"What?" Kay was the most shocked of the three. "That patient in the next room… he's a hitman for the gangs?"
"That's what my squad thinks, at least." Ergic pulled his police cap out of his bag, fitting it back onto his head. "I wonder… was he already taken to the hospital by the time we showed up? Who took him in? Did he have associates waiting in the wings?"
"As if any of that is relevant to my case," Franziska murmured, then addressed Ergic directly. "Does your former squad have the evidence they need to arrest the man upon recovery?"
He winced. "Well, no. We weren't able to investigate very much, considering who the victims were. They didn't even want to file charges."
"Then I couldn't care less." Then, perhaps in contradiction to herself, she added a note about the issue to her Organizer.
-"Hertz's True Occupation" added to Organizer-
Gumshoe wasn't so resolute. "But sir! If this Hertz guy's a hitman, who knows how many other cases he could be involved in? We've gotta talk to him while we have the chance, sir!"
"You could always ask him more about his testimony. Maybe he's remembered something else since we last talked," Kay added.
"And what could he have remembered, exactly? Another wild goose chase on which he can send us?"
"But if he's a hitman, that means he's killed before, right? And he probably knows other people in the same business, don't you think?" Franziska was pretty sure she knew where Kay was going with this, but she let the teen finish. "What if he knows who got assigned to this murder?"
"If the victim was indeed killed by a hired gun." The possibility was there, but the evidence wasn't. Which meant Franziska needed to make a choice, here.
Seeing as the two were practically begging her (and she didn't exactly have any better options), Franziska found herself caving to the detective's request. Perhaps this would help other prosecutors with their cases, if not her own.
Oh, who was she kidding? She didn't care about anyone's cases but hers.
July 3rd, 2:56pm
Dye Young Hospital
Patient Room 4201
"What are you doing here again?" Hertz was none too pleased to see them return. "Thought you were gonna let me sleep."
"That was before, and this is now." Franziska didn't answer the man's question directly. "Tell me more about yourself, Mr. Bruce Hertz."
"What's it to you?" Hertz was eyeing them suspiciously. Now that Franziska knew more about the man and his profession, his behavior made a lot more sense. "Isn't all you care about what I saw across the hall?"
"We have reason to believe you may not have been speaking truthfully about that." Franziska continued to dance around the subject. If she was agitated, she didn't let it show. "Tell me: might there be a reason you would choose not to cooperate with the local police?"
"Because everyone thinks you're a hotbed of corruption right now?" His suggestion was so impudent, Franziska almost wanted to whip out her Interpol badge to prove herself excluded. Then she remembered she wasn't acting on official Interpol business and that claiming otherwise would be a severe breach of contract.
No. Right now, Franziska was a regular prosecutor, flown in from Germany to assist the district her brother devoted so much of himself to. That fact included her personally in the insult Hertz had levied. The arrow hit the target.
"That's not the reason and you know it, pal!" Gumshoe grew impatient with Franziska's seeming lack of direction. "Tell us how you ended up in this hospital."
"Why would you ever need to know that?" He was starting to turn red again. "I'm telling you, all I saw was a man in the hall with a sandwich. Why would I lie about that?"
Franziska stepped back into the conversation. She didn't trust the detective to handle it with the care needed. "Simple. It's because you..."
-Hate prosecutors
-Wanted to chase us out
-Have a criminal background
None of these answers were wrong per se, but only one led Franziska into the conversation she wanted to have. So she opted to bring Hertz's occupation into her questioning. "Because of your background, naturally. You and your… cohorts lead very questionable lifestyles. Lifestyles that could have potentially led to the murder of Cassandra Washington." Franziska kept her voice firm but did not want to raise her voice as of yet. She believed that she was on the right path in questioning the man on this matter. The only thing she had to do now was hope that she would get an answer relevant to her investigation.
