July 3rd, 7:04pm

Expo3 Convention Center

Conference Room No. 13

Everyone reacted with shock when they heard Lite's accusation against the two women. Each of the accused recoiled as they were named, wasting no time in their objection.

Pitch spoke first. "Excuse you? I… I did what, exactly?"

"Pushed the trolley carrying the victim's body away from the crime scene and to the Odetnim conference room, where it was found by hundreds of people at once," Cachè doubled down on his and Lite's claim. He wasn't giving them any room to breathe. "Tell me: where was the cart when you two came across it? When was it that this happened?"

Pitch gulped, face pale. She seemed to be having a hard time keeping up. "You- you believe that… attention-seeker?" She looked Lite right in the eyes. "I've seen his videos suggested to me. Clickbait, all of them. You shouldn't take his word sir. That man will do anything for fame."

"I'll wager he's planning to post everything about this day online later." Riter added onto her friend's claim, tone critical. "It would make for a good story if he were to tell his followers he witnessed a murder plot. Especially if this investigator man told him what to- what he was looking for." She stopped just short of accusing Cachè, eyes furious.

Cachè wasn't taking it. "Hey! What are you implying, here?"

She turned on Edgeworth. "All this time, you've been taking these other witnesses at their word. First the boy, now this… well, I wouldn't quite call him a man."

Now it was Lite's turn. "Excuse me?!"

"You believe everyone, no matter how often they lie and change their story. Everyone… but me. And why is that? I have-" she paused, then gestured to Pitch, "we have been nothing but straight with you. We have cooperated with your investigation, even as it stretches into- what is this, the sixth hour?" Riter scoffed, throwing her pen aside. It landed with a clash on the floor. "It's ridiculous. It's inconvenient for all of us. You may have started your day on vacation, but some of us have real work to do. I came to this gig to tell my concocted murder stories. Not listen to them."

"Prosecutor man, I'm telling you. I'm not lying. Maybe I've, um, exaggerated in my videos before, but I wouldn't lie about something like this." Lite was beginning to sweat. It wasn't pretty. "This is serious. I get that now. I-I promise I won't post anything I'm not allowed to. I back the blue, I do." He laughed uncomfortably. "Support the local police force! If you see something, say some-I believe in all that. I always have." He sensed he wasn't getting anywhere, and dropped the facade entirely. "Trust me. I saw those women pushing that cart. Don't believe me? Check it."

"I will be doing just that, thank you." Edgeworth remained unaffected as the drama unfolded around him. For such a strong reaction to come out of this, he must be getting close to the truth.

"I don't think Mr. Lite is lying," Maya spoke up. "I've seen all his videos. He's never gotten this worked up in any of them."

Edgeworth didn't have a response to that. At least, not yet. He stepped away from the bickering witnesses, finding solace beside the pushcart as the forensics team progressed in their work. "Anything in the way of fingerprints?"

"Several sets on various parts of the edges. None of them belong to anyone connected with this case. But the handle, sir…" The forensic officer's face fell as he made this report. "Whoever pushed this cart was careful, sir. All the fingerprints on the handle were wiped."

Edgeworth felt his stomach lurch. "Are you sure? All of them?"

"I'm afraid so, sir. We can't find a clear print on it anywhere."

-"Odetnim's Pushcart" updated in Organizer-

Well, that's not helping my case. Now Edgeworth had no way of proving what Cachè believed was true.

Or not. "Have you checked the poster yet? Were any fingerprints found on it?"

"Only partial ones, sir. This type of paper isn't the best at holding fingerprints, so they aren't very clear. But we did find a large amount of sweat and saliva on it. Tests confirm that the saliva belongs to Noland Richards."

"Well, that's some good news, at least." Even if he was hoping for a sign of one or both women using it. "Mr. Cachè's theory may be provable after all." I should make a note of this.

-"Tossed Poster" updated in Organizer-

"Keep searching for prints you can identify. Don't mention these results to the party over there," Edgeworth ordered.

"Yes sir!" the forensic officers said before they went back to working on the cart. There seemed to be an extra fervor associated with their movements this time around.

Edgeworth walked back over to the small crowd, trying to decide on the best way to handle the new allegations.

