The next morning, Apollo rose to find Athena and Simon eating breakfast and giggling over something on Athena's phone. He had to rub his eyes hard at the sight of the surly prosecutor chortling like a school boy. He slouched over to the coffee machine and stared at it. It looked like something from the Space Center.
"Do you know how to work this thing?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Simon does," Athena told him. Simon grunted and got to his feet. He pressed a hidden button to reveal the place where the coffee pod went and went through the motions of showing Apollo how it worked.
"Thanks," Apollo told him. Simon nodded at him. "Hey, how's Taka? I heard she was sick."
"She stayed overnight at the animal hospital," Simon said gruffly. "The vet thinks she was poisoned."
"Poisoned!" Apollo yelped.
Simon breathed in and out slowly, clearly reining in his infamous temper. "Yes," he said thinly. "Luckily, she hadn't consumed a lot and the poison in question is not as toxic to birds as it is to mammals."
"What was it?" Apollo asked.
"Atroquinine." Simon told him. Apollo staggered back against the kitchen counter. Cold sweat ran down his back.
"Apollo?" Athena said in concern. She jumped up and grabbed him by the arm. "Apollo! Breathe!"
"W-W-Where did it come from?" Apollo stuttered.
"I don't know," Simon said. "I've had her food and water tested and they both came back negative."
"Who would even want to poison Taka," Athena said. "That's what I don't understand."
"Could it be an accident?" Apollo asked. "Somebody poisoned something in your office expecting to kill you and Taka was exposed by accident?"
"I don't make a habit of feeding scraps to my hawk," Simon said witheringly.
"No, no, don't you see? It doesn't have to be food. Just something you touched before handling her food. The traces of poison on your fingers might be enough to make her sick. The poisoner was just unlucky that you must have washed your hands before touching any of your own food."
Simon stared at him, the cogs clearly turning in his mind.
"It's possible," he conceded. "But I think there's still something missing. Who would want to kill me? Plenty of people, perhaps, but poison? No, my enemies would stab me or shoot me."
"Don't say things like that, Simon," Athena protested.
"What it you weren't the target?" Apollo said. "What if you touched something intended for someone else?"
"That would make more sense," Athena agreed. "We talked last night about Mr Edgeworth being the target. What if there was something in his apartment that the killer poisoned when he was stealing the DVD?"
"I've never been to his apartment," Simon pointed out. Athena slumped in her seat.
"Oh. Well that blows that idea out of the water."
"I still think we should check," Apollo said. "That stuff is potent, maybe Mr Edgeworth touched it, then shook your hand or something."
"I'll call Skye-san," Simon said. "Get her to run a poison sweep at the apartment."
"And his office," Athena said. "Better safe than sorry."
Simon pulled out his phone and dialed Ema. Apollo gave Athena an uncertain look.
"Have you seen Mr Wright?" he asked.
"He went out with Mr Edgeworth this morning," Athena told him. "A meeting with the Governor."
"On a Saturday?" Apollo said, his forehead creasing.
Athena shrugged. "That's what they said."
"And uh...Trucy?"
"She's meeting a friend downtown. Going to that magic supply shop she likes."
"Oh. Good. You uh, got any plans?"
"Simon and I are going to go pick up Taka and then bring her back here. We'll be gone a couple of hours." She gave him a significant look, but he had no idea what it meant. When he looked puzzled, she added. "I don't think Klavier has any plans."
"Oh!" Apollo said quickly. "I'm sure he has plenty of things to do."
"Nein," Klavier said from behind him and he jumped. "My schedule is quite clear. I have everything I need for court on Monday."
"Oh, well, I should really go to the office," Apollo said suddenly. "I still have preparation to do."
"Ah, gut, then I will give you a ride," Klavier said smoothly. "I just remembered I need to pick up some papers from my office."
"No, it's OK, I…"
"Nonsense," Klavier said. "It makes no sense for you to ride the bus when I am going the same way. I'll meet you outside in half an hour." He sauntered out of the kitchen and Apollo slumped down in his seat.
"Why does nobody listen to me?" he complained.
"We do listen," Athena told him brightly. "We just ignore you when you're being stupid."
"All right," Phoenix said. "Enough of the secrecy. Why are we going to see the Governor? It's a six hour drive!"
"We're not going to Sacramento," Miles assured him. "Governor Kaling in here in LA this week for the Global Water Summit which starts tomorrow. She agreed to meet us for brunch."
