The Investigation continues as we head into the Police Trooper Station
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this
DM77's Ace Attorney Chapter 54
King of Prosecutors Trophy Story
February 24, Police Trooper Station, Criminal Affairs Dept.
J and Makoto walk in and find it even more empty then usual as there were barely anyone in here.
"This place is always pretty empty, but today it's deserted." J said looking around.
"That must mean everyone's busy solving crimes." Makoto said thinking.
"Oh, if you're looking for the others, they're all in the conference room." The Chief of detectives said seeing them from his desk.
"Uh….thanks." J said looking at her surprised and thinks 'Wow, he actually talked to us!'
"With the Chief Prosecutor saying what she did and the decision about what to do about Mr. Deamonne, not to mention our statement to the media and tomorrow's trial…" The Chief explained to them. "there's more chaos going on thant Thanksgiving and Christmas put together!"
'I think 'festive' is the word usually used for those…' J thinks deadpanned.
"Um, sir? We'd like to have a look around Chief Giovanni's office." Makoto said to him smiling.
"Just use the connecting hallway to the other building and take the elevator to the top floor." The Chief said directing the two.
"Really? You mean, it's okay for us to go in there?" Makoto asked surprised. "I mean, we're aren't police troopers or anything."
"Hey, you're right!" The Chief said in realization "You can't go in there! It's off limits!" He then goes back to his work.
'Now I see where Detective N gets his unique charm…' J think deadpanned.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Makoto said smiling to J "Let's head to the Chief's office!"
J nods and the two head for Giovanni's office.
February 24, Police Trooper Department, Chief's Office
Upon entering the two saw a large, amazing office, it obviously separated into two halfs, the left of the room was professional with aa matching desk and on the right was very grand, obviously at the centre was a large pipe organ.
"Whoa…where am I?" J said looking around amazed
"In the Chief's office, silly! At least, that's what it said on the door." Makoto said with a giggle.
"Check out that pipe organ." J said pointing at it "That's real, isn't it?"
"Hey, I used to take organ lessons in kindergarten!" Makoto said smiling and proudly "They used to call me, 'Little Miss Back.'" She goes to the Organ "I thought I was a genius until they tried teaching me notes." She hits a key making a the Pipe Organ sound and comes back sheepish "I never could remember where C was…"
"Hm?" A familiar voice is heard and the two noticed Giovanni at the grand desk working "Oh, it's you two."
"Chief Giovanni!" J said surprised and notices him put a paper away. 'He put that paper he was reading in his desk.'
"So, J-o. Have you been swimming lately?" Giovanni asked smiling.
"Uh…no, I haven't. I've been kind of busy lately." J said rubbing her head.
"I can apperaciate that." Giovanni said nodding "I've had my hands full too, with Mr. Skywalker's misconduct and Sae's provocative statement.
"'Provocative statement'…Oh, you mean about the forged evidence." J said thinking.
"Two years have passed since the incident." Giovanni said thinking and smiles "My, how time flies!" He motions to the other side of the office where the professional desk was and indicates to a picture "See that big picture on the wall over there?" J looks and sees it was a picture of Giovanni, Sae and an unknown man holding a familiar looking trophy. "That's a picture of Sae, Clover and me.
'So, this is Mr. Skywalker's brother….Prosecutor Clover Skywalker…' J thinks looking at it.
"We took it to commemorate our work together." Giovanni said smiling.
J looks at it got a weird feeling and thinks 'Something's not right with this picture. I can't quite seem to put my finger on it though…' She decides to make of note of it adding Giovanni Team Picture to the Court Record file.
After a while of silence Giovanni then said "Anyway, I'd like to reminisce all day, but there are matters that need my attention. I'm going to lock up here, so let's go out together."
"Oh…" Makoto said surprised "But this office….it was a crime scene two years ago, wasn't it?"
"The case has long since been over." Giovanni told her "There's no need to investigate it anymore."
"All the same, we'd still like to have a look around." J said to him.
"Perhaps you didn't here me." Giovanni said looking at them seriously "I said there's no need to investigate it anymore." J was taken aback by it as he chuckles and claps "Now hurry up and get out. I have a meeting to attend."
The two were then forced out of the office.
J and Makoto were now out at the entrance again. Makoto looks down and said "Looks like we aren't welcome."
"It seems that case isn't over with yet, after all." J said looking serious.
"What do you mean?" Makoto asked surprised.
