One of Every Color
Chapter 16
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characters and settings, are property of Capcom, and are being used here
without permission. This fic is rated
NC-17 for adult male/male content and some violent material.
appreciated.
I forgot to keep posting this
fic on aff.net!
Since finishing, I went back and changed the remaining Japanese names to
English, so it's Viola from now on.
Sorry about the long delay.
Chapter 16
September 23rd, 2019
"Mr. Wright!
ahead of time?"
"You can't be satisfied
with this verdict, Mr. Wright. Are you
going to appeal again?"
"Do you think this
evidence could have been forged? The
city has a reputation for it by now."
properly respond. He was surrounded on
all sides by unfamiliar faces, each spilling some question or accusation, but
he could barely make them out. The
sensation of numbness hadn't left him yet; he was only vaguely aware of his
hands pressed against his familiar desk, and the sweat trickling down his
temple. He just couldn't get the image
of Chassie's unexpected confession out of his
mind.
that fire to cover up what Chassie had done.
was right.
crowd. He warned me not to trust these people, but I…couldn't listen.
trust her.
He couldn't see Miles through
the bustle of anxious people--just more strangers, bleating like sheep with
note pads as the court officials tried to herd them out.
I going to get out of here? He
wanted nothing more than to just be out of this room--the building, maybe even
the city.
A small hand tugged his
sleeve.
staring up at him with wide eyes.
blinked stupidly. "What are you
doing here?"
"It is a rescue
mission," she declared.
with thick bracelets waving frantically over the heads of the recently spilled
gallery.
rescue mission, it was now.
"Come on,
Pearls." Fueled by the sudden,
desperate need to escape,
bent down and scooped
She squeaked in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck.
leaving his briefcase and its pointless evidence behind.
through!"
them. Her bright grin managed to be
uplifting and make him cringe at the same time.
She started to say something, but he had built up some momentum--he
didn't stop as he took her hand tightly and continued toward the courtroom's
exit. It took a moment for her to regain
her footing and keep up with him.
"Hey, Nick--"
"Let's just get out of
here,"
He was retreating, turning tail like a coward, but at the moment he
didn't care. All that mattered was getting
out from under the press of so many eyes--especially if Miles was among them.
out into the hall were there were less people.
I don't even know what to think.
remembered the reporters who were doubtlessly waiting for him outside.
that long ago I was out there, bragging about my innocent client.
when they reached the doors she stepped forward to open it for him.
closed behind them it finally sealed off the shouted questions.
"Nick…?"
hands. "Sorry."
after the case was over," he said.
At the moment, scolding her was a lot easier to focus on than the
outcome of his trial.
"We couldn't just let
you take on the mob by yourself," Maya replied emphatically, setting her
hands on her hips. "I tried to call
you yesterday to let you know we were coming, but you didn't answer your
phone." She frowned at him.
so we sat up in the gallery."
"Oh…yeah."
"Never mind that
now--we're here, so we're going to take you out to lunch."
"Oh, yes!"
"Can we, Mr. Nick?"
shoulders sagged. "You're just
trying to cheer me up, aren't you."
lost. I was wrong about everything.
Pearl bit her thumb, and
looked up at Maya, who had faltered in spirit a little.
it," Maya admitted sympathetically.
"I mean, I don't know the whole case, but it seemed pretty rough in
there." She hesitated over her next
words. "Did you…you really thought
she didn't do it?"
"I…."
were going to be asking that from now on, making that same, vaguely pitying
face Maya had now. "I did," he
admitted quietly. "I really
thought…I wanted…her to be
innocent."
Maya shifted on her feet,
unused to seeing him so despondent. But
one of
are very sorry, Mr. Nick," she offered, with all the sincerity a nine year
old could muster.
against hers. Her large brown eyes, her
childish uncertainty, somehow held at bay the conflict of emotions just beneath
his surface. "Thank you,
Pearls."
Maya sent them both a look,
and finally drew herself up. She nudged
"Let's get out of here," she said, her old energy back.
food in you. My treat, all right?"
