July 3rd, 2:23 pm
Expo3 Convention Center
Conference Room No. 2
Edgeworth took a few minutes to break away from his thoughts. When he was finished, he decided the best course of action was to question the private investigator.
"So. You have reason to suspect this child was involved in the murder," Edgeworth addressed Mr. Caché as professionally as he could muster after finding him outside the conference room. "Care to explain your reasoning?"
"Certainly," the PI asserted. "Once you hear me out, I think you'll be inclined to agree with me."
"Is that so? Then why don't you come back to the room and share your testimony?"
A snort as they walked. "Fine." He began as soon as the doors were closed.
-Witness Testimony-
"My Suspicions"
"I came to this convention to have a good time with my son and his friend. I believe you saw them earlier.
"Soon after the three of us arrived, we saw this boy arguing with the victim. I wasn't sure at first, but I recognize them now. It was definitely those two!
"And when I went to check backstage, I found the same child again. He was hiding back there near the ropes!
"I believe he could have strangled the victim backstage with the stage ropes and moved the body to where it is now.
"Is it enough to convict him of murder? No. But you must admit he's suspicious."
Maya was polite enough to wait until the end of the testimony, but she had no problems speaking up once finished. "Am I the only one still having a hard time believing a little boy strangled a grown man? He's half the victim's size!"
"Hey!" The kid objected. "I may only be ten, but I'm the strongest kid in my class! I'm gonna be the best on the team next year. You watch!"
Who was this boy? And why did he look at Edgeworth in such a way? "Ah yes, and your name is…?"
"Mr. Edgeworth? You really don't remember?!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Should I, Miss Fey?"
"Well, yeah! You were the prosecutor of that case, after all. And you got to meet the Steel Samurai!"
Wait a minute…
Edgeworth turned back to the child. It was all coming together in his mind. "Were you, by chance, a witness in court almost three years ago? For a case at Global Studios?"
"Took you long enough. What, do all grown ups have memory trouble or something?" He crossed his arms (a feat, considering they were held back by a police officer) and puffed out his cheeks. "Name's Cody Hackins. Remember it this time."
Well, he's hardly matured. You'd think three years would be enough to change someone.
"You know this suspect, Mr. Edgeworth?" Mr. Caché asked.
Edgeworth nodded. "He was a witness for one of my cases a long time ago. Caused quite a bit of trouble."
"Trouble? I'm the reason that spiky haired lawyer even won the thing!"
"So acting suspiciously isn't new for the kid, then? That should make my argument even stronger."
Edgeworth tsked, shaking his finger near his head. "Not quite. I still wish to examine your testimony, Mr. Caché. If you wouldn't mind?"
"Not at all."
-Cross-Examination-
"My Suspicions"
"I came to this convention to have a good time with my son and his friend. I believe you saw them earlier."
"HOLD IT! About your son, Mr. Caché. If you don't mind my asking, where are he and his friend now?"
"I wasn't about to involve them in any incidents if I can avoid it, regardless of their curiosity. So I asked Samuel to wait with Mathias at the entrance and called my wife to pick them up." He paused. "Not that it matters to you. They would tell you the exact same thing I'm about to."
"And that is?"
"Soon after the three of us arrived, we saw this boy arguing with the victim. I wasn't sure at first, but I recognize them now. It was definitely those two!"
"HOLD IT! Did anyone else see the victim after that?"
The PI shrugged. "I was going to investigate that next, actually. But somehow, I doubt it."
"And why is that?"
"That's whacked-up, old man!" Cody protested. "I didn't kill that Richards guy! He isn't worth it. Even if I could've-"
"Richards?" Edgeworth interrupted. "As in, Noland Richards? The owner of Capsul?"
"The very same," Mr. Caché confirmed. He then frowned disdainfully. "Don't tell me you didn't even know the victim's identity."
I… did not. Though it explains quite a few things.
"But wait. When did you see this man with Mr. Hackins?"
"12:20, maybe? It was definitely after noon."
"That's right before the Capsul conference started!" Edgeworth realized. "Mr. Richards was supposed to appear on stage."
