Legal Legacy

by Trace Carter

This is an Idea a friend and I came up with as a sequel Apollo Justice. (does not include cannon details from Investigations 2 or Dual Destinies)

Ace Attorney

Legal Legacy

This story was created with a good friend of mine. We decided to create a sequel to the first five games (including AAI) and came up with this as a result. Hope you like my Fanfiction rendering of it.

Disclaimer: Trace Carter does not own Ace Attorney.

*Play: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney: Soundtrack - Courtroom Lobby ~ New Prelude*

watch?v=4t7gYBQV_po

March 15, 9:40 a.m.

District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 1

Apollo paced around the defendant lobby, sweating bullets.

I'm in deep trouble. I'm definitely going to lose today. My first homicide case in five months, and I don't even get a chance to do an investigation. How could I get talked into this? He heard the lobby door swing open. Apparently, his client was in. That must be the defendant. I guess I'd better go introduce myself.

He then turned to his client. She wore a schoolgirl uniform with a bead necklace with an interesting charm attached. She had shoulder length brown hair that was tied in an intricate, heart shaped knot on the top of her head. Like virtually anyone in her current position, she was extremely anxious.

Apollo tried to straighten himself up. "Er, hello."

She didn't notice him. He tