Now for the middle portion of Turmabout Reminiscence, the fourth case in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth.
Previously On...
After meeting Kay in the third case, Edgeworth is reminded of what would have been his first court case, which was cut short when the defense attorney and prosecutor Edgeworth he was replacing were murdered. At first, all evidence seemed to point to the two men killing each other, but then Calisto Yew, the defense attorney, cast suspicion on Detective Gumshoe. Edgeworth, however, suspects that the case is more complex than it seems, and that it may be relevant to a past unsolved murder.
The Investigation Resumes
Edgeworth asks Manfred von Karma what will happen to the court case(presumably People v. Rell, but cases aren't referred to that way in universe), and von Karma replies that with the defendant and prosecutor dead, it will be dismissed. Franziska says Edgeworth will have to wait for his debut and Edgeworth accepts that; all three are relatively nonchalant over two people being murdered in their workplace.
Edgeworth asks von Karma for his opinion about the cases, and von Karma says Faraday is to blame, then decides to have Edgeworth assigned to another case. Since von Karma, despite his seniority and decades-long winning streak, is still just an ordinary prosecutor, I can only assume he's pulling strings. Franziska asks if her father will come and watch her debut case next, and Manfred noncommittally offers to consider it. We never know whether he makes good on this offer, so it's unclear how much Manfred cares for Franziska.
Edgeworth insists that he be allowed to continue investigating Faraday and Rell's murders, since while there is a suspect, there is inadequate proof to convict him, and Edgeworth wants "perfect" proof of the killer's guilt. Manfred then mocks Edgeworth for speaking of perfection as a "worthless" person, but Franziska asks Manfred who he thinks the killer is, and says she and Edgeworth are competing to find that person first. She adds that this would be a good opportunity for them to gain investigative experience, and Manfred grudgingly agrees to her request, saying his goal is to have Edgeworth recognized as a top-rate prosecutor, and "It wouldn't be very interesting otherwise," implying his goal of raising Edgeworth as a ruthless prosecutor and an antithesis of his honorable defense attorney father. Von Karma then goes home and says he does not want to be disturbed save for hearing about Edgeworth and Franziska's successful investigation.
Edgeworth thanks Franziska, who says she doesn't need thanks, since the competition is still ongoing Edgeworth, with Franziska in tow, then resumes questioning people. He starts with Yew, who doesn't recognize who Franziska is, and who treats her like a kid, resulting in Franziska whipping Edgeworth.
Edgeworth asks Yew some more questions, resulting in her being unable to contain her laughter at his overly serious demeanor. He asks where she was at the time of the crime, and she says that she was in Defendant Lobby 1- the one adjacent to the crime scene in Defendant Lobby 2- up until the shooting, and was with Badd at the time.
When asked about her ties with Badd, Yew mentions that she knows him through KG-8, since he was supposed to protect her sister Cece. Franziska demands an explanation, and says Cece was her little sister, so she enjoys taunting Badd about his failure. She then notes that Badd and Faraday met up every time the Yatagarasu made a move. Edgeworth, unsurprised, mentally notes that Badd was in charge of the investigation and plans to ask him about that.
Edgeworth asks Yew about her alibi with Badd, but Franziska notes that this is strange, since lawyers should meet with their clients during a recess. Yew mentions that she planned to, but Faraday dragged Rell away, so she instead spoke with Badd and insulted him for a bit, much to Edgeworth's dismay. She then gets to the point and says she can't tell Edgeworth about the hallway.
Incidentally, the Ace Attorney universe's court system has a rather lax attitude toward letting clients meet with their lawyers. In trials, you will often be told that your client is busy with questioning if you try to return to the detention center without having gathered enough evidence to advance the story. Even worse, Spirit of Justice has two instances- once in Case 3 and another time in Case 5- when the law enforcement interrupts Phoenix's meetings with his client.
Edgeworth asks Yew about Rell's claim to being the Yatagarasu, and she says he made it up, since while his murder was caught on tape, his infiltration was not. Franziska, outraged, asks if Yew willingly chose to defend a murderer, and Yew says yes. Edgeworth is unsurprised, noting that this confirms his belief that defense attorneys cover for criminals. Franziska, regaining her composure, says defense lawyers might be detestable, but they're no match for von Karmas. Yew brushes off Franziska before reminding Edgeworth that she has her own agenda- investigating KG-8. Edgeworth asks if this justifies defending a murderer, but Yew, offended, says she was merely using this as a way to get close to Rell, and Edgeworth apologizes.
