One of Every Color
Chapter 6
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NC-17 for adult male/male content and some violent material.
Chapter 6
September 18th, 2019
Chassie in the prison's viewing area.
separating them, though for a different reason; it kept her at a distance he
wasn't ready to cross in his present state of agitation.
was an admission of guilt or evidence of innocence he couldn't tell.
wondered as he collected his thoughts.
He hadn't felt quite steady on his feet since leaving the Prosecutor's
Office. It wasn't like him--he had been
to dozens of crime scenes, tried many gruesome cases.
the image of billowing smoke out of his head.
Chassie
When he failed to speak right away her eyes lowered, focusing on his
chest. "What did you do to your
suit?"
traces of ash from where Miles' hands had fallen.
"That's why I'm here," he told her seriously.
Chassie
slowly. "Does it have to do with my
case?"
face or figure, but hopefully he could impress more urgency on
The blank palette that was
did pick up on all pointed to one answer.
Her eyes thinned, and the muscles in her neck tightened, and her fingers
curled, just slightly, against the metal table.
When she spoke, her voice was thin.
"What did she do?"
The viewing room was
monitored--
in the fire in front of guards and cameras, if not for the reparations he
feared would come next. "She gave
me some incentive," he said carefully.
"Now tell me you didn't know."
Chassie
other. "I did not ask her to do
anything like that. I had no way of
knowing."
knew very well he might be playing the fool yet again, but he believed
her. For someone as immovable as
affected by the news. "At this
point I don't have much choice other than to defend you," he told
her. "Which means
we have to be honest with each other.
You're going to tell your friend to keep out of it, understand?
I'll drop it and take my chances with her family."
Chassie
"I understand."
"All
right."
He had no idea what kind of sway Chassie might
hold over Urami, but it might have been the only way
to reach her. "Then there's just
one thing I want to know from you."
He took a deep breath. "Why
did you go to the duplex that night?"
He half expected
surprised him with an honest answer.
"I went to see Jackie."
"Mr. Hoff?"
the second male victim. "You knew
him?"
Chassie
arms. "We were…involved.
the fire."
being anyone's lover was enough to
give him a chill.
"You only asked just
now," Chassie said quietly.
day, and he had no patience for those kinds of games.
each other' I mean full disclosure.
Okay?"
Chassie
"We were lovers," she explained softly and precisely.
fire. I would not accept it, so I went
to his home that night."
"April said she saw you
climb through the window,"
"He would not have let
me through the door."
"So what happened? You ended
up at the clinic with cuts on your hand.
Did you hurt yourself on the window?"
Chassie
"I hit Jackie over the head with a wine bottle."
necktie painfully. He struggled to
loosen it once more. "You
what?"
"He was being
unreasonable," Chassie said plainly.
Geez
these women.
"All right.
over the head with a wine bottle for being 'unreasonable'.
"Yes."
hands over, showing him her palms--there were still faint scars visible on her
pale skin. "We had an
argument. He said he would never come
back to me, so I hit him with the bottle.
It broke. He kicked me out and I
called Urami from the payphone outside.
clinic. She took me home."
It was beyond
hadn't been anywhere near the fire that morning, but it still chilled him to
think about it. It was four years ago, I guess.
She's had plenty of time to tell her account.
"Yes."
"And then…."
visitation room's camera.
just in case. "Does that
mean Edgeworth was wrong about the arsonist's motive?
have been the real target?"
Chassie
fire."
Well of course she wouldn't say
anything to implicate Urami.
almost sounds like Urami might have killed the man
just to get back at him, for Chassie's sake.
wrong with these people?
won't go there."
"Thank you."
else he could ask Chassie relating to the case.
scene. He had proof she'd left before
the fire started. Anything else he would
have to pry out in court. "Is that
the full story?" he asked, just in case Chassie
felt like actually helping her own defense.
"You promised to be honest with me."
"Yes,"
"That is my full story."
"All
right."
right now, so I won' be able to file right away.
be able to go to court soon."
Chassie
Her sincerity eased some of
slightly. "I'll see you again
soon," he promised as he pushed to his feet.
*****
There were thirty-seven
ceiling tiles visible from his bed. He
could see three other patients, not including Detective Gumshoe, who was
snoring like a bear on the next mattress over.
He had memorized the names of all the nurses on the morning shift,
overheard two inappropriate conversations, and made a mental inventory of all
the things in his office four times over.
There was, very literally, nothing left to do.
"Will you sign my
discharge papers now?" Miles called.
"I'm sorry, Mr.
from the hall. "The Chief insisted
we keep you for a full observation."
Miles folded his arms irritably.
hour, more than enough to convince him he was in perfect health despite the
ordeal. Even Gumshoe, who had suffered
worse smoke inhalation from their daring escape, was resting comfortably.
without being there for no reason.
He glared at Gumshoe.
muttered, reaching behind him to better adjust the pillow at the small of his
back. "You'll probably get a day
off after this. A
medal. I get to go back to work
with no office and a headache."
Gumshoe didn't reply.
own floppy hospital pillow to his chest.
Whatever he was dreaming about, Miles was pretty sure he didn't want to
know. "Oh well," the
prosecutor sighed. "I guess you
deserve it."
