In Justice We Trust
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Chapter 11—The Beginning
September 7, 2016
Judge Clous’s gavel silenced the gallery.
“The court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Maya Fey,” the judge said.
“The prosecution is ready, Your Honor,” Miles said.
“The defense is ready, Your Honor,” the defense attorney said. Miles had read the report. That attorney was Phoenix Wright. Wright had been Mia Fey’s apprentice. It was ironic that he would be defending his mentor’s killer. The look on Wright’s face told Miles that he recognized him. It was hard not to; next to von Karma, Miles was the best prosecutor in the country.
Apparently, he remembered all those years ago. Somehow, they had become friends, along with Larry Butz. Miles’s memory was that he liked Wright much more. Butz was someone who made Detective Gumshoe look like the next Stephen Hawking. That was back when Miles had wanted to be a defense attorney, back when his father was alive.
Wright… he thought.
Why did you have to show your face to me again? I want to forget about my past.He was probably the reason, though. He used to idolize his father, but now, he was a prosecutor who made Ivan the Terrible seem merciful. Knowing Wright’s naïve curiosity, he probably wanted to learn why Miles had changed his path.
You had best forget about me, Wright. I’ve chosen my path, and I have no desire to turn back. Hopefully, this trial will convince you to move on.“Mr. Edgeworth,” the judge called. “Please give the court your opening statement.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Miles said. “The defendant, Ms. Maya Fey, was at the scene of the crime. The prosecution has evidence she committed this murder and we have a witness who saw her do it. The prosecution sees no reason to doubt the facts of this case, Your Honor.”
“I see,” the judge said, nodding. “Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth. Let’s begin, then. You may call your first witness.”
“The prosecution calls the chief officer at the scene, Detective Gumshoe!”
Gumshoe took the stand.
“Witness, please state your name and profession to the court,” Miles requested.
“Sir!” Gumshoe said enthusiastically. “My name’s Dick Gumshoe, sir! I’m the detective in charge of homicides down at the precinct, sir!” Typical Gumshoe. He always liked to be there when the fruits of his investigation were used to inflict the final blow. With Miles prosecuting, Gumshoe no doubt felt as though he was watching the Padres win the World Series.
“Detective Gumshoe,” Miles said to the detective. “Please, describe for us the details of this murder.”
“Very well, sir! Let me use this floor map of the office to explain.” Gumshoe took a map of the crime scene out of his coat. He pointed to where Fey’s body had been found. “The body was found by this window, here.”
“And the cause of death?”
“Loss of blood due to being struck by a blunt object, sir! The murder weapon was a statue of ‘The Thinker’ found next to the body, sir! It was heavy enough to be a deadly weapon, even in a girl’s hands, sir!”
“The court accepts the statue as evidence,” the judge said.
Miles put his right hand on his desk. “Now, Detective…” he started.
“Y-yes sir!” Gumshoe replied.
“You immediately arrested Ms. Maya Fey, who was found at the scene, correct? Can you tell me why?”
“Yes sir! I had hard evidence she did it, sir!”
“Hmm,” the judge mumbled. “Detective Gumshoe, please testify to the court about this ‘hard evidence.’”
“As soon as the phone call came in, I rushed to the scene! There were two people there already: the defendant, Ms. Maya Fey, and the lawyer, Mr. Phoenix Wright. I immediately arrested Ms. Maya Fey! Why? We had a witness account describing her! The witness saw Ms. Maya Fey at the very moment of the murder!”
“Hmm… The very moment, you say. Very well. Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination.”
“Y-yes, Your Honor,” Wright managed to say. He seemed a tad nervous. He grasped his chin with his left hand, trying to think. The defendant tossed a crumpled-up piece of paper at her lawyer.
Stupid girl, Miles thought.
She obviously doesn’t realize how serious this is.Wright opened up the paper and seemed to be reading something written on it. A small smile crossed Wright’s face.
“Something the matter?” the judge asked Wright.
“No, Your Honor,” he replied. “I’d like to begin my cross-examination.”
Wright appeared to think for a moment.
“Hold on just one second!” Wright almost shouted.
“Y-yeah?” Gumshoe asked.
“If I heard correctly, you said you arrested her because you had ‘hard evidence’ she did it, correct?” Wright was pointing his left index finger at Gumshoe.
“Huh? Did… did I say that? Me?”
“I heard you say it,” Wright said.
“You did say it,” the judge said.
“You said it,” Miles reminded Gumshoe.
Wright slammed on his desk with both hands, then pointed at Gumshoe again. He was definitely Mia’s apprentice.
“Exactly what about this suspicious woman in pink’s claim was ‘hard evidence’!?”
“Wh-what!?” Gumshoe barked. “Miss May isn’t suspicious, and she sure isn’t pink, pal!” He then realized what he said and rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. “W-well, I guess she is pink…”
“That’s enough, Detective Gumshoe,” the judge said, shaking his head. “Do you have any more solid proof other than her claims, Detective?”
“Umm…”
Wright grasped his chin, obviously thinking he had made some progress.
“Yes,” Gumshoe said to the judge. Wright seemed to hunch over a little, sweat running down his face. “Sorry, I got the order of things mixed up in my testimony, Your Honor sir! There was something I should have told you about first, Your Honor!”
Well, this certainly isn’t the first time Gumshoe’s forgotten something important, Miles thought. It was no wonder his salary was so low.
“Very well, Detective,” the judge said. “Let’s hear your testimony again.”
“After securing the suspect, I examined the scene of the crime with my own eyes,” Gumshoe said. “I found a memo written on a piece of paper next to the victim’s body! On it, the word ‘Maya’ was written clearly in blood! Lab test results showed that the blood was the victim’s! Also, there was blood found on the victim’s finger! Before she died, the victim wrote the killer’s name!”