"Questionable, you say? Now, what what make you think that? I could say stuff like that about your law enforcement friends too, you know!" Hertz raised his voice, gritting his teeth. If the man had possessed the ability to take a swing at her, Franziska was confident he would have.
But such thoughts didn't alarm her. Franziska had a feeling that he'd tried to use that angle to upset her, yet it did just the opposite. He'd just fueled Franziska's fire even more. It even got her thinking. "Why is that, Mr, Hertz? Do you have a reason to fear them?" Franziska's tone held a touch of condescension. It wasn't over the top, but rather just enough to fire Hertz up enough to say things he would wish he hadn't.
"So what if I do?" Hertz said, squirming a little in his bed. "It doesn't mean I've done anything wrong, here!"
"Perhaps not. Not in this case, at least." The sly smile on the prosecutor's face showed that she was liking the direction that this was going. She could pin him down. But only if she chose her next words wisely. "But what about your associates?"
"You are really started to get on my nerves, Prosecutor Lady. What are you trying to say?"
"I have reasons to believe that you have… connections. Connections that you would wish to keep hidden. Any sensible human would be nervous for the future and fate of their associates, even if they are foolish. You seem nervous, Mr. Bruce Hertz. Why is that? I think I know the answer to that!"
Franziska opened her Organizer once more, presenting the page about Hertz's life outside the hospital. "TAKE THAT! Those foolishly foolish jobs of yours have to be the reason why you ended up in this hospital! The only way you could have gotten in in such a sorry state is you had 'help' getting there!" Franziska rose her voice this time, cracking her whip at the foot of the bed. She wasn't able to keep it quiet anymore.
"...If you keep this up, I'm gonna have you thrown out of this room. I have rights!" Hertz threatened. Franziska was unfazed.
"If you can tell me what you know regarding Cassandra Washington's murder and the involvement that your connections may have had in it, I will leave you." Franziska bargained.
"Fine! If you promise that you will leave me alone after, I'll tell you everything I know. But I better not see you again after this!" Hertz practically shouted.
"But what about the other cases, sir?" Gumshoe whispered in Franziska's ear. She stepped away gingerly, faking disgust at his proximity to her person.
"We have no right to be interrogating him about those here. Not without authority and evidence would I inquire beyond the scope of my assignments."
"Hey! You want me to spill or not?" That got them to be quiet.
-Witness Testimony-
"All I Know"
"As far as the murder of your precious Washington goes, I still know nothing about it.
"All I know is that I saw a man standing outside the lady's door with a sandwich. Then he left without one.
"You can investigate my room all you want. In fact, you did. And you didn't find anything.
"I'm in here with two broken arms. I'm physically incapable of having any part in this crime.
"Now, are we done here? I was supposed to eat over an hour ago."
"Not quite." Franziska wasn't sure where she wanted to go with this, so… might as well copy her little brother's routine.
"Let me guess: you still have questions." Hertz rolled his eyes. "Just get it over with already."
"Well, that was quick. I thought we were going to have to push him." Kay observed. "He must be really sure of what he's saying."
That, or he was really sure Franziska couldn't contradict him. The two were not necessarily the same thing. And Franziska was going to prove him wrong on both counts.
Just he wait.
-Cross-Examination-
"All I Know"
"As far as the murder of your precious Washington goes, I still know nothing about it.
"All I know is that I saw a man standing outside the lady's door with a sandwich. Then he left without one. "
"HOLD IT!" Franziska shouted, cheeks starting to burn. "This is no different from your previous testimony!"
"Yeah, because what I said earlier is true. Why's that so hard to stomach, lady? You need me to repeat myself a third time?"
"No one else can confirm your testimony, Mr. Bruce Hertz. No one else saw the man you described. Why is that, do you think?"
"Because they weren't looking out for a random dude carrying a sandwich? They had more important things to worry about and forgot they saw it?" Hertz rolled his eyes. "You know, if this woman was so important, why didn't you have someone guarding her all the time? You had one police dude, and he was only here half the time!"