"Brunch?" Phoenix said, perplexed. "OK, but why?"
Miles sighed and swung his car into the parking lot of a fancy downtown hotel.
"Kristoph Gavin."
Phoenix gasped, a sense of betrayal stinging his eyes. "Miles, no! Please tell me we're not here to plead for clemency?"
The look Miles gave him could have frozen lava. "Of course not. Please, Wright. I need you here, but I can't tell you what this is about."
The maitre d' showed them into a private room and offered them tea and coffee. Phoenix perused the menu, biting his lip and trying to keep his temper under control. Damn Miles and his arrogance. He hated being left in the dark and Miles knew it. The door opened again to reveal Governor Kaling, flanked by two anonymous men in dark suits.
"Miles, darling," the Governor said, holding out both hands. Miles kissed her dutifully on both cheeks.
"And this is my friend and associate, Phoenix Wright," he introduced.
"Of course it is," Kaling said, kissing Phoenix's cheeks like he was an old friend. The waiter appeared and set the coffee on the table and then took their food orders. Once he had left, Kaling turned to the two lawyers.
"So, Miles, what can I do for you?" she said. "You were very circumspect on the phone."
"Governor, Kristoph Gavin's execution is scheduled for Thursday," Miles started. Kaling cut him off.
"Miles, how many times must I ask you to call me Mindy? And I hope you're not here to beg for Mr Gavin's life? The entire Dark Age of the Law can be laid at that man's feet. Legal reform was a central piece of my election campaign. Granting a reprieve would undo years of hard work."
"Mindy," Miles said quellingly. She subsided. "I'm not here to ask for clemency. Certainly not with Wright here." She frowned at him. "Gavin has asked for his execution date to be moved up, in secret, so that his brother and his protege are excluded from witnessing it."
"Ridiculous!" Kaling exclaimed. "Why on earth should I grant such a bizarre request? The law says Gavin can invite or exclude whomever he chooses, outside of the legal witnesses required by law."
"Klavier Gavin is an intelligent and resourceful man. Kristoph fears he will manage to get around whatever restrictions we place on him."
Phoenix was staring at Miles while this conversation unfolded. He felt dizzy, a buzzing sound in his ears making his head hurt.
"...don't you think, Wright?"
Phoenix blinked in confusion. "What?"
"Keeping Klavier Gavin and Apollo Justice away from Kristoph Gavin's execution is probably in their best interests too, don't you think?" Miles repeated with a sigh.
"Oh! Well, I don't know. Kristoph is his only family," Phoenix said. "I don't know that we have the right to try and prevent him from attending."
"I have to say, I agree with your friend," Kaling said. "This is most irregular, Miles."
"I know," Miles said. "But the law says I have to bring the request to you."
"Of course," she agreed. "But this is hardly the usual channels. Why didn't you submit a formal request through my office...oh! Because that request would show up in the Prosecutor's Office database and you're worried Klavier Gavin would see it."
"Exactly," Miles said. "And on top of that, those formal requests are a matter of public record and it's entirely possible an enterprising journalist might have alerts set up for names like Kristoph Gavin's."
"So you're suggesting we… delay the paperwork just long enough to do the deed." Kaling said, her mouth pursed with distaste. There was a tap at the door and the waiter returned with their food. Kaling looked down at her omelet with reluctance.
"It's not ideal," Miles said. "But I don't know what else to suggest."
"How about you submit the request, and the Governor vetos it," Phoenix said acidly, stabbing his waffle like it had personally offended him.
"Because Gavin has threatened not only to submit a new appeal but also to sue the State of California for violating his constitutional rights, by subjecting him to solitary confinement."
"Prisoners are placed in solitary all the time," Phoenix objected.
"Yes," Miles agreed. "But not without justification. Gavin has never been allowed to mix with any other prisoners despite exemplary behavior. A constitutional challenge could have legs."
"Dammit," Phoenix swore.
"My feelings exactly," Kaling said. "All right. Here's how we'll do it. The summit doesn't start until noon tomorrow. I'll pay a surprise visit to the penitentiary, and do the paperwork with Warden Maldonaldo. He'll mail the paperwork to my office in Sacramento, where it will languish in my in-tray until I return next week. My assistant won't open anything not marked urgent, and since I will have already seen this paperwork, it isn't urgent. In the meantime, the execution date will be moved, as I will have signed the necessary form and we're all legal and mostly above board."
