Hello everybody! Yes, this story has finally seen a new update after seven months of having put it off. I'm so sorry to you all who have been waiting ever so patiently for a new chapter to be posted. Apart from the few new stories that I've come up with, college really started picking up this year. The work became a bit more demanding and thus required more of my time to actually complete. I'm sure all of you can understand that insufferable pain as high school is probably the same thing at times.
Of course, that's also a warning in that my updates as of now might be on the slow side because of college. It's getting closer to my graduation, so it's time that I start picking up the slack and really concentrate on my work. Still, that does not mean I'm just going to up and abandon all the work I've done on here. All I'm asking is that you all be patient during this time and not go crazy with asking me when I'll post the next update. They will come as they happen, just not when I'm busy studying for my classes.
But yeah, that's it about my educational woes and headaches. The important thing here is that the new chapter is finally up and running. Sorry if towards the middle it sounds kind of rushed apart from the more smooth and less choppy beginning. The chapter had been half done when I momentarily abandoned it, so it proved somewhat difficult to pick up right where I left off. As such, some things might seem too choppy. Sorry again for any of you who notice that. Still, the main plot for the case shouldn't be compromised too much as to what it is already. I still have that part planted firmly in my mind no matter how long it's been since the last update.
And just as a note; I remade the first two chapters of this story. Out of sheer boredom a couple months ago, I decided to reread what I had first written for this and noticed it was really not as great as it could have been. As a result, I decided to completely remake the first case. The entire plot for that is generally the same with a couple of things tweaked and two new pieces of evidence to help make the case more solvable. If you have the time, please go ahead and reread it. I would really appreciate it.
Also, don't forget to leave a review before moving on to the next story that you want to read. As always, they are always very helpful both for morale and in that you might actually catch some mistakes or other things that I myself failed to notice. And it also helps me to see just how many of you are really interested in this story. Until then next update to this or any of my other stories everybody!
And just as a side note, I've revived one of my old stories under a changed name, "Dimensio Eterne et Tenebrae". It's a Kingdom Hearts story that's also my first attempt at writing something based on the horror genre. If any of you have the time, I would appreciate it if you went over there and read it. Just note that my writing for the first four chapters probably won't be that great because it was written two years ago, a time when my writing still had a lot to be improved on. It still does now, but it's not as bad as then. So yeah, please read it if you're interested, but bear in mind that it's a pretty graphic story that's in tune with a horror genre.
Evidence:
Attorney's Badge: Sonic's badge proving that he's a genuine defense attorney. Ever since getting tied into a murder because of him losing it, he's since taken precautions to make sure that it stays secured within the inside of his gloves.
Pistol: The weapon that was recovered at the Mobius Dock. The ballistic markings on the bullet extracted from Ms. Mae's body matches to the gun. Signs show that it was fired twice, the second happening during Shadow's case. It also bears Shadow's fingerprints. It also appears that this also used in the LK-9 Incident as the weapon to have murdered Maria Robotnik.
Letter: A piece of mail found in the lighthouse basement and brought by Knuckles from the forensics department. The contents seem to indicate that Mr. Pryce had some kind of connection to the perpetrators of the LK-9 Incident. While a handwriting analysis is desirable, it's impossible to conduct because of a lack of comparison to a specific individual.
Picture: a photograph given to Sonic by Knuckles who had received it from Salemand Eres. It shows a picture of a white-furred lion with occasional blue spots on all fours like a wild animal and looking at the camera and smiling. Amazingly, his face looks almost child-like despite his rather strong-looking body. It's clear that he has the rare genetic disorder Feralisis Syndrome.
LK-9 Case File: A case file summarizing all the information gathered by police and detectives at the height of the LK-9 Incident. A copy of the file was given to Sonic and Tails by Vector in hopes that it would help them obtain the answers they seek about the case. Just before the trial began, it was discovered that both the paper and digital forms were destroyed. Vector's and Silver's official copies are the only two left to exist.
Vector's Account: Testimony recorded by Tails and detailing what Vector saw in the courthouse lounge on the day of Knuckles' acquittal. He said he saw Mephiles entering the lounge for the first time in his entire career and watching over Sonic's case. He then said the old prosecutor left the room after hearing Shadow exclaim that Ace be held in protective custody.
Notes: Notes taken by Tails depicting what he, Sonic, and Silver had discussed regarding possible connections with Sonic's cases and the LK-9 Incident. It's speculated that all the murderers in the previous cases were orchestrated by one mastermind who seems to be in some kind of smuggling ring.
Case Summary File: A file found in the LK-9 Case File that summarizes the scene of the crime. The crime took place that the Mobius Dock's lighthouse that was then a business called "Prycey Seafood". It was owned by three people; two of them were Lois and Maxwell Pryce who owned a lesser percentage of the business. An unnamed third person had owned a majority of the business before it closed upon being a spotlight of a murder.
