Chapter Text
~ August 3, 2016 - 9:30 AM ~
~ En Route ~
"Oh, geez! I'm going to be late! This is what I get for trying to have more friends, isn't it..." I say to myself as I pedal my bike as fast as it and my legs will let me.
He's counting on me, and already I'm about to be late on my first day. This doesn't spell good views for my career already...
Oh! Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself here. I should tell you about myself.
My name is Phoenix Wright, and you're probably wondering what on earth I'm going on about as I rush down to the District Courthouse, which I happen to be running late in doing.
It's easy: I'm a lawyer – specifically, a defense attorney. I just passed the Bar Exam a few months ago, and I'm taking on my first case today! (More on that later though.)
Anyway, I'm running late because I spent a good chunk of time writing to my pen pal just earlier. I've been writing to him for 3 years or so, while I was still in college. Sometimes he refers to me as "Wright-dono" in his letters. At the time, he was still sort of a kid (not that I was any less childish at the time) but he wrote maturely for his age, which was 14 — and his handwriting was superior to mine. He told me his name was Simon Blackquill (and I thought my name was an interesting one), and that I've been a welcoming presence in his life ever since his sister disappeared unexpectedly, without a trace. He can't even get in touch with her. In his most recent letter, after the one I sent him about my case, he tells me that he'll be in the area for the first time.
Who knows? Maybe I'll finally get to meet him?
Ah! I should stop for now, I'm really pushing my luck here!
~ 9:47 AM ~
~ District Court ~
~ Defendant Lobby No. 2 ~
"I'm here!" I shout, the moment I burst though the doors and slam them. The few people in the lobby turn to stare at me, and I feel myself flush under their gazes. I could have been a bit more gracious about that.
"Phoenix!"
I turn to the voice that calls my name.
"Chief! What are you doing here?"
Mia Fey is my boss. I've been studying law under her. Believe it or not, she actually was my lawyer when I was put on trial. Even when I was being difficult, she believed in me and so I was proven innocent. She's part of the reason why I decided to become a lawyer: to fight for people that had no one else on their side.
"I came for moral support." She tilts her head. "I have to say, Phoenix — I'm impressed that you took a murder trial off the bat like this. You remind me of me at that age. It says a lot about you and your client."
"Thanks," I tell her. "I haven't been so nervous since my old class trial! I hope I pull this off... I actually owe this client a favor."
She raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You know him?"
"Yeah! He's another one of the reasons that I decided to be an attorney — besides you, of course."
"That's news to me! I guess it's time for you to get back into the swing of things!"
"Right! I owe him a lot, so I want to help him any way I can!"
"It's over! My life, everything, it's all over!"
What the...?!
Mia glances over in the direction of the shouting, uneasy. "Isn't that him screaming over there...?"
I follow her gaze and sigh. "That's him, alright."
Larry Butz immediately starts running around the lobby, flailing his arms as he goes, shouting the whole time.
"Death! Despair! Ohhhh! I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna die!!!"
Mia's face turns exasperated. "It sounds like he wants to die...?"
"He has a flair for the dramatic." I shake my head. He's not making this easy.
Soon, Larry's running stops when he shows up in front of us suddenly. Mia and I both jerk back slightly.
"Nick!!!" he greets me. He's always preferred calling me Nick (sometimes Nicky) over Phoenix.
I sigh again. "Hey, Larry."
"Tell them I'm guilty so I can get the death sentence!" he shouts, leaning all up on me with his fists out in front of him.
Startled, I recoil back further. "What is wrong with you, Larry?! What are you talking about, 'death sentence'??"
He continues, pacing in front of me and Mia, who stands there with her arms over her head, as he goes. "Oh, it's all over... I... I'm finished. Finished! I can't live in a world without her! I can't! Who... who took her away from me, Nick? Who did this?! Aww, Nick, ya gotta tell me! Who took my baby away?!"
Pretty sure they said it was YOU, buddy. Or were you not paying attention?!
It's a simple case, really: a young woman was murdered in her own apartment, the poor thing. They arrested the person that was dating her — which just so happened to be my longtime erratic friend here. They had a saying for him in school: "When something smells, it's usually the Butz." It's not like he goes looking for trouble on purpose; he just unluckily stumbles into it, so I know he's not guilty. That's why I decided to take on this case and clear his name — and it's exactly what I plan to do!
Just then, a bailiff sticks his head out of the courtroom doors. "Mr. Wright? Mr. Butz? Ms. Fey? We're expecting you inside."