"Chief Giovanni denied our request to search the 'crime scene.'" J explained to Makoto "That means there must be a reason he doesn't want us looking around in there."
"You mean like, a clue?!" Makoto asked her.
'There's got to be a way we can get inside the Chief's office…' J thinks on it. She knows someone who might be able to help as she and Makoto head back inside the police trooper station.
February 24, Police Trooper Station, Criminal Affairs Dept.
As the two walk back on in, they are greeted by Detective N who said, "Hey buddy!"
"Detective N!" J said surprised seeing him "Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?"
"I'm, uh…. just taking a breather. My feet hurt." N said looking down "Hypothetical speaking of course."
"From sitting so long?" Makoto asked.
"Actually…" N said and thinks and adds "From serving everyone coffee."
'Sounds like Detective N's still out of the loop…' J said sweat dropping.
"Say, have either of you see Mr. Deamonne?" N asked the two.
"Hunter? No. Why do you ask?" J asked him.
"He's under fire from both the Police Trooper Department and the Prosecutor's Office." N explained. "It's almost like the battles between you two in court!"
"That sounds serious…" J said thinking.
"Is it because of what my sister said?" Makoto asked looking down.
"That's basically what is all boils down to." N said with a nod and sighs "That falsified evidence two years ago. Now Mr. Deamonne has the whole world after his blood!"
"Yikes…" Makoto said to that.
"But why would Hunter be blamed? It's not like he knew the evidence was forged!" J said in disbelief. "Sae Niijima is the guilty party here, isn't she?" Makoto looks down sad.
N sighs and said "Regardless, a prosecutor is responsible for the evidence they present in court. Not only that, but as you know they've been a lot of rumours going around about Mr. Deamonne. His amazing talent as a prosecutor's kept him safe from those who don't like him. But now, with this…"
"Are there really so many people who hate him?" Makoto asked sadly.
"In our world, only those with talent rise to the top." N explained "Mr. Deamonne not only has that, but he's young. There's no better recipe I know of for making enemies."
"Hey N! Keep up the good work!" A Scout Police Trooper said walking by.
"Yes sir!" N said saluting and smiling.
"Let's go out for lunch again sometime, my treat!" The Scout Trooper said.
"Yes sir!" N said with a smile.
"You got to take me back to that joint sometime, okay N?" The Scout Trooper said as he walks off.
"Yes sir!" N said with a salute.
"It seems you don't have any problems with enemies." J said deadpanned.
"Yeah, well…I'm careful not to stick out." N explained. "Anyway, I'm a bit worried about him. Under all this pressure, I'm afraid Mr. Deamonne just might crack." N thinks and points to the SL-9 file and said "Actually, I took a look at the file earlier, while the coffee was brewing."
'He seems genuinely concerned for Hunter…' J thinks on it and asked "Well? Did you find out anything?"
"The only evidence Zsasz left behind was during his final attack." N told them.
"His final attack? You mean…" J said looking at Makoto.
"When he killed Prosecutor Skywalker, who was trying to protect some girl." N said with a smile.
"Me…" Makoto said looking down.
'It seems Detective N never realized Makoto was the girl…' J thinks on it.
"That's when he left the most incriminating evidence of all." N said proudly.
"Well? What was it?" Makoto asked him.
"Oh, um, let's see…I think it had something to do with the murder weapon…" N said thinking on it and chuckles "Oh, I forget. Look, it's all written somewhere in here, okay?" He points to the file.
'His powers of recollection never fail to impress.' J thinks sweat dropping.
"Maybe we should show him the murder weapon." Makoto suggested to J. "It might job his memory!"
J nods and presents to N the murder weapon of SL-9 aka the Switchblade Knife and said "Um, about this…"
"Hey! Is that…?" N said in realization.
"It has a tag attached to it, with the label 'SL-9 Incident' on it." J said to him. "I believe this would be the broken 'murder weapon' you were speaking of?"
"What are you doing with that?!" N asked her. "Ever since that case was closed, that knife's been locked away in a locker."
"On the day Detective Saihara was murdered, this suddenly disappeared from the locker, and was found in Mr. Deamonne's car muffler." Makoto explained reading from her notes.
N thinks and then said "That's it! Now I remember what that incriminating piece of evidence was! When you showed me that knife, it all came back to me!"
"Well, what is it, Detective?" Makoto asked him "Quick! Before you forget again!"
"This knife…it was Victor Zsasz's, wasn't it?" J asked looking at the knife.