The gallery started chatting with one another. The judge silenced them with his gavel.
“How you like that?” Gumshoe confidently asked Wright. “That’s my ‘hard evidence’!”
“Hmm…” the judge mumbled. “Before we begin cross-examination, I have a question for you, Detective.”
“Y-Your Honor?”
“Why didn’t you testify about this vital piece of evidence the first time!?”
Gumshoe rubbed the back of his head and seemed to slump a little. “Ah… eh… I know. I’m real embarrassed I forgot about it, Your Honor Sir.”
“Try to be more careful!” The judge calmed down. “Very well, the defense may begin its cross-examination.”
Wright looked over the testimony. He smiled a bit.
“Objection!” he yelled, pointing his left index finger at Gumshoe. “Detective Gumshoe! There’s one thing I want you to clarify for me here. You say that the victim, Mia Fey, wrote this note.” He held up the testimony transcript and flicked it occasionally with his right hand. “That she was accusing the defendant, Maya Fey? That’s really what you’re saying?”
“Wh-what?” Gumshoe asked. “This isn’t one of those lawyer tricks, now, is it? Of course she wrote it! Who else could have!?”
Wright shook his head, then placed his hands on his hips, smiling. “You have it backwards, Detective.”
“B-backwards?”
“The victim is the only person who absolutely could NOT have written it!” Wright commented, flicking a piece of paper he took out of an envelope. “This is a report from your department, Detective. ‘Immediate death due to a blow from a blunt object.’” Wright slammed his desk and then pointed at Gumshoe. “She died immediately!” he shouted.
“But…!”
“No ‘but’-ing your way out of this one, Detective!”
The gallery started up again, quickly silenced by a whack of the judge’s gavel.
“Order! Order!” he yelled. “The defense has a point. Someone who died immediately wouldn’t have the time to write anything down.”
“Objection!” Miles shouted. Unlike his rookie opponent, he was quite calm. This was not an issue. “Mr. Wright. I beg your pardon, but when exactly did you obtain that autopsy report?”
“Wh-when…!?” Wright held his chin, trying to remember. “It was the day after the murder…”
“The prosecution’s point being…?” the judge asked.
Miles put his right hand up to his face and tapped his forehead with his index finger. An “I have you now” smile appeared on his face. According to Lana, Ema called it his “evil smile.” “That autopsy report is outdated, Your Honor,” he said.
“Wh-what?” Wright managed to say.
Miles took out the updated autopsy report he had had prepared the previous day. “A second autopsy was performed yesterday, at my request! Death was almost immediate due to a blow from a blunt object, but there is a possibility the victim lived for several minutes after the blow.” Miles spread his hands out, amused by Wright’s ignorance. “I received these results this morning.”
“N-no way!” Wright yelped. His mouth opened briefly, then he slumped into a cold sweat.
Miles pointed at the defense. “Your Honor! It’s quite easy to imagine that the victim did have time to write ‘Maya’!” He took a bow. “That is all.”
“I see!” the judge said in surprise. Wright’s face gave off a hint of anger. He started sweating again. It was easy to tell what he was thinking. He no doubt had a negative view of Miles due to his reputation.
Miles spread his hands out and shook his head. “Why, Mr. Wright, you look shocked!” he taunted. “Something you want to say?”
“Mr. Edgeworth…” Wright started, “I’ve heard there’s nothing you won’t do to get your verdict…” He slammed his desk and pointed at Miles. “What reason could you possibly have had to request a second autopsy report?”
“Mr. Wright!” the judge interrupted. “The defense will refrain from personal attacks on the prosecution!”
Miles tapped his forehead. “No matter, Your Honor,” he said. “Mr. Wright.” He took out the updated report. “Say what you will, the evidence in this report is undeniable. Your Honor, I submit this report to the court.”
“U-understood,” the judge said. “The court accepts the evidence.”
“Well, Your Honor?” Miles asked. “The evidence strongly suggests the victim was identifying the killer.”
“I suppose that’s the obvious conclusion, yes.”
Miles took a bow. There was no way Wright could debunk such a report. After all, Lana herself had personally delivered it to him. If it was fake, she would have gotten rid of it and removed whoever was responsible.
“The prosecution would like to call its next witness,” Miles said. “This poor, innocent girl saw the murder with her own eyes!”
Technically, she’s far from innocent, Miles thought,
but she is at the least innocent of murder.“Let the witness Miss April May take the stand,” the judge said. Wright started sweating. He had apparently met Miss May and reacted in the same way Miles had after having to question her.
“Witness, your name, please,” Miles said. He mentally braced himself for some stupid gesture meant to look endearing.
“April May!” the girl said. “At your service!” She winked while placing her hands on the area of her breasts that her skimpy jacket left exposed. The men in the gallery started up, obviously infatuated. The judge silenced them.
I almost pity Wright, Miles thought.
May was actually only a year younger than Miles, but she did not behave in a way that suited anyone who sought to be called a woman instead of a girl. Miles couldn’t stand people like her; they gave women a bad name.
“Order!” the judge demanded. “An introduction should not require any reaction from the crowd! The witness will refrain from wonton winking!”
“Aww…” May put her hands to her eyes, feigning sadness. “Yes, Your Honor.” Wright was sweating. Witnesses like Miss May had a tendency to make life miserable for the defense.
“Tell us, where were you on the night of September 5, when the murder occurred?” Miles asked, bringing attention back to the case at hand.
“Um… gee… I was, like, in my hotel room? Tee hee. I checked in right after lunch.”