Larry immediately takes off for the doors. I stare after him with an eye roll. Mia looks to me with a small smile.
"Shall we, Phoenix?" she asks, simply.
I nod. "We shall."
~ 10:00 AM ~
~ District Court ~
~ Courtroom No. 2 ~
In the courtroom, the Judge slams his gavel to make the talking around him cease.
"The court is now in session for the trial of Larry Butz," he announces, looking to the man in question uneasily, who is sliding around in his seat. I groan inwardly.
"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."
My head whips up at that grating voice across from me. There is an older man standing there, arms at his sides, looking at the Judge. He's clearly the prosecutor for this case. Mia reminds me of his name: Winston Payne. No kidding. Jeez, his voice just makes anyone want to cover their ears and run away. I’ve mostly forgotten about him.
I realize I'm supposed to say something, as the Judge is looking at me expectantly.
"Oh! The, um, defense is ready, Your Honor."
Across the room, Payne is smirking at my nervousness. I just want to take his glasses and beat him senseless with them.
"Ahem." The Judge speaks up. "Mr. Wright? This is your first trial, is it not?"
"Y-Yes, Your Honor," I say uneasily. "I'm... a little nervous."
More like a LOT nervous, but let's not tell him that.
He places his gavel on the desk in front of him. "You realize that your conduct during this trial will determine the fate of your client, correct?"
Way to make me more nervous! Larry will get convicted before I even have a chance to do anything!
"Murder is a serious charge, you know," he continues. "For your client's sake, I hope you can control your nerves."
I glance at Larry, who's still fidgeting about. For MY sake, I hope my client can control his outbursts.
I can hear the waver in my voice as I say, "Thank you, Your Honor."
The Judge looks uneasily at me now. "Mr. Wright... given the circumstances... I think we should have a test to ascertain your readiness."
"A-Alright then." I can feel my sight just fading away right now... and my hands are shaking up a storm!
"Question one: who is the defendant in this case?"
This should be an easy one, right?
"Uh... it's me, right?" I say, albeit quietly.
Right at that moment, Mia steps on my foot.
"Ow!" I hiss quietly.
"Phoenix! Have you lost your mind?!" she hisses to me. "You're the lawyer in this case!"
"Right... right..." I say, laughing nervously.
Mia isn't amused. "Don't laugh! You did pass the bar, didn't you?!"
I'm not so sure I did.
"Um, Mr. Wright? You need to speak up," says the Judge.
"Oh! Uh..." My voice drops again. “It's... uh... Mia Fey?"
Mia facepalms. "Wrong, Wright. Look, I'm expecting a delivery, so maybe I should just leave you to it."
I gasp. "No! Do you have to go already?"
"Come on! My sister could do better than you! The defendant is the one on trial — as in your client! I mean, that's about as basic as you can get!"
Great, I've put my foot in it now.
"Mr. Wright!" The Judge seems impatient. "Can you tell me, or can't you?"
I remember what Mia has just told me. This time I speak up so the Judge can hear.
"That would be Larry Butz, Your Honor." I hope I sound more confident than I feel. Mia breathes a sigh of relief.
The Judge nods in approval. "Very good. Just keep your wits about you and you'll do fine. Question two: what's the victim's name?"
I should remember this, but I don't, for some reason... I swear, I read that case cover to cover!
"Are you sure you can do this, Phoenix?!" Mia bursts out beside me. "How do you not know the victim's name??"
I snap back to focus. "Oh, right! Sorry, I'm spacing out here."
"Now I know how Mr. Grossberg felt..." she mutters to herself, rubbing a temple. Then she looks to me again. "Please, for my sake, look at your records when you are stuck. Check them. Often." She particularly stresses that last word.
"Mr. Wright, can you answer me?" asks the Judge.
I feel myself shake a bit. "Uh... Mia Fey?"
"How can I be the victim?!" Mia shouts, startling us all.
"Sorry! It was just the first name to pop into my head!"
She looks like she'll slam her head on the desk at any second.
"You want to try that again, Mr. Wright?" comes Payne's grating voice as he taps on his forehead.
You want to put a sock in it, Payne?!
"Mr. Wright, please. Try again before your co-counsel takes her head off," says the Judge, looking unimpressed.
I quickly skim the record and try again. "Oh, um, wasn't it Ms. Block? Ms. Cinder Block?"
