Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: End of an Era

by PierceTheVeils

Everything in life has an end. Nothing can last forever. The best we can do is brace ourselves and prepare for what comes next. As Miles Edgeworth takes on a string of cases, he realizes they may be his last chance to find justice as he and the people closest to him reach the end of an era. Now on the fifth and final episode, Turnabout Towards Darkness.

24. Part 5: End, Part 2 (2 of 2)

July 3rd, 7:48pm

Expo3 Convention Center

Conference Room No. 13

At first, Pitch's tearful statements had been enough to render everyone speechless. But the silence didn't last long.

"...So what if a case idea I had over a year ago has a slight similarity to what you think is going on right now? Is that really all it takes to arrest someone for murder in these courts? Do you honestly think you could win a case on that sort of evidence?" Riter questioned the prosecutor with a cold fury. She refused to look Pitch in the eye.

Edgeworth actually gave the matter some thought. "While it's possible another prosecutor might try it, I don't think it would be enough. Not when it's clear that more individuals than just you knew about it. If I were to suspect you, I would have to suspect Miss Pitch for the same reason." Edgeworth shook his head, hoping his words would calm her down. He let out a small sigh when they didn't.

"Good! Because there is no real evidence suggesting that I was the killer!" Riter was slightly relieved, but remained on edge. And for good reason.

"There is nothing to suggesting that you are the killer? I find that hard to believe." Edgeworth's tone was calm but firm. "It took a long time, but I feel we have finally arrived at the stage of the investigation where I can zero in on a suspect. And the suspect I choose is…"

-Amy Riter

-Lyra Pitch

-Maya Fey

"I think it should be obvious now, but to make it formal… Ms. Riter. If you think the investigation made an error in coming to this conclusion, you are free to argue your case."

Before she could respond, a forensics member who'd been working on the pushcart ran up to them. "Prosecutor Edgeworth, sir! We have finished our analysis of the poster and pushcart, and are ready to report."

"Finally!" Maya cried out. "I know tests like these take a long time in court, but I would've thought the investigations were faster."

"Sometimes they are. It depends on who's working forensics that day." Edgeworth gave the officer a pointed glare. "Report."

"Partial prints that could belong to one Lyra Pitch were found on the cart, but no fingerprints could be lifted from the Steel Samurai poster. It appears it encountered a slight stain of grape juice from its time in the trash. All we are sure of is that the poster was absolutely covered in the victim's DNA, and traces were found on the bottom of the cart as well."

Edgeworth listened patiently as the forensics officer went through it all. Well, I suppose it could be worse. "His DNA was on the bottom shelf of the cart? Even though Mr. Cachè had placed the poster on the top when he retrieved it?"

"Yes, sir."

"I see. Thank you for your report." I see no need to pay the poster's stain any mind. But the cart data could be useful.

-"Odetnim's Pushcart" updated in Organizer-

Riter, for once in this investigation, had actually been paying attention when the police made their final report. "I see. So you really do have nothing of substance."

"Nothing of substance?" Maya questioned before Edgeworth could say anything. "There were two witnesses who saw you push the cart with the body on it! Now with this evidence, we know that the body was definitely on there."

Cachè picked up the slack from there, the gaze he'd used arguing with Edgeworth making a comeback. But this time, it wasn't directed at Edgeworth. "Not to mention there's witness testimony that puts you alone backstage with the body perhaps ten minutes before it was discovered. As things stand, it's looking more and more like you were the one responsible for moving the body."

"And all that proves is that I unwittingly moved the body. Unless you think you can prove anything more? If I had anything to do with the actual murder, for example."

Edgeworth could already see it. A defense attorney in court, arguing for Riter that she'd only been an unwilling accomplice to the crime. Or that she'd accidentally tampered with evidence. If Edgeworth didn't establish anything solid, no greater charge that he levied would stick.

He had one other open investigation being run at the time. Two, if one counted the autopsy report (what was going on at that hospital, anyway?). If Edgeworth were to give those investigations time to run their course, he had to keep her talking. So he made the offer one more time: "As I said before, if you object, you are free to argue your case."

"Fine then, Mr. Prosecutor. If you aren't convinced of your own folly, I will simply have to show you."

-Argument-

"The Half-Written Story"

"Tell me if you've ever heard this one: every good story is made with only three parts: the beginning, the middle, and the end.

"You seem to think you have the ending all figured out. According to you, I retrieved Mr. Richards's body from an obscure part of the convention center and hung it on a stage rope.

"But tell me: what happened before that? When, where, and how did the murder actually occur? Have you forgotten that my meeting with Mr. Richards never happened?

"And how did this story even begin? Why would I ever do something like this?

"I disliked my boss and wanted to leave. I was already planning my resignation.

"My dislike was… personal. But never enough for murder.

"Until you can write a full story, don't expect anyone to believe it."

As much as Edgeworth hated to admit it, Riter brought up some good points. He only had part of the picture. The rest, as it were, was proving to be elusive to his investigation.

He opened his mouth, ready to dive into a rebuttal, when Maya put her hand on his shoulder. She had something glowing out of a fold in her robe. "Mr. Edgeworth! The Psyche Locks are back. When Miss Riter mentioned her dislike of the victim, I saw them again. The same ones."

Edgeworth had almost forgotten she had such a thing. "The same ones? But the last time we saw them-"

"It was about Cody's testimony, when he heard people enter the staff room." Maya's fists were clenched near her face, it wearing a mask of determination. "Something happened in that room, and whatever it was…"

"It gave Miss Riter the motive she needed for murder," Edgeworth finished. His assistant's deductions were impressive, even if they were prompted by a magic device. "I'll keep that in mind during my rebuttal."