Cachè spoke first. "Well? Did forensics back up what Mr. Lite saw?"

"The tests are being run. Evidence so far has been inconclusive. In the meantime, I'd like the ask the two of you," he pointed casually at Riter and Pitch, "about what you did when the Capsul conference was over."

"Who would you like to question first, Mr Edgeworth?" Maya asked him.

He didn't answer with words, instead turning to one of the women. "Miss Pitch, what more can you tell me about the time in question?" Edgeworth asked. "First of all: have you seen this pushcart before?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "...Yes. It belongs to Odetnim. We used it to carry in materials for our own conference."

"I see. And when was the last time you saw it before now?"

"I…" she bit her lip, looking close to tears once again. "I did see it after Capsul's presentation was over, but it didn't have a body on it. That can't possibly be true."

"So you say." Edgeworth kept his tone gentle, but suspicion was beginning to form in his mind. "And would you be willing to give testimony on the matter?"

Riter stepped in on her friend's behalf. "Does she have to? You said it yourself: you don't have evidence backing up anything those two are saying. If we're being accused, we should be allowed to protect ourselves."

Pitch shook her head. "Amy… I appreciate your help, but… I'm not afraid. I know we're both innocent."

"Then if you believe that you are both innocent, you should have no hesitation in continuing your testimony." Edgeworth held onto his gentle tone as he tried to urge her to tell him more.

Lucky for the investigation, it worked.

-Witness Testimony-

"When I Came Back to Capsul"

"I spent the whole hour trying to find where Richards went, with no luck.

"When I realized the Capsul presentation was nearly over, I went back to update the people who gave the presentation. That's when Amy and I spoke.

"After that, we went looking for Richards together. On our search, we noticed the cart that's sitting there.

"I realized it belonged to Odetnim, and wanted to return it to them. I figured they could finish hanging posters as their presentation began.

"Amy came with me. She kept an eye out for Richards while we walked over.

"But there was a never a body on that cart! Not while we had it."

Edgeworth listened with a trained ear while Pitch spoke. He didn't notice anything odd from the outset, but he couldn't help but feel as if she weren't saying something. Parts of her testimony remained vague, and there wasn't a clear reason why. He supposed he would just have to press it out of her.

Before he could, Lite felt the need to react. "But wait! Mr. Cachè, you told me… you told me the body must have been on that cart by then."

"Yes, because that's the only thing that makes sense," Cachè replied. "You saw a roll of posters on the bottom level of the trolley, right? And those two were steering it like it was heavy, right?"

"Well, I remember the roll of posters, yeah, but it's not like I saw any body parts sticking out." Lite was beginning to doubt himself. "That Richards guy wasn't huge or anything, but he was a full grown man. Would he even fit on a cart like that?"

And with that, an idea struck Maya. "Hey, Mr. Edgeworth! Why don't you lay on the cart and test it out? I can wrap you up in posters and see what it looks like!"

"That... won't be necessary." The more time Edgeworth spent away from Kay and with Maya, the more he was convinced they were secretly the same person. He wondered if they would get along, should he ever introduce them one day. "Now, Miss Pitch, I'd like to ask you a few questions about the testimony you gave just now. Will that be alright?"

She nodded. "Of course, sir. I'll repeat my testimony now."

-Cross-Examination-

"When I Came Back to Capsul"

"I spent the whole hour trying to find where Richards went, with no luck.

"When I realized the Capsul presentation was nearly over, I went back to update the people who gave the presentation. That's when Amy and I spoke."

This is nothing new. She told the investigation as much in her previous testimonies.

"After that, we went looking for Richards together. On our search, we noticed the cart that's sitting there."

"HOLD IT! Where did you find the cart, exactly?"

Pitch had to think about it. "It was in one of the staff hallways somewhere."

"Miss Pitch, I need you to be more specific. Was it near any particular room? Was anyone waiting nearby?" Edgeworth was considering the possibility that the cart had been sitting close to the real crime scene, as it was possible the culprit hadn't had much time to move it. Or even a particular place in mind.

The music director looked to Riter for assistance, who shrugged. "I'd been wandering the building for a while at that point. Sorry, sir. I really don't remem- wait!"