Now the Judge is facepalming. "Did you even read this right? The person in question was a victim of murder, not ill-conceived naming, Mr. Wright."
Too late for that desk slamming thing. Mia doesn't even look up now.
"Oh!" I look at it again. "It's Cindy Stone!"
"Yes," he sighs. "I'm almost afraid to ask this next question, but here it is, nevertheless. Question three: how did she die? In other words, what was the cause of death?"
I already know this is wrong before it leaves my lips. "Oh, right! Wasn't she, um, poisoned by er... poison?"
"You're asking me?!" The Judge throws his hands up in the air.
"Chief! Help me!"
Mia still doesn't look up, just points at the records in front of me. Payne snickers from across the room.
"Right... she was strangled, wasn't she?" I say, without really looking at the records again.
"Please tell me that was you talking to yourself," Mia mutters, muffled by her hands.
Payne is full blown out laughing now, and it’s a weird wheeze of an exhale. The Judge shushes him before continuing.
"If you wish to hang yourself, Mr. Wright, you're welcome to, but not inside my courtroom." He rolls his eyes. "I suppose there's nothing to do but give you another try."
I take a deep breath. "She was struck once, by a blunt object," I say, with no trace of nervousness in my voice anywhere.
Mia finally looks up. The Judge is momentarily surprised, then nods again.
"Good. It seems you finally got all your nerves out with those silly answers. Let's hope there won't be any more of those, for everyone's sake."
Mia pushes her fingers together and closes her eyes, counting up. Payne covers his mouth, trying not to laugh again. I simply look down in embarrassment.
I think there's still a nerve or two up in there.
I look out to the viewing galley. On the far end, Larry is simply staring, with a weird look on his face, but is otherwise quiet. Further in, there is an older boy, decked out in mostly black, looking out to the front area with a pinched look, mostly at me. (He seems... familiar to me... do I know him?) Beside him is a little girl with red hair, in cheery yellow, struck curious by the events going on. Everyone else just sits there.
"Now, Mr. Payne," the Judge says, finally turning to the man across the room.
"Your Honor?" he tries to say with a straight face.
"As Mr. Wright has told us – finally—" at this, I look off to the side, away from everyone — "the victim was struck with a blunt object. Would you explain to the court just what that ‘object’ was?"
He taps his forehead again. "Simple, Your Honor. The murder weapon was a statue of 'The Thinker'." He gestures beside him, where said statue itself lays on the table in a bag, blood at the head of it. "It was found lying on the floor, next to the victim."
"I see. The court accepts it into evidence."
Payne brings it over to the evidence desk on the side of the Judge that is closest to us.
"Remember to pay attention to the evidence, Wright," Mia says, voice strained. "It's the only ammunition us defense attorneys have in court."
Right, right.
"Call your first witness, Mr. Payne," the Judge says.
"The prosecution calls Mr. Butz to the stand," Payne says, arms crossed.
After Larry swats away the hand of the bailiff trying to lead him up there (which makes Mia cover her face and me groan inwardly, again), he makes his way to the stand.
"Okay, so it's time to listen to the testimony, right?"
"Right. Watch! You don't want to miss any information that might help your client's case." She gestures outward, with her left hand holding her right elbow. "You'll get your chance to respond to the prosecution later, so be ready!" She glances over to Larry. "Let's just hope he doesn't say anything... unfortunate."
Unfortunate is Larry's middle name, basically. He gets excited waaaay too easily... this could be bad.
*****
"Ahem." Payne clears this throat. "Mr. Butz, is it not true that the victim had recently dumped you?"
Oh, no.
"Hey, watch it, buddy!" he screeches. "We were basically Romeo and Juliet, or Cleopatra and Mark Anthony!"
They all died, you idiot!
"Besides, I wasn't dumped! She just didn't take my phone calls. Or want to see me... ever. What's it to you, anyway?!"
This time I'm the one hiding my face in my hands. Mia recoils and the Judge just stares dumbly. Payne continues as if Larry hadn't just shouted up a storm right then and there.
"That's basically what getting dumped means, Mr. Butz." He shakes his head. "In fact, I have it on good authority that she was seeing one of her other men behind your back! She arrived back with one the day before the murder even happened!"
Larry stomps his foot. "What do you mean, one of them?!" (At this point, he's giving me and Mia twin headaches.) "You're lying! I don't believe a word you say, man!"
Christ. If I haven't screwed us over already, Larry's certainly going to. And the Judge was worried about ME??