"You?"
"When have you ever treated for anything?"
"I'm allowed to treat a
friend to lunch, aren't I?" Maya shot back.
know. I can handle a couple of
burgers." She turned to lobby door,
ready to march right out. "We can
go to that place by your--"
As Maya reached for the
handle someone on the other side turned it, and she jumped back a little in
surprise as the door was opened. It was
such a slow, deliberate move that
She slipped into the room,
dressed in black as always, her dark eyes dull and displeased.
*****
As soon as he'd managed to
break away from the mess in the courtroom, Miles, too, retreated to the
relative safety of the council lobby.
Several guards were positioned there already to keep back the slew of
reporters and other gossipers. He asked
his visitors to wait for him in the hall for a moment as he saw to this bit of
unfinished business.
Chassie Gander was sprawled
across the short lobby sofa, half on her side with her face pressed into the
cushions and her hands handcuffed behind her back.
long hair fanned out around her, she looked like a broken doll that had been
tossed into a corner. Miles wasn't
entirely sure what had prompted him to want to speak with her, but he was here
now. He filled a small paper cup with
water from a dispenser in the corner of the room before approaching.
Chassie flinched, and turned
her head slightly so that she could see him through a gap in black locks.
He motioned for one of the
guards to step forward, who obediently undid her handcuffs at his order.
pushed herself into a sitting position and smoothed the hair from her
face. "Drink," Miles told her,
pressing the cup into her bruised hands.
She shivered a little, but did so.
Miles watched as she drained
the liquid contents. He realized then
that he might have been testing himself, to know if he could maybe see what it
was in Chassie Gander that
had believed in so strongly. He was
confident in his evidence and in Chassie's
confession, but he still wondered if there was something in her face or manner
that could be construed as innocence.
After a moment of study, he
decided he couldn't see whatever it was that
was too late for that now. But Miles did
feel pity for her, and for the circumstances that had led her here.
"I'm only going to ask
you one more time," Miles said evenly.
"Who started the fire that night?"
Chassie didn't hesitate or
look up. "I do not know."
use in being angry with a dead woman.
"Then there's nothing I can do about your sentence.
schedule."
"Yes, I know."
her head. Though her eyes were still swollen
from crying, and her cheeks stained, her expression itself was back to being
still. "Will you tell Mr.
Wright…that I'm sorry?" she asked him softly.
Miles cocked an eyebrow.
office, next?"
Chassie's
"I never wanted anyone to suffer."
lap. "I never meant…to kill anyone.
people will know that much."
"Then it's too bad,
really," Miles said, frowning.
"If you hadn't associated with Cadaverini
in the first place, you wouldn't have had to keep your son a secret.
without anyone getting hurt."
Chassie blinked slowly.
never been a Cadaverini associate," she
said. "I made a friend, that's
all." Her voice softened a
little. "You can't choose the
people you care about…."
Miles' eyes narrowed; he
hadn't come here to hear these kinds of words, let alone to feel sorry for
her. He motioned to the guard again, who
came forward to replace her handcuffs.
"Well, I'm sorry it had to come to this," Miles said, turning
to leave. He wasn't sure if Chassie had
answered any of the questions he'd had in coming in, but he had heard
enough. "Goodbye, Miss Gander.
Wright."
"Thank you, Mr.
Edgeworth…."
Miles shook himself as he
stepped out of the Prosecution Lobby, meeting back up with his three
supporters. "I'm sorry to do this,
but I have a favor to ask."
*****
Maya's shoulders hunched at
the sight of the unwelcome invader, but before she could say anything
this time, Maya. He had no idea what
Viola wanted or might say, and the last thing he could deal with was her
finally losing her temper. "Can I
help you?" he asked, trying to sound as calm as he could manage.
jacket as
"Isn't it customary for
a client to see the attorney, after a trial…?" Viola asked easily
enough. It was difficult to gauge her
expression--there was no hint of the subtle, eerie teasing she usually employed
in her tone, making her all the creepier.
