Magic Miles Act Three: The Costume

Magic Miles

Act 3: The Costume

 

            “Tonight?” Edgeworth was honestly surprised.

            “Yeah, sir,” Gumshoe said, “Did you get a costume?”

            Edgeworth was staring at his desk and shuffling through the papers laid out on it, “But that means…  Tomorrow is the first of November!  We’re going to trial in less than forty-eight hours!”

            “Mister Edgeworth!”  Gumshoe’s face was scrunched up with panic and concern, “What about your costume for tonight?”

            “Simple,” Edgeworth said, “I’ll be going as the top prosecutor in the country.”

            “No way, Pal!” Gumshoe said he glared hard enough to make Edgeworth take a step back.

            “Stand down,” Edgeworth shouted at him, “Really, Gumshoe—I should have them take your Christmas bonus just for that…”

            “My Christmas bonus?  B-b-buh but sir, Maggey and I—“

            Edgeworth made an irritated noise and went back to rearranging the documents on his desk.

            “Just let me finish this here,” Edgeworth said, “I’m sure we can find something on the way.”

            “Wait, so you don’t have a costume?  We’re not going to find anything this late in the game!  You’ll end up looking lame in whatever’s left hanging up in the store.”

            “Is it really so important, Gumshoe?”

            The detective gave him a look soggy with disappointment.

            “You’re awesome, Mister Edgeworth.  You have to have the best costume at the party.”

            Edgeworth stared at the big man with a mixture of shock and horror and felt the smallest twinge of guilt poke at the back of his mind.  Then he forced a smile and went back to organizing his case file.

            “You needn’t worry, Gumshoe,” Edgeworth said, “I’m sure you’ll come up with something grand.”

            Gumshoe looked like he was about to faint from happiness.  Edgeworth frowned at him and started piling his papers together.  How did they ever talk him into this?

            When they left the prosecutor’s building, Gumshoe was brimming with excitement.

            “Before we go to the store, I have to grab something at the precinct first.”

            Edgeworth brightened slightly, “Well, I won’t argue there.  Perhaps I can go through the evidence—“

            “No way, Pal!” Gumshoe said, “You’re done working for today.  We have a party to get to.”

            Don’t remind me.  Edgeworth thought sullenly as Gumshoe navigated the unmarked Crown Vic he drove as his issue.

            The police station was brimming with activity when they entered.

            “A lot of things happen on Halloween,” Gumshoe volunteered, even though Edgeworth was sure he hadn’t asked—because he didn’t care.

            Criminal Affairs, on the other hand, was nearly deserted.  They walked through the nearly deserted floor into a small recess in the back of the wide open floored work area.

            “I had to borrow a boom box from one of the other guys…  Mine doesn’t work anymore,” again, unsolicited information.

            Gumshoe opened his locker.  It was completely empty except for a fishing pole, said boom box, and—

            “Is that your service uniform?” Edgeworth asked.

            Gumshoe startled and looked at him, “Uh, yeah sir.  I’m a police officer.”

            Edgeworth looked at him with his eyebrows raised, “I’ve never seen you in uniform.”

            Gumshoe chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head, “Well… Um…  It sort of… Well, it doesn’t fit—wait!”

            “Gah!” Edgeworth backed into the wall when Gumshoe rounded on him.  His wide-eyed stare and vapid grin told him that Detective Gumshoe just had an idea.  I hope he didn’t hurt himself, Edgeworth thought and tried to look as if he hadn’t noticed the Detective’s epiphany.

            “You could dress like a cop!”

            “What?”

            Gumshoe tore the trousers of his uniform out of the locker and held it up in front of the prosecutor.

            “These don’t fit me anymore, but maybe you—“

            “What?  I can go camping in these—they’re huge!”

            “Sorry Pal,” Gumshoe said sheepishly, “You always seem bigger than life.”

            Edgeworth flinched.  What was with all of the sycophantic remarks—this was starting to get really awkward.

            Gumshoe handed Edgeworth a boom box and tossed his uniform back inside before closing his locker.  Then he dashed away around the corner.

            “Gumshoe—?!”

            “Hang on, Mister Edgeworth!”

            He returned with a neatly folded uniform and a hat.

            “We keep these for spares or new issue—I think this set will—“

            “I don’t feel comfortable impersonating a police officer—“

            “It’s a Halloween costume, Pal.  It’s not like I’m giving you a badge or anything.”

            “I’ll thank you not to take that tone with me, Detective.”

            “Let’s go—we’re already going to be late.”