Franziska took a deep breath and started talking.
"This case is not just a murder. I don't know what exactly led to Mr. Tory's death. However, it has to be connected to the club's illegal practices."
"Illegal practices?"
"This is not just a club. Labanter is a whole chain of places like this all around the world. All belonging to Michael Levertington and all making all kinds of transactions with each other, both above board and underhanded. A whole network of connections, reaching every corner of the planet."
"And you suspect this network is involved in criminal activities?"
"Indeed. Specifically, we suspect their involvement in drug trafficking."
"D…drugs?!" said Kay, who seemed shocked.
"Yes. I couldn't tell you for how many years this has been going on. But there is no doubt that something shady is up."
"Do you have evidence?"
"Nothing concrete as of yet. But there are too many coincidences."
"What do you mean?"
"Michael Levertington himself, the founder and owner of all those clubs. Since his adolescence, he had been arrested many times on account of possessing and using drugs. It seems he had a bit of an addiction."
"That's not that unexpected." said Edgeworth. "It is troubling, but many teenagers resort to drug abuse."
"I know. But that's just the beginning. Let me finish."
"Okay. Excuse me. Go on."
"He spent a few months at a rehabilitation center. After he got out, he swore he was off drugs for good. And it's true he never caused problems again. But I think that wasn't the last time he talked with his contacts."
"Contacts?".
"You know, drugs aren't that easy to find. You can't just go to your neighborhood's grocery store to buy some. You must have connections to the criminal underworld."
"I can see where you're going with this. You are saying he had his contacts supply him with more drugs so he could cash them in."
"is it that much of a stretch? Don't forget, he has an entire chain of clubs around the world. And those places bring in a lot of profits from him."
"Yes, I'd think so. Seeing as they are filled with people every night, they definitely make a lot of money." said Edgeworth.
"Indeed. But the real questions is…how did he accomplish this? Building such a profitable chain of clubs from scratch must have been quite difficult!"
"And expensive too." said Kay. "I mean, this place is very posh."
"If you think this is posh, you should see the ones in Europe." said Franziska. "And that's my point: there were certainly a lot of funds needed there. And yet, nobody knows where those founds came from. Whenever Mr. Levertington is questioned about it, he mentions it came from successful investments, but refuses to reveal anything further. He says it is "Trade secrets."
"Trade secrets? That does sound suspicious." said Kay.
"I will admit it is a bit strange." said Edgeworth. "But a businessman wishing to keep the secrets to his success hidden is not so suspicious. There is precedent for this."
"Maybe." said Franziska. "But that is not the basis of my suspicions here."
"There is more?"
"Yes. Everything I just told you…I didn't find out until recently. Something else happened that made me suspicious."
"What was that?"
"There was an incident back in France, where Interpol headquarters are located. A car accident."
"Car accident?"
"The victim's name was Matthew Boras. He was working as a waiter at the local Labanter club. Naturally, the police investigated the car and…"
"And?"
"They found a substantial amount of drugs in the trunk."
"What?!"
"It was even separated in smaller packages. It seems he was on his way to deliver them to someone else when he crashed."
"How did you get involved?"
"Drug trafficking is always associated with gangs and criminal networks. And as those are spread throughout the world, they are under the jurisdiction of Interpol. I was the one assigned to it. We discovered that the victim was an employee of Labanter club and so, our investigation took us there next. After an extensive investigation, we found evidence that tied the local club's manager to the crime. He was arrested and to be charged with drug trafficking. However, that wasn't the end of it. At least, not for me."
"What do you mean?" asked Kay.
"I wasn't content with having just one man charged. He was just a pawn. There were hundreds like him around the globe. The best way to end this was to cut it off at the roots. We had the get the one in charge."
"You think it's Mr. Levertington?"
"It has to be. He is the owner of the clubs. He has absolute control over the managers' movements. Not to mention a fortune big enough to orchestrate something like this. And yet, for all my efforts, I had no evidence. Nothing could actually tie him or anyone else to the drugs. And the manager refused to say anything about who he was taking orders from."
"What did your superiors say?"
"Them? Those fools were happy to just charge him as the head of the gang and close the case for good. They didn't care about finding the true culprit. They told me: "Interpol is a serious organization. We are tasked with maintaining global peace and order. We cannot waste our time chasing dead ends. If he doesn't deny being the leader, that's good enough for us."