"And did he?" The PI asked, though it was clear he already knew the answer. No doubt he just wanted Edgeworth to admit it for himself.
"Mr. Richards did not appear at the Capsul conference. His employees were sent to search for him. He wasn't found until now. ...but that doesn't mean he died right after you saw him!" Edgeworth argued. "Over an hour passed between when you saw the victim and when his body was found. For what we know now, he could have been killed at any point in that timeframe."
Even so, I best make a note of this…
-"Caché's Claims" added to Organizer-
"I suppose that's true," Caché conceded. "But we still don't know if anyone saw him after I did. Right now, it's very possible this boy and I were the last people to see him alive. And that's not all…"
Oh, this couldn't be good. "What else do you have to say?"
"And when I went to check backstage, I found the same child again. He was hiding back there near the ropes!"
"HOLD IT!" This time, Edgeworth turned to Cody Hackins. "Mr. Hackins, would you care to explain what you were doing backstage?"
Hackins shook his head defiantly. "It's none of your business. And I didn't kill anyone!"
"Please, Cody?" Maya offered a winsome smile. "It would help us a lot if we knew."
"No! I have the right to remain silent. Which means I don't have to say anything I don't want to."
Well, that was helpful. Not.
"Since the suspect doesn't have an explanation for what he was doing back there, I'd like to offer one of my own," Caché said. "If it pleases the man in charge."
Edgeworth narrowed his eyes. "Go ahead."
"I believe he could have strangled the victim backstage with the stage ropes and moved the body to where it is now."
"OBJECTION!" Edgeworth called out, showing his Organizer notes about the "Stage Rope" to Caché. "The stage ropes found here could not have been used to strangle the victim on account of their marks not matching those on Mr. Richard's neck. If you had paid the victim's body any mind, you would have known that before making baseless claims."
Caché looked struck. "What? Let me see!"
The PI ran back to the victim's body, much to the dismay of the police. Edgeworth hastily followed him, telling the officers to let him through. The PI hovered over Richards's body, paying particular attention to the marks on the man's neck. The PI stared blankly at the area for several moments before cursing under his breath.
"...I need to investigate further. Expect me back soon." Before Edgeworth or anyone else could respond, the PI had left the room.
Well, I got the man to leave. That was easier than I thought. Edgeworth had a feeling they hadn't seen the last of Joseph Caché, but even so: he would enjoy the lack of challengers while it lasted.
-Investigation Complete-
"Well, I suppose the initial investigation of this area is over. We can let forensics take over now. Where to next, I wonder?"
"Mr. Edgeworth, we can't leave this area yet!"
"And why not, Miss Fey?" Edgeworth asked his temporary assistant, genuinely curious. "Did you notice something unusual?"
"Remember what Mr. Caché said? He found Cody backstage in this very room when the body was revealed. If he isn't our killer, then what was he doing there?"
"I see your point." Edgeworth mulled it over, watching the kid struggle fruitlessly in the police officer's grip. "It may be a good idea to question him in Caché's absence."
It may be petty, but Edgeworth didn't want to acknowledge the validity of the PI's points (at least, not while the man was there). Even if the ultimate conclusion was wrong, the man had taken several logical steps along the way. Edgeworth would be a fool to ignore them.
"Excuse me, Mr. Hackins? Cody?"
"Go away! I don't want to talk to you." The boy was defiant, but he looked like he was about to cry. "I want my momma."
"If the parents get involved, things'll get ugly," the police officer restraining Hackins warned. "You know how parents are."
Edgeworth nodded, considering his options. He had to find out what Hackins knew about the case, but if the kid got his parents involved, he'd have to wait until they arrived at the scene to question the boy further.
"Miss Fey, you have a younger cousin. You seem to be far more suited to speaking with children than I am. Care to assist?"
"Oh! Um… sure," Maya looked almost ashamed. "Well, the last time Nick and I were trying to get Cody to talk, we had to give him Steel Samurai trading cards. And channel Sis."
Surely they could accomplish the same goal without resorting to the occult. "Just try your best without those things."
"Let me go! I didn't do anything."
