A/N: At long last, this is the end of the investigation. Some of the final clues that will be given in this case are being provided now. The question is, can you put them together? Enjoy, my readers!

April 27th, 2029

Los Angeles Convention Center

"Now if you're done with this meeting, I would like to ask you all to leave," Mr. Solomon said coldly. "I have a lot of work to do."

Juniper wasn't deterred by the man's tone, and pressed one last time for information while she still could.

"One last thing. The victim's body is believed to have been wrapped up in wallpaper used in this contest. What can you tell us about that?"

"The prosecutor did tell me something about that," Mr. Solomon said. "I can confirm that the wallpaper is from our contest. If any has been stolen on the day of the crime- I will look into that later."

Wallpaper scrap updated in the Court Record

"That is all. Thank you for your time, Mr. Solomon," Juniper said, bowing politely. After that, she left the room, with everyone else following behind her.

"So now what, Junie? Where do you want to go after we take our break?" Athena asked.

"We need to speak with Miss Sapling for more. More importantly, it is imperative that we get a chance to talk with Edward Iraman," Juniper answered. "He is the only person connected to this case that we haven't talked with yet."

"I'll see if I can't arrange a meeting with our elusive man," Robin said. "Do you know where he is?"

"I think I have an idea. And if we're lucky, Miss Sapling will be there too," Juniper said, a determined expression on her face. "Then we can hopefully put together the last pieces of this case's puzzle."

The place, of course, being the main exhibition hall. There was still a long line going up to the table on the stage. For the entire investigation, the man had been sitting there, endlessly signing autographs. Now, Juniper had an inkling she knew who this was.

First, Juniper looked through the long line, searching for a familiar face. Near the front of the line, she found who she was looking for: Dakota, holding a book in her hands: another copy of the same book that Skylar had.

"Excuse me, Miss Sapling. May I ask you some more questions?" Juniper asked.

"No, you can't have my place in the line," Dakota immediately said. "Now git! Yall aren't going to stop me now that I'm so close."

"We aren't interested in getting an autograph," Athena said, deadpan. "There are a few final things we need to clear up about what you did on the day of the crime."

"You aren't… going to accuse me, are you? That would be rude, to say the least," Miss Sapling said, now tugging at her pigtail. "What would give you an idea that I'm a killer?"

"That sudden defensiveness, for starters! More than that, you seem to have it in for Skylar!" Robin yelled, her fists shaking.

"So I didn't like the victim. So sue me. That doesn't make me a murderer!" Dakota fired back. "I don't have anything more to tell you than I did before: I spent the day of the crime here in this exhibition hall."

"Then can you answer this?" Juniper recalled the name she read on the roster. "By chance, is your pen-name 'Aphordite Sweetheart'?"

"You- where did you hear that name?" Dakota asked. "Yes, that's my pen-name. But why does that matter?"

"Because we were hoping you could tell us who the other finalist in the contest was," Juniper said. "So do you know?"

Miss Sapling took a sharp step back, holding her book up to her chest. You- you don't know what you're doing! You have to stop! And if you don't, I'll make you pay!"

Before anyone could stop her, Miss Sapling shoved her way out of the line and fled the exhibition hall, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

"Just now, in Miss Sapling's voice- there was a ton of discord!" Athena said urgently. "But what I noticed the most was pure terror. Whatever she's not telling us- it terrifies her."

"So that's how it is." Juniper didn't want to come to any conclusions on if Dakota Sapling was the killer or not. One thing was for sure: She was more involved in the case than she first let on.

"I already have Miss Sapling as a witness for tomorrow's trial," Robin said. "But I'll see if I can bring her in for interrogation again. Mr. Solomon as well!"

"That sounds good, Robin." For now, Juniper's attention was focused on the man at the table, surrounded by books. They needed to reach the stage, but with all the people waiting in line, how would they get there?

"Coming through! Prosecutor coming through, so MMMMMOOOOOVEEEEE IIIIIIIIT!" Robin shouted, shaking her fists. The various people turned towards her, as if to argue- then noticed the prosecutor's badge pinned on her lapel.

Then the crowd parted, leaving a path ahead of Robin. Smiling, she said, "Okay, Athena and Juniper! I think we can get through now."

"W-wow, Robin's badge has a lot of power," Athena said, staring at the prosecutor. "It's kind of unfair, don't you think?"

"As long as we can finally talk with our new witness, I don't mind," Juniper said. Following behind Robin, they walked onto the stage, approaching the man's table.

Juniper had noted two poles that flanked the man's desk before. Now she saw what were on the banners: the title of the book, "The Eternal Climb" in large letters, with a graphic of a long staircase.

At the table sat the book's author: a man with blonde hair, falling in long waves that reached down to his neck, his eyes obscured by bangs. He wore a white shirt with a book pattern, fluffy material adorning its collar, and silver buttons.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you… Edward Iraman?" Juniper asked.

The man looked up at Juniper. Then he took a book from his pile, opened it, and briskly signed it before handing it to Juniper.

Autographed Book added to the Court Record.

