July 1st, 9:35pm
Prosecutor's Building
Outside Roadway

Would this nightmare never end?

Miles Edgeworth expected large workloads. Reveled in them, actually. He was, after all, a prosecutor. The man was perfectly content arriving to work at eight in the morning, being sent off to a case right then, and spending the rest of the day either investigating or preparing for court.

What Edgeworth did not expect was for the work day to go on forever. It was that week in March all over again. Right when he was trying to leave and go home, a new incident appeared out of nowhere, swerving away from him just in time.

Unfortunately, that swerve was what ran the driver's side of the car into a light pole, causing a crash. He hated to admit it, but Edgwworth had gone into shock as the car approached him. So much so, he could have sworn he heard a-

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir!"

A large, ragged man ran up to him from a flashing police car. His chest heaved, eyes bulging out of his head in exhaustion. "I came as soon as I heard the news! You aren't hurt are you, Mr. Edgeworth?"

Ah yes. This was Detective Gumshoe, one of the homicide detectives at the local police department. He and Mr. Edgeworth had investigated many a case together.

"No Detective, I am fine. Luckily, the vehicle changed course just in time. The passenger only sustained minor injuries, despite being inside when it happened."

"Oh, so everyone's fine?" Gumshoe smiled. "That's great news!"

A sigh. "No, I'm afraid not. The incident did suffer a fatality. The driver, David River, was found dead by emergency services."

"Emer- oh! So you were the one who called them out here. But then why am I-"

Edgeworth shook his head. "There was a second bystander to the incident. He's being questioned as we speak."

Gumshoe's head drooped. "That doesn't explain why I'm here, sir. I'm a homicide detective. Why'd the Chief call me to the scene of a car wreck?"

A fair question. At first glance, the incident read itself as a simple accident, a case of losing control.

But that left one question unanswered: What caused it to lose control? The roads were dry and even, the streets well lit. River's body had yet to be examined, but his passenger, Elaine Seid, had submitted to and passed an intoxication test.

-"Driving Conditions" added to Organizer-

And then there was the matter of the events leading up to the incident. The sound Edgeworth had heard. He may have been in shock, but-

No. There could be no mistaking it.

"I heard a gunshot seconds before the car crashed."

A gasp escaped the detective's mouth "A gunshot? Sir, are you sure about this?"

"What else could mimic the sound of a gunshot, Detective? No one's celebrating a birthday in the area."

"People could be lighting fireworks, pal. Celebrating early, you know?" his eyes glazed over, "I wish I had money for fireworks..."

Edgeworth shook his head. "I know what I heard. I want this incident investigated as a homicide."

Hm… I'm quite confident of my stance, here. Is there truly no other explanation? I best remember this for when I want to analyze my findings.

-Sound of Gunshot added to Logic-

Luckily, Gumshoe didn't seem interested in questioning him further. For that, the prosecutor was grateful. "So that's why they brought me in."

"Exactly. Now if you don't mind, Detective, I would like to start investigating as soon as possible. Since you're already here-"

"Uh, wait! Mr. Edgeworth, sir!" Gumshoe ran up to him before he could get far. Just ahead, a half dozen policemen were inspecting the wreckage. Off to the side, a single officer questioned a middle aged man, the one who'd called 911 about the accident. Behind him hid a frail woman, with long red hair and numerous freckles. She looked the same age as Edgeworth.

"What is it, Detective? It's late. The sooner I finish this case, the sooner we can go home."

Gumshoe looked like a kicked puppy. "About that, Mr. Edgeworth… The Chief Prosecutor- the new one…"

"McNeal?"

"Yeah, him! He and my boss talked a bit, and he said you've already had to investigate a case today, plus... you were a witness to the crime, so-"

...Oh, not again. "Let me guess: I was not given the right to investigate."

He shook his head sadly. "You weren't, sir. He also said this case was too open-and-shut for his top Prosecutor, and he was calling a rookie to the scene."

"Not another one," Edgeworth nearly growled, trying to keep his composure intact.

He knew his reputation: Miles Edgeworth, the name renowned by many. The legendary prosecutor, the genius investigator… the man who rose from "the dead." The man who, right now, was holding on to the last remnants of his patience.

These last few months, it seemed the office was flooded with only two types of prosecutors: the supposedly corrupt under endless internal review, and the overconfident rookies who were convinced they could outdo the previous generation. Sure, there was Franziska, but her visits were few and far between.