Witness List: A list of witness found in the LK-9 Case File. According to the list, there were four potential witnesses to the murder. Two of them were Max and Lois Pryce and have been recorded as supplying witness statements to the police. The third person was Salemand Eres who appears to have been working at the Prycey Seafood at the time, although Shadow states that he was merely working undercover then. A fourth person, the third owner of the business, was kept anonymous for some reason and had his wish to refuse to testify be granted.
Victims' Report: A report that supplies basic details of the victims of the LK-9 case. One of them was a senior detective by the name of Charles Hedgehog, Sonic's uncle. The second victim was a defense attorney called Maria Robotnik, Shadow's good friend and apparently a relative of Dr. Robotnik.
Charles' Autopsy Report: Charles was found dead with a single strike to the head with a blunt object. The bruises covering his body and on his fists show that he was in a fight prior to dying. The murder weapon has never been recovered.
Maria's Autopsy Report: Maria was found dead with a single gunshot wound to her head. The bullet was shot at a distance and went straight through her skull. The entry wound was from the back and exited the front. There were no signs of any struggle.
Written Statement: A statement written by the fourth anonymous witness in the LK-9 case. They speak of how they can't be a suspect because of having performed important business elsewhere. The person also hints that they might have some kind of connection at the time with the local Precinct. The handwriting seemingly matches with that on the Letter and hints that this witness might have something to do with the previous case.
Bullet: The bullet that was found lodged in a wall after killing Maria Robotnik. It was proven five years ago through ballistic testing that it was fired from the Pistol that was used once again on Prosecutor Flora Mae. According to the trajectory report, it was fired from a position directly parallel to the hallway.
Diagram: Floor plans that show the interior of the lighthouse five years ago when it was still known as "Prycey Seafood". Vector has written in a red sharpie on it the path Maria took upon entering the lighthouse. She first went to the bookshelf on the other side of the foyer before making her way to the office and then back where she was ultimately killed.
Statements: Statements made by Sonic and friends five years ago about their kidnapping ordeal. All four said the same thing and that they were blindfolded when they entered the lighthouse. They felt themselves going downstairs and were then left in a pitch black and windowless room. However, detectives failed to find said room. That and they were ultimately discovered on the lighthouse second floor, so the statements were thus considered useless and shuffled away.
Ornamental Cane: A simple mahogany cane with a platinum snake head serving as the grip. The blood on it belongs to Detective Charles. It had been in Interpol custody for the past five years as evidence in their smuggling case until Salem got the okay from his boss to reintroduce it back into the LK-9 Case. It was reported stolen two years before the double-murders occurred. No fingerprints could be lifted from it.
Profiles:
Sonic Hedgehog: He's a seventeen-year-old cobalt hedgehog who has taken upon himself to act as the defense for the LK-9 Incident despite the clear lack of a defendant. He wishes to obtain more information on the case in its last day of legal life and to try solving it.
Miles Prower: A twelve-year-old two tailed fox who likes to go by his nickname "Tails" and is now working at the Robotnik Law Firm as their local detective. He's now working alongside Sonic in an attempt to find answers that lie hidden within the LK-9 Incident.
Knuckles Echidna: An eighteen-year-old red echidna who is a detective at the local Precinct and now watching the proceedings of the LK-9 trial. He delivered the evidence from the LK-9 Incident to Vector after learning of someone destroying both the electronic and paper versions of the case file.
Salemand Eres: An Interpol Agent who has decided to reveal his true identity in court in order to be granted immunity from the charges of tampering with the scene of a crime and removal of evidence. He was working undercover in the Prycey Seafood Company at the time the double-murders happened. His real name is actually "Salem".
Shadow Hedgehog: An eighteen-year-old ebon furred hedgehog who became a prosecutor at sixteen in a country that allowed bar exams at younger ages. He has been cleared of murder and is now overlooking the case from the gallery to see what new details will surface during the trial regarding the LK-9 Incident.
Silver Hedgehog: A nineteen-year-old silver furred hedgehog who is the country's youngest Senior Detective. He has taken it upon himself to testify to the courts as if he were one of the detectives from the initial investigation of the LK-9 Incident despite only reciting what it was he read from the case file.
Mephiles: A sixty-five year old veteran prosecutor whose ruthlessness is well known both inside and out of the courtroom. If not trying to leave a strong impression in all his cases, he expects nothing but obedience and cooperation from the officers and detectives overlooking the collection of evidence in the cases he's working on. He's known to get any officer or detective who dared to defy his direct orders in trouble with the Precinct. For unknown reasons, he has chosen to refuse to preside over the LK-9 trial.
