July 1st, 9:04am
Hakari Inc. Headquarters
Hallway A; Financial Sector
"Ms. Von Karma, sir! Wait-" Gumshoe burst into the hallway, panting heavily. "Sorry, Mr. Edgeworth. I tried to stop her, but she ran for it when she heard you were here."
Behind him, the forensics calmly walked up to the body, wasting no time in searching for the cause of death.
"Miles Edgeworth, what's this I hear?" Franziska stared him down with the usual amount of condescension in her eyes. "You have an open and shut case with the murderer seen hovering over the body and you still haven't finished the investigation?"
"See, this is what I was expecting from a prosecutor," Ployei just had to enter the conversation, wiping his glasses with his work polo. "That said, I didn't think there'd be two on the case."
"Nor did I," Edgeworth admitted. "Franziska… why exactly are you here? I thought you were still working with Interpol."
She avoided the question. "Hmph! At the moment, I'm here because you seem to be incapable of making an arrest. What are you waiting for, the victim's spirit to return and indict his killer? Arrest the foolish man this instant!"
"It's a waste of an investigation if we arrest the wrong man. I believe we don't currently have the information we need to choose a suspect. Unless you know more than me, somehow?"
That silenced the other prosecutor for a second. But only for a second. "Forensics!"
"Yes, Prosecutor Von Karma?"
"What does investigation of the victim's body show us?"
"Well, we just started performing the autopsy, so… gah!"
She whipped the forensics guy. "Enough! You will not employ such a tone with me. What has been discovered thus far?"
"The largest wound on the victim's person is the one in his back, next to spinal cord. We believe it caused his death, somehow."
"His back, hm?" Franziska gave him a condescending smirk. "Miles Edgeworth, your delay is pointless. I already know how the murder occurred."
"Oh really?"
"Uh… can I go back to my post, please?"
"Yes, thank you for your input." Edgeworth sent the forensics guy back. Hopefully with all hands on deck, they'd have a preliminary report soon. While Edgeworth definitely wanted a full report for court, that would have to wait for the body to be transferred to a morgue, whereas a preliminary report could be performed on site, not to mention much faster.
As for Franziska's argument, Edgeworth was eager to hear it. "Very well. Why don't you show me what I'm missing?"
Franziska scoffed. "It's simple, really. Allow me to explain it to you."
-Argument-
This is a Colossal Waste of Time
"So the murderer struck Mr. Owen Atrol from behind, yes? That's what killed him?
"Mr. Emil Ployei was found hovering over his victim. While the man was face down.
"The guards even said it themselves. They found no one in the area.
"It's obvious, Miles Edgeworth. Mr. Emil Ployei is the killer. He was caught in the act!
"Why don't you stop wasting time and arrest the man? I'd be happy to do it for you."
Hm… Miles Edgeworth considered her testimony carefully. To be honest, he was almost ashamed of her, jumping to the same rash conclusions as everybody else.
"Very well."
"Hm? Very well what? You concede that my argument is flawless?"
"I didn't say that Franziska. I'm simply ready to respond to the case you have presented to me."
"Agh!" She looked offended, but recovered quickly. "Fine. Let's see how you do against me."
-Rebuttal-
This is a Colossal Waste of Time
"So the murderer struck Mr. Owen Atrol from behind, yes? That's what killed him?"
Nothing new here...
"Mr. Emil Ployei was found hovering over his victim. While the man was face down."
"OBJECTION!" Before Franziska could say anything, Edgeworth whipped out his Organizer, flipping to the page about security cameras. "That could be true, but in case you weren't aware, the last frame of surveillance footage depicting the murder showed the victim to be standing above the intruder. If that were so, how did he strike from behind?"
"What a foolishly foolish diversion. We didn't see all the struggle, now did we? It's completely possible for the intruder to turn the tables on his pursuer. And the only person who could have done this?" She aimed a finger in Ployei's direction. "Mr. Emil Ployei."
