Inari sat quietly on the sofa, her arms crossed. Simon was busy confirming testimony from the pair of witnesses while Fulbright stood by with the case file. Otherwise, the witness lobby was rather serene. She really couldn't believe this was happening. Simon’s second big case – to prove that a murder at the Shipshape Aquarium was committed by an orca. It was ridiculous. But what made it so important, and likely the reason it piqued the prosecutor’s interest, was that it was the first case for defense attorney Phoenix Wright after he'd earned back his badge. Since the case was still considered an animal-related accident, Inari hadn't been tasked with investigating. She was only present to help with minor things, like keeping an eye and ear on Simon, as always.

“Norma DePlume, Marlon Rimes, if you'll both follow me to the other lobby,” Fulbright said once Simon was finished with the witnesses. “Prosecutor Blackquill needs to put together his case for the trial.”

Only once the three of them left the room did Simon begin looking through evidence. Even though this whole thing was absurd, Inari had to respect that he was still taking it very seriously. She looked over at the large monitor with its connected TV phone. They'd been prepared so that the orca defendant, Ora “Orla” Shipley, could be interacted with from the aquarium.

“This entire case…is laughable,” she said, earning a glance from the prosecutor. “I like animals, truly I do, but taking them to court for homicide? Ludicrous.”

“Wright-dono believes a human killer could be responsible,” Simon told her. “And I'll admit that I'm intrigued.” He picked out two pieces of evidence safely kept inside little bags. “If you've energy to complain, you've energy to analyze these items for me.” He brought them over to her.

Inside one bag was a gold coin like the kind you'd see in a pirate movie, part of it coated in dried blood. In the other was a brown cloth, a bloodstain on it. “Want to know who the blood belongs to?”

Simon nodded. “I have a feeling it'll be brought up in court, so I'd like to be prepared.”

Inari took the coin first, delicately plucking it from the bag. Holding it in front of her face, she pressed the fourth button on her helmet with her index finger. A few brief moments passed. “According to my analysis, this blood belongs to the victim, Jack Shipley.” She placed it back in the bag and did the same with the other piece of evidence. “This is also the victim’s blood.”

“Interesting. Thank you.” Simon smirked and recollected the evidence. “Quite the case this'll shape up to be.”

Inari tilted her head to the side in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You'll see soon enough.”

~~~~~

Simon was an absolute genius. Inari watched from the gallery as he combated the defense’s claims each and every time. It was incredible to watch him. He truly was the “Twisted Samurai”. But she understood what he'd meant before the trial, and why he took on the case. It was proved that Jack Shipley was already dead when Orla had his body in the pool, thus, the animal was manipulated by someone to do what she did. Fulbright returned at the last minute with an updated autopsy report that proved the defense's claims – that Shipley had fallen to his death in the pool while it was drained for cleaning. Orla earned a not guilty verdict, but Simon had the true suspect arrested. Sasha Buckler, the orca’s trainer, had more than enough evidence pitted against her. So further investigation into this new part of the case has been issued.

That's why Inari found herself at the aquarium now, with police aiding her in the collection of new evidence. The orca pool had been drained on one side, allowing a thorough look at the items at the bottom. Orla was in the partitioned section of the tank, looking quite distraught.

“Just as the defense discovered, there's traces of a lot of blood on the skull rock,” Inari uttered mostly to herself. “Analysis shows it belongs to the victim. Make a note of that. I'll update my database.”

There was a young officer following Inari very closely, taking notes and collecting whatever she found. “Yes, ma'am!”

“Miss Inari, we found something,” another officer spoke up, pointing underneath the nearby table. “Some kind of device.”

“Let me see.” The woman moved over, kneeling so she could peer under the table. Sure enough, some kind of small device was stuck to the underside. She took a moment to analyze it. “It appears to be some kind of sensor, likely used to monitor the animals.”

“Fweet…”

The sorrowful little whistle made Inari look over at Orla. She was swimming slowly in a circle, unable to do much else. Inari felt bad for her. In truth, she'd been to Shipshape Aquarium a few times before that case. She loved the animals, and the shows were always exciting to watch. Going over to the partition, she reached over it, charmed when Orla rubbed her head against her hand.

“I know, your pool will be back to normal soon, Orla. Hold on…” Her scan was picking up on something on the orca. “Just a moment, girl. Stay still for me.”

Inari analyzed the blood traces she was detecting on the animal. Orla’s blood was found on her head, likely from where she headbutted the rock. But surprisingly, the victim's blood was found on her tail. That could be vital to finding the truth. She gave Orla one more head rub before turning to the police with her.

“I think this wraps things up here. Bring the lift down.” The officers outside the pool used their makeshift lift to get Inari out.

Fulbright was there to help her, bringing her back to solid ground. “Well done, Miss Inari! As soon as Prosecutor Blackquill is back from questioning, we'll have to fill him in on our finds.” Three people entered the pool room at that moment – Phoenix, Athena, and an oddly dressed high school girl. “Mr. Wright, Ms. Cykes, here to conduct your own investigation?” Fulbright asked.

“That's right,” Phoenix replied, smiling politely.

“Don't suppose you've got any new info to share, do you, Miss Inari?” Athena suddenly asked, feeling overly friendly after their temporary team up on the previous case.

Inari wiggled a finger at them teasingly. “Sorry, but you'll have to do your own investigating this time. Feel free to take your time. We just finished up.”

Phoenix nodded. “Thank you. So you're Inari, huh? I've only heard of your excellent work until now. Nice to finally meet you face to…well, helmet.”

“A pleasure, Mr. Wright. You did well in court today. Your reputation precedes you.” The flattery had Phoenix grinning like an idiot. “As enjoyable as it would be to speak with you more, I'm afraid I have work to do. Good luck.”

The police began to disperse, and with them, Inari and Fulbright left. Pearl wasted no time in “forensicking”, eager to both test the forensic supplies they'd picked up and be helpful.

Athena grew quiet, fiddling with her earring. “That Inari…is pretty odd.”

Phoenix looked at her. “Is she? I mean, the helmet’s weird and all, but she seems nice enough.”

“It's her emotions. I noticed it last time too.” The man quirked a brow in interest. “She’s calm and cool-headed for the most part, even when talking to police or Detective Fulbright. But as soon as we approach her, there's this overwhelming joy in her heart.”

“Maybe she's a secret fan of mine? She did say she knew who I was.”

“Don’t let a little compliment go to your head, Boss.” Athena gave him an annoyed look. “But last time it was Apollo and me.”

“Hmm, that is a bit strange then. But we don't have time to dwell on that right now. Sasha is counting on us.”

Athena gave a firm nod. “R-Right! Can't let her down!” Despite saying that, she did glance back toward the door, still thinking of the enigma that was Inari.

