Chapter 10
March 19, 2019
Detention Center
10:58 AM
Phoenix entered the Detention Center. He was going to defend Lolita Carlton in court, for the murder of her own husband. Graham and Lolita were the owners of a club in the neighborhood, a club that Phoenix frequents after winning a case. While Lolita wasn't the sweetest person, she wouldn't hurt a fly. Graham was a very happy man, who spoiled his wife. While the evidence pointed towards her, a motive wasn't apparent.
Phoenix sat at the chair in front of the glass. "Lolita?"
She turned towards him. "It's about time, Nicky. You don't seriously think I could do something like this, do you?"
"I need you to tell me everything you know. I'm going to defend you."
"When I got back from work last night, Graham was talking to someone. I think he was a friend. They looked like they were having a good time. So I slipped out and went to the club. On my way home, I saw Graham being pushed out of the window. His body hit that nice car at the red light." Tears started to gather in her eyes, and she covered her face. "Please, I need you to help me! I would never do something as horrible as that!"
Phoenix nodded. "I will. I'm going to prove you're innocence. Goodbye, Lolita."
He stepped out of the detention center, and hailed a cab to take him to the crime scene.
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The car and the body had been removed, and the area was blocked off by police barriers. Gumshoe allowed for Phoenix to be let in. The street had nothing left to see, but Phoenix requested a luminol test on the area where the car used to be. In the apartment building, he asked the manager to recover the security tapes from that night. While he waited, Phoenix went up to Graham's apartment. Suddenly, a voice appeared.
"Mr. Wright!"
He turned to see Ema Skye standing in the doorway.
"Ema! Why didn't you tell me you were back?"
"Sorry, I didn't have the time. I've been helping Mr. Edgeworth with his investigations recently, so I stopped by here when I heard you needed luminol testing."
"Well, was there any blood near the car?"
"No, Mr. Wright. It's strange. There wasn't any rain until last night, and even then, there should be traces of blood left over."
Then we know whatever Edgeworth slipped on wasn't blood or rainwater.
"Is there anything else?"
"Well, they've found Mrs. Carlton's fingerprints on the pool cue. I'm sorry, Mr. Wright."
"It's okay, but I still have my doubts that she did it. Edgeworth still has yet to establish a motive."
Phoenix glanced at the bar. He wanted to have a drink, but he knew he couldn't. However, when he looked at the glasses, there was only one missing from the metal rack.
"Where's the missing whiskey glass?"
"I don't know, Mr. Wright. Nobody's found it yet."
Edgeworth said that he suspected the victim was drinking at the time. This can only mean one thing.
"Ema, is it possible that the victim was pushed while he was holding the glass?"
"It's very probable. Good thinking, Mr. Wright! But how will we be able to determine which glass is which? All the glass down there is either from the whiskey glass, the window, or the windshield."
"Well, you should be able to find the pieces if they have Graham's fingerprints, right?"
"Hmm… Yep! That should work! I'll be right back!"
Phoenix smiled. Ema loved her job. He walked over to the pool table. There was a rack that could hold two cues. The other half of the cue was there. Looking into the notes he had, he saw that the murder weapon had the Carlton Family crest on it. Using an evidence picture as reference, he noticed that the broken ends seemed quite different. He took out his phone, pressing the contact labeled "Gumshoe".
"This is Richard."
"Detective Gumshoe, it's Phoenix. I need you to come up here right away. Bring the murder weapon."
"Yes, sir. I'm on my way." Gumshoe ended the call.
Just then, the manager came upstairs with the tape.
"Here it is, Mr. Wright. This is an old building though. We've only been able to install cameras in the lobby."
"Thank you. Is there a VHS Player here?"
"There's one in the TV cabinet. Be sure to return that later."
"You'll be sent a copy after the trial is over."
Phoenix played the security footage from 9 PM- 2 AM last night.
He jotted down a few points of interest.
9:30 – Graham comes home alone.
9:35 – Movers arrive in through the back door. They go into the elevator, going to the 16th floor, not Graham's.
9:50 – Lolita comes home alone.
10:22– The manager looks out the window from the desk and calls the police.
"What? Lolita didn't leave that night. Did she lie to me?"
Gumshoe came up the stairs. "Mr. Wright, we have the murder weapon here."
"Thanks, Detective." Phoenix took the pool cue and matched it with the other half. They didn't fit at all.
"Gumshoe, look at this. These don't match."
"Huh. Maybe there's another pool cue that the murderer took."
Graham and the murderer were playing pool. The murderer broke Graham's cue in half, stabbed him, and pushed him out of the window. At some point, the murderer's cue was broken, and the killer got them mixed up, taking one half from each cue. He must have intended to take the pieces from his own cue to hide the fingerprints.
"Somewhere, there is half of a cue with the murderer's fingerprints." Phoenix looked over at Gumshoe. "Take me to the Detention Center. I need to speak with Mrs. Carlton."