"What?" His assistant was incredulous. "You're not going to break her Psyche-Locks? You've done this before, right?"

He had. It… wasn't an experience he cared to repeat. "While I agree that Ms. Riter is definitely withholding some of the truth from us, I am not going to resort to using occult magic to solve this case." Edgeworth was remembering the third and last time he'd used the device. Instead of picking the Psycholocks apart one by one in the investigation, he'd chosen to pry the truth out the conventional way: in court. It was his belief that he could accomplish something similar here.

Maya however, put her hand to her cheek in thought, trying to come up with a new strategy to convince the prosecutor. It was clear she wasn't used to arguing about this. "But Mr. Edgeworth, this may be the only way for us to really discover who killed Mr. Richards. By using this Magatama, Nick and I have- er, had- been able to crack a lot of cases." Maya reached out her hand to give the stone to Edgeworth. He didn't take it right away.

It was such an unorthodox method, one he never expected to use in his everyday life as a prosecutor. But what if it was the only way? What other options do I have available to me, here?

He supposed he could crack open the chessboard. But for all her erratic habits, Riter was shaping up to be a wily opponent. And with such a strong emphasis on evidence from her part, it was possible she wouldn't accept a mere sparring of words. Delving into the cracking of Psycholocks could give the investigation the focus and clarity it needed to finally reach the end.

What should I do? How do I want to respond to Riter's argument?

-With a Rebuttal

-With Logic Chess

-With the Magatama

Surprising even himself, Edgeworth reached over and took the Magatama from Maya's hand.

-"Maya's Magatama" added to Organizer-

"What are you two doing?" Cachè had been watching their whole exchange, but he hadn't heard what was said. Nor had anyone else.

Edgeworth didn't want to (nor could he, really) explain that a medium's spiritual power to recall the dead was also capable of visualizing a witness's secrets in a lock and chain format, so he kept his lie simple. "Consider it a good luck charm. Miss Fey once gave it to her former boss for luck, but has been kind enough to let me borrow it for the home stretch of this investigation." He turned to Maya and bowed. "Thank you, Miss Fey. I would normally not approve of such a method, but as of this moment, there appears to be no other choice."

"Wow. Is her argument that solid?" Lite wondered aloud. "You don't seem like the guy who'd believe in something like luck, you know."

Yes, I do. All too well. Perhaps it would help if Edgeworth swallowed his pride from time to time. It may cause his suspect to feel more confident and actually let something slip. "Now, if you would please recount your argument to me one more time. I am ready to respond."

"So, my 'special good luck charm'. You remember how to use it, right Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya asked, a mischievous smile on her face.

Well? Do I want Miss Fey to refresh my memory? He wasn't going to be given a simple lock for practice any time soon. If he was to go forward, he needed to make sure he knew what he was doing, or his own soul may suffer for it. It was with that thought in mind he made his choice between:

-Yes, I remember

-No, please help me through this

Well, it hadn't been all that long since he used this Magatama. Though it was amazing how long a few months could feel, sometimes. "No, I don't think I'll be needing your guidance this time. Thank you, Miss Fey."

When she gets to the statement where I see Psycholocks, I'll present the Magatama as my first piece of evidence. We'll see where things go from there.

Riter was kind enough to wait for their conversation to finish before repeating herself. Once it was clear the two were finished, she began without delay.

-Rebuttal-

"The Half-Written Story"

"Tell me if you've ever heard this one: every good story is made with only three parts: the beginning, the middle, and the end.

"You seem to think you have the ending all figured out. According to you, I retrieved Mr. Richards's body from an obscure part of the convention center and hung it on a stage rope.

"But tell me: what happened before that? When, where, and how did the murder actually occur? Have you forgotten that my meeting with Mr. Richards never happened?

I'm not so sure about that, but pressing won't be how I prove otherwise. Edgeworth had chosen not to pursue a traditional rebuttal, after all.

"And how did this story even begin? Why would I ever do something like this?

"I disliked my boss and wanted to leave. I was already planning my resignation.

"My dislike was… personal. But never enough for murder."

Here they were. The Psycholocks. With the magic rock now in Edgeworth's possession, he was capable of seeing the Psycholocks surrounding Riter. As Maya had mentioned earlier, there were four of them. She must have quite the desire to hide her secret. Not that Edgeworth was going to let her.

Magatama in hand, the prosecutor braced himself for what was to come. When he was ready, he yelled, "TAKE THAT!"

The rest of Edgeworth's surroundings disappeared. He wondered if the people waiting nearby could still hear the exchange that followed. "Miss Riter, you really shouldn't hide things from a prosecutor. A good one will always find the truth, and the act itself does you no favors."

"Oh, really? And what do you suppose I'm hiding from you?"

"Your dislike for the victim. I don't think you've revealed just how deep it runs quite yet."

Riter broke eye contact, not quite flinching. "What is there to reveal about it? And when did I try to hide aspects of this topic from you?"

"It was right when you saw this piece of evidence." Edgeworth opened his Organizer, pulling out "Pitch's Emails". "When I attempted to share this aloud with the investigation, you couldn't have reacted faster in an attempt to stop me. More particularly, when I reached this section..." he scanned the email, looking for the part where it discussed Riter and Richards's interactions directly, "here!"

"...uh!" Riter looked like she was trying to hide behind her notebook when the first lock broke. "It… was an embarrassing moment, for me. A private one, one I'd shared with Lyra in confidence. She had no right to go showing those to the police."