But she didn't exactly look angry, either.
"Viola…."
from the truth. You…know that,
right?"
Viola pressed her palms
together in front of her. "Yes, I
know," she said. "You have a
habit of uncovering truth…as I understood, when I
hired you. It was a risk I was willing
to take…."
dead gaze.
risk to Edgeworth's life…
her--he had known for a long time now that she was a liar and a murderer--but
he couldn't help the swell of frustration behind his ribs.
to you."
"Very
well.
Viola reached into a pocket
in her dress, pulling out a folded piece of rectangular paper.
check. Maya peered around his arm, and
until she declared the amount out loud he was convinced he was reading it
wrong.
"
The corners of Viola's mouth
deepened just slightly. "I hired
you to prove Chassie did not set fire to Mr. Arky's
duplex," she told
did. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't pay
you for your troubles. This…plus the
twenty-five from last week…makes up half the fee I promised you."
"Half?"
up at
"Nick, is that true?"
Her eyes widened impossibly.
spinning.
certainly feels like I've gone through that much trouble for this case.
heartbeats, how many different things he could do with money like this.
replace his broken vacuum and cell phone, fix up Mia's office like he'd always
wanted to--
Those images passed through
him quickly, leaving him feeling only cold.
tearing the check in two.
Maya jumped,
her jaw dropping. "N-Nick!
"I don't defend guilty
clients,"
For the first time he could remember Viola looked honestly surprised
when he handed her back the torn paper.
"Keep your money, Viola. All
I want as my fee is for you to stay away from me, my friends, and as many
innocent people as you can stand to.
Viola tucked the ripped check
into her pocket. "I suppose you
want to include Mr. Edgeworth in your conditions, as well…?"
sounded almost menacing in a way he couldn't remember having talked
before. "If you lay a hand on him,
I'll turn you right in to the police."
Viola stared back at him,
unmoved. "For what, may I
ask…?"
"I'll tell them you
confessed to starting the fire at the Prosecution's Office,"
"But…I didn't."
"So?"
anger. "Who's
word will the police believe? All they
need is probable cause to search your home.
If I give them that, and they show up at your door, do you really think
they won't find some kind of dirt on you?"
The humor in Viola's face had
been only slight before, but it was very clear when it vanished.
challenged, "that you asked me to get rid of Prosecutor Edgeworth, just so
that he wouldn't try this case…?"
"Hey," Maya
protested. "Nick would
never--"
uncharacteristic hostility. "Try
me."
They stared each other down,
and at last Viola relented, taking a slow step back.
Edgeworth anyway…." She turned,
slipping out of the lobby as quietly as she'd entered.
shaking, just slightly, in shock from his own display of aggression.
did I just do? I guess it worked, but….
"Hey…Nick."
around to face him. Her low tone made
for it to affect her as well. "Are
you really okay? You're kind of freaking
out."
"Yeah…."
breathe in and collect himself.
that's all."
"Okay…."
bit more tempered than earlier.
"Come on--we'll get takeout, okay?
We gotta get you home."
cousins to guide him out the door.
"Yeah, okay. But
They stepped into the hall,
and were there greeted by more familiar faces--Detective Gumshoe and Lana Skye
were chatting just outside the Defense Lobby, and judging by the way they looked
up when Phoenix appeared, it seemed they'd been waiting for him.
"Hey,
Pal," Gumshoe greeted gruffly.
"Help?"
"My car is just out
front," Lana explained. "I can
drop you and your friends off somewhere, to keep you away from the press."
a chance to interject. "Wait a
minute--who are you anyway?"
"How can you talk to Miss
Skye like that when she's here to help
you?" Gumshoe berated. "Be
grateful, Pal!"
Though he didn't really
understand where the sudden philanthropy had come from,
grateful. "Lana's an old client of
mine," he explained to Maya and
Lana herself, "Thank you. I really
appreciate it."
"It's no trouble at
all," Lana assured. "I'm
certain I still owe you a few favors."