Vector Crocodile: A twenty-three-year old local prosecutor who is friends with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles as well as Shadow's coworker. He has decided to continue with his work as a freelance detective along with Charmy Bee despite the conviction of his friend and partner Espio that caused shadows about the integrity of his work that soon quickly dissipated. He has also taken it upon himself to oversee the LK-9 Incident as a prosecutor and help as much as he can to keep the trial going.
Leukis Kruger: Salem's younger brother who's afflicted with the rare genetic disorder, Feralisis Syndrome. He also happens to be with Interpol. According to Salem, they were reunited after Leukis had managed to successfully shake off members of the smuggling ring who figured out his true identity and wanted him dead. His real name is "Leon".
Charles Hedgehog: Sonic's uncle with greyish blue fur who was once a resourceful and reliable senior detective down at the local precinct. Because of the events from five years ago, he became an unfortunate victim of what is now known as the LK-9 Incident. Was the key reason why Sonic decided to pursue a career as a defense attorney.
Maria Robotnik: Shadow's good friend with beautifully long blond hair who was once a defense attorney. She apparently has some relations to Dr. Robotnik. Because of the events from five years ago, she became an unfortunate victim of what is now known as the LK-9 Incident. Was the key reason why Shadow decided to pursue a career as a prosecutor.
Ace Sleuth: A former Senior Detective who was jailed for the murder of his fiancee. He was then sent to a secluded safe house courtesy of Shadow upon discovering he had some connections with the LK-9 Incident. However, some unknown person discovered where he was hiding and killed him. An anonymous note sent to the Precinct telling officers about the murder seems to have been written by the mysterious fourth witness..
Chapter 32: The LK-9 Case Turnabout Pt. 5
In the chaos that ensued after Salem dropped his bombshell of an accusation, the Judge was forced to call another one-hour recess in order to allow the entire courtroom to regain their composure. It was clear that he preferred to have simply abandon the day's proceedings and reconvene tomorrow. However, he did not have the luxury to make that call as the case was due to be officially closed from any further investigation by the day's end.
Sonic and Tails, both of which having nothing better to do apart from mulling over the details they learned, had since retreated back into the defendant lobby after the recess was announced. Both were seated on the cushioned benches trying to figure out what their next move was going to be. Salem and his little brother also happened to be in the lobby with them and were talking quietly to each other in a corner of the room.
Meanwhile, Vector and Shadow had retreated back into the prosecution lobby right after the recess had been called. Both prosecutors looked rather shocked at the accusation that had just been delivered. Not surprising seeing as how the newly accused was Prosecutor Mephiles, the one person they probably held some respect for simply because he was a high-ranking prosecutor at the Prosecutor's Office. They made no prior indications that they were going to come over after whatever it was they were going to discuss, so it was most likely they were going to stay on their side until court resumed.
"…How are you holding up, Sonic?" Tails asked as he brought a can of soda to his older brother who had since taken a seat on the sofa. "I can't imagine how exhausted you might be what with everything that's happened today."
"No, I'm just full of energy and can't wait to get back into the courtroom and take care of this messed-up case!" Sonic sarcastically replied, taking the can rougher than he intended and immediately taking a big gulp. "How do you think I'm feeling? We just got served a bombshell of an accusation that nobody in the courtroom was anywhere near expecting! I swear; it was like trying to pull teeth just to get that out of that cat! And then we hear that we're most likely going to have to question the most stubborn person in the world once recess is over. I think that's more than enough stress to kill me right now. Were this not the last day for this case, I bet that the Judge would've called an end to today's proceedings!"
"I wouldn't be surprised if he had seeing as how the gallery practically exploded when Salem made that accusation," the two tailed fox quietly responded with a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's something he'd usually do when the courtroom becomes too excited. How are you planning to approach this case from here?"
The only thing he got as an answer from the hedgehog was some inaudible mumbling. It was clear that he was not going to get anything better than that. Finding it best to simply give his brother some time to collect his thoughts; he instead chose to approach the other two that were still engrossed in their quiet conversation.
"…be more careful than that, Leon!" he heard Salem say once he was within earshot. The cat had seemingly dropped his stoic demeanor and suddenly adopted the attitude of a concerned older brother. "You got lucky that Vector's group was able to find you. I still can't believe he managed to pull it off with hardly any help from me."
"I couldn't help being knocked out while searching the old warehouse and then getting trapped inside the office," Leon simply explained with his shoulder blades rising up in a shrug. "I made sure nobody followed me or was inside at the time. I don't know how they managed to get the jump on me. If you ask me…, Oh, hi there, little guy!"