“And this hotel is directly across from the Fey and Co. Law Offices?”
“Mmm… that’s right, big boy.”
“Please testify to the court about what you saw,” the judge requested.
“It was, like, 9:00 at night. I looked out the window, y’know! And then, oooh! O saw a woman with long hair being attacked! The one attacking her was the mousey girl sitting in the defendant’s chair! Then the woman, like, dodged to one side and ran away! But that girl, she caught up to her and… and… She hit her! Then the woman with the long hair… She kinda… slumped. The end. That’s all I saw. Every little bitsy witsy!” She winked.
When you’re done testifying, Miss May, go back to high school and learn some modesty and proper English, Miles thought.
“Hmm…” the judge mumbled.
“Well, Your Honor?” Miles asked.
“I see. It is a remarkably solid testimony. I don’t see a need to trouble the witness any…”
“W-wait, Your Honor!” Wright interrupted.
“Yes, Mr. Wright?”
“What about my cross-examination!?” Just like his mentor, he was insistent on turning over every rock. Of course, Wright had been that way even before he got involved in law.
“I thought the witness’s testimony just now was quite… firm. Didn’t you?”
“Mr. Wright…” Miles started, “I understand you were Ms. Mia Fey’s understudy, were you not? You must know her techniques well.” He crossed his arms. “Her cowardly way of finding tiny faults in perfectly good testimonies…”
“H-hey! How dare you!”
“Well, Mr. Wright?” the judge asked. “Will you cross-examine the witness?”
“I’ll gladly proceed with the cross-examination.”
“Very well, you may begin your cross-examination!”
Wright was handed the testimony, which he looked over.
“Hold it!” he shouted after reading it. “How did you know it was my client!?”
“Huh?” May chirped. “Well, I… gee! First of all, she had a girl’s physique! And, and secondly, she was… she was small! Who else could it be but her!”
Wright grasped his chin. Miles knew what was coming next.
“Hold on a minute!” Wright lashed out, pointing accusingly at May. “That testimony stinks!”
“W-what?”
“Miss May, I’m willing to bet that…” He paused, then slammed his desk. “Did you really see the defendant at all!?”
“Urp!” May twitched a little. The gallery started up.
“Mr. Wright!” the judge almost shouted. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“Yes, what is the meaning!” May asked, her hands near her eyes to feign crying. “Somebody tell me because I’m clueless! About this, I mean!”
“Okay…” Wright said. “If you had really witnessed my client, Maya Fey…” He pointed at May. “You would have noticed her clothes before noticing her physique!”
May twitched.
“No one wears clothes like this on a daily basis!” Wright continued. “Except her! And I’m no expert on fashion, but her hairdo looks far from normal to me! However, the witness’s testimony mentions neither of these things!” He slammed his desk. “The testimony is bogus!”
“But… but!” May stuttered.
“Still, we don’t know if she was dressed that way the night of the murder…” the judge said.
“She was, Your Honor!” Wright insisted. “I saw her. And so did Detective Gumshoe!” He slammed his desk. “What do you say to that, Miss May?”
“Rowr!” May hissed, trying to sound fierce while still appearing endearing. “What are you trying to say, you mean lawyer! I-I saw what I saw. I… just didn’t think all the trifling little details were necessary, darling.”
“Miss May,” the judge said. “The court would like to remind you to please omit nothing in your testimony.”
“I’m sorry, Your Honor,” she said flirtatiously. “I’ll be a good girl. I promise. She winked at the judge.”
“Your testimony again, if you would.”
“I did see everything! I did!” May cried after the court was silent. “The victim—the woman—dodged the first attack and ran off to the right. Then the girl in the hippie clothes ran after her… And she hit her with that weapon! I saw it! I did! That… that clock! Um… that kinda statue-y clock? ‘The Thinker,’ I think? Well? Does the accuracy of my report not startle you? Tee hee!”
“I… see,” the judge replied. “I only wish you had been so detailed from the beginning. Please begin the cross-examination.”
Wright looked at the testimony. He then looked at May. “So, you saw me then, too?” he asked.
“Of course!” May said. “I’d remember that spiky hair anywhere!”
Wright hunched over, sweating.
“The witness will refrain from personal attacks on the defense attorney,” the judge insisted.
May touched her chest. “Aww, was I a bad girl? I’m sowwy.”
“Very well… continue.”
Wright looked at the testimony again.
“Objection!” he yelled, pointing at May. “Miss May. What you said just now was quite… revealing.”
Must he use that word? Miles thought, already disgusted enough by the witness.
“Revealing?” May asked. “Oooh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you. “Naughty Mr. Lawyer…”
“You just said that this statue of ‘The Thinker’ was a clock,” Wright said, pointing at the murder weapon. “But there’s no way of knowing that just by looking at it!”
“Urp!” May twitched.
“Another person in the same position as you recently called this a “clock,” too…” Wright placed his hands on his hips, smiling. “And he was found guilty… of murder!”
The gallery started murmuring, silenced by the judge’s gavel.
“Order! Order!” the judge demanded.
“Miss May,” Wright demanded, pointing at her. “Can you explain how you know this was a clock?”
“Oooh… urp!”
“Objection!” Miles cut in. “The witness saw the murder with her own eyes! That’s all that’s important here!” He pounded the palm of his right hand against his desk. “The defense is trying to confuse the issue with trivial concerns!”
“Yes…” the judge said, still thinking. “yes, of course. You will withdraw your question, Mr. Wright.”
“Objection!” Wright yelled in response, slamming his desk. “But questions are all I have, Your Honor! And as you may recall, I’ve caught murderers with these questions before!”
