Vanessa was shocked when she heard that.
"What?! Ho…homicide? You think he…"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Finalle. But that's what the evidence is suggesting so far."
"But how? You were here. We both were. We opened the door as soon as we heard the gunshot. There was nobody else in there."
"Indeed. This is quite puzzling." said Edgeworth. "But it definitely warrants further investigation. As long as the possibility remains that the case is murder, we cannot dismiss this as suicide."
"I see. In that case…I am going to help you however I can." said Vanessa. 'If George was murdered, I want you to get who did this."
"I give you my word, I will do my best. First of all, I will need your help."
"Of course."
"Can you tell us about the last time you encountered the victim. What did you talk about?"
"I see. Okay."
Witness testimony
My last encounter with George
Me and George met last night at his trailer
He gave me tickets to the concert for me and my best friend
My best friend couldn't make it so I came alone.
He accompanied me all the way to the exit.
As I left, I saw him stop by a stall and look at the merchandise.
He seemed very upset by something he saw.
He bought it and then stormed off. That was the last time I saw him.
…
"What was the thing he bought?" asked Edgeworth.
"I…I have no idea. I was too far away. It did look like some kind of CD."
"CD?"
"Yes. You know, many stalls in here sell CDs of the performers. They are very much in demand."
"And why would a CD have angered him so much?" wondered Edgeworth.
"I imagine you wish to question my statements?"
"I didn't notice anything strange, so not for now." said Edgeworth. "I just have one question.
"Yes?"
"When you talked to him yesterday, did he talk about seeing anyone. Did he mention any people he was meant to meet or…"
Vanessa thought about it.
"Now that you mention it…he said he was feeling mild dizziness."
"Dizziness?"
"Yes. It happened often to him. It was probably the stress. He said he would go the venue doctor today before the concert to make sure everything was okay."
"The doctor?"
"Yes. There is a doctor here, in case anyone gets injured or sick. She has an open-air space for treating people."
"In that case, we should visit her." said Edgeworth. "Let's see if he actually met with her. Detective Gumshoe, tell forensics they can take the body away now. Tell them to send us the autopsy report when it is ready."
"Yes, sir!"
…
Edgeworth, Kay, Gumshoe and Vanessa headed for the doctor's place They found her tying a bandage to a man's arm.
"That should do it. Try to be more careful from now on."
"Am I going to be okay?"
"Of course. Just try not to lift things with this arm for a couple days and you'll be fine."
"Thank you."
The man got up and left. The doctor turned to Edgeworth and his company.
"Excuse me, are you the doctor here?"
"That's right. Andrea Leslie Stockings. What do you need?"
"Some information." said Edgeworth. "We were wondering if you could help us in a homicide investigation we are currently conducting."
The doctor froze when she heard that.
"Ho...Homicide. Who died?"
"A singer, George Mike."
The doctor couldn't believe it. She sat down on a chair nearby.
"George? No, it can't be. I…I jut saw him this morning."
"So you did see him."
"Yes…yes, I did. But…but I didn't kill him!"
"We don't think you did, Ms. Stockings. We just want to know what you looked like when you saw him. Can you provide us with a testimony?"
"Of course. If it can help you solve this. Though I doubt I have anything useful to say."
"Please, Ms. Stockings. Anything you say could prove useful."
Witness testimony
Examining George Mike
I met George Mike this morning.
He just wanted me to examine him. He had been feeling dizzy again and wanted to make sure he would be fit to take part in the concert.
I examined him and deemed he was perfectly fit.
He thanked me and left.
As he left, he accidentally bumped into the table. He knocked an item down and picked it up for me. That was all.
…
Thank you for your cooperation" said Edgeworth. "Would you mind if I asked you a couple questions regarding your testimony?"
"Um…okay. But make it quick. I have other people that need my help."
"I won't bother you too long. I just need to clear up some things.
Cross-examination
I met George Mike this morning
Hold it: What was he like?"
"He seemed…perfectly fine. Not at all worried. Though he seemed different."
"Different?"
"He had been wearing sunglasses."
