July 1st, 9:51am
Hakari Inc. Headquarters
Director Washington's Office
After rejoining with Franziska (who appeared to be done with Ployei for the time being), Edgeworth's party of four made their way to the office of Financial Director Cassandra Washington, the woman who had been hacked. If Edgeworth's theory was correct, the murderer was none other than the hacker Atrol had chased from the scene.
The office itself was not grand in scale. Just two doors, a desk with a computer on it, and a few frames scattered about, two containing college degrees. Next to a overturned desk chair was Cassandra Washington herself, with a large cup of coffee in hand. It looked like she was trying to-
"Ma'am, please! No cleaning the crime scene."Gumshoe shouted before she could do anything.
"What?" She stood up right away, wide blue eyes meeting Edgeworth's.
Gumshoe shrank back. He hadn't meant to startle her. Jump any more, and coffee stains would have been added to the list of things she would have had to clean up after the investigation.
"Why is my office is considered part of the crime scene? The murder occurred in the hallway."
"Perhaps, but the police are here to investigate two incidents," Franziska said, taking over. "The hacking, and the murder."
"Ms. Washington, your business computer is the one that was hacked, correct?" Edgeworth asked.
She nodded, curly blonde hair bouncing up and down. "I saw the intruder fleeing as I arrived."
"I see. And is there a security camera in your office, Ms. Washington?"
"'Fraid not. There is one, however, on the opposite end of the hallway. It's trained on the entrance right there." She pointed with her mug, nearly spilling its contents.
Edgeworth took mental note of the location of the camera. "Do you know if it was working at the time of the murder?"
"No, but I think company security might. They always station a guard in the Control Room." She paused to think. "If the camera was working properly at the time of the murder, I wonder if they know who hacked me. Surely they would have captured his face?"
"Interesting…" Franziska commented, almost to herself. Edgeworth sent her a questioning look, but she didn't elaborate.
So he turned back to Ms. Washington. "Would you mind offering us a bit of background, Ms. Washington?"
"Hm? Wh-What do you mean?" Her hand flew to her deep purple tie, fidgeting almost unconsciously. Once again, her creamy drink was about to spill over.
Something was making her nervous.
"What you did on the computer that was hacked, why somebody might want to hack you, anything you can think of that might help. Information like that could identify our killer."
"Please, Ms. Washington!" Kay pleaded. "It's really important." She was smart enough to not mention Toukai, seeing as Edgeworth himself had not. He wanted to know what the witness thought.
She looked back and forth, then sighed. "Mr. Atrol was gruff with everyone he met, but he didn't deserve to die. I'll... do what I can to help."
"Yes! A cooperative witness! I've never-"
"Kay, be quiet." Edgeworth stopped her, then nodded. "Ms. Washington, continue."
She cleared her throat, cheeks a slight pink.
-Witness Testimony-
My Job
"As the financial director of Hakari Gaming, I handle millions of dollars, sometimes in the span of one day.
"Ongoing transactions and potential ventures are stored in my computer in the form of their raw data and cost/benefit analysis. Past records are printed on paper, then collected into files.
"Your hacker could have been after one of two things: money or information. That said, they'd need more than my computer for either.
"Still, it seems excessive for someone to kill over this. And without a second thought. How did they even get in?"
And that was her testimony. Edgeworth couldn't spot any inconsistencies just from listening to it. He'd have to ask her more about the company's inner workings if he wanted to make any use of her testimony. He remembered what Kay had told him.
"Toukai has already taken to online media platforms, announcing to the world that 'Hakari will be exposed. The stranglehold must end.'"
The stranglehold… could they be referring to Hakari's sizable lead on their competition? Are they concerned about a monopoly on the industry?
Still, that doesn't sound like something this group would prioritize. What on earth made Toukai decide to target this woman's computer?
"Um, Mr. Edgeworth, sir?" Gumshoe broke him out of his thoughts. "Are you gonna cross-examine Ms. Washington?"
"Naturally," Edgeworth replied right away. Franziska was watching him with an odd look in her eyes. "Ms. Washington, do you mind if my colleague begins our investigation while I talk to you?"
"Oh, um-" the businesswoman took a sip of her drink. "Go right ahead, Miss-"
"Von Karma. And thank you." She cracked her whip. "Scruffy! Fetch a member of forensics from the crime scene and have them search for DNA."
