Here we go, the last bit of investigation for the first day let's enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this
DM77's Ace Attorney Chapter 43
Checking the Crime Scene
February 22, Police Trooper Department, Entrance
J and Makoto approach the entrance of the Police Trooper Department. J flew there carrying Makoto and lets her down when she lands.
"Whew…. We're finally here." Makoto said smiling "Why would they put the Police Trooper Department so far away from the Prosecutor's Office?"
"Beats me. Luckily it didn't take long thanks to my ability to fly….just have to be careful of bird traffic." J said nodding and looks to the building "The Police Trooper Department, huh…I've only ever been to Criminal Affairs next door…Hm?" He sees in front of the entrance a blue furry looking creature cutout in a police outfit carrying a batton and a flag and also rearing a three pronged crown. "Hold on, what's that?" It was almost familiar.
The two watch as it moves around like it was slowly dances and Makoto said "Disturbing! Why does it undulate like that?"
"Oh wait, I remember." J said remembering "This is the 'Blue Kuriboh.' They're trying to make him the police trooper mascot."
"Wow, Miss. J! You sure know a lot about the police troopers!" Makoto said smiling but looks at Blue Kuriboh "Still, he does seem familiar, somehow…"
"Forget the Blue Kuriboh!" J said sighing seeing someone near the mascot "Who's that next to him?!"
"Someone appears to be….dancing with the Blue Kuriboh…" Makoto notes seeing the figure who looks to them "Uh oh. He noticed me."
"He sure is running over here fast…" J said concerned and her eyes widen as she realizes who it is.
"H-h-h-hey, buddy!" The figure said revealed to be Detective N "W-w-w-what're you doing here?!"
"That's my line, Detective N." J said arms folded. "Specifically, why were you dancing over there?"
"What?! Um, well…" N said rubbing his head.
'Well, at least he doesn't seem to be busy. This is our chance to get information!' J thinks
"Hey! I have you know I'm a very busy drone, buddy." N told her. "Besides, I'll give you one word of advice, buddy. You'd better not agree to defend the suspect in this case."
"Wh… Why not?" Makoto asked with an annoyed look.
"Huh?" N said looking at Makoto confused and said "Well…It's just that the Chief Prosecutor has confessed to the crime." He sighs "She says she summoned the detective to the Prosecutor's Office and…. she killed him."
"But, what if she's not telling the truth?!" Makoto asked him.
"Yes, well…no!" N said and sighs "Come on, buddy! There's plenty of evidence against her!"
"B-but what if the evidence was faked?" Makoto asked him.
"Errr…Hey buddy. Can I speak to you for a second?" N said to J.
"Huh? Me?" J said and the two move for a private talk.
"Why is this little girl so peeved at me?" N asked J.
"She's a relative to the suspect." J explained "She's Sae Niijima's sister."
"Whoa! The Chief Prosecutor's little sister?!" N said in shock.
"Just, please investigate this case carefully, okay? Scientifically!" Makoto tells N.
"Yessir!" N said saluting and then said "Oh, by the way. You might want to keep your voices down. You don't want to be overheard using words like 'faked'…"
"Huh?" Makoto said confused.
"It's just…it's a sensitive issue with us these days." N explained.
"So…what are you doing here, Detective N?" Makoto asked him.
"Me? Oh, well…nothing, really." N said rubbing his head and looks down "They kicked me out of Criminal Affairs…"
J sighs and folds her arms "Detective N! What did you do this time?"
"What do you mean, 'this time'?!" N asked annoyed.
"Then, what happened?" Makoto asked. "I know things are busy right now…I mean…with my sister's case and all…"
"it's true." N said nodding sadly "We've never had a Chief Prosecutor murder anyone before! Only the highest-ranked people are being let into Criminal Affairs now…The lowest ranking guy in there is our Chief of Detectives. They're not letting any of us rank-and-file detectives in at all."
"None of you?" Makoto asked surprised.
'I know this is an important trial, but isn't that a little odd?' J thinks
"So, anyway, I thought I'd spend the day getting the Kuriboh dance down pat." N explained.