"Ah! I mean, I guess I appreciate this book," Juniper stammered. "But I wasn't here for an autograph. Just here to ask some questions."

"Question… noun. Definition: A sentence worded or expressed to elicit information," The man said. "Very well. You are correct: My name is Edward Iraman."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Iraman!" Athena exclaimed. "You would not believe how long we've been trying to get a meeting with you."

Now Robin stepped forward. "Hello! My n-a-m-e is Robin Newman, and I'm a prosecutor. Do you know anything about the murder that occurred recently?"

Mr. Iraman tapped his pen against his table. "Murder… noun. The unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. If you mean what happened to that girl, I have only heard what the news has said."

"She was a contestant in the 'Worlds Collide' contest," Juniper said. "And I have… reasons to believe that you're a contestant too. Are you?"

"Contestant… noun. A person who takes part in a contest or competition. On the day of the crime, I was sitting here, signing autographs, just as I am today," Mr. Iraman said.

"...!" He didn't answer the question.

"Answer me this then, Mr. Iraman. Do you remember meeting the victim at any point?" Juniper asked. "We have an account that indicates she was looking for you to autograph a book."

Mr. Iraman stopped tapping his pen. "I have autographed countless books. Each and every single one of my fans is precious to me, of course. But recalling an individual person… it will take me some time."

"Then can we come back and question you later?" Athena asked.

"That will not be possible. Speaking of my fans, it seems like they are getting impatient," Mr. Iraman said, using his pen to point behind everyone.

Indeed, the people waiting in line for an autograph all had various levels of impatience and anger on his face.

This time Robin stepped forward. "As a formality, I want to ask you to come in for questioning. I may also ask you to appear in court as a witness."

"Witness… noun. A person that sees an event, typically a crime or an accident take place. It will be difficult for me to stand in court as such," Mr. Iraman said. "Given that I did not witness the murder."

"That will be decided in court tomorrow. Thank you for your time, Mr. Iraman." Juniper bowed politely, then left the main exhibition hall.

"So what are you thinking, Junie?" Athena asked.

"He claims that he was signing autographs for the entire day of the crime. So if nothing else, I expect there to be witnesses that will say that," Juniper said. "There are people that might have motive to kill Miss Scribe, but I can't really see an opportunity."

"I can see what you mean. The biggest drawback in this case is the sheer amount of people," Athena said. "If there was any witness that could tell us an important clue, we have no way of finding them."

"I could always have some officers try to question multiple people at once," Robin said. "That would still be like trying to find a grain of sand on the beach!"

"I had a feeling it would end up like this," Ema said, approaching the group. "But I think I can lend a hand!"

"Oh Detective Skye!" Robin exclaimed. "Do you have an idea of how to find a crucial witness?"

"I do indeed," Ema said, grinning proudly. "Still, we should probably have a strategy meeting about how we're going to approach our case tomorrow. There is something else important I need to tell you."

"Okay, Detective Skye. Let's go!" Then Robin turned towards Juniper. "Looks like the next time we face each other, it will be in court. Between the two of us, we'll reach the truth!"

With that, Robin followed Ema out of the convention center. Once they had left, Athena turned towards Juniper. "You should know that I heard some discord in Robin's heart just now."

"Really? Discord about what?" Juniper asked.

"I can't be entirely sure. What I do know is that this case's weight is really starting to get to her," Athena said, her expression concerned. "It makes me wonder if things are really going to be okay in court tomorrow."

"That's why we must do our part to bring the truth to light as soon as we can," Juniper said. "So we can lift that burden!"

"Alright! Vamanos!" Athena exclaimed. "So, how are we going to wrap up the investigation?"

"I think talking with Mr. Artisan one last time could be good," Juniper said. "To update him on the investigation, and see if he has any final thoughts to share with us."

"Sounds like a plan! I will help him if he needs it!" Athena said.

And I haven't seen Hugh since we parted ways earlier in the investigation. It would be good to catch up with him too.

April 27th, 2029

Detention Center, Visitor's Room

5:45 p.m.

"We're back, Andres!" Athena called out as they entered the visitor's room.

"Welcome back, Miss Cykes. Hello, Juniper," Mr. Artisan said, scribbling on his palm, before revealing a rainbow on it.

"I'm glad you're happy to see us," Juniper said, smiling. "We've done a lot of investigating, so we're here to brief you on what we've found."

Juniper and Athena took a seat, before telling Mr. Artisan about everything they discovered over the course of their investigation. As they talked, Mr. Artisan closed his eyes, running his fingers through his hair.

When the account finished, Mr. Artisan said, "So that's what Skylar was doing. I wish I had gone with her…"

"It's not your fault, Andres," Juniper said in a comforting tone. Then something occurred to her. "Are there any details about your actions you think could help? Any at all."

"Not any that I can think of," Mr. Artisan said, drumming his fingers on the table before him. "I admit, I did look around the convention center for Skylar, but only briefly. No one believed me when I told them that except for Robin."

If there was no evidence to support that statement, it would not be admissible in court. Juniper believed her client, but she also desperately needed evidence she could work with. "Forgive me, but I need more than that. Please, tell me something more substantial."