Edgeworth then proceeds to the final topic of discussion- the Yatagarasu. Yew denies knowing much about the thief, but mentions that companies often hire her consultation services, and that she knows the Yatagarasu doesn't steal money. Franziska snarks about them stealing lives, but Yew remarks that she isn't funny. As Franziska readies her crop, Edgeworth warns her not to whip Yew... then gets whipped himself, much to Yew's amusement.
Yew states that the Yatagarasu steals information on companies' illicit dealings. Franziska is unimpressed, calling the Yatagarasu just another criminal, and Yew doesn't disagree, but notes that she gets clients because of them.
Edgeworth goes over to speak with Gumshoe, who insists that he's not the killer. Edgeworth replies that he only trusts the evidence, and that he will show no mercy if Gumshoe is guilty. Despite that, Edgeworth says Gumshoe has nothing to worry about if he's innocent, and will conduct a "perfect investigation."
Edgeworth asks Gumshoe about his conversation with Faraday, and Gumshoe reveals that Faraday was angry about Gumshoe going to his usual post instead of Criminal Affairs on his first day as a detective, and ending up really late. Franziska remarks that she did the same in elementary school- namely, going to her old classroom each time she moved up a year- and while this would seem to be sympathetic of her, Edgeworth's remark that it's humiliating for Gumshoe to be compared to an elementary schooler implies that Franziska is being subtly condescending.
Gumshoe then mentions that at 3:20, Badd ordered him to guard the Defendant's Lobby and ensure that nothing happened to Faraday, at which point Franziska chides him for his failure.
Edgeworth asks Gumshoe if there' anything he hasn't told them, and when he remains silent, Franziska says they'll search him. Franziska finds nothing, since Badd confiscated Gumshoe's handcuffs and badge, but Edgeworth spots an open envelope. Franziska whips Gumshoe to take th eenvelope over his objections and finds Gumshoe's bonus of $5 in cash, who was penniless before he received it.
As Edgeworth's questioning of Gumshoe nears its end, an officer arrives to take Gumshoe in for questioning, but Edgeworth has one last question- whether Gumshoe's testimony that he never heard a sound is the truth. Gumshoe says yes and insists no one passed through the hallway, either. Edgeworth informs Gumshoe that his lie is only making life more difficult for himself, but Gumshoe persists. Edgeworth can't fathom why Gumshoe would persist with his lies, but decides to investigate the hallway.
The girl from earlier, whom Gumshoe seems to recognize, comes up behind Edgeworth and kicks him in the shins, causing him to fall to one knee. She then blows him a raspberry and runs off, dropping something. As Franziska mocks Edgeworth's carelessness, he recognizes the girl as the one he changed money for, and Franziska notices a Swiss Roll on the floor. Franziska proposes arresting the girl as a person of interest, and Edgeworth, still bitter, is amenable.
Edgeworth finds Badd questioning the judge in the hallway. After he finishes, the judge starts to leave, but sees Edgeworth and Franziska, who introduce themselves. The judge tries to recite Edgeworth's full name and the fact that von Karma recommended him before biting his tongue. Franziska suggests that "Ms. Von Karma" will suffice for her, while she suggests that the judge refer to Edgeworth by his surname without honorifics.
After getting introductions and etiquette out of the way, Edgeworth asks the judge about what he saw, and the judge willingly complies, seeing it as his duty.
Hallway Investigation
The first thing to investigate is the vending machine, which sells a variety of snacks, all of which are remarkably expensive. Hot dogs are $7, beef jerky is $9, ham sandwiches are $8, orange juice is $9, milk is $7 and a Swiss roll is $6, with Franziska complaining about the prices and reading the pun-based slogans aloud. Incidentally, the machine accepts credit cards, but that never becomes relevant. What is relevant, however, is that the Swiss Roll the girl dropped came from the machine.