"Um…Isn't there anything else you could be doing?" Makoto asked looking down.
"The Chief of Police Troopers himself is directing this investigation, buddy." N explained to her and then sighs "And Officer Skywalker was assigned to the underground parking lot."
"Officer Skywalker…" Makoto said thinking.
'Now that I think about it, Makoto did seem to know that Skywalker guy.' J thinks.
"A Scout Trooper in charge of a crime scene…It's unheard of, buddy!" N said a bit annoyed.
J nods and pulls out Saihara's ID and presents it to N and said "Um, Detective N? What can you tell me about this?"
"Huh? Hey, buddy! This is a detective's ID card!" N said upon seeing it. "You can't just keep that! You have to turn it in to the police troopers! It's people like you that get me into so much trouble all the tame!"
'Meaning Detective N must drop his card a lot.' J thinks
N examines the card "Hmmm…let's see… 'Shuichi Saihara'…Saihara…Sounds familiar…" He thinks and then smiles saying "Nah, my mistake."
"But didn't you work with him in Criminal Affairs?" Makoto asked him
"Whoa! Now I remember!" N said all of a sudden. "Shuichi Saihara! He's the victim!"
'That's what I thought…' J thinks on it.
"Can you tell us more, Detective N?" Makoto asked him.
"So…this ID card belonged to the victim?" J asked him.
"He was a detective, like myself." N said nodding "Detective Shuichi Saihara. "
"Hmmm…Don't you think it's strange?" Makoto said thinking "I mean, why would the victim's ID card be lying on the ground where we found it?"
"Well, Detective Saihara should have been at the Police Trooper Department yesterday." N explained "There was an evidence transferal for a case he handled two years ago."
"Evidence transferal…Mr. Deamonne mentioned that too." Makoto said smiling. "But…Detective Saihara was killed at the Prosecutor's Office…"
"Well, that's the thing…It's hard to say this, but…" N said rubbing his arm and takes a breath and said "Word is that Chief Prosecutor Niijima called him out there, to the parking lot."
'And Sae's confessing as much…' J thinks. She then presents an image of the King of Prosecutors trophy to N.
"Hey, that's it!" N said smiling seeing it. "That's the 'King of Prosecutors' award that Mr. Deamonne got yesterday!"
"Were you at the awards ceremony, Detective N?" J asked him.
"Of course, buddy! I got an award for diligence, myself." N said smiling proudly
"Ah…congratulations." J said to him.
"I was wondering, why is the award a shield?" Makoto asked thinking. "And…why is it broken?"
"Oh, there's a reason." N said smiling and thinks "Um…I'll tell you what it is later."
'Survey says, he's forgotten.' J thinks
"But I was proud of Mr. Deamonne for winning that award." N said smiling "Even with all the naysayers in the Prosecutor's Office."
'"Naysayers"? Must be because of the rumors…' J thinks and presents the image of Hunter's Knife to N.
"Found in Mr. Deamonne's car, stabbed with Mr. Deamonne's knife, huh…" N said thinking "What would drive Chief Prosecutor Niijima to do such a thing?" He then sees Makoto's sad face and panics saying "W-wait, I didn't mean…I mean, sure, of course someone else really did it! Someone who must hace, um…" He sighs looking down "Someone, who must have a grudge against Mr. Deamonne!"
'The car and the knife do seem a little too well-organized to be a coincidence.' J thinks on that.
"Poor Mr. Deamonne…What could have happened?" Makoto said sadly.
'We have to find out a little more about what's going on with Hunter…' J thinks on it.
"He's in a tough spot, again…" N admits.
"'Again'…?" J asked.
We see flashbacks of the murder on Christmas Day as N explained "Well, it all started with the murder of that defence attorney, Ironwood."
"But Mr. Deamonne was found innocent!" Makoto told him.
"Listen, buddy, there have always been rumours about Mr. Deamonne." N told her. "Forging evidence, making deals with witnesses…Nothing outright, but there were always whispered rumours." He looks down "Ever since he was accused of murder, no one's whispering. They're practically shouting!"