The judge was silent, trying to think. He then banged his gavel. “Objection sustained. You may continue to question the witness.”
“Huh? What?” May asked, confused. “So… what happens now?”
“What happens now is you answer my question!” Wright nearly shouted, pointing at the witness. “How did you know it was a clock?”
“What…! Th-that’s… Because… I heard it? Yes! I heard it say the time!”
That struggle makes it obvious she’s lying, Miles thought.
No matter. How she knew it was a clock is trivial. She has an alibi, after all.Wright slammed his desk. “So, you’ve been to the law offices of Fey and Co.!”
“N-n-no! Hey, I didn’t say that! Why would I go there! I heard from my hotel room. Hee hee!”
“The law offices of “Fey and Co.,” Miles started, “where the murder took place, are very close to the hotel. She could have easily heard the clock!”
“Hmm,” the judge mumbled. “Well, Mr. Wright? Are you satisfied?”
Wright shook his head. “No, Your Honor! I’m not satisfied because… Your Honor, members of the court…” Wright slammed his desk. “It is inconceivable that the clock in question rang! That clock is missing its clockwork!”
The gallery started up. Three whacks of the judge’s gavel turned the volume down. “H-how could you possibly…?” the judge stuttered.
“Just have a look… As soon as you can!” The bailiff took the clock to the judge, who examined it.
“Oh!” the judge exclaimed.
“See anything interesting, Your Honor?”
“It is as the defense says! This clock is missing its clockwork! It’s quite empty!”
The voices in the gallery were promptly silenced by the judge’s gavel.
“Mr. Wright! Would you care to explain to the court the meaning of this?”
“It is as you can see,” Wright said, confident. “The ‘clock’ was empty. It couldn’t have rung! Therefore, this witness… is a big, fat liar!”
Apparently, Mia never taught this novice that I always plan ahead, Miles thought. Wright was walking toward a dead end.
“F-fat!?” May screeched
“Well, Miss May?” Wright insisted, pointing at her.
Miles tapped his forehead and smiled.
“Tsk tsk,” he chuckled. “Quite a show you’ve put on for us, Mr. Wright. I’m afraid you’ve forgotten one thing, however. Indeed, the clock is empty. As you say… it can’t ring. However, we must ask: when was the clockwork removed? If it was after the witness heard the clock, then there is no contradiction!”
“Hmm!” the judge hummed in agreement. “That’s true. That is a possibility. The clock might have been emptied after she heard it.”
“And that is exactly what happened, Your Honor!”
“Well, Mr. Wright? Can you prove when the clockwork was removed?”
Miles spread out his arms and shook his head. “Ho hoh! Impossible, of course…”
“I have proof…” Wright said.
“W-what!?”
“Wasn’t it you who told me ‘proof is everything’? Well, I was listening.” He pointed at Miles. “And now I’ll show you the ‘proof’ you like so much! The evidence that proves when the clockwork was removed is…” Wright reached into his coat pocket. He then pulled out a cell phone.
“Take that!” he yelled. “Take a look at this!”
“Hmm,” the judge muttered. “That’s a very cute cell phone.”
“Ooh hoo!” May laughed. “You have a girlie phone!” Wright put his hand behind his head and blushed a little. Typical Wright. He did have a tendency to embarrass himself when he didn't think things through.
“W-wait!” he stuttered. “Wait! This isn’t my phone!” He held the phone out again. “Listen! This is the defendant’s cell phone, and it contains a recording…” Wright slammed his desk. “A recording of a conversation she had with the victim on the day of the murder!”
“Order! Order!” the judge ordered after silencing the gallery.
Miles hunched over, gritting his teeth, his eyes pointing up to avoid looking at anyone.
“The defendant’s cell phone!?” he mumbled. “Th-this wasn’t brought to my attention!”
“Perhaps Detective Gumshoe overlooked it?” Wright suggested, smiling confidently.
“The good detective had better remember he’s up for evaluation soon…” Miles grumbled. It was no wonder the idiot had such a low salary.
“Let’s hear the conversation,” Wright said. He pressed a button on the phone and fast-forwarded through the unrelated parts of the conversation.
“So you just want me to hold on to ‘The Thinker’ for you, then?” the defendant’s voice asked.
“If you could,” Mia’s voice replied.
"Ah… I should probably tell you, the clock isn’t talking right now.”
“Huh? It’s not working? That’s lame!”
“I had to take the clockwork out, sorry.”Wright fast-forwarded to the end.
September 5, 9:27 AM, a recorded voice said. The phone then beeped, indicating the recording was over.
“Your Honor,” Wright started, “I think this recording makes it clear that the clockwork was already gone…” He slammed his desk. “and this was recorded in the morning, before the witness even arrived at her hotel!”
May twitched a bit, uttering something incomprehensible.
“Well, Miss May? Would you care to explain this to the court? Just how do you know that weapon was a clock!?”
“W-well…!” She paused to think. “Well, isn’t it o-obvious? I saw that clock before! Um… what store was that again? I-I go to so many! Oops! I forgot!” She winked.
“So the witness had seen it before,” the judge said. “That would make sense. Does the defense have any objections, Mr. Wright?”
“The witness claims she had ‘seen it before,’” Wright said. “But this directly contradicts a piece of evidence already submitted to the court!”
“Well then, let’s see it. Please produce this evidence that will prove the witness had not seen the clock before.”
“It’s simple. This clock was never in any store, ever!”
“W-whaaat!?” May screamed.
“A friend of mine made that clock. Only two exist in the world. And the one that isn’t here is in police custody!”
“I-impossible! Everything is sold in stores!”
“Miss May, I think it’s high time you went shopping for a better excuse…?”