First came Sebastian Debeste. He'd had a rough start in his prosecuting career, which Edgeworth was admittedly unhelpful in. Still, he was showing promise as of late. It was almost something Edgeworth could take pride in.

Then came Klavier Gavin. Edgeworth wished he had a more positive view of the man (though, at seventeen years old, Gavin was hardly a man at all). His reasons for disliking him were either personal or petty in nature.

And now came another. Edgeworth had a vague idea of who this one might be, for if Gumshoe had been familiar with the prosecutor, he would have mentioned them by name. He didn't know the name either, to be fair. He'd just seen him around in the Prosecutor's Office, wandering the halls with an all black suit and a clueless look on his face. Edgeworth knew precious little about the man beyond that he had joined a couple weeks ago and had a few years on the other recruits. He hoped dearly the age would impact his maturity.

"Where is the prosecutor in charge?"

"Right here, Edgeworth-Do- Mr. Edgeworth."

What did he almost call me? Edgeworth turned around, seeking a better look at the newcomer. He was a tall man with a lanky body that he covered in thick clothes. Poor man must be suffocating, wearing black in the summer heat.

He bowed, "My name is Simon Blackquill. A pleasure to finally meet you."

Well, at least this one seems to be respectful. "Ah yes, Mr. Blackquill. I've seen you around the office now and again." Miles held out his hand and the younger man took it with a strong grip. "How goes the investigation thus far?"

"Too early to tell." Simon said, shrugging his shoulders. Of course it was: he just showed up. "We only just finished questioning the first witness," he gestured towards the middle-aged man. "I overhead him claim he was finishing up a shift at a nearby store when the accident happened. He didn't see much, only that the car was driving normally one second and lost control the next."

"Not much to go by." Edgeworth noted.

"I didn't suspect much to start." At this point, Blackquill seemed to notice Detective Gumshoe standing behind Edgeworth. "Mr. Edgeworth, this is-"

"Detective Gumshoe." He's been quite silent for a while now. That's surprising. I wonder why. "He's the detective assigned to this case. We've met before."

Gumshoe gave a quick salute before sticking out a hand. "N-N-Nice to meet you, sir!" the detective stuttered out as Blackquill took the hand, giving Gumshoe a once-over.

Ah. He's probably scared of Blackquill. Edgeworth supposed he could see it. The man was tall, after all. That would help him when he questioned a suspect.

"Mr. Blackquill, you wouldn't mind if I assisted in the investigation, would you? This case has caught my interest," Edgeworth didn't mention the gunshot yet.

The young man was confused. "Why? It's just a car accident."

Hm, Indeed. Why would I, a High Prosecutor, deign myself to investigate a mere accident?

I can't tell him about the gunshot yet: if I can't convince Gumshoe, there's no way I'd convince someone else. I need more proof. Proof that I won't get if I'm not on the investigation. It all flows in a circle, doesn't it?

What can I say to convince him? Can I tell him-

-I don't trust his abilities.

-I want to know why I was nearly killed.

-Just curious.

In the end, there was only one logical answer. "Mr. Blackquill, please. That car nearly struck me dead. I only want to know why I was nearly killed."

"What?" he exclaimed, pulling out his Organizer and writing in the information. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

"Depends. May I investigate the crash site with you?" That isn't how this works. I can only hope Mr. Blackquill is too new to the job to realize that.

The cravat clad man was in luck tonight. "Well... this is my first real case. I guess I could use some advice. You'd be a great help, Mr. Edgeworth."

Edgeworth almost couldn't believe it. That was astoundingly easy. "Thank you, Mr. Blackquill. I owe you a debt of gratitude. Now, you don't mind if I join you in an investigation of the crashed vehicle right now, do you?"

"Um… no, not really. I was about to do that anyway." He pulled a flashlight out of his pocket, flicking it on. "The car might have crashed into a streetlight, but I don't want to miss anything."

"Good idea, sir!" Detective Gumshoe whipped out a larger, much brighter flashlight. "I brought a flashlight along just in case! It's one of my Seven Tools of Investigation!"

First time I'm hearing of it, Edgeworth mused. One of these days, he was going to ask the detective what all seven were. So far, he only knew five. And one was a fishing pole.

The three men walked down the street to the site of the incident. A few officers were already scattered about, marking it off to late night drivers and analyzing debris.

Alright, then. Time to explore the incident.