"But…but there's no evidence against him!" Makoto said.
"Well, Mr Deamonne has always had unusually strong ties to the department higher-ups." N explained. "It's only natural that people would be suspicious."
'I had no idea he was under the gun…' J thinks surprised.
"Anyway, this latest case has started a new rumor." N told them "People say the only reason he took this case…is because he's aiming for the Chief Prosecutor position himself!"
"W-what?!" J said shocked.
"But I know the truth, buddy!" N calls out "Nobody wants to be the one who has to prosecute the chief prosecutor! Mr. Deamonne is biting the bullet on this one! He's doing this for all of us!"
"Uh, don't mean to change the subject but, I was wondering about that…" Makoto said pointing to the dancing Blue Kuriboh cutout.
"What? The Dancing Blue Kuriboh? It's my masterpiece!" N said proudly.
"You made this, Detective N?" J asked surprised.
"The chief threw together some designs and I just did my thing, buddy." N explained.
"N-nice work…" Makoto said rubbing her head.
"It's battery-powered, so it can go anywhere!" N continued to explain "There's no switch, so it just dance, dance, dances until the batteries die!"
"Poor Blue Kuriboh…fated to dance until he drops." Makoto said sadly.
J decided for the heck of it and adds the Blue Kuriboh Panel to the Court Record.
"And that's all I know about that." N said looking around. "I'm not officially on the case, you know."
"Thank you!" Makoto said smiling.
"Why aren't you handling the case, Detective N?" J asked curious. "We met the guy who is…what was his name? The guy in the parking lot…"
"That'd be Officer Skywalker." N said to her sighing sadly. "He was apointed directly by the Chief of Police Troopers…"
"Officer Skywalker…Is he some kind of Jedi Knight or something?" J asked.
"Kind of, Anakin Skywalker is practicing but he is really just a regular Scout Trooper…" N explained "From Coruscant as well before he transferred her a few years ago." He chuckles.
"For a moment there, I wasn't sure." J said thinking.
"Look, buddy, let me try to make things a little easier for you." N said with a smile and hands them a letter in a brown envelope. "Show them this and they'll let you examine the crime scene…maybe."
J nods and takes the Letter of Introduction and puts it in her coat. She thinks 'I'll be surprised if this gets us anywhere…'
"Just act like you're supposed to be there, and nobody will look at you twice, buddy!" N said smiling.
J and Makoto leave and J looks at the letter. Makoto sees some words crossed out and said "Hey, look here! It looks like something's been crossed out."
"Maybe it was a letter or something to Detective N." J said looking at it.
"Let's see…'Annual bonus: 20 Credits.'" Makoto said and was surprised "Um…I think a couple zeroes are missing."
"No, that sounds about right." J said and thought 'At least in that detective's case…'
"Maybe I should rethink my career as an investigator." Makoto said sadly.
The tow head back to the parking lot.
February 22, Prosecutor's Office, Underground Parking Lot
They arrive and see the troopers still searching J thinks 'Looks like the investigation is still going…'
"I have to be getting back to the shop…" A female voice said to a Police Stormtrooper.
"Sorry…Looks like I'll be stuck in this pit until the sun sleep." The Police Stormtrooper said sighing.
"I'll see you un my dreams tonight, then baby." The female said and walks away revealed to be Verosika who sees the two "Oh! Still here?"
"Ah, h-hello." Makoto said surprised.
"Why the surprised looks? Didn't I mention…?" Verosika said smiling "I've got a boyfriend in Criminal Affairs, too."
'What happened to the security guard?' J thinks concerned as he watches her walk off.
"Hey! What's wrong, Nexu?" Anakin said walking up. "You're looking like an Astromech who's lost its pilot!"
'Anakin Skywalker…' J thinks looking at him. 'Strange guy to put in charge of a crime scene.' She then pulls out the Letter of Introduction and hands it to Anakin "Would you mind reading this for me?"