“Mmpf…”
“Oh?” Wright taunted, grasping his chin. “Excuses not on sale today?”
May started uttering some nonsense words and screaming. Her face contorted into a glare. “What’s it to you, porcupine-head!?” she exploded. “That stupid clock doesn’t matter, okay!? She did it! And she should die for it! Die!”
The gallery was in an uproar. Miles could hear a few of the men commenting on how even the cutest rose could have thorns—not that Miles considered May cute to begin with, and she certainly didn’t look cute after her little breakdown started. Three whacks of the judge’s gavel managed to quiet everyone down, although an occasional murmur was still audible.
“W-w-whoa!” the judge exclaimed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. T-this is a court of law, and the witness will remain calm!”
May breathed heavily a few times. The breathing sounded more like the growl of some mythical monster. She began returning to her “innocent” self.
“Oh!” she managed to say. “Oh? Oh hoh ho!” Despite her voice, Miss May’s laughter had a sort of maniacal feel to it. “S-silly me!” She grunted. “Did I, um, like… lose it? I guess I did. Tee hee!” She winked, trying to win the crowd over again.
Miles looked to Wright. The cold sweat running down his face was a dead giveaway that May’s outburst had scared him.
Get used to it, Wright, Miles thought.
People will almost always lose it when you put them on the spot like that.“Miss May, let me ask,” the judge requested. “Tell me, how did you know the weapon was a clock?”
May didn’t respond. The judge shook his head.
“Hmm… oh dear. Does the defense have an opinion on this… behavior?”
A determined look was set in stone on Wright’s face. “Yes, Your Honor,” he said. “Allow me to explain how I see the truth of the matter. Miss April May, you knew the weapon was a clock because…” He paused, then pointed accusingly at the witness. “Miss May held that very clock in her hands!”
“Mr. Wright!” the judge interrupted. “When was this!?”
Wright slammed his desk. “When she used it to strike the victim! When else?”
The gallery’s murmurs rose to the volume of a rock concert until the judge starting banging his gavel.
“Order!” he bellowed. “Order!” He looked to Wright, a serious look engraved into his face. “Mr. Wright! What is the meaning of this!”
“April May, you killed Mia Fey, I say!” Wright shouted. “And when you struck, the force of the impact made ‘The Thinker’ ring!”
Gotcha… Miles thought.
He’s still just a rookie, after all…“That’s when you heard it!”
“Objection!” Miles interrupted, loud enough to be heard over Wright’s accusation and the gallery’s conversations. “Tsk tsk,” he laughed. “You truly are a work of art, Mr. Phoenix Wright.”
“W-what’s that supposed to mean!?”
“It was you who just proved that ‘The Thinker’ was empty!”
“Oh…” Wright muttered, his confident gaze replaced by a cold sweat. He was probably cursing himself for his stupidity.
“What’s more,” Miles continued, “the witness has a rock-solid alibi.” He turned to May. “Miss May? Perhaps you could explain to the poor, misguided Mr. Wright? You were in the hotel at the time of the murder.”
Wright had a smile on his face. He clearly believed Miles was bluffing.
“It would be MY pleasure!” May said, the glee at getting to torment Wright obvious in her tone. Wright slammed his desk.
“N-no way!” he barked.
“Yes way, Mr. Lawyer. Tee hee? Didn’t the murder take place at 9:00 at night? Gee, that’s the exact time I ordered room service from the hotel bellboy!”
“Incidentally,” Miles added, “the bellboy corroborates the witness’s story.” He pounded on his desk with his right hand. “Ergo, she was not at the crime scene! Rock solid!”
The gallery, now on Miles’s side again, started up. The judge returned attention to the case with his gavel.
“Mr. Wright!” he shouted. “You’ve just made a serious accusation to a perfectly innocent woman!”
“S-sorry, Your Honor,” Wright squeaked, hunched over and sweating more than the winner of the Boston Marathon. After a moment, he placed his left hand on his chin. His eyes suddenly gleamed with an idea. “Your Honor, I figured it out! There is one other way Miss April May could have known it was a clock!” He slammed his desk. “One way alone! And I have proof!”
“Well…” the judge started, “proof, you say? Then, the court will examine your proof, Mr. Wright. How did the witness know ‘The Thinker’ was a clock?”
“Take that!” Wright shouted, taking out the defendant’s cell phone again. “The defendant’s cell phone.”
“Yes, we’ve seen that already,” the judge said.
“Take another listen to the conversation between the defendant and the victim.” He went to the recording.
“Mia! What’s up?” the defendant’s voice asked.
“You haven’t called in a while.”
“Well, actually there’s something I want you to hold on to for me.”
“Again? What is it this time?”
“It’s… a clock. It’s made to look like that statue, ‘The Thinker.’ And it tells you the time!”Wright ended the recording.
“They do mention ‘The Thinker,’” the judge said. “But how would the witness know of this conversation? Do you have proof that she knew of the conversation?”
“Take that!” Wright shouted again. That was getting very old very fast. He took out a black box with two wires sticking out. “Take a look at this.”
“Ah!” May screamed. “Oooh! Th-that!? Eh heh…”
“I found this in Miss May’s room.”
The gallery began to switch sides again.
Is that a wiretap? Miles thought.
Better yet, how did Wright get into the witness’s room? Her location was supposed to be classified!“Mr. Wright!” the judge called after silencing the gallery. “Please explain to the court what this is!”
“Miss April May!” Wright said accusingly. “You used a wiretap to listen to this conversation! That’s how you knew ‘The Thinker’ was a clock!” He slammed his desk. “Am I wrong!?”
“I… I…” she stuttered.