"Cody, if you were handcuffed and promised not to leave the room, could the police officer let you go?" Maya asked, looking to Edgeworth for guidance.
Edgeworth gave a nod in agreement. That could be arranged. The room was already closed off anyway.
After a mumbled affirmation from Hackins, it was done. Maya smiled. "There. Is that better?"
Not trusting himself to speak too much, Hackins nodded. "Thanks. What was your name, again?"
"Maya. Maya Fey." She kept up her smile throughout. "It's good to see you again, Cody."
"Where's the other person?"
"Oh…" Maya wilted. "Well, you see, the thing about him is-"
"Not the blue guy! The pretty girl. The one who wore the same clothes as you." Cody crossed his arms (once again a feat, considering he was wearing handcuffs). "Where is she?"
"She... didn't come with me today."
"Cody, I understand you want to be uncuffed. But before I can do that, I need you to tell me what you know," Edgeworth urged, trying to be as soft as Maya was. "Can you do that for me?"
For a minute, the boy looked like he was considering it. Then the moment passed. "If I say anything, you'll accuse me of things! Just like that old man did!"
I don't think Mr. Caché is quite that old, but I suppose I can see Cody's view. I've yet to face an opponent this young, but there's a first time for everything, isn't there. If he won't tell me outright, I simply have to work the answers out of him.
Edgeworth sighed, closing his eyes. When he opened them, the conference room had faded away, replaced with a glowing blue chessboard. "Now, let's analyze the situation."
"I didn't kill that man! I couldn't have done it, and I had no reason to. Why won't you dumb grown ups believe me?"
"For all his anger, I sense fear is the driving emotion behind this boy's continued resistance. He knows he's in trouble, and is seeking a way out. I must be gentle, and not jump to any conclusions. It won't do to upset the child further."
All in all, this shouldn't be a difficult task. The boy had only two pawns guarding his king.
"To begin, it would likely be best to soothe him. Perhaps I should attempt to relate to this boy."
-Begin Logic Chess-
"Cody. I must say, it's a surprise to see you again. What brings you to this convention all by yourself?"
"None of your business! I didn't do anything wrong!"
-Are you sure about that?
-It's okay. I think I know why.
-Wait and see
"I suppose you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Still, I have my own suspicions as to why."
It was all coming back to Edgeworth now. The case at Global Studios. What this boy had been doing there at the tender age of seven. Perhaps he was simply reprising his act, as it were.
"Cody." Edgeworth kept his tone even, even as he conjured an attack pawn in his mind. "Surely you didn't think you could fool me again? I am a prosecutor, after all."
The boy flinched and the pawn soared past. "No way, man. I-I don't believe you."
"I don't believe you strangled a grown man, but I also find it hard to believe you've done nothing wrong in this scenario. And I think I can guess at why someone your age is at a convention all by yourself."
-You have extremely irresponsible parents.
-Mr. Richards brought you here.
-You snuck in.
"Oh, Cody, I thought you would have learned your lesson all those years ago. Don't you know better than to sneak into places you don't belong?"
"No!" The first pawn was out of commission. And while Edgeworth hadn't expected a ten-year-old child to put up that tough a fight, this was going far smoother than expected. "You… you don't have proof!"
"Proof of that sort is easily obtained," Edgeworth responded drily. "All one would have to do is search your belongings for a ticket."
"And all I would have to do is cry and say I lost it." The boy rubbed his nose, evil smirk on his face. "You got nothing on me."
"Well, he seems to have recovered to a degree. Maybe now I can ask him about the case."
-Why were you backstage?
-Why were you arguing with the victim?
-Did you kill the man?
"In his testimony just now, Mr. Caché claimed he saw you arguing with the victim. Care to tell me why you were doing that?"
"I'll tell you why. He was a mean old grown-up. I got in his way and he snapped at me. Acting like he was all high and important. Well, I don't even like his stupid game! I tried playing it, and I kept losing in court! The logic on that game makes no sense, and I never know what evidence to present when."
Sounds like it was modeled after a man I know. "And that's when Caché saw you two?"
"When else could it have been?"
Edgeworth got the sense the kid was lying, but what could he do about it?