Edgeworth took a moment to read the section in question. The victim's language certainly was… explicit. If what Riter had written was true, and she'd wanted to file a harassment lawsuit, she may well have had a case.

"But even so… it's like I said. I wasn't special. He did it to other women too. Including Lyra."

"And yet it was different for Miss Pitch, wasn't it?" Edgeworth asked doing his best to sound sympathetic. "She didn't work for him full time. You did."

"That's right!" Riter seemed to have remembered something. "But if you read the last email I'm sure Lyra gave you, you would realize I was already handling the issue. Professionally."

"By quitting?" Edgeworth raised an eyebrow at that.

"You don't work in the industry I do. You have no room to judge my choice. If I were to sue, or even complain publicly, the community of hardcore gamers would turn it around on me. Just a few years ago, they more than proved that they don't care about issues like these. The opposite, in fact." Now she looked really uncomfortable. "My life could have been threatened. Did you ever hear about that?"

Edgeworth had to admit, he wasn't one to follow news about video games. He'd read a few articles about Steel Samurai speculation, but that was about it. "I'm… sorry to hear the situation was so dire for you."

"Wow, you actually are going to say you're sorry to me? I'm shocked." Riter huffed sarcastically, unsure if the prosecutor actually meant what he said.

"I am not one to say things I don't mean, Ms. Riter, so take my last statement as you will."

"So if you really sympathize with my situation, maybe you will be more inclined to believe me?"

"If I believe you or not will be determined by the evidence, and that alone." Edgeworth told Riter, who just twirled her pen around.

"I can assure there is no evidence that will tell you I killed my boss. Any motive you think I had was already being dealt with."

But was that really true? Perhaps it was at the time the emails were written (the latest of which being dated two weeks beforehand), but that didn't explain why Richards was now dead.

Unless… "Something changed when you went to meet with Mr. Richards today. Tell me: since you decided you were going to resign, did you have any other meeting alone with the victim?"

Her eyes darted about before she confessed. "No. I avoided him every chance I could. But this one was necessary for both our jobs… which is why I was truly upset when my car wouldn't run this morning."

"Ah yes, the story you've told me from the very beginning. If I recall, there was also reason to doubt your testimony. It was presented the first time we ever heard it."

"So you don't believe me, is what you're saying. You think I sabotaged the meeting on purpose, then?"

Is that the line of reasoning I'm going with, here?

-Yes, it is

-No, she met the victim

-No, she told the truth

"Not quite, Miss Riter. In fact, I'm not sure if any of your testimony was true." She has to have met with the victim today. And when she did, something happened between them. Something she doesn't want anyone else to know about. That was the only thing that can explain why this incident occurred. "I wasn't sure then, and I'm even less sure now."

"Oh? And why is that? What is the cause of all your doubts?"

"The piece of evidence that first gave me cause to doubt your story is… here!" Edgeworth ripped into his Organizer, turning back to the page where he'd written down "Caché's Claims". "TAKE THAT!"

"What your detective friend saw?" She scoffed. "Didn't we discuss this earlier? The entryway was crowded with people. It would have been simple for none of us to see each other."

Indeed. Edgeworth had stored away as much in Logic. Not that that particularly thread has proven to be any use. I may as well discard it. "You asked me what caused my doubts in your testimony to appear. Nothing more. But suppose, for a second, that I take you at your word. You arrived at the convention center ten minutes before your conference was to begin and went to find the staff room. That only gives me more reason to believe you met with the victim there."

"Hm?" The darting eyes were back again. Edgeworth must be on to something. "What makes you say that?"

The Psycholocks fastened around her heart… they first appeared to Miss Fey when I presented this piece of evidence. Edgeworth flipped ahead to the page he'd labeled "Hackins's Testimony". "This is the reason I suspect you of meeting the victim!"

"...The words of a child. Do you intend to use his testimony in court to prove your case? Young as he is?" Despite her apparent dismissal of the evidence, Edgeworth hid a small smirk when he saw the second lock break. He knew he must be going in the right direction.

"It won't be the first time Mr. Hackins has testified in court. By the time this boy gave this testimony, he had already been cleared of all suspicion in relation to this crime. He has no reason to lie anymore. You, on the other hand…" It was just then that Edgeworth remembered. "Earlier in your argument, you asked me to prove when, where, and how you committed the crime. At this stage of the investigation, I believe that I am prepared to answer two of those questions."

"...!" She was getting more nervous by the second. "R-Really? And which of my questions are you going to answer?"

Which one should I start with?

-When?

-Where?

-How?

While it didn't actually matter which path he pursued first, Edgeworth decided to answer when the murder took place. "Strangulation may not be an instant death, but if one's grip is tight and the murder weapon blocks the airway sufficiently, it is possible to lethally strangle a full grown adult in mere minutes. And mere minutes is all you had before you were expected elsewhere. This evidence is directly related to what you did minutes after the murder!"

Edgeworth used the only evidence he had that referred to such an event in its description. He produced "Richards's Speech Notes" to illustrate his point. "The reason you were willing to meet your boss alone in the first place and the reason you came to this convention center are one and the same. The two of you were meant to give a speech at your company's conference in one of the biggest gaming events of the year. The Expo3 Convention."

Riter recoiled, but the third lock didn't break. She made no move to protest Edgeworth's version of events.

"And with the murder occurring only a few minutes before the Capsul conference, that puts the time of the murder around 12:25. Give or take a few minutes." This time, Edgeworth made no move to hide his smirk. "With the time of the crime established, the next answer to one of your questions becomes increasingly obvious. The next question I will answer is…"

-How?

