Selected: Arrest Dyman
Edgeworth shook his head, a stubborn resoluteness coloring his dark gray eyes. "Save your deals for the trial, Mr. Gavin. If you think I'm willing to let a criminal go free under any circumstances, you know less about me than you realize."
He summoned Gumshoe, Kay, and the police officers back into the room. Gumshoe gleefully cuffed Dyman, who lunged at his defense attorney in anger.
"I thought you said that would work!"
Gavin shrugged, then pushed his glasses back up his nose. The tension in his hand hid the rage the rest of his body felt. "Prosecutor Edgeworth is more single-minded than I anticipated. Just like his sister. We will handle this at trial, Mr. Dyman. Have no fear."
The color faded from Edgeworth's eyes. The next few days passed by in a blur, all coated in muted hues and minor tunes.
"And so I brought my case against Green Dyman. The official charges against him were instigation of murder, forgery, and corporate espionage.
"The trial lasted three days. Every second that passed in court replayed endlessly in the news by a raucous media circus. Conspiracies of every sort littered the headlines.
"Obergefell retired as Hakari CEO the day before trial began. By the trial's third day, investors had pulled so much money out of the Hakari corporation that the company fell into bankruptcy, leaving thousands without jobs and millions without their 'beloved' game titles.
"True to Gavin's word, he put up a near-impenetrable defense for trial. By building on his previous acquittal of Steven Viper, the instigation charge was doomed from the start. Even I could not prove Dyman instigated a murder that legally hadn't happened. When I called Steven Viper to the stand, he refused to testify in the name of the Fifth Amendment. I could not get his statements from the investigations to stand by themselves."
The scenery briefly shifted from trial to the site of a car accident, though still in black and white. One side of the vehicle was coated in colorless flames.
"All the evidence needed to prove Dyman's guilt in corporate espionage 'disappeared' during one fateful evidence transfer. Another car accident, another cop on the take. No way to link the accident back to Dyman or even Gavin. The incident made me wonder if Gavin had been telling the truth about another criminal sitting in shadow. Perhaps there had been someone pulling the strings on the entire operation."
Fade to black. A moment later, the grayscale courtroom returned.
"In the end, the only guilty verdict I scored was on the charge of forgery. My evidence of Dyman impersonating his boss to make company decisions never left my personal effects, meaning it stayed safe for all three days of trial. Dyman received thirty months in prison as his sentence. Considering the trail of dead bodies this string of cases left in its wake, I consider that only the hollowest of victories.
"By the end of the harrowing trial, I still hadn't found any connection between Green Dyman and Wess T. Bower. My investigation remains open, but I have no leads.
"Kristoph Gavin is a deceitful man. No doubt about it. Yet if I am to survive in this new age of the law, I need to learn anew how to deal with dishonest characters. My mind returns to Gavin's deal more often than I care to admit. In my stubbornness and pride, I lost sight of what my investigation truly needed.
"And so the truth was lost from my sight that day."
The colorless courtroom faded to black. Edgeworth's forlorn gaze tore off to the side, one arm cradled across his chest. The shine of the prosecutor's badge in his pocket was the last thing visible as Edgeworth too faded from sight.
"NO!" The player threw down their device as the screen went black. "No way is letting Dyman go free the right answer to this game."
"It has to be," the observer seated next to the player commented. "Maybe Capcom wouldn't put something like this out, but the fanmakers warned us. The Dark Age of the Law is gonna be a dark age, here."
"I don't like it. Edgeworth should be better than this." The player crossed their arms, refusing to pick up the game again.
"Maybe that's the point." The observer picked up the device on the player's behalf. "In real life, prosecutors cut deals all the time. It's part of a their job to know which cases need to be taken to court and which ones can be pled out. It's taken 'three' games for this to be an issue, but even Edgeworth can't be perfect all the time."
The player straightened up. They grumbled under their breath, "this is why I saved my game at the deal screen. You always have to save your game in spots like these."
"And you were smart to do it." The observer reassured their friend. "Ready to keep going?"
"...Yeah, fine."
The player accepted their device back from the observer. On the screen, a little text box had replaced the fadeout from before.
Existing Save Data
Turnabout Towards Darkness Part Six - End, Part 2.
Resume your game from this point?
Yes No
The player clicked yes, and their immersion into the game began anew…
Selected: Take Gavin's offer
Edgeworth's hand gripped his opposite arm, a grimace covering his face. Every fiber of his being screamed not to trust Gavin, not to take the man's deal. Edgeworth was certain he had enough evidence to put Dyman away.
