(Jared's POV)
December 24, 9:05 PM
Contest Venue
Fountain Patio…
"'I'm melting! Melting! Oh, what a world, what a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness!'" I said, while Gregory thought this to himself. 'The sculptures in Mr. Dover's room have melted... Due to that, Prosecutor von Karma immediately drove us away from the scene.'
"How are we gonna investigate now? And what's with that 'Defense attorneys, out!'!? Von Karma's methods are deplorable!" Ray said, worried.
"Well... investigating the crime scene is supposed to be the police's job, after all." Gregory said.
"Yeah. And I'm one of Mary Watson's Baker Street Boys. But I can't walk onto a crime scene without Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. It isn't right." I said, sadly.
"But the two of you gotta admit, Von Karma's methods are way outta line! Defense attorneys and the police should work together to discover the truth." Ray said.
"...Raymond, you must realize that not everyone shares the same views as us. Should one expose the truth for the sake of justice, or simply accept things as they appear? Everyone has their own view on what is right and what is wrong." Gregory said.
"Even if that means convicting an innocent man!?" Ray exclaimed.
"Us three ourselves, and the police are only human. And as humans, we all make mistakes. It is for this reason that we defense attorneys exist. So that those who are alone and helpless can have an ally on their side." Gregory said.
"An ally on their side…"
"Yeah. I know what it feels like to be alone and helpless." I said, frowning. "I usually need allies or companions by my side. To stop me from worrying, taking things too far, and keeping me grounded. So, let's get on investigating"
"Jared's right. If we cannot investigate, shouldn't we just find some other way to help?" Gregory asked.
"...! I'm sorry, Mr. Edgeworth, Jared. I... still have much to learn." Ray said, looking between Gregory and I.
"Hmm... you're still young, so you'll have many opportunities to learn." Gregory said.
"Right! I'll do my best!" Ray said, excitedly.
"Monsieur Edgeworth and Monsieur Shields. Would you like to take a brief respite? I know it's not much, but please, eat these." Kate said, walking up to us with a cart filled with chocolate.
"Wow! Thank you!" Ray said, picking up a piece of chocolate.
"Thanks." I said, picking up the piece of chocolate.
Chocolates added to the Court Record.
"...Let's eat." Gregory said, while he thought this to himself. 'I appreciate getting some sugar into my system. ...But these are a little too sweet. ...And it's a little misshapen too.'
"I'm terribly sorry. Does it not suit your tastes?" Kate asked.
"Not at all! It's deliciously sweet!" Ray chirped.
"It's so good." I said, placing the piece of chocolate into my mouth and munching on it. "It's no Cadbury, Lindt, or Godiva. But I still like this."
"Hee hee…" Kate said, giggling. "Thank you very much. But... making sweets isn't really my forte."
"Huh! You made this chocolate, Kate?" Ray asked.
"Yes. Chocolate is Monsieur Master's favorite food! Preparing his favorite food is also part of my job. But I'm still not that good at it, so I need him to instruct me."
"I envy Master Jeff... He gets to eat Kate's handmade sweets whenever he wants."
"Same. I do love anything sweet…" I said, letting out a sigh.
"? Did either of you say something?" Kate asked, looking between Ray and I.
"Ah! N-No, it's nothing!" Ray said, worried.
'This is so sweet... in more ways than one.' Gregory said, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "Ms. Hall, you seem very dedicated to your work."
"Without my work... I wouldn't even have the right to be here." Kate said.
"What do you mean?" Ray asked.
"When I was a child... I was abandoned. Monsieur Master took me in."
"...!"
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. What happened?" I asked, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
"One snowy Christmas Eve, I was left on the doorstep of his mansion. I owe Monsieur Master my life... He became like a father to me. And so, to repay his kindness... ...I want to continue working for him." Kate said.
"Kate... ...You're incredible...!" Ray said, in awe.