Edgeworth smirked, then wagged his finger near his brow. "Not so fast, Franziska. As I just finished explaining to the security guard, Ployei could not possibly have been the man the victim was chasing. For while the chase was going on, he approached the scene from the opposite direction!"
"What?" Franziska cried out, shocked. "Where is your proof?"
"Why, I…"
-have it right here!
-don't have it yet.
"It's being collected as we speak. I sent Gardems and a police officer to the Control Room to review the footage. If Ployei is found approaching the scene of the crime before he testified to doing so, I will arrest him. Not before."
"Urgh!" Franziska brandished her whip, but didn't strike. "Make no mistake, Miles Edgeworth. I will be the first to solve this case. You will be left helpless and in the dust."
"Heh. I look forward to it." Did she really only show up here to compete with me? I haven't seen her in a while, but it doesn't seem like her.
Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to be answering questions right now. I'll have to bring it up another time.
"We got the security footage!"
Franziska waited for him to continue. "Well, don't just stand there! What did you see?"
"It's… exactly as Mr. Ployei said," Gardem's face fell as he spoke. "He didn't go anywhere near the hacking site before the murder. No way the boss would be chasing him."
"And could Mr. Emil Ployei not have killed the victim after the intruder escaped?" Franziska thought aloud. "You assume Mr. Owen Atrol was killed by the same man who hacked into the company, but where is your proof?"
"Franziska… why would anyone commit murder the way you're suggesting? Mr. Ployei hardly knew the victim."
"Just because you don't know his motive, Miles Edgeworth, does not make my theory impossible. Can you prove Mr. Emil Ployei did not kill the victim after the hacker fled? Perhaps he struck from behind while the victim watched his intruder run."
"It would be illogical beyond all reason. If Mr. Ployei were not the hacker, he would have no motivation to kill!"
"That isn't evidence though, now is it?" Franziska tutted, her trademark smirk on her face. "Meanwhile, company security has already confirmed Mr. Emil Ployei was the only one found near the scene of the crime. Not only that, he was seen over the dead body. Tell me, how it could have been anyone else?"
Gah! I know this argument is ridiculous, but… I don't see any flaws in it. Is the solution to this case really the simplest answer? Edgeworth chewed on the possibility.
If it is, then everything else should be easily explained. Like how Ployei would have killed the victim.
"Okay, Franziska. I have no evidence at the moment. But tell me this: How did Mr. Ployei murder the victim?"
"No!" Ployei bugged out at Edgeworth's concession. "I didn't kill him in any way. I didn't do it!"
The crack of a whip silenced him. "Hush. And Miles Edgeworth, the answer is simple: Mr. Emil Ployei struck the victim on the back, breaking his spine."
"Nope!" some guy from the forensics team called out a few feet away. "No broken spines."
"Huh," Edgeworth noted. "Did he, perhaps, die from his fall after the killer pushed him down?"
"Nada! No sign of blunt force trauma!"
Well that's a new one. "Okay, enough of this speculation. We'll never get anywhere until we know how the victim died."
"Then you prosecutors are gonna have to wait."
They sighed.
July 1st, 9:25am
Hakari Inc. Headquarters
Hallway A: Financial Sector
"One preliminary autopsy for Owen Perry Atrol!" the chief mortician announced. Right after she spoke, men on the forensics team zipped up the body, readying the victim for transfer. Gumshoe looked awfully relieved to be putting down the outline tape.
"Well?" Franziska demanded impatiently as Edgeworth read it over. "How did our victim meet his end?"
"Electrocution. He was killed with one strong electric blast at close range that stopped the beating of his heart, most likely from a taser. Entry wound: his back. The burn marks can be seen on his clothing."
-"Mysterious Stain" changed to "Taser Marks" in Organizer-
-"Preliminary Autopsy" added to Organizer-
"So he was killed with a taser, then?" Franziska said, crossing her arms. "All security guards in this building have tasers, no?"
"Yes, but a normal functioning taser isn't designed with the ability to kill." Edgeworth remembered what Gardems had told him when the investigation began. "Only the victim's was known to be malfunctioning at the time of the murder."