As for this supposed third party… such a claim would be hard enough to believe from a close friend. From Gavin? The premise was downright ludicrous.
And yet… he had made a promise to himself three years ago, hadn't he? That for all his drive to bring criminals to justice, he would never lose sight of what really mattered: the Truth. Would it be justice to bring a man in on a crime he did not commit, guilty as he was for a myriad of others? Would it be moral, would it be justice, to allow the Truth to slip away simply because it would be easier to convict the man in front of him?
Yes, Dyman was guilty of heinous acts… but could Edgeworth really claim to be a different man from the one he was three years ago if he allowed the Truth to slip from his grasp just to claim a victory? Dyman deserved to be convicted, but not if it meant a worse criminal stayed free.
Unbidden, a memory came to Edgeworth from earlier in the week.
"No, Mr. Cachè, that isn't the prosecutor I am. Not anymore. I was once like that. Taking the easy road. Going for the low-hanging fruit. Finding whoever seemed most likely to have been the culprit without taking the time to examine the case as comprehensively as I should have.
Dyman may still be the most likely culprit of Bower's murder. Yet the points he and Gavin had raised earlier had merit. If Edgeworth left them unexamined, who knew how they would come back to haunt him in his later years? It wouldn't be the first time an old case had resurfaced in such a manner.
"I learned, and I learned the hard way. Prosecutors like that are the ones who have caused the mistrust we see in the judicial system. I was once like that, but never again. Over two years ago, my eyes were opened. It took a long time to come to terms with myself, but once I did, I made a promise to myself. That no matter what, I would never again take the path of least resistance. No, I would only be satisfied with my conclusions once I was certain there were no other options. After all, only by eliminating all that is impossible can we find what is true.
It wasn't yet impossible for another person to be behind this crime. For a greater mastermind to still be calling shots from afar. Only once Edgeworth had examined every suspicious looking nook and cranny would be be ready to declare a case closed.
"And right now, we have yet to do so. So I will continue searching, until all other options have been exhausted, until we are left with only the truth. Then, and only then, will I be satisfied."
In his heart of hearts, Edgeworth knew they hadn't arrived at the Truth yet. And something told Edgeworth that there was no way he'd be able to find this third party without Gavin's help. After all, until Gavin and Dyman had said something, he and his team had no idea such a person might even exist.
Maybe if times were different he could manage it. Maybe if he could be certain that the police force and courts were free of corruption he could find this hidden threat without Gavin's help. But such days had passed, and Edgeworth could no longer believe in the inherent virtue of the institutions he worked with and served.
Forsake easy roads.
Do not snatch low hanging fruit.
Seize only the Truth.
Edgeworth's grip on his arm slackened before both arms fell to his side. "Very well, Mr. Gavin. You have a deal."
Gavin's cool smile did nothing to ease Edgeworth's internal turmoil. If anything, it just made matters worse. "I'm glad to see my faith in your good judgment was well-founded, Mr. Edgeworth."
Turning from him, Gavin fixed Dyman with an expectant look. "I'll be back shortly with the evidence Mr. Edgeworth will need to take down your superior. In the meantime, Dyman, cooperate with law enforcement and give over your testimony. Be thorough and leave nothing out. After all, if Mr. Edgeworth isn't able to put your superior away, you can be sure that you'll be the next loose end she decides to cut."
She? Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. How much did Gavin know about this criminal? What had he not told the police?
As Gavin waltzed out of the boardroom, Kay and Gumshoe came rushing back in. Gumshoe whipped out his pair of handcuffs. "What happened, sir? Did you get him?"
Edgeworth held a hand up to stop Gumshoe from cuffing Dyman. "Following the advice of his lawyer, Mr. Dyman shall be cooperating with our investigation. In exchange for his testimony against Mr. Bower's true killer, in addition to evidence substantiating each and every one of his claims, Mr. Dyman will not be criminally charged for his participation in this web of schemes."
"You made a deal with Gavin?!" Kay's mouth popped open. "How do you know he'll keep his word? That man's more slippery than a fake Yatagarasu!"
"The terms of the deal require total cooperation from both him and his client. If either party fails to live up to the terms of the agreement, our deal is void. I will not hesitate to arrest this man then." Edgeworth spoke of the deal's terms as though he had come up with them. Gavin's words felt strange exiting his mouth.
"I don't care what deal he's made!" Obergefell stormed back in. "I can't trust an assistant who sneaks under me to kill our valuable team members. Green Dyman! As soon as you're done talking to Mr. Edgeworth, I'm writing up a pink slip for you."
"Need me to sign it as well?" Dyman snarked.