"Yes? What is it?"

"I'm not sure, but… I think the Capsul Room was right around the corner. Being the last company to qualify, they got the room that was furthest away from the action. The people who owned the building cleaned up only the areas they had to. The place where Amy and I found the cart was dusty and deserted. I don't even remember why we were back there to begin with."

Edgeworth accepted the new information warily. It fit with the theory he was beginning to piece together regarding how the crime was committed, but he didn't want to take it at face value. Not from someone who was shaping up to be a potential suspect herself.

So he kept his answer as neutral as possible. "I see. What would it be doing in such a remote location?"

"I don't know. I didn't really think about it, either." Pitch was beginning to look nervous. Did it mean anything, or was it just part of her nature? Edgeworth felt like he was seeing her in a different light ever since the accusation. "At the time, I just wanted to know where Mr. Richards was. The cart was a distraction. Still…

"I realized it belonged to Odetnim, and wanted to return it to them. I figured they could finish hanging posters as their presentation began."

"HOLD IT! Is that why you and Miss Riter brought the cart backstage, as Mr. Lite testified?"

"Yes. It's the only reason we did it."

"So to be clear: you don't actually deny pushing the cart?"

"Well, Amy is the one who pushed it, but no," Pitch insisted. "We deny the accusation that we were using the cart to move Richards's body. We wouldn't have looked so hard for him if we'd known he was right there the whole time!"

There's something about what Miss Pitch said just now. What should I ask her to do?

-Add who pushed the cart to the testimony

-Ask how thoroughly they checked the cart

-Do nothing

"So the one actually operating the cart was Miss Riter. Is that so?"

"I offered, yes," Riter broke in before Pitch could answer. "What difference does it make?"

So far? None that I can prove. "I'm simply trying to gather as much information so that I may ascertain the truth. Miss Pitch, if you would add this detail to your testimony."

"I will, sir.

"Before I could move it, Amy offered to push the cart instead. I never saw her have any trouble with it."

"HOLD IT! How heavy was the cart when it was being pushed?"

"Is that a question for Lyra, or myself?"

"You may answer, Miss Riter."

"..." She picked up her pen as she spoke. "It was as heavy as I expected it to be. As in, not heavy at all. I had no trouble with maneuvering. Unlike what your previous witness said."

This wasn't good. "Mr. Lite. What gave you the impression the cart was heavy?"

"Well… I guess it was the way she was pushing it." Lite hunched over to demonstrate. "She had her back hanging over it like this, and her arms right near her. It looked like it was either caught on something or really heavy."

"I can certainly see how you came to that conclusion," Edgeworth replied, thinking. "And Miss Pitch. Did you take any notice of how Miss Riter was doing with the cart? If she were truly in such a position, did you offer to help her?"

"No," Pitch answered right away, breaking eye contact with her friend. "I didn't notice anything like that. I definitely would have helped Amy if I had."

Next time, I'll interrogate them separately. Edgeworth made a note to himself regarding the matter. If the two women were colluding to cover something, it would be that much harder to get to the bottom of what it was. "You may continue with your testimony, Miss Pitch."

"Amy came with me. She kept an eye out for Richards while we walked over.

Somewhat odd, considering the circumstances, but we've been over this already…

"But there was a never a body on that cart! Not while we had it."

"HOLD IT! How do you know Mr. Richards's body was nowhere on that cart? Did you check it before you brought it over?"

Pitch looked flustered by the question. "Well, not exactly, but-"

"Who would be expecting to find a dead body somewhere like that?" Riter intervened. "At the time, we both thought Mr. Richards was still alive."

"That may be, but it doesn't answer my question." Edgeworth kept pressing. "Did either of you actually look to see if the body was there when you were operating the pushcart?"

For a moment, neither woman spoke. Then Pitch sniffled. "All… All I remember seeing were posters scattered on top. I never looked beyond that. Oh Amy… what if Richards's body really was there?"

"It wasn't," Riter insisted, though for herself or her friend, Edgeworth wasn't sure. "You think I could have pushed a dead man's weight around the convention center and not noticed?"

"No… No I don't."

Everyone turned when they heard Cachè speak. It had been a while since the PI had said anything. "I thought about it at first, but the longer I considered it, the less likely it seemed that the one pushing the cart had no idea what they were doing. I think whoever moved the body was an accomplice to the murder… if not the murderer themselves."

Another accusation. Riter wasn't having it. She looked ready to storm out again. "If there was a body on the cart at that time. Is there any solid evidence connecting the body with the cart?" Her last question was directed at Edgeworth.

He chose to respond honestly. "The victim's DNA was indeed found on the poster Mr. Cachè brought us. However, none was found on the cart itself, though forensics is still looking."

In that moment, something strange occurred to Edgeworth. If Riter had been the one to push the cart around, and was willing to admit as much, then who was it that wiped the prints from the handle? If Riter had done it to hide her role in the crime, as Edgeworth was beginning to suspect, then why would she turn around and confess to it later? Pitch may have mentioned it first, but-

He supposed it would have looked more suspicious if she denied it. If she did, Lite would have entered the conversation. Two witnesses against one was not a good position to be in.

Then why had Pitch said it? Why deny parts of Lite's testimony when they could have denied all of it? Did they not have a coherent story planned for just this occasion? If they were colluding on any part of this crime, the pair was doing a terrible job of it. But if even that was enough to derail the investigation, Edgeworth wouldn't know what to do with himself.

If I'm going to conclude this investigation before midnight, I need a suspect to pursue. But which one?

Edgeworth didn't yet have an answer to that question, so he decided to alter his approach ever so slightly. "Allow me to ask you one more question, Miss Pitch. When the two of you went to deliver the missing posters to the Odetnim backstage, did both of you go back there to do so?"

Pitch didn't answer right away. Her expression had gone blank. She glanced back and forth at the various faces in the room, looking for some sort of guidance.

It was Maya who offered it to her. "Please, Miss Pitch. If we're ever going to find out who killed the victim, we need the truth. You don't have to be afraid to say it."

But it looked as though the woman was, indeed, afraid. She kept shaking her head, fingers sliding up to her ears. She was whispering, but Edgeworth couldn't make out the words.

So Edgeworth turned to Riter instead, who was watching her friend pensively. "Well, Miss Riter? Can you answer the question, since your friend seems unable?"

"Of course we went back there together." She didn't waste any time. "Pitch was the Odetnim employee. She was the one with the access. I was just pushing the cart along. It was right as the conference was beginning. No one seemed to notice us, so we left everything there and went on."

"I see. And is that true, Miss Pitch?"

"..."

Edgeworth looked towards the lavender-haired woman, becoming slightly concerned. Her whole body was shaking now. "Miss Pitch?"

"...I know this case."

"Excuse me?"

"This murder… I remember hearing about it. The way the body was moved-" She stopped herself, shaking her head. "No… it can't be…"

Well, this was alarming. "Miss Pitch. Are you claiming someone planned this murder in advance and told you about it?" If that were true, why hadn't she come forward? The closer the investigation came to the truth, the stranger things seemed to become.

"No! I don't think it happened that way. I don't know what happened. All I know is-" she grimaced as she spoke. "I didn't go backstage during the Odetnim conference."

And with that, Riter's face went ashen. She had another pausing moment, but resumed right away. "You… Pitch! Lyra, what are you trying to do here? They don't have the proof to blame either of us for the crime. Just some stupid testimony. You don't have to throw me under the bus to save-"

"Don't say that." her voice was cracking. Tears were streaking down her face. "I-I never wanted to believe it, Amy. But with everything-"

"Enough!" Cachè broke in before there could be another argument between witnesses, to which Edgeworth was grateful.

The current prosecutor took over from there. "Miss Riter, if you wish to offer your own side of the story, please do so through testimony of your own. Until I can ascertain who is to blame for what, I will be questioning everyone at length."

"Or you could just arrest both of them for the night and interrogate them tomorrow," Cachè suggested. "There's no reason this investigation can't take more than one day."

Actually, there was. Edgeworth was supposed to be taking a case to court today. Two, actually. It was the same incident, but with two criminals, which is why he'd kept jurisdiction over both of them. But the only reason he'd placed the cases on hold was because of an unexpected incident during the questioning of a witness. He wanted to give the witness a day to recover before putting them on the stand.

But even then, it was likely the trial would begin tomorrow. And if it did, he couldn't continue his investigation. Not since the new chief decided prosecutors shouldn't work more than one case at a time. It was his way of ensuring the prosecutors didn't overwork themselves, but Edgeworth detested the policy. It meant that if Edgeworth paused his pursuit now, he would have to turn this case over to another before a suspect was even apprehended. It went against Edgeworth's work ethic to leave a case unresolved.

That's why he said, "No need. We can finish things here. Miss Riter, if you would."

The author rolled her eyes. "As if I have to explain how ridiculous this is."

-Witness Testimony-

"Gone Too Far"

"...Well, this escalated quickly.

"First, you accuse me and Lyra of returning a cart to its owners. That's simple enough.

"Then, you insist we had Mr. Richards's dead body with us. A claim you have yet to prove.

"And before you even find proof of your last claim, your private detective friend uses it to accuse me of murder. Slow down, will you?

"If the cart I moved had his body on it, neither Pitch nor myself had any idea. If we are accomplices, it was unwitting.

"You wouldn't arrest people for being played as pawns, would you? Not when the real mastermind is still out there.

"At the end of the day, even if you prove the body was on there, all you've really proved is that the two of us were unobservant. Nothing more."

Riter finished her argument with a flourish, then looked to Pitch. She placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, cropped brown hair nearly poking her purple tresses. "You see? No need to get swept away, now is there?"

"Miss Pitch, do you stand by your claim that you did not accompany Miss Riter to the backstage area?" Edgeworth asked, his tone grave. If Riter was ever alone backstage with the body, she would be the sole suspect for who hung it on a stage rope, if not the murder itself. It seemed Riter was aware of that, and sought to cover her tracks ahead of time. This woman knew the evidence could go either way, and had a plan for both occasions.

She was the more calculating of the two by far. But that alone didn't make her the culprit. If Pitch conceded, he would be forced to break through both their walls again.

So it was a good thing Pitch did not. "Amy, I want to believe in you, but… I can't lie. I'm sorry. I care about you, but a man is dead. We have to find the truth about what happened to him." She turned to Edgeworth. "I offered to take the cart backstage and unload it, but Amy said I didn't have to. She told me to keep looking for Richards… while she did it herself."

Riter threw her hand off Pitch, stepping aside gingerly. "It's... okay. Fine. Be that way. I just wanted to be out of here faster, but if you insist. The truth is that all I did was help Lyra return her company's belongings to them. It's you all who are making it seem like more. I may love to look for stories, and I agree there's one in everything. But not every story is true, and the sooner you realize that, the better."

"Miss Riter, you are correct in that not all stories are true, but this 'story' that you are being questioned as a suspect in is very real. Someone is dead, and I won't stop until I discover the truth behind his murder." Edgeworth gave a glare after directing the statement to Riter, who was getting really fed up with the prosecutor's questions and theories.

"We are trying to give you the truth to solving your murder mystery. I think the real killer is attempting to use us as their scapegoat."

Maya gasped. "A scapegoat? But who would do that to the two of you?"

A clever mastermind of a killer tricked the two of you into moving the body for them by… leaving the body in a deserted area that no one was expected to visit? If this was the sort of content the woman wrote about for the Turnabout Lawyer games, Edgeworth couldn't possibly be expected to buy one. If one did not possess the exact brand of erratic logic as the writer did, they would never be able to get through it.

"Interesting. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to question you a bit further about the statements you've just made."

"..." A sigh, followed by page flipping.

-Cross-Examination-

"Gone Too Far"

"...Well, this escalated quickly.

"First, you accuse me and Lyra of returning a cart to its owners. That's simple enough."

"HOLD IT! Both you and Miss Pitch have confirmed that part of the story. Neither one of you actually disputes Mr. Lite's testimony. Is that correct?"

"His testimony on what he actually saw, perhaps. Not the detective's theories, or what the vlogger made up after the fact."

"So… let's be clear on the matter," Edgeworth kept his tone as even as possible. "You believe nothing about your body language indicated the cart you were pushing was heavy?"

She groaned. "The cart was not hard to push at all. Either he saw me rounding a corner, or he's making it up."

"I am not making anything up! I'm not my competition." Lite crossed his arms, pouting slightly. "I would never get the police involved in one of my stunts. Other people, maybe, but unlike what some people think, I do have limits. Besides, can't you get fined for filing false reports?" Lite continued to speak after that, but no one was still listening.

See, this was the problem with having all the witnesses in the same room and hearing each other's testimony. There was the constant danger of having one witness seek to contradict the other, then get into fights about it. Things would be much easier if only the investigating prosecutor were exposed to such contradictions and were given time to find the resolving evidence.

Sadly, this was not the case. And since Edgeworth wasn't there to see what had happened for himself, he wouldn't be able to resolve this he-said, she-said nonsense right away. So he stuck simply to saying, "I was only seeking to clarify the witness's position on the matter. I don't believe the truth of the matter can be obtained at this time. You may continue, Miss Riter."

"Then, you insist we had Mr. Richards's dead body with us. A claim you have yet to prove."

"HOLD IT! I confess forensic tests are still being run, but so far, the evidence is showing promise. You're hardly in a position to merely dismiss it out of hand."

"Oh, really?" Her reply was more of a murmur. Judging be her renewed scribbling, inspiration seemed to have struck mid-rebuttal. "And why not? Would you be willing to show any promising evidence at this time?"

That… was a good question. Am I ready to show my hand?

-Present evidence

-Not yet

If Edgeworth wanted to, it was possible he could present the poster that Cachè had found. But since it hadn't been found on the cart itself before Cachè put it there and there were several dozen identical posters printed by Odetnim in this very convention center, all it could be used to prove was that Richards's body had been wrapped in the poster, not that it had been on the cart. At least, that was how the opposing side would see it. Edgeworth would only use that in court if he had nothing stronger.

So instead, Edgeworth chose to wait. "Be patient, Miss Riter. The truth will be revealed, and the hammer of justice will strike swiftly as soon as it is."

That seemed to give the author an idea. "...A detective who sees himself as a superhero of justice, a shining light in the dark age of our courts. A light that was ultimately snuffed out before our characters ever saw it, but its memory remains. Warped through the twisted lens of a..."

Can I go a single case without people talking about how terrible they think our courts are? If they knew what the not-so-distant past was like, they would see how far we've come. Unfortunately, the press narrative had chosen to leave that out. Edgeworth feared this toxic idea would only grow with time. Especially if people like Riter kept adding it to her stories.

"I can see I've lost you on this point, Miss Riter. If we could continue?"

"..."

"And before you even find proof of your last claim, your private detective friend uses it to accuse me of murder. Slow down, will you?

"If the cart I moved had his body on it, neither Pitch nor myself had any idea. If we are accomplices, it was unwitting."

"HOLD IT! How could you not know if the body was on there? Did you not check the cart over?"

"Not particularly, no." Riter didn't have the decency of looking bashful, but she was contemplative. And parroting off her friend. "All I saw were the posters on top. The Steel Samurai was on them, so I knew it belonged to Odetnim. Lyra turned the posters over so no one would see, then I pushed it over to their area with her."

"So neither of you actually have any idea whether the victim's body was there?" Cachè wasn't buying it. "Mr. Edgeworth, do you honestly believe this?"

If he were being honest? Not really. "I've presided over enough implausible cases to know common sense won't be enough to prove anything. Don't tell me you haven't had that sort of case in your career before?"

"Oh, I have several times. Both then and now." The PI shook his head. "Remember: I get the cases that the police dismiss. Or that were never taken to them in the first place."

This is taking me nowhere. If I'm going to refute Miss Riter on any point, I have to attack her words directly.

"Maybe we should keep listening," Maya suggested, hand up to the side of her face. She looked exactly like she had in court all those times. It was odd seeing her act this way up close. Usually he was on the other side of the courtroom.

"I suppose. Miss Riter?"

"You wouldn't arrest people for being played as pawns, would you? Not when the real mastermind is still out there.

"At the end of the day, even if you prove the body was on there, all you've proved is that the two of us were unobservant. Nothing more."