Payne continued on, holding up a small blue book. "This is the victim's passport, Your Honor. She was in Paris until the day before she died."
He places it on the evidence desk on the left side of The Thinker. The Judge picks it up and reads it over briskly.
"Indeed," he says, "she did return the day before the murder."
"No way..." Larry murmurs, suddenly starting to realize.
"She may have been a model, but she had no real source of income," says Payne. "She had several sugar daddies financing her career, giving her money and gifts."
"Whaaaaat?!"
"Clearly, this is the type of woman she was. Why don't you tell me what you think of her now, Mr. Butz?"
Mia sends me a signal telling me that he should probably not answer that question. I quickly stand up and slam my hands on the desk.
"Objection!" I cry out. "My client was unaware of this development, so it's irrelevant to the case!"
At this, Payne winces. Living up to his name, I see.
Larry cuts in anyway. "Nick! What do you mean, 'irrelevant'?! She was a cheatin' she-dog is what she was! As soon as I get to the afterlife, I'm going to have some words with her!"
"Can we continue with the trial, please?" came the voice of the Judge.
Payne stands up. "Yes, let's." He points a finger right at Larry. "The motive seems to clear to everyone here, right?"
"Yes, quite."
No, no, no... this isn't good.
"Next question, Mr. Butz! Did you go to Ms. Stone's apartment on the day of the murder?"
At this, Larry blanches.
"Well? Did you or didn't you?"
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't!" Larry snaps.
If that didn't just scream "he went there"...
I send a signal to him, telling him to lie.
"Well, see, it's like this..." Larry shrugs. "I don't remember."
"Really?" Payne narrows his eyes. "I think you do and you just don't want to tell us."
"Mr. Butz! Lying under oath is a serious offense! Answer the question!" barks the Judge.
I send another signal, resigned, saying to just tell the truth.
"Okay, yes, I went there!" He throws his hands in the air. "Happy?!"
A slight roar goes through the crowd and the Judge smacks his gavel to quiet everyone.
"Order!" he says. "Well, Mr. Butz?"
"She wasn't there, though!" Larry clarifies. "I didn't get to see her."
"Objection!" I cover my ears at Payne's shrieky voice. "Your Honor, he's lying!"
"He is?" The Judge looks surprised.
"I would like to call a witness to prove it!"
He has a witness???
"Alright, who is your witness?"
"He is the man who found poor Ms. Stone's body — but, just before that, he saw Mr. Butz flee the scene."
Another uproar. This time the Judge smacks the gavel three times.
"Order!" he hisses. "Call your witness, Mr. Payne!"
"Will do, Your Honor."
Could things get any worse...?
*****
Larry's back in his seat on the far end, glaring holes into the floor like a child. Out of my peripheral, I can see the young teen and little girl briefly shoot a glance in his direction before focusing back at the front.
In place of Larry at the witness stand is a man wringing his hands together and swaying. I wish he'd stop; it's kind of distracting.
"State your name and occupation for the record, witness," says Mr. Payne, hands behind his back.
The man's eyes are closed, but he faces Mr. Payne. "Frank Sahwit. I sell newspaper subscriptions door to door."
"You were selling them at the victim's building the day of the murder, correct?"
"Yes! I was!"
Good lord.
"Alright, Mr. Sahwit," the Judge says, "proceed with your testimony. Tell us what you saw."
As he prepares to speak, I glare across the room at Payne. He returns with a smug look.
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* *
* Witness Testimony - Start *
* *
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"I happened to be going door-to-door, doing my usual routine. Then I saw a man flee an apartment!
He must have been in a hurry since the door was left half-open. It was strange to me, so I looked in.
There I saw that woman, laying dead! Too scared to go inside, I thought to call the police, but the phone in there wasn't working.
So I went to a nearby park and called. It was 1:00 P.M., I could never forget.
It was, without a doubt, the defendant right there, that ran away!"
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* *
* End *
* *
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Mia gives me a side eye as I can tell my face has probably twisted into one of despair.
Larry, how do you expect me to defend you with a solid testimony like that?!
"Interesting." The Judge taps his chin. "Why wasn't the phone working?"
"There was a blackout, Your Honor. I have the record right here." Payne places it on the right side of The Thinker.
"Don't phones usually work during a blackout?"
"Unfortunately, hers was not one of those kinds."
That's when the Judge turns to me. "Now, Mr. Wright..."
