Ace Attorney: Secrets Beneath Secrets

Turnabout Betrayal, Part 9 (Jay)

//August 31, 2028. Morix Law Offices, 12:24 PM//

"Here comes the hard part," Ms. Shield gulped. "I think that we've investigated the crime scene enough, so now we have to figure out who sent Anton that letter."

I nodded in agreement. "Where are we going to start?"

"I think that we should start not with the letter, but with our own mastermind at the agency. The traitor," Ms. Shield replied. "Lucas said that Venus knew, so we'd have to get her channeled."

"I could always drop out and have Sora channel her," I suggested.

Ms. Shield shook her head. "I might need your help. I'm going to go ask Chrysalis to do it."

"Where is she, anyways?" I questioned.

"Probably the back room," Ms. Shield answered. "I'll go get her."

Ms. Shield walked into the back room. I watched her grab Ms. Starr's wrist and pull the younger girl out here. "What do you need this time?" Ms. Starr questioned.

"Could you channel Venus?" Ms. Shield asked.

Ms. Starr nodded. "What for?"

"We just want to talk to her," I told her, not wanting to risk a slip up.

Ms. Starr walked into the hallway's bathroom, still clearly suspicious. "On it!" she called.

"You think that Ms. Rinko is going to just tell us who the traitor is?" I questioned.

"Lucas said that Venus slipped up in her speech. If we can find a hole in her talking, then she should reveal who the traitor is," Ms. Shield replied.

"I'm not quite sure that things are going to be that easy," I frowned.

"We'll just see how it turns out then, I guess," Ms. Shield told me.

"Lily?"

I turned to face Ms. Rinko, currently being channeled. Compared to Ms. Starr, her hair was puffier and she didn't have glasses resting on her nose. "Did you need something?" Ms. Rinko asked.

Ms. Shield nodded. "I want to talk about the traitor who works at the agency. I've hearde that you know who it is."

"I'm afraid I don't know who the traitor is," Ms. Rinko frowned. "My apologies."

Ms. Shield rubbed her Magatama. "I know that isn't true," Ms. Shield said. "You have Psyche-Locks." I rubbed Sora's Magatama. Just as Ms. Shield had said, there were five, fiery colored Psyche-Locks with golden sections. This most certainly wasn't going to be as easy as we had originally hoped. Why can't things ever just be easy?!

"I don't understand. I really don't know who the traitor is," Ms. Rinko told us. I rubbed the Magatama again, but the Psyche-Locks were gone. I gasped and rubbed much more violently. Are disappearing Locks even possible?

Ms. Shield had noticed it, too. "What the...?!"

"Like I said, I don't know who the traitor is. Lucas must have been lying," Ms. Rinko told us. "I'm going now."

Ms. Rinko turned away to leave, but Ms. Shield stopped her. "Ms. Rinko! You just stated that Lucas must have been lying. But I never said anything about Lucas being the one who told us about what you knew!!"

"Eek!" Ms. Rinko held her hands protectively in front of her face. When she brought her hands down, her expression was back to normal. "I was watching your conversation with Lucas. Not to mention that I told him in the first place."

"Then you wouldn't mind telling us who it is, would you?" Ms. Shield questioned.

"I would mind. It's not in my favor at all," Ms. Rinko replied. She seemed to regret her words immediately, judging by the fact that her eyes widened for a few seconds before returning to normal.

"Not in your favor?" I asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing. I meant nothing." The Psyche-Locks came back. What was with Ms. Rinko today? She was never like this in the afterlife.... Wait! That's it!

"I think I know what you mean, Ms. Rinko," I smirked.

"Huh?" Ms. Shield gasped. "What does she mean?"

"She means that telling us really doesn't work out in her favor. But what would it matter to her if this is for the greater good?" I questioned.

"Are you trying to say...?!" Ms. Shield gasped.

I nodded. "And the fact that her hairstyle is off today is proof. Regularly, Ms. Rinko has hair over her shoulders as well as on her back. Today, there's only hair on her back. And remember how Ms. Starr left the room to channel Ms. Rinko? She could have easily messed with her hair!"

"Eeeeeeek!" Ms. Rinko shrieked. "Are you trying to say that this channeling is...fake?!"

I nodded again. "That's exactly what I'm saying. It's the only logical conclusion. Ms. Rinko, or should I say, Ms. Starr, there was never a channeling in the first place! It was a scheme to throw Ms. Shield and myself off the course of the traitor!"

Ms. Starr pulled her hair over her shoulder and began brushing her fingers through it. She said nothing as she pulled the puff from her curly locks.

"Is it true?" Ms. Shield questioned.

"If it is?" Ms. Starr's voice sounded normal again when she replied. "Why would it matter at all? I don't think it really would matter."

"You tried to throw us off the track of the traitor! That's more than a 'it wouldn't really matter!'" Ms. Shield yelled.

"I have my reasons. And I intend on keeping those reasons to myself. Please just leave this issue alone, Lily," Ms. Starr told us.

"I can't! There could be somebody-there is somebody-out there reporting our every move to the Under Cover Assassin! That's not a good thing, though I'm sure you know that!" Ms. Shield yelled.

"Of course I know! Everyday I have to face the stupid injury they gave me!" Ms. Starr shouted. Realizing what she had said, Ms. Starr gasped, eyes wide, before clapping her hands over her mouth.

"Injury?" Ms. Shield asked curiously.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Don't pay it any mind," Ms. Starr answered. She stormed out of the room in anger.

"I think I just found our key to discovering the traitor," Ms. Shield told me in disbelief.

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I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

No time for an author's note now since my parents are dragging me out of the house.

Cries.

-Digital