-Who?

-Where?

"...where you committed the murder of your own boss. Lucky for us, I have a map of the convention center right here." Edgeworth pulled the "Map of Convention" out from the confines of his pocket. "I hardly need to say it, but the true crime scene is located… here!"

With a practiced pointer finger, Edgeworth indicated the very edge of the map made for convention attendees. His finger rested atop the area labeled "Company Staff Rooms- Do Not Enter". "The exact location isn't labeled here, but you understand where I'm going with this, do you not?"

"...The Capsul staff room. The one I only entered for less than a minute."

"We only have your word that that's what you did there. For all you can prove, you spent the better part of ten minutes in that room. More than enough time to kill Mr. Richards."

"And you have more than the child's word that he and I were in the room together? He never even saw either of us!"

Edgeworth avoided the question. "There are police officers going over every inch of the staff room as we speak. You didn't have enough time to erase your tracks entirely. What do you think they're going to find in there, Miss Riter? The real murder weapon, perhaps?"

"Nn-uhhh!" Third lock out. Edgeworth only had to break one more, and this process would be finished. Lucky for him, he had an idea of what he needed to do to crack it.

"Something happened in that room before the conference began. Someone that changed your mind about simply waiting to resign. But what was it?"

"Nothing… none of your business." Riter was beyond nervous, quivering behind her notebook. A far cry from her state of mind when they first met. "It's nothing you need to know about."

"I find that very unlikely. I've seen the passion you have for your job, Miss Riter. The amount of effort you've put into every detail of these past two games. It came through very clearly in your presentation, not to mention your musings since."

"...What's with the flattery? Cut to the chase, would you?"

Edgeworth felt no need to rush this. Not when he knew where he was going. Even if he didn't have proof per se… "When a sequel was announced, you worked day and night to give it the quality it deserved in half the time you needed to do so. Even now, you're trying to draft an entire series. An entire series of games for a company whose future has been thrown into uncertainty.

"For you to leave it all behind, and all over the actions of one man… It had to be something serious. Something far more serious than what you told your friend about. For you to risk the end of Turnabout Lawyers, and take the chance that your stories may never be told again… things would have to have been extremely dire. I see that now."

"...What are you even saying." She didn't phrase it like a question. The words came out as a whisper.

Edgeworth had never had to deal with this sort of situation before. He knew other prosecutors who had, but in his career, he'd preferred to stay away from cases regarding this crime, if only because of how murky they usually were. "The actions of your boss described here," once again, he indicated "Pitch's Emails" (the one he'd read aloud), "is that all they were? Threats?"

Riter looked at the papers in disgust. She was still angry with Pitch for giving their private email exchange to an outsider. "What do you want me to say? That I was defending myself from violation?"

"If it's true, then yes. It's vital that the investigation uncovers all the circumstances that led up to this crime. If they don't, the courts won't be able to render a fair verdict. Or the correct sentence."

"Are you still trying to imply that I killed my boss? Do you really think I would take the time to kill him here, at an event like this, with over a thousand people in attendance? You think I'm that irrational?" Riter tried the play off her statement as cool as she could, but Edgeworth knew he was close. Just a bit more of a push and he would have what he needed.

"Murders are rarely committed rationally. But this one comes quite close to it, once the actual deed was done. The plan to move the body, to expose it in front of a crowd… very well-crafted. And very dramatic." Edgeworth could not think of any other person at this point that could have committed the murder, and Riter had motive. A motive that was shaping up to be quite solid, as it were. But he needed her to admit it. "But let's talk about before that. Let's examine the subject you've spent this entire investigation avoiding. You were in the Capsul staff room with your boss, Mr. Richards. What happened next?"

Paper was wrinkling and ripping under Riter's tight grip on the pages. "He acted like he was congratulating me, but I knew that tone of his. He was complaining about how we never spent any time together anymore. He said once this game was released, he was going to fix that. But there… in those few minutes. He wanted me to have a taste of what was to come."

With Riter's own words, her last lock broke, but the quivering didn't stop. It took Edgeworth a second to realize where the shaking was really coming from. "He stood in front of a door, hands on his belt. I tried to run out the other, and was grabbed. By the waist. It was a good thing one hand was still busy, or I…" she stopped, seeming to consider her next words very carefully. "I never would have escaped."

And there he had it. What really happened in the staff room today.

-Unlock Successful-

That had been a hard fight, but the results were clear. Once Edgeworth had worn her down, Riter, in her own words, had put herself in the room with Richards, with no one else there, several minutes after Cachè and Hackins had saw the victim alive. Things were all starting to come together now.

Both Maya and Pitch were dead silent, the latter in silent tears. Cachè cleared his throat, searching for the right thing to say. "That must have been quite an ordeal for you, Miss Riter. I can see how you became desperate."

Was that really the path this case was going to take? Should it? Thanks to her work on Turnabout Lawyers, she'd had an elaborate murder plan written out. One that she chose to copy and paste onto her real life situation. Even if her initial action had been in self-defense, did her subsequent cover-up rule the plea? Would there be separate, but additional, charges of obstruction?

Before Edgeworth could decide (if it were even his place to do so), he needed to hear a confession. So far, Riter had given him everything but that.

Yet before he could delve into that further, the police officer he'd sent with Pitch to the staff room returned, panting with his hands on his knees. He slowly straightened his back, hands shaking as he gave his salute. "Prosecutor Edgeworth, sir! Sorry for my lateness in delivering the results of the investigation you requested. I am embarrassed to say I became lost on my way back to this room."