"He… is being fired as soon as this case is over." Franziska felt her hand clenching her shoulder. It all came back to Ergic's stupidity, didn't it? "Continue your testimony."
"...
"You can investigate my room all you want. In fact, you did. And you didn't find anything."
She wasn't sure what the contradiction meant, exactly, but "OBJECTION!" Franziska presented the cell phone they'd found in this very room to the belligerent patient. "Mr. Bruce Hertz. Are you not forgetting something?"
"That thing? I don't know where you got that, but it's not mine." Hertz was insistent on this point. "Your police planted it in here."
"As if we would ever plant evidence, pal! If we wanted to arrest you for something, we would find evidence the old fashioned way." Gumshoe added the last sentence with a smirk. "With some good ol' investigating."
Hertz snorted. "Even if that old phone was mine, what does it matter? As if I can use it when I'm like this! Why do you keep bringing that thing up, anyway?"
Franziska had to think about this. If she wanted to argue that the piece of evidence was connected to the crime, she had to establish the nature of the connection. The timing of the calls wasn't enough. For all she knew, they were a complete coincidence. So what else could she say?
"The phone connects you to the murder across the hall in that you used it to…
-Report the crime
-Communicate with the killer
-Order better food for yourself
"You may have been physically incapable of the murder yourself, Mr. Bruce Hertz, but you weren't about to let that stop you from working. Even hired killers have to make an income, after all. When you were propositioned from your hospital bed, you knew you couldn't let something as minor as immobility slow your career down. So you called in for help. You gave other hitmen the opportunity, and in turn, they shared their profits with you. Isn't that the truth, Mr. Bruce Hertz?"
"...You are the only one here who is that dedicated to your job, sir." Gumshoe just had to interrupt, didn't he? "Even I wouldn't try to work through a life threatening injury."
Franziska's hand flew up to her shoulder out of instinct. "Scruffy! Silence yourself and get this phone searched for the witness's fingerprints. Don't keep me waiting." She tossed the piece of evidence to the detective. He scuffled out the door without protest.
She turned back to look into Hertz's eyes, which were currently wide with shock. "...Are you crazy, lady? I'm not connected to this crime! So I've been giving all my jobs to Stev-" He cut himself off before he could say anything incriminating. "But I had nothing to do with this case! My only connection is that I happened to be across the hall recovering when it went down. I wish I weren't so unlucky. Trust me. But I can't call people in my state. My hand can't get close enough to my face in this setup." Hertz attempted to gesture to the ropes holding his casts aloft, only succeeding in shaking them slightly. The effect was achieved regardless.
And with that, a thought occurred to her. Something she hadn't considered before. But if Franziska really believed in her own theory, then it had to be true. No matter how improbable. "Mr. Bruce Hertz, are you sure you aren't exaggerating the extent of your injuries to us?"
"Who would fake injuries like this?!" Hertz sputtered. If he were able to walk out of his own hospital room, he probably would have rage-quit this entire interrogation. A glance at his legs told Franziska that he was still considering the idea.
"Answer the question, Mr. Bruce Hertz. If you claim to be too injured to commit any crimes, then it's my job as an investigator to verify such a claim."
"What do you want me to do, get my nurse in here? She should be feeding me any minute! I bet this police investigation's what's making her late." He sighed. Franziska could have sworn she heard his stomach gurgle. "I'm going to repeat myself. With all these injuries and no real evidence on me, how could I have even asked someone to fill a request?"
While Franziska didn't want to admit it, having already investigated the room, she didn't find any reason to not believe what the man was telling her. But she wasn't about to give in that easily.
"If we don't find anything on that phone, our investigation is right back where it started." Kay gave voice to Franziska's fears. No way could the prosecutor stop now.
"...Kay Faraday, could you please inquire into the whereabouts of one Miss Karin Jenson? Mr. Bruce Hertz needs his meal, and I need to ask her a couple questions."