"Yes, sir!"
"Oh! Ah…" Washington looked even more nervous as Detective Gumshoe fled the room. "I mean, all they did was break into my computer. What evidence is there to collect beyond that?"
"Maybe they dropped something in here. Like their wallet!" Kay adjusted her gloves, a gleam appearing in her eye.
"Kay, I highly doubt anyone would bring their wallet on a hacking mission. But if you'd like to search for one, I'm sure Prosecutor Von Karma would appreciate the help."
"Okay, let's get to work!"
Turning back to the witness, Mr. Edgeworth zeroed in on her behavior. He suspected the less people who watched her while he spoke to her, the easier this cross-examination would be. But if she does close up too much… I suppose I can always open the chessboard.
"Ms. Washington, if you would please repeat your testimony? There are a few things I wish to know more about."
"...Alright, then."
-Cross Examination-
My Job
"As the financial director of Hakari Gaming, I handle millions of dollars, sometimes in the span of one day."
"HOLD IT!" Washington jumped at his sudden interjection, coffee springing out of her mug. Through her quick maneuvering, it all landed back in the cup. "Ms. Washington, how is this money moved around?"
"The process is entirely digital, with paper trails only of the virtual variety. All of it is moved through, or at least seen by, my computer before Hakari makes the transaction."
"I see…" Edgeworth trailed off, wishing he knew more about computers. He'd never been good with technology. "Could someone move that money to their account from your computer if they broke into it?"
She shook her head, a small smile creeping onto her face. "They'd need more than that. I don't move any of the money myself, only tell others where it should go. And telling my co-workers to move funds into a private account would certainly raise some eyebrows."
"Can you explain how that works?"
"Ongoing transactions and potential ventures are stored in my computer in the form of their raw data and cost/benefit analysis. Past records are printed on paper, then collected into files."
"HOLD IT! Is it possible the hacker was after these files?"
"You mean the ones in my filing cabinets?" She turned away from him, thumb rubbing the handle on her mug. "I don't see why they'd need to hack me to do that. Hakari is very forthcoming with our tax information. It can all be found online through legal means."
Well, I'm not investigating Hakari for tax purposes, but that sounds highly suspicious. Still, if it wasn't connected to the murder, it wasn't something Edgeworth would go out of his way to look into. "So why would a hacker go after you, in your opinion?"
"Well…
"Your hacker could have been after one of two things: money or information. That said, they'd need more than my computer for either."
"HOLD IT! What else would a potential hacker need to find that information?"
"Aside from knowing what to look for, which is a feat in itself, all of Hakari's financial information is password protected. You'd have to work in the finance sector to enter the database. Also, I have my own lock on sensitive information."
"Sensitive information, you say? What sort of things would that category include?"
"The launch of a new product, designs in the works, anything our competition could steal from us in an attempt to get ahead." She was back to gripping her tie. "Business is a brutal field. Companies guard their secrets preciously, all the while racing to be the first to release this game, patent that technology. Some people will do anything it takes to turn a greater profit."
"So you suspect the hacker may be a spy, trying to steal plans from Hakari?"
She nodded, but not quickly enough. "I wouldn't put it past our competition. They've gotten desperate over the years, accusing us of all sorts of heinous crimes through third parties. Nothing that went anywhere, I assure you."
"Of course." It seems she's unaware of Toukai's recent announcement. Still, if this band of criminals know something the police don't, I intend to find out what it is. "Breaking into a rival company's headquarters is certainly an extreme way to achieve such an end."
"Well… um, it's like I said. These people are desperate.
"Still, I'm shocked someone was so willing to kill over this. And without a second thought. How did they even get in?"
"HOLD IT! Ms. Washington, where were you at the time of the crime?"
"I was… right outside my office. I asked one of the new guys from the development sector to meet with me at 8:15, so I showed up early in hopes we'd have time. Then, right as I turned the corner…
"Two men were racing out the door, one right after the other! I recognized Mr. Atrol by his build, but his pursuer… they had a hood covering their face. I have no idea who it was."
Edgeworth was extra careful to take notes here. "You witnessed the pursuit? Did you follow the victim and the intruder?"
"I... did not. When I first saw the two men, I didn't realize what was happening. But when company security came and found me… they told me.
"I-I checked my computer straight after. Someone had downloaded information from it!"
