIIR's and salutes. I don't think I'd ever seen him so happy before."

"Ha! You should become a matchmaker instead of a detective!" Maya nodded.

"You think so, pal?" Gumshoe laughed with Maya. "I tell you something, pal. They're right when they say opposites attract. Seperated, they really are like night and day. But you should see the two of them together, pal. You can see that they've got something starting there..." Gumshoe looked towards the door, deep in thought again. "That's why I decided to help them both out in this case."

"Help them?" Phoenix asked.

"Yeah. I'm not gonna be as big of a mouth, especially with the prosecutor on this case. Right now, YOU are Mr. Edgeworth, pal...I mean, sir!"

"Uh...th-thanks..." Phoenix muttered, not wanting to turn into his frienemy. But with what Gumshoe said, he remembered the last question he wanted to ask. "Detective..."

"Yes, sir?!" Gumshoe responded proudly, really sticking to his loyalty.

"Uh..." Phoenix lost track of his thoughts with this change of personality, then recollected it. "You mentioned that it's someone else but Edgeworth prosecuting in this case...can I ask you who it is?"

"You won't like the sound of this, sir." Gumshoe said, head falling. "It's that goggled prosecutor with the coffee addiction...Prosecutor Godot, sir."