"Right away!" Kay ran out the room, nearly running into a nurse as she left. This predicament left Franziska and Hertz alone with a very awkward silence in between them.
July 3rd, 3:32pm
Dye Young Hospital
Patient Room 4201
"You wanted to see me, Prosecutor Von Karma?" Jenson came into the room behind Kay with a tray of food in hand. "Apologies for the delay in your meal, Mr. Hertz. The police investigation has thrown everything in this hospital into commotion. My grandmother needed help with the autopsy, but the prosecutor should be receiving it shortly." She began to feed her patient as they talked.
Franziska doubted the autopsy would reveal anything she didn't already know, but it would be important for the trial. Provided there were no surprises, the German would probably set the document aside until then. "Yes, Miss Karin Jenson. I had a few questions regarding this patient of yours. When I ask him himself, he is most uncooperative. I'm confident you will be able to lend more clarity to the matter."
"Well, there may be a few things I'm not allowed to answer. The hospital's policy forbids me from revealing some aspects of a patient's health to outsiders without their consent. I'm sure you understand."
Franziska forced a smile. "Of course. I simply wish to know about Mr. Bruce Hertz's range of ability as of today. What he would and would not be capable of doing in his injured state."
Jenson thought about it for a second, then replied, "I think I can do that. Allow me.
-Witness Testimony-
"What Hertz Can Do"
"As you can see, Mr. Hertz obtained serious injuries on all four of his limbs, rendering all but one leg almost completely immobile.
"While he has no trouble speaking or moving his head, torso and neck, those are the only areas he can use very well.
"His fingers have limited range of motion due to the casts he wears. Even gripping a spoon proves too much at this time.
"All in all, I wouldn't say he's capable of much, beyond tripping the patient alarms with unnatural frequency. Why do you ask?"
Well, of course he's capable of unnatural frequencies. I would suspect nothing less from a man with his name.
Franziska felt her theory collapsing around her with each new statement. She wasn't willing to speak at this time, so Kay had to in her stead. "We thought he might have made a cell phone call earlier."
Jenson shook her head right away at the notion. "Absolutely not. According to the medical papers the doctor prepared," she pointed across the room to the papers Franziska had examined earlier, "His hands can't grip anything of such a small size, let alone reach his face. Whatever gave you that impression, I assure you you were misled."
Hertz couldn't speak with the spoon going in and out of his mouth, but the look in his eyes said it all. He was triumphant.
Franziska had examined those papers earlier. How had she forgotten to read them in detail? She was used to leaving no detail unexamined!
-"Hertz's Medical Papers" updated in Organizer-
As if she needed further confirmation of her own idiocy, Gumshoe picked that moment to walk back into the room. "Miss Von Karma, sir! I have the fingerprint analysis from the cell phone you gave me."
"Let me guess: none of the prints match our witness."
The detective slumped. "Yeah. I'm sorry, sir. I really wanted a reason to go after Hertz, too."
Franziska thought she'd want to whip something at that statement. So it was kind of shocking to realize that she didn't. She wasn't feeling the motivation to do much of anything at this stage of the investigation. And it showed.
"Well, we have none." Her tone was bland, but she was careful to add, "let Criminal Affairs know who we have found and what was discussed here today."
"Will do, sir."
-"Mysterious Cell Phone" updated in Organizer-
"Mr. Bruce Hertz. I… acknowledge the limited extent of your role as a witness in this crime. I shall take my investigation elsewhere."
"Has the prosecutor lady finally admitted that she believes me? It's about time." Hertz spoke with a smile as he finished his food. He had the smirk of a criminal who knew he was going free. A look Franziska found that she utterly could not stand.
"Wipe that smile off your face before I whip it off of you!" Franziska cracked her whip on the floor to prove her point. Turning away from him, she transcribed the witness's testimony into her Organizer.
-"Hertz's Testimony" added to Organizer-
"Were you going to question me further, Prosecutor?" Jenson asked.