"Sunglasses?" That doesn't make sense." said Vanessa. "George never wore sunglasses. He said they weren't his style."
"That's why I found it strange. He had come to me a couple times before already and I'd never seen him with sunglasses. At first, I didn't recognize him. But he was wearing his signature bandana,
"Was there anything strange about those sunglasses?"
"Not really. But…"
"Yes?"
"The left lens was a bit cracked. I think it was starting to break."
"Hmmm. Interesting." Thought Edgeworth.
"So, you examined him?"
"Yes."
He just wanted me to examine him. He had been feeling dizzy again and wanted to make sure he would be fit to take part in the concert.
Hold it: did that happen often?"
"I'd say so. He came to me two or three times during his stay here. However, every time I examined him. He was perfectly healthy. My estimation was that his dizziness was psychosomatic."
"Did you give him any medication?"
"There wasn't anything for that. I just advised him to not get too stressed and relax."
"Not easy for a star of rock, I suppose." thought Edgeworth.
I examined him and deemed he was perfectly fit.
He thanked me and left.
As he left, he accidentally bumped into the table. He knocked an item down and picked it up for me. That was all.
Hold it: What was that item?" asked Edgeworth.
"Oh, it was that needle. Look."
She pointed at the table. There were many items on it. However, a needle stood out because it was inside a plastic bag.
"Why is it in a plastic bag?" asked Edgeworth. "Aren't you supposed to be using this?"
"Are you kidding? Not anymore! This one is my treasure now!"
"Treasure?"
"A needle touched by the famous George Mike? Can you imagine how much this will be worth? Especially now that he…" her enthusiasm went away. "Well…you know…"
"It's good to know people will still remember him, at least." said Vanessa, ready to tear up.
Edgeworth couldn't think of any other questions at that point.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Stockings."
"Can I ask you a question?" asked Stockings.
"Of course."
"Where was he….found. And how…how…"
"We found him inside a porta-potty. The door was locked, so we had to break it. There was a pistol in his hand. It's most likely he died from gunshot."
Stockings seemed confused by that.
"Excuse me, but…doesn't that seem like a suicide?"
"You are right. However, we have reason to suspect that it isn't suicide." said Gumshoe. "First of all, there was a bandana with a bullet hole in it. It had been wrapped around the gun's barrel, probably to muffle the sound."
"That does sound strange."
"And there is something else that is strange." said Edgeworth. "I just don't know why yet."
"What do you mean?"
Edgeworth took out the string he had found at the porta-potty.
"I found this wrapped around the door's lock."
"It looks like…a guitar string." said Stockings.
"There are many of them around here." said Kay. "Almost every singer has a guitar."
Edgeworth and Vanessa were quick to catch on.
"There are many signers with a guitar." said Edgeworth.
"Those strings are very strong." said Kay.
"They are very strong." said Stockings.
"And they are thin enough to fit through a door." said Vanessa.
"They are certainly thin enough." said Edgeworth.
The more each of them spoke, the more their eyes lit as they realized what had happened.
Gumshoe was the only one who hadn't caught on.
"Um…why are you all looking at each other funnily and saying things twice?"
"Don't you get it, Gummy?!" said Kay. "We can now understand how it wasn't suicide. The murder occurred somewhere else!"
"Indeed. Mr. Mike was already dead by the time he was placed inside the porta-potty." said Edgeworth.
"His killer then tied that guitar string around the lock…" said Stockings.
"…and locked the door from the outside!" said Vanessa. "That's it!"
"Then how do you explain the gunshot sir? Didn't you hear it?" asked Gumshoe.
"Indeed. However, there is no proof that was the real gunshot. Detective, please go back to the porta-potty and examine it carefully. Maybe I missed something."
"Yes, sir!"
Gumshoe took off.
"What about us?" asked Kay.
"We will handle our end of the instigation. This string is the key. If we find who it belongs to, we can find out murderer."
Suddenly, Edgeworth was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Oh, my! I didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Edgeworth."
Edgeworth turned around and was met by a metal stick just centimeters away from his eye.