"Never mind that now. What did the investigation turn up?"

The officer went on to confirm everything they already knew. "The mess of the room hid signs of a struggle, sir, with torn items and angled prints on the door. The running theory is that the lady," he indicated Riter, "tried to grab the door handle and escape, only to be pulled away. The victim's prints were present in the room as well, but not in as great a number. No traces of blood were found on the scene, nor anything resembling a murder weapon."

-"Staff Room Summary" added to Organizer-

"So it's true." Pitch breathed, barely audible.

"Of course it's true!" Riter snapped. "Did you think I was lying when I said I wanted to get away from him as soon as possible? Is that why you dragged your feet on talking to your own boss?"

"No! I just… didn't think he would go this far. That you would go this far." The women were inconsolable. Edgeworth couldn't be bothered to deal with it.

"Miss Riter, do you confess to killing your boss in self-defense? If you only struck to save yourself, the court may be more generous with you." This was her last warning. If she continued to resist, Edgeworth would convince the next prosecutor to take her to court on higher charges and work it out with her attorney there.

"Wait! I never said I killed him. You can't say that I did." Her last spark of determination hadn't burned out yet, it seemed. The way it shone through her reddening eyes gave her the look of near madness, even as tears collected within.

"Yes, Ms. Riter, I can. You have the motive. You had a murder plan written out months in advance, one that you chose to follow. You chose to move and reveal the body in the most desecrating way you could, traumatizing adults and children alike. You ruined this convention for all who attended." Edgeworth pointed at Riter, his own face set in stone. "Had it not been for all that, I may have reason to pity you."

Everyone looked away from Edgeworth as soon as he said that, murmurs escaping from their lips. No one seemed interested in giving voice to their thoughts, but it was certainly clear that they were uncomfortable with the present situation.

"Sh-Shut it!" Riter practically shouted, tears coming to her eyes, causing the entire room to fall silent. "Ruined for them? For them?! What about... as if you can actually prove I did any of this."

Edgeworth sensed a new Argument coming on. "Test me, if you wish."

"..."

-Argument-

"Missing One Thing"

"I was attacked. That much is true. But all I did was escape.

"I never returned to kill him. What makes you think I even could?

"He was taller than me, stronger than me. I had no weapon. What could I have strangled him with, my bare hands?

"I'd think there would be more evidence if I had. Maybe those fingerprints you love so much.

"I hated Mr. Richards, but I never killed him. Nothing you say or do will make that claim true."

In the end, the argument boiled down to one thing: the murder weapon. Edgeworth certainly didn't think this woman strangled the victim with her bare hands (the strangle marks on Richards didn't match), so how had she done it? What had she used?

Ngh! The police haven't brought anything to me that could serve as the murder weapon! At the moment, I don't believe I have sufficient evidence to disprove her.

No one else was in the room when the murder occurred. Hackins had only heard the very beginning of their encounter, which was probably for the best. Not to mention Richards was dead. He could neither confirm nor deny anything Riter said about their final encounter.

A man was dead, no matter the circumstances. Whatever kind of man he had been in life, it was Edgeworth's duty as a prosecutor to bring the killer to justice. And that's exactly what he would do.

"I am ready to refute you, Miss Riter." The process began right away. No one else possessed the energy to speak.

-Rebuttal-

"Missing One Thing"

"I was attacked. That much is true. But all I did was escape."

"HOLD IT! The victim went after you with the intent he had, and you ran? You didn't fight back? He didn't chase after you?"

"I don't know if he came after me or not. After what happened, I did my best to hide. I didn't want to face him ever again."

"But if that were true, your next action wouldn't make much sense, would it? Just after being attacked, you returned to this very room, fully expecting to give an hour-long conference with the man who'd just assaulted you."

She turned away, face half hidden behind her notebook. Edgeworth thought he saw a tear streak down her face. "I admit I was relieved when I didn't see him onstage. I don't know how I would have given the presentation had he been right next to me."

"So you fully expected him to show at the conference you gave on the company's behalf? Even though you had just killed him?"

"I'm telling you!

"I never returned to kill him. What makes you think I even could?"

"HOLD IT! I don't remember ever saying you came back to kill the victim. You certainly wouldn't have had time for that." Edgeworth shrugged. "No, I think you had yet to leave when the strangling occurred."

"You thought you were fighting back. Maybe you went too far." Cachè offered. "It's not like this same scenario has never happened before."

"That's not it at all! It was physically impossible for me to commit this crime." Riter's voice was getting higher, reaching the sound of a whine. She still refused to show her whole face. It wouldn't take much more before she broke down entirely. Or so Edgeworth hoped.

"How so, Miss Riter?"

"He was taller than me, stronger than me. I had no weapon. What could I have strangled him with, my bare hands?"

"HOLD IT! Miss Riter, it may be true that the police have not found anything that serves as the murder weapon at this time. That does not change the fact that the murder did happen, and there was most definitely a weapon involved. You can't be dismissed as a suspect on that alone." Edgeworth pointed out.

"You just don't know how to give up, do you?" Riter questioned, as she started bending the notebook.

"Not when I believe I am standing in front of the killer."

"Without a weapon, you can't convict me. No one saw what happened during our meeting. Your evidence is circumstantial at best. You are being about as much of a pain and a nuisance as a tutorial prosecutor."

I'd like to believe I'm a bit tougher of an opponent than that. Or at the very least, it would be one difficult tutorial.

Still, Edgeworth couldn't deny he didn't have the murder weapon to present at this time. He would have to keep going.