Gumshoe led the way down the
hall to the courthouse doors. As they
neared the exit
get lost in the swarm of people. Maya
took his elbow, and together they braced themselves.
It was the chaos
As soon as he appeared the lights started flashing, and the noise of so
many inquires drowned out even his conscious thoughts.
as they made their way through the undulating crowd.
lineman--he surged through the mass with relative ease, urging reporters out of
the way and clearing a path for the others to follow, as he had done for Miles
the week before. They were aided, too,
in that half the mob was already diverted.
sidewalk, and he caught a glance of familiar magenta among them.
tilted his head up. "Can you see
Mr. Edgeworth, Pearls?"
"Yes!"
a better look. She slumped back down to
talk into
"He is talking to a lot of microphones."
Lana. Just what he told me not to do.
They broke free at the
sidewalk, and Gumshoe waved them ahead so he could spot from the rear.
car.
Gumshoe for his help, but by then the detective was already heading away.
who was standing near the circle around Miles.
The remaining four piled into
Lana's car, and she pulled quickly out of the lot.
busy!" Maya exclaimed as she helped
alive."
"Yeah,
really…."
window, trying to catch another glimpse of Miles.
make out was a wisp of silver hair.
"--not exactly what the
city had in mind," Miles' voice suddenly filled the car.
was not wrongly convicted four years
ago, and her execution will not be delayed.
It's unfortunate that we have not yet been able to find her accomplice,
but rest assured, the police still intend to investigate."
he said those words. "He told me
not to talk to the press," he murmured.
"But I should, shouldn't I…?
They're going to want to hear from me…."
"Whether you do or not
is up to you," Lana told him seriously.
She hesitated before offering a bit more personal advice.
Wright."
"Maybe…."
conference being held.
set free. If it wasn't
for Edgeworth….
"What about Defense Attorney
Phoenix Wright?" the man on the radio was asking, and
"I'm not in any position
to comment on Mr. Wright in regards to this case," Miles interrupted sternly.
each other for some time now, and I can't say enough about his skill and
integrity as a lawyer.
"That's the latest from
the scene down at the courthouse," the radio announcer came back on.
guilty was passed down on Chassie Gander, who--"
Lana turned the sound back
down, which
Edgeworth….
the intersection, moving further away from the courthouse.
really think that about me?
Lana glanced at him out of
the corner of her eye. "Where would
you like me to drop you all off?"
"Somewhere with
food," Maya spoke up from the back.
"We're treating Nick to lunch."
"Somewhere far from
here,"
Lana frowned slightly, but
she only nodded and pulled into the turn lane.
She seemed to know where she was going, so
want to forget about it for a while.
Maya's right--I'll feel better once I've eaten.
I didn't even eat breakfast
today. No wonder I feel sick.
Some time later Lana pulled
them into the parking lot of a restaurant--a Red Robins, only a few blocks from
appreciated the choice, and as Maya and
seriously. "You didn't have
to."
"I thought…I owed it to
you, after going behind your back like I did," Lana confessed, honestly
looking troubled. "I was the one
that told Mr. Edgeworth about your appeal ahead of time."
"I know."
"I can't blame you for that."
I should have done it myself, a
lot sooner. "I should be
thanking you, really."
Lana looked relieved, and as
he unbuckled she reached into a pocket of her slacks.
"this 'escape plan' wasn't our idea."
She handed him a folded sheet of paper.
open it. It's wasn't addressed or signed.
sentences in Miles's familiar handwriting:
I'm sorry
things turned out this way, but at least it's over now.
words over. He wasn't sure what to make
of it, let alone the pulse of emotion behind his ribs.
"Edgeworth gave this to you?"
"He's worried about
you," Lana said.
By then Maya and
window. He smiled at Lana briefly and
finally climbed out. With only short
words of parting he closed the door, and she drove away, heading back in the
direction of the courthouse--probably to return to Miles and her sister.
But you made me break my phone,
you jerk. He sighed as he turned
with the girls towards the restaurant.