“Objection!” Miles shouted. “Your Honor, this is ridiculous!”
“Your Honor, look at the witness’s face!” Wright countered. “Does she seem amused to you!? The defense demands an answer.”
May was glaring at Wright, grunting.
“Witness, answer the question,” the judge ordered. “Did you tap her phone?”
May didn’t respond.
“Miss May!”
“Shut up, all of you!” she exploded. “What gives you the right to talk to ME like that!? You… you LAWYER!” She put her hands near her eyes, looking as though she actually was going to cry. “I-it’s no fair! All of you g-ganging up on me like that… Oh, so I’m the bad girl, is that it? Is that it!? Uh… uh… uwaaaaaaah!”
I didn’t know she was capable of real tears, Miles thought.
“Miss May, confess,” Wright demanded. “You did it, didn’t you?”
“Are you out of your mind!?” May countered, her left eye twitching. “Oh, wait, I forgot… you’re a lawyer! You must be!”
And she’s back to her old self.“At the time of the murder…” she continued, “I was in my hotel room, getting room service! How could I have killed her? If you don’t believe me, just ask the bellboy!”
“Well, does the defense have anything to say?”
“Um, well…” Wright started, then trailed off. “Right. On with the cross-examination.”
He must think Miss May really is the killer, Miles thought. He spread his hands out and shook his head in amusement at his opponent’s ineptitude. “What exactly do you have left to examine, Mr. Wright? Miss April May has admitted to the wiretap, yes. But that bears no relevance to the case at hand: murder! There’s no way you can prove any connection!”
Wright hunched over, sweating.
I hope he can get that suit cleaned in a day, Miles thought.
Otherwise, this courtroom will smell like a locker room tomorrow.“Then I believe the cross-examination is over,” the judge said. “Mr. Edgeworth, does the prosecution have any other witnesses to call?”
“None, Your Honor,” Miles replied, taking a bow. “She’s the last.”
Wright jerked in shock. He slammed on his desk. He was giving off the same aura that Mia gave off whenever she was cornered.
“W-wait!” He begged. “Your Honor!”
“Yes, Mr. Wright?” the judge asked.
“The defense would like to call the bellboy after all!”
“Tsk tsk tsk…” Miles chuckled. He had Wright exactly where he wanted him. “As I thought! May I remind you, dear Mr. Wright. Should you question the bellboy, and Miss April May’s alibi prove to be solid, then, by default, your client Ms. Maya Fey will be pronounced ‘guilty’!” He hit his desk with his right hand, his arrogant smile replaced by a serious glare. “Are you prepared to accept my condition?” After a moment, Wright nodded. He had nowhere else to go, after all.
“I accept!” he said. The judge banged his gavel.
“Very well!” he said. “The court calls the hotel bellboy to the stand!”
The court waited for a few minutes for the bellboy to arrive. After he took the stand, proceedings resumed. This would be child’s play. Miles had seen to it that there were no problems with the bellboy’s side of the story. Yes, there was one problem, another witness, but the investigation team said that his testimony matched that of Miss May. Calling him to the stand would be a waste of the court’s time. Thus, he had requested beforehand—just in case Wright managed to claw his way to calling the bellboy to the stand—that the second witness not be mentioned unless the bellboy was specifically asked.
“I believe we’re ready for the witness to testify,” Miles said after the bellboy took the stand. “He certainly does look like a bellboy.”
“Yes, sir,” the bellboy replied. “I received your summons in the middle of work, sir. I’m happy to be of service.”
“That tea set looks rather heavy,” the judge started, “so without further ado, the witness may begin his testimony.”
“Very good, sir!” The bellboy waited until he was sure all attention was on him. “I am the head bellboy at the fine Gatewater Hotel, in business for four generations! I believe I received a call after 8:00 in the evening from our guest, Miss May. She asked for an ice coffee to be brought to her at 9:00, on the dot, sir. I brought it to her at precisely the requested time, of course. And I delivered the ice coffee to our guest Miss May, herself.”
“I see,” the judge said after the bellboy had stopped talking. “The defense may begin its cross-examination.”
“R-right!” Wright stammered. “I’m ready.”
I have you in my sights, Wright, Miles thought,
and the bellboy’s testimony is the bullet that will claim your case’s life.Wright looked over the testimony. He put it away, then took it out again, looking over it in what appeared to be much finer detail. He began sweating, then sighed nervously.
“What exactly is it you do at the hotel?” he asked.
This is irrelevant, Miles thought. However, he felt no need to object. Wright had caused him a little pain, so he was just going to sit back and enjoy watching the novice pest squirm as he slowly realized that his client was doomed.
“Why, anything required of me, sir,” the bellboy said. “I check in guests, I check out guests. I clean rooms, I make beds. I even deliver room service, sir. I checked Miss May in personally.”
“Are you always so… so prim?”
“Mr. Wright,” the judge interrupted. “You will refrain from asking frivolous questions…”
Wright looked at the testimony again. “Hold it!” he half-yelled, half-cried. “Are you sure it was Miss May on the phone?”
“Absolutely, sir,” the bellboy replied.
“H-how can you be so certain!?”
“I checked Miss May in personally, sir. Not only did I see her in all her stunning radiance, but I also heard her voice. And then I saw THEM, and I…” He trailed off, a tad embarrassed at his digression. He cleared his throat a couple of times. “The point being, I remembered her quite well, sir.”
I can see why Lana had such a negative opinion of this man when she investigated a robbery at that hotel, Miles thought.
“Yes, what then?” the judge asked.
“She asked for an ice coffee to be brought to her at 9:00, on the dot, sir,” the bellboy responded, repeating his testimony.”