"You really are amazing, Kate." I said, as Gregory thought this to himself. 'I've lived a long life... ...yet that brought tears even to my eyes.'
"Today, Christmas Eve has finally arrived once more... ...but it looks like I won't be able to give him the present I prepared. I would do anything, if it meant saving Monsieur Master. If there's any way I could be of service to you, please ask!" Kate cheered.
"Yes... I appreciate that. Well then, do you happen to know anything about the victim, Isaac Dover?" Gregory asked.
"I don't really know much about Monsieur Dover, but... ...I have a photo of the desserts he made for the contest finals!" Kate said, taking out a photo out of her pocket.
"Hmm. This is... certainly a splendid piece of work."
"Yes! With this exquisite beauty, it's truly a work of art! It's crafted so intricately that you almost forget it's made out of sherbet...! It seems Monsieur Master was also fond of Monsieur Dover's work as well."
"Wow! These are the Taurus and Gemini constellations!" Ray said, looking down at the photograph.
"Yup. They are." I said, happily. "Taurus and Gemini. A friend of mine is a Taurus and I'm a Gemini."
"...Do you know a lot about constellations, Raymond, Jared?" Gregory asked, looking between Ray and I.
"Of course! There is so much romance in the constellations! For example, take the club, lyre, and arrow held by Gemini here. These come from…" Ray said, looking down at the photograph. "...Huh? There are no strings on this lyre. Hmm... Did Mr. Dover make a mistake in his sculpting?"
"Someone could have made a mistake like missing a lyre on a bow." I said, smiling.
"It's hard to think he would make a mistake like that…" Kate said, sadly.
"Huh? I thought you said you didn't know much about him...?" Ray asked.
"Ah! Err... I... just sort of felt that way somehow!"
"You do?" I asked, and Gregory thought this to himself. '...It appears she is hiding something from us.'
"Ms. Hall, did you take this photograph yourself?" Gregory asked, looking down at the photo.
"Yes. I took it with this instant camera. It develops pictures instantly, It's one of my greatest treasures." Kate said, taking out her instant camera,
"Wow! I would love to see it in action." Ray said, smiling.
"Same. I love these types of cameras." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
"Hee hee…" Kate said, giggling. "Well then, why don't we take a picture right now?"
"Yay! Let's have our picture taken, Mr. Edgeworth, Jared!" Ray chirped.
"Photo time!" I said, walking up to Raymond. "Haven't taken enough photos with my friends."
"Sure, I don't mind." Gregory said, while he thought this to himself. 'I'm confident in my hairstyle today…'
"Alright, I'm taking the picture! Say cheese!" Kate said, walking away from us and held up her camera, before taking a photo of us. When I say 'us', I mean of Gregory, Ray, and I. Kate then handed the printed photo to Ray. "Here, it's developed! A present from me to you, Monsieur Shields."
"Wow! Thank you so much!" Ray said, looking down at the photo. "...That's such a great camera!"
"Ray. Can you send me a copy of that…" I said, and my sling bag started getting warm and I took out a copy of the printed photo Ray is holding from said bag. "Oh. Thank you, Old Girl."
"You have a copy too, Jared." Ray said, looking down at the photo in my hand. "How?"
"Sexy doing her thing."
"It's the only camera in this mansion. Unfortunately, its convenience comes at a cost. There are no negatives…" Kate said, sadly.
'No negatives... huh.' Gregory said, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "Is this the same camera Mr. Master used during the contest?"
"Yes. You are well-informed. While he made his desserts, Monsieur Master photographed his work. After that, he took photos of all the other competitors' works." Kate said.
"...? Was he taking photos at the time the body was found? The body was discovered during the judging, was it not?" Gregory asked.
"Monsieur Master intended to take photos of everyone's rooms, but... After he photographed Gustavia's room, he ran out of film. Monsieur Master asked me to change the film in the camera. It seemed the film he prepared in advance wasn't enough…"
"There wasn't enough film?"