"I take it you didn't agree." said Edgeworth.
"Of course not! A von Karma is perfect in every way! A case is not just about charging the first person and calling it a day! That's not perfection! I cannot rest until I know the whole gang has been dragged to the courtroom for trial!"
"You know you cannot do that alone."
"I know. That's why I decided to seek help."
"Help?"
"I held an interview. I told the journalist I knew the leaders of the drug trafficking gang were out there and I wouldn't rest until I had brought them all down. I had him spread it across the world. I was hoping somebody in the know would see it and come find me."
"That was stupid." said Edgeworth. "You just tipped them off."
"I know. That's when the threats started."
"Threats?"
She took out a letter and gave it to him.
"This one of many I got."
Edgeworth read it
You have a lot of guts. Trying to threaten us. You think you can blackmail us? You think your threats can scare us? You really think we care about what you do? Find and release whatever evidence you want! Soon, it won't even matter. Not for you anyway. No matter what happens to us, you won't be here for it.
The letter had no signature or date. The only thing it had was the insignia of an eagle at the top right corner.
"This is very scary!" said Kay.
"Indeed. It seems they were afraid of you, no matter how much they tried to mask it here." said Edgeworth. "Is that why they tried to kill you?"
"I guess. Somebody was standing outside my house for hours. I couldn't see who it was. He was wearing a hooded jacket. I went outside to tell him to got away…and he shot me! I barely manage to hide. Thankfully, the gunshots summoned the neighbors to the scene, forcing him to flee."
"Is that how you convinced your supervisors to let you come here?' asked Kay.
"No. There was no proof it was actually connected to the drugs trafficking. I know it was, but they are saying it might have been somebody from an old trial who held a grudge."
"So…what happened?"
"I was out of leads. Until…there was an incident. Here, in America."
"What incident?"
"I believe you know. You were there after all."
"You mean the death of Kris Strings?"
"Yes. He was a renowned musician. News of his death quickly reached me."
"Apparently, he was also involved in drug trafficking." said Edgeworth. "He got killed before we could interrogate him."
"I expected as much."
"What?"
"You see, that manager I told you about, the one who was arrested, never made it to trial. On his way to the department, an unknown assailant attacked him with a knife and killed him, injuring an officer in the process. We never caught him. But there was strong suggestion it was Strings."
"Really?"
"He was in town then on a world tour, had no alibi and the knife used was, according to his friends the exact type of knife he owned."
"So?"
"Nothing. The evidence was flimsy. We could have called him in for questioning, but before we did, he left the country with his band to continue his tour. And with no evidence, we couldn't get an international warrant."
"So?"
"I had lost hope. Until I heard about his murder."
"They used Strings to kill someone who might have ratted them out." said Edgeworth. "And when Strings himself got caught ,they did the same to him."
"Even their own men are just pawns to them. That's how I convinced my superiors to let me come here. Even they couldn't deny the connections. I thought if there was a connection, it would be at the local Labanter club. In other words, here."
"And that's how you ended up here."
"Yes. Didn't expect to find another murder here, though."
"Me neither."
"Miles Edgeworth…" she said. "I may be in danger over this, but…I'm glad I came here. I'm…glad I'm with you. It makes me feel…more, you know…secure."
"Me too." said Edgeworth. "It's good to have people you can trust by your side."
"Pah! Don't get too sentimental." said Franziska. "I'm getting sick!"
"Alright. Nevertheless, I appreciate your help."
"That's why I have to arrest Malcom Bush. He is involved in the drug trafficking. You saw him. He is very suspicious!"
"I agree. And in fact…I believe he has a part in the murder as well."
"You do?"
"I do. But we cannot arrest him yet. He deserves a chance to explain himself. After all, think of the public. The reputation of police and prosecutors is already low. What kind of image would arresting him like this sent?"
"Fine! But make it quick!"
Edgeworth opened the door and told Gumshoe to bring him back in. Gumshoe entered, dragging an obviously reluctant Malcom with him.
"So…are we done here?" asked Malcom.
"Not yet. Mr. Bush, I would like you to recount your movements during the falling of the chandelier."
"What? But I already…"
"We just need to make sure we have our facts straight. We need a more detailed account."