“Hold it!” Wright demanded. “9:00 ‘on the dot,’ you say?”
“Yes,” the bellboy said. “I confirmed that detail several times. She was watching a program on the TV, and wished to drink after she finished, sir.”
Wright was holding his chin.
It’s only a coincidence, Wright, Miles thought, knowing what his opponent was undoubtedly thinking.
“I brought it to her at precisely the requested time, of course,” the bellboy continued.
“Hold it!” Wright ordered again. “‘Precisely’ 9:00, then?”
“Precisely, exactly, and most definitely, sir. 9:00 PM.”
“How can you be so sure!?” Wright begged, starting to sweat again.
“Miss May was quite insistent that it be brought then. ‘Oh, bellboy? Tee hee! I’d like, like, ice coffee at exactly 9:00!’ Something like that, sir. Therefore, I knocked on her door at the crack of 9:00, sir.”
Wright was holding his no-doubt sweaty chin again.
If you had listened to what he said earlier, you wouldn’t be wondering why Miss May wanted the coffee right at nine, Miles thought. Rookies were rookies, after all. He had no idea why Payne had lost to this fool.
“And I delivered the ice coffee to our guest Miss May, herself,” the bellboy continued.
“You are sure it was Miss April May herself?” Wright demanded.
She’s rather hard to mistake, Wright.“Ab-SO-lutely, sir.”
“‘Ab-SO-lutely’…?” Wright echoed in confusion.
“Yes, sir. As in, ‘so very absolutely,’ sir. It’s an endearing mannerism of mine.”
Much like Gumshoe’s fondness of the word “pal.”How come you’re so very certain!?” Wright pushed, pointing at the witness. His wastefulness was getting quite amusing. No veteran would waste so much time on such trivial details. Not that it mattered; veterans and rookies alike fell to Miles.
“Well, when I brought the room service, sir…” the bellboy started, blushing heavily, “S-she… the guest, sir, favored me w-with a, um, an ‘embarraser,’ sir.”
“‘Embarraser’!? Is that French for ‘embrace’?”
“It’s French for ‘kiss,’ sir. But not a French kiss, sir! More of a peck on the cheek.”
“Wh-why would she have done that…?” Wright asked. He was no longer just badgering the witness; he really was starting to see that his case was hopeless.
“I believe, perhaps, she was momentarily swayed by my prim demeanor, sir. It was a moment I shall never, ever forget, sir.”
Wright was hunched over in a cold sweat yet again. His face was starting to shine from the light reflecting off of the layer of sweat he had built up.
“It’s no good!” he finally cried.
“Tsk tsk,” Miles laughed. It was finally over. “Finally, you understand. This bellboy has absolutely no reason to lie! Now… If you have any decency, you will end this rather tedious cross-examination here!”
“Hmm,” the judge muttered in agreement, nodding. “It was a bit tedious. The witness may leave the stand.”
Wright slammed his desk, desperate.
“W-wait!” he begged. “Please wait!”
“Yes? Does the defense have something to add?”
“One last question… let me ask one last question!”
“Objection!” Miles shouted. Now Wright was just being annoying. “Your Honor, I must object. This charade of justice has gone on long enough!”
“Now now, Mr. Edgeworth,” the judge said. “Alright Mr. Wright. I’ll give you one more question, that’s all.”
Wright had not moved from his position, both hands still on his desk. “T-tell me again about er… room service!” he managed to say.
“A-again, sir?” the bellboy asked. There was a slight hint of annoyance in his tone at Wright’s stubborn persistence. “At exactly 9:00, I delivered room service to Miss May in room 303. The guest had requested ice coffee… 18 was the charge, I recall.”
“I see…” Wright paused. He was apparently surprised by the price.
If the place’s coffee is as exquisite as their tea, then the price needs no explanation, Miles thought.
“E-eighteen dollars?” Wright stuttered. “Doesn’t that seem a bit expensive?”
“Y-yes, well, ice coffee for two, you know,” the bellboy replied. “And we don’t skimp on the ice, sir.”
You idiot! Miles yelled mentally, gritting his teeth without opening his mouth.
Wright slammed his desk and then pointed at the bellboy. He had picked up on that slip of the tongue. “What did you say!?” he bellowed.
“Ah!” the bellboy exclaimed. “Oh… er… rather, quite!”
“Bellboy! Tell us the truth now… Was someone else staying in Miss May’s room?”
“Objection!” Miles barked, hitting his desk. “I object! That was… objectionable!”
Think of a better excuse! You sound like more of a novice than Wright!“Objection overruled,” the judge said, shaking his head at Miles’s momentary weakness. “The witness will answer the question.”
“Er… yes, I see,” the bellboy stuttered. Wright pounded on his desk and then pointed accusingly at the witness.
“Why did you not mention this in your testimony!?” he demanded.
“W-well, sir, you er… you didn’t ask!” Wright banged on his desk again.
“That’s the sort of thing you’re normally supposed to mention!”
“Ah, yes, quite. Indeed… It was the, er, good barrister there, Mr. Edgeworth, who… He asked me not to mention it if I wasn’t specifically asked, sir.”
“Oof!” Miles burst. He collapsed onto his desk, breaking his fall with his arms. “Y-you fool!”
I’ll be penalized for sure… The Bar Association will almost certainly think this was a deal… Wright… you’ve ruined me! Four years of perfection... gone!“Miss April May checked into a twin room…” Wright started, “with a man. Correct?”
“Yes, sir,” the bellboy replied.
“Then, when you brought them room service, you didn’t see that man in the room…?”
“That’s right, sir.”
“Hmm…” the judge mumbled in thought. Wright slammed his desk.
