Here we go the next chapter where J will meet the other witness and learn more about DL-6

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this.

DM77's Ace Attorney Chapter 32

The Other Witness

December 26, Boat Rental Shop

J and Jaden arrived to outside the Boat Rental Shop and it still looked abandoned. J was wondering if the person that runned this shop was here.

"Hey, J!" Jaden said smiling. "This is the boat shop that Todd was talking about!"

"You're right." J said nodding. "It doesn't seem to be anyone around at all."

"Well, let's go check it out anyway!" Jaden said smiling.

J nods and the two head inside the Caretaker's Shack.

December 26, Caretaker's Shack

"Bill! That you?!" A voice said as soon as the two enter and they see an old man with short white hair and a stubble like beard he wore a purple coat with white and red armour underneath and also a red neck scarf and red beanie hat. He look a bit out of touch as we was swaying a bit. He must be the Caretaker of this place.

"Ahhh!" Jaden said jumping.

"Hey, is that Cynthia with you?!" The Caretaker asked looking at J. "Where have you two been! I've been worried sick."

Jaden looks at this and smiles saying "J…. you handle this."

"Uh, I think I'll leave this one up to you, Jaden." J said grinning.

"Bill!" The Caretaker said.

"Y-yes?!" Jaden asked nervous.

"Finally made up your mind, have you?" The Caretaker asked him.

"M-my mind?" Jaden asked concerned.

"You'll run the pasta shop when I'm gone?" The Caretaker said.

"P-pasta?" Jaden said confused.

"Glad to hear it, glad to hear it!" The Caretaker said nodding. "You make your old man proud. When you kids left the house, I didn't know what to think. How am I supposed to keep this place running, an old man like me?" He then turns to the back where a Chatot was and said "Diantha! The kids are home!"

"Hello! Hello!" The Chatot known as Diantha squawks out.

"J! What was that?!" Jaden asked surprised.

"A Chatot…. the one on that perch." J said pointing to it.

"Cynthia!" The Caretaker said looking at J.

"Y-yes?!" J asked concerned.

"I leave the 'Wet Noodle' in your capable hands, dear." The Caretaker said smiling.

"J? What's the 'Wet Noodle'?" Jaden asked confused.

"Um, based on the available evidence, I'd say it's the name of his pasta shop." J said thinking.

"That's a relief, isn't it, Diantha?" The Caretaker said looking at the Chatot.

"Hello! Hello!" Diantha squawks out again.

"Ayup…" The Caretaker said and then he dozes off asleep.

"He fell asleep…" Jaden said surprised.

"I guess he's relieved." J said shrugging. She looks around and sees a safe on top of the TV.

"Look a little safe!" Jaden said smiling looking at the three box safe "Hmmm…" He tries opening it and looks sad "It's locked."

J looks at Diantha the Chatot who stood on her perch watching them silently.

"Wow….what an amazing Chatot that is." Jaden said smiling at the bird pokemon. He said to her "Good morning!" Diantha however remains silent. "Hello!" There was no response. Jaden sadly said "It ignored me!"

The Caretaker then wakes up and said "What, you forgot, Bill? You got to call her name first!"

"Her name?" Jaden asked confused.

"Diantha! How ya been?!" The Caretaker asked the Chatot.

"Hello! Hello!" Diantha squaks.

"See?" The Caretaker said.

"Neat! So that Chatot's name is 'Diantha'!" Jaden said smiling. J figures this may be useful so she adds the Chatot into the Court Record. Jaden then said "Too bad all she can say is 'hello'…"

"Har, har, har!" The Caretaker laughs and said "Old Diantha can say lots of things! You just need to know the secret words!"

"The 'secret words'…?" Jaden asked surprised.

J decided time to talk to the Caretaker who dozed off again but woke up when she pokes him and said "Ummm…a pasta shop?"

"Ayup! To think, the 'Wet Noodle,' will live on when I'm gone!" The Caretaker said. "My father started it you know. So that makes you two the third generation! Bill…"

"Y-yes!" Jaden said knowing he meant him.

"Tomorrow, we'll start with the secrets of dough tossing!" The Caretaker said.

"D-dough tossing?" Jaden asked.

"You, too, Cynthia." The Caretaker said to J.

"Y-yes?" J said confused.

"You'll be the best pasta wrangler the West has ever seen!" The Caretaker said.

"P-pasta wrangler? The West? I-isn't pasta from Italy though?" Jaden asked.

"Bill!" The Caretaker said angry.

"Y-yes!" Jaden said nervous.

"You know the best pasta's always been made west of the Rockies, don't you?" The Caretaker told him.

"R-right of course. Everyboyd knows that." J said trying to calm the tension down.

"J…?" Jaden said concerned.

"Huh?" J looks at him.