"It seems the number of photos he took didn't match up with the amount of film remaining. Well... He told me himself it might have been just a mistake, though."
"It could be." I said, as Gregory thought this to himself. 'Was it really just a mistake...?'
"I retrieved more film from the main building and went back to the Fountain Patio. And it was then, that I heard the sound of something breaking in Monsieur Master's room…" Kate said.
(Open POV)
Flashback…
"...Monsieur Master? Are you in here? Eek...!" Kate cried.
(Jared's POV)
Fountain Patio…
"And that's when... I found Monsieur Dover's body in Monsieur Master's room. It was so terrible. I was really shaken up... Before I spoke to anyone else, I called the police. This camera... I've kept it with me ever since." Kate said.
"I see. If it's alright with you, would you mind lending me your camera and that photo?" Gregory asked.
"Sure. I don't mind at all. Here you go!"
"Thank you very much." Gregory said, grabbing the camera from Kate.
Instant Camera added to the Court Record.
Dover's Sherbet Salon added to the Court Record.
Detective Badd and Delicia Scones walked towards us.
"Detective Badd, Ms. Delicious! Is the investigation over already?" Ray asked.
"He said he had no more use for me and kicked me out! Hmph! Manny, that meanie! What a rude thing to say!" Delica said, annoyed.
"Maybe because you've got a sweet tooth." I said, and Gregory thought this to himself. '...It was probably to ensure that you wouldn't eat any more of the crime scene.'
"So, Detective Badd, did you get kicked out too?" Ray asked.
"...It seems Von Karma thought I was getting in the way. He won't let me investigate…" Badd said, sadly.
"What's going on?" I asked, while Gregory thought this to himself. 'Why would he prohibit his own detective from investigating...?'
"But... we know just about all there is to know about the crime scene... Right now... he's talking to Gustavia in Dover's room…"
"Why does he need to speak to Mr. Gustavia?" Ray asked.
"We heard... from Hall... that Gustavia was seen entering the victim's room." Badd said.
"Mr. Gustavia...?" Gregory asked.
"Yes. I saw him entering Dover's room, and it seemed like he was trying to avoid being seen. Although I have no idea what he did in there…" Kate said.
"He is... currently under suspicion... for melting Dover's sherbet." Badd said.
"Suspicion. Huh." I said, as Gregory thought this to himself. 'Just why DID Mr. Gustavia enter that room...?'
"I also have... a photo of Dover's room here. If you need it... I'll let you take a look at it." Badd said, taking out a photo out of his coat pocket.
"!" Gregory said, at a loss for words.
"...Eh? Whaaaat? Why would you do that for us?" Ray asked.
"...Hmph. You still don't get it, kid... I'm saying I want to help you guys. In order to discover... the truth of this case." Badd said.
"Detective Badd...!" Gregory said, at a loss for words.
"Is... Is that alright, Detective Badd? Won't Von Karma chew you out again?" Ray asked.
"I... have no intention of becoming Von Karma's lab dog. If he won't let me investigate... I'll just do as I like. Getting tied up in stupid rules will only blind you to the truth. Isn't that right...? ...Attorney Edgeworth. Jared…" Badd said, looking between Gregory and I.
"Yup. You know, Detective Badd, I worked alongside Tobias Gregson, Gina Lestrade, and Sherlock Holmes." I said, happily.
"Tobias Gregson? Gina Lestrade? Sherlock Holmes? How?"
"I'll lell you later. After this case. Promise. But thank you for being on our side, Detective Badd." I said, smiling.
"...Of course, Detective Badd. I thank you." Gregory said.
"This is amazing, Mr. Edgeworth, Jared...! Now we've got Detective Badd on our side." Ray said, happily.
"I don't really get what's going on... but I'm glad you boys are all friends now!" Delicia chirped.
'I'm grateful that he'll lend us his strength…' Gregory said, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "Well then, can we see the photo now?"
"Right... This... is the current state of Dover's room." Badd said, showing us the photo of Dover's room.
