Turnabout Reversal

Rise From the Ashes: Chapter Four

"I can't believe what that awful woman said... Mia would never erase evidence like that. She's not that type of person..." Pearl stared at the empty knocked over oil drum, tears brimming in the edges of her eyes. She knelt down next to it, brushing her fingers against the rim as if she was investigating something important. She sighed standing back up and pulling out a strange spray bottle from her overpacked bag, "come on Mister Edgeworth. We have to test for blood! Then we'll see who gets the last laugh!" As it turned out... it was indeed Miss Starr who got it. When they sprayed the luminol by the car, a large bloodstain showed up. Considering that a murder had supposdely happened there... it didn't seem like nearly enough. Puzzling. This whole case was suspicion wrapped in a tight blanket of lies. Lots and lots of lies.

"Oh my... have you found something interesting boy? You're staring at that spot rather intently." Miles jumped as Miss Starr appeared behind him, glaring daggers into his back.

"Ah... yes. Hello."

"If you're interested in why I lied, it was because I needed the story to sound convincing enough. But I really did see her stab Bruce!" She stopped her foot against the ground, puffing her cheeks out slightly in anger. She brushed a few strays hairs off her face and sighed.

"Um... ma'am...? I wanted to ask you... you were a detective, right? You weren't lying about that?" Miss Starr sighed again, staring at the ground like she was almost sad.

"Yes... I was a detective... at least until two year ago. I was fired after that case... the SL-9 incident," Why did he not like the sound of the word incident? Oh right... because of DL-6, "it was then that I learned that we were nothing to them, just tools to be disposed of when we weren't needed anymore. Two years ago... it was the biggest case I ever worked on. All of the police and prosecutors were desperate for decisive evidence."

"... does that mean they didn't solve it?" Good Pearl, you carry on a conversation with this crazy woman. He'd just be... over there, minding his own business.

"On the contrary, it was solved. And rather cleanly at that. A suspect was arrested and executed, all that jazz. It doesn't get any cleaner than that. However... they never did find a piece of decisive evidence."

"But if he was executed... they had to find decisive evidence... right?"

"Oh, evidence was used all right... but it was forged. The best part came a few months after the verdict, almost all of the detectives who had worked on the case were demoted or fired, myself and Jake included. I've only been selling lunches around here at the Prosecutor's Office to try and investigate more. I believe Jake has gathered more information, however. Try giving him this and he might talk to you." She passed a lunchbox to Pearl and patted the tiny girl's head. She shoved the box rather messily in her bag, bending the corner a little bit.

"Hey Msiter Edgeworth... we should go check out that second murder. Go talk to the suspect, and all that." Miles agreed and they headed for the Detention Centre.

~~~

The suspect turned out to be that police officer from the other day -the one who was terrified of Phoenix- who started crying as soon as they walked into the room, out of relief most likely. What was his name again...? Did Miles even know it?

"Why did they arrest you... uh..." Shit! Why was he blanking on his name?

"Meekins, sir. Mike Meekins."

"Right. Why did they arrest you Mister Meekins?"

"Why that's simple sir! I was in the evidence room at the time of the murder!" He was what now?! Mileswas about ready to declare this one guilty right away. But he might as well hear the rest of his story first... might as well.