"...No. I see no point. Kay, Scruffy." Franziska wanted out of this room as soon as possible. The faster she moved on from her failures, the better.
"Coming, sir!"
"I'm sorry, F-" Kay started before Gumshoe shushed her. The three left the patient's room in complete silence.
July 3rd, 3:54pm
Dye Young Hospital
Second Floor Hallway
Leaving Hertz's room, Franziska had intended to thoroughly comb over each piece of evidence, maybe even investigate the crime scene once more. She needed time to come up with a new strategy.
What she didn't need was to be confronted by a smug blonde attorney who thought he had all the answers. But alas, that seemed to be happening anyway.
"Prosecutor Von Karma," Gavin drew out his voice in low tones, turning away from his conversation with Ergic. "How goes the murder investigation?"
"Restrain yourself from distracting police officers or I will have you arrested for interference." Franziska had no patience for him at the moment. "No hospital employees are currently under investigation. You have no excuse for remaining here. Don't you have paperwork from your civil case this morning?"
"And an appointment in criminal court tomorrow," Gavin admitted. "But I know how to work more than one case at the same time. Perhaps you could do with some advice on the matter?"
Now what could he mean by that? What did this defense attorney know about her work in this country? He couldn't have possibly found out about what Interpol had assigned her.
Could he?
"What, with assisting Mr. Edgeworth on his hacking case on top of your work here today. The victim in this case was a witness for his trial tomorrow, was she not? I heard the trial would have been today, had she not been hospitalized."
So that's what he meant. Franziska would have been relieved, had the irritating man been finished.
Unfortunately for her, he was not. "Mr. Dyman will be dismayed to hear he's losing yet another employee. When I tell him that her murder may go unsolved as of yet-"
"Excuse yourself, Mr. Kristoph Gavin, before I order your eviction. You have no role in this case." Franziska had her whip pulled back, ready to strike when ready. Gumshoe cringed, mentally preparing himself for the lashes to come.
Gavin, for his part, remained unbothered. "I am standing in a public hospital's hallway on the way to innocent patients' rooms. The only area the police have cordoned off in this case is the crime scene itself. If you intend to evict me, pray tell: on what grounds would you be doing so? As for your case…." Oh, that smirk was insufferable. "Perhaps a hospital truly is an appropriate setting for you to be operating within. Your entire investigation appears to be on life support."
"If the crime scene is the only place we can talk alone, then maybe we should work out of there." Kay suggested, her arms crossed. "Leave the peanut gallery outside."
But Franziska wasn't in the habit of running from a challenge. She stood face to chin with the attorney, resenting her short stature for the thousandth time. "And what would you know about investigating a murder, Mr. Kristoph Gavin? If you had any sense of your role, you wouldn't get involved until a suspect is arrested. By the time that's occurred, the prosecutors and police have done all of the heavy lifting for you. Your only job outside the courtroom is to familiarize yourself with what we already know. Don't pretend you would be capable of anything else."
"My job is to defend the sane from the ludicrous. If you ask me, it doesn't matter much where that defending takes place, so long as it occurs. Think about how much time and effort I saved your investigation earlier. Had you wrongfully arrested that nurse, the best case scenario ends with the police releasing her and the defense doing your job for you. I hardly need to elaborate on what would be the worst case scenario."
"You got lucky with what you witnessed upon arrival. Such an observation required no skill on your part."
"Perhaps," he conceded, adjusting his glasses as he spoke to the prosecutor. "Regardless, I daresay I saved you a great deal of embarrassment. It wouldn't do for such a 'perfect prodigy' to be making careless mistakes. Not when you have a family name to rehabilitate." Gavin held up one hand, shaking his head as he did so. "A shame you insist on making a dunce of yourself."
"You watch what you say, pal!" Gumshoe snapped, practically frothing at the mouth.