"OBJECTION!" Alright, this is the best I have at the moment. If forensics isn't done by now- Edgeworth presented his entry on "Odetnim's Pushcart" from his Organizer. "I find it hard to believe you when you say that both of you were unaware. If both of you believed this to be a mere errand… why cover your tracks afterwards?"

"Hm?" Pitch looked confused. "What do you mean? Is it because we didn't mention it earlier, sir?"

Edgeworth shook his head, finger shaking by it. "Not at all, Miss Pitch. After all, Mr. Lite didn't understand the importance of what he saw either. No, I'm referring to the fingerprint results that came from analyzing the pushcart handle."

"And what about them?" Cachè was curious now.

"The fingerprints were wiped. If you thought you were innocent, why would you wipe the pushcart clean of your prints?"

"...!" Riter took a step back, eyes wide. "That's… wait, they were wiped?"

Cachè raised an eyebrow. "Are you claiming you didn't know? Again?"

That got her to recover. "If you think otherwise, I think a presentation of evidence is in order. Which button is it, again? I don't manage the actual mechanics. The game designers add those instructions in after."

"Why would anyone else do it?" Lite was getting frustrated with this back-and-forth. "I don't get this!"

Cachè considered it for a moment. "If I were your opponent in court, I would say that the real killer did it so that their prints wouldn't be there. The fact they also wiped Miss Riter's away is merely a coincidence."

"Why would they get other people to move the body, go to where the body was moved, and then erase traces of themselves? Wouldn't it be easier to do it right after the crime was committed? Then only Miss Riter's prints would be on there and their frame-job would go neatly."

The discussion brought Riter's inner mystery author back to the surface. "Well, it's not like one can transport the body entirely above people's heads. That's just not possible in a building like this. They needed somebody to be seen moving it, or else they wouldn't be able to frame anyone at all."

...What?

"Wait a minute!" Pitch broke in before Edgeworth could cobble together a response. "I… I know what this murder reminds me of!"

"Really? What is it?"

"Lyra, what are you-" Riter stopped mid-sentence, eyes forming a glare. "No. You are not talking about that. That had nothing to do with this case and you know it."

"Sir prosecutor!" Pitch ignored her friend's warning once again. "I don't know if my words are enough, but... the emails I printed out for you. I… I think you'll find the third one the most interesting."

Edgeworth reached into his Organizer, pulling out the pages in question. He did as the witness requested, and read the third email. It occurred to him that he actually had yet to look over this particular piece of evidence. He'd been in the middle of something when she handed them to him, but now…

Edgeworth began to read. It was from Riter to Pitch and informal in nature, lacking even a salutation. "'I wasn't sure about him before, but something that happened today convinced me. Do you remember the case I told you about? The one set in a theater? Well, you know how after the killer strangles the victim, they use the stage ropes to move the corpse from the stage where the crime happened to the next one over, and it falls off the rope in the middle of a rival's actor's play? Well, I took your advice before presenting it to the company, and moved it with a prop cart instead. Added the option of doing that, at least.

"'Richards still hated it. He thinks our players are idiots who can't handle a more complex case, especially not in the first game, and that the only killer who would move a body like that is a crazed psycho and wouldn't exist in real life. He took my notebook, threw it in my face, and told me that my real job here was to l-'"

"Stop it!" Riter cut them off with a scream. The way she was holding her pen, she looked ready to stab someone. That email had really gotten to her. "No one needs to hear what he did after that." She turned Pitch. "Why would you give him that? You knew I was confiding in you."

"I did it to help you! I thought if he knew you were quitting, he would see that you didn't really have a motive, and… and-" Her shoulders shook as her chest heaved. Giving the printed papers of the emails had taken a turn from what Pitch was expecting. She broke down crying, thinking on what she'd just done. Her hands over her ears, her discordant humming… it all cast the image of a woman truly ashamed by her own words and deeds.

Edgeworth could only watch as it continued. "I... I never thought you were capable of doing this. I still don't know what- what happened in there. But if something changed this morning, something made you feel like you had to-"

"I didn't do anything! Lyra! How could you betray me like this?! I thought we trusted each other. I would never suspect you of this. Why is it you don't have the same trust in me?" Her voice became quieter as she continued to speak. "I thought we were going to work together. Once I left, I would join you at Odetnim. We could work together without you sacrificing your sleep to help me. We could-"

"Amy... I never said you were guilty." Pitch was beginning to calm down. Riter's tactics were working, but not in her favor. "There's no way that any evidence I gave the prosecutor could betray you. Unless... you did it, and you think this evidence will convict you."

