Gotham Memoirs: 3-14 Former Friends

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Although Miss Harris does not believe her father could be involved with the Mafia, she cannot deny the evidence in front of her. What will Miss Harris choose?

Info

• Style:
• Required: Charlotte Goodwill Lv. 5, Vittorio Goodwill Lv. 5,
• Recommended: Sunny Days, Jelly Sunflower, Summer Basket, Happy Holiday, Cheery Blooms
• Perfect Score: ~5,150
• Rewards: 3,000 , 3 Reader's Coupons, Blueprint: Curvy Lines, 1 Gift Material, 1 Crafting Material

Dialogue Choices

Agitated, Charlotte tries hard to defend Councilman Harris. How shall I convince her?

• Gently reason with her
  • Charlotte's Goodwill will rise
• Be forthright about it
  • No change

Transcript

Expand for script.

• I finally return home at the end of the hectic day. I collapse on the bed, recalling the day's events...
• Reliving that scene, I shudder...

If you have the evidence

• You: (Right, those evidence!)

• I snap out of it, and start sorting out the evidence found in the study's safe.
• You: (Let's see what we have...)

• I bury myself in the evidence, and discover some shocking things.
• Among them is a yellowed file that caught my attention.
• You: (The name on it is...Walter Taylor! It's actually Officer Taylor's file!)

• My heart quickens as I check the other items. I flip open a phone book.
• The phone book only has some initials and strings of telephone numbers.
• You: (Are these the Councilman's contacts? Can't see anything special about them.)

• You: As for the last item...it looks like some kind of checklist.

• The checklist must have been written in code, as I can't decipher what it says.
• You: (Other than these items, I haven't found any other leads.)

• I keep the evidence in a more hidden spot, for precaution.
• You: (...I hope these will prove to be useful later.)

If you didn't get the evidence

• I didn't find anything today, not even the secret documents in the study that Prosecutor Boseman mentioned.
• You: (It was such a good opportunity, but I return empty-handed... I'm useless.)

• Prosecutor Boseman will be so disappointed in me. We may never have such a good opportunity again.
• You: (Hope I can find other ways to get close to Councilman Harris.)

• With a heavy heart, I lie in bed, unable to sleep. I say a silent prayer, hoping for a chance to turn things around...

• Something weighs heavily on my shoulder, and I can't breathe.
• After a restless sleep filled with nightmares, I wake up late the next day.
• You: What time is it...ahhh! Why is it so late? I gotta rush to the office!

• You: Phew... I barely made it.

• I reach the office, and hear my colleague picking up a call.
• White: Gotham Times, how may I help you?

• He calls out to me, receiver still in his hand.
• White: Elizabeth, it's for you. There's a Miss Harris on the line.

• You: (Charlotte? I didn't expect her to call me so soon.)

• I thank White, and take over the call. A familiar voice reaches my ear.
• Charlotte Harris: Colvin? I'm sorry to call you so suddenly...

• Charlotte sounds tired, a far cry from her usual spirited self.
• You: It's alright, Miss Harris. What is it?

• Charlotte Harris: Uh...can we meet this weekend?

• While I may have expected this, it does not lessen any of the guilt and dread.
• Charlotte Harris: Hello? Colvin? Can you hear me?

• I come around, holding the receiver tightly. Charlotte's friendly smile flashes in my head, and I agree to meet her.
• You: Let's meet at Moon Cafe.

• Charlotte heaves a sigh of relief.
• Charlotte Harris: Okay, see you.

• I feel terrible after hanging up. How do I face someone I used to call a friend?
• The next few days go by in a blur, and the day to meet Charlotte finally comes.

• When I arrive at the cafe, Charlotte has made a reservation so the waiter leads me to the table.
• Charlotte Harris: Colvin, you're here. Come and sit.

• You: Sorry, there was heavy traffic on the way here...

• Charlotte smiles at me, but I can tell that it is a little forced.
• Charlotte Harris: Right, I haven't ordered. What would you like?

• Charlotte Harris: I picked coffee for both of us on our previous dates, so you choose this time.

• Charlotte speaks to me in a relaxed tone, but I know that's the last thing we both feel.
• You: Then...how do two cups of cafe latte sound?

• Charlotte nods, and I call the waiter over to take our order, requesting extra sugar in mine.
• Charlotte Harris: So you prefer it sweet.

• You: You can say so...

• Actually, I just want something sweet to wash away that bad taste in my mouth, and my heart.
• We chat about nothing in particular, halfheartedly.
• Attendant: Please enjoy your coffee, ladies.

• The waiter leaves after serving us the coffee. This also breaks the awkward tension between Charlotte and me.
• You: Let's try the coffee, Miss Harris.

• I take a sip. The warmth and sweetness spread in my mouth.
• Quiet and withdrawn, Charlotte stirs her coffee absentmindedly.
• You: (Not sure why, but seeing Charlotte like this pains me...)

• The silence is suffocating, and I break the ice.
• You: Miss Harris, you didn't ask me out just for a cup of coffee, did you?

• Charlotte Harris: No, Colvin. I'm still hoping for you to tell me your real intentions.

• You: My real intention...

• Charlotte Harris: Why did you do that at my house? If you were coerced into it, maybe I can help you...

• Oh, sweet Charlotte. Even now, she refuses to see me in a bad light...
• You: Miss Harris, I am a reporter. Seeking the truth is a reporter's duty.