"Wow...! The sherbet has completely melted." Ray said, sadly.
"Yeah." I said, frowning.
'The room is drenched in a light blue liquid... We should compare this with the photo Ms. Hall took.' Gregory said, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "Did the sherbet melt because the power cord was pulled out?"
"Yeah... Because it was pulled... All of the refrigerated glass cases... lost power completely." Badd said.
"Looks like all the power cords were connected to one socket." Ray said, looking down at the photo.
"Do you have any idea when this cord was pulled out?" Gregory asked.
"No... it's still under investigation at the moment…" Badd said.
"What a waste of beautiful sherbet." Ray said.
"Honestly! Had I known it would end up like this, I would've eaten even more of the stuff!" Delicia cried.
"Did Mr. Dover's sherbet taste that good?"
"Oh yessie! His sherbet was most delicious!"
"Really? I wish I could have eaten some too."
"But there was one piece that was so salty I couldn't eat it."
"Salty...?" Gregory asked.
"Did it taste like sea salt?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"No. It tasted like salt." Delicia said, pointing towards a part of the photo. "It's right here in this photo. It was a part of that lyre."
"That's the lyre from the Gemini constellation…" Gregory said, his eyes widening.
"Ah! You snuck a bite from the lyre. That's why the strings are missing!" Ray said, angrily.
"Fie! I could never have eaten that much! It was way too salty." Delicia said.
Delicia's Testimony added to the Court Record.
"Regular salt is good on burgers or steak." I said, happily. "But sea salt is good as ice cream."
"Sea salt ice cream?" Ray asked.
"Yeah. I love it."
'One part of the sherbet tasted different. That's rather curious... Did someone other than her also take a bite out of it?' Gregory asked, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "Did you notice anything else?"
"Now that you mention it, Icy's sherbet sculptures had these strange markings on them. They had two letters carved into them... Wait a minute... there! It looked something like this!" Delicia said, worried.
"Alphabet signature?" I asked, as Gregory thought this to himself. '...An alphabet signature? It can't be...!'
"I knew it! I just knew that Monsieur Dover made this lyre! He isn't one to make mistakes in his sculptures, after all." Kate said.
"...Ms. Hall. It's been troubling me for a while, but... ...do you know something about Mr. Dover?" Gregory asked.
"Huh! Wh-Why would I know something about Monsieur Dover...?" Kate asked.
"You seem quite attached to Mr. Dover's handiwork."
"Th-That's just because his sculptures are such great works of art!"
"No. I believe that his works are very special to you in particular."
"H-How do you know that...?" Kate asked.
"It's like Van Gogh's works are very special to me. Because I met him." I said, smiling. "A long time ago."
"There is a piece of evidence that we believe belongs to Mr. Dover... ...and it happens to share a common feature with another piece of evidence." Gregory said.
"! P-Please show me! I have no idea what you're talking about! Which two pieces of evidence share something in common?" Kate asked.
'Two pieces of evidence that point to Mr. Dover... Let's start by presenting the first one.' Gregory said, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "Jared, do you have the pieces of evidence?"
"On it." I said, taking out a photo of the Signet Crest out of my sling bag and handing it to Gregory. "Here's one."
"Take that!" Gregory said, presenting the Signet Crest, and thinking this to himself. 'And now, the second piece of evidence, which shares a common feature is...!'
"This." I said, taking out a photo of Jeff's Teapot out of my sling bag and handing it to Gregory. "Here's the other one."
"Take that!" Gregory said, presenting Jeff's Teapot. "Delicia saw two letters of the alphabet... They were probably used as Mr. Dover's 'signature'. Just as an artist would sign their name on their works."
"R-Right…" Kate said, sadly.
"Oi! I remember now! ...Icy's sherbet sculptures had PH carved into them, I'm sure of it!" Delicia said, excitedly.
"...PH...? Those aren't Isaac Dover's initials though…" Badd said, letting out a sigh.
