"How does that always happen, Mr. Edgeworth?" asked Kay.
"What are you talking about?" asked Edgeworth.
"I mean, no offense, but…every time you go somewhere, murders end up happening there."
"Th…that's not true!"
"Really? Just think about it. Every time you go somewhere, even for vacation or to relax, something goes wrong."
"She's right, sir." said Gumshoe. "It happened at the airplane. And the amusement park."
"And the embassy and the prison."
"And the gallery and the rock concert."
"And the nightclub and here."
"W...wait! Hold on a minute! I don't cause those crimes!"
"No, but…they only seem to happen when you're around." said kay. "It just…follows you around. It's like a curse."
"Th…this is preposterous!" aid Edgeworth. "Crimes always happen! It's just a coincidence some of them have happened when I'm around."
"Sure is a lot of them, though."
"But…crime rates are…and I…and…why are we even having this conversation?"
"To fill in the silence." said Kay. "We have a while before we get to the two witnesses."
"Not really. We are almost there" said Marshall. "Oh, there it is. The gas station. And they are also there! On their usual spot."
Indeed, there were two old people sitting on a bench in front of the gas station. One of them was a bit bald and had white hair on the back on his head. He was wearing glasses. The other had thin grey hair and wrinkles. He was holding a cane.
"Pardners, good day to you!" said Marshall.
They didn't seem that excited to see him.
"H…hey, Marshall. How are you doing?"
"Hello. Good to…see you. Really….good."
"I won't stay. But my poker buddies and the rough bambina wanna have a word with you two."
The two old men looked at Edgeworth, Gumshoe and Kay.
"Who are they?" asked the one.
"Where do they come from?" asked the other.
"Since when are we poker buddies?" asked Edgeworth.
"Why am I the rough bambina?" asked Kay.
"Too many questions." said Marshall. "We need answers here, not more questions. I am hitting the road. Y'all figure things out yourselves.
He walked away, leaving an awkward silence between Edgeworth's party and the two old men. Eventually, one of the old guy spoke.
"This is awkward for all of us. The sooner we can get it done, the sooner we can end this!"
"Right." said Edgeworth. "You see, we are visitors in the town. Anδ we haven't had the opportunity to get acquainted with current events and history. We wish to inquire about a certain matter…"
"We want to know about the spaceship!"
"Kay!" said Edgeworth.
"You were taking too long!"
"I was getting to it! You need to learn to be more polite.
"Wait, wait, wait" said the man with the cane. "So, you wanna ask us about the spaceship we saw?"
"Yes."
"The why didn't you say so. Why waste a lot of time and breath on meaningless dribble?"
"Uh…"
"That's what I'm saying!" said Kay.
"Can you tell us anything?" asked Gumshoe.
The man with the cane took out a cigar and lit it. It had an insignia saying:
"Lion Heart."
He puffed some smoke and said:
"We can."
"Excuse me." said kay. "Are you the blind one or the looney one?
"Kay!" said Edgeworth.
The man laughed. "Oh, I see our nicknames have already reached you. Can't get away from them. But it's okay. You can just call me Bartholomew."
"And I'm Lazarus." said the man with the white hair.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance" said Edgeworth.
Now…can we hear your testimony?"
"Um...both of us at the same time?" asked Bartholomew.
"I think only one of us will be enough." said Lazarus. "We were together the whole time. We saw the exact same thing."
"Um…in that case, I think only one of you will suffice." said Edgeworth. "How about you, Mr. Bartholomew?"
He took another puff from his cigar.
"Gladly."
Witness testimony
The visitors from above
It was nighttime. Around 22:00. About two days ago.
Me and Lazarus had been sitting here together.
We had just eaten dinner at the local diner and wanted to relax a bit before going to bed.
Suddnely, as we were talking, a light appeared in the sky.
We weren't sure what it was. It looked like a star.
But then it came closer. That's when we saw it.
It was a spaceship. I'm sure of it.
We couldn't see who was inside, but it is clear there must have been some aliens inside it.