"Do you know where the download was sent to?"
"...No. It says they put it on a flashdrive. It could be anywhere by now."
"And may I ask what was on it?"
The witness turned away, watching Franziska and Kay as they sorted through her filing cabinet. "Oh. Some expense reports. Incomplete lists. I never sent them to anyone."
"...I see. Thank you, Ms. Washington." Someone should definitely look into those expense reports. But Ms. Washington isn't about to reveal them to me. How am I going to get my hands on them?
Hmph. If they become important to the murder, I'll collect them. In the meantime, I suppose a note will have to do.
-"Washington's Testimony" added to Organizer-
-"Hacker's Flashdrive" added to Organizer-
"Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Washington. Is there anything we can use to verify what you saw?"
"Hm…" She took one last sip of her coffee, finishing it off with a gulp. "The Control Room has all the camera footage. I imagine one of the guards can bring you what you're looking for."
Edgeworth nodded, mentally resolving to make that his next stop. In the meantime, he approached Franziska and Kay, who were sifting through the filing cabinets.
"Have you found anything of interest?"
"No." Kay pouted, crossing her arms. "Prosecutor Von Karma isn't even trying. She's just-"
"OBJECTION!"
"Eep!" Kay flinched as the whip struck, getting up to snoop elsewhere.
"I am investigating my case. You would do well to remain silent, Kay Faraday."
"But, Franziska. Surely nothing from the murder would be found in files from-" Edgeworth checked the date on her file of choice, "three years ago."
"Hmph. A Von Karma only conducts the most perfectly thorough of investigations. I wouldn't expect you to understand, Miles Edgeworth."
Says the woman who tried to arrest a suspect as soon as possible. "Even for you, this is excessive. Let's just invite forensics in here to search for fingerprints and… Franziska, are you listening?"
The prosecutor was, in fact, not listening. She seemed to have noticed something within the file, murmuring to herself.
"Franziska?"
She pulled a few pages out, placing it inside her Organizer. Her lips were moving, but the sound was unintelligible.
"Franziska!"
"Miles Edgeworth, why are you wasting time?" she snapped, turning to face him. "You have a murder to solve, no?"
"Well, yes. But is that not also why you're here?"
Franziska pursed her lips. "Let's just say we're investigating from different angles. Miles Edgeworth, don't you need to get going? I'm sure you're aware: a Von Karma should not delay justice."
This is crazy. What is Franziska up to?
"Mr. Edgeworth, look at this!" Kay ran up to him, holding a picture of a hooded figure with red eyes. "It was on the floor by Ms. Washington's desk. I think the hacker dropped it!"
"And this is…?"
"You don't recognize it?" Kay's mouth popped open. "I would think you'd want to keep up with famous criminal organizations and their symbols, especially if they're related to your case. If not, you might go a whole investigation blind to the obvious." She sighed. "Mr. Edgeworth, this is-"
"Toukai!" Franziska grabbed the card out of Kay's hand. "It's their calling card. They must have also… Are you this oblivious to the online world, Miles Edgeworth?"
"Ngh..." Why are computers taking over our society? "Well, if this card was truly left here by the hacking group, that confirms it: we're searching for a member of their organization."
"What? Toukai?" Ms. Washington had been listening to their conversation. Her hands were shaking. "Why would Toukai be interested in Hakari?"
"Huh! Simple," Franziska scoffed, waggling her finger in a condescending manner. "Hakari has grown too big for its own good and Toukai fears a monopoly."
Washington pouted. "There's nothing wrong with being a successful company. If our competitors can't keep up, it's their own fault."
"Perhaps Toukai doesn't see it that way," Edgeworth mused. "But that still doesn't explain why they'd get involved."
-"Toukai's Calling Card" added to Organizer-
"We should search the card for fingerprints. Will someone go get forensics?"
"Hmph. I already sent Scruffy to do the job." Franziska crossed her arms, flickers of a frown appearing. "What's taking that oaf so long?"
"Mr. Edgeworth, sir! I'm sorry!" Gumshoe barreled in through the door, panting. It was like he ran across the building to make it here on cue. "I… I couldn't stop them!"
"What?" Edgeworth's mind went to the worst case scenario. "Did a suspect flee the building? Did we lose the body? What is it, Detective?"
"It's… It's Mr.-"
"Ms. Washington! What on earth is this mess?"