"Very well. It's won't do you any good, but…"
Witness testimony
My movements
I was in this room, taking my break.
Suddenly, I heard a crashing sound. It was the chandelier falling.
I panicked and hid inside that closet to protect myself.
I don't know how long I was in there.
The dust in there made me sneeze a lot.
That detective opened the door and dragged me out.
…
"And you are sure that's exactly how things happened?" asked Edgeworth.
"Yes, I am. That's the truth. You cannot change the truth."
"We can't." said Edgeworth. "But some people try."
"Well, I'm not one of them! I have nothing to hide."
"Very well. In that case, I will examine your testimony."
"Um…actually, I have to…"
"Don't pull the "I have a wife waiting for me" trick again." said Kay. "You've burned that card."
"Yes, pal! You are out of escape routes." said Gumshoe. "It's here or in prison!"
"Fine. Since I don't have a choice…"
Cross-examination
Witness testimony
My movements
I was in this room, taking my break.
Suddenly, I heard a crashing sound. It was the chandelier falling.
Objection
Edgeworth didn't even need to press him. The testimony was transparent as a glass.
"What?" asked Malcom.
"I just wonder how you expected me to buy such an obvious lie."
"L…lie?"
"After all, it was you who told us this room is soundproof! In order for the waiters to find peace and quiet in here, no sound can pierce these walls! You couldn't have heard the chandelier falling!"
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Malcom starting panicking. He pulled a glass out of his pocket and started polishing it quickly.
"I…I don't know what to say. I…I…"
"You are lying!" said Franziska. "I expected as much."
"W…wait! I…I can explain this!"
"You can? Then, by all means…go ahead." said Edgeworth.
"O…okay. Give me a second to get my…thoughts in order."
Witness testimony
Hearing the sound
I remember. I had left the door a bit open. So, I could hear the music from the stage.
As I said, after hearing the crashing noise, I hid in the closet until the detective found me.
I was in here the whole time, I never had a chance to do any sort of crime. I never had an opportunity to kill anyone.
Sure, I was alone the whole time, so no way prove it, but that doesn't matter.
There is nothing suggesting I even left the room.
…
"Hmm. Interesting." said Edgeworth.
"What?"
"You are saying you had no opportunity to kill anyone."
"Yes. What about it?"
"How did you know we thought you had? We never said that to you."
"Whuh….I…I assumed it. Why else would you be questioning me here?'
"is that so? In that case let's proceed with the cross-examination.
"And no lying this time." said Franziska. "Or else…" she held her whip in front of his face."
"Y…yes, ma'am!"
Cross-examination
Hearing the sound
I remember. I had left the door a bit open. So, I could hear the sounds.
Hold it: "Why would you do that? Wasn't the point of coming here to have peace and quiet?"
"Y…yes, but…I liked the music playing at that moment. I wanted to keep listening to it."
"Hmmm. Did you?"
"Yes. I like the music here. What's so strange about that?"
"Nothing. Go on."
As I said, after hearing the crashing noise, I hid in the closet until the detective found me.
I was in here the whole time, I never had a chance to do any sort of crime. I never had an opportunity to kill anyone.
Hold it: "What if the victim was killed here?"
"What?!"
"Well, if he was killed here, you would have had the perfect opportunity."
"Maybe, but…Mark never came in here!"
"Never?"
"Well…not today! He was working at the time, remember?"
"Oh, right." thought Edgeworth. "But that's if we assume that was the real Mr. Tory. What if…"
"Hey, can I go on?" asked Malcom.
"Y…yes, please."
Sure, I was alone the whole time, so no way prove it, but that doesn't matter.
There is nothing suggesting I even left the room.
Objection
"Mr. Bush, I'm afraid you cannot lie your way out of here."
"What?"
"There are a bunch of towels hanging there. You said they are used for cleaning a potential mess."
"Yes. But what…"
"Let me finish. One towel in missing. No sign of it in this room. If you were the only one in here, you must have taken it and disposed it somewhere outside this room! That creates a timespan during which you were unattended!"
"Wait. I didn't…"
"Don't bother saying someone else took it." said Kay. "You clearly said you were alone in here the whole time!"
"That's right, pal! You are terrible at this! Even I can see your mistakes!"
"Wait…wait, wait, wait!" said Malcom. He was polishing the glass even quicker now.