-Begin Investigation-

First, Edgeworth gave the scene a brief once-over. The car in question was an old, worn model, perhaps… thirteen years of age. Such an old car could be hard to maintain. Perhaps Mr. River had car trouble?

The crash area itself was halfway immersed in the light pole, now slightly leaning from the impact. Most of the debris had landed in the backseat on the driver's side, though select shards of glass could be found in the general vicinity. The front passenger door was open from when Miss Seid escaped.

"Who opened this door?" Blackquill questioned, turning to Edgeworth.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember. "It was the passenger, Elaine Seid. She escaped a few minutes after the incident, when the second witness rushed over to check on her. It was he who called 911."

"I see. And she was unharmed?"

"For the most part, I'm told. It was the driver who took most of the damage. His body is being examined as we speak."

The prosecutor nodded an acknowledgement, asking an officer to open all possible car doors. In the meantime, Edgeworth and Gumshoe examined the shards of glass on the ground.

"Yikes! Watch out, Mr. Edgeworth!" he warned. "There's broken glass here!"

"I'm aware of that," he said sharply. "They must be from the window in the backseat… huh?"

"What is it, sir?"

"It seems like an awful lot of glass for just one window. I thought only one hit the pole. And even then, most of the glass would have shattered inward. What are shards doing this far from the vehicle?"

-"Glass Shards" added to Organizer-

-Excess Shards added to Logic-

He made a quick examination of the surrounding pavement, looking for any other evidence of debris. Next to the crash site was a flood drain, though nothing seemed close to falling in.

Walking up to the car, Mr. Edgeworth noticed a small police officer bent down next to the tires. What was he doing there?

"Excuse me, officer!" Mr. Edgeworth did his best to get the man's attention. "What are you examining, here?"

"The tires, sir! They appear to have made fresh skid marks on the road. If you follow their path, the car was traveling straight down the road at a relatively fast speed, maybe fifty miles per hour, when the car began to swerve towards the right, followed by a sharp right turn. That pushed the tail end of the car into the light pole."

During this explanation, Edgeworth was careful to take note of two things: the speed of the car, and its movements before crashing.

-"Road Marks" added to Organizer-

Gumshoe still looked confused. "But why, pal? Why did the car swerve in the first place?"

The officer sighed. "No clear cause as of yet, I'm afraid. There wasn't anything to avoid in the roadway, and initial questioning of Miss Seid hasn't revealed any new information. Sorry, Detective, Prosecutors."

Edgeworth nodded in understanding. "Thank you, officer. Please continue your examination."

Next, he took a quick detour to the opposing side of the car, noticing the passenger and driver door also featured a broken window. That made a total of three. Naturally, Edgeworth was quick to make note of this.

-Three Broken Windows added to Logic-

Upon making these notes, he realized they had a very obvious connection.

Lots of glass shards… and three broken windows. When I see a connection like this in my thoughts, it helps me to connect them and put together a new conclusion.

He snorted. What a tutorial. Even Gumshoe would have seen that connection!

Now, to bring these two pieces of Logic together… aha!

"These glass shards must have come from the broken windows at the front!"

"Huh?" Blackquill looked up from his examination of the interior. "I guess you're right. But…" he looked at the vehicle in question. "The back end of the car hit the pole. Why would any other windows be broken?"

"Maybe they broke earlier, sirs? It might not be related." Gumshoe tried to contribute.

Edgeworth shook his head. "Hm. I'm afraid not. Had they broken on any other day, these fragments would not be there."

"Could a piece of debris have gone through the windows?" Blackquill suggested. "It would explain how they broke when nothing else hit them."

Maybe… or perhaps a bullet went through. The shards were located too far away to have flown there in the crash itself. But what about a shooting, seconds before the incident?

Edgeworth shook his head. It was possible, but he lacked proof.

-Path of Gunshot added to Logic-

He knew how it felt to be a new prosecutor. No one wanted a homicide for their first case. If he were to bring his suspicions to Blackquill, he would need the means to convince everyone involved.

"The broken windows are odd, to be sure," he finally spoke, then shifted gears. "What were you studying, just now?"

"I was inspecting the driver's seat, with the forensic team's help," Blackquill answered openly. "I discovered the large bloodstain myself, but a Luminol test revealed several smaller stains, all on the seat of the car."

Makes sense, Edgeworth mused. Mr. River did die in that seat.

Out loud, he was careful to gain permission. "May I also inspect the driver's seat, Mr. Blackquill? I doubt I'll find anything you did not, but I'd prefer to see the evidence myself."