"Yes!" I say without thinking. Then I backtrack a bit. "Er... yes, Your Honor?"
"Begin your cross-examination!"
I turn toward Mia. "How does this go again...?"
"You remember what I was doing to you when you were on the stand, right?" she tells me. "You have to expose the lies in Mr. Sahwit's testimony!"
"He was lying?!"
"Unless Harry is guilty, then Mr. Sahwit has to be lying! Use the evidence you have to find contradictions in his testimony!"
I don't bother to point out that she didn't say his name right. Last thing I want to do is agitate her more.
Ooookay, let's do this.
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* *
* Cross Examination - Start *
* *
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"For starters..." I make sure to think before I say anything, "seeing a man leaving an apartment is pretty commonplace. Why'd you take notice?"
At this, Mr. Sahwit sways faster. "I don't know... he seemed strange to me — he seemed mad and frightened at the same time, like a criminal!"
"Try not to use conjecture," I say impatiently. "It doesn't help you much."
Payne sends me a glare from his place. "The witness means that the man he saw looked suspicious."
"What did you mean by 'half-open'?" I ask next.
"Exactly what I said." Mr. Sahwit is confused. "No one came to close the door after, so I found that odd and went to look inside."
"Why?"
"It's basically human nature to be curious, and — in this case — want to peek, right? It's the same logic as climbing mountains just because they're there."
"Exactly!" Payne squeaks quickly. "Next question!"
Why did he try and cut him off so fast?
"You're sure she was dead at the time?" I ask.
"I guess not..." Mr. Sahwit looks away. "But she wasn't moving and there was blood all around, so I kind of came to that conclusion."
Fair enough. "So you didn't touch anything?"
"No!" he suddenly snaps, nervous. (I think I'm almost onto something...)
"Did you actually call the police? You said you 'thought' to."
"Really, Mr. Wright?" Payne asks. "Police came, so he obviously called them."
Yeah, he and no one else...
"Fine." I put my finger to my temple. "Wait, how did you know the phone wasn't working if you told us that you didn't go inside?"
Mr. Sahwit jumps back a bit. "Oh! It was in the entrance way, so I all I had to do was reach in and try to use it."
”So you did touch something in the apartment.”
That makes him flinch violently. “I suppose I did, yes... but it was only the phone! Nothing else, I swear!”
"Why a public phone of all things?"
"I don't have my own cell phone. No one else in the nearby apartments was around."
"You're sure you saw him run?" I gesture to Larry.
"Positive!"
"He's certain!" Payne says. "Is there a point to this, Mr. Wright?"
IS there a point...?
Then I realize one thing I forgot to press him on.
"What time did you say you called again?"
Mr. Sahwit looks a bit irritated. "I told you, it was 1:00 PM! I'm sure of that!"
That's when Mia pitches in to me, "Doesn't that seem strange to you?"
I glance over to the evidence desk. That's when it hits me.
Aha! You slipped up!
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* *
* End *
* *
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"Objection!" I cry out, pointing my finger right at Mr. Sahwit. "Your testimony contradicts the evidence!"
Mr. Sahwit actually stops swaying. His eyes snap open and he crosses his arms. "What makes you say that, Mr. Lawyer Guy?"
I shuffle the papers in front of me until I find the autopsy report and hold it up. "The death was after 4 PM! There would be no body to find by 1 PM! You want to explain that 3 hour time gap you've arbitrated here?"
He sucks in his teeth. "Oh! Uh..."
"Objection!" Payne shouts. "Obviously, he forgot the time!"
"I don't believe that; he sounded so adamant about it," the Judge chimes in. "Mr. Sahwit, why were you certain about finding the body at 1:00 PM?"
"Good question!" he squeaks nervously, swaying again, but much faster.
"Nice, Phoenix!" Mia says, looking less nervous and annoyed than before. "Way to put him on the spot! Keep it up, and the whole story will fall apart!"
"Wait!" Mr. Sahwit shouts. "I remember why now!"
"Give your testimony again, if you don't mind," says the Judge.
Let's see what you've got this time, Sahwit...
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* *
* Witness Testimony - Start *
* *
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"I heard the time being spoken out loud!
It was coming from the television...
The program was taped, so that's why it was three hours off and why I thought it was 1:00 PM!
Sorry about that..."
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* End *
* *
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"Oh, so you heard a tape, then?" The Judge tilts his head slightly. "Mr. Wright, cross-examine him if you wish."
"You know what to do!" says Mia.