The room turned to face two men in the doorway. One was short, with slicked back brown hair and a sharp navy suit. His sleeves were rolled up, and he had a look of eternal panic on his face.
The other was tall and serene, all blonde hair and rimless lenses shining over narrowed eyes. Edgeworth knew that look.
That man.
"Is this how you work every day? How would Mr. Obergefell feel if you saw you wallowing in this pig sty?" The short man ran from the desk to the overturned chair to the filing cabinet, where Franziska had left reports laying out. "Gah! Why is no one cleaning up? And I thought the engineers enjoyed clutter in their workspace."
"Mr. Dyman, p-please! It's all a result of the hacking incident. Just this morning." She didn't face him when she spoke. "I was about to clean it up, but these prosecutors insisted it was part of the crime scene."
"Oh yes, yes. That horrible hacking is all over the news. Such awful press for Hakari! And just days before the big convention. We can't handle this now. You!" The motormouth turned his attentions to Edgeworth. "You're the prosecutor in charge of this case, aren't you?"
Edgeworth nodded. "Pleased to meet you. My name is-"
"I don't care what your name is! I want this killer in jail by tomorrow! You got that? My boss is a busy man, and he relies on me to keep things running smoothly here. If he gets wind of this… Oh, I knew we shouldn't have changed security companies! Our files haven't been safe since Finance-" he sent a pointed glare to Ms. Washington, "decided it would be cheaper to go to Filelock Plus instead of-"
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch what you were doing here, Mr…"
"Dyman. Green Dyman. I'm the one who keeps people working around here, and I report directly to the CEO."
"Yes, well, I'm afraid I'm not aware of your connection to this case. Where were you when the murder occurred?"
"I don't know when this murder was! That's your job, punk! I'm here to investigate the damages and file a suit!"
"They showed up a few minutes ago, sir." Detective Gumshoe filled them in. "The police tried to tell him there was a lockdown, but he came in anyway."
"Gah! Can you believe this gumshoe tried to question me about the murder? Like I don't already have enough to do. No, I need someone to needlessly pester me and ask questions I have no answer to. Hmph!"
"You know, for a building on lockdown, there sure are a lot of people showing up." Kay commented, not even noticing the irony of her words.
Well, I suppose I ought to figure out what they want.
Edgeworth braced himself as he approached Mr. Dyman once more. "Excuse me, what is this about filing a lawsuit? Who are you suing?"
"This damn cybersecurity company. I swear, when Hakari signed with them, they swore nothing like this would ever happen. I got a lawyer right here, and he's gonna get Hakari due compensation for all the money this media circus is gonna cost us! Isn't that right. Mr. Gavin?"
The lawyer nodded, not unlike a parent consoling their child. "I'll do everything I can to determine the merit of your case, Mr. Dyman. If Filelock is indeed liable, I assure you, the judge will see that they receive their just desserts." He turned to Mr. Edgeworth. "A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Edgeworth."
"Mr. Gavin." Edgeworth acknowledged him politely. Kristoph Gavin was a rising star among defense attorneys, and the mad gadfly to every opponent he faced. While prosecutors bemoaned his logistical and methodical attack on their cases (leaving more than one with a reputation of playing fast and loose with the law, stopping just short of corruption), defense attorneys rallied behind him as a hero, evening out the playing field for their side of the courtroom.
All in all, he seemed to be gaining public prestige. Some even said he was filling the gap... that man had left. Edgeworth didn't agree, of course, but he had nothing personal against Gavin.
"Now, if you're done questioning Ms. Washington, I would ask that Mr. Dyman and I begin our own investigation of this office. If that's acceptable to the police."
Just how many different investigations are happening here? "I'm afraid the police aren't quite done with this area, Mr. Gavin. Detective Gumshoe was supposed to be bringing forensics to search the office. Everything must be preserved until they finish their work." Edgeworth thought about it for a moment. "Kay?"
"Yeah, Mr. Edgeworth?"
"Will you fetch a forensics investigator and bring them to this office? I'm sure they'll only take a few minutes."
"But-"
"Mr. Dyman, please." The lawyer offered Edgeworth a cool smile, though the glare on his glasses ruined the image of gratitude. It made him look almost sinister. "One of Hakari's employees was just murdered. It's in the company's best interest for the case to resolve quickly. Surely that's something Mr. Edgeworth can do?"