With that abrupt greeting, the brothers quickly abandoned their discussion before shifting their attention to the young fox who was now about a foot away.
"Hello," Tails greeted with a friendly smile and a wave of his hand. "I just thought I'd come by and see how you two were holding up. You both have been huddled in this corner ever since the recess started."
"I'm as good as we can be now that I know my little brother his safe," Salem explained while nodding his head in thanks at the show of concern. "You could say that we were having a little brotherly bonding moment."
"I don't think bonding moments usually include chewing me out," Leon huffed with a childish pout on his face.
"It's not as though you didn't deserve it," the black cat simply replied. "Anyway, I don't think I ever properly thanked you, Sonic, and Detective Knuckles for helping me. I don't think Leon would be here if it weren't for you three."
"Oh, I hardly think any one of us did anything that's worth being thanked over," the fox replied. "All we did was let you use our phone to get in touch with Vector so that you wouldn't end up compromising your job."
"And it was because of that the crocodile was even able to know that I needed his help. It may seem like a small act to you, but you really did me a huge favor in making sure I didn't have to blow my cover too early."
"Why don't you try lightening up a bit, Salem?" the white tiger asked as he playfully nudged at his brother's leg with his head. "I know you were busy working undercover and all that, but I'm sure you would've found me sooner or later."
"How, alive or stuffed into a body bag? When are you going to learn to start taking this job more seriously? It's dangerous enough as it is for regular people; it's doubly so for someone with your circumstances! I still can't believe I let you persuade me into letting you join up with Interpol. I worry about you enough as it is already."
"And when are you going to stop treating me like a little kid? I'm not going to quit this job just because you're getting crazy worried over me. I didn't waste my teenage years lugging around heavy crates and teaching myself how to push stuff around while on my hind legs just so you could keep hovering over me like an overbearing mother. I've learned how to take care of myself to a certain degree, you know?"
"I don't think throwing your entire body onto an incoming attacker would be considered an adequate defense. You may have a good amount of muscle on you for someone with Feralisis Syndrome, but you have got to come up with something better than that. And I have a right to be overbearing since you're the only brother I have!"
"Uh, I'm sorry to be cutting in here," Tails spoke up with a hesitant chuckle. "I was kind of hoping to have a talk with Leon before the recess is over."
"Well, feel free to ask him whatever you want," Salem replied while shaking his head and heading towards the water cooler. "I was actually kind of wondering when you were going to do that. Sorry in advance if Leon poses too much trouble and gives you explanations that are hardly worth anything."
"Hey, I resent that!" the four-legged teen countered as he blew a raspberry at his brother. "I can be very clear and informative whenever I want to. Anyway," he continued with a clearing of his throat, "what was it that you wanted to ask me?"
Wow, he acts almost like Sonic, the fox thought while giving off a slight nervous chuckle. "Um, I was kind of wondering what you were doing before you went missing. Not only is it because I'm curious as to what happened, but I have a strange feeling that it might be connected to our current case."
"That's all you wanted to know? Geez, I was thinking that you were going to do the same thing to me like you and Sonic did to Salem back in the courtroom. The last thing I want now is to be grilled for details."
"Well, I'm don't plan on being too hard on you. It's not like you've been caught in a lie or a person of interest in some crime. I'm just hoping that what you have to say will have some indirect ties with our current case. I mean, Salem did tell us that you were working undercover alongside him in the same job. At the least, I'd like to know if you being captured had anything to do with what you two were working on."
For a few seconds, Leon was quiet and had a strangely serious look on his face. It was as though he was contemplating whether or not he should be talking about such a sensitive subject. Tails may have only known the lion for a few minutes, but he had a good feeling that this serious look was an uncommon feature.
"…I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you a little bit about it," the lion responded with a shrug. "You've already gotten Salem to talk about his undercover work, so I guess it's only fair if I talked about my involvements. That's provided that said person will even allow me to talk about it," he added before staring at his older brother.
"Don't worry; you can trust him with whatever you have to say," Salem explained before drinking his water. "He and his brother there have done a pretty good job figuring out who I was and what I was working on through their own determination. Being that you and I are a couple of pretty good undercover Interpol agents, I think it's fair to say that they earned our respect for having figured us out."
"Wow, I didn't think this little kid was that good," he chuckled out in amusement. "I guess I better be careful with what I say when I'm answering your questions. So what was it again you wanted me to start explaining?"
"I asked about what you were doing before you went missing," Tails repeated. "When Salem first came to Sonic for help, it sounded like you failed to contact him at the right time which then caused him to be all elaborate just to get ahold of Vector. Do you mind telling me what you were doing before falling off the radar?"