"That's right." N said rubbing the back of his head "We traced it back to the store he bought it at which was between here in Cyber City and Gotham, plus, it had his fingerprints on it too."
"But no one actually witnessed him using it to murder anyone, right?" Makoto asked.
"That's where his luck ran out." N said smiling. "When you take a good look at the knife…you'll see it's broken!" He points to the broken tip.
"You don't have to take a good look to notice that." Makoto said smiling.
"Yeah, well anyway!" N said chuckling "Take a guess where the broken-off tip of the knife was found. That's what did him in!"
"Where was it?" Makoto asked.
"The victim, Clover Skywalker was carrying it…inside his own body!" N said smiling and J was surprised at that "It was found deep inside the stab wound." He said showing an image of the knife tip.
"Did it match Zsasz's knife?" J asked him.
"You bet. Down to the last fiber." N said chuckling.
"That's pretty…conclusive." Makoto said thinking.
J nods and adds Clover's Autopsy Report to the Court Record and updates the Switchblade knife info. "What can you tell us about Zsasz and his crimes?"
"Victor Zsasz was 42 at the time of the crime. He used to live in Gotham before moving to Cyber City, he suffered from mental insanity where he would mark his body with a tally for each kill and was treated in the local asylum there and believed he was eventually cured of it." N explained "He was just your run-of-the-mill businessman when he moved here."
"He was cured and became a businessman?" J asked him "What made him suffer a relapse and go back to serial killing?"
"One day on his way home from work, he hit someone with his car." N explained.
"With his car?" Makoto said surprised "So…it was an accident?"
"An accident, yes." N said nodding "But it transformed him back into an animal!"
"An animal…" Makoto said surprised.
"He killed a man that witnessed the accident. Then he killed a lady who saw the second crime." N began to explain "A kid walked by just then, so he killed him too, he cut for new scars for all four of this victims, crying as he did not in pain but shame. Then, when he was burying the bodies, a jogger came upon the scene and was killed as well! Then with five freshly cut tally marks on his body, he turned himself in."
"Seems he was a pretty careless animal." J said thinking on it.
"Of course, this is all conjecture." N explained and sighs "Despite the fresh cuts there wasn't a single shred of evidence."
"So, he turned himself in…" J said.
"Yes, but in the middle of his questioning, he fled and murdered his final victim…" N said sadly "Prosecutor Skywalker. That crime was witnessed by someone too, but luckily Zsasz was arrested on the spot. It's a good thing that last witness wasn't killed." He chuckles smiling.
'That last 'witness'…AKA Makoto…' J said looking at her who was looking down scared.
"Well, there you have it in a nutshell. That's all I know." N said with a smile.
"Can I ask you one more thing?" J asked.
"What is it?" N asked, "If it's money you need, you should ask Chief Giovanni."
"It's not money, but it does concern the Chief. His office is a 'crime scene,' right?" J asked him. "It's where Prosecutor Clover Skywalker was murdered…"
"The Chief's out now, and his office is locked, but we'd like to have a look around if that's okay." Makoto said to N.
N thinks for a moment then said smiling "Well, any Detective's ID card can unlock the door."
"What? Really?!" Makoto said smiling.
"But if I let a civilian in there, I'd be charged with breach of trust." N told them both.
"Breach of trust…?" Makoto asked him.
"Simply put, I'd be canned." N said sadly.
"Oh…" J said realizing.
"Sorry, buddy." N said sighing. "I don't plan on getting fired because of you."
"How about this ID card? It was Detective Saihara's…" Makoto asked holding up the card.
"That won't work either." N said shaking his head "The data was deleted the day he died."
"Oh." Makoto said looking down.
'So, in other words, N is our only chance of getting into that office.' J thinks on it.
"I wonder if there's something we could show him that would make him change his mind…" Makoto suggested.
J nods and thinks and looks at the evidence, she then sees something in the team picture in the background a familiar looking Unstable Jar but could it be the same one. J then presents the jar to N showing it to him.
"About that jar…I think I've seen it before somewhere." N said thinking.
"'Somewhere'?" J said thinking.
"Or maybe it's one of those memories people have from 'previous lives.'" N said with a chuckle.
'This must be the most uninformative detective I've ever met…' J thinks sighing.
"Something about it makes me feel uneasy." N said thinking "It's like I'm in the Chief's officer, and he's yelling at me."
'Chief Giovanni?' J thinks.
"Where could I have seen that before…?" N said thinking.
J decides to let N think and goes with Makoto to check on Hunter at the Prosecutor's Office.
