Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

Chapter 2 Part 5

   Finding Jenna wasn't as hard as I had originally thought it might be.  She was one of those "active" TV reporters, the kind that did their reporting from the scene of the event.  In other words, all I had to do was search for a nearby event or incident and she'd be there.  I called up Brandon, as he was one who generally wanted to be well informed.  Sure enough, he told me that a two car crash had occurred just before calling, and I headed in that direction right away.  She was there alright, with the same obnoxious chick too.

   I didn't talk to her right away.  For one, she was currently interviewing someone, and I didn't want to bother her.  Also, avoiding the annoying one was another priority...I was annoyed enough as it was.  And, secretly, I was a little nervous, but that's usual for me around people I haven't met before. In short, better to wait until she was done interviewing and then ask questions.

   It wasn't a long wait, I showed up just as they were ending.  Just as they began packing up, I heard Jenna mention that she needed to take a moment by herself, that the incident was getting her down. The incident looked pretty bad, but I doubted that was what she was depressed about.  Still, it was good luck; I would get to question her without interruption.  I followed her for a bit, avoiding her gaze as best as I could, and eventually she stopped in a nearby park.  I breathed in deep, straightened my hair, and walked towards her.

  "What's a fine lady like yourself doing in a place like this?" I asked.

  She turned around, fairly surprised.  It was expected, it's not very often you hear a comment like that.
 
  "Umm...do I know you?" She replied.

  I thought for I second before I replied.  It probably would be best to hide my identity as an attorney for now.  She was the prosecution's witness, and she may have been told not to reveal her information to me.  It wasn't for certain, but better safe than sorry.

  "No, I'm simply concerned.  You seemed a little depressed, and I was checking to see what's wrong."
 
  I offered my hand.

  "I'm Andrew Dalmin, and you are?"

  She hesitated for a second.

  "If you're wondering about autographs, I'm sorry, I'm not signing currently."

  "Wait, I'm not-"

  "And if you're going to drool over me like most of the disgusting pigs around here, please keep it to
yourself."

  My confidence drooped a tad.  The first minute of conversation and things were already going terrible.  The information said she was shy, but from the vibe I was getting, she seemed to have a negative opinion of people in general.  Great, just what I needed.

  I looked around for something, anything that would make her feel more comfortable talking.  If I didn't find a conversation topic soon, I wasn't going to get anything from her.  Just when I thought I was going to lose her interest entirely, I noticed something sticking out of her handbag: a notebook.  It looked just like one of the notebooks I had at home, one specifically designed for drawing.  To her surprise, I reached down and pulled it out of her bag.

  "Is this a drawing notebook?"  I asked.

  Her surprise was quickly mixed with embarrassment.  Once again, sometimes, expressions show more than words.

  "Can I take a look at this?"

  She looked even more embarrassed than before.

  "Well...um...I...uh..."

  Deciding it was the probably the best decision, I went ahead and opened it.  I was right, this was a drawing notebook, and her drawings weren't too shabby either.  Some of them were better than mine, and drawing had been a hobby of mine for years.  Granted, most of them were of ponies, something I wasn't particularly interested in, but they were well drawn, and in a unique cartoonish fashion too.

  "These are great!"  I said in a fairly praising tone.  "Unusually so!"

  Her face turned bright red.

  "No, they're really not..."

  I couldn't help but be surprised.

  "Are you kidding me?  These pictures are more than just impressive, let alone praise worthy!"

  If her face got any redder, I'd believe she was tomato.

  "Please, don't lie like..."

  I wasn't planning on backing down, not one bit.

  "Can you tell me about this...er...pony?  I'd like to know more about her.  It looks like you created her in great detail, I'm sure you've made a personality for her."

  She produced a little smile, and then quickly hid it.  Bingo, just what I was looking for.
  "You don't really mean that...do you?" she replied.

  "Of course!" I said, laughing.

  She still looked hesitant, but the smile was coming back.

  "...you're sure?"

  Just like with Sam, just like Brea, just like with many others, I looked her right in the eyes, like my dad had taught me to so many years ago.

  "You bet." I said, grinning.

  She stood there for a minute, the half-smile frozen on her face.  Then it became a full smile, and she whirled off her official coat, revealing what had to have been the most blindingly colorful shirt the universe had even known.  A close approximation would have been someone staring directly at the sun, without any form of sunglasses.  On the front was a blue pony with wings and multicolored hair.  The sudden change from dull grey to...whatever color that shirt was, blinded me so much that I pretty much did a backwards somersault (something I had never done before), and landed on my back.  She quickly ran over to me, panicking.

  "Are you okay?" She asked, sounding worried.

  I pushed myself up using my arms, and slowly stood up.

  "Yeah, I'm fine," I said, laughing.  "I just didn't expect you to be wearing...such a colorful shirt..."

  "You like it?" she said, smiling.

  "Uh...yeah...it's very....um...cute," I said, hoping that sounded convincing enough.

  "I know, right?  I had it custom-made, I couldn't find any shirts with Rainbow Dash on them in this color!"

  "I can't imagine why..." I said, once again hoping I sounded convincing.

  "I'm glad you like it!"  She blushed.  "Do you know much about Rainbow Dash?"

  I originally had asked about the drawings, but what you get is what you get.

  "Um...sure," I said, chuckling.  "Tell me all about her."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  We talked for quite a while.  She must've been on break, as no one came searching for her.  I learned more about ponies that day than possibly anything else ever.  She was eccentric and insistent, completely different than how she was acting earlier; not that I minded the change.  She seemed quite happy, and even if I didn't want to hear about what kind of wings the Pegasus had, if it makes her comfortable, that's fine with me.

  Just before she began talking about her other favorite show, I decided it was time to get the information I came for.

  "Jenna," I asked, wearing a somewhat serious expression, "can I ask you something"?

  "Sure!" she said, giggling, "what is it"?

  "Do you know a woman by the name of Brea Firehawk?"

  She froze instantly, her smile completely disappearing.  Out of all the questions I could have asked, that possibility probably didn't even begin to cross her mind.  Surprise, confusion, shock, all different kinds of emotions flashed across her face.  Realizing I noticed her behavior, she quickly hid it, and wore a nervous smile.

  "No...of course not!  Why...why, I've never...I've never even heard of the name before!"

  It was at that instant Jenna noticed two things.  One was that I had quite a strange smile on my face. The other was that my previously empty hands were holding what appeared to be a bunch of playing cards.  I chuckled, fingering the cards in my hand.  Let the game begin.