Edgeworth then proceeds to questioning the judge. It turns out that the judge was visiting the restroom at the time and could see Gumshoe buying something from the vending machine, since the restroom window looked into the hallway. When the judge was about to leave the restroom, he took another look and saw no one there. After finishing with the judge, Edgeworth allows him to return to his other duties. Franziska remarks that the judge is rather friendly for someone in his profession, while Edgeworth considers them "wishy-washy" but says they hand down fair verdicts. Surprisingly, as eccentric as the judge seems, he's never been shown wrongfully convicting someone for a crime without unusual circumstances being involved (e.g. Furio Tigre impersonating Phoenix and throwing the case). Of course, Edgeworth could be saying that because he's a prosecutor, and the courts in Ace Attorney have an extremely high conviction rate, just like in Japan.
Edgeworth investigates the windowsill, and finds a pink-colored piece of rubber trash. Edgeworth suspects it's familiar, but Franziska dismisses it as garbage, and gets so angry at there being a litterer that she whips. Nearby, there's a cactus that gives Edgeworth a similarly painful experience when he pricks his finger. The bench is dirty and smells like a sweet substance, and since there's a handprint there, Edgeworth asks the lab tech for fingerprints. It turns out that the fingerprints belong to none other than Gumshoe, and while Franziska's eager to make him pay for dirtying the bench, Edgeworth sees a clue. Edgeworth finds some ants eating pieces of cake and chocolate on the floor, with a line of them climbing up the wall, and this also infuriates Franziska.
Edgeworth then questions Badd about Gumshoe's movements, despite the detective's reluctance to speak with him. Badd's detective intuition led him to suspect something would happen, but Franziska mocks him for failing to protect Faraday. Badd intimidatingly reaches into his coat, and Edgeworth then insists that Franziska apologize. Badd called for Gumshoe, and when he arrived, the two of them met Yew, who claimed that an angry Faraday was speaking to Rell in Defendant Lobby 2, and didn't want any interruptions. With little other choice, Badd ordered Gumshoe to stand guard, something that happened 30 minutes prior to the gunshot. While Gumshoe apparently never left the Defendant's Lobby hallway, he's also the only one without an alibi. Edgeworth concludes that he's missing information.
Badd heard the gunshot from Lobby #1 and ran to Lobby #2 with Yew in less than a minute, bringing Gumshoe with him. The precise time was near the end of the recess, just before Badd was going to see whether Faraday had transferred the evidence. Badd is still reluctant to trust or cooperate with Edgeworth and Franziska.
Edgeworth uses logic, concluding that the piece of pink trash came from a balloon that got popped by the cactus, and that the crumbs came from a Swiss roll Gumshoe ate while sitting down. However, since Gumshoe only had $5 on him, he couldn't have afforded it without an extra dollar.
Role Reversal
Edgeworth returns to the courtroom and speaks with the judge, determined to find out whether his testimony still holds up. The judge becomes nervous, wondering if he's a suspect, although since this trial is a flashback, he can't possibly be found guilty.
Franziska considers the judge nothing more than a witness in this case, but the judge insists he could never give a false testimony.
Edgeworth vs. The Judge: "What I Saw at Recess"
The judge mentions that he went to the bathroom during the recess. According to the map, it's rather inconveniently placed, being at the end of a hallway at its wing of the building. Oddly enough, there isn't a women's restroom anywhere, even though there should be one next to it. He reiterates his claim that Gumshoe suddenly disappeared, and that he finds Gumshoe suspicious because of that.
Naturally, there's a simple explanation for this- Gumshoe was sitting down on the bench. Edgeworth lets out an "OBJECTION!" and after being criticized by the judge and Franziska, points out the handprint that belongs to Gumshoe to prove the detective was sitting on the bench. He adds that the window was high enough that Franziska couldn't see out of it, earning him a lash from her whip. After recovering, Edgeworth points out that Gumshoe sat in a blind spot, which is why he disappeared.
While Edgeworth's confident that the judge just proved Gumshoe was in the hallway, the judge lets out a "HOLD IT!"(basically, what the lawyer yells when pressing a witness), and after apologizing for yelling, repeats it in a normal voice. He claims to have remembered something else and asks permission to testify again. Franziska wearily states that he'll just testify again, but Edgeworth calls this an opportunity to get more information for his "perfect investigation."
Edgeworth vs. The Judge: "What I Saw at Recess, Pt. 2"
The theme switches to "Confrontation- Allegro," a faster-paced version of the theme reserved for later cross-examinations. In the main series, the Allegro version is usually reserved for the culprit, but the Investigations series has a separate Presto version for the culprit.