"I'd think there would be more evidence if I had. Maybe those fingerprints you love so much.

"I hated Mr. Richards, but I never killed him. Nothing you say or do will make that claim true."

"HOLD IT! Even after all this time, you still claim to be innocent?"

"Yes. I do because it's true. Unless you have conclusive proof that I committed the murder itself?"

Ngh… I have everything but that.

The investigation wasn't over yet. It couldn't be. Not now that they were so close to nailing down the true culprit.

"I'm not sure I like this," Maya grumbled, hand over her mouth.

"Like what, exactly? She killed the victim. Regardless of what happened before that, it is a crime she will have to pay for."

"I know, I know. Believe me…" Maya ducked under the scrutiny of his gaze. "I remember that all too well."

It took Edgeworth a moment to remember what his one-time assistant was talking about. Not that now was the time for reminiscing.

I have to find a contradiction that breaks her entire argument apart. I must have the evidence somewhere…

Edgeworth combed through Riter's argument one more time, pausing on the statement about the weapon. Something about it nagged at him. But what?

Surely, I must have some concrete evidence against her. Edgeworth thought as he flipped through his Organizer, reading over each entry he had recorded for the day. He paid special attention to the "Picture of Richards", the one that reporter had taken specifically for him.

His eyes zeroed in on the marks around Richards's neck, the ones that were partially visible even with the stage rope tied around it. A strange thought occurred to the prosecutor. Is this spot connected to any of the evidence I hold?

I've spent all this time searching for something that may be the murder weapon… but what if I've had it for some time now? What if once again, I dismissed a seemingly innocent detail that could turn this whole case on its head? It wouldn't be the first time, at least.

It was with an open mind that Edgeworth flipped through the Evidence pages in his Organizer one last time, looking for anything that could possibly be used to strangle someone. There was only one thing it could be. Even if it was a bluff, even if he was completely off base… it was a chance Edgeworth was going to take.

He stopped on the page labeled "Laptop Strap" and Deduced. "EUREKA!"

"You know how pure your gold is, now?" Lite asked, confused as to what Edgeworth was doing.

The prosecutor ignored him. "OBJECTION! Ms. Riter, you are wrong. I did not realize this until just now, but I do have a record of the murder weapon. The weapon you used was an item in the staff room, one you ripped off and grabbed by pure chance. And that weapon… was this." Edgeworth urged Maya to show the crowd the "Laptop Strap".

Riter hid. Pitch gasped. "But that's-"

"This was from the bag you used to transport your laptop here, yes? You can confirm it would have been in the room at the time of the crime?"

After all she'd done, Pitch was reluctant to speak. Instead, she nodded, imperceptibly so.

Edgeworth couldn't help it. He couldn't stop that triumphant smile from bursting through. "Then let forensics run a few short tests on it. They should look for…"

-saliva

-fingerprints

-blood

Edgeworth was initially only going to ask for one thing, but decided against it. Why not have both done now? "Officer! Have this item tested for the victim's saliva… and Riter's fingerprints. That will be enough to prove that this is indeed the true murder weapon."

"Yessir! Right away!"

July 3rd, 8:31pm

Expo3 Convention Center

Conference Room No. 13

"Prosecutor Edgeworth, sir! We have the results from the test you ordered."

This time it had only taken forensics a few minutes. To be fair, they were covering a far smaller area. "And?"

"It is as you suspected. Forensics found large traces of the victim's saliva dripped onto the object from near the center of the strap, and the suspect's fingerprints on the ends."

Edgeworth bowed as he accepted the report. "Thank you. Your work is most appreciated."

-"Laptop Strap" updated in Organizer-

And with the last piece of the puzzle in place, Edgeworth turned to the suspect he'd cornered, motioning for the police to close in. It was time for the investigation to end.

"Well, Miss Riter? Anything you'd like to say for yourself?"

"I… I…" Riter tried to explain herself, but she was getting choked on her own words. Her eyes started to water. Within, she felt the rage, the sadness, the shame over having to tell the whole crowd everything that had happened between her and her boss. Her hands wrapped around the notebook she'd poured ideas into for the last three years, hands getting tighter and tighter until the binding broke and it snapped in half.

"He wouldn't stop… He just couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself. He forced himself on me, no matter how hard I tried." She then started ripping pages out of her notebook before tossing the pages up in the air, allowing them to fall like rain around her. "And now… it's gone. It's all gone. All my stories, all my dreams… he took them all with him."

She wasn't hiding her tears now. "I guess it's obvious now, isn't it? I did kill Richards. I ripped the strap off of Lyra's laptop bag, then I strangled him and hung his body on that rope. I don't know why I did it, but… when I was leaving the staff room, I was worried another employee would walk in and see. I came across the cart Odetnim used. I remembered that idea, the one I had two years ago. So I took it. And the rest came after that. I was shocked when Lyra didn't notice a thing… but maybe I shouldn't have been."

"Amy-"

"Lyra knew what I was going through. She knew the kind of pressure that I was under. And yet… she did nothing for me. Nothing but seal my doom. And to think: I considered her my best friend!"

"Amy…" It was hard to tell who was crying more by this point. One would think it was the person about to be arrested for murder, but that may not be correct. "I never meant for any of this to happen. You must know that!"

"You can't blame this lady for trying to help you. Even if it didn't work out that way," Lite added, mollified.

"I don't think anyone here is to blame for what happened!" Maya spoke up. "You were just acting in self-defense, right? I've seen cases like that before! Trust me when I say the sentences are usually lighter. You won't get life, and I don't think you'll get the death penalty, either!"