-Change directions
-Double down harder
-Wait and see
Edgeworth tried to come at the matter from a new angle. "My assistant came across an internet rumor that Capsul may have been given the rights to the Steel Samurai game. Did you hear about it?"
"Heard about it? Of course I heard about it! Kids my generation live on the internet. Good thing it wasn't true."
"I suppose…"
-Wait. How did you know that?
-You were in the same conference as me? How did I miss that?
-Wait and see
"Cody," Edgeworth conjured up another pawn. "How did you know Capsul wasn't given the rights to the Steel Samurai game?"
"Dude, isn't it obvious?" Cody gestured around him, struggling with the handcuffs. "Look at this room! Either Odetnim got the game, or they have a lot of fanart on hand."
"Gah!" Edgeworth watched the move backfire on him. I need to be more careful with my words. I can't make too many mistakes, or he'll shut down on me entirely.
Edgeworth stayed silent for moment to reassess his thoughts. He knew there had to be a way to get through to this witness, but how?
This time, he chose to wait and see.
"If that old man hadn't been so nasty, I wouldn't even be in this mess. I wish I was more like the Steel Samurai. He never gets into trouble..." Cody crossed his arms with a slight pout. The invocation of the TV hero gave Edgeworth an idea.
"Interesting how he thinks, when his own actions play a big part in why he is in so much trouble. I wouldn't say he's anything like his hero right now. However…"
-You can be like the Steel Samurai
-You never should have come here
-Wait and see
"Cody, if I were to tell you there is a way you could be more like the Steel Samurai right now, would you do it?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I? The Steel Samurai is only the greatest hero of all time, I would do just about anything to be like him!" Hackins's anger had begun to melt away, if only slightly. It may have been a few years, but the child's love of quality characters had yet to wear thin.
"This could be the breakthrough I have been waiting for. But only if I choose my words very wisely.''
"Cody, the Steel Samurai always fights for truth and justice, right?"
"Yeah, of course he does. Do you know anything about the show? What does this have to do with me?"
"What this has to do with you is this: the Steel Samurai always fights for the truth, and he never tells a lie. If you want to follow his example, you need to tell me the truth of what happened. It takes far more heroism to tell the truth than it does to lie, Cody." Edgeworth explained, he could tell by the look on Hackins's face that the boy was thinking about what he had said. Edgeworth just had to hope that Hackins would get the words from his head to his heart.
"...But the Steel Samurai does lie, though. When he showed up in episode twenty-seven of The Nickel Samurai, he and the Nickel Samurai hatched an elaborate deception plot to overthrow the Evil Magistrate and incite a rebellion."
-But that installment was terrible and should be removed from the canon.
-That's not what the Steel Samurai stands for, though.
-Wait and see
Edgeworth could go into all the reasons The Nickel Samurai was a tragedy of a show and a stain on the franchise's legacy (and why it had been rightfully cancelled), but he had to maintain some veneer of respectability. So he simply set his next attack pawn into motion. "And in the same episode, he gains the courage to tell the Pink Princess the truth about her father's death. His mission with her succeeds, but the one he takes with the Nickel Samurai fails. Why? Because he tells the truth."
"...Ungh." The kid didn't say any more, but his second pawn was out of commission. Only one piece left.
"Now that I've gotten Cody to see the importance of telling the truth about this situation, maybe he'll open up to me."
"Cody. Even the Steel Samurai knows how important it is to tell the truth. If you are both honest and innocent, you have nothing to fear. Please tell me about what you were doing, before the victim was killed."
"Fine. I'll tell you." Cody claimed, but Edgeworth was still suspicious. If he was going to confess, why was the king piece still in play?
"He claims he's going to cooperate, but I've yet to declare a checkmate. How should I approach this development?"
-Insist it's a trap.
-Hear him out.
Edgeworth decided to see where this was headed. "Good. Let's start with why you entered the convention without a ticket."
"Fine." The boy was thinking about something, but Edgeworth couldn't tell what it was. "I'd heard about the Steel Samurai game like everyone else. The convention's close enough to my summer camp, so I snuck out to come here."