Even Miles had to admit,
Gumshoe's reaction in a time of crisis had been admirable.
it could, and if it had been him alone trying to hobble down twelve flights in
a smoke-filled stairwell, he wasn't sure he could have made it.
plan of escape Gumshoe's hand had tightened around his arm and dragged him to the
stairs. Using his cravat to cover his
mouth, Miles had depended on the detective's support down the narrow steps,
floor by floor, until finally meeting with firemen in the lobby.
Miles was trying not to think
about that now, though. This wasn't the
first "death threat" he'd received in his work as a prosecutor.
criminal without faltering. But nature
itself couldn't be negotiated with or argued against--it was beyond his control
in a way that had intimidated him his entire life.
his breath, how the hard stone walls closed in around him, and it was only a
small jump to imagine the floor shaking out from beneath him as well.
Miles closed his eyes,
letting his chin drop to his chest.
himself. It's over, and everyone made it out all right.
His rationalizations wouldn't do him any good later, when night fell and
he couldn't sleep, but he was used to that.
I don't need the sleep
anyway. I'll have too much work to do.
He wished
It was always easier to appear calm if there was someone else around who
wasn't. Not to mention he would make
better company than Gumshoe's nasal symphony.
One of the officers stationed
outside his door peeked hesitantly inside.
"Prosecutor Edgeworth?
scene."
Miles sat up a little
straighter and waved him inside.
"Well let's have it."
The man stepped closer.
source of the fire--a storage room on the eleventh floor.
lots of paper to create the most amount of smoke from a small amount of
fire."
Miles frowned thoughtfully at
that report. "So he wasn’t trying
to burn the building down," he surmised.
"He was just trying to smoke us out."
"We won't know for sure
until we catch the guy, but that's what the detectives are thinking, Sir."
"I see.
after him, "See if you can speed up my discharge!"
"Mr. Edgeworth?"
and Miles was worried he'd have another shift's worth to memorize, until she
spoke. "The doctor will be right
with you with your discharge papers.
There's even someone waiting downstairs to drive you home."
Miles sighed, already
reaching for his proper clothing.
"Thank God."
*****
After leaving the prison,
He stopped at a convenience store along the way for a fresh six pack of
beer to compliment a simple sandwich lunch.
He hated having to stay put but there wasn't much he else he could
do. With all his evidence assembled and
the Prosecutor's office still in chaos, he couldn't go forward with his
case. There was nothing to do but sit on
it.
hundred different little ways to pass the time.
None of those seemed appropriate or effective now.
since his first trial three years ago.
In desperation he even called up Larry, but naturally, the one time he
showed initiative toward meeting his friend was the first time Larry was too
busy to see him.
By
his apartment, still in his nice shirt and slacks, to take a walk around the
block. The fresh air did him some good,
or at least, he told himself that it did.
After he had been out for nearly twenty minutes, however, he found
himself standing at the entrance to a familiar street.
paranoia. I can at least check, he thought as he started down the
sidewalk. He should have been discharged by now.
The neighborhood triggered
memories.
months as a kid, carrying his backpack and small blue lunch box.
driveway, two steps from the mail box, and together they'd pick up Larry on
their way to school. Four months was a
relatively short time in the life of a growing nine year old, but to
He still remembered that cold
morning in January he turned the corner and found no one waiting for him two
steps from the mailbox. Over the winter
break his parents had tried to explain to him what the stories on the news had
said about Miles and his family, but it wasn't until he stood at the end of the
Edgeworths' empty driveway that the young
The driveway wasn't empty
now--Miles' red sports car was parked in it, confirming
home. I don't know how happy he'll be to see me, but I should at least see
how he's doing. He still felt guilty
about the whole incident, and he wanted a chance to explain.
tell him straight. What's the worst he
could do?
cuffs. He wasn't sure what to make of
Miles' face when he answered; he had showered and changed, so that there was no
evidence of the fire on his face or in his hair, and already that made him look
much better than how they'd parted that morning.
expression went tightly blank. He didn't
speak as he stared at the unexpected visitor.
"Um…."
I saw your car in the driveway, so I thought I'd check up on you," he
said awkwardly. "You know, after
this morning. Maybe even pick you up
some dinner, if you were still recovering…."
Miles sighed, and turned away
from the open door. "You'd better
come inside."
hall into the kitchen without looking back.
Though already
he followed, tugging again at his collar.
When he entered the kitchen
Miles was already at the sink, draining the water from a pot full of steaming
pasta. "Oh, so you did make
dinner,"
silence. "I wasn't sure you'd be up
to it, after--"
Miles slammed the pot onto
the counter, causing
spilling some of his spaghetti over the edges.
He turned to face his guest with that same cold, even stare.
"Edgeworth, I--"
"I talked to Lana
earlier," Miles said, making
something still and indescribable, and it was worse.
"So she told you…."