"I'd recognize this stick anywhere!" he thought. An as he expected the person on the other side of it was none other than Sebastian Debeste.
"Prosecutor Debeste. What brings you here?"
"Oh, nothing. I just came to see the concert. I am a really big fan of the flamethrowers. I am curious as to why you are here."
"I was here for the concert too. However, this has now turned into official business."
"What do you mean?"
Edgeworth filled Sebastian in on all the details of the crime. Sebastian seemed pretty shocked.
"I…I never expected something like this would happen! This is indeed terrible!"
"You don't need to worry about it." said Edgeworth. "With this guitar string, we can track down the killer. They left a trail for us to follow."
"Mr. Edgeworth…I can't let you do this alone while I stand by and twiddle my thumbs. I want to help."
"I appreciate your offer, but there is no need…"
"Please!" said Sebastian. "I really want to help you. You…really helped me back then. And I want to repay you. Even like this."
Edgeworth looked at Sebastian. The young boy had come a long way. He had spent his whole life thinking his was the best there was. His father was lying to him while trying to keep him in the dark about his illegal practices. His father is in jail now and Sebastian ahs accepted that he needs to work hard to become "The best." Edgeworth was glad to help the boy in his first steps as an independent young man.
"Okay then. You can come with you. Your help is greatly appreciated."
"Thank you. I won't let you down!"
Now then, Ms. Stockings. Do you have any idea who this string could belong to?" asked Edgeworth.
"Sorry, but no. I don't know much about musical equipment. You should ask Kris Strings."
"The head signer of the flamethrowers?!" asked Kay.
"Yes. He is an expert on the matter. He knows everything about instruments, especially guitars. If anyone can recognize this particular string, it's him. He also was good friends with Mike. He might know something more about his death."
"Thank you for your help, Ms. Stockings." said Edgeworth. "We will keep investigating."
"If you need any more help, I'll be here."
Kay was enthusiastic. "I will get to meet the legendary Kris Strings. I…I can't believe this. This is the greatest day of my life!"
She stopped when she noticed the expressions of everyone around her. She realized being this happy when a murder had occurred wasn't the best idea.
"Um…I mean, it has it's ups and its downs."
"Let's just go. I hope Mr. Strings will not make things difficult for us." said Edgeworth.
…
Edgeworth and his party arrived at Kris Strings' trailer. They found him sitting outside. With a green beer bottle in his hand. As soon as he saw them, he got up.
"Hello. Can I…help you?"
"Possibly. We are with the police."
"The police? Oh. Are you here about George's death?"
"You know about this?" asked Edgeworth.
"Yup. Just heard about it. Word travels fast around here."
He let out a sigh and took a seep from his bottle.
"So, you are informed?"
"Not too much. I know what happened, but…I haven't had the time to keep up with the developments of the case."
"We are sorry about your friend."
"What a shame. I am really sad about George. We were good friends. I can't believe he would do this to himself. He seemed so happy when…"
"Actually, we don't believe he killed himself." said Edgeworth.
Strings looked at them strangely.
"We found some evidence suggesting foul play. We think…"
"You think somebody…murdered him?" asked Strings, who seemed very surprised.
"Yes. Can you think of anyone who might…have had it in for your friend?"
"N…no. I…I can't think of anyone. He was a great guy. Everyone liked him. Some people didn't care about him, but…nobody hated him. Not that much."
"Are you sure?"
"Y…yes. I…I knew him better than most people. If somebody hated it, I would most likely know about it."
Edgeworth noticed that Strings seemed very stressed as he said all that. He didn't even look them in the eye. He looked down on the ground, as if he had something to hide.
"Hmmm. He is definitely hiding something." thought Edgeworth. "I will need to get him to talk more.
"When did you last see mr. Mike?" asked Sebastian.
"That would be…last night. I bumped into him as he was going back to his trailer. He had just seen his girlfriend off."
"That was…me." said Vanessa.
"Oh. Sorry. I didn't realize. I'm sorry for your loss."
"It's okay. Thank you."
"What was he like?" asked Kay.