"That's all?" Edgeworth questioned.
"Pretty much. I was just enjoying the convention until a bunch of old guys yelled at me. So can I go now?"
"Hm… could that really be all?"
-I don't think so.
-That's sufficient for me.
Edgeworth prepared his next attack. "Somehow, I find that hard to believe."
"Why?" Hackins became combative. "Why don't you grown ups ever believe me? I'm always accused of stuff I didn't do!"
-Maybe it's because kids these days are delinquent.
-I remember too much about you.
-Wait and see
Edgeworth tapped his finger on his arm in thought. "Since he is starting get argumentative again, I'll wait and see what he says before I speak."
"I guess I can't expect people to believe me too easily- since no one listens to kids anyway- but I said I was going to tell you about what I was doing, and you just keep interrupting me. Why tell you anything if you won't let me speak?"
Is that really what I've been doing? Edgeworth had to take a step back.
The prosecutor might have said he wanted to hear Hackins's side of the story, but getting him to tell it? First, he'd undoubtedly been interrupted by Caché, and now every time Edgeworth got close, he spoke over the boy and ruined his chances. No wonder the boy was reluctant.
"I'm sorry, Cody. Will you please continue with when you arrived at the convention?"
And that was how the king piece shattered. Not by winning an argument, but by lending an ear. "It's like I was saying. I came here to learn about the Steel Samurai game. I wanted to know if it was worth anything before I begged my mom for it."
"Where did you look?"
"Everywhere I could." Hackins began sweating. "The building is so big, and there were so many people… I got lost, to be honest. By the time that old grown-up found me, I didn't know where I was. It looked like an office for the Capsul company. But I guess it was somewhere guests weren't supposed to be.
"I tried to tell him I was lost, but he didn't listen. He dragged me back to the entrance place, yelling over me the whole time. I don't know anything about how he died. That was the last time I saw him."
"Thank you for telling me, Cody. I'm glad we finally heard what you had to say."
"It's an unorthodox victory, but nonetheless, a checkmate."
-Logic Chess Complete-
"Confirm one thing for me: you had nothing to do with the murder of Mr. Richards?"
"Of course not. Like I said, he dragged me to the entrance place. I never saw him again until now. I didn't kill him. I've said that a thousand times." Cody answered the question. It was the most straightforward Edgeworth had seen the boy act all day.
Even ignoring that… had anyone really thought a ten year old child was capable of strangling a grown man? How would Hackins have even gotten to the victim's neck, short as he was?
"Thank you, Cody. I have only one more question for you, and then you can be uncuffed. But we need you to remain in the area, just in case we have any further questions."
"Ah, come on! What do you want now?" And just like that, he was back to being his usual self. "Haven't I done enough?"
"When Mr. Caché found you backstage, what were you up to?"
"Oh! Um…" The kid looked embarrassed. "I was in the crowd when Odetnim was making their announcement. When I looked up and saw the dead body, it was... quite a shock for a boy of my tender age. I ran away as people freaked all around me. I was trying to hide when another grown up yelled at me again!"
This boy goes from being scared to angry at the drop of a hat, Edgeworth noted. Still, he supposed that explanation would be sufficient for now. Until the private investigator bothered him again, Edgeworth felt no reason to consider Hackins a potential suspect. He turned to Maya.
"Well, I think we've gotten all we're going to get out of him for now."
"I guess. Bye, Cody!" Maya waved. As the police were busy removing his handcuffs, Hackins didn't return the favor. "So where to next? Backstage?"
"Yes. We need to know exactly how the body ended up above an audience of hundreds." Before they left, Edgeworth gave one last order to the police. "Keep an eye on the child, if you will. We may need him to answer more questions later."
"Should we attempt to contact his mother, sir?"
"If he asks for it."
"Yes, sir."
And with that, Edgeworth and Maya began their ascent up to the stage. Time to try a different place for answers.
Organizer:
Profiles:
Miles Edgeworth
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Description: Me. What else can I say? Currently High Prosecutor for my local district.
Maya Fey
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Description: Once a legal assistant, Miss Fey is a spirit medium set to become the village leader of Kurain. Called me out of the blue for the sake of attending the Expo3 Convention together.