He couldn't blame Lana for that much--she and Miles had worked together,
and she had more reason to be faithful to him than to the lawyer that defended
her once. He struggled to regain some
kind of composure. "I was going to--"
Miles snorted and turned his
back, busying himself with slipping the jostled pasta back into its pot.
to Miles' right side.
firmly, as if a stronger tone might convince them both.
appeal, at least. I
didn't--"
"That's mighty generous
of you," Miles muttered. Suddenly
fed up with the food preparation he shoved the pot to the back of the counter
and turned to face the other man.
"That's not fair,"
"I had no idea that was going to happen."
"But you know who's
responsible, don't you?" Miles challenged.
Finally his tone was beginning to rise--at least his anger was easier to
deal with than cold accusation from a moment ago.
don't know who."
"I can guess pretty
well,"
Miles' eyes narrowed as if
have annoyed him less. "Do you have
proof?"
conversation with Urami.
Miles scoffed, and for a
moment
asked his next question. "Why did
she do it?"
"What do you
mean….?"
"She's trying to get her
friend acquitted," Miles reasoned.
Neither of them had to say the name to know who he meant.
slows the process down. It had to be for
a reason."
wasn't true, but he couldn't stop it from resounding in his mind as Miles
continued to glare him down. "I
don't know," he blurted out.
"She wouldn't tell me."
Miles was silent a moment,
scrutinizing, and then he turned away.
"I don't believe you."
He walked away before
door.
on," he called after him.
"This isn't my fault!
They were only halfway down
the hall when Miles wheeled on him.
"She's not
innocent!" he all but shouted, giving in to his temper.
"You didn't have all the
evidence!"
voice--shouting at Miles wasn't about to change his mind or ease his mood.
proof."
Miles folded his arms over
his chest. "What kind of
proof?"
"I have--
no in any state to be hearing about evidence.
The old Miles, upon catching on to a new piece of information, would
start thinking immediately on how to turn it to his benefit.
chance he would try to prove it false.
eyes without faltering.
he would do anything to win. If I'm
going to beat him this time I need every advantage.
with an explanation for my evidence before I even present it.
with another derisive snort started to turn away again.
just listen to me," he insisted.
"I know you're mad because I didn't tell you--and maybe I should
have. But this isn't about you and me.
die!"
"That
woman," Miles growled, shoving
"She's a cold-blooded killer and an accomplice to the mob!"
the hall. His chest felt thick and heavy
from the confrontation, weighing him down with a sensation of disappointment he
hadn't felt since Miles disappeared from his office two years ago, and from the
end of his driveway years before that.
The sight of his turned back made him sick.
"Maybe I was
wrong,"
"Maybe you haven't changed at all."
Miles straightened, the line
of his spine becoming rigid as he stood with his hand on the doorknob.
"I'm sorry."
though he hadn't recovered enough courage to try and see Miles' face.
checked all the evidence, and was positive
I could take her case. I wasn't trying
to hide from you."
Miles shifted his weight, and
turned his head just enough so that
know," he said evenly. "Once
you file the appeal, I only have twenty-four hours to gather my evidence and
prepare for court. That's not much time
for a case that's several years old."
"Nothing
personal…right."
open. "I think you should
leave."
The knot in
listening to what he had to say. But as
soon as he took the first step toward the door he knew he couldn't leave like
this. He faced Miles again.
Miles stared back at him with
that same damnably unreadable expression, and it wasn't until
understood what it meant. "You just
said it wasn't personal."
"It shouldn't
be."
betrayal. That's what he's feeling.
sake, I have to make you realize that."
The muscles along Miles' jaw
tightened defensively. "I did not
make a mistake."
"You sent an innocent
woman to prison."
Miles let go of the door and
stepped forward, putting them mere inches apart in the narrow hallway.
Gander was guilty!" he insisted.
"She was innocent!"
longer. "And you convicted her
anyway!"
Miles reached for him, his
fingers twisting tightly in the front of
"I got her convicted for killing five people!" he yelled,
giving
"Who the hell do you think you are?
These are the same people that tried to kill me, and you're defending
them!"
neck, but he wasn't strong enough to pull them off.
the one who set your building on fire!"
"What difference does it
make? They're both--"
His words cut through the
last of
again he threw his weight forward, backing the prosecutor into the wall.
strength they made an impressive thud when they hit, body against body in an
angry tangle of taut limbs.
"I know at least three
innocent people you would have had killed if not for me,"
more, Edgeworth?
Don't tell me you never made a mistake before I showed up to stop
you!"
Miles went still beneath his
hands, and for a few short seconds
frightened countenance. But he managed
to collect himself faster than his companion, and with a thin sound of pain
Miles threw
wall. There they both stopped, short of
breath and wavering on their feet.
Miles turned against the
wall, bracing his palms with his back to the other.
couldn't find any of the words he wanted.
Finally he lowered his head.
"I'm sorry."
Miles' shoulders
hunched. "Get the hell out of
here!"
On faltering strides he retreated from the house, out the door and down
the walk to the driveway. He was shaking
and distraught, and when he heard the front door slam his knees nearly
buckled. At the mailbox he stopped to
regain his breath.
case the churning in his stomach overcame him.
The truth is all that
matters. When Edgeworth
calms down, he'll understand.
he'll forgive you. You weren't
wrong--this is for his sake, too.
doing this for you, Edgeworth.
understand….