It floated around for a bit.
Then it took off and disappeared.
We both went home soon after that. Though I barely managed to get a wink of sleep out of shock.
…
"Hmmm. Interesting." said Edgeworth. "Mr. Lazarus, can you confirm that's exactly what you saw too?"
"I can. If I was testifying here, I would have said the same things. It was clear as day, sir. A spaceship!"
"Indeed!" said Bartholomew. "Just when we thought we had seen it all…this happened to remind us of how unpredictable our life can be."
"Excuse me if I must have my doubts about this." said Edgeworth.
"Are you suggesting we have lost it?" asked Lazarus.
"No, of course not! I believe what you say you saw. I saw something like that, too. However, I have reason to believe you were the victims of some big hoax."
"Hoax?"
"I am a man of science. I cannot accept something as ridiculous as alien spaceships sauntering above our heads. There must be some rational explanation."
"Sometimes, the truth can be hard to believe." said Bartholomew. "But I know what I saw."
"Nevertheless, I wish to examine your testimony."
"If you insist. But I think you are just wasting your time."
"A cross-examination of a testimony, however rock solid, is never wasted." said Edgeworth. "You should all remember that."
"I like that." said Kay.
"Good to live by." said Gumshoe.
"Um…sure." said Lazarus. "it's not like I plan to use it."
"Yeah, me too." said Bartholomew. "We are not policemen or anything."
"Let's just get on with the cross-examination." said Edgeworth.
Cross-examination
The visitors from above
It was nighttime. Around 22:00. About two days ago.
Me and Lazarus had been sitting here together.
Hold it: "Do you often do that?"
"Of course. We are both retired and we have no other friends. Life can be pretty boring here."
"Boring, huh?"
"Well…now with what happened, not that boring, but…you know what I mean. The point is, we like to sit here and talk about other things and people. It helps to kill time."
"I hear you gossip about other people."
"Well…" he seemed embarrassed. "Gossip is not the right word. We call it…social commentary."
"Yeah, we get that a lot." said Gumshoe.
"I think it's the same thing." said Kay.
"Anyway, what I mean is we have a reason for being here." said Bartholomew.
"That's right!" Lazarus jumped in. "It's not like we just did only on that night, expecting something to happen."
"I see. Continue."
We had just eaten dinner at the local diner and wanted to relax a bit before going to bed.
Suddnely, as we were talking, a light appeared in the sky.
We weren't sure what it was. It looked like a star.
But then it came closer. That's when we saw it.
It was a spaceship. I'm sure of it.
Hold it: "Are you sure it was a spaceship?"
"Of course I'm sure! My eyesight may not be what is used to be, but I can still see pretty well.
"Mine too!" said Lazarus. "We both saw it! It was shaped like a spaceship!"
"You know what spaceships look like?" asked Kay.
"Not personally. But I have seen in the movies. Big, shaped like giant planes in funny sizes. That one was not that big. It was shaped like a giant saucer."
"So like an actual flying saucer?" asked Gumshoe.
"Exactly. I know what I saw!"
We couldn't see who was inside, but it is clear there must have been some aliens inside it.
Hold it: "So it might have been empty?"
"It could, but I don't think so. I mean, how would it fly without anyone inside. There must have been a pilot."
"He's right." said Kay. "Even if we assume it was just a fake spaceship, somebody had be in there to fly it."
"Hmmm. Logically, that's how it would work." thought Edgeworth. "But I wonder if that is the truth. I don't think I know enough about that…flying saucer to be sure. If only I could find it's landing site. Oh, God. I can't believe I just thought of that."
It floated around for a bit.
Then it took off and disappeared.
Hold it: "Where did id disappear to?"
"No idea. It floated towards the desert, but upwards. Probably went to land in a place where nobody could see it."
"So you couldn't see it after some point?"
"No. It moved very fast. I lost sight of it pretty quickly.
"It was very fast." said Lazarus. "One moment I see it, the other I don't."
"Hmmm."
"What are you thinking, sir?" asked Gumshoe.