"How long do we have to keep up this all-in-the-family charade?" Jaden asked.

'This old man must know something about the murder…! We're not leaving until we find out what that is.' J thinks and asks "Umm…this is a boat rental shop, right?"

"What're you talking about?" The Caretaker said angered "This here's the palace of pasta, the 'Wet Noodle'! Though, now that you mention it, we haven't gotten many orders for spaghetti larely. All the kids come up and say 'Yo, dude, we wanna ride in one of your boats!' That's why I keep them boats out there. Youngsters these days…Darned if I understand them!"

"I'm pretty confused myself." J said sighing.

"J…This isn't going anywhere." Jaden told her.

"But this old man is the witness tomorrow, right? We've got to find some way of getting information out of him!" J asked. She thinks.

"Ack, my memory's gotten worse of late." The Caretaker said, "That's why I just tell everything important to old Diantha here."

"Everything…important?" Jaden asked. "Hmm, I wonder…Diantha! What's the number to the safe?!"

"…1228!" Diantha squawks out.

"Alright!" Jaden cheers smiling.

"H-hey! Diantha! Watch it, will you!" The caretaker said annoyed.

"Heh, heh. See J? All it takes is a little clever thinking!" Jaden said chuckling.

'And a criminal mind…' J thinks to that.

"Quick, J! Write that number down!" Jaden told her.

"H-hey! Don't get me involved in your little heist schemes." J told him. She decided it best to wait until later before opening the safe and presents her Attorney's Badge to the Caretaker.

"That's a lawyer's badge?" The Caretaker said looking at it

"Y-yes, it is!" J said nodding surprised and thinks 'I don't believe it! This old guy is the first person to recognize my badge!'

The Caretaker remains silent but then said "I get it."

"Huh?" J said confused.

"Ayup…I got you figured out now!" The Caretaker said then added angered. "You're not Cynthia!"

J was stunned silence and Jaden said "J! Now's our chance to clear things up!"

"Ummm…sir. No, I'm not Cynthia." J said to the Caretaker.

"And I'm not Bill, either!" Jaden added to that.

"We're here investigating a murder that took place on this lake the other night." J told him.

"Please, help us!" Jaden said to him.

The Caretaker then calms down and said "Hmm…a lawyer, huh?"

"Please, sir…" Jaden said smiling.

"Alright, I'll help." The Caretaker said smiling. "But, on one condition."

"What's that?" Jaden asked.

"When this case is over and done…You'll run the 'Wet Noodle'!" The Caretaker said.

J sighs but figured best to play along and said "Okay, we promise."

"J! Are you sure about this?" Jaden asked surprised.

"Hey, anything to get this case solved." J said shrugging. "Also…Who wouldn't want to eat 'J Noodlies'?" She grins.

"I…guess so." Jaden said thinking.

"That's my girl! Good for you, Cynthia." The Caretaker said.

"W-wait, didn't I just say…" J began to say.

"You too, Bill!" The Caretaker said to Jaden.

"Y-yes?!" Jaden said nervous.

"Heh, heh, heh…you bring a tear to your old man's eye you know." The Caretaker said smiling. "Now, what was that you wanted to know? Speak up, Diantha!"

"Hello! Hello!" Diantha squawks out.

"Er…" Jaden lets out concerned.

'Now he's talking to the Chatot again! How do we get him to talk to us?!' J thinks she then shows him the Lake Photo.

"Ayup, I seen this." The Caretaker said seeing the image.

"Y-you know something about this, sir?!" J asked surprised.

"Cynthia." The Caretaker said looking at J.

"Y-yes?" J asked.

"It's okay. You can call me Dad." The Caretaker said smiling.

J was stunned but then said "D-Dad! You know something about this?!"

"Ayup." The Caretaker said nodding "The other night…out on the lake…"

"Yes? Yes?!" Jaden said getting some progress.

"I know all about that! I seen it." The Caretaker said.

"Whaaat?!" Jaden said in shock. "Tell us! Tell us what you saw!"

"Well, I suppose." The Caretaker said "Since you're taking over the shop and all…" He thinks "I forget the time, but it was pretty dark outside…probably night, ayup."

'It was after midnight, but okay…' J thinks at that and shrugs.

"Then I heard this 'bang!' So I looked outside." The Caretaker continues "Then I heard another one. 'Bang!' A little while later, this boat comes back. Then a young man walked by my window here. He was muttering something to himself, ayup."

"What did he say?" Jaden asked concerned.

The Caretaker thinks "Ayup…I forgot. I'll remember tomorrow by court time, promise."

"We need to know earlier than that…!" Jaden said looking down.

"You know what? Eh?" The Caretaker said "Little Clint was just here."

"'Clint'…?" J asked confused that was a new name.