"Fine. He seemed very happy. He told me he couldn't wait to play in the concert tomorrow. That is, today. It's sad he never got a chance."
"You know, after he saw me off yesterday…" said Vanesa. "I saw him buy a CD from a stall and get really mad about it. Do you know anything about that?"
Strings had calmed down. However, he started getting nervous again when the CD was brought up.
"I…I never saw that. No, I don't recall that. I…it must have happened after we saw each other.
"But I never saw you before that."
"You…you must have been mistaken. I don't know…nothing about…no CD…"
"He is even more nervous than before." thought Edgeworth. "It's time for me to show him that piece of evidence."
Edgeworth showed him the string.
"Excuse me, do you recognize this?"
Strings looked at it.
"Well…it seems like a guitar string. But what is it doing here? Where is the rest of the guitar?"
"That's what we want to know. We believe this specific string played a part in the murder. If we can find his owner, it would help our investigation. Do you know where it might have come from?"
String looked at it again. Again, he started getting anxious and sweating.
"N…no, no I've never seen it before."
"But…aren't you supposed to be the instrument expert around here?" asked Vanessa.
"That's right! I find it hard to believe you wouldn't recognize it!" said Kay.
"If you know something, you have to tell us!" said Sebastian. "We are talking about a murder here!"
"I…I am sorry. I wish I could help, but…I don't know. I know a lot about instruments, but I can't recognize a string just by looking at it.
"He is clearly lying…" thought Edgeworth. "He is terrible at this. If he won't talk, I'll have to coax it out of him."
"What do we do, Mr. Edgeworth?" asked Kay. "This guy was our only lead and he is not telling us anything."
"Don't you worry, Kay. I shall matters into my own hands."
"I get it. It this time again, isn't it?" asked Kay.
"Indeed it is."
"What do you mean?" asked Vanessa.
"Don't worry, miss." said Sebastian. "Mr. Edgeworth is great at this. Just sit back and let him work his magic."
Edgeworth stood against Strings. He focused and all of his surroundings faded away. All that was left was a chessboard. He noticed his opponent had one pawn and one Rooke guarding his king.
"Alright. I need to be careful. He gets very stressed if put under pressure. I can easily maneuver him towards the direction I want. With this, let's begin this game."
Logic chess begin
First Edgeworth decided to inquire about his relationship with the victim.
"Can you please tell me about your relationship with the victim.
"I told you. We were good friends. We didn't hang out much , but every time we had a concert at the same venue, which was often, we enjoyed hanging out with each other."
"How well did you know him?"
"Very well. We had a very trusty relationship."
"So he would definitely tell you if he was planning to commit suicide.
"I won't say definitely. We were friends, but that's not something you tell to anyone. I mean, to take a gun and shoot his own head…"
"Wait a minute." Edgeworth conjured an attack pawn in his head. "How did you know that he used a gun? We never mentioned that to you."
"Um…I…I've heard about it. I told you, word travels fast around here."
"But you said earlier you haven't had the time to keep up with the developments of the case." said Edgeworth. "The truth is you are much more knowledgeable about the case than you want to let on."
The first attack was a success. The first pawn was destroyed.
"O…okay. I have been informed about what happened. That's it, though. That's all I was hiding!"
"I'm on the right track. I just need to follow the same direction." thought Edgeworth.
"So then, since you know so much about the case…" said Edgeworth. "I imagine you have your own suspicions about the murderer?"
"N…no. I don't suspect anyone! I'm not a detective!"
"So nobody has crossed your mind?"
"No. It could have been anyone. I have no reason to suspect anyone."
"Do you know where the gun might have come from?"
"N…no. I suppose it was George's. Though I knew nothing about it."
"Hmm. I better remember this clue." thought Edgeworth.
"So, have you been to many concerts?"
"Yes. Don't know how many exactly. I've lost count."
"And are you familiar with the security measures?
"Y…yes. I know the regulations."
"So you know guns are not supposed to be around here. If you realized somebody had a gun, you would have reported it, right? After all, you know the risks."