Yep, this one is too easy.
I walk over the blackout report and jab a finger right at it. "Nice try, Sahwit, but Payne already told us there was a blackout around then and this record here validates it! You couldn't have heard a TV or a video!"
Mr. Sahwit makes a weird hissing sound. Payne stares down at his desk.
"Can you explain this, Mr. Sahwit?" asks the Judge.
"I'm not sure I can..." he mutters. Then he perks up suddenly. "Wait! I think I can!"
The Judge sighs. "Please try to keep your testimonies straight — all these corrections are going to harm your credibility. You also seem quite distraught."
Mr. Sahwit looks down, massaging one of his hands with the other. "I'm so sorry... the shock of finding the body hasn't quite left me."
"Alright, start again."
Jeez, this is getting ridiculous...
****************************************
* *
* Witness Testimony - Start *
* *
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"I didn't hear it, I saw it!
The murder weapon — it's a clock, and the killer used it to hit the victim!
Yes, that was it!"
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* End *
* *
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"Oh, so you saw a clock there?" (Lord, help us all...) "Defense?"
"Saying you saw the time instead of hearing it seems like a suspicious mistake to make," I say, arms crossed.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the little girl raise her fists in determination.
"I'm sorry, I only just remembered it," says Mr. Sahwit.
"Why did you call the murder weapon a clock? It's clearly a statue, isn't it?"
At this, he grows very agitated, holding his shirt in a death grip. "You and your objections and evidence! Who the heck do you think you are?!"
A lawyer…?
"Will you just answer the question?"
"I saw it! That is a clock!"
Payne chooses now to interject. "Your Honor! If I may...?"
"Yes?"
"It's my mistake. It doesn't look like a clock, but it is; if you tilt the statue's neck, it says the time out loud."
"Okay, then..." The Judge turns to me. "Do you have a problem with the testimony now?"
I slam my hands on the desk again. "Yes, I do, actually. If the clock doesn't look like a clock from first glance, how would Mr. Sahwit know it was a clock if he didn't hold it to see? He must have gone inside the apartment that day!"
At this, our resident witness looks a mix of shocked and annoyed. "Really?! Why don't you prove it, Mr. Lawyer Guy?!"
"I'll do you one better!" I put my hands on my hips. "I'll prove that you were the actual killer! The sound that you heard was the clock saying the time as you struck down poor Ms. Stone!"
The court goes up in chatter again. The teen seems to hold the girl so she doesn't get pushed around among the small chaos of people in their area. The Judge smacks the gavel again.
"Order!" he commands. "Continue, Mr. Wright!"
"Gladly." I step away from the evidence desk and walk over to the witness stand, in front of Mr. Sahwit. "You were so certain about the time because you certainly weren't expecting your murder weapon to speak to you! So you had it burned in your mind!"
"Objection!" I turn to glare at Payne, who looks very nervous, but peeved nonetheless. "What are you doing?! This is baseless conjecture!"
"Are you kidding me?! Look at Mr. Sahwit!"
Sure enough, he looks very close to foaming at the mouth.
"Care to elaborate, witness?” asks the Judge.
Suddenly, Mr. Sahwit starts freaking out. "No! NO!!!!!!!! It was him, not me!!!" He points to Larry, who looks appalled, as he screams this. "Burn him!! He's guilty! GIVE HIM DEATH!!!!!!"
Everyone starts muttering again, louder this time. The girl covers her ears, even though there is already something over them.
"Order in the court!" The Judge whacks the gavel constantly until everyone stops.
"This is ridiculous!" Payne snapped. "He hasn't proven anything yet!"
What ever happened to "guilty until proven innocent"?! This is more "guilty until someone else is guilty"!! (Lord knows that "innocent until proven guilty" was never going to happen.)
"Mr. Wright, can you prove the sound he heard came from the clock?" asks the Judge.
"Yes!" I head back to the evidence desk and pick up the Thinker. "We'll sound it right here and now!"
I turn the neck of the clock. It beeps for a moment.
Then, we all hear it.
[I think it's 8:25.]
"Well, that's a strange way to put it," the Judge says, arms crossed.
I shrug. "He is 'The Thinker', Your Honor."
"Alright, well, we've heard it. What was your point, Mr. Wright?"
I turn to Payne. "What time is it, Mr. Payne?"
He looks at his watch. "It's 11:25, but I don't see why—" He stops. "Ack!"