February 24, High Prosecutor's Office, Room 1202
'I wonder if Hunter is back yet.' J thinks as she and Makoto go into the office.
"There he is!" Makoto said pointing at Hunter was sitting at his desk writing as his two Purge Trooper guards stand by the entrance way they come in from "It looks like he's writing something."
Hunter was surprised and looks up at them "Wh-?! What are you doing here?" He threw the paper away.
'He sure was quick to throw that paper on the floor…' J thinks on that. She then said, "Tough day in court, huh?"
"Hmph." Hunter let's out looking away. "I've had to live the past two years with rumours flying around. What's another allegation to me?"
"Cheer up, Mr. Deamonne! I'm rooting for you!" Makoto said to him.
'That's Hunter for you…Always trying to hide his real feelings.' J thinks nodding.
"So, what do you want? Unlike some people, I don't have all day." Hunter said looking at them.
"Well about that forged evidence reveal?" J asked about that.
"There's no excuse for what I've done." Hunter said. "Two years ago, I used false evidence to obtain a guilty verdict. That's what it all breaks down to, and nothing I do can erase that fact."
"But you didn't know, did you?" J asked him. "I mean, that the evidence was falsified."
"The Police Trooper Department and the Prosecutor's Office share a bond of trust." Hunter explained "If that bond is broken, we stand to lose everything. The Police Trooper Department's error is my error, my responsibility as the prosecutor in charge. That fact remains the same no matter what excuses I might have."
"Mr. Deamonne…" Makoto said looking down.
"I take pride in my work." Hunter told them "So tell me why! Why has it all come to this…"
'Even Hunter can't keep this kind of emotion bottled up…' J thinks concerned. She then asked "Are you up for the trial tomorrow?"
"Hmph." Hunter lets out and said smiling "First last year's trial, and now this one. It seems all you do is worry about me. To be honest, you're getting on my nerves."
"But Mr. Deamonne! You can't just walk out on the trial…" Makoto said to him.
"Tomorrow is the last day. It's too late to change prosecutors." Hunter explained "I'll bet that's what my superiors are banking on. I never though that case would come back to haunt me like this." He holds out a piece of paper.
"What do you mean?" J asked him.
"The list of evidence. It seems too short." Hunter said sighing. "Most lists…run twice as long."
"It's only half as long as most lists?" J said surprised and thinks 'That is odd…'
"After Clover Skywalker was murdered, I became prosecutor for that case." Hunter explained "I may not have been part of the investigation, but I knew what I had to do: use the evidence I was given to prove the suspect guilty! That was really the only thing on my mind at the time."
"Say, we just saw a picture taken around that time." Makoto said thinking referring to the Giovanni Team Picture.
'That picture…Something seemed strange about it…' J thinks and looks at Hunter "Could you tell us again about what happened that day? The day Detective Saihara was murdered? You were participating in a ceremony over at the station, right?"
"I've never cared for ceremonies, but I had to attend that one." Hunter said.
"Because you were awarded this?" Makoto asked pointing to the King of Prosecutor's trophy still lying on the couch.
"Those receiving awards can't exactly skip out on the ceremony." Hunter said shrugging. "I finished up at the office in the morning, then drove over to the Police Trooper Department."
"You 'finished up' at the office?" J asked him.
"Yes. Just odds and ends-clerical stuff." Hunter said nodding. "I didn't plan on returning to the office that day. That is, until I was asked to take something back."
"Take something back?" Makoto asked.
"This." Hunter said holding out the AI-16 Screwdriver.
"Oh yeah. Chief Giovannit asked you to hold onto that, didn't he?" Makoto said smiling.
"Yes. It was a piece of evidence in a case that was closed half a year ago." Hunter said with a nod. "He asked me to bring it back to the Prosecutor's Office."
'That's the story we heard yesterday…' J thinks and said, "So you came back here to the Prosecutor's Office because the Chief asked you to?"
"That's right." Hunter said nodding.
J then decides to show the Giovannit Team Photo and said "This picture was hanging on the wall in Chief Giovanni's office."
Hunter nods looking at the image "Prosecutor Clover Skywalker…He had just started making a name for himself. Looks like this was taken when he received the King of Prosecutor's trophy."
"Speaking of that, there's something that bothers me." Makoto said.
"Yes?" Hunter asked.
"The trophy Mr. Skywalker is holding…it's a little different than yours." Makoto said pointing out that the trophy Clover had include a broken spear as well as shield.