Argument: Cause of my Capture
To be honest, I was busy looking into the smuggling case that Interpol's been working on. Supposedly, they were close to solving the case. However, they still needed more information before they officially closed in on the smuggling ring. As such, I went to one of their old abandoned warehouses to see if I could find something that could speed up the process. Needless to say, the place wasn't as abandoned as I had thought it to be. Somebody managed to get the jump on me while I was busy searching! I've been locked up since then until someone found and freed me late last night.
End Argument
"So you were looking for something that could help speed up Interpol's attempts at closing the smuggling case," Tails simplified once Leon had finished with his explanation. "After that, your assailant had you trapped for the past few days until you were found and freed last night. That wouldn't happen to have something to do with your mention earlier about some office space, would it?"
"So you did catch what we were talking about earlier," Salem replied before nodding his head. "Charmy was the one who managed to figure out where Leon was being held. I still don't understand how he and Vector managed to pull it off since Leon is pretty good at keeping his tracks hidden from prying eyes. And as to why he was secretly searching that warehouse, that place is still considered enemy territory. The last thing we needed was for members of the ring to realize somebody was snooping around one of their former places."
"And all that cautiousness might as well have been like me trying to walk on my hind legs all day," Leon huffed with a pout. "I know I wasn't being followed, so that could only mean that somebody was already in that building when I arrived. They must've gotten a good view of me coming if they managed to avoid being caught when I scoped the place before searching. Talk about having bad timing."
"And that was when Salem started to worry when you didn't report back and decided to play the shady card when he first met with us," Sonic added as he finally made his way into the group. "So that's what you guys are doing huddled in this corner. Mind letting me in on what you guys are discussing?"
"We were just talking about the moment before Leon was captured," the two tailed fox simply explained. "I was about to ask him some questions about it."
"Well, it sounds like you're going to treat this like an on-scene argument session," the black cat replied in amusement. "Shadow told me how well you held yourself when you indicted Espio a while back. I always wondered if he was just pulling my leg there. Time for me to see if you're really detective material like he says you are."
"I just pay attention to what's said and point out things that don't make sense. I hardly think this is going to turn into an indictment process anytime soon. But yeah," he stated before clearing his throat. "Let me get some more in-depth information on what Leon said. I'd like to see what you know before the recess is over."
Begin Rebuttal
"If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been working with Interpol?" Tails asked in an attempt to get a better sense of character. "I think your brother told us when we first met that you're only nineteen."
"Yeah, I'm the youngest person to ever be hired by the organization!" Leon proudly stated with a wide smile. "They consider me to be a prodigy seeing how I started officially working for them when I was just fourteen. Boy, you should've seen the look on my superiors' faces when I first met with them! I guess they don't take age into account when they're hiring new recruits.
"But yeah, I've been officially working on this smuggling case for almost five years now," he explained once he recovered from his excited high. Everybody in the room save Salem were surprised at how quickly he was able to switch between emotions. "I started a couple of months before the LK-9 Incident came about. It was my first official job that just so happened to have me paired up with Salem."
"I kind of already figured on that being the case," Sonic replied as he recalled what he did earlier in court. "I already proved earlier that you were the only person Salem trusted to take the Ornamental Cane without taking it to the police behind his back. And you were most likely stationed somewhere nearby if you were able to come by in less than ten minutes. It'd only make sense then that you were on the job at the time."
"Wow, you pretty much got it right on the nose," the lion said with an impressed smile. "A rookie who's a natural at law and a child prodigy. Seriously, I've heard in my circle that Tails is working with the Robotnik Law Firm as their on-scene detective. Never thought I'd see another fellow prodigy who went through school like it was nothing! That brain of yours is probably better than mine seeing as how you're only twelve!"
"Uh, I don't think any of that has anything to do with what I was asking," the two tailed fox said as his cheeks started to turn red. "How about we just drop the subject and keep move onto my next question? How close would you say that Interpol was in finally putting a close on the smuggling case?"
"Well, they were pretty confident that they would be able to close in on them before the year is over," Salem explained as he took another cup of water. "Considering that they've been on this case for a little over ten years, another six months wasn't too much of a wait for them. Coincidentally, I was assigned to it at the same time Leon was first hired; that means we've been working on it for the second half of its life."
"So it's been going on for a good while now," the hedgehog sighed. "I think I heard sometime during the court proceedings that Detective Charles and Maria Robotnik's last case involved their client happening to be a part of the ring. From how things turned out, I'd say that they were pretty close to putting a dent in their operations."
"Oh, they were the only people outside of Interpol at the time to have gotten as close to the truth of the smuggling ring as they did," the black cat replied. "It'd have serve them a lot of problems seeing as how regular public defenders were able to sniff out a large and complicated criminal organization that kept innumerable precautionary measures so as to cover their tracks. That's when they decided to take out the threat.