Strings seemed very upset. He lowered his head and said almost to himself.
"I…I wish I had. I told him it wasn't a good idea."
"Wait…what did you say?" asked Edgeworth.
"I…I didn't say anything."
Were you aware that somebody around here was carrying a firearm?"
"I…I…"
"Mr. Strings, tell the truth. This is a matter of life or death!"
"Y…yes. A friend of mine had a gun. He made me swear not to tell. He said he would be very careful with it."
"This is very important. Why didn't you mention this earlier?"
"I told you, I was sworn to secrecy. And besides, I don't think it's that important."
"Now the time to use that clue." thought Edgeworth.
"But didn't you say before you had no idea where a gun might have come from? If you knew a friend of yours had a gun, wouldn't you immediately assume it was his!"
That was very easy. Edgeworth pawn shattered Strings' rook. Now all that remained was his king.
"I…I have nothing more to say." said Strings, who sounded defeated. "Please…stop this."
"Not yet. We still need to address the crux of the matter. The guitar string."
"I…I don't know anything about it."
Edgeworth decided to switch subject, hoping Strings would let his guard down.
"I hear you are quite the expert on instruments."
"Well…I guess I know quite a bit. I've been handling them since I was a kid."
"Sounds interesting. So you knew ever since then what path you wanted to follow?"
"I did. Music was always my love. My passion. I fist held a guitar at five and realized how much I loved playing. By the time I was eight, I could memorize all types of strings."
"Interesting…you can still do that?"
"Yes. I have improved that talent of mine over the years.
"And yet, you cannot identify this particular string no matter how many time I show it to you?" asked Edgeworth. "Are you pulling my leg?!"
"I…no, you…you tricked me!"
"I had to. Now then, being such a guitar expert, you definitely recognize this string. And if you are still refusing to reveal that fact….I can only conclude you are covering for someone!
Edgeworth's pawn missed the king, but he knew he was very close.
"You…you don't understand. I…I cannot tattle on my friend. I am not a tattletale!"
"Wanting to protect your friend is understandable. However, your friend might be a murder suspect."
"It…it can't be. He would never…"
"Oh, so it's a man."
"Ugh!"
"I am not asking you to surrender your friend, mr. Strings." said Edgeworth. "I am merely asking that you tell us exactly what happened. Whether that evidence shows he killed our victim will be determined by the investigation."
That final line shattered Strings king, putting an end to the game.
"Okay. I will talk. I'll tell you all I know.
"Checkmate."
End logic chess
"Now then, tell us what happened."
"First of all, George's girlfriend is right."
"W…what do you mean?" asked Vanessa.
"George did buy a CD. As soon as he saw it, he became furious. I asked him why and he said he was just heading over the singer's trailer to "Make things right."
"What was that supposed to mean?"
"I'm not sure."
"That singer…is he a friend of yours?" asked Sebastian.
Strings nodded.
"So that's why you felt the need to protect him." said Kay.
"I..I just wanted to keep him from getting wrapped up in this mess. One friend is already dead. To have another one accused of his murder…it couldn't have been him anyway. I don't believe it!"
"Was he the one who had the gun?" asked Edgeworth.
"Y…yes…"
"That makes him immediately suspicious."
"I thought so. That's why I wanted to keep that fact secret. The same goes for that string."
"What about the string?"
"I recognize it. It's a high D string from a 12 string guitar. Very rare. In fact the only guitar around here that matches that description belong to…"
"Yes?"
Strings seemed torn for a moment.
"Simon Nicolas Atcher."
"What?! Simon! He…he couldn't be involved! Not him!" said Kay.
"Kay, even rock stars aren't above the law." said Edgeworth. "If Mr. Atcher is involved, we need to have a word with him."
"But we don't have much to go on." said Sebastian. "First of all, Mr. Strings is saying all three of them were good friends. Why would he kill him?"
"I assume the motive lies in that CD." said Edgeworth. "Mr. Mike apparently was furious when he saw it. Mr. Strings, what was on it?"
Strings again seemed conflicted.
"Mr. Strings, please."