~~~~~

Inari, having finished investigating the show pool, awaited the arrival of Fulbright and Simon. The prosecutor was off questioning and collecting witnesses for the next trial. So, the CSI enjoyed her time at the gift shop. There were so many cool and adorable items, many of them based on the marine life there at the aquarium. She found one or two things even Simon might like. She was carrying a bag full when the two men found her.

“Hmph. This isn't a sightseeing trip.” Simon's deep voice made the woman turn to see them approaching. “You're supposed to be working, Vixen.”

“I know,” she calmly replied. “I've finished my part of the investigation. You two are the ones who've been taking so long that I had to come here to entertain myself.”

“More like waste money on useless trinkets.”

“They're souvenirs, sir.”

Fulbright’s obnoxious laugh interrupted the two. “Can't say I blame you, Miss Inari, but I can't have you slacking! There's justice to be served! Maybe save the shopping for after this case is closed!”

“I could, but where's the fun in that? Besides, I picked out a little something for you, Detective.” From her bag she grabbed a cap, stood up on her toes, and placed it on Fulbright's head. It had a seagull design on it. “There.”

Simon chuckled with amusement. “Suits you perfectly, Fool Bright. I can attest that your mouth is as big as a gull’s.”

Fulbright was stunned, glossing over Simon’s remark entirely. “Well…it's not exactly my style, but thank you!”

“Oh, and for you, Prosecutor Blackquill.” Inari carefully pulled an item from her bag. The man, in shock, held out his hand as she placed a snowglobe in it. It had a group of penguins inside, and every time it was shook, snow fell around them. “I thought it might help brighten up your cell.”

Simon stared at it for several moments. Despite his stoic expression, there was a glint of delight in his eyes. “Oh…thank you.” He cleared his throat. “You know, I do believe the penguins should be the star attraction in any aquarium.”

“They're cute enough for it,” Inari agreed. “Want to see what else I've got?”

Fulbright opened his mouth to respond but Simon beat him to it. “Make it quick.”

The detective slumped forward in defeat, not expecting the prosecutor to go along with it. “But…the case…”

Inari first showed off a pair of jellyfish lamps. Next was a plushie of Orla. Then there was a calendar based on Rifle the penguin. Her final item was a necklace adorned with seashells. She undid her tie and tossed it to Fulbright to hold while she fastened the necklace around her neck. She ran her finger past several of the hanging shells.

“I personally think this necklace is cute, but I'd like a second opinion. It doesn't look too childish or anything, does it?”