"What is it now?" asked Edgeworth. "Are you going to tell us where the towel is? If you do, you will save us a lot of trouble and make things easier for yourself."
"But…what does a stupid towel have to do with this?"
"If the victim was actually killed here…" said Edgeworth. "You might have used it to clean the blood. And that means it would constitute a key piece of evidence!"
"Maybe! But you can't prove that!"
"Am I sensing more fight in you?"
"Yes you are! I want to argue my case! And you will listen to me!" He gripped the glass so tightly it almost broke.
"Very well. Let's hear your argument."
"Okay then. Here it goes!"
Argument
Absolute madness
What are you saying? You are making no sense!
I don't know anything about the stupid towel. But I do know I had nothing to do with the murder!
You are saying I killed Mark? Prove it!
You have no proof I had any sort of involvement in the crime.
That's it! I have nothing more to say!
…
"Hmm. So you still proclaim your innocence."
"You bet your life that I do! You expect me to let you just charge me for a crime I didn't commit?!"
"Just say the word, Miles Edgeworth and I'll take this foolish fool down to the precinct for a nice, long talk!" said Franziska.
"Not yet, Franziska. Not while I can still make a good rebuttal."
"Go ahead."
"You have him on the ropes." said Kay. "Just keep pressing a bit further."
Rebuttal
Absolute madness
What are you saying? You are making no sense!
I don't know anything about the stupid towel. But I do know I had nothing to do with the murder!
Hold it: "Then where is the towel?"
"Don't know, don't care. Good enough for you?"
"No."
"Too bad."
"Grrr! This guy is getting sassier." thought Edgeworth. "I'll have to break him or else he'll never talk."
You are saying I killed Mark? Prove it!
You have no proof I had any sort of involvement in the crime.
Objection
"Mr. Bush, you left behind all the evidence we need." said Edgeworth.
"Ha! That's a good one! You'd make a good comedian."
"Maybe. But you would make a better clown. Or maybe a whole circus!"
"Huh?"
Edgeworth presented the key he had found in the closet."
"Does this look familiar."
Malcom started sweating as soon as he saw it.
"What?! No! How could you…"
"You are wondering when you dropped it, aren't you?" said Edgeworth. "It was inside the closet. The closet which, I feel bears reminding, you admitted to hiding into!"
Malcom kept polishing the glass nervously.
"What does that key do?" asked Franziska.
"Glad you asked. You see, this key…opens the control panel that contains the switch which lowers the chandelier!"
"N…nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" shouted Malcom.
"Yes, pal!" said Gumshoe. "That key was used by the one who dropped the chandelier. And you were the one who had it. Or were there more people hiding inside there?"
"Urrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh!"
"Now then, ready to give up?" asked Edgeworth.
"N…no! You have nothing! Nothing! I refuse to surrender to the likes of you! You have nothing on me!"
"Oh?"
"Can you prove I had anything to do with Mark's death. Do you have even a tiny shred of evidence?"
"Hmm. This evidence is strong…" thought Edgeworth. "But if I take him to trial now, it will be an uphill battle to clear all reasonable doubt. I'll have to find something unshakeable. And I think I have just the thing."
"Mr. Edgeworth! Why did you go all silent?" asked Kay.
"Don't tell me you're giving up!" said Franziska. "You have no right to give up!"
"I am not. I was merely reconsidering the facts. Which is how I recalled a very critical piece of evidence."
"Let's see it." said Franziska.
Edgeworth took out the yellow scarf.
"Do you recognize this, Mr. Bush?"
"Oh, God. Why would I…"
He paused when he saw it. He started fidgeting and sweating."
"I thought so." said Edgeworth. "This is our smoking gun. Believe it or not."
"What do you mean?" asked Franziska.
"When we saw Mr. Tory, he was wearing a yellow scarf. He said he had a cold, which is why he was wearing it."
"Sounds logical."
"Yes. But it did seem weird. He even wore it indoors. There was no point there."
"I agree." said Franziska. "So, the reason he would do that would be…"
"I know, I know, I know!" said Gumshoe. "He…Um…had a really big mole on his face and wanted to hide it!"
They all stared at him in silence. The silence was broken by Franziska's whip.
"Ouch! What was that for, sir?!"