"it does seem strange, doesn't it?'
"What?" asked Kay.
"Why would it fly away so quickly? It was as if it was in a hurry to get away."
"Maybe it didn't want to be seen."
"But If it didn't want to be seen, why show up here in the first place? It sounds like…it wanted to be seen, but not to be observed too well."
"What are you suggesting?" asked Gumshoe.
"I don't know. This means something, but…I have no idea what. We seem to be going around in circles here."
We both went home soon after that. Though I barely managed to get a wink of sleep out of shock.
"That was the entire testimony." thought Edgeworth. "Nothing particularly useful. Just things we could have figured out on our own."
By that point, Bartholomew had finished smoking his cigar. He took another one out and lit it.
"Um…aren't you smoking a bit too much?" asked Kay.
"Yeah, pal, that stuff is dangerous."
"Don't worry about me" said Bartholomew. "I have a strong organism. Nothing will happen to me."
"Still, it would be good to cut down on the smoking a bit." said Edgeworth.
"Don't tell me what to do, young man. I know my limitations. I can take this. I've been doing it my whole life. This is "Lion Heart" cigars. The best cigars in the world. I have to order them from a friend of mine in Florida. He sends me a package of this every month. It's not cheap either."
"Okay." said Edgeworth "It's your call. So, there is nothing else you can tell us?"
"No. That's the only time we ever saw our foreign visitors."
"Never saw them again." said Lazarus.
"We saw them." said Kay. "Just earlier. They led us into the desert."
"The desert?"
"Yes. We were chasing them, but we lost sight of them. But…we found something else."
"What?"
"We…uh…" said Gumshoe. "Found a body."
"A…body? This can't be!"
"This is terrible!"
The two men jumped out of their chairs.
"But…who was it?"
"They have confirmed her identity as a Ms…Marla Haik."
The two men were shocked even more.
"What?! Marla?!"
"No...it can't be!"
"You knew her?"
"Of course! Everyone knew her! She was one of the greatest women in this town!"
"She was! Kind, loving, helping, generous! Not a bad bone in her body!"
"But then who would kill her?"
"I don't know that."
"Me neither. She didn't have any enemies."
"Are you sure about that?"
"if she had, I'm sure we'd know."
"Yes. We know everything that goes on around here."
"In that case, could you tell me if anyone can provide us with more information about Ms. Haik? Anything could help?"
"We could tell you a lot about her." said Bartholomew. "Really, I could on for hours about all her virtues."
"Me too!"
"But…I don't think we are the right people for the job."
"Actually, you are in luck."
"What do you mean?"
Lazarus pointed to the gas station behind them
"The gas station?"
"Yes?"
"You should speak to the owner, Kyle P. Etrol."
"He knew her?" asked Kay.
"Very well." said Bartholomew. "I believe they were in a relationship."
"You believe?"
"Well, they weren't telling anyone about it." said Lazarus. "But we had seen her go in and out of there many times, because we practically live on this bench."
"Yes. That's what led to the assumption that they were dating." said Bartholomew. "He sure seems to be rebuilding his life quickly."
"What do you mean?"
"Well…he was running a coffee shop in the nearby city. But it went under due to competition. That's when he moved here. "
"It was just a year ago." said Lazarus. "But it feels like yesterday when he first strolled in our town."
"In that case…" said Edgeworth. "We will talk with him right now."
"Yeah, pal!" said Gumshoe "I really hope he can help us."
"And thank you for your help" said Kay.
"Don't mention it."
"Glad to have helped."
They went inside. Etrol was standing at the counter. He was reading a magazine. A s soon as he saw them, he quickly it put down.
"Hello." he said. "Who may you be?"
"Miles Edgeworth, prosecutor."
"Dick Gumshoe, detective."
"And Kay Faraday, Mr. Edgeworth's assistant!"
"F…Faraday." he seemed shocked. "Your name is…uh…Faraday?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"Oh…no...nothing. Nothing. I just feel…like I've heard it before."