"See? The clock is three hours slow, just like Sahwit's purported time!" I turn to Mr. Sahwit. "You want to talk your way out of that one?"
"Gladly," he says, looking quite smug. "It might be running slow now, but if you can't prove it was running slow on the day of the murder, then you've lost your case, Mr. Lawyer Guy!"
I suck in my teeth. Why did he have to be right?!
"Mr. Wright, if you can't supply any critical evidence for this," the Judge says, shaking his head, "you can't indict this witness! I'm sorry, but the cross-examination is over."
I look out to Larry, who seems confused more than anything. Everyone else in the audience watches with anticipation, but the little girl looks like she may start crying any minute, and turns to hide in her teenage companion's body.
"All you lawyers are slime!" snaps Sahwit. "I come down here to testify and you treat me like a criminal?!"
He turns to leave. I look down in despair, seeing that I've failed my friend.
All of a sudden, Mia speaks up.
"Not so fast, Mr. Sahwit!" she yells, causing the man in question to turn around and slam his own hands on the stand in frustration.
"Chief! What are you doing?” I ask, confused.
"Don't throw away your shot now, Phoenix, not over this! Think about it!"
"How can anyone prove the clock ran slow that day? No one can!"
"Don't waste time in doubt about the facts!" She taps her temple. "Ask yourself this: why was the clock three hours slow? The time may seem wrong, but could it actually be right?"
I close my eyes, trying to think over all the evidence we have on the case.
Then it hits me.
There's one piece we haven't used yet.
And it's enough to nail the coffin shut!
"Wait!" I raise a hand. "I can prove the clock was running slow!"
"What?!" Sahwit puts a hand on his hip. "This I have to see!"
"Alright, let's see this evidence!" says the Judge.
I rush over and pick up the passport. "It's right here! Remember: the victim came home from Paris the day before."
"Yes, but what does that prove?" asks Payne.
"Everything. You see, the difference between our time and Paris's is 9 hours. 4:00 PM here is 1:00 AM there. Instead of the clock being three hours slow, it was nine hours fast!"
Sahwit slowly starts to hyperventilate.
"That's why the time was wrong! She didn't get the chance to reset the clock when she came back! Proof enough for you, Mr. Sahwit?"
Then I point a finger at him.
"Or should I say... Mr. Did It!?"
At this, Sahwit throws his toupee right at me and I'm caught off guard — and very unamused. In the audience, I can see the little girl cheering silently and a small smile on the teen's face.
*****
"Well, this case has certainly been turned on its head," says the Judge. "Where is your witness, Mr. Payne?"
Payne stares holes into his desk, hands at his sides. "Arrested and taken away, Your Honor."
"Mr. Wright, I'm impressed." The Judge turns to me. "I've never seen anyone complete the defense so fast and find the true culprit all at once!"
I nod. "Thank you, Your Honor."
"This is only a formality, of course, but the court finds the defendant, Mr. Larry Butz..."
>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<
> <
> Not Guilty <
> <
>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<
Confetti scatters the room. The audience cheers, but I can hear the little girl loudest of all. Mia smiles at me.
"Court is adjourned!" announces the Judge.
Smack!
~ 2:32 PM ~
~ District Court ~
~ Defendant Lobby No. 2 ~
We did it. We actually pulled it off!
Mia stands beside me, grinning. "Way to go, Phoenix! You did it!"
"I owe it all to you," I say, scratching my head. "I could have ruined it for us in the beginning... you're the one who pulled me out of it."
"All that aside, you fought your own battle!" She gestures out. "I can't remember the last time I saw a trial end on such a good note!"
Larry, in contrast, still continues to mope. "My life is so over..."
"Why are you still upset, Larry? You're innocent!"
"That's just it! How am I going to get to Cindy now?!" (He's still hung up on her?! Really?!) "She's gone! Gone forever!"
Mia, who apparently hears none of this, says, "Congrats, Harry! I can see it now — ‘Harry Butz, Innocent!’"
I snicker at the fact that Mia still gets his name wrong, but I can't help but also smile at her enthusiasm.
"Oh! Thanks," Larry says, bashful. "I owe you one! Why don't we celebrate?"
Her eyes take in a slightly sad look. "Oh, no, I couldn't."
I give Larry a hard nudge with my elbow, reminding him that I'm the one that got him off the hook. He gives me a pointed look as if to say to not ruin this for him.
"Here!" He holds up... The Thinker? "Take this — as a present!"
