Chapter Text
[13 June, 2012, Los Tokyangeles
State Museum of Prehistoric Creatures
00:32 A.M.]
— I know you did it. — A voice from below says
Click, click
— I have no idea what you're talking about — The higher voice responded
Clack, click
— Don't play dumb with me, you know what I'm talking about
— I'm afraid I seriously don't. You know it's uncouth to raise accusations against your superior, right?
Click
— I'm talking about the- —
Aaaaaarrrggghhh…!!!
…
…
[14 June, 2012, Los Tokyangeles
Law Offices of Prosecutor Lana Skye
06:00 A.M.]
The lights turn on.
Newly-Prosecutor Lana Skye walks into her new office at the DA’s Office.
It had been, to cut a long story short, a very bizarre journey to becoming a prosecutor, having graduated a year before all of her colleagues and being lauded as the best-of-the-best in her class—but she was here. She was a prosecutor.
It felt almost unreal to have her own working space, didn't it? She'd only worked in mock trials, especially with that woman, and only assisted in one actual case as a co-counsel, but she'd never actually thought about having her own office, to be an actual prosecutor. Would her perfect marks in university translate to actual skill in her job? Would she crumble under the pressure of her first case?
What even was her first case?
She had gotten no report of a first case to prosecute yet, why was she stressing so much? It was inevitable that she'd receive one at some point, but surely she wouldn't receive a case for-
— Dick Gumshoe, reporting for duty!!!
A stupidly loud voice boomed inside the mostly empty office, its space only occupied by several boxes, labeled with their contents.
— Er, hey, Pal? This is the office of Ms. Skye, isn't it? — Gumshoe, dressed in a beige coat, asked Lana, — I haven't entered a storage room, have I? —
— This is the Skye office, yes — Lana said, slowly turning around to face the man behind the voice, — And you are speaking to Prosecutor Skye —
Her tone was assertive, yet she wasn't glaring at Gumshoe.
— Urk- — The raggedy detective scratched the back of his head, before standing at attention and saluting,
— Prosecutor Skye, ma’am! I'm here to give you two things!
— Thank you, Detective. These are? — She smiled at the genuinely endearing man.
— Er… right, yes! The first thing is your case file! Congratulations, pal!
Oh dear.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
Lana was not ready? Lana was not ready at all for a case already, Lord almighty she had gotten her badge only a couple days ago, she was still trying to figure out where it should rest on her jacket!
— I… see, — She said, grabbing the case file from Gumshoe as she put it under her armpit, — And the second thing? —
— Oh! Right! — The detective began patting himself down, speaking while doing so, — It's a bit weird, pal… —
Finally, he grabbed something from the pocket of his coat, handing it to Lana,
— It's a letter from Prosecutor von Karma! I don't know what he wants with you but er… — Gumshoe looked down at the floor, his face grimacing, — Pal, I'll be honest, it probably isn't good… —
Lana’s heart dropped, again.
— Well, pal, good luck on your first case! You should organise your office first, though… — He gestured at the general boxy mess, before leaving.
Lana was on the verge of having a heart attack with all the sudden news today.
“Dear Miss Skye,” the letter started,
“I sincerely congratulate you on your recent graduation, do not think that this has gone unnoticed in the prosecuting world of America.
I write to you because, in lieu of the assigning of your first case, I must ask a favour of you—my daughter, Franziska, is a prodigy in Germany, however I fear her skills with American law are faltering,”
His daughter knows two whole legal codes?! That's insanity!
“I must ask you to mentor her in this first case of yours, and temporarily take her under your wing.
I realise this is an absurd request for a new prosecutor such as yourself, however do not think that this act won't be rewarded. For legal reasons I must specify that this reward is not monetary, as that would constitute corruption.
If you wish to take up my proposal, I will be at the District Attorney's Office at 0900.
Farewell,
Manfred von Karma”
Lana Skye was terrified, she was petrified, she was completely mortified by the simple fact that Manfred von Karma himself, the God of Prosecutors, had just asked her to mentor his daughter, a woman surely around her own age, if younger.
And Lana Skye couldn't refuse to do so.
[Case JF-10]
Victim’s Name: Dan Nesdri
Suspect: Paul Ian Tolagis
Cause of Death: Crushed to death by a falling object (Replica Triceratops Skull) from a height of 8 metres. Died immediately upon impact.
Estimated Time of Death: Between 0020 and 0100
Evidence found at the scene:
- Papers found in the victims pockets, illegible due to blood. Unlikely to be simple scrap paper or a receipt.
- Wrench found on the model fossil, used to disconnect the wires from their anchors. No fingerprints.
- Black leather glove likely belonging to the suspect, a second matching one was not found. The suspect was not wearing any gloves when he was arrested.
Case Report: Police arrived at the scene at 0107 after a call from Ai Saya. Ms. Saya alleged in the call that she saw Mr. Tolagis intentionally disengage the chords that held the triceratops skull to the rest of the model skeleton after some sort of discussion with the victim, which she failed to overhear.
The suspect wasn't found at the scene, but around 300 metres away after a physical altercation with Ms. Saya, which the second witness, Stan Dingard, overheard from the entrance of the Museum.
Mr. Dingard alleges that he heard the suspect say: “Let me get away” while Ms. Saya’s side of the argument was inaudible. After the brief verbal altercation, a physical one occurred, which left Ms. Saya unconscious and with a bruise on her left eye and the back of her head.
The guard, upon arriving at the location of the physical argument, was pushed aside by Mr. Tolagis as he fled the scene. Mr. Dingard gave chase however was unsuccessful and the suspect got away.
With current evidence, the motive of the alleged murder is unknown.