"Ayup, that kid next door." The Caretaker said nodding "You always used to make him cry, remember? He was wearing this pilot's hat. Still have that innocent shine in his eyes."

'He must be talking about Detective N…' J thinks getting it.

"He comes up and tells me to come down to court tomorrow." The Caretaker explained.

"Really…?" Jaden said sadly.

'Somehow I don't think we're going to get much useful information from this guy.' J thinks sighing and said "Jaden…maybe we should be leaving."

"I think you're right." Jaden said smiling. "Oh, wait I had one more question."

"Huh?" J lets out confused.

"Diantha! Diantha! Have we forgotten something?" Jaden said to the Chatot smiling.

Diantha squawks and then suddenly said "Don't forget DL-6!"

"H-huh?!" Jaden said in shock "What did she just say, J?"

"One more time, Diantha!" J said also in shock.

"Don't forget DL-6!" Diantha squawks out again.

'What?! The DL-6 Incident?' J thinks in shock and looks to the Caretaker "Hey, mister! I-I mean, Dad!" She sees he has fallen asleep again. 'This is getting weird…Who IS this old guy?!'

The two leave the building and as they walks Jaden thinks and asked "Why would that Chatot Diantha know about DL-6…?"

"We have to figure out who that old man is." J said thinking.

"Oh…" Jaden said to that as he tries the door.

"What?" J asked.

"He locked the door, from the other side." Jaden said in surprise.

J looks at the building and thinks 'Who could that old man be…? I think I need to do a little more research on this DL-6 Incident…Maybe I should ask Detective N.'

The two head to the Police Troopers station.

December 26, Police Trooper Department, Criminal Affairs

N sees them enter and motions them over and said "Hey, buddy! Long time no see!" He notes the concerned look on their faces and said "You don't look so happy. What's wrong this time?"

"Actually, we wanted to ask you something…" J said sitting on a chair.

"Yeah?" N asked.

"You know the boat rental shop down at Seadra Lake?" J asked him.

"Oh yeah…" N said nodding.

"The old man who runs it is appearing as a witness in court tomorrow, right?" J asked

N rubs his head and said "Huh…?! How'd you…Hmm. That was supposed to be top secret."

"Do you know who that old man is, Detective?" Jaden asked concerned.

N thinks and looks down and said "Actually…I don't. He's a bit of an odd bird…I haven't been able to get a straight answer out of him. I decided first that he wasn't persuasive enough to stand and testify as a witness. That's why we called Mr. Todd Snap yesterday. As for who he is…We have absolutely no idea."

"Hmmm…sounds suspicious!" Jaden said thinking.

"Hmnm…." N thinks

"Detective N, please, help us…" J said to him.

"H-huh?" the Drone detective said.

"We need to know about the DL-6 Incident!" J told him. N was surprised by this, and J said "That was when Hunter's adoptive father died. I can't help but think that is has something to do with this current case."

N remains quiet and then said "To tell the truth, I don't know much about DL-6 either. Mr. Deamonne forbade us from reading the file. So…I'm afraid I can't show them to you, either buddy.

"What?!" Jaden said shocked.

"However…" N said raising his hand "If you can convince me somehow that the DL-6 Incident is related to this case…Wel, I guess I'd consider opening the file up." J nods knowing this and decides to present to N the image of Diantha the Chatot to N. Him seeing it N asked "What's that? A Chatot?"

"The old man at the boat rental shop's Chatot." J explained "The Chatot knew about that 'incident'…"

"That incident?" N said thinking.

"DL-6." J told him.

"Wh-what?!" N said shocked.

J then explains it as we see a flashback with Jaden saying "Diantha! Diantha! Have we forgotten something?"

Diantha squawks and then suddenly said "Don't forget DL-6!"

"H-huh?!" Jaden said in shock. The flashback ends as we come back to the present.

"I'm pretty sure that old man must have taught her that word…" J told N.

"Yeah, but how would that old man know about the DL-6 Incident?" N asked thinking

"Wait! What if…What if that old man was connected to DL-6?" J said thinking on it.

"J! You think he might me?!" Jaden asked surprised.

N ponders it and nods "I get you. Sounds like you need information on the DL-6 Incident." He then points in the direction and said "Through there is the Stations Records Room. I'll give you special permission to go in and find what you need."

"All right!" Jaden cheers smiling "Way to go, Detective N! Okay, J! To the Records Room!"

'I guess it's time we faced Hunter's past…' J said as they head there.

December 26, Police Trooper Department, Records Room

They walk in and look around at the room full or records and case files on shelves and cabinets and draws.

"Wow!" Jaden said surprised "It's amazing…..ly dusty."

"Ten years of files and ten years of dust, I guess." J said shrugging.