But Gavin ignored the detective, fixing his eyes on Franziska's. They had a staring contest for what seemed an eternity. "Accusing a patient who can't even stand of murder? What sort of low has your proud house sunk to?"
"We never accused Mr. Hertz of the murder!" Kay objected, leaping to Franziska's defense. "Maybe if you got your information from someone better than a lazy ex-cop, you would know that."
Ergic flinched while Gavin laughed. "I see. What was all the shouting I heard earlier, then? What else could bring you to harass the closest thing you have to a witness in this crime?
"Prosecutor Von Karma. I know you began your career as a child. But if you wish to be acknowledged as an adult now, then perhaps it's time you prove yourself one. Arrest the correct suspect for once in this district, and maybe our courts will take you seriously from here on out."
Franziska was about to rebut when the weight of Gavin's allegation hit her. Had Franziska really never arrested a correct suspect in this city before? She had to think about that one, but… well, perhaps one could count the case at the Gatewater Hotel, but she hadn't seen that one through in court. Extenuating circumstances had prevented her from finishing the job, forcing Edgeworth to take her place at the bench. As such, most people considered it the work of her little brother. And sure, there was the case from the auction at Grand Tower, but she'd been a prosecutor standing in for that particular one. In neither example could Franziska claim the case as fully hers. And if she were to consider her other cases…
Was her reputation as a prosecutor really that poor in this country? Franziska felt the passion drain from her eyes, her whole body going numb. Her whipping arm fell like a stone at her side.
"Are you okay, sir? Do you still want to remove him from the area?"
Franziska shook her head, walking briskly towards the waiting area without another word. Confused, Kay and Gumshoe chased after her.
July 3rd, 4:13pm
Dye Young Hospital
Second Floor Waiting Area
"I hate that guy! All he does is get in our way!" Kay spat. "Who knew defense attorneys could be so unpleasant?"
You should know. Franziska could have brought up another incident, but she didn't want to focus on the confrontation for any longer than necessary. "We need to investigate this case from a new angle. I… will be taking suggestions."
Before either party could suggest anything, they heard the sound of the cell phone. Everyone instinctively turned to the one the investigation had collected as evidence, but it wasn't ringing. Franziska's was.
Without checking the caller ID, the prosecutor hit the button to answer. She issued a typical greeting. "Prosecutor Franziska Von Karma. To whom am I speaking?"
"Hey, sis! Good news," a familiar roughness answered from the other end of the line. "The loose ends I was tracking down in Zheng Fa are all but cleaned up. The Lang family honor is restored."
Agent Shi-Long Lang. A talented Interpol agent and a practitioner of his own "detainment" philosophy. When it comes to criminals, he and his pack run together, hunting relentlessly for the truth. What Franziska wouldn't give to have him working the case with her at this very moment.
"Congratulations, Agent Lang. That's wonderful news." Franziska was being genuine when she replied. After all the difficulties his home country had gone through economically and politically, it was good to know that their issues were being resolved. "What do you plan to do next?"
"Well, I was hoping to hop on whatever assignment you had, but Interpol told me you were working under the radar for this one. Something about collecting information from a former contact?"
Franziska frowned when he mentioned that. "That was the intent, yes. Mr. Wess Bower was once a trusted informant of Interpol, but I'm told his behavior's become erratic as of late. His tendency to promote baseless conspiracy means the organization can't merely take him at his word any longer. Interpol wanted me to ensure we had more than an old man's paranoia before proceeding. Unfortunately, the two of us have yet to meet."
"Why is that, sis?"
"The old man was supposed to approach me at the Gatewater Hotel four days ago, but he's been a missing person for over a week. No one has seen or heard from him in eight days. But I am convinced that what he was going to tell us was about a real case."
Lang must have known that couldn't be the whole story. If it was, Franziska wouldn't have stayed in the area. "That's strange. What was he going to tell you about, anyway?"
"Illicit corporate dealings from the multinational gaming company of Hakari. Thanks to Miles Edgeworth, I was able to find an opening into their headquarters and a witness willing to tell me about what I seek." Franziska was making the situation sound a lot better than it was right now.