"However, they did at least try to pass on the information to us," he quickly added. "I remember receiving a call from one of the two about how they had information regarding the smuggling. We had arranged to meet sometime after the conclusion of their last case, but I'm sure you already know how well that plan ended up working. In the end, whatever it was they managed to find out died along with them."
"And their chance at victory on the ring was delayed for the next five years until now," the defense attorney concluded. "I didn't know my uncle and Maria had managed to dig up so much on the smuggling ring without the help of Interpol. It's kind of funny how it seems like I'm now picking up where they left off. I doubt, though, that they were actually planning on challenging the accused leader head-on in court later."
"I still can't believe that you actually said that Mephiles is the smuggling ring leader," Tails said as he recalled the courtroom bombshell. "Then again, I suppose what you claimed makes sense when you consider all the evidence we have. Still, it's hard to believe that a man who vowed to work with the law would be so deep in the world of crime.
"Anyway, we're starting to get way off-topic again," he quickly changed subjects while clearing his throat. "We'll get back to that later if we still have time. In the meantime, do you think you can tell us exactly where it was you decided to look for more clues, Leon? I know you said it was an abandoned warehouse, but there's a lot of them around Mobius. Perhaps you could simplify things a bit."
"It's the one that was once a part of the now defunct Prycey Seafood business," Leon explained. "Even after our mission at the time ended in failure because of the murders, Interpol still chose to keep a close watch over the lighthouse and its warehouse. Ever since the incident, the warehouse had been left alone with nobody going in and out."
"Then that would mean that whatever was left would still be in there," the fox stated as he seemed excited at the thought. "And you were locked up in its office when you were knocked out. Did you manage to find any evidence there while you were locked up? Anything from the time of the LK-9 Incident that we can use in court later?"
"Sorry, I didn't really have much of a chance to search the place," the lion simply said. "The only time the warehouse wasn't under any kind of watch was the morning I was told to search the place for more information. Apparently, my assailant had also chosen that time to go in and take whatever was inside. When I came to, I saw that all the drawers had been ransacked. Whatever used to be in them had been taken away."
"You're not serious, are you?!" Salem suddenly exclaimed. "There were important documents in there concerning the fake shipping reports along with other important records! I warned Interpol that something like this might happen, but they refused to listen! I should've just disobeyed orders and take everything that was in there when I still had the chance."
"It's not like it's the end of the world, Salem. After all, we still have Sonic and Tails working on the case with us. From what I heard from you, these two have gotten pretty far despite having close to nothing when they first started. I'm sure we'll still be able to get our hands on this Mephiles guy before the day is out."
"But that's provided we can pin him for the double murders," Sonic reminded them. "Salem just told us that my uncle Chuck and Maria knew things about the smuggling ring that regular people shouldn't have known. If Mephiles really is their murderer, then his motive would've been to simply keep them quiet. Until we've proven that he did commit the double-murders, I don't think he'll be anywhere near your list of suspects."
"And that's where you two and the rest of the key players in this trial come in," Leon simply explained. "While we as Interpol Agents do have some jurisdiction over the LK-9 Incident due to its connection to our smuggling case, only you two and Prosecutor Vector can further the progression of today's trial. You're the only ones with the ability to find more key details in the courtroom; Leon and I are just officers with concerns to the global law who happen to have exclusive permission to view over case files of various jurisdictions."
End Rebuttal
"Boy, we sure took a pretty big detour from what my original question was," Tails said with a sigh after having recorded the important details mentioned in Leon's Statement. "Still, I can't say that it wasn't informative. However, I'm still curious as to who it was that imprisoned you in the old Prycey Seafood warehouse."
"Well, I do have a hunch as to who it might have been," Salem thought out loud. "Even though the building was no longer in use, it still required a password in order to get inside. The company maintaining the security is still supplying service to that machine and changes the password to the Warehouse Keypad every six months. Interpol ran a check on who's still on the receiving end of the password updates and came up with only one possible name."
"I think I can take a guess as to who it was," Sonic replied. "If Mephiles is the one the new passwords are being sent to, then that means he still has full access to that warehouse. As such, he would be the only person able to illegally imprison Leon as well as keep watch over any damning pieces of documents that may still be lying in that warehouse."
"That's the only thing we also could come up with," Leon agreed with a nod of his head. "He isn't the kind of person to risk giving the code to another."
"Still, that doesn't seem like enough proof to show he was the one who attacked you," the young fox admitted. "With only that as our basis, there's no way we'd be able to make it stick with a cunning man such as him. He'd probably counter us by pointing out that we don't have any evidence on that regard. Now that I think about it, we hardly have any evidence whatsoever saying that he's the true perpetrator of the LK-9 Incident."