• Charlotte Harris: Truth? But what has that got to do with my father and my family?

• You: The truth I seek is connected to families that have been torn apart. And it involves the dark side of New York.

• I leave out Prosecutor Boseman and other evidence, but hinted that Councilman Harris may be linked to some unlawful activity.
• Charlotte Harris: Which means you speculated all of this? And you suspect my father?!

• You: Only for now, but I believe the truth will come to light eventually.

• Charlotte Harris: No, listen to me, you don't know my father. He is a responsible and good councilman.

• Charlotte Harris: Colvin, you must have got the wrong idea about him somewhere.

• Agitated, Charlotte tries hard to defend Councilman Harris. How shall I convince her?

Gently reason with her

• You: I'm sorry, Miss Harris, I never meant to hurt you. You're a very important friend to me.

• Charlotte Harris: Colvin...are we really friends?

• I thought of what Boseman said about everyone having a weakness. And how it's the key to making someone open up.
• Without a doubt, that key is Charlotte's kindness, and her trust in friends.
• You: Of course, I believe that Councilman Harris is a kind and gentle father, as you said.

• You: And he has raised you to be an excellent and kind person. He's definitely a great father.

• Charlotte Harris: Yes, he is.

• You: But this is him as a father. Do you know him as a politician.?

• Charlotte Harris: My father is certainly not two-faced.

• You: Miss Harris, I understand your love and respect for your father, but can they counter solid evidence?

• I tell Charlotte some of my findings, and the resulting deductions.
• During this exchange, I note her reaction as I emphasise on our friendship, and how we can trust each other.
• Charlotte Harris: I trust you...but my father is not like that.

• You: I know it's hard for you to accept this, but can I ask you to do this for the sake of our friendship?

• You: Although I definitely understand why you would defend your father, as a friend.

• My words calm Charlotte down.
• You: But as a reporter, I have a duty to report the truth. The public deserves to know.

• You: So...Miss Harris, could you see where I'm coming from?

• As she wavers, I do what Prosecutor Boseman taught me. Target her weakness.
• You: And that's why. If there's no clear evidence for all of this, I wouldn't have suspected him at all.

• Charlotte looks less agitated, with uncertainty in her eyes.
• Charlotte Harris: I need more time to grasp these... He's still my father, after all.

• You: That's fine. It's not easy to accept this difficult truth. But I will be with you all the way, as a friend.

Be forthright about it

• You: (Charlotte is so earnest and innocent... I don't want to beat around the bush with her.)

• You: Miss Harris, I'm afraid your words won't hold much weight against the evidence I have.

• Charlotte Harris: You're saying... I can't be trusted?

• You: Sorry, as a reporter, what I seek is the truth.

• Charlotte Harris: And I'm telling you that. My father is a kind and gentle man. That is all of the truth.

• You: That is him as a father to you. You haven't seen his other side.

• I tell Charlotte some of my findings, and the resulting deductions.
• Charlotte Harris: Colvin, all that you've said are mostly your conjectures, you don't have real evidence, right?

• Charlotte stays rational and relatively calm. I look at her, and nod.
• Charlotte Harris: My father has many political opponents out there. The clues that you're seeing may be acts of sabotage from them.

• You: That seems unlikely, but I won't rule out the possibility.

• Charlotte Harris: I respect your right to uncover the truth, but your obsession may take you down the wrong path.

• You: What do you mean?

• Charlotte Harris: As much as I'm loathe to recall it, your actions that day were less than honorable.

• Charlotte Harris: You merely conjectured my father's crimes. Under this presumption, with no actual evidence, you broke the law first.

• You: I apologize for what happened, and the trouble it caused you and the councilman.

• Charlotte Harris: We're friends, so I understand. I just really hope others are not using you, or lying to you.

• Charlotte Harris: After all, you don't seem the kind to do such things. But please don't let it happen again.

• You: Thank you for understanding, Miss Harris.

• We drink our coffee in silence, avoiding eye contact.
• Charlotte Harris: I can't seem to allay the misgivings you have about my father, but on account of our friendship, could you do me a favour?

• You: ...do tell.

• Charlotte Harris: No matter what you found in my father's study, I hope you won't share it recklessly.

• Charlotte Harris: I understand where your duty lies. But before everything comes to light, your findings and conjectures are not absolute truth, am I right?

• Holding my cup of coffee tightly, I mull over Charlotte's words. Finally, I nod quietly.
• Charlotte Harris: If you publish unverified news, that will cause immeasurable harm to someone and their family.

• You: Reporting news which hasn't been proven, for readership and fame...

• You: ...is not something I'll do. This goes against a reporter's most basic professional ethics.

• Charlotte Harris: I'll believe you. As as friend, I trust that you won't let me down.

• Charlotte Harris: I knew you were different from other New York reporters fishing for headlines, form the day you interviewed me.

• You: I appreciate your trust. I'm well aware of the consequences of false news, and I'll respect my own profession and principles.

• Charlotte Harris: Then I guess we're done here. Thanks for meeting me... Can we still go out next time?

• Charlotte Harris: You're a friend I deeply care for... I hope we can still meet up for coffee and spend time together, just like before.

• You: Of course. Miss Harris, you're an important friend to me too.

• Charlotte Harris: Call me when you're free.

• You: I will. Looking forward to our next date.