"Yes, you're right." Hunter said nodding thinking "Ah, I remember now."
"Remember what?" J asked.
"That was what the official prosecutor's trophy looked like until two years ago. There's a story behind its design." Hunter said.
"A story?" Makoto asked.
'Sounds interesting' J thinks and said "Would you mind telling it to us?"
"It's simple, really." Hunter said and explained "'Contradiction.' That's what the award's based on. This award originates from an ancient Chinese tale. In Chinese, the word 'contradiction' is written with two characters: the first means 'halberd,' and the second means 'shield.' Have you heard the story?"
"Me? Oh, uh…sure. Everyone knows that!" J said nervously "Why don't you tell it though…for Makoto's sake." The two Purge troopers chuckle at that.
"Very well." Hunter said nodding and has one of the Purge Troopers brings a picture, it showed an Emperor on his throne with a man kneeling holding an impressive spear and shield. "Long ago in the kingdom of Chu, there was an arms merchant."
"One day, he presented the king with two items." Hunter continued. "The first was a halberd he claimed could slice though any shield or armor. The second was a shield he claimed could withstand any weapon."
"Hmmm…Wait a minute!" J said in realization and said "Objection! Those claims contradict each other!"
"Very perceptive." Hunter said nodding "But then again you've heard this story before, right?" He grins "Anyway, as you mentioned, the very descriptions of these items discredit them both. When the king pointed this out, the merchant was left speechless. And thus, the Chinese word for 'contradiction' was born."
"Oh, I see!" Makoto said surprised "So the 'chipped shield' and 'brocken knife' symbolize…"
"Precisely so. They symbolize the merchant's items." Hunter said nodding "The anchient tale ends with the merchant at a loss for words, but it's in our nature to pursue matters to their conclusion…even if it results in something as ugly as this."
"Wow. Thanks, Mr. Deamonne! I learned something new today!" Makoto said smiling.
"That's funny…If that's so, then why were you only given a shield?" J asked Hunter.
"You'll have to ask Chief Giovanni." Hunter said shrugging "Two years ago, he had the 'halberd' part of the award abolished."
'Chief Giovanni…' J thinks and updates the King of Prosecutors Trophy in her Court record with this new info. She then picks up the screwdriver.
"Come now, J. You can't seriously expect me to just sit down…and chat with you about the case over a cup of tea." Hunter said to her annoyed.
"But this isn't related to the case, remember? You said so yourself." J said to him.
"So I did…" Hunter said thinking on it.
"Chief Giovanni gave this to you that day, didn't he?" Makoto asked. "He asked you to bring it here from the Police Trooper Department…"
"The Chief is a very competent man…" Hunter said sighing "but sometimes he does things that don't make any sense. At least it's better than being incompetent and doing things that don't make sense."
'A certain detective comes to mind…' J thinks she then sees the discared ball of paper by her feet 'I wonder what he was writing before?'
"Come on, Miss. J! Let's tke a look!" Makoto said seeing the paper as well.
"Are you crazy? Hunter is sitting right there!" J told her.
"Just distract him. I'll check it out." Makoto said and goes for it.
"Uh…Hey, Hunter." J said nervous and thinking "Is that Detective N out the window there? Oh no! He's falling to the ground!"
"Hold on. First let me see what this girl's doing crawling around my feet." Hunter said annoyed.
'He didn't even look.' J thinks sweat dropping.
"What?!" Makoto said standing with the paper uncrumbbled in shock "'Letter of r-r-r-r…'"
"If you're having trouble reading, I'll read it for you." Hunter said to her "It says, 'Letter of Resignation.'"
"'Resignation'?! Hunter, you don't mean…?" J asked in shock.
"I'm tired, J." Hunter said sighing head in his hands "I feel as if…something inside me has died."
"But Mr. Deamonne! None of it is your fault!" Makoto said to him.
"I know the path I've walked. You don't need to tell me." Hunter told her. "And the path I've walked…hasn't been a just one. I can't forgive myself for what I've done…and no one else should forgive me either."
'Uh oh. I think he's serious!' J thinks
"Miss. J! Please you have to do something!" Makoto said looking down.
'This Letter of Resignation…. I wonder if I can use it for anything?' J thinks and puts it into her pocket.
J and Makoto then leave the office to continue their investigation.
Well we know more about SL-9, Zsasz and the King of Prosocutors trophy. Next chapter will be the final investigation.
Please Read, Review and Suggest. Thank you.