Mia looks stunned. "Isn't that... the evidence?"
"Oh, no! It looks like it because I made two of them."
"Oh? Well, thank you, then." She takes the clock. "It will be my memento."
He then turns back to me. "I can't believe she played me, Nicky... and I was really into her..."
"Oh, Larry..." I say, with a head shake.
"Are you sure?"
Surprised, we both turn to Mia.
"Ex-squeeze me??" Larry demands.
She holds up the clock. "This clock is proof that you meant something to her. Why would she take such a heavy clock, when she could have taken a normal one, if you never meant anything to her?"
He thinks about it a moment. "I don't know..."
"Make of it what you want, Larry," I say with a shrug.
"Anyway, Nick... I'm happy that I came to you when I needed a lawyer. So thanks."
Here's hoping he feels a bit better.
As Larry walks away, Mia says, "Do you see how important evidence is now?"
I nod.
"I hope you've realized now that things and people can change depending on how you look at them. You can't just know that someone is innocent or guilty, but you can believe in them and see them through. But, to believe in them, you must believe in yourself." Mia's expression turns a bit serious. "Don't ever let go of what you believe in."
She checks her watch, and the cheery disposition returns.
"Well, I think our work here is done! Shall we be off?"
I'm about to say yes when something catches my eye. On the other side of the lobby, I see the teenage boy and the little girl standing there. They look as if they want to say something to me... and I feel almost compelled to go say something to them.
"You can go on ahead, Chief," I say. "I have something I need to take care of."
She follows my gaze. "Do what you need to do." Then she adds, "Maybe someday you can tell me about your whole turning-into-a-lawyer story. My sister loves these kind of stories, too, so I might invite her so she can meet you!"
"Sure!"
She smiles, then walks out of the court.
Little did I know that the likelihood of seeing Mia again was about as good as Larry actually paying us...
~ 3:07 PM ~
~ District Court ~
~ Outside ~
"I want to congratulate you on your victory in there. It almost seemed like it was back and forth for a moment."
That's the first thing the teen says to me when we're outside. As I get a good look at him, I see he's also wearing white in addition to the black. His eyebrows rest low on his head, but he has a small smile across his face.
"Oh! Uh, thanks." I tilt my head. "You're into law stuff, too, huh? I could see that you looked interested in the events going on."
He looks surprised. "I am, actually. I am a prosecutor."
Really?? He's so young!
"How could you tell!?" The little girl beside him speaks up, looking into his face. "I've known him for so long and sometimes I can't even tell when he's showing interest in anything!"
At this, he laughs shortly and looks down at her. "You are still young, Athena. Phoenix-dono is an adult; it is easier for him to read me than it is for you, even if your abilities are quite strong."
My face morphs into surprise, especially at the specific way he’s addressing me. "You know who I am?"
His head tilts in what most people would say is an amused manner. "I would hope I know you well enough, otherwise our correspondence would surely have been for nothing."
Correspondence? What is he even—
That's when it hits me. "Simon?"
At this, he laughs again. "Surprised?"
I can only nod a bit dumbly.
“No way! So he’s the guy!”
Simon almost snorts at the way she says that. “Yes, he is ‘the guy’.” Then he turns to me. "It is nice to finally see you in person, after only speaking via letters for the past few years." He gestures down to the girl. "This is Athena."
As if on cue, she sticks a hand out to me. "Hi!"
I shake it. "It's nice to meet you, Athena — and it's nice to finally see you in person as well, Simon."
I notice, for the first time, that Athena is wearing pink custom-made headphones on her ears that stuck up in little boxy heart shapes. I raise an eyebrow, curious.
Simon notices it. "Her mother made them for her. It is supposed to help her with her hearing problems."
I want to push on it, but decide now is not the best time to do so.
"Hey!" Athena says suddenly. "Why don't you show us where you work? I've always wanted to see inside a defense law office!"
"If Simon doesn't mind," I say. "I wouldn't want to drag him somewhere he doesn't want to go."
"I am quite curious myself," Simon admits. "Lead the way, Phoenix-dono."
Just like that, my first trial to date comes to a close — with me claiming the victory and meeting an old friend and a new face. I'm feeling pretty good about things as I lead Athena and Simon to the offices (though Athena does take the time to tease me about not being a driver, which makes me look down in embarrassment and Simon look thoroughly amused).
If only I'd known that The Thinker was going to come back and haunt us — and that I'd never be able to keep my promise to Mia...