"I don't see why not," the young man shrugged. "Just don't touch anything. I don't want a contaminated crime scene on my first real case."

"I imagine no one does," he responded, bowing. "Thank you for your graciousness. Gumshoe!"

"Yes, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Come with me."

Like a trained dog, the detective followed. Edgeworth was forced to climb into the car from the passenger's door.

Hm… I won't rest until I examined every suspicious-looking nook and cranny.

First, there was the obvious stain of red Mr. Blackquill had referred to. There were small marks of fading blue in other areas (found by the Luminol spraying, no doubt. If only the chemical reaction lasted longer), but the spot on the head-seat far outstripped the others.

"Mr. River seemed to have suffered a recent head injury, more severe than his injuries from the crash," he spoke his findings aloud to ensure Gumshoe understood. When an officer at the scene heard him, he handed him a picture of the seat with the body in a tape outline, taken earlier in the investigation. Edgeworth presumed Blackquill had a copy as well.

-"Crime Scene Photo" added to Organizer-

"Do you think he was hit with anything, sir?"

"I doubt it, unless that object also penetrated his skull. It must have been fairly small, traveling at an exceedingly fast speed-"

"Like a bullet!"

He nodded, then stopped himself. "Yes, but where? Where is the bullet? I find it hard to believe forensics would overlook such a thing."

"Could it be in the victim's head, still?"

He shook his head. "Doubtful. If it were still in his head, then what shattered the passenger window?"

Wait... hold on a second. Edgeworth turned to the threads of Logic in his head.

I heard a gunshot... and a bullet explains the broken windows. There's a clear connection here!

"I got it! The gun was shot from outside the car. While I cannot confirm its exact trajectory, this would explain why both the front windows were broken. The gunshot shattered them, and the shock from the crash disguised the holes. And because there was no one else on my side of the road, it must have come from across the street!"

"Woah! We gotta check the other side of the road, sir! But..."

"What is it, Detective?"

"About this gun, sir… why haven't you told Mr. Blackquill?"

"It's like you said earlier: for all I know, it could have been a firecracker. I don't want to mention it to him until I have decisive evidence."

"Do you really think he'll be skeptical of you, sir? He seems to look up to you."

He paused. "Gumshoe, he's a prosecutor. I'd be more suspicious if he weren't skeptical of me, particularly when I weigh in on his investigation and have no evidence for my claims. Personal biases are no match for the truth."

-"Bloodstains" added to Organizer-

Underneath the passenger's seat, Edgeworth found a small purse. Carefully, he opened the bag's contents, spilling them out onto the seat.

"Ooh, look! What's this small bottle?" Gumshoe grabbed the vial, accidentally squeezing the top. "Oops!"

"Detective!" he spat. "You got perfume in my eyes!"

"Sorry, sir!" Gumshoe looked flustered, then laughed. "But hey, it's a good smell for you!"

"... I'm going to assume this bag belongs to Miss Seid. Either way, it appears unrelated to the incident."

With nothing else of note up in the front seat, the men shifted their attentions to the back half of the car. It was far messier, with scattered files and shattered glass and bits of metal everywhere. Gumshoe forced Edgeworth to put on thick gloves before reaching back.

He picked up a sample paper, studying its contents. "Hakari Inc.? What's this doing here?"

"What kind of paper is it, sir?"

Edgeworth studied it in a bit more detail. "It appears to be a financial report, of some kind. But what is it doing in here?" Are the rest of these papers more of the same?

"Do you think Mr. River worked there, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"It's possible." Edgeworth acknowledged. "But it seems strange…"

-"Backseat Papers" added to Organizer-

"I don't see anything else of interest in this car. Do you, Detective?"

"Not a thing, sir!"

"Good. We should let forensics take the reins, now that we're done in here."

-Investigation Complete-

Prosecutor Blackquill approached the two men as they exited the car. "Did you find anything worth reporting?"

"Nothing you haven't already, I'm sure. Any news on the examination of David River?"

"Unfortunately, no. It's odd, though. The damage dealt to the car would have indeed been fatal… for someone sitting in the back seat. What exactly killed Mr. River?"

Gumshoe looked ready to say something, but Edgeworth spoke first. "And what caused the vehicle to maneuver the way it did? The car itself holds no answers."

"Agreed," Blackquill didn't look happy about his position. "It's getting late, and I doubt anyone's happy to be here. But I won't stop until the truth of the accident is revealed!"