Suddenly realizing something, Franziska ordered an officer to check the taser in question for prints. A second after, Edgeworth realized why.
Mr. Ployei wasn't wearing gloves. Nor would he have had an opportunity to wipe his prints off the murder weapon. If he were the killer, his prints should be there.
The moment of truth. They either had the killer right in front of them… or they had nothing.
"Got it."
"Well? Were there any prints?"
"None whatsoever."
A groan.
-"Victim's Taser" updated in Organizer-
"And there you have it," Edgeworth turned to Franziska, who looked close to exploding. "As it stands, Emil Ployei can't be our killer. Nor, as we've already proved, is he the hacker."
"Wait..." Gardems was still processing. "So when I told you this guy was the killer, I was-"
"Unnecessarily pinning the blame on a mere witness?" Edgeworth nodded. "Now do you see why a prosecutor must thoroughly investigate the crime before making an arrest?"
Sullen, the security guard nodded. And without another thought, Edgeworth turned to the investigation.
"Mr. Edgeworth, sir! What do we do now?" Gumshoe ran over when he finished the tape outline. "We don't have a suspect, and the hacker is loose in the building."
"Right now, the most likely suspect in this murder is the hacker. If we can determine their identity, the rest will surely come together on its own." Edgeworth turned to Ployei. "Mr. Ployei, you're the one who called management to issue a lockdown, correct?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Well then, congratulations. You saved the investigation."
"Really?" His glasses almost flew off his face.
Edgeworth nodded. "Had you not done so, our hacker could have escaped as other employees arrived, making the act of finding them near impossible. But with no one getting in or out, our suspect list has narrowed dramatically." He shrugged. "And you're cleared of suspicion... for now."
"Oh my gosh… this is amazing! Can I return to work, now?"
"No." Franziska crushed his hopes. "Mr. Emil Ployei, I will concede you are innocent of this crime, but you are still a vital witness. And as such, I shall interrogate you for every last drop of information!"
"Eep! Sir, please help me."
"Franziska, be gentle. This man is no criminal."
"I'll be just as gentle with him as any other witness I work with," Franziska said simply, walking away with the deflated Ployei.
"No…"
"I don't envy that Ployei guy," Gumshoe said, scratching the back of his head.
"Well, there isn't anything we can do for him," Edgeworth said with a shrug. "Right now we have to focus on trying to figure out who our mysterious hacker is."
"Where do we start, sir?"
Before Edgeworth could answer Gumshoe's question, a police officer walked up to the prosecutor.
"Excuse me Mr. Edgeworth, but there is a bit of a disturbance going on outside the building."
Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "And the reason you felt you needed to tell me and not just deal with it is…?"
The officer flushed. "Well, about that, sir. The one causing the disturbance is a teenage girl who has been rather… persistent that she be let in. She claims to know you."
Edgeworth stared at the man for a moment. Wait, a teenage girl? Surely he can't be talking about- no, she's supposed to be on a college tour! Besides, the odds of both Franziska and HER showing up at the same investigation without any pre-established reason is simply-
Suddenly a loud shout interrupted Edgeworth's train of thought. "HEY! THIS IS A RESTRICTED AREA! YOU CAN'T BE IN HERE!"
"Yeah, well too bad! I need get to Mr. Edgeworth and no one is going to stop me!"
Edgeworth sighed and put his face in his hand.
"Mr. Edgeworth sir, is that-"
"Yes Detective, I believe it is." Edgeworth responded, cutting Gumshoe off.
"Hey, Mr. Edgeworth! Over here! Tell these police guys to let me in!"
Edgeworth shook his head. "Kay Faraday," he began, walking towards the raven haired girl, with Gumshoe tagging behind. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I'll tell you as soon as you get these guys away from me." Kay answered, trying to wrestle out of one of the officer's' grip. "Sheesh, don't these guys know anything about respecting a lady's privacy?"
"Don't you know anything about lockdowns?"