Amy Riter
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Description: Sole writer of the Turnabout Lawyers games at Capsul. Richards was her boss, and very involved in the creation of the game.
Noland Richards
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Description: Owner of Capsul gaming company. Was meant to give a speech at the convention, but never showed up. His body was found strangled in the Odetnim conference room.
Joseph Caché
Age: 46
Gender: Male
Description: A former prosecutor, now works as a PI. Insists on investigating the case for himself, and harbors an almost personal distrust of the legal system.
Allen Lite
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Description: A moderately popular online gamer. Was in the audience at the Odetnim conference when the body was discovered.
Cody Hackins
Age: 10
Gender: Male
Description: A convention attendee. Was seen arguing with the victim before the man died, and was caught snooping backstage at Odetnim's conference.
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.
Map of Convention
Type: Other
Description: Shows all areas available to the public at the convention. Capsul was in room number 13, while Odetnim occupied number 2.
Knot Details
Type: Evidence
Description: The knot tied at the back of the victim's neck. Cannot be adjusted after tying, and very difficult for the victim to have done himself.
Stage Rope
Type: Evidence
Description: The rope used to hang the victim's body from the ceiling. Mostly likely tied by someone other than the victim, and unlikely to be the true murder weapon. Other ropes of this type held promotional posters.
Steel Samurai Banners
Type: Evidence
Description: Hanging from various places around the crime scene. Odetnim was given the rights to the Steel Samurai video game, it seems.
Lite's Testimony
Type: Evidence
Description: The victim's body was found during the Odetnim conference. The body and banners were lowered on cue by Odetnim employees.
Caché's Claims
Type: Evidence
Description: A summary of assertions made in Joseph Caché's testimony, with the claim that Richards and Hackins were seen arguing shortly before the Capsul conference among them. Check
A/N's: PTV, AA, and RJ all contributed to the writing of this chapter. Each would like to leave notes.
PTV: Well we meant to get this chapter done earlier. I was planning to finish this over winter break, but a few things happened. One, I went and saw The Last Jedi twice, effectively becoming obsessed with Star Wars (have now seen all the movies. Even the holiday special). Two… let's just say there were some family emergencies I have no right to go too much in depth about and leave it at that.
But on the bright side, the fourth case is fully outlined for whenever we get to it, and the finale is even starting to get planned. We have a lot of pieces to set up in the first four cases, but I'm really liking how it's all coming together so far. I think you'll find it very enjoyable. We might not approach the glory that is AAI2, but that's okay. We never were going to.
Other than that, I hope you enjoyed seeing a long-forgotten first game character grace the screens once more. I always wanted to see Cody in another game. He made me laugh several times throughout Turnabout Samurai, and his interactions with Edgeworth are a delight. So are Cachè's.
Speaking of Cachè… got anything to add, AA?
AA: First, that the old man hasn't vanished completely. He'll be back, and hopefully soon we'll find out a bit more about what made him who he is. Oh, also that you did a wonderful job at writing him for me seeing as I was a bit more busy than usual.
Also, I feel so bad that you actually sat through the holiday special. Though getting addicted to Star Wars isn't a bad thing.
PTV: ...Let's just say I used the fast forward button very liberally and forget it ever happened. And I may also be writing for Star Wars now, but that doesn't mean I can't make time for AA. Anyone else looking forward to the new title being planned for this year? I wonder what game it's gonna be? Another main series entry? A new spinoff? The third AAI? Last one's probably too much to hope for, but hey: that's what we're here for.
RJ: I was also a little busier than usual with the holidays and a family emergency as well, but I won't go into details. It was great getting together again to write/finish this chapter for all of you, are awesome readers! Writing Cody and the Logic Chess was a great experience, hope you enjoyed reading Cody's appearance and this chapter we really enjoyed writing it and are so happy to be able to post this chapter for you all! An AAI3 game would be awesome!
PTV: Thanks for reading, hope Emmy enjoys this chapter when she gets to read it (we only had one beta this time), please review, and I'll see you on the far side!