The judge says that just because there's a blind spot doesn't mean that Gumshoe was in it, and mentions how he heard the gunshot as he was exiting the restroom.
As the judge is satisfied with his testimony, Edgeworth is taken aback, wishing the judge would get to the important stuff first. The judge apologizes, saying he thought it was a noise popper at first, and Edgeworth remembers what he said before the case began. Edgeworth realizes that the time of the gunshot is most important, and asks the judge to clarify his testimony.
Edgeworth asks the judge about when he looked into the hallway, and the judge says that it was 20 minutes before the trial resumed. Edgeworth smirks, notes that it was as he expected, and asks the judge to add this statement to his testimony. This contradicts Badd's statement that the gunshot took place before the trial resumed, and Edgeworth points this out to the judge. After overruling the judge's own overruling of his objection, Edgeworth demands an explanation for why the judge heard the gunshot 20 minutes before Badd did. Edgeworth then realizes the importance of a certain piece of evidence and its real identity- the pink balloon, which popped and produced the "gunshot" sound.
Franziska grudgingly compliments Edgeworth but, determined to one-up him, insists she'd have settled this before the judge could even testify. Meanwhile, the judge is forced to admit that the sound he heard wasn't exactly a gunshot, but he never expected to hear a balloon pop.
Edgeworth remembers the balloon the girl was holding and reassures the judge that he didn't lie, but points out that the testimony is hardly accurate. The judge is so ashamed he considers releasing Gumshoe, but Edgeworth says he still has questions for Gumshoe. Edgeworth doesn't know whether Gumshoe is guilty, but realizes that there are still some unanswered questions. The judge grants Edgeworth's request and orders the bailiff to bring Gumshoe in.
Questioning Gumshoe
Gumshoe is rather agitated and continues to protest his innocence. After a brief dispute over who gets to judge him, the judge apologizes, but Edgeworth reminds everyone that Gumshoe hasn't been exonerated yet. Edgeworth says that if Gumshoe gives false testimony, he'll be held indefinitely, but he already knows Gumshoe is lying, and seeing through that lie will be key to the case.
Edgeworth vs. Gumshoe, "While I was on Duty"
Gumshoe mentions that Badd had him come to the courthouse and ordered him to stand guard. Determined to find the lie in the testimony, Edgeworth asks Gumshoe about what guarding the door means, and Gumshoe says it's standing in front of the door without moving. Everyone stares at Gumshoe in silence, knowing that he's lying. Gumshoe's statement about not taking a step away from the door is added to his testimony, and easily disproven by Gumshoe's handprint, which reveals that he sat on the bench during the recess, and obviously stepped away from the door to buy the Swiss roll from the vending machine(although in the former position, he could see anyone approaching the door).
Gumshoe reluctantly admits that he bought a Swiss roll for himself, and kept it secret due to being afraid of getting in trouble for eating on the job. Gumshoe insists he isn't keeping anything else secret, but Edgeworth is skeptical. Edgeworth brings up how Swiss rolls cost $6 and Gumshoe only had $5 at the time. Gumshoe insists that no one could have helped him buy it, and challenges Edgeworth for proof. Edgeworth presents the Swiss roll, which the girl dropped, and says that of the two rolls in the bag, Gumshoe ate one and gave one to someone else.
The girl arrives and tries to kick Edgeworth in the shins, but this time, he dodges her kick and grabs her. Gumshoe protests and tells Edgeworth not to do anything to her, proving that he knows the girl.
Edgeworth asks the girl if he wronged her, and the girl introduces herself as Kay... Kay Faraday. At that point, Kay's theme starts to play. Edgeworth realizes that Kay is Byrne Faraday's daughter, and scolds her for kicking him. Kay counters by blaming him for arresting "Gummy," which seems a little unfair- while Edgeworth was never completely convinced of Gumshoe's innocence, he wasn't responsible for arresting him, and did investigate the case, albeit for his own reasons.
Kay is hissing at Edgeworth like a stray cat until he hands her the Swiss roll she dropped. Kay then remarks that she was saving the roll for her father, and the adults immediately react in shock and horror. Gumshoe tries to stop Edgeworth from telling Kay what happened, but Kay says that she already knows, having overheard a conversation. Kay tries her best not to cry, but then breaks down in tears as the witness breakdown music plays.