"Thank you, officers. Detective Gumshoe and I can handle things from here." He sent the officers away, getting a better look at the girl before him.
It was Kay, alright. Kay Faraday, who he'd encountered on a case a few months ago. Ever since that day in March, she'd declared herself his assistant, bringing equal parts assistance and mayhem to any and all of his investigations.
And right now, she was supposed to be on a guided tour of Ivy University. The tour started at nine o'clock. What possessed her to show up at the crime scene?
"Thank goodness for you, Mr. Edgeworth. Seriously, do the police just not know me well enough?"
"Kay, what are you doing here? I don't recall inviting you on this investigation."
"I know you didn't, but I was on my way to that tour you set up when I decided to not go. And then, on my way home-"
"Hold it… Kay." He wasn't exactly surprised at what he was hearing, but it still upset him. "Why did you to leave the tour?"
She crossed her arms, pouting. "I told you I don't want to go to college right now. Why do you have to push me into this?"
"I'm not saying you have to go there, I simply think it's a wise decision to consider your options and be informed about what your own future could look like."
"But I already told you! I-"
"Um, Mr. Edgeworth?" Gumshoe scratched the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. "Can we just… get back to the investigation?"
"Of course. Kay, you said you had information for us?"
"Oh yeah." And with that, she was back to her normal self. "I saw a news report on my way home! It said you were on the case, and that someone had publicly taken responsibility for the hacking!"
"What?" Why wasn't I informed of this?
"It just happened a few minutes ago!" Kay cleared her throat, doing her best impression of a newscaster. "This just in: everyone's favorite gaming company has reported a hacking attempt! This happened just an hour ago, and was topped off with the death of a security staff member! Furthermore, Toukai has already taken to online media platforms, announcing to the world that 'Hakari will be exposed. The stranglehold must end.' More details to come. I'm Takisa Allot, signing out from Channel Six news."
"Wow. You sound exactly like that reporter lady!"
"Thanks, Gummy!"
Edgeworth was slightly less impressed. "Who is this Toukai character?"
"Mr. Edgeworth!" Kay's mouth popped open, almost comically so. "Have you really never heard of the group called Toukai?
"So, they're some sort of group?"
"Only the most famous group of online thieves in this century! They're like the Yatagarasu, but digital. If they hear about something shady going on, they hack into that person or company's computer and expose them all over the internet. I follow them on every website they upload to." Now she's beaming. "Their name, Toukai, means hidden in another language. Aren't they cool?"
No, they sound like criminals. "And they've come out on these websites to claim responsibility for the hacking here?"
Nodding. "Yep! I guess they put one of their members up to it. If I knew how to work a computer, that would totally be me."
Kay, I certainly hope not.
-"Hacking Attempt" updated in Organizer-
"Well, this certainly brings new light to the case. If the hacker's motive is truly to carry out the will of Toukai, then… hm. What does that mean, exactly? I best remember this information."
-Hacker's Motive added to Logic-
Turning to Kay, Edgeworth offered her a bow. "I suppose I must thank you, for bringing up a lead in this case. I daresay the investigation has hit a bit of a roadblock."
"Huh? What happened?"
"The obvious suspect can't possibly be the culprit. But that still doesn't explain how company security found no one else in the area."
Kay shrugged. "Maybe the security guards just didn't search very well? Who did they put on search duty, anyway?"
"This one witness, Mr. Gardems, and-"
"YOU! STOP RIGHT THERE IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!" The megaphone feedback was murderous. The victim? Edgeworth's ears.
A tall, lanky man in a loose fitting guard uniform ran up to them. "THIS IS A RESTRICTED AREA ON LOCKDOWN! NO ONE BUT THE… police may…" The man was now close enough to get a good look at the group of three. His eyes widened. He dropped the megaphone and took off. Not that Edgeworth could blame him.
After hearing of the man's brief stint as a bailiff and the trial he was involved in, in addition to past transgressions, Edgeworth insisted he was unqualified for a job in law enforcement. Clearly, someone had listened to him, because he was given the pink slip a few weeks later.