"I think we've already proven today that even a man such as him can make a mistake," the hedgehog scoffed as he picked up the Ornamental Cane that had been left lying against the wall. "He claimed to have a perfect win record during his entire career, but I managed to shoot him off of his high horse. Granted it was damned hard to beat him, so I'm not saying pinning him for the double murders is going to be a walk in the park.
"But you are right in that we don't have a lot of evidence to go on," he added as he nervously wrung his hands against the cane. "The only thing I can suggest doing is to run a handwriting analysis on all the handwritten documents we have in regards to this case and see if they match with Mephiles's handwriting. However, I somehow doubt it's going to be that easy… What the?!"
In a moment of surprise, he dropped the cane just as the serpent head suddenly bared its fangs. It fell to the floor with a hollow clatter before rolling to Salem's feet, its mouth wide open as if it were ready to attack whoever dared to pick it up.
"What's this?" the black cat wondered as he picked up the cane and examined the newly discovered feature. "I never knew there was a function like this. I suppose it only makes sense being that it's a snake décor. Still, I never expected something like this from a simple-looking piece of work. I suppose it appears after one has twisted the base a certain way."
"I-I see something on the fangs!" Tails noted as he pointed to said portion of the cane. "I can't be too sure since there isn't a lot of it, but I think it might be blood. If that's so, then that means somebody received puncture wounds from this! The autopsy report on both victims never made mention of anything like that."
"If that's so, then we better get that checked as soon as we can!" Leon exclaimed as he began bouncing on his feet like a hyper child. "It just might provide us all with the break we need to put an end to all this!"
"If Mephiles really was the one who used his own two hands to at the least kill Detective Charles, then the blood would most likely belong to him!" Salem concluded with a sure nod. "I'm sure the good detective was able to land at least one blow against his assailant, but we won't know for sure until we get this analyzed. If it's true though, then it'll definitely put him at the scene of the crime!"
"And you mentioned back in the courtroom that you saw nobody leave the lighthouse the whole time you were there since you heard the gunshot," the fox recounted Salem's Testimony. "If we can put the two together, then we should have enough to adequately indict the prosecutor for the double-murders!"
"That appears to be the case," the cat agreed with a broad smile. "I'll go ahead and bring this cane to the local police department so forensics can have a look at it. Is there anything that you'd like for them to check while I'm there? I have a feeling this might be the last recess, so you best give me everything you want to be further analyzed now."
"…I think it best if we had the Letter and Written Statement be put under a handwriting analysis," Sonic replied after thinking on it for a couple seconds. He noticed his little brother giving him an agreeing nod. "Now that we have a person of interest to compare them to, it shouldn't be considered a waste of time looking into them."
"Alright, then I'll go ahead and take them to the police department," the other said as he took the other two items from Tails before making a beeline towards the door. "I'll try to get back as fast as I can, so just hold out until I come back. Just remember that you're fighting for Interpol as well as for the truth to your case. How this ends will decide how we're going to pursue our line of attack against Mephiles as being the smuggling ringleader. Don't make me regret putting my trust in you."
"Oh, thanks for that wonderful burst of confidence!" the hedgehog sarcastically called out just as the other exited the room. At the same time, the bailiff had entered while looking down at his wristwatch.
"The recess is almost over, Mr. Sonic," the officer stated with a salute. "Please finish up what you're doing and head to the courtroom."
"Thank you for telling us, sir," he answered as the man left just as quickly as he came. "…Oh, I'm so not ready for this! I just gave away pieces of evidence that are probably critical to this case. There's no way I'm going to make Mephiles open his mouth for me on this matter. If he gives testimonies in the same way he prosecutes, then we're going to be in for the biggest headache of our lives."
"If evidence doesn't work, then you're just going to have to try some other way to make him talk," Leon replied as he jumped onto one of the sofas and laid down on it. He then asked with a thoughtful look crossing his face, "Have you ever heard of an interrogation skill called 'The Logic Chess' technique?"
"I can't say that I have, but I would assume from the name that it revolves some level of logical thinking," Tails replied with an intrigued eyebrow raised. "Think you could give us the cliff notes as to what it is?"
"Well, it's when you ask your witness a set of lead-in questions in hopes of gathering small nuggets of information that you can then hopefully use against them later on," the albino lion quickly explained. "You're basically trying to read the witness's expressions in order to ascertain what question suits the situation. In essence, it's almost like a game of chess where you try to anticipate your opponent's next move and beat them to it, hence the name of the technique. My brother taught me that and said it's generally most effective when you have no evidence to use against the one being interrogated."