Is he challenging me? "Thank you, Mr. Gavin. You two are welcome to wait here while the police finish off their search of the office. My investigation takes me elsewhere."
Franziska gave him an odd look, then turned to Washington, who was awfully silent. "Ms-"
"Washington! Out here!" Mr. Dyman prevented her from saying anything further. "I need to know what part of the system was compromised by those damned hackers!"
"Y-Yes, sir!" She followed the short man with no protest. Franziska closed her mouth in frustration.
"Would you like to join us, Franziska?"
"Hmph! Fine." She brandished her whip, eyes searching for a victim. "You've ruined my chances here, but no matter. I will merely have to take my search elsewhere."
"That reminds me… Franziska," Edgeworth started slowly as they left the office, knowing anything else would have him whipped for his 'insolence.' "When you first arrived on the crime scene, you already knew to come here before Kay saw the news report. And yet… you knew nothing about the murder. Why is that?"
"What you mean, Miles Edgeworth?" She gave him a smile, inviting him on. "I came to make sure you were conducting a proper investigation. Nothing else."
"I don't think that's true," Edgeworth countered, meeting her gaze head on. "I was suspicious at first, but my thoughts were confirmed when I saw your reaction to this piece of evidence." Edgeworth whipped open his Organizer, flipping to the page about Toukai's calling card. "The moment you saw this, you slipped. It made me realize something:
"You're here for another purpose, aren't you?"
Franziska waved her finger. "Ha! Another purpose? All because I looked at a card?"
Just as Edgeworth suspected. Franziska never made anything easy, that was for sure.
Luckily, I already know how Franziska plays chess: aggressively, with no defensive planning. Not the best position to take, when you're the one withholding information.
"Franziska. I think you know what's about to happen, here."
"Oh really? Since when do you have time for games, Miles Edgeworth?" She acted like she was in court, smug as ever. "Do you really think you can beat me?"
Edgeworth lost sight of the company hallway, zeroing on the two pawns and king guarding Franziska's secret. Just another game of chess.
"Now, let's analyze the situation."
"This is ridiculous, Miles Edgeworth. Shouldn't you be focusing on your murder?" Franziska was taunting him, though not as confidently as she normally would.
"If Franziska begins to lash out, I'll get nowhere. Any and all pressing I do will have to be when she is calm. Luckily, she seems to be in a playful mood for now. Let's hope she doesn't get too impatient.
"I've known Franziska since she was a child. Any openings I locate will be when she's most confident. When she begins to gloat… only then will I strike.
"With that in mind, I should start with her recent accomplishments. Let us begin!"
-Begin Logic Chess-
"It's been a while, Franziska. The last time I saw you, you were wrapping up loose ends on the smuggling ring. How did that go?"
"Perfectly, as any investigation carried out by a Von Karma ought to. Interpol was quite pleased. They assigned Agent Lang to investigate the corruption scandal in his home country. I can certainly expect more challenging cases from now on."
"Is that so?"
"Certainly." She smirked. "I'm a valuable part of the organization now. Who knows where I could be in seven years?"
-So Interpol's why you're here today?
-Wait and see
She certainly seemed comfortable. Perhaps it was time Edgeworth made his opening move. "Did Interpol send you here?"
"Ah… no." She clutched her hand to her chest as his attack flew past her pawn. "No, I was just given some time off after the smuggling ring case ended. Unnecessary for a Von Karma, but they insisted."
-Who visits murder scenes on vacation?
-Wait and see
She seemed a bit on edge. Edgeworth decided to give her a chance to catch her footing.
"I thought about going back to Germany, but the thought of surprising my little brother was too good to resist. Might be nice to have a competent prosecutor on hand, yes? I'm sure I could give the office's greenhorns a nice whipping. Get them into shape."
-Would you? I can name a few who need it…
-Wait and see
Still, Edgeworth chose to wait. He wasn't in position to strike just yet.
"After all, what prosecutor wouldn't appreciate the advice of Interpol's rising star?"
-Why is their star on break, then?
-You're not all that great.
-Wait and see
"Stop right there, Franziska." Edgeworth conjured up another attack pawn in his mind. "You say you're climbing the ranks at Interpol, but if that's true… why would they put their rising star on vacation?"