"Oh, you must mean my father." she said. "He was a renowned prosecutor. Byrne Faraday, you know."
"Hmmm. Oh…oh, yes. That must be it. Yes."
"I can't believe my father's name reached all the way out here." she said. "I hope I can accomplish the same amount of recognition one day."
"Hopefully not as a thief." thought Edgeworth.
"Nice to meet you. The name's Kyle P. Etrol. What do you need? Petrol? Or just snacks?"
"Nothing of the sort." said Edgeworth. "Just information."
"About what?'
"We are here about a woman. Her name was Marla Haik."
"Marla? What did you find her? Finally, I was getting so worried! How is she?"
The three of them remained silent. They couldn't bring themselves to tell him the truth.
"What's wrong? Why did you all go silent?"
"Um…Mr. Etrol." said Kay. "She…uh…"
"Wait…" Etrol starting getting nervous. "You said "Her name was Marla Haik" Why did you use the past tense? What is going on? Tell me!"
"She…uh…was just found." said Edgeworth. "In the desert."
"The desert?"
"Yeah, pal. Sorry." said Gumshoe. "She was…uh…she didn't make it."
"No…no…no…no!" he started breaking down. He was walking up and down behind the counter, trying to proves the situation. "This is…no, why? How? When?"
"We don't know yet." said Edgeworth. "That's why we came here. We were hoping you knew something."
"I…I will help you. I want you to get the one who did this!"
"We will do our best, pal!" said Gumshoe, trying to reassure him. However, deep down he was aware the case seemed pretty hard to solve. As was Edgeworth.
"Tell us." said Kay. "Were you two…together?"
"She…uh…" he hesitated. "She didn't want to become known. But now…why does it matter? Yes, we were."
"How long?"
"About six months. After I came here a year ago, I met her. She was a waitress at the town's cantina, where I eat very often. She was so kind with me. Affectionate, kind, understanding. I told her about my life back in the city. The coffee shop I had to close, the life I had to leave behind. She…listened to me. But she didn't just listen. She understood. She tried to ease my pain. Before I knew it, I was captivated by her. I…I mustered up the courage and told her. She said she felt the same way. But she was afraid that I it got out, people wouldn't approve. It would make her life here unbearable."
"Why?"
"Well...there was the age difference. And I was a newcomer here . People need little excuse to speak ill of others in these parts. That's why we were doing it in secret. She came here every night. We ate here, we talked here, we slept here. It was amazing. But now…" he tried to hold back his tears.
"When did you last see her?"
"Three days ago."
"Three days?"
"Yes. She said she would go hiking at Sherman's hill."
"Sherman's hill?"
"It's a mountain in the desert. Really tall and with very breathtaking scenery. But it's also very steep. I told her I was scared for her. I asked her to come along, but she said she liked hiking alone. She said she would be fine and I shouldn't worry for her."
"And?"
"I never heard from her again. I kept calling her, but she wouldn't answer. I thought she may have just gotten lost. I remained hopeful. But…I can't believe it!"
"So you think she fell from the mountain and died?"
"Yes. I mean…what else could have happened?"
"I…I don't know." said Edgeworth.
"But wait…" said Kay. "We found her body much closer to the city."
"yeah, pal." said Gumshoe. "About 15 minutes from here. Somewhere called…um…"
"Dead man's rock!" said Kay.
"Yeah, that was it."
"I…I don't understand." said Etrol. "Sherman's hill is pretty far away. It takes about an hour of walking to get there."
"Why didn't she take a car?"
"Didn't like them. She said she preferred the physical exercise. It felt good to make contact with the ground instead of drive over it."
"Hmm. That does sound odd." thought Edgeworth. "But then again, I've seen and heard stranger things."
"So…you have no idea what happened to her?"
"No, none. I mean, If I knew…I wish I knew!"
"Did she have any…enemies? Or rivals?" asked Edgeworth.
"Enemies…wh…why would you ask me that?"
"Well…maybe…"
"No…" he said. "You don't actually think she was murdered, do you?"