"No. I blame myself. I tried to follow the plan of a villain. In the end, even the best villains are doomed to failure, because no matter the story, the hero had to win." Riter continued to talk amongst sniffing back her tears. "And in this case, this was your investigation. I guess that makes you the hero in this case… Prosecutor Edgeworth."

Edgeworth supposed he would have to give into his doubts another day. He would let the prosecutor who took this case to court decide whether this was a case of self-defense or not. Maybe he could even recommend that path be taken.

At least, that was what he thought. But then-

"Mr. Edgeworth! We have the autopsy report to give you, sir." An officer who hadn't been seen since the beginning of the investigation burst in, a collection of papers in hand. "Apologies for the delay. Things have finally calmed down at Dye Young."

"Thank you, officer. I have been waiting a long time for this report." Edgeworth took the papers from the officer as he gave the prosecutor a salute. The officer then walked away.

"What does it say, Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya asked, only somewhat curious. They'd already figured out what the report was going to say already, after all. Right?

Wrong. Edgeworth almost felt his heart sink as he combed over the details. So much for self-defense.

"It says... the autopsy report does say Mr. Richards was strangled, but that he survived the first encounter. He was left unconscious from the lack of air, yes, but... the ultimate cause of death came from being hung at a later time."

-"Victim's Autopsy" added to Organizer-

"So in other words…"

"Miss Riter didn't kill the victim in the staff room when he attacked her. She killed him when she tied him to the stage rope. I... suppose that makes the stage rope the real murder weapon."

-"Laptop Strap" and "Stage Rope" updated in Organizer-

"While I will agree it is unfortunate, I'm afraid this makes the plea of self-defense rather difficult to sustain in court. I'll leave that to the trial to figure out, however." Edgeworth spoke as the police arrested Riter once and for all. She didn't speak, dumbstruck as she was from what the autopsy report had revealed.

No one had anything else to say as the writer was led away. Lite didn't stick around either, preferring to leave after promising an officer he would serve as a witness if need be. Edgeworth wondered if he would, indeed, post his dealings online later. He supposed Maya would know if he did.

Once she was gone, Maya expressed her concern. "I still say she acted in self-defense. She didn't know he was still alive after that!"

"That may not be enough to save her, Miss Fey. But I suppose it all depends on how those in court choose to argue it."

"I agree," Cachè came in on Edgeworth's side, surprising both of them. "Ultimately it's up to the courts and those that fight in them to decide." He then turned to face Edgeworth and look him in the eye. "You made the same choice I would have if I were you… Prosecutor Edgeworth."

Edgeworth gave a curt nod of acknowledgment, not sure where the investigator was going with this just yet. Instead of replying directly, he turned to Pitch. "You can leave now, Miss Pitch. I hope I don't have to remind you, but you will need to testify in court when this case goes to trial. I can't imagine the prosecution wouldn't call you when it does."

Pitch was no longer crying, but her head was still down. "Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth. Would it be possible for me to visit Amy once she gets into the detention center?"

"I would imagine visiting hours are about to end, but you may be able to tomorrow."

Edgeworth's reply made the music director feel a little better about her role in this case. She was hoping that in visiting Riter, she could help her friend heal as well. "Thank you Mr. Edgeworth, I'm going to do that." Pitch exited the room after that.

For a moment Edgeworth, Maya and Cachè stood silent, before the Investigator let out a sigh. "A pity," he said, turning his head to look into the distance.. "It's cases like these which make me wonder which side we're on." He then turned back to Edgeworth and Maya. "Regardless, Prosecutor Edgeworth, Miss Fey… Congratulations on completing that investigation, and even more so, on how you did it. I was pleasantly surprised," Cachè told the prosecutor and assistant, who were both a little shocked.

Maya was more willing to give voice to the matter. "Really Mr. Cachè? You seemed really critical with how Mr. Edgeworth was handling the case earlier. What changed your mind?" Maya clapped her hands together, a small smile breaking out onto her face.

"It's as I said before. When I was still a prosecutor, the man who stands before you was best known for the sordid lengths he would go to for a guilty verdict. The longer I stayed, the more it felt like he wasn't unique, in that regard. It's why I had to leave. But throughout my time here…" Cachè smiled, accentuating the wrinkles on his face. "I was proven wrong at every turn, and could not be happier about it. Even when I would attempt to test you, you passed with flying colors."

"What exactly were you testing me for?"

"I was testing not just your ability, but your character. I wanted to see for myself the kind of man you were. You said you wanted to become a different kind of prosecutor- no, a different man than who you once were, so I was testing if you really meant those words, and just how far you've come. Now that I have worked this case with you, I think I can safely say I liked what I saw."

"Well, you should! Mr. Edgeworth is the best prosecutor I know! And trust me, I've met several." Maya piped up before the prosecutor had a chance to respond.

"...Thank you, Mr. Cachè. You did some good work today, yourself. Would you ever consider returning to the Prosecutor's Office?"

Cachè laughed, shaking his head. "You aren't the only one to keep asking me that. But I have to say, I like where I am. It helps me reach the people the regular system can't. Perhaps with people like you, there may be hope yet for our justice system. However, even that wouldn't be enough to bring me back. We need people on all sides of society working to support the law, and I'm sure the best way I can do that is from where I am. Speaking of…" he pulled a crumpled piece of paper out from his trench coat, "If you remember what I said earlier, I'm on a missing person's case at the moment. If you have any information I can provide my client about Wess T. Bower, call the number on the flyer."