"No. ...But, we found this seal at the scene of the crime. It had probably fallen out of the late Mr. Dover's pocket. If you had pressed this seal into something, it would mark the letters PH. Also... the very same PH symbol is engraved into this teapot." Gregory said.
"...The same... symbol...?"
"Yeah. The same symbol." I said, looking down at the floor.
"This teapot was made by the sculptor Pierre Hoquet. In other words... this PH is the signature of Pierre Hoquet. Ms. Hall, you know about this signature all too well, don't you?" Gregory asked.
"Yes... Monsieur Hoquet's works always bear that signature. Since he never shows himself in public, his signature is used to identify his works." Kate said.
"! No way... Are you saying Pierre Hoquet is...!" Badd said, at a loss for words.
'It seems Detective Badd has also realized Isaac Dover's true identity…' Gregory said, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "To Ms. Hall, Mr. Dover was no ordinary pastry chef. That's because, his true identity was...!"
"He could have been a sculptor." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
"That's right... Mr. Dover's true identity was the sculptor Pierre Hoquet!" Gregory yelled.
"Whaaaaaaaaat!? Mr. Dover was... a sculptor!?" Ray exclaimed.
"Things like signatures... can be faked... if you have the original designs... Can you really use that... as proof that he was a sculptor...?" Badd asked.
"No. But what's important here is that Ms. Hall thought he was. As for proving his real identity, I'll leave that to the police." Gregory said.
"Hmph... I get it. ...I'll have the boys check up on it."
"As I expected from you... Gregory Edgeworth." Kate said.
"You... You knew Mr. Dover's real identity all along, didn't you?" Gregory asked.
"Yes... When I discovered the body, I noticed the seal... I knew from that moment he was Pierre Hoquet, the man I greatly admired. Thinking that this would be his final posthumous work, I just couldn't sit still...!"
"So... that's why you entered Dover's room?"
"...Huh? Wh-What did you say?"
"When exactly... did you take this photo of Dover's room?" Gregory asked.
"Th-That was... Perhaps this was taken during the judging…" Kate said, sadly.
"Objection!" Gregory said, doing the Objection pose. "That's strange. I thought you said the camera ran out of film during the judging. Before Mr. Master entered Dover's room, you were the one in possession of the camera. Wasn't that why you were able to take the photo when you discovered the body?"
"Yes... That's right."
"The only photos you took with the new film were of Dover's room and the body. ...If that's the case, a new contradiction comes to light."
"Ugh... Another one...!" Kate said, annoyed.
'The piece of evidence that contradicts the two photos Ms. Hall took is...!' Gregory said, thinking that to himself.
"It's this." I said, taking out the Instant Camera out of my sling bag and handing it to Gregory.
"Take that!" Gregory said, presenting the Instant Camera.
"That is... my instant camera…" Kate said, frowning.
"You've already handed the photos of Dover's room and the body to myself and the police."
"That reminds me, didn't you also take a photo of me, Jared, and Mr. Edgeworth just now?" Ray asked.
"The film used in this camera can take up to 20 photos. However... this camera only has three photos left. ...Which leaves 14 photos unaccounted for. Exactly what were they used to photograph?" Gregory asked, looking down at the Instant Camera.
"...Ughh." Kate said.
"Please show us ALL the photos you took. We will be able to discern your actions from these photos."
"...I'm so sorry... I have told... a terrible lie."
"Don't tell me... All of the remaining shots... are of Isaac Dover's room…" Badd said, looking at Kate.
"My deepest apologies…" Kate said, taking out the rest of the photos out of her pocket.
"It seems they are all shots of the ice sculptures from various angles." Ray said, looking down at the photos.
"So when these were taken... the sculptures had not melted yet. But that means... the one who caused them to melt was you...?" Badd asked.
"Yes... I am positive... that I melted them." Kate said.
"You are 'positive'...?" Gregory asked.