"For being even more foolish than usual!"
"Yes, Gummy, the answer is obvious!" said Kay.
"The obvious answer is that he was not the real Mr. Tory." said Edgeworth. "Someone was pretending to be him. You, Mr. Bush!"
"M…me?!"
"Yes, you! You wanted us to think he died as a result of the chandelier. Which is why you pretended to be him to confuse us!"
"That's the second killer lately to pull that trick." said Kay. "The murderers need to step up their game!"
"You…you can't prove it!" said Malcom.
"I can. You see, this scarf looks like the one Mr. Tory was wearing. However, there is a critical difference. The original had an insignia of sorts. The image of an eagle. However this one doesn't! It's a different scarf!"
"Somebody switched them?" asked Franziska.
"Yes. And the only one who could have done that…is the only person who didn't evacuate the scene after the chandelier fell. In other words…you, Malcom Bush!"
"But didn't Mr. Taylor say he saw him get crashed?" asked Kay.
"No. he said he ducked under the table the moment the chandelier began falling. He never saw the moment it crashed, If Mr. Bush was expecting it, he could have jumped aside in time. He probably ducked under Mr. Taylor's table. That's how the tray and the bottle ended up under there. Mr. Taylor had covered his eyes, so he didn't see him. After that everyone ran outside. All he had to do was move the body from here, place it underneath the chandelier and hide in the closet. It took the police ten minutes to arrive. That's enough time! Tell me, Mr. Bush, am I wrong?!"
"I…you…me….he…she…we…you…." he panicked and started polishing the glass more and more quickly. He was polishing it so quickly ,that it shattered and the shards flew all around. Edgeworth and his friends had to duck to avoid the flying shards.
"Watch it, pal!" said Gumshoe.
Bush felt defeated. He lowered his head.
"Nobody was supposed to know. Why…why did you have to be here tonight?"
"To deliver justice." said Edgeworth. "And I will."
"Now that this little game is over." said Franziska. "Me and Mr. Bush have a lot to talk about."
"Wait! I admit, I did pretend to be Mark, I did move his body, but…I didn't kill him. I never would!"
"Enough with the lies!" said Franziska. "If you want to do more, we can do so at the detention center. But be careful what you say. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law!"
"I swear! He was already dead when I found him! I…"
Franziska whipped him.
"Silence, you fool!"
"Wait a minute, Franziska." said Edgeworth. 'I think we should hear him."
"Hear him? Are you out of your mind? He is guilty and you know it!"
"Indeed he is guilty. Of evidence tampering and obstruction of justice. But murder? We can't be sure. Not yet anyway."
"Just face it, Miles Edgeworth! We found the true killer! Why do you always have to question everything, dammit!"
"Because that's the only way to get to the truth. You want the truth, don't you Franziska? You won't to get those people."
"I do! You know that! But…"
"If you do, you mustn't give up on the game! Not when you have far from checkmated your opponent."
"Don't start the chess terms with me!"
"I want the truth just as much as you do. But we are not getting there like this. You see them, don't you? All the mysteries? The unsolved questions floating in the air?"
"One or two trivial matters won't change anything in the big picture."
"I believe they can. And they have many times before. You, of all people, should realize that."
"Hmph. Maybe you are not as hopeless as I thought." said Franziska. "Maybe you've learnt a think or two from me."
"Wait…" said Kay. "Are you siding with him?"
"But…you were arguing just a second ago." said Gumshoe.
"Don't be foolish. I just wanted to test him. See if his conviction to discover the truth was as strong as he said."
"You were…testing me?"
"Yes. Forgive me if I make it sound like I don't think you are capable of figuring this out. I just wanted to be sure. Now I am."
"Thank you."
"Don't get me wrong. I still intend to accuse Mr. Bush. But…I will give you a chance. I present my argument, you will make a rebuttal and, if there is a loose end worth pursuing, we will put off his arrest and keep looking. But if not, I will arrest him on the spot. Do we have a deal?"
"Yes, Franziska." said Edgeworth, who trusted his sister to play this fair. "It looks like we are now getting to the crux of the matter."
"Wh….what about me?" asked Bush.
"You wait." said Edgeworth. "After the rebuttal is over, we shall know what to do with you. Until then…wait. Now then, Franziska, let the game begin."
To be continued