"Let's find that DL-6 stuff quick!" Jaden said smiling.

'Fifteen years ago…Both me and Hunter were nine years old and I hadn't received by upgrades to how I look now then.' J thinks 'We were almost though with fourth grade when he suddenly transferred. Because of DL-6…?'

"J! I found out where the file is!" Jaden called out from one of the shelves.

"O-oh, thanks!" J said smiling.

"Just let me know what you want to know about the DL-6 Incident!" Jaden said nodding. "I'll go get the right file!"

"Well, first I have to get a handle on the main facts…like a summary." J said thinking.

"Right." Jaden said nodding and begins searching the shelf "Summary…summary…Found it!" He pulls it out and hands it to J "Here you go."

J takes it and reads it "December 28….2001."

"That's exactly 15 years ago from the day after tomorrow!" Jaden said thinking.

'So, in two days, the case is closed…' J thinks and keeps reading "The incident took place in the elevator of the district courthouse."

"What?!" Jaden said shocked. "Is this the same district thoseouse where we're holding the trial now?!"

"Looks like it" J said nodding and keeps reading as we see a courtroom begin to shake and crumble."There was a large earthquake at 2:00 PM on that day. Part of the court building collapsed, and all of the lights went out."

"Wow…that was some earthquake!" Jaden said.

We then see in an elevator three people, one was Hunter as a child in a school uniform, another was Darius, Hunter's adoptive father and the final one who was freaking out was a blond haired young man in a Purge Trooper uniform, his helmet lying on the side.

"At the time, three people were trapped in the elevator." J keeps reading "It took five hours for them to be rescued…Five hours!"

"That would be scary like that, in the dark!" Jaden points out.

The next shot we see is of Darius lying dead in the elevator, bullet hole in his chest and also one in the glass of the lift door.

"There was a lack of oxygen in the elevator, and the survivors were unconscious." J reads

"The survivors…?" Jaden asked.

"One of the three in the elevator had been shot in the heart." J explained.

"That was Mr. Deamonne's father…wasn't it?" Jaden asked concerned as we return to the present.

'He said that his father was shot before his very eyes…' J thinks 'So Hunter Demonne was one of the other passangers in that elevator.' She then asked Jaden "Do you have data on the victim…Hunter's father?"

"Yeah, hold on…" Jaden said nodding and searches "Victim…victim…Here! Found it!" He pulls it out and hands it to J.

J looks at it, seeing a picture of Darius and said "Darious Deamonne, 35, defence attorney. If he were still alive, he'd be 50. He had lost that day's case in court, and got in the elevator with his adopted son, Hunter."

"'Hunter'…!" Jaden said shocked.

"Hunter Deamonne, of course." J said nodding.

"So, he was in the elevator with his father!" Jaden said sadly.

J nods and said "From the angle of the bullet and other evidence, it could not have been a suicide…The murder weapon, a pistol, was found in the elevator. The pistol had been fired two times." J then thinks 'Where have I heard that before…? Huh…! It sounds just like this current case! What's going on here?' She puts it aside and said to Jaden. "Got any day on the suspect in there?"

"Hmm…that would be the guy that my dad got arrested." Jaden said thinking and searches the shelf "Hold on…this is it." He pulls it out and hands it to J.

J reads it and said "The man arrested as a suspect in DL-6 was…Gar Saxon? He was a clerk Purge Trooper in the court, apparently."

"So, he must have been the third person in the elevator." Jaden said nodding. "Well, then ha had to have done it!"

"But…he was found innocent." J points out "Thanks to his defence lawyer, James Ironwood."

"Ironwood…the victim in our case!" Jaden said surprised.

"Right." J said nodding and read the file "The suspect, Mr. Saxon, was oxygen deprived…so much so he had brain damage. He lost all memory of being in the elevator. After he was declared innocent, he disappeared."

"Hmm…Where could Saxon have gone to, I wonder?" Jaden said thinking.

'He may be closer than we think…' J thinks on it. She her eyes and said "I guess I know generally what happened in DL-6 now. I still don't know what sort of impact the whole thing had on Hunter…"

"J. Are we going to take the whole file? There's too much! We'll never get it out." Jaden asked concerned.

"Y-you're right." J said nodding and thinking "How about we just take what we thin we'll need." She then adds all they took into the Court Record marked DL-6 Case File.

"Right." J said nodding in her mental world looking at this case wall data "That's probably all we'll be able to find here. Now, all that's left is the trial tomorrow…I wonder how 'Dad' will do testifying in court…"

Regardless tomorrow she has to be prepared for what Belos will pull out as she maybe at a more fighting edge this time, she could still end up cornered.

Well the case is getting more interesting, as it seems all this is connected to DL-6 but what happened to Gar Saxon and is he really close by? Find out soon.

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