"Don't talk to me like that, young man! I've forgotten more about this business than you will ever know."
"Ain't that the truth." Dyman pretended not to be bothered by Obergefell's tirade, but his gaze continued to flit from the door to the window. He wanted to escape.
"Can we get this over with? I need to get out of here before the big boss finds out I told on her. Once I know she's locked up, I can find another job no problem."
"You're awfully full of yourself, pal! I wouldn't think 'impersonated my boss' and 'instigated murder' look good on a resume." Gumshoe stomped his feet in frustration at the whole affair.
Dyman shrugged. "I found time saving efficiencies in the bureaucratic process and made effective use of outside contractors to uphold the brand's goodwill, a critical yet intangible part of any company's value. It's all in the phrasing."
"Then for your testimony, I recommend using direct and truthful phrasing, Mr. Dyman." Edgeworth also had no interest in prolonging his time with Dyman. Every moment the investigation went without uncovering the truth was a moment wasted. Edgeworth would rather not linger on this moment in his life.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's do this." Dyman slicked back his sweat stained hair with a greasy palm, then dove right into his final testimony.
-Witness Testimony-
"My True Boss"
"On paper, I take orders from this old geezer. Assistant to the CEO and all that.
"In reality, I report to someone even higher up in the company. A director on the board.
"When she appointed me to this job, she promised I would become CEO after Obergefell. The deal would hold for as long as the company did well.
"What kinda businessman doesn't want to be CEO of a large corporation before he's forty? I was ready to do what it takes. Even cut a few corners here and there.
"That is, until my boss told me to kill any employee who tried to blow the whistle. In hindsight, that was a bit much.
"I took care of River, but Cassandra was all her. She must have taken down your Bower guy too without telling me.
"So yeah. My true boss is a cold blooded killer who's all about the bottom line. She'll do anything if it keeps the dividend payouts high.
"And her name? Klana Dharless."
Obergefell reacted to the revelation first. "Ms. Dharless?! But… her husband-"
Kay's mouth popped open again. "The hospital lady? Really?!"
"HOLD IT!" Edgeworth interjected, then recoiled. "Am I the only one here with no idea who this woman is?"
"Doesn't matter if you know who she is. She's done more for this company in her time on the board than this old man has done in his life. Hakari would have been obsolete in the last decade without her." Dyman crossed his arms. "My lawyer knows where I keep my private files. He'll have all the proof you need."
"We need to find her now." Edgeworth wasn't going to let Bower's mystery go unsolved for yet another day. "Where is she?"
Obergefell gave them the name of the charity ball Dharless was attending that evening… at the Gatewater Hotel, of all places. Edgeworth wasted no time preparing for the final pursuit.
This is it. After chasing down multiple sharp twists in the road, after promising a criminal freedom… have I found the source of this week's misery? The poison at the source tainting everything that pours from Hakari?
If not, then this truly will be the end of an era.
To be continued…
A/N's: PTV and Ajani both worked on this chapter. Each would like to leave notes.
PTV: So good arguments ended up being made for both choices, and I liked the reviewer EnPassant4264's idea of saving the game before making a choice. Hence the inclusion of the meta section with the player and their friend watching them beat the game. In truth, I always wanted to show you both endings.
You'll also notice there's no Organizer posted in this chapter. That's because this part of the "game" doesn't use it. Therefore, there's no need for the reader (the "player") to look at it for reference. Neat, huh?
Anyway, I'm glad we got this little slice out before I started my first full time job today. I won't know until I settle in how much time for fic I'll have. Anything you want to add, Ajani?
Ajani: Just that I hope the readers won't find this too controversial. Ace Attorney has nearly always been a series where the player gets to have their cake and eat it too. Phoenix always finds some third party (besides that ONE time, Matt Engarde you magnificent bastard) and Edgeworth always manages to find the culprit without having to let any ancillary criminals get away.
But well, real life is sadly never quite so easy and we're approaching the Dark Age of the Law in-universe. There's a reason this case is named the way it is. Not only would it feel wrong to let Edgeworth get everyone but it also would run counter to the entire premise of our story. The ethics of the choice no doubt can be debated (and in fact were in the comments) but ultimately there's no easy answer. We put Edgeworth in an impossible position to show off the approaching darkness.
I hope everyone enjoys this choice but if you don't, at least I hope you can appreciate why we chose to do it this way. And I hope that Miles's internal monologue can help explain why we believe accepting the deal to be the right choice not just in tone and theme but for Miles as a person as well. I feel that, more than the theme, internal consistency in plot and character is the hallmark of good writing and we did our best to explain why his decision is fully in character.