Internally, Edgeworth smiled. He felt he might get along with this prosecutor. Outwardly, he directed the man's attention to his witnesses. "Perhaps you should question someone who witnessed the incident?"

Besides himself, two other people had witnessed the car accident: Elaine Seid from the passenger seat and another man from the nearby store. If his gunshot theory were to go anywhere, he would need confirmation from another witness that it had occurred the way he believed.

"I guess you're right. I just hope I don't scare any of them," he confessed. "Maybe start with Miss Seid, since she was closest to it all?"

"That seems like a good place to start," Edgeworth encouraged. "Would you allow me to listen in as you question Miss Seid?"

Blackquill, slightly confused, granted his permission to the older prosecutor. Edgeworth prepared himself for her testimony. He had to know if she'd heard the gunshot as well.

There's something more going on here. Something somebody is going to great lengths to hide.

But what?

Organizer

Profiles:

Miles Edgeworth
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Description: Me. What can I say? Currently High Prosecutor for my local district.

Detective Gumshoe
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Description: A homicide detective, one of the many assigned to this district. How I nearly always end up working with him, I cannot say.

Simon Blackquill
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Description: A new prosecutor on the scene. Appears slightly uncertain of himself, but a respectful man besides.

David River
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Description: An office worker of some kind. He was driving past the Prosecutor's Office when he died inside his own vehicle. Cause of death currently unknown.

Elaine Seid
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Description: The victim's girlfriend. Was sitting in the passenger seat when the car crashed, leaving her with minor injuries. Shocked by recent events.

Evidence:

Prosecutor's Badge
Type: Other
Description: My badge. It allows me to do my job, and is to be kept in my pocket at all times.

Driving Conditions
Type: Evidence
Description: Road was clear and dry at the time of the crash. There is nothing out there that could potentially cause an accident.

Glass Shards
Type: Evidence
Description: Found on the road and sidewalk, on both sides of the car. Seems quite excessive for a relatively minor crash.

Road Marks
Type: Evidence
Description: Marks made by the tires right before the crash. Suggest the vehicle was speeding at the time of the incident, and the crash occurred after two right turns. Why these turns were made is unknown.

Crime Scene Photo
Type: Evidence
Obtained from the police
Description: Depicts the empty driver's seat right after the crash. The areas in blue tested positive for bloodstains. Check

Bloodstains
Type: Evidence
Description: Blood belongs to David River. One large stain was found on the seat headrest, with several smaller ones scattered about the seat.

Backseat Papers
Type: Other
Description: Financial reports from Hakari Inc. Why would the victim have these in his car?

A/N's: Two of the three cowriters (ajani's apprentice and PierceTheVeils) were involved in the creation of this case. Here are their notes.

PTV: I'm back! Sorry this took so long! It's nice to see the number of people aware of this project already, on all three mediums. I expect this project to only grow with time, in both awareness and word count.

Anyway, we have almost the entire case drafted out, but Part Two (Chapters Three and Four) is currently a hot mess. Still, expect to see the entire case out before my summer break is over (in the later third of August). If you want updates about when the chapters are coming, follow our blog on Tumblr, under the account piercetveils.

Also, remember: this project is fueled entirely by the community's ideas. We aren't done outlining yet, and anything not published is tentative. Don't forget to share your thoughts on the Idea Sheet in Google Docs if you haven't already. Even if you don't have any new ones, letting us know which ideas you like is a big help.

Thanks for reading, quick shout-out to both our betas (The Scollard (who is publishing their first AA fic this weekend, called Turnabout Anniversary. I'm super excited) and EmeraldWings1992), please leave a review below, and now, my coauthor:

AA: Thank you PTV. Well, guys the crazy fangirling/boying can begin! We have a return of Gumshoe of course and we get to see a favorite from DD. How do you all like Simon? As you can obviously tell, he hasn't taken on the Twisted Samurai persona yet, seeing as he hasn't gone to prison yet.

I'm also curious what you think of the writing style.. PTV had the idea to write it as if you're playing the game itself. Little things like adding evidence to Edgeworth's organizer and such. I think it's a good way to make the story more immersive.

Anyway, take care everyone! Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon!

PTV: Aw, you're giving me too much credit. It was AA's idea to have an Organizer somewhere in the story, I'm just the one who wrote it in. And Emmy encouraged us to have the Logic segments look the way they are. That said, hope you enjoyed, folks!