Ace Attorney: Council of Crime

Part 31 (Vesgate)

//February 24, 2030. Local Prison, 6:47 AM//

Everybody must have been sick with anticipation, because Connor, Milan, and Celoisa arrived fifteen minutes early. I was the last to arrive, which cued Celosia to roll her eyes and sign. "You're late," she told me impatiently.

"For the record, we were going to meet at seven. I'm early. The rest of you just got here earlier," I said in retort. Celosia grunted in anger, most likely not wanting to admit that I was right.

"Okay... Now is the time where we divide and conquer?" Connor asked, crossing his arms.

"I don't think so."

A man walked towards us, brushing a hand through his dark, curly hair. "If you're talking about the bodies that have fingerprints, that's my job," he told us.

"Who are you?" Milan asked, cocking her head.

The man paused, perhaps for dramatic effect. "Q," he eventually answered.

I gasped. "Q-Q?! Isn't that a technology genius from Interpol?!"

The man, Q, apparently, looked rather proud that I had recognized him. "I-I wouldn't say GENIUS, but people do find me rather smart..." Q said, a small blush rising in his cheeks.

"What's an Interpol agent doing here?" Connor asked.

"M sent me to test the bodies to see which one is lacking in prints," Q replied.

"Q-Q!! Sorry I'm late!"

A blue haired boy came running towards us, panting and hunched over. "A-are you ready to go, Q?"

Q nodded. "Let's go," he said stiffly, leading the boy away. On his way out, he turned and hollered one thing over his shoulder: "Please don't follow us. It's Interpol business."

I groaned and sighed. "What are we supposed to do now? Interpol took over our investigation, so there's not much we can do at this point," I frowned.

"This was our one chance to get back with the others and we blew it," Connor muttered miserably.

"Then... Let's put our heads together and think of what we could do while we wait for them to let us back into the investigation," Celosia suggested.

Milan gasped. "I have an idea!"

"Milan, be quiet. We're trying to think," Celosia snapped.

"Let her talk. She might have an idea," Connor hissed at Celosia, who gave her usual response to everything: rolling her eyes.

"We could go and talk to the forensic scientist who tested the bodies and found out that one of them didn't have prints," Milan suggested.

"That's... That's actually a good idea," I nodded.

"Do we even know what her name is?" Connor asked. "We can't really find her if we don't have a name."

"Her name was Clarith Blake. We can run down to the station and see where she lives so that we can talk to her," I announced.

"Lead the way," Connor agreed.

//February 24, 2030. Local Precinct, 8:39 AM//

I managed to make my way to my computer at the precinct after about seven minutes of bumping my way through the hoards of new recruits. Milan flopped down into the chair near the window and stared out of it. "I hate being the smallest person in a crowd," she complained.

Nobody gave her a comment in response. We were all staring at my computer screen. I clicked away at it before gasping. "No way...!"

"What? Did you find out where she lives?" Celosia asked, leaning on my desk.

"She lives at GatherLaw Incorporated...!" I muttered.

"What the heck kind of a name is that?" Connor questioned. "People these days will name companies anything."

"It's an information gathering company. It's just a rumor, but people say that they know who that one serial killer is. Genocide Jack or something like that," I answered.

"Still doesn't mean I'm going to stop judging the name," Connor told me.

I rolled my eyes. "Apparently, Ms. Blake lives there with a computer programmer named Buddy Bradshaw, a detective in training named Neptune Mercure, and that one high up legal family," I continued.

"The page specifically says Wood. Can you not read?" Celosia scoffed.

I closed out of the tab and stood. "Let's go. Ms. Blake isn't going to question herself."

//February 24, 2030. GatherLaw Incorporated, 9:34 AM//

The company was a lot more... Grand than I expected. Everything was polished perfectly. My eyes must have been the size of saucers looking around.

"Hey! You! Who the heck are you guys?!"

A girl was stomping towards us. She had dark brown hair streaked with a fierce blue. Her skin was tanned. "I don't think that the bosses said that anybody was coming over today," she growled.

"No need to get so grouchy..." Celosia whispered, leaving me wondering how much of a hypocrite she could be.

"We're investigators in the Kuranin case," I explained. "You must be Neptune Mercure."

Ms. Mercure huffed. "Of course you guys know who I am. You fancy pants Interpol agents always do," she scowled.

"We're not with Interpol," Connor cut in.

"Then who are you here to talk with? Fuyuhiko, Peko, and Buddy are out if they're who you want. And, as usual, Byakuya's in a mood," Ms. Mercure continued.

"We're here to see one Clarith Blake," I told her. "Do you know where she could be found?"

Ms. Mercure stared at us for a few seconds before sighing. "Fine... I'll go get her. But I'm going to be watching your conversation because Clarith is... Sensitive," Ms. Mercure said. Nobody objected to her sticking around, as we all knew that it would be the only way we'd get to see Ms. Blake.

I just hope that she isn't too sensitive... I don't like making people cry...

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I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I TRIED TO TYPE GATHERLAW BUT ENDED UP TYPING GHASTLYLAW

AND HAPPY QATH DAY WOO

-Digital