"Well…there is no evidence to suggest that." said Edgeworth. "But her body was heavily mutilated. I doubt a fall alone would have done that."
"Mutilated?"
"Yeah, pal! It was sickening!" said Gumshoe. "You are lucky you didn't see it."
"I know. If I had seen that, I would…I can't even think about it!"
"Don't worry, Mr. Etrol." said Edgeworth. "We will investigate and get to the bottom of what actually happened to her."
"Mr. Edgeworth…if she was really murdered…I will never forgive myself...for not being able to protect her!"
"Don't blame yourself!" said Gumshoe. "if somebody really killed her, they are to blame!"
"Then find out what happened! I can't stand the doubts! The uncertainty! Make the doubts disappear, please! I Want to know what happened to her!"
"We will do our best." said Edgeworth. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Etrol."
"Before we leave…" said Kay. "I want buy a bottle of water. I'm getting really thirsty here."
"Of course."
He went to the fridge and took out a bottle of water."
"0.90$."
"Um…Mr. Edgeworth…" said Kay. "I…I'm not actually…"
"I get it." Edgeworth took out his wallet and paid.
"Thank you. Have a nice day…if this day can be called nice."
"Hey, why is there a red "E" stamped on the bottle?" asked Kay.
"Oh, that's my mark." said Etrol. "I do it to every item I sell here. It's a way of making my products a bit more unique."
"I see. It's nice."
"Thank you."
"Well…good day to you."
They turned to leave.
"Hey, wait a minute."
"What is it, pal? Did you forget something?"
"Actually, there is something she told me. There was one person she didn't like. A man."
"A man?" said Edgeworth.
"Yes. He constantly tried to hit on her. That's what she told me. She kept pushing him away, but he wouldn't get the message! That's why she was afraid of how far we would take it."
"You think he could have killed her?" asked Kay.
"I don't want to believe it. But you never know what people can do."
"Who was it?"
"The owner of the cantina where she worked: Stu Fricassee."
"You think he could have killed her, pal?" asked Gumshoe.
"I don't know. Maybe. He wasn't evil, but it's not like he was the greatest guy you could meet. He always seemed a bit…strange."
"In that case, we shall visit him next." said Edgeworth. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Etrol."
"No problem. Good luck. And…let me know if you find something."
"You got it, pal."
"We will do our best to find out what happened!" said Kay.
They left the gas station.
"Sir, you think it could actually have been her boss?" asked Gumshoe.
"I can't say what I think about him detective. I haven't even met him. We should wait to talk with him and then decide what we believe happened."
"He's got you there." said Kay. "But even if he didn't kill her, he was her boss. He might know something more to tell us."
"Well, he certainly is a person of interest." said Edgeworth. "Let's go."
Suddenly, Edgeworth's phone started ringing. He answered it.
"Hello?"
"Howdy, pardner? How is the river flowing?"
"Sheriff Marshall. Um…everything is okay." said Edgeworth, struggling to understand the meaning of Marshall's metaphors. "How about you?"
"Great! I just finished chopping down them cacti."
"You mean the leads?"
"Yes. And turns out I was correct."
"What do you mean? Do you have anything on the body?"
"No, not yet. The morgue guy is still looking her over."
"Then what do you have?"
"Are you busy right now? Did you speak with the cowpokes?"
"No. We just finished talking with them. Nothing useful. Everything they told us won't help us find out what happened."
"Don't sweat over it, pardner. Come over to Casperville's diner, the town's restaurant."
"The diner? Why?"
"I've got the culprit here, staring right at me. I'm sure of it."
"What?! How could you…"
"Just come here and I'll explain everything."
He hang up.
"What happened?" asked Kay.
"Sir, you look as white as a sheet." said Gumshoe.
"It was Sheriff Marshall. He said he is at the restaurant. That he found the true culprit."
"What?!"
"How could this be, sir?!"
"I don't know. But Mr. Etrol did voice his suspicions about the diner's owner. Could it be…that Marshall actually beat us to the true killer?"
To be continued