"Urgh!" She was sweating now. His newest attack came close. "Well, Interpol doesn't exactly have the most exciting cases right now, and Agent Lang wanted to investigate his home as a 'lone wolf'. Where does that leave me?"
"So you came here because you're between high profile cases?"
She shrugged. "In a way. But regardless, this area has never failed to provide me some measure of amusement. I'm sure I can find a case or two to entertain me in the meantime. You think the new chief prosecutor will appreciate my offer to help?"
-No, he thinks you're overrated.
-Wait and see
Edgeworth didn't have a plan for attack at this point. He'd let Franziska keep going for now.
"I haven't congratulated him yet. Tell me, is the office the same as it always is?"
"You haven't been back to the Prosecutor's Office yet?"
"I got into town yesterday. How could I?" She laughed. "I think you would have noticed if I had, Miles Edgeworth."
"This seems important, but I can't put my finger on why." Edgeworth filed the clue away for later use.
"It sounds like this city has changed a lot, since I was last here. Tell me," Franziska looked him dead in the eyes, expression very serious, "the rumors about that foolish fool… do they have any basis?"
Ah. She must mean him. Edgeworth shrugged, trying not to let his feelings show. "I'm afraid I know as much as you regarding that matter. You'll have to speak to the parties involved yourself."
"Hmph. I was looking forward to finally besting that blistering, bluffing bruise in a blue suit." She wasn't meeting his eyes. "If anyone tried to pull such cheap tricks on a Von Karma, it wouldn't have taken so long to reveal. Or perhaps…" Her eyes filled with doubt, but she shook it off quickly. "Hmph. My time is to be spent on more important things."
-Like what? You're between cases.
-Do you really care so little for him, Franziska?
-Wait and see
"But Franziska, I thought you were between important cases. Why the busy attitude?"
"Enough!" She cringed, pulling back as her pawn was knocked out. "I still have my duties as a prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth! I was assigned the case here, same as you."
"Hm. Now would be a good time to use that clue."
-But you haven't even been to Prosecutor's Office yet!
-Did you come here just to see me?
-Wait and see
"If you haven't even been to the Prosecutor's Office yet, how could you have been assigned to this case?"
"That's… hmph. You think too simply, Miles Edgeworth." Just barely missed her second pawn. He watched as she began smiling mischievously. "Tell me, if the district didn't assign me, who could have?"
"...Interpol. But you said-"
"I know what I said. You just haven't figured it out yet, Miles Edgeworth. Not that I expected you to." She laughed, waggling her finger at him. "How much more time should I wait for you, little brother?"
"She's insufferable when she gets this way. But that means I need to retrace my steps. What do I still need to ask her about?"
-Who visits murder scenes on vacation?
-Did you come here just to see me?
"I suppose I should have known you had an ulterior motive coming here, Franziska. After all, who visits murder scenes on vacation? Not even we are that drawn to our work."
"Ha, like that will be enough. The murder happened this morning, no? I got in last night. Tell me, Miles Edgeworth. How did I know of the murder ahead of time?"
-You saw the future!
-You have another purpose here, then.
-Wait and see
"If you didn't show up here to investigate the murder, you must be here for another reason. Isn't that right, Franziska?"
"Grngh!" She pulled back, even as her second pawn was taken out. He didn't see why. She had practically given him that one. "Such foolishness. But I'll humor you. You say I have another purpose here, Miles Edgeworth? Well then, what is my purpose here at Hakari? Here in this city?"
"She was working with Interpol last I heard. Surely Franziska has no reason to just show up here out of the blue. If Interpol is connected, she's here…"
-To apologize for forgetting my birthday.
-To investigate another case.
-Who knows why she does anything?
"You're here on another case. Even if there's no high profile case, you're investigating for Interpol."
"Hmph. You waste my time with your foolish guesses. Interpol doesn't waste their time on foolish murders. You need to think bigger."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Maybe if you did, you could have ambitions beyond this city." She gave him one last test. "If Interpol didn't send me here for your murder case, why am I here?"
"I can end it all with this one question. What did Interpol send Franziska here to do?"
-Supervise my investigation.
-Investigate Hakari.
-Kill Mr. Atrol.
"You're investigating Hakari, aren't you?"
Franziska smirked, a brave face as her king was struck down.. "You are correct, Miles Edgeworth. Even if it took you ages."
"So she was helping me along the whole time. But even so, it's checkmate."