"I am an aficionado of the sculptor Pierre Hoquet, who is actually Monsieur Dover. Before the authorities could defile his final masterpieces during their investigation... I thought I should preserve them through photographs. Hence, I entered his room…"
"In that case... why did all the ice melt...?" Badd asked.
"...It's probably... because... As I was taking the pictures, I became entranced with his works... ...and it seems that my foot accidentally got caught in the power cord, unplugging it…" Kate said.
"Accidentally, you say?" Gregory asked.
"I did not notice the power cord at the time... I would never have imagined that I would be the cause of those sculptures melting."
"Are you sure you're not lying?" I asked, while Gregory thought this to himself. 'Could the truth really be that simple? However, I cannot say with certainly that she is lying…'
"I'm not! I am so sorry to have caused you all so much trouble...!" Kate cried.
"As long as you are telling the truth, there's no need to apologize." Gregory said.
"That's right! Don't sweat it, Kate!" Ray chirped.
"Ray's right. There's no need to worry." I said, happily. "You're obviously telling the truth. Even if it will take the long way around."
"...Thank you very much." Kate said.
"...Edgeworth. Here... take this picture. ...Do what you want with it." Badd said, handing Gregory a photo.
Dover's Sherbet Salon updated in the Court Record.
Von Karma walked up to us with Gustavia.
"...You meddling fools still haven't given up yet, have you? No matter how long you wait, I have no intention of allowing a defense attorney to investigate." Von Karma said, walking up to us.
"...No matter. If we can't investigate, we'll find the truth through some other method." Gregory said.
"...Always ready with a comeback. Well, do try your best."
"Um, excuse me... Monsieur von Karma? The truth is... it was I who melted the ice sculptures in Monsieur Dover's room!" Kate cried.
"What...? What's the meaning of this, you clod!?" Von Karma exclaimed.
"I am truly sorry! Both to you and Monsieur Gustavia...!"
"Nnph... Do not be concerned about me. Sir von Karma has already recognized that I had no hand in this act." Gustavia said.
"That reminds me... Why did you enter Mr. Dover's room, Mr. Gustavia?" Gregory asked, looking at Gustavia.
"Ah. Well, that was because…"
"Objection!" Von Karma said, doing the Objection pose. "Silence, ignoramus! You are not to give that attorney the tiniest hint of information. Katherine Hall! You are coming with me! You are under suspicion of being 'complicit' in the murder."
"...!" Gregory said, speechless.
"N-No!" Kate said, terrified.
"I shall be interrogating you personally. ...You best prepare yourself." Von Karma said, smirking.
"...Very well."
"Please wait. I still have some questions I want to ask her...!" Gregory said, angrily.
"I do not care for your sorry plight in the least." Von Karma said.
"Urgh...!"
"Badd, Gustavia, and while I'm at it, you as well, Scones. I have plenty of questions for you all." Von Karma said, walking away with Badd, Gustavia, and Kate.
"...Hmph." Badd said, scoffing.
"Understood." Gustavia said.
"Fie! 'While I'm at it', he says... The nerve!" Delicia yelled, following the others.
"...He just took everyone away with him." Ray said.
"Yeah…" I said, looking down at the floor.
"Yes... Even if we stay here, I don't think we'll be able to investigate any further today. Let's take our leave for now. It has already grown rather late." Gregory said, while he thought this to himself. 'I hope the snow has stopped by now…'
"Sounds good! ...I'm starving anyway." Ray said, happily.
"Hmm... Let's stop somewhere for hamburgers then." Gregory said, as he thought this to himself. 'Before my stomach joins the chorus…'
"Oh. Let's go to In-N-Out Burger!" I said, looking up from the floor. "Haven't had that in ages."
"He he he!" Ray said, laughing. "You can't fight on an empty stomach after all!"
"You really can't." I said, and Gregory thought this to himself. 'We'll need to report back to Mr. Master with our findings first thing tomorrow…'