"What's this? I warn you, fan letters to me go right in the trash chute." Anakin said taking it and opens it.
"It's a letter of introduction from Detective N. May we investigate?" J said to him.
"N…? Ah, that old drone droid?" Anakin said smiling after reading. "Hmmm…He holding a birthday party or something?"
"Huh?" J said confused
"Look, where it should say letter of 'introduction'…It says 'invitation.' Anakin said showing her.
"Ah…I think he just miswrote it." J said sweat dropping. 'Wait, why am I getting all defensive here?!'
"No worries. This proves it's from Detective N, better than a blood test." Anakin said smiling "Guess I'd better let you in, then."
"Th-thank you, Officer Skywalker!" Makoto said smiling.
'Oh, that's right…He's a 'Scout Trooper,' not a 'detective'…' J thinks on it. 'Which reminds me…'
"Hey wait a sec!" Makoto said realizing "Isn't a crime scene supposed to be handled by a detective or higher?"
"Well, folks." Anakin said serious "The clues are calling! Welcome to our mission zone. Be like the lone solider! Strike out for enemy locations! Manifest Destiny! Let's go for victory!"
"Not to self: police investigations are like warzones." Makoto said writing in her pad "Well, Miss. J, what do you say?!"
'I say I won't be needing this anymore…' J thinks and crumples up the Letter of Introduction and tosses it into the nearby bin. She looks to Anakin "Officer Skywalker? Could you tell us more about the victim?"
Anakin drinks from his flask and then says "Good men always die young. Remember that pal."
"Um…could you be a little more specific?" J asked him.
"Shuichi Saihara…He was a detective, right?" Makoto asked smiling.
"Well, well, aren't you a feisty youngling there now." Anakin said smiling "Detective Saihara was stabbed here at 5:15…The smiling Succubus told me the tale…"
'I think he means the witness, Miss. Verosika Mayday.' J thinks
"One stab to the chest. A fine piece of work." Anakin said and holds up a large brown envelope "This here's the autopsy report." He hands it to them. J accepts and adds it to her Court Record and checks it, all was what Anakin said but the time of death was within an hour and a half of 4PM.
"Was my sister involved with the victim in any way?" Makoto asked Anakin.
"Funny you shou mention that Nexu." Anakin said smiling. "Chief Commander Niijima and Detective Saihara…had nothing in common at all."
"Nothing in common…?" Makoto asked surprised.
"They apparently worked together on a case a few years back." Anakin explained.
'So…there's no motive!' J thinks on it.
"Shuichi was an Ultimate Detective from that Hope's Peak Academy school but didn't pull as many cases as others." Anakin said "That's one reason why he didn't do much work with the Chief Commander…"
"But my sister called the victim here on the day of the murder, right?" Makoto asked thinking and looks down "Here…to this parking lot?"
"So, it seems. Like calling an unarmed man to a lightsaber duel at night." Anakin said sipping his flask.
"Um, I don't mean any offense, but…Officer Skywalker, you're a Scout Trooper, right? Not a detective." J said to him.
"You calling me out? They shoot you for that in Mos Eisley." Anakin told her.
"Huh?" J said confused.
"I was one of them fancy-armored or dressed 'Detectives' till two years ago, to tell you the truth." Anakin admits smiling.
"Oh, really?" J said and thought 'Now he tells me!'
"But you're a Scout Trooper now." Makoto said thinking "So, how can you be in charge of a crime scene?"
"Nothing gets by you, does it, Nexu?" Anakin said smiling.
"So, what are you in charge?" J asked.
"No reason." Anakin said shrugging "We're just short on hands right now. I'm keeping an eye out in the meantime."
"That's odd, though." Makoto said confused. "Detective N was saying he had nothing to do…nothing important, as least."
"He's nothing but a sad clanker that can't find his head." Anakin states. "Maybe t's because he runs with that Hunther, eh?"
"Hunter…?" J said thinking.
"That drone droid's been kicked out of this mission objective…by oder of the Chief of Police Troopers. Just, he don't realize it yet."