And now, the man was here. "That explains so much."
"Um, sir? Are we gonna question him as a witness or…?"
"Not unless it becomes absolutely necessary, Detective." I think I'll let Franziska handle that particular witness.
-"Search Report" devalued in Organizer-
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get investigating, Mr. Edgeworth!"
Edgeworth locked eyes with Kay, feeling something odd. It wasn't disappointment, of course, but maybe regret? He'd never been one for emotional things.
Kay didn't truly believe this could be her life forever, did she? There were times Edgeworth worried she did. But she was an adult now, who'd already seen so much. What was waiting for her, in her next chapter of life?
Well whatever it was, it had to wait.
To be continued…
Organizer
Profiles:
Miles Edgeworth
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Description: Me. What else 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.
Franziska Von Karma
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Description: ...Franziska. How else can I describe her? Last I heard, she was an international prosecutor, overseas on a case with Interpol.
Stan Gardems
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Description: A security guard, one of the three assigned to guarding Hakari Headquarters at the time of the murder. Was watching from the Control Room when the murder occurred.
Owen P. Atrol
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Description: Senior security guard at Hakari, was in charge at the time of the murder. Was electrocuted with his own taser by an intruder to the building.
Emil Ployei
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Description: Relatively new employee to Hakari Inc., working as a junior software developer. Was suspected of the murder by company security because they found him hunched over the body.
Cassandra Washington
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Description: Head financial advisor for Hakari Inc. Had her computer hacked directly before the murder by intruders to the building.
Kay Faraday
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Description: My self-styled assistant, best known for her claim of being the second Yatagarasu. Was supposed to be attending a college tour when she appeared on the crime scene.
Toukai
Age: Unknown
Gender: Unknown
Description: A vigilante hacking organization, potentially consisting of several individuals. Has publicly taken responsibility for the hacking attempt.
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.
Taser Marks
Type: Evidence
Description: Area where taser came into contact with the victim's clothing. Left slight burns.
Crime Scene Photo
Type: Evidence
Description: Body was found face down on the floor with minimal injuries. Appears to have been attacked from behind with a taser. Check
Search Report
Type: Evidence
Description: After company security discovered the body, they conducted a search of the entire wing, finding no one but Washington. However, there is a chance it wasn't thorough. Check
Victim's Taser
Type: Evidence
Description: Taser issued to Owen Atrol as a defensive weapon. Killed him when it was used behind his back. No prints found.
Security Cameras
Type: Evidence
Description: Capture surveillance footage from various places in Hakari Headquarters. All footage can be viewed live from the Control Room.
Hacking Attempt
Type: Evidence
Description: Directly before the murder, an unknown hacker was attempting to forcibly enter Washington's computer. After hacking occurred, the vigilante group Toukai took public responsibility for the attack.
Preliminary Autopsy
Type: Evidence
Description: Victim died of electrocution from a single taser blast at approximately 8:15am. Check
A/N's: All three authors are involved in the creation of this part, but since AA is dealing with some personal things, only PTV felt like adding notes. So here she goes:
PTV: Hey y'all! After going so long without posting, it's only fair you get two updates semi-consecutively. Both over the same break, at least. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that one of my New Year's Resolutions is to stay more on top of this project. I'm gonna push myself to write at least a thousand words for this project every week, and I hope my cowriters can join me with whatever they have time for.
So, the obvious choice isn't the suspect. This happens so often in the main series, I felt like it was time we brought it over here. And both Franziska and Kay have entered the mix. I'm sure you're wondering why they're here, much like Edgeworth is. But while these ladies are both up there on my favorites list, they do have an important reason for being here. At least, Franziska does. Kay still kinda just does what she pleases, in case you haven't noticed. Makes it kinda difficult when-
Okay, someone take the A/N's away from me before I spoil all our cases. Thanks for reading, please leave your comments below, and I will hopefully see everyone again soon. Happy New Year!