“Your Honor!” he shouted. “We have just learned of another person involved who may have been the murderer! In this new light, I hold that it’s impossible to judge the defendant. You agree, Mr. Edgeworth?”
“Who!?” Miles demanded of Wright. “Who is this ‘other person’!?” It was a long shot, but maybe Wright would slip up and spare Miles the penalty on his perfect record.
“Simple, it was…” Wright paused and hit his desk as though he intended to break it in half. “The man who checked in with Miss May!”
“Oof!” Miles blurted out.
I figured he’d get that one right…“Your Honor!” Wright called. “As has been previously revealed, Miss April May was tapping the victim’s phone. Yet Miss May herself has an alibi at the time of the murder.” He banged on his desk. “However, that does not clear the man that was with her! The bellboy saw no one else in the room at the time of the murder!!”
“M-my, what a convenient little setup…” Miles said through gritted teeth. “but it’s too late…”
“‘Too late’?” Wright asked in response. “I suppose you’d like it if it was too late, wouldn’t you…” He pounded on his desk and then pointed at Miles.
Here it comes…“After all, it was you who hid the presence of the other man from this court!”
“Oof!” Miles hunched over, his right arm stopping him from hitting the desk. “Upstart… amateur…!” he managed to say. “T-these accusations are… ludicrous!”
The judge banged his gavel.
“Enough!” he barked. “The court acknowledges the defense’s argument. I expect the prosecution and defense to look into this matter fully! Am I understood?”
“Yes…” Miles gasped for air. He had bent his windpipe through his position, and his rage did nothing to help. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“That is all today for the trial of Maya Fey. Court is adjourned!” The judge banged his gavel one last time.
Miles bypassed the Prosecution Lobby completely and returned to his office. He practically crushed the doorknob in his hand as he opened the door and went to his desk. He pounded on it with his right fist. His arm twitched a few times. The phone rang. Miles gritted his teeth and picked up the nuisance.
“This is Edgeworth,” Miles said into the receiver. He had somehow managed to avoid showing any anger in his voice.
“Mr. Edgeworth, I talked to the Bar Association for you,” the voice on the other end said. Miles recognized it instantly: Lana.
Lana… He closed his eyes, suddenly calm.
“What did they say?” he asked. His voice sounded much calmer than when he picked up the phone. Apparently, he hadn’t completely removed the rage from his voice when he answered.
“You got lucky. Since you concealed the other witness simply because his testimony was not necessary, they decided to let it slide.”
“Lana… thank you so much,” Miles said, gratefulness pouring out of his voice.
Lana’s voice paused.
“You’re welcome, Mr. Edgeworth,” she finally said. “That’s all I called about, so good-bye.”
Lana hung up. Miles noticed Gumshoe peering in through the door.
“Do you… still love her, sir?” he asked, blushing a little because he had been caught.
“Of course I do,” Miles replied. “But let’s not talk about that right now. YOU owe me an explanation.”
Gumshoe gulped and approached Miles’s desk.
“Detective, why did you not mention the defendant’s cell phone?” Miles asked, glaring at Gumshoe so intensely that the detective shivered a bit.
“I, um, I…”
“Answer the question, Detective. That cell phone bored a gaping hole in our case.” He reached out and grabbed Gumshoe by his tie and pulled him close to his face. The rage had returned to his voice. “Why was I not told about it!?”
“I d-didn’t know about the r-r-recording, sir! We didn’t kn-know the cell phone had that f-f-function!”
“You DIDN’T KNOW!? What do we pay you to do, Detective!? It’s your JOB to investigate the evidence!” Miles paused and let out a breath, loosening his grip on the detective’s tie. “How much are you paid, Detective?” he asked, somewhat calm again.
“Uh…” Gumshoe paused. “I… forgot, sir.”
“It doesn’t matter; it’s getting cut no matter how much you earn.”
Gumshoe whimpered. As Miles recalled, the imbecile’s salary was already quite low.
“Also,” Miles continued, “have you any idea how Mr. Wright was able to enter Miss May’s hotel room?”
“I told him not to talk to the witness,” Gumshoe replied, looking down.
“You didn’t answer my question, Detective. Did Wright drop the subject?”
“Well, he tried to get me to tell him about her. I… kinda let her name slip, but that’s all sir! He thought she had been sent home.”
“Did you correct him?”
“Of course, sir! I told him—”
Gumshoe was cut off by a slap in the face.
“YOU IDIOT!” Miles exploded, standing up. “THIS is why your salary keeps getting cut! How am I supposed to do my job if you fall for the defense’s tricks!?”
“I-I’m sorry, sir!” Gumshoe managed to say, stepping back from Miles’s desk. A few drops of blood fell from his nose onto the floor.
“Wright’s going to come at me with his entire arsenal tomorrow! I want decisive evidence of who killed Ms. Fey!”
“Y-yes sir!” Gumshoe stammered.
“Now get going! And don’t ever do something so stupid again!”
“Y-y-y-y-yes sir!” Gumshoe saluted and left the office.
Miles opened his desk drawer and took a tissue out of the tissue box stored there. With a sigh of anger at Gumshoe’s incompetence and relief at being alone, he walked to the spot on the floor where Gumshoe had bled and wiped it off until only a luminol test would be able to see the blood.
That imbecile… If it hadn’t been for his stupidity, Maya Fey would have been proven guilty by now. Now I’ll have to work with the very man I’m trying to defeat…He shuddered. Redd White. That was the man staying with May. Still, he had an alibi, so even though he was a criminal, he was innocent as far as this case went. Wright would suffer in court tomorrow—it was a fact.
I'll always love you, Max.
Last edited by General Luigi on Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.