Edgeworth tells Kay she can let it all out, recalling how he was involved in a murder case at the courthouse, one that changed his life forever. Franziska calls him out on letting a lady cry, and Edgeworth offers Kay a handkerchief... only for her to blow her nose into his cravat. The mood immediately shifts, with the witness breakdown music replaced by Kay's theme.
Edgeworth asks if Kay will be all right, and she says yes; he's unconvinced but doesn't press her. Kay explains that she promised her father that she'd never cry in front of strangers, a promise she intends to keep even after his death. Gumshoe, Edgeworth and even Franziska are impressed by Kay's strength, with Edgeworth noting that Franziska sympathizes with Kay because they're the daughters of respected prosecutors (although Manfred clearly has nothing but contempt for the elder Faraday).
Kay describes her father as a "Hero of Justice" who was responsible for catching "bad guys" as a prosecutor, and she hopes to emulate him. To that end, Kay works to keep the promises she made to her father. Edgeworth is touched by the "exchange diary" between father and daughter, and makes note of the promise notebook as evidence.
Edgeworth asks Kay about Gumshoe, and she recalls meeting him in the lobby while looking for her father, and only spent a few minutes with him.
Kay confirms that she bought the Swiss roll, but while Edgeworth realizes that's why she asked for change, he also notices that she wouldn't have had enough even with the dollar.
Kay apologizes for getting mucus all over Edgeworth's cravat, but he reassures her that he has a spare, saving the developers from having to make another set of sprites for him without his cravat. He takes off his cravat and gives it to her, but she says that her father won't let her take things from strangers- a rule that's common sense, but can easily be misinterpreted. Edgeworth instead decides to loan Kay his cravat.
Edgeworth demands that Gumshoe come clean about being with Kay, but Franziska mentions that he hasn't explained why Gumshoe would lie. Edgeworth says it was for Kay's sake, since Kay promised never to take things from strangers.
Gumshoe finally tells the truth. He wanted some Swiss rolls, but couldn't afford them, until Kay showed up with a dollar. Kay was worried about getting in trouble with her father until Gumshoe promised to keep it a secret. They then split one roll while giving Kay the other one to give to her father.
Edgeworth asks Kay about the balloon, and while Franziska scolds Kay for leaving litter around, she also concedes that Kay couldn't have reached it. Of course, it turns out that Kay apparently popped the balloon on purpose to surprise Gumshoe, causing him to drop his half of the Swiss roll. Kay then says that she was going to give the other roll to Gumshoe, but then saw Edgeworth supposedly picking on Gumshoe and kicked him. Kay apologizes and Edgeworth forgives her, but asks to hang onto the roll until Gumshoe is cleared of suspicion.
Speaking of which, Edgeworth seems confident that Kay's testimony proves Gumshoe's innocence... but Yew arrives and says it proves that only Gumshoe could have committed the crime. Franziska calls out Yew for rudely eavesdropping, but Yew finds it hilarious that someone who whips people will lecture her. Kay sticks up for Gumshoe, but Yew summons a bailiff to get Kay out of the way.
Yew points out that only Gumshoe could have gone into Lobby #2 to commit the murders. She also warns Edgeworth that it's dangerous to let one's guard down around a criminal, which proves to be a nice bit of foreshadowing given later events.
Yew leaves, and Edgeworth realizes that he has one last chance to prove Gumshoe's innocence- by investigating Lobby #1.
One of the more frustrating aspects of this case is how Gumshoe repeatedly refuses to tell the truth about Kay. Many Ace Attorney cases have witnesses who would refuse to tell the truth even when it's in their best interests to, but while Gumshoe doesn't want himself or Kay to get in trouble with Kay's father, the person in question is already dead.
That said, I liked how Edgeworth's character was used when dealing with Kay. He shares how the tragedy impacted him- he also lost his father in a courtroom- and while the incident caused him to become cynical and distrust defense attorneys, he's not heartless enough to lack empathy for someone whose circumstances mirror his own. It's probably Edgeworth's best moment in this case, as well as the one that most effectively shows how even after he's changed for the worse, he's not irredeemable.
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