'Detective N, kicked out of the investigation?!' J thinks shocked. She then moves to investigate the crime scene and looks to the large-grated wall with another parking lot on the other side "'B Block' is through there. That's where visitors park."
"I can see the Lunch Palace car over there…far in the distance." Makoto said smiling.
"Hey, you're right. I like the cute design on the door." J said smiling. 'I can see…a cartoon Miltank muching down on a juicy looking steak.'
"Doesn't that strike you as a little…creepy?" Makoto said concerned.
"Just don't think too deeply about it and you'll be fine." J tells her. She checks the trunk of Hunter's car and picks up a piece of paper "What's this? Looks like a note of some sort."
"Look! Something's written on it!" Makoto notes looking at the writing.
"You're right. Let's see…'6-7S 12/2'…" J said reading the note.
"There's a name printed on the paper about that… 'Saihara.'" Makoto said.
'Maybe it fell out of his pocket when he was killed.' J thinks.
"Well? So? What does it mean, Miss. J?" Makoto asked her.
"How am I supposed to know?" J asked her.
"Note to self: for deductive reasoning, go to Hunter, not J." Makoto said writing in her notepad.
'I'm sure Hunter wouldn't know what this means either.' J thinks deadpanned. She then adds Saihara's Note to the Court Record. She then sees a cellphone on the floor. "This looks like a cell phone." She said picking it up.
"Scientific analysis would suggest this belonged to the victim!" Makoto said to her. "I can't think of anyone else it could belong to…"
'What's so scientific about that?! Right! Let's check it out.' J thinks and looks to it with her scientific view. She looks at the wrist strap.
"Man, what a boring strap!" Makoto said.
"What's wrong with it? Everyone has different tastes, you know." J said to her.
"Here, check out mine." Makoto said showing hers "It's a Red Samurai Ranger strap! These are hard to come by you know."
'I see the series is as popular as ever with the kids…' J thinks. She then sees the button to flip it open and does so.
"Hmm. This phone's still on the redial screen." Makoto said thinking.
"Redial…?" J asked.
"Um, Miss. J?" Makoto said sighing "Most phones like this keep a record of all the calls you've made and received. You just press the blue button to display the last number you called. Convenient, isn't it? I'm surprised you didn't know about it."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but even I know about things like 'redial.'" J told her.
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry!" Makoto said embarrassed. "It's just, you never know what people will instill to drones like you."
'Whatever…Let's check this phone out." J said and looks at the blue button 'Now, to see who the owner of this phone called last…'
"Note to self: a defence attorney doesn't think first, she just pushes the button." Makoto said writing in her notepad
J hits the button and the White Ranger theme song plays. Makoto said "Hey! That song! I know that!" This caught all the Police Troopers attention.
"Hey! What's going on over there?" Anakin said walking over as the tune stops.
"Ah! Oh, s-sorry." J said nervous
"I see you, buddy!" Anakin said looking at her. "You pressed redial on that phone there, didn't you?"
"Uh, well, yeah…" J said nodding.
"Whose phone is this anyway?" Makoto asked "It was on the ground other there…"
"Whose is it? That belongs to Chief Commander Niijima." Anakin told the two.
"What? It's my sister's?!" Makoto said shocked.
"She apparently dropped it when she was taken into custody, right after the crime." Anakin explained looking at the phone. "Look…the last call was made right when the murder occurred! Looks like she was fixing to call someone. Except she only spoke for a few seconds, according to this."
"Who did she call?!" J asked him.
"No idea. Sorry, pal." Anakin said shaking his head. "Now, I got a question for you, buddy. I heard a phone ring just now…one of those new-fangled ring-songs."
"Oh? That? Oh…I'm sorry, that was my phone." J said holding out her phone.
"W-wh-what?!" Anakin said taken aback "Your phone?!"
"Yeah, un, I know it's kind of strange a drone to have a cellphone when we can have inbuilt ones but…Someone called me right as we picked up the other phone, a wrong number…" J said lying.