She turned slightly from side to side to show it off. What she didn't notice was that the top button of her blouse had come undone when she removed her tie. Her pendant underneath caught the light, and Blackquill’s gaze landed on it, but only for a brief moment before it was out of his view again. But he recognized the signature fox design with the pale moonstone above its tails. His expression hardened and his gaze turned into a glare. Internally, he was shocked and confused. On the outside, however, his way of showing that was to look as harsh and intimidating as possible. That…can't be, he told himself. It can't be her. She lost the use of her legs…and she has no reason to aid me after everything. His fists clenched hard.

“Prosecutor Blackquill, are you all right?” Inari's question made him relax in an instant. “You looked upset. I'm wasting too much of your time, I know. I'm sorry.”

Hearing her voice and thinking of his memories of Minerva, the woman in front of him did remind him of her. So could it be possible they were the same person? But how? And why hide it? There must be a reason, and if that were the case, he probably shouldn't say anything for now.

“Hmph. I was merely thinking. Quickly now. Collect your things and let's review what we've learned thus far. And I'd recommend keeping the necklace. It looks nice.”

Inari was smiling beneath her helmet. “Right. Thank you, sir.”

She was quick to remove the necklace and get her tie back on. Upon noticing the slight opening at the top of her blouse, she swiftly buttoned it, then proceeded to tie her tie. After paying for everything she'd picked out, she had Fulbright carrying her bag while she utilized her holographic display to show Simon the evidence she'd collected.

“So, I'm sure Fulbright filled you in, but here's my in-depth analysis.” She pulled up the images she'd taken concerning her findings. “Here, on the skull rock, was a bunch of blood belonging to the victim. He did indeed die from that fall. There were also traces of blood on Orla.” She pointed to the orca's head. “Obviously her own blood was found on her head, likely from her ramming the rock. But down near her tail were small traces of the victim's blood.”

Simon, leaning over her shoulder, hummed. “Interesting find.”

Again, Inari got a little flustered when he was that close to her. “A-And there was also some type of sensor stuck to the underside of the desk. It's likely a device to monitor the animals, but it's worth looking into all the same.”

“Looks like I'll need to pay another visit to Dr. Crab. And what of the show pool? Find anything of worth?”

“Only one thing stood out to me there.” She pulled up a new image of the show pool, and zoomed in to the ladder leading into the water. “A handprint belonging to Marlon Rimes was found on the rail here. Strangely enough, the print was upside down. It was a print of his right hand located on the left rail, indicating that he was reaching down into the pool.” In the image, a silhouette appeared in place of where Rimes would've been, giving a visual idea of the scenario.

Simon was silent, as if contemplating the meaning of it all. “Excellent work.”

The display disappeared. “I hope this gives you the edge you need in court tomorrow. I suppose for now, I'll take my leave. If you need anything else, have Fulbright give me a call.” She handed over the souvenirs she'd gotten them, then took her bag from Fulbright. She turned to leave.

“I…appreciate your aid, Vixen.” Simon’s voice made her stop in her tracks, turning her head slightly to acknowledge him. The slightest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Truly, you make these cases just a bit less convoluted for me.”

“It's kind of my job,” the woman replied in a slightly teasing tone. “But I'm glad to be of assistance.”

Though neither of them noticed it, Fulbright wordlessly looked between the two, as if puzzling something out in his head.

~~~~~

Simon entered the lobby with a gruff sigh and practically collapsed on the sofa. Inari watched him from where she stood.

“I suppose Mr. Wright really is as good as they say,” she said. “But the truth was brought to light. That's what's most important.”

“Indeed,” the prosecutor muttered, leaning his head back with his eyes closed.

Slowly, Inari moved to sit beside him. “You did great out there. I only wish I could do more to help.”

Simon picked his head up to look at her. “You do enough as is. Your job is to collect and analyze evidence, nothing more.” He gave a grin. “Focus on your own work, Inari, and I'll focus on mine.”

The woman gasped. “You…used my name.”

Simon crossed his arms. “I figured you deserved that much considering how well you've been doing.”

She bowed her head, a pleased smile hidden behind her helmet. “Thank you, sir.”

He wanted so badly to remove that helmet of hers and prove to himself it was Minerva under there. But he refrained from doing anything of the sort. She clearly kept hidden for a reason, and he wondered if maybe she knew the real culprit behind UR-1. He had so many questions for her, yet he knew it would be too risky should he unveil her. What if she were targeted again? His goal was to lure out the phantom, so he knew it was best she stay hidden. But it would be a struggle not to let on that he knew who she was, especially when he longed to see her face again.