"It was a CD of Simon's newest single: the girl of my dreams."
"Oh, that!" said Kay.
"Wait…what did you say?!" Vanessa seemed shocked.
"What? What's wrong, Ms. Finalle?" asked Edgeworth.
"This title, the girl of my dreams, I know it!"
"You do?"
"Yes! That song was written by George!"
"A…are you sure?!" asked Kay.
"Yes. He showed the sheet music to me! He said he wrote it for me. It was so beautiful. I don't keep track of other music trends, so I didn't know…"
"It seems Mr. Atcher stole the song from Mr. Mike and tried to sell it as his own." said Edgeworth. "And seeing how successful It has turned out to be…Mike threatening to expose him would constitute a strong enough motive for murder."
"I thought you would assume that." said Strings. "That's why I remained silent."
"It's not enough, though." said Sebastian. "There is no proof who wrote that song. If this goes to trial, it will be his word against hers."
"Actually, I can prove it."
"You can?"
"George was very paranoid. That's why he wrote a copy of the sheet music and gave it to me. In that case, even if someone destroyed the original, which he had, we could still have proof."
"Where is it?"
"In my house. I can go get it. I'll need about 30 minutes to get back.
"Okay." said Edgeworth. "Then do that. We will investigate Mr. Atcher's trailer and talk to him if possible."
"You can't right now." said Strings. "He is performing. You have to wait for him to be done."
"Okay. We can investigate the trailer in the meantime."
"Don't we need his permission to search it?" asked Sebastian.
"Not if we have probable cause. His trailer is a possible murder scene."
"Is that probable cause?"
"Probably."
"Probably probable cause?"
"Yes."
"Okay, fair enough."
"Mr. Strings, can you lead us to his trailer?"
"I…"
"Please. This is a murder investigation. Please cooperate."
"Fine. I'll take you there. He always leaves it unlocked anyway."
"Okay. I'll see you there once I get back." said Vanessa and left.
"Now then it seems the next destination is that trailer." said Edgeworth.
"Mr. Edgeworth, sir!" yelled someone.
They turned around and saw Gumshoe running towards them. He arrived and took a minute to catch his breath.
"huff….huff….huff…"
"What's wrong detective? Is everything okay?" asked Edgeworth.
"Yeah, Gummy. Why are you running like that?" asked Kay.
"S…sir. I…I have new evidence."
"Evidence? What evidence?"
Gumshoe handed him a report.
"The mortician…conducted a preliminary autopsy on the victim…he has determined the cause of death…"
"Um…wasn't it a gunshot to the head?" asked Sebastian.
"N…no."
"What?" asked Edgeworth.
"The gunshot wound on the head complicated matters. But the mortician was an expert. He realized the gunshot was inflicted post-mortem. Before that, the victim suffered internal hemorrhaging."
"So…he was actually struck?" asked Edgeworth.
"Not sure yet. It's likely he was struck…but he might have just slipped and hit his head. The body must be examined back at the morgue to be sure. In any event, the gunshot was fired after he was dead."
"And the culprit made sure to fire it to the head…to cover the signs of hemorrhaging." thought Edgeworth.
"Also, I searched the porta-potty again like you told me…and found these."
Gumshoe took out some small items in a plastic bag.
"What are those?" asked Kay.
"Firecrackers." said Gumshoe. "They were found hidden behind the toilet."
"Let me guess…" said Edgeworth. "The killer used those to replicate the gunshot we heard."
"Probably.
"Can we trace them?"
"There is a stall in the venue selling firecrackers. I sent an officer to check who might have bought them recently, but it will take time."
"So the victim had already been killed elsewhere." said Kay.
"Indeed. We thought the porta-potty was the crime scene…but now I am suspecting another palace."
"Which one is that, sir?" asked Gumshoe.
"Simon Nicolas Atcher's trailer."
"Really? Why is that?"
"I will explain on our way there. Now then, Mt. Strings, lead the way."
"Okay."
"I think I've missed a lot." said Gumshoe as he followed the group in confusion.
To be continued