"It will be done."

-"Cachè's Flyer" added to Organizer-

"Now I have to get home. My wife will be quite upset with me for missing dinner. And I still have to see how Samuel is doing." And with that, he left. Edgeworth wasn't even given a chance to say goodbye.

"We make a pretty good team, Mr. Edgeworth! Now are you ready for some burgers?"

Oh right. Edgeworth had promised he would buy her some more food as soon as this case was over. Personally, he was in the mood for something a bit more refined, but a promise was a promise. "Very well. I'm coming."

As the police dispersed, Edgeworth and Maya made their way to through the deserted convention center to the entrance. Edgeworth had arrived when it was still crowded, so their parking spot was quite far away. They didn't see anyone else as they were walking back.

Which is why it was such a shock when, through the setting sun, Edgeworth saw two people running towards them to the doorway. Who was it now?

"Miles Edgeworth! Let me in!"

Edgeworth obliged before he had time to think about it. When he got a good luck at their faces, he crinkled his brow in confusion. "Kay? Franziska? What are you doing here?"

"How was the convention?" Kay asked, eyes bright. "Did you get to play a bunch of cool new video games?"

"No. Why are the two of you here?"

"To bring you news relevant to your case. Your actual case," Franziska answered. Clearly, she'd heard about his activities today from somewhere.

Edgeworth caught onto what she was saying right away. "How is she? Will she recover in time to testify?"

With that, Kay went silent, hand flying up to grab her scarf. It was Franziska who actually spoke. "No… I'm afraid not. Not tomorrow, not ever."

It couldn't be. "You don't mean?"

"Your witness, Cassandra Washington? She is dead."

---

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. Other ropes of this type held promotional posters.

Update: As it turns out, it actually was the murder weapon. I… did not see that coming.

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: Evidence

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.

Update: Was used by Riter to stangle the victim in the staff room in response to being attacked.

Update: Despite the item's use in the struggle, it is ultimately not the murder weapon.

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

Update: Traces of the victim's DNA line the bottom shelf of the cart, indicating the body was once held there.

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. The poster is covered in the sweat and saliva of the victim, indicating it was in contact with Richards's body.

Maya's Magatama

Type: Other

Description: A green glowing rock that reveals when people are keeping secrets in the form of Psycholocks. I do not have fond memories of this device.

Staff Room Summary

Type: Evidence

Description: Signs of a struggle can be found in the staff room, complete with riter's fingerprints on the doorknob. However, there was nothing resembling a murder weapon in the room.

Victim's Autopsy

Type: Evidence

Description: The victim was strangled twice, once pre-mortem around 12:30pm and once fatally after 1:30pm. He was unconscious between those times. Check

Cachè's Flyer

Type: Other

Description: A missing person's poster for one Wess T. Bower. The name and face are unfamiliar to me.

---

A/N's: PTV and RJ worked together to write the final chapter of this case. Both authors, plus Ajani, wish to leave their notes.

PTV: We made it, folks! To the end of case three. I admit I was hoping to get more done this summer (school starts in two weeks for me), but I'm still happy with what we've accomplished, and hope you enjoyed this case as much as we did. Of all the episodes, this is probably the most lighthearted and fun (outside the actual crime scenario, which is pretty dark when you stop to think about it). It all gets darker in mood from here.

Bet you never thought there would be Psyche-Locks in an AAI game, did you? Well, this fic is open to doing things we don't think the actual games would ever attempt. Last case's culprit being a background extra until the very end should have clued you in on that. The next case only gets better, in this regard. In Episode Four, we will write an entire episode of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth… in which Miles Edgeworth does not appear. Not even once. Warranted, as Episodes Three and Four take place at the same time. And with that, I'm pretty sure you all can guess the rest of the details from there. If not, the opening should be up in a day or two.

But before we announce the episode title, I'm gonna hand the mic (or rather, the keyboard) over to my fellow co-writers. Who wants to go next?

RJ: I am also happy with what we were able to accomplish with this case! Having a case centered around a gaming convention, made for a very unique setting and it was a pleasure to be able to assist you PTV, and Ajani on this case, and look forward to the next one. Putting a Psyche-Locks scene in an AAI "game" was pretty cool, it would most likely never happen in an actual AAI game. Although, wouldn't it be funny if it actually did in the future? So who is excited for the opening of case 4? We are excited to do more writing for it, so you can start reading it! Thank you all for reading and we look forward to also reading your reviews on Game For The Turnabout's final chapter! I'm going to pass the keyboard back to PTV, now.

PTV: Seriously, though. Give it up for RJ. I was in a bit a slump regarding this case last week (my mind had already moved on to the next case and the finale), and she was up in here writing a good quarter of this chapter straight through (from end of Psyche-Lock to Riter's final arrest) in like, two days. When I came back, I had to reload our doc because it changed so much. With a little blending of our writing voices in the edits, it flowed great.

I'm hoping with all three of us fully committed on case four (if more intermittently because of school and shit), we can get content that's a true mix of all of us (rather than one dominating in sections) posted at a semi-decent pace. Ajani and I have already been riffing off each other on the opening and once that blends, I think you all will love it. Isn't that right, Ajani?

Ajani: I'm sure they will. Best part? It's going up tomorrow! That's right, you guys get to not only see the conclusion of this case, but get a preview of the next one!

PTV: And without further ado, the title for the next case is… Turnabout on Life Support. We have an opening in the works, a fully written outline, and will begin writing for the case proper soon.

Thanks for sticking with us, don't forget to let us know what you thought of this case, and I'll see you on the far side!