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It was rare that Miles got the chance to leave his office these days.
Chief Prosecutor was a lofty title with countless responsibilities, most of which went neglected by his predecessors. He would excuse one of them for being woefully under qualified for the job as she was a detective and this wasn’t what she was trained to do, but then he’d have to excuse the rest of them, as the mountains of paperwork and number of bodies discovered in the building would show that none of them were qualified for the job.
This was why the legal system was in the state it was in. From the moment he started digging into matters, he was loathed to find the rot of corruption and laziness went far deeper than he had once imagined.
The PIC was still in a state of uproar as they needed to form an entirely new committee to assess who was a willful participant in this mess, who had their arms twisted, and who were simply woefully unaware.
The PIC would simply have to be torn apart and rebuilt from the ground up.
To think that the committee put in charge of monitoring prosecutors to make sure they remain paragons of virtue and law had become so putrid and corrupt was sickening. Miles had known for a while, seeing as he was involved with the case responsible for the termination and incarceration of the previous chairman, but he spent his entire life under von Karma’s tutelage with a begrudging respect for the former chairman.
Even a hesitant approval from von Karma should’ve been enough for Miles put the pieces together. It was embarrassing it took as long as it did to notice.
That was to say nothing of the murders that had taken place in his old office, and his car, and lord knew where else. The security in the Prosecutor’s office was far too lacking.
And again, he still had years of incomplete paperwork to file and finish.
It was nothing short of a miracle he was paid on time. It almost seemed like a mistake for someone competent to be put in charge.
But every week, Gumshoe would come and retrieve him for some sort of respite. It was nice to have something aside from a sandwich he could eat one handed as he pressed on through paperwork.
“It’s pretty cold out today. You didn’t bring anything warmer, pal?” Gumshoe asked as they headed into the cafe a few blocks away.
The traffic downtown was as horrid as ever, and somehow it was faster to walk than to drive. Miles couldn’t find the patience to find a parking spot in this jumble of idiots who deemed it perfectly okay to park in two stalls and sit through a green light because they felt like it.
But Miles could feel the cold nip at his nose. “I suppose I didn’t think of it. I thought you were busy with reviews today and had planned to eat in my office.”
“I did those reviews last week. We always go for lunch on Wednesday.”
Was it already Wednesday? That seemed impossible.
He pulled out his phone, and sure enough, Miles had worked through another weekend. He would have to apologize to Sebastian later for missing their Saturday brunch. “So it is.”
“They have you working pretty hard at the prosecutor’s office. Can’t you take a break?”
“As lovely as it’d be to relax a little, if I slow down I’ll only find myself with more work.”
If only there was a committee designated to stomp out the corruption for him. That would be one less thing for him to worry about. How wonderful would that be? Some sort of Prosecutorial Investigation Committee would do wonders to make his job easier.
Oh wait.
“Well it worked for the other Chief Prosecutors. A few days shouldn’t be too much to ask. You’re gonna work yourself to death at this rate, pal.”
Gumshoe did have a point. Miles had been exhausted lately, and it wasn’t a surprise as to why. His title meant that there were very few cases for him to take, as none were a large enough concern for the Chief Prosecutor to handle. He missed trials to break up the monotony of paperwork.
“I suppose I’m reaching a point in which I can take a little break. Not quite yet, but in the near future.”
“I sure hope so, we’re all getting worried about you.”
He could recognize this behaviour as more than a little concerning. There were more than a few old habits beginning to resurface from his time under von Karma. “My apologizes, Gumshoe. I’ll work a little harder to focus on my mental well being.”
“It’s okay, Mr. Edgeworth. Just don’t forget that you have a bunch of people all here to help,” he chuckled slightly as he held the door.
The rush of air from the cafe was a welcome feeling on his cold face. It warmed his body almost as much as Gumshoe’s words warmed his heart.
To think he, the Demon Prosecutor himself, had grown so sentimental.
