Phoedgeworth #2 ~ Turnabout Trust

Scene

I hugged myself tighter as we trudged on at 6:00pm and the chilly afternoonish/nightish bit my bare skin which wasn't covered by my coat. I had no IDEA how Phoenix was coping with just his ordinary, handsome work-suit. He seemed chirpy enough, though. He was very eager to get to the crime scene for some reason. "Agh! Phoenix! Slow down!" I cried out as he sped up, as we were holding hands and I was getting pulled along. "Oh, sorry..." He mumbled bashfully, blushing.

'Damn it he looks so cute!'

I shook my head to stop myself; "No no, it's fine." He slowed down to fit my pace. I was disgusted by my actions earlier that day. The way I just pushed myself onto him, scaring the living daylights out of him by kissing him with no warning and not allowing him to pull away. What had overcome me? I had no idea, but I'd just felt an urge.

'Don't think it over too much. It's probably nothing.'

"We're almost here!"
"Hm?" I looked up sharply; "Oh. Right." The signpost said 'Mallaby Lane' in big, bold, black and white lettering and I huffed. Did I want to go and see the crime scene? Sure, of course I did! I just didn't get the POINT. Eventually, we arrived and found the place buzzing with voices like an electric current in a live wire and infested with police officers. The house would've looked relatively ordinary, if it wasn't for all the luminous black and yellow tape strewn across it and the large amount of police cars and people around. It would have BEEN ordinary ,too, if someone hadn't decided to commit a murder in it. I rolled my eyes.

'Here we go... Again.'

Phoenix let go of my hand upon arrival and said: "Well, what do you want to do? Split up and look around or work together?"
"Uh, we need permission first..."
"Oh. Yeah. Right." He scanned the area and saw a detective in a long, scraggy brown coat standing around and chuckling to himself about something. "Um, excuse me!" Phoenix called out to the detective and he began to walk towards us, getting more and more familiar with every step. A very very VERY bad feeling began to grow in the pit of my stomach; "Phoenix, I don't think you should call THAT detective over..." The distinctive scruffy brown hair was coming into play, too.

'Oh NO. Anyone. ANYONE but him!'

Detective Gumshoe came up and greeted us; "Hi, pal! Oh and Mr Edgeworth!" He grinned like an idiot. "Nngh..." I groaned.
"Hey, I was wondering if you could get us permission to look around and maybe give us some details?" Phoenix put on his best smile. "Sure thing, pal! I give you permission to look around!" He chuckled again. "Than-"
"Detective, please could you write your confirmation of giving us permission to look around on a piece of paper - with your signature and a date..." I rolled my eyes and folded my arms, tapping my fingers irritably on my arm. "Yes sir! I don't have paper or a pen..." Gumshoe looked at me with a sullen face and whimpered. "... Luckily, I have both." I sighed. Phoenix just looked perplexed. I produced a notepad and pen out of my pocket. The reason I wanted him to write it was that I didn't trust the fact that he gave us 'permission' - was it legally given or did he just take it literally like he had to give just HIS permission? The piece of paper would be definitive proof and insurance. Gumshoe scribbled quickly on it and handed it to me, cocking his head slightly; "Here, Sir..." I'd always found it odd how he referred to everyone else as 'pal', yet to me as 'sir' or 'Mr Edgeworth'. It didn't bother me MUCH, in fact I preferred being called Mr Edgeworth or sir, but it always made me confused. "Right.. Now you can go and investigate, Pho- I mean... Wright." I grimaced. I always tried to remember not to call him by his first name in public, to stop the rumours of our relationship spreading, but sometimes I couldn't help it. "O-Ok.." Phoenix frowned in confusion before shaking his head and wandering off into the scene. I followed intently.

First, he directed himself to where the body lay. "Must've been a nasty fall..." Phoenix looked longingly down at the body. They hadn't bothered to move it yet. It was on its back, yet the front half of it looked badly bruised and bloody. "I wonder if he fell on his back...?" Phoenix knelt down, scanning the victim up and down. The blood stains were dotted around his light grey hoodie. "Yeah. I'm guessing he did. They wouldn't touch the crime scene..." I too, knelt down and wanted to fit in with Phoenix's thoughts. "Mm.." Phoenix frowned; "So then, why is he so bruised and bloody on the front...?"
"I... Don't know."
"Gumshoe?!" Phoenix called out and Gumshoe instantly appeared beside him; "Yes pal?"
"Can I... Examine the body?"
"I-uh..." He scratched the back of his head; "Why not? Go ahead!" He openly smiled and I had to tightly shut my eyes to contain my irritancy. He stood and walked off and Phoenix unzipped the hoodie. "Phoenix, what are you doing?" I muttered.
"I need to check something!" He delved into a small, secret pocket on the inside lining of the hoodie and pulled out a wallet. "Hey, Phoenix, you can't steal money!" I hissed.
"I'm not going to steal it!" He gritted his teeth; "Besides, there's nothing TO steal!" He waved the empty wallet in my face. He was right. "Then why ARE you looking through his wallet?!" Phoenix stayed silent and took a deep breath in, swiftly stuffing the wallet back where he found it and looking away from me, at the victim's stony face. I looked, too. Why was the victim so important to him? His face was blank, the muscles in his eyelids relaxing and closing. He had a hint of fear in his eyes which were frozen, unable to blink. I wondered how it felt, being unable to scream... Feeling your limp body as people peered down at you... Knowing the truth but being unable to tell anyone, unable to cry it out... Sorrow coursing through you as you try to shout out in fury and hopelessly falling back, the paving stones arching your back in a rigid, painful position.

'Don't be ridiculous. He's dead. Nothing more, nothing less.'

I rolled my eyes, bringing myself back to reality. I didn't believe in supernatural happenings. This 'Griffin' had long gone. Phoenix stood slowly, brushing rubble off of his trousers. I suddenly realised he'd been kneeling on the stone paving and not my lip, worried; "Are you ok?"
"Yeah..."
"Sure you're not hurt?"
"Um, yeah..."
"Not even a graze?!"
"Edge, stop worrying about me!" He airily laughed, smiling openly at me. I loved it when he called me 'Edge'. I felt myself blushing.

"Ok, sorry..."