Ankin remains quiet and said "I hope you're not lying…They shoot you for that in Mos Esley, buddy!" He then goes back to his spot.
'Uh oh, I've incited the wrath of the Jedi Warrior Scout Trooper…' J thinks concerned and adds the Cell Phone into her Court record. She and Makoto go back to Anakin.
"So, there's no connection between Detective Saihara and my sister!" Makoto said to him.
"That's correct, but…" Anakin said and motions to the area "There's a database of evidence against her…" J gulps at that as Ankin spins his lightsaber "And the commander tomorrow is not other than Hunter himself…I'm afraid your sister's fate is decided, Nexu. Many condolences."
"Officer Skywalker!" Makoto said glaring at him.
"Yeah, Nexu?" Anakin said looking at her.
"H-how can you say that!" Makoto said him and looks down sad "You and my sister, you were…"
'Is there something between this trooper and her sister that I don't know about?' J thinks.
Anakin was stunned at that but composes and said "I apologize, Nexu. Something must have gotten to me. Maybe it's all the dry wind that's blowing though the Commander's Office." He sips his flask.
'Dry wind or ill win, someone's up to something here…but who?' J thinks. "Can you elaborate?"
Anakin nods and said "Suspicions about Mr. Deamonne have been flying around for nearly two years now."
"Forged evidence and arranging testimonies, you mean?" J said.
"He was unbeatable because he did whatever it took to win." Ankin explained and sips his flask of blue milk before adding "Unbeatable that is, until he met you."
"But rumours are just…rumours, aren't they?" Makoto asked sadly. "These are prosecutors we're talking about! Evidence is everything to them!"
"If you follow the rumours about Hunter to their source, you find one person…" Anakin said sombre "But…they're off limits. Untouchable, you might say."
"One person? Who?" J asked.
"Hate to say this, but…It's you sister, Nexu. Chief Commander Sae Niijima." Anakin said looking at Makoto.
"What?! My sister…?" Makoto said in shock.
"Hunter couldn't rustle all those Bantha by himself." Anakin explained "Some people load their guns with bullets, some people load them with 'deals.'"
"What, you're saying Hunter was making deals to win trials?" J asked in shock.
"'Where there's gunshots, there's bound to be bullets.' That's what the old-timers say." Anakin just said. He smiles adding "There's a big old secret hidden around here somewhere. Everyone knows it."
'Is that why Detective N was taken off the case…?' J thinks 'Did they target him because he was the closest to Hunter?'
"So, well, how are we doing, Miss. J?" Makoto asked concerned.
"I guess we've got some clues…" J said thinking "We have an autopsy report, a note from the victim, and a cell phone…"
"So…you think we'll be okay?" Makoto asked hopeful.
"Well, the only thing still bothering me is that Sae is confessing to the crime." J admits to her. "She says she did it!"
"No problem!" Makoto said to her "I can guarantee that she's not the criminal."
"Oh, by the way, Makoto?" J said looking at her.
"Yes?" Makoto said.
"I know that song your phone plays when it rings…" J said to her.
"What…?" Makoto said and then the White Ranger ringtone plays again.
"it's the White Ranger theme song, isn't it?" J told her "That popular TV show…for kids?" Makoto looks down sadly "The phone that rang earlier wasn't mine…It was yours." J looks at Makoto "At 5:18, just after the murder took place…Your sister called you, didn't she Makoto?"
"I…I'm sorry!" Makoto said looking down.
"Can you tell me what you talked about?" J asked her.
"I…She hung up right away." Makoto said to her.
"I see…" J said thinking she updates the info on the Cell Phone in the court record that Makoto was the last person Sae called.
J then in her mind palace thinks 'A detective is murdered, and the suspect is the top prosecutor in the district. I've got a bad feeling about this…Like…maybe I still don't know everything that went on here…'
She is expecting another hard time in court as this is a more uphill battle then the last few times.
Boy is is hard to change Marshall's western quotes with star wars themed but I think I did well. Next day is the first trial, enjoy.
Please Read, Review and Suggest. Thank you.