Lunch was nice, they discussed matters from work, though Gumshoe had guided them into more personal matters. Apparently the stray Gumshoe had taken in a few weeks ago had puppies, and now him and Maggie were looking to find homes for them. Miles wasn’t in any position to take care of any more animals apart from Pess, but he was sure that he could slip it into an email should there be anyone able to take a puppy home.
Perhaps Sebastian and Kay could. A dog was an excellent companion to soothe one’s nerves and would be excellent for someone like Sebastion, and the dog could be considered a reward for Kay for how responsible she’s been as of late.
After lunch, he headed up to his office. The door was slightly ajar.
Miles knew for a fact that the door was closed and locked when he left. It should not be open. The last time something like this had happened, he had found a man dead in his office and important documents taken. And that was back when he was nothing more than a simple prosecutor. The documents that could’ve been taken now were far more important than they used to be.
Security would be moving considerably higher up on his to-do list if he found another body in his office.
He took a deep breath in, and stepped into his office and scanned around the room. There was no body, bu two things caught his attention. His chessboard had been touched, and a blue box with a pink ribbon had been left on his desk.
There was an obvious answer as to who this culprit was, yet at the same time there was also the fact that he couldn’t entirely deny the possibility of this being something dangerous left by someone who wasn’t fond of either his methods or his goals. People have killed over less.
That was a fact Miles was all too familiar with.
He approached the box, carefully opening it. Despite how messily it was wrapped, it proved to be shockingly difficult to open. Miles had to wonder if the blasted thing was sealed with packing tape. It was a ridiculous thought, because who in their right mind would wrap a gift with packing tape?
Regardless of the wrapper’s intentions, Miles got it open. Inside sat a pink scarf, that gradually faded to white and ended with ruffles mimicking the cravat Miles wore to work. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes, despite the fond smile on his lips.
To think he doubted that this was him for even a second.
A note sat at the bottom of the box. Miles took it and sat down on the couch to read it.
“Miles,
Sorry that I haven’t been around as much. You know how it is with work. Speaking of, you’ve probably forgotten about the cold snap we usually get this time of year. So Trucy and I made you this scarf (I saved you from the glittery yarn, you’re welcome). Maybe we can talk more soon, I’m sure you’ve got some things to tell me, and Trucy’s learned some new tricks since the last time you saw her show. You should come to her next one and we can catch up. I’d love to hear about all the boring bureaucratic nonsense you’ve been stuck with.
Till then,
Phoenix
PS: Sorry about your door. They wouldn’t let me in last time so Trucy’s going to use one of her newest tricks to get us in. Don’t ask how she knows how to pick locks, I’m still trying to find that out myself.”
Miles shook his head. He had a feeling he knew, and he would pay a certain Great Thief a visit later.
At the bottom was attached a single ticket to Trucy’s next show.
Since he had gone ahead and bought him the ticket, it’d be poor form to miss it. No doubt this was more just an invitation to discuss their target. While Kristoph may have been out of Miles’ jurisdiction, it didn’t mean that man didn’t earn his scorn. Miles considered it an honor to be allowed to play a role in the downfall of someone making a mockery of the legal system.
He took a deep breath in. There was no use to get all worked up about this. Needless anger would lead to careless mistakes. This mess had already taken a toll, and Miles wasn’t about to forget any of that.
The ticket would stay in his wallet for now. It was a secure place, and he’d have it on him for the event. He would not be making the same mistake as last time where he had to repurchase a ticket at the door because he had left it in his briefcase at home.
Moving the ticket revealed something under it.
“PPS: Check the chessboard.”
As per the notes instructions, he looked at the chessboard. All the pieces had pieces had been switched for the custom one he had made all those years ago, that he kept stored inside the chessboard. All lined up perfectly, except a red knight and a blue pawn who stood next to each other in the middle. Miles couldn’t help but smile at it.
It seemed he wasn’t the only one that was sentimental. Good to know this whole ordeal hadn’t changed him.
Hopefully this would all come to a close soon rather than later.