"Is that because it gives them a sense that they are in control of the situation and think we don't have anything to use against them?" Tails wondered out loud as he let the technique run through his head. "On a psychological standpoint, I can see how this mode of interrogation can be useful. No matter how collected one is, everybody is prone to bouts of cockiness which, in turn, can lead to a fatal slip-up."
"I can't guarantee that it'll work on Mephiles, but it's better than just throwing in the towel when you have absolutely nothing except the power to bluff. Being how things are right now, I doubt the Judge will be pleased if you continued on with nothing but bluffs. If you can successfully pull off the technique, then you just might be able to at the least drag out a new piece of testimony from him. Just be warned that it's not the most reliable way to get more information out of a witness as it's more of a conversational process, so try not to let it be the only thing that keeps your case together.
"And if you do plan on using this, then make sure you sound like you know what you're doing. It was not meant to be used in the courtroom setting, so you don't have as much freedom to ask random questions. The last thing you need now is for the witness to lose patience at your ineptness to create a suitable argument and clam up."
"Thanks for the warning, Leon," the attorney replied before picking up his things from the table and headed out the door. "That'll definitely be something for us to consider trying out should push comes to shove, although I'll probably leave it to Tails since he's better than me in the interrogation department. But yeah, I better hurry on back to the courtroom before they decide to continue the case without me. Let's just hope your brother can come through for us and get that evidence examined in time."
With Tails following closely behind, the two left the courtroom lobby with Leon laying comfortably on the chair. With his paw, he turned on the television with the remote resting next to him, the channel set onto the courtroom where the trial was being held. With a silent prayer of success for the duo, he waited in anticipation for the final showdown to finally take place that would decide the outcome of both the LK-9 Incident and Interpol's case.
New Evidence:
Leon's Statement: Testimony regarding the moments leading up to Leon's kidnapping. He entered the old Prycey Seafood Warehouse and went to the office in an attempt to collect more information with regards to either the smuggling ring or their person of interest. Before he could perform a thorough search, he was soon attacked and imprisoned in the office before the Chaotix Detective Agency found and rescued him. He mentioned that the room looked as though it had been rifled through when he came to.
Warehouse Keypad: A sophisticated password system for the door to the Prycey Seafood Warehouse. According to Salem, the security company in charge of the password is still supplying service to the building. However, the bi-annual password change is sent to only one person. It's suspected that Mephiles is the one with access to the new passwords.
Salem's Testimony: Testimony recorded during Salem's court appearance. He testified to working overtime at the warehouse from midnight until one. He made it clear that nobody left the lighthouse the moment he went out to take a look after hearing gunshots. All four employees, including himself, were scattered about the Prycey Seafood Business grounds when the police had arrived. Charles was still alive when he first approached him. He also mentioned that Maria and Charles had knowledge of the smuggling ring and believed through their last case's client that the company had ties to the ring.
Lost Evidence:
Ornamental Cane: Was the murder weapon that killed Charles Hedgehog. It's been discovered that the serpent head opens when the base is twisted. Blood can be seen on the fangs; it is suspected to belong to the one who murdered Charles. It was sent to forensics to be further analyzed.
Letter: A piece of mail found in the lighthouse basement instructing Maxwell Pryce on how to carry out his sister's murder. With Mephiles now a suspect in the case and having had a provable connection with the now defunct Prycey Seafood business thanks to Salem, it was sent to forensics for a handwriting analysis.
Written Statement: A statement written by the anonymous fourth witness in the double murders. It is suspected that Mephiles was the one who wrote it and is thus the fourth witness in the double murders and the one responsible for Ace's murder. It has been sent to forensics for a handwriting analysis.
Well, that's it for this new chapter that took a while to make. I understand that this could easily just be seen as a filler chapter. To be honest, that's kind of what I already had planned before I temporarily abandoned this story. It's just a way for them all to really take a break and collect their thoughts after having been offered a bombshell of an accusation. Too many things going on at once; they need some time to really absorb all the information.
Also, it's been during my hiatus moment that I actually decided to give up waiting for Ace Attorney Investigations 2 and just watch the translated episodes on Youtube. Needless to say, I finally have a better understanding as to how the Logic Chess system works. As such, I decided to give it a late introduction into this story. That and I can already envision it being hard for me to write down Mephiles's testimony what with how collected and purposefully vague he can be. In the end, asking him questions might be the only way to expose him for the man he really is, or at least in accordance to what Salem and Leon claim him to be.
But yeah, I really hope you all enjoyed this new chapter. Please don't forget to leave a review before moving onto the next story you want to read. I would like to know what you all think about it. I promise you all that the end is now in sight and that it'll definitely be a fun and suspenseful ride. Until the next update to this and any of my other stories on here everybody!