"Good man, that Edgeworth," Lang acknowledged. "What have you learned?"
"...Extremely little. I was evicted from the headquarters before I could collect the relevant evidence, the man who attempted to deliver it to me two nights ago was killed by a sniper, and the witness who agreed to talk is dead in the hospital. I don't even know who killed her!" Franziska felt herself close to tears. "No matter what I do, no matter where I turn… it's like the evidence evaporates before my eyes!"
"Woah, calm down. Was the sniper case handled by anyone you know? Would they let you search their evidence collection for the files you need?"
"I looked at them with the rookie in charge, yes. But I can't take the files for myself until after the case is decided in court. Even then, I've read their contents in full. Alone, they're only enough to warrant a second investigation. Hakari is bound to be on their guard. I doubt they left any evidence lying around this time."
"It sure sounds like they're doing a lot to hide their tracks… but they're making such a mess."
"What do you mean, Agent Lang?"
"Killing two, maybe three people after their headquarters was investigated? Going after a witness before she can testify? They must know they'll attract attention. They aren't trying to hide their true colors. They're trying to stay below the evidence threshold." Lang laughed. "Last group of crooks to do that was the smuggling ring. And we all saw how that ended. They had hands in the district Prosecutor's Office and it still wasn't enough to save them!"
"But what if we don't receive an opportunity like we did back then? I can't establish a connection between the killer and Hakari if I can't discern the killer's identity! I'm starting to think they're going to get away with everything." The last sentence was spoken with a small voice. Franziska usually wasn't this comfortable voicing her doubts, but something about Agent Lang made her feel like she could trust him with such things. They'd only been working cases together for a few months, but the two of them made a good team. Maybe he would have advice that could help her.
And he did. But it wasn't anything that she wanted to hear. "Look sis… Lang Zi says: 'the longest nights can be the darkest. But the light always comes.'"
"What are you trying to say?"
"You may not solve every case you encounter on the way to the truth. Sometimes things stay in the dark for a while. But the arc of history bends towards justice, and if smaller injustices happen along the way… it isn't your fault. You do what you can. But not every match is one you're going to win. Focus on the endgame, and don't let yourself get weighed down by the pursuit of smaller prey. It's the big guys you need to catch, here.
"Tie up what you can at the hospital. Transfer the case if you have to. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find any more information on this Bower guy that you can use."
"Wait-"
"Good luck, sis." He hung up.
Franziska put the phone down, eyes wild. What was she going to do now?
To be continued...
Organizer:
Profiles:
Franziska von Karma
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Description: The Prosecuting Prodigy, also known as myself. Need this file contain any more information?
Detective Gumshoe
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Description: The scruffy detective who is always in need of a whipping. Why I must always work with him while in this country, I'll never understand.
Kay Faraday
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Description: My little brother's assistant whom he acquired a few months ago. Her obsession with thievery makes them an odd pair. Now she wishes to work with me.
Karin Jenson
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Description: A nurse for Dye Young. I encountered her on a case a few months ago. Asked for me personally when the victim was found dead.
Cassandra Washington
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Description: Head financial advisor for Hakari Inc.. A key witness in the current investigation. She fainted during interrogation, then died in the hospital the next day. Foul play is suspected.
Maddy Sims
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Description: The nurse in charge of the victim's care at her time of death. Was meeting with her boyfriend while her patient lay dying.
Kristoph Gavin
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Description: An obnoxious defense attorney I've encountered more than once now. Outside of court, this is very unusual.
Klana Dharless
Age: ?
Gender: Female
Description: Some rich local woman who wants to protect the hospital from bearing any blame. I don't know much about her.
Gerald Ergic
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Description: An incompetent police guard who was assigned to guard the victim. Unfortunately, he was too busy getting lunch when the murder happened.