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.

Lyra Pitch

Age: 31

Gender: Female

Description: A music producer for various games. Mostly works with Odetnim, but helped Capsul with their Turnabout Lawyer games. Went to look for Richards after he didn't show for the 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. Each company is also provided a staff room in the employee only section. It's possible to get from Capsul's staff room to Odetnim's conference room in only a few minutes.

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

Picture of Richards

Type: Evidence

Description: A picture taken of the victim as his body was lowered towards the crowd. It bears a message that is addressed to me. Check

Richards Speech Notes

Type: Evidence

Description: What the victim was going to say at the Capsul conference he never showed up to. Were found on Hackins person after he stole them from the staff room. Part of the speech was left behind on the desk.

Laptop Strap

Type: Other

Description: A strap that was broken off of a laptop bag. Found near the edge of the stairs in the Capsul conference room, and appears to have no relevance to the case.

Rejection Letter

Type: Evidence

Description: A letter that Global Studios sent to Capsul rejecting their request to be the makers of a Steel Samurai video game.

Hackins's Testimony

Type: Evidence

Description: After being kicked out by the victim, Hackins returned to the Capsul staff room. He heard two people enter, one right after the other. Check

Odetnim's Pushcart

Type: Evidence

Description: A large cart Odetnim brought with them to the convention to move posters. Went missing about an hour before their conference, only to be found by Caché later.

Update: The handle of the cart is completely devoid of prints, making it difficult to know who handled it.

Pitch's Emails

Type: Evidence

Description: Electronic correspondence between Riter and Pitch that discusses Riter's imminent resignation. Check

Tossed Poster

Type: Evidence

Description: A Steel Samurai banner that had been thrown away outside Odetnim's area. It is Caché's theory it was used to hide the victim's body as it was moved.

Update: The poster is covered in the sweat and saliva of the victim, indicating it was in contact with Richards somehow.

A/N's: PTV and RJ were responsible for the creation of this chapter. Both parties would like to leave their notes.

PTV: So we decided to split End, Part 2 into two chapters after all. It's longer than the one for last case, so I think it's better this way. We're north of seven thousand words for this chapter as is, and I'm pretty sure the next one is going to be even longer.

So since this is the second to last chapter, I would like to give a shoutout to all the people whose ideas helped create this case. I'm pretty sure you all know that Caché is Ajani's creation, but did you know he came up with the idea for Lyra Pitch as well? Amy Riter was the idea of Emmy (EmeraldWings1992), our former beta, as were several details of the murder plan. Allen Lite (originally named Allen Leet), Noland Richards, the inclusion of Cody Hackins, and the premise of the case were all from Golden Darkness, and finally, the idea of including Maya instead of Kay for this case (as well as the mention of Psyche-Locks) was mine, though Emmy helped. More formalized details of the murder plan and general story are from the three of us (RJ, Ajani, and myself) plus Emmy, and of course, we wrote the thing.

I'm really happy with how this case has been coming together, and I'm excited to wrap everything up in the next chapter! We have the fourth case fully outlined, and are planning to release its opening the day after we finish case three. We will also reveal the next case's title in the next chapter's A/N. If you read this case over again, you might be able to guess what it is.

That's… all I trust myself to say without spoilers. Your move, RJ.

RJ: I am also happy with how this case has come together! Everyone came up with such awesome ideas for Game For The Turnabout, and it was great being able to help with the writing of these characters and case, and bring everyone's ideas and OC's to life as a team in this case! Looking forward to revealing the new case title to all of you, our readers, in the next chapter. It will be interesting to find out if anyone can guess what the next case title is going to be. So I don't say to much about the next case, I'm going to pass the writing of the A/N's back to PTV, now.

PTV: Thanks RJ, and thank you to everyone who's stuck with us on this journey. We're coming up on the end of the case, but not the end of an era. There are two more episodes after this. Don't forget to review, and I'll see you on the far side!