"The press will raise a stink about it," Phoenix predicted.
"They're the press," Kaling told him. "That's what they do."
True to his word, Klavier was outside the house when Apollo opened the door. Already astride his hog, he looked magnificent. Stop that, he told himself. You're no better than Trucy, mooning over an unavailable man.
"Forehead," Klavier said expansively. "Are you ready to rock?" He held out a helmet and Apollo took it. Their fingers brushed and the slight contact sent a rush of sensation down his arms. He gulped and climbed on the back of the motorcycle.
"You're going to have to hold on to me," Klavier told him. Apollo hesitated and then wrapped his arms around Klavier's trim waist. "Gut! Ja, here we go!" They roared out of the drive and down the street.
The feeling of Klavier pressed against his stomach, and his arm wrapped around the blond, was an intimacy Apollo was not prepared for. The vibrations of the powerful engine thrummed through his body and the overall combination of sensations was enough to render him painfully and undeniably aroused. When Klavier finally pulled into the underground parking lot with a flourish, Apollo sat there, unable to move.
"I cannot get off until you do, Forehead," Klavier said, the smirk evident in his voice.
"Oh!" Apollo exclaimed. He climbed uncomfortably off the back of the infernal machine and limped to the door.
"Are you quite well?" Klavier said, peering at him.
"YES!" Apollo bellowed, and Klavier smirked. "My leg went to sleep, that's all." It was a pathetic lie, but for whatever reason, the prosecutor seemed to take it at face value.
"Ah, yes, that can happen when you ride pinion," he said. "Just walk it off, you'll be fine."
They entered the elevator together. "Do you know why Mr Wright and Mr Edgeworth are meeting with the Governor today?" Apollo asked, more to make conversation than any real curiosity.
"No," Klavier admitted. "But she is in town, and Edgeworth's reforms are meeting with some resistance from… certain quarters."
"OK," Apollo said. "It just seemed sudden."
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Klavier said. The elevator doors opened and they both stepped out. "Call me when you're planning to leave," the blond told him.
"OK," Apollo said and turned hurriedly down the hall. He was being rude, but what else could he do?
Wright was furious, angrier than Miles had ever seen him.
"I can't believe you, Miles!" he yelled once they were inside his car. "Why would you spring that on me?"
"I needed Mindy to think her way through this and see it was the only possible course of action. If I'd told you what was going on ahead of time, she'd have smelled a set up. I knew how you'd react, in fact I was relying on it. Your moral sense was what I needed to make sure she did the right thing."
"I dislike being manipulated," Wright said coldly. "You know that."
"I know," Miles agreed. "And I'm sorry. But it was the only way."
Wright folded his arms over his chest and sulked. Miles resisted the urge to smile, Wright was so cute when he was annoyed. He suppressed that thought and started the engine.
"What can I do to make it up to you?" he asked.
"You're going to ask me to keep this a secret, aren't you?" Wright said perceptively.
"Of course," Miles told him.
"Fine. Then I want something in return."
Miles regarded him uncomfortably. "Anything."
"Come see Trucy perform," Wright said. "For some reason she thinks the world of you and you always turn down our invitations. Well, you're not getting out of it this time. Make my daughter happy and I'll forgive you."
Miles gaped at him in pure astonishment. "You really are the most incredible man," he said breathlessly. "You could have asked for anything, and you ask for the easiest thing for me to give. It's not even for you, it's for someone you love."
"Well," Phoenix said, shifting in his seat. "It was the only thing I could think of."
"And that's part of why I l-like you," Miles blurted. "It's why we're friends." Phoenix grinned at him suddenly and it was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.
"All right, there's no need to lay it on so thick," he said, amused. "I've forgiven you. But you better show up at the Wonder Bar tomorrow night or there'll be hell to pay."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Miles promised.
Taka was much improved and seeing her back to her old self put a broad smile on Simon's face. Athena hugged him and the birdcage both, much to Taka's irritation.
"Let's go," she said. "She'll need time to settle in before everyone gets home this evening."
"Mr Blackquill?" A young woman in a white coat came out of the back office just as they were leaving. "A word, please?"
Simon exchanged a look with Athena and then handed Taka's cage to her. He followed the woman into a small, windowless office with beige walls and a vague scent of cat urine.
