Chapter Text
[ Senior Detective Lana Skye and Deputy Chief of Police Gant’s Office - Feb. 15th, 2013 - 4:30PM ]
A freshly coiffed Miles Edgeworth took a seat in the office of the ‘Legendary Duo’. Deputy Chief Gant was out of office, so his counterpart, Senior Detective Lana Skye, was whom he was able to schedule a meeting with on short notice about such a pressing concern as this.
“Thank you very much for finding the time to meet with me today Detective Skye,” he remarked, peering over to his side at the large emblem of a prosecutor’s badge emblazoned on the lacquered floor of the office. It probably represented something about the special cooperation between his own office and this one. It just looked tacky to him.
Lana had taken a seat in her own chair across from him, slightly silhouetted by the gothic arch windows behind her, “I’m glad we could finally meet in a professional capacity and not just in passing during criminology courses.”
Her comment snapped him out of his internal monologue, hastily agreeing, “Hm? Oh yes, it is quite fortunate.”
“What can I help you with this afternoon?” she asked.
“I need Detective Dick Gumshoe removed from my case tomorrow,” he answered point blank.
Lana raised her eyebrows, obviously surprised, “What are your grounds for asking for his removal? This is highly atypical.”
He nods, “As I hope you are well aware, it will be my official court debut tomorrow, and I need to ensure all aspects of my case are perfect in order to ensure that a guilty verdict is handed down accordingly. As I reviewed my paperwork I noticed that Detective Gumshoe was the one signing off on my evidence lists, and having worked with him before I knew that he handles his cases. Well- imperfectly, let us say.”
Miles shrugs his shoulders, “And not to mention I simply find him highly irritating and ask that you respect my wishes and will avoid assigning him to cases that I will be arguing in the future.”
Lana speaks carefully, clasping her hands on the desk in front of her, “I can do my best to ensure that your request is honored but it is not my final decision at the end of the day. I can pass along the request to Damon and the Chief for the future absolutely. I know that you have worked with him previously but he’s shown leaps and bounds of progress recently and is showing real promise on the team. It wouldn’t hurt to give him another chance.”
He throws his hands in the air, obviously annoyed by not receiving her immediate, enthusiastic support, “I do not care if he shows promise! I want him transferred off this case!”
“Miles the bottom line is-”
“That is Prosecutor Edgeworth to you, Detective Skye.”
“Christ.” She rubs her temples for a moment before replying, “Prosecutor Edgeworth, the bottom line is that we have run into a logistical error regarding this case. Because Valerie Hawthorne was a detective at the time of death, Deputy Chief Gant and I have determined that the case would be handled most objectively by someone without attachment to her, professional or otherwise. And since Detective Gumshoe did not train under Detective Hawthorne, and he just got promoted to our homicide division, he is the logical choice.”
She was getting close to his last nerve. Why would she make such clandestine excuses for a detective she hardly knew? He asked himself. He made his next attempt to reason with her, “And I understand that logic, I do. But he is bumbling and incompetent, and nearly ruined the investigation of what was to be my initial court debut with his idiocy.”
“I’m aware, I studied that whole incident very closely under Detective Badd-” She was cut off by a sudden loud slam that made the both of them jump. Its culprit, the door to the office hitting the wall, followed by a white blur speeding down the center of the office between Lana’s desk and Damon Gant’s desk.
“Lana I've been done with my chemistry homework for an hour and Neil had to go back to work, can I PLEASE play the organ now!”
Lana rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath before addressing Miles apologetically, “My little sister. I’m sure you understand.” The blur skidded to a halt in front of the keyboard of the colossal organ that dominated the office’s far wall.
“What’s the point of you paying for lessons if you wont even let me practice on the real thing!” exclaimed the middle schooler, hands on her hips. Ema Skye was a lot like her sister, the hair, the cadence of speech. And as Miles Edgeworth was figuring out, they shared a similar ability to be a stick in the mud.
“Ema, what did I say about bursting in without knocking while I have the door closed.” Motioning to the man impatiently sitting at her desk, “I’m kinda in the middle of a meeting here. This is Prosecutor Edgeworth, he’s about to make his court debut this week and I need to speak with him without the accompaniment of a 50 ton piano.”
“Mr. Gant told me this one actually weighs 65 tons actually, but whatever. Ugh, you never let me sit with you, I promise I can be quiet while you guys work” Ema crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side quizzically, while her sister stared back shaking her head no.
Lana pushed herself up from her desk chair to corral her sister back towards the door, “Not today Ema, please wait in the break room. We shouldn’t be much longer I dont think” Looking back over her shoulder with an expectant glare at Edgeworth.
Groaning and huffing, Ema began sulking back towards the door shepherded by her sister, “Fine! I’m sorry Lana.” She ducked under her sister’s arm to look back at Miles as she got to the threshold, “It's nice to meet you Mr. Edgeworth, I’m sorry for interrupting your meeting. I'm sure I’ll see you around.”
Miles, finding an ounce of courtesy in himself, clears his throat and replies “It’s good to meet you too Ema.”
After Ema is finally pushed out the door with a final wave, the door clicks closed behind Lana and she lets out a breath, leaning against the door. Before she had another chance to apologize, Miles cut in again, “As I was saying before the interruption, If you do not remove him from this case, not only will I remember that personally. But Deputy Chief Gant will hear about your failure to listen to my recommendations as well as your insolence towards your superiors. And I am sure that I needn’t remind you of the influence that the Von Karmas hold within our legal system, Detective Skye.”
“I don’t know why you think that dangling that name in front of me as a threat works. This is your fault for not bringing your qualms to my attention earlier. I can’t do anything with a quarter of a day of notice to brief another detective and do another round of evidence transfer paperwork. I think you just hold a grudge and aren’t willing to suck it up for a trial. Is this really worth the energy and a threat?”
Miles narrowed his eyes, retorting almost mockingly, “If this interference is your sad attempt at fixing a trial for that defense attorney you’re infatuated with, don't bother. Don’t think I didn’t notice you two slinking off together after lectures at Ivy, I know your type too well.”
Lana’s eyes widened, blinking in disbelief at the accusation of forcing a verdict coming from a pupil of Manfred Von Karma, “And what, pray tell, would that type be?”
He just laughed, “Emotional. Like all women are.”
“Okay. I think we are done here,” she says coldly.
“Prep well, Prosecutor Edgeworth .”