-Logic Chess Complete-
"You're here to investigate the company, Prosecutor Von Karma, sir?" Gumshoe just seemed baffled. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"In front of company employees? You think I'm as stupid as you, Scruffy?"
"What are you investigating them for?" Edgeworth broke in.
"There has been suspicions that Hakari's software has been used to illegally transfer sensitive information."
"Sensitive information?"
"The designs and coding of other companies, producing them before patents or copyrights can be issued, as well as hiding profits overseas to evade taxes and laundering money from less credible ventures… Interpol has received reports of them all. I was supposed to meet with the man who made these claims yesterday. But he never showed up. Later that day, he was declared a missing person. I checked, and he hasn't been seen for four days now." Franziska narrowed her eyes. "That made me more suspicious than anything he could have said. But it seems Interpol wasn't the only organization he reached out to."
"You think… he tipped off Toukai, as well?"
She nodded. Detective Gumshoe went pale.
It was a lot to wrap his head around. "Did this contact of yours offer Interpol any proof?"
"Nothing concrete. Just coincidences. But when coincidences line up, one after another… It's always worth an investigation. The difficulty was finding a way in."
"Until I was assigned a murder case, you mean?" Edgeworth sighed. If Franziska couldn't instigate an investigation on her own, Interpol didn't have the evidence to prove any wrongdoing. "By all appearances, you're an assistant on the investigation, but in reality… any evidence you collect this way will be illegally obtained. You know that, I trust?"
"Naturally. But if I coincidentally found it while investigating a separate incident, it would trigger an investigation of its own. And that would be my opening."
"It can also get you accused of planting evidence. Franziska," Edgeworth warned. "You've been out of the country for a few months, you don't know what the PIC's been like. Corruption charges are being filed left and right. Old scandals are being dug up again. The media's in a frenzy, and everyone's being watched. You need to be careful."
"Yeah, sir! Why, just last week-"
"Pah! Miles Edgeworth, telling me to back down? What could this be? You'd give up your own badge to hunt down the criminal, and doubt I'd do the same?" Franziska brandished her whip, threatening him. "As if it's the Von Karma way to be intimidated."
"But if your investigation methods are called into question, it can hardly be called a 'perfect investigation'." Edgeworth pointed out, frowning. It was no use. Franziska was a force of nature all on her own. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Franziska. Don't expect any trouble from me."
"Keep it that way, Miles Edgeworth." She put her whip away, taking off. "I'm going to see if anyone else here can be questioned."
"...Be careful."
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? She's came to the city to investigate a tip Interpol received, but her contact never showed.
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: ?
Gender: ?
Description: A vigilante hacking organization, potentially consisting of several individuals. Has publicly taken responsibility for the hacking attempt.
Green Dyman
Age: 35
Description: Assistant of the Hakari CEO. Quite high strung and difficult to talk to. Is seeking to pursue a civil suit against Hakari's cyber-security company, and arrived after the murder.
Kristoph Gavin
Age: 26
Description: A defense attorney, known for staying calm during his trials. He is helping Mr. Dyman with his civil suit, and also arrived on the scene after the murder.
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
Washington's Testimony
Type: Evidence
Description: She saw the intruder and the victim run out the office as she approached. The intruder was chasing the victim, and had a hood covering his face. Also describes how finances are handled in the company.
Hacker's Flashdrive
Type: Evidence
Description: Hacker downloaded information from Washington's computer onto it. Has yet to be found.
Toukai's Calling Card
Type: Evidence
Description: Left at the scene of every victim of Toukai, regardless if they performed the hacking on site. Was found on the floor of Washington's office.
A/N's: All authors had an involvement in the creation of this chapter, but PTV appears to be the only one who takes joy in leaving notes.
PTV: I'm so glad I had spring break to work on this. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at keeping up with this story while school is going on. Understandably, neither are my co's. Which means this project is going to take a lot longer than I thought. But still, it's my goal to finish this case before school is out.
As for the story… lots of additions and new characters and side investigations. Hope you were able to keep up. But can everybody be taken at their word? You saw how difficult it was to discover Franziska's true intentions.
Ha, I'll leave the speculation up to you, readers. Got anything to add, AA?
...Oh wait, he's busy with a holiday. We really need to get better at our posting schedules, don't we? Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter, leave a review, and I will see you on the far side!