"Mr Blackquill, I'm Dr Singh. You need to know I have to report Taka's poisoning to the authorities. Atroquinine is a highly restricted substance and accidental poisonings such as this carry a legal obligation to report."
"I understand," Simon said. "I actually have to report it myself anyway. I believe Taka was accidentally exposed during the commission of a crime."
"I see," Dr Singh said. "So you don't have a stock of the poison yourself."
"Good grief, no!" Simon said. "I don't approve of poison."
"I don't approve of murder, Mr Blackquill," Dr Singh said coolly. "If you are innocent, then I apologize. But I have never seen a case of a pet accidentally poisoned by an agent like atroquinine. You are exceptionally lucky. If I had not noticed smears of the poison on Taka's beak glowing under the UV light I used to examine her eyes, I would never have thought to test for it."
"Believe me, Dr Singh. If I wanted someone dead, I have a very sharp sword. I see no reason to resort to cowardly methods like poison. Make no mistake, this was an attempted murder. I just don't know who the intended victim was." Simon turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.
Athena could see how angry Simon was as he strode across the parking lot, his hair streaming behind him.
"What was that all about?" she asked.
"Insufferable woman thought I'd poisoned my own bird," Simon spat.
"She's just doing her job," Athena said gently. "Her first concern is the animal's welfare, that's all."
"Hmm," Simon said. His phone buzzed and he answered it.
"Blackquill."
Athena couldn't hear the other side of the conversation but the look on Simon's face was horrified. He hung up.
"Slight detour," he announced. "Ema needs to see us."
There was a sharp rap at Klavier's door.
"Come in, Forehead, there's no need to stand on cerem- oh it's you Blackquill."
"Gavin-san," Blackquill said and then stepped aside to let Athena and Ema enter.
"Fraulein Athena," Klavier said. "And the fraulein detective, how charming."
"Can it, fop," Ema said without heat. "Where's Apollo?"
"In his office, I would think," Klavier told her. Athena turned and left the room. "What's all this about?"
"Let's wait until Apollo gets here," Ema said. "I don't like having to repeat myself."
There was an uncomfortable silence while they waited for Athena to come back with Apollo. When they returned, Ema folded her arms and regarded them all sternly.
"Prosecutor Blackquill asked me to quietly investigate the poisoning of his hawk, Taka." Klavier paled and sat down heavily on the edge of his desk. Apollo inched closer to him. "He asked me to scan the apartment and office of the Chief Prosecutor, however in light of other events I felt it necessary to check all the offices here. That plan was brought to an abrupt end by the discovery I made in Winston Payne's office. Winston Payne is dead. My superiors have been notified and we're attempting to get hold of Mr Edgeworth. But for the time being this building is on lockdown."
"How did he die?" Klavier said.
"Acute atroquinine poisoning, is my scientific opinion," Ema told him. "There were traces around his mouth that glowed under UV light. I've sent sample off for testing and of course the medical examiner has to do his examination and an autopsy. But everything I've seen points to it."
Klavier's hands were shaking. Apollo finally reached him and touched his arm. Klavier looked at him, his eyes wide.
"Who's securing the scene?" Blackquill was saying.
"Officer Krige," Ema said. "And Chief Gumshoe is on his way."
"Klavier?" Apollo said. Klavier's head felt stuffed with sand. "Athena, I think he's going into shock."
"Klavier?" she repeated, and came to stand in front of him. "Klavier, look at me." He turned his head slowly, it was so much effort just to move even a tiny bit. "Klavier, talk to me."
"A-a-atro-" he managed.
"You need to take him home," Athena told Apollo. "He needs somewhere quiet and comfortable. Don't leave him on his own."
"We came here on his hog," Apollo told her.
"Leave it here," Ema said. "I'll drive you both home."
"No," Blackquill said. "You're needed here. Athena, why don't you take them back to Gavin-san's house and then come back here. I'll keep trying to raise Edgeworth-dono."
"What part of on lockdown don't you understand?" Ema said. "If I escort Klavier and Apollo home that's one thing. If Athena does it, that's something else."
"It's no problem, pal," a new voice said. "Take them home. I'll take care of this." Chief Gumshoe entered the room and his face was solemn. It looked wrong somehow.
"Yes, sir," Ema said. "Thank you, Chief."