"I wish I could, Juniper. I really do! But what I did was walk around to pass the time until I had to pick up Skylar," Mr. Artisan said, twisting his hands together. "I could tell you landmarks that I considered painting. I could tell you what I had for lunch. But I'm not sure any of that would help…"

"Tell us both of it!" Anything that could tell us some kind of lead.

"Aside from Robin's art studio, I visited a few more art studios in the general area," Mr. Artisan said, flipping his hair. "And I visited some parks to sketch the trees. After that, I ate at a sandwich shop. Does it matter what I had?"

"No, I don't think that will be important in court," Athena said, deadpan. "Anything else?"

"I don't think so. I believe I had lunch close to two-thirty in the afternoon. That's all I can remember," Mr. Artisan said, slumping his shoulders. "I wish I could tell you more."

"It's okay. My job is to defend you, after all," Juniper said. "I will take what you told me and do my best!"

"We do also have the question of motive to explore," Athena added. "The grand prize of the Worlds Collide contest. It could certainly serve as a strong motive to kill."

"As much as I don't want to admit it, you're probably right…" Mr. Artisan said, closing his eyes. "The worst part is, Skylar wasn't expecting to become a finalist. As I told you before, she entered the contest for fun."

"You did tell us that before! Then for her to get so far means she must have been really talented!" Athena exclaimed.

"Skylar wrote with all of her heart," Mr. Artisan said, putting a hand up to his heart. "And you could feel that in every word. I remember she showed my the final draft for her entry…"

"Hey, Andres! Andres! Come over here!"

Andres approached his friend, putting his hand as hip as he said, "Yes, Skylar? Do you need my art for something?"

"Yes, I need you to do the cover for my book. But before that, I want you to read what I wrote!" Skylar exclaimed. She ran up to him, practically shoving the book in his hands.

Andres opened it, reading aloud the first passage that he lay his eyes on: "... 'The young girl took a break by the riverside, running her fingers through the soft blades of grass beneath her. In this moment, there was a lot weighing on her mind, but the beauty of the vista before her put her mind at ease.' It's pretty writing, Skylar. Then again, your writing is always pretty."

"Thank you, Andres. But I'm going to submit this to a national writing contest." Skylar looked up at the Los Angeles Convention center. "And I may even win! The thought makes me feel light-headed."

Skylar, we've made it this far. I'm sure your writing is going to touch more hearts," Andres said, smiling. "Even the judges. So we'll go in there with confidence!"

"Okay! But if there's any reason I'm going to win, it's going to be because of your drawings," Skylar said. She opened her manuscript, stopping at a drawing of the story's heroine overlooking a field from atop a castle rampart. "I couldn't do this without you."

"Just from hearing that little bit, it sounds like what Skylar was writing was a fantasy novel," Juniper said. "And hearing that made me want to read more!"

"Her writing has that kind of power. Robin agreed too, when they talked with each other the other day," Mr. Artisan said. "You should have seen them."

"Something just occurred to me. When did Miss Scribe submit that manuscript?" Athena asked, playing with her earring.

"The week before her… last. Why do you ask, Miss Cykes?" Mr. Artisan said.

"Because the motive for Miss Scribe's death is the contest's grand prize- at least, that's the theory," Athena explained. "But then, why didn't they kill her when she submitted the manuscript? Why wait an entire week?"

"I assume because Mr. Artisan was with her at the time," Juniper said. "Maybe the killer wanted to wait until she was alone?"

"But there was no way to know when that would happen," Athena pointed out. "Maybe I'm looking too deep into this. But this contradiction is bugging me!"

If Thena says there is a contradiction, then there must be. But then… what does this mean?

"Okay, I don't believe there's anything else to discuss. I'll see you again in court tomorrow," Juniper said. Then her phone started ringing. "Yes, who is this?"

"It's me, Juniper!" Robin said urgently on the other end. "I went to the prosecutor's office with Detective Skye, to go over the evidence and interview the new witnesses. But I don't think I'll get the information to you in time for court tomorrow!"

"Really, why? What happened?" Yet even as Juniper asked that, she could hear something in the background. What sounded like people shouting.

"For starters, we physically can't enter the prosecutor's office right now!" Robin yelled. "As for why- well, listen for yourself!"

Juniper presumed that Robin pulled the phone away from her ear, because now she could hear the shouting more clearly.

"CONVICT ARTISAN! CONVICT ARTISAN! CONVICT ARTISAN!"

"Woah! I can hear that from over here," Athena said, covering her ears. "That is a lot of intense fury from that crowd!"

"But where did these people come from?" Juniper asked, clutching her cellphone.

"I don't know! Detective Skye is getting officers to manage them," Robin said. "But it will definitely slow down the investigation on my end. I'm sorry!"

Juniper could barely hear Robin. Her mind was spinning with thoughts, but one question was at the forefront of her mind:

What… what is going on here?

To be continued

A/N: Well, everyone? Who is the killer? And how did they pull it off? Because the next time I upload, it will be for the last trial of this case. So I welcome any and all theories until then. See you next time! Please review.