Bruce Hertz
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Description: The patient located across the hall from the victim. His injuries are critical, and his temper worse. Gerald Ergic is claiming he is a hitman of some kind.
Shi-Long Lang
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Description: An Interpol agent, one I've worked with several times in the past. Though his investigative prowess is far superior to Scruffy's, he's on the other side of the world at the moment.
Evidence:
Prosecutor's Badge
Type: Other
Description: The token of my noble profession. It is to be safely stored away in my pocket at all times.
Time of Death
Type: Information
Description: The heart monitor says the victim's heart stopped at exactly 12:15pm. It has not been touched since.
Patient Alarm
Type: Evidence
Description: Meant to alert the hospital if their patients experience any difficulties. However, it was turned off at the time of the fingerprints were found on the device, none were clear enough to be lifted.
Peanut Butter Sandwich
Type: Weapon
Description: Left on the victim's side table by an unknown party. Residue on the body indicates the victim touched it, causing the fatal reaction.
Care Provider List
Type: Evidence
Description: The nurse in charge of the victim at her time of death was Maddy Sims. Sims had no other patients at the time.
Sims's Outing
Type: Evidence
Description: This foolish nurse was visiting her boyfriend for twenty-two minutes while the murder was in progress, from noon to 12:22. She did not discover the body until after that.
Hertz's Medical Papers
Type: Evidence
Description: Describe the patient in the room across the hall from the victim. His name is Bruce Hertz, and his nurse Karen Jenson.
Update: Papers also describe Hertz's injuries, complete with his limited range of motion.
Mysterious Cell Phone
Type: Evidence
Description: By all appearances, a burner phone. There is no identification regarding who the owner is, and only one number is included in the call log.
Update: Despite being found in Hertz's hospital room, there are no signs the phone belongs to him.
Hertz's True Occupation
Type: Information
Description: By Ergic's account, the patient across the hall is a professional hitman. He may have gotten his injuries on the job a few weeks ago.
Hertz's Testimony
Type: Evidence
Description: Hertz claims he saw a man carry a sandwich into the victim's room around the time of the murder. So far, no one has been able to corroborate his story.
A/N's: PTV and RJ wrote this chapter together, and both would like to leave notes on it.
PTV: So Franziska is wrong again, huh? What's getting in her way of the truth, do you think? Of course Gavin's not helping at all (I have entirely too much fun writing his dialogue. His and Dyman's are probably the most fun for me), but Lang is, even if his role is a bit phoned in for this game. (Rimshot in the background). ...Yeah, sorry, that was funnier in my head.
Back to being serious, here. Lang's advice isn't the sweetest of medicine, but internet brownie points go to whoever spots the famous historical quote hidden within the wolfman's dialogue in this chapter. You get a shoutout in the next chapter if you do it. Did you notice, RJ?
RJ: …I really should have, but it hasn't clicked yet. As a member of the writing team, I kind of feel dumb for not realizing this. Haha!
PTV: Don't worry. I didn't realize it myself until later. But it actually fits pretty well in the context, so I didn't take it out. I'll tell you what it is after we post.
RJ: Alright awesome, thanks! I think one of my favorite scenes to write in this chapter was the confrontation with Franziska and Hertz, with her sarcasm and whip, Franziska is seriously way to fun to write a confrontation scene for. Poor Franziska though, it would be upsetting to do all that work and still not seem to be any closer to the truth. Can't wait for the readers to find out what happens next, when we can post the next chapter!
PTV: Yeah, should be fun. And then… we get to write the finale! We've already started our outline for that. It's going to be seven parts, most likely, and we will have Ajani back for that case! I, for one, cannot wait to work with him again. But that means we have to finish this case first.
Hope you enjoyed our first update of the new year, leave your thoughts below, and I will see you on the far side!
RJ: Yes, I am also looking forward to Ajani's return for the grand finale! That's true, this was the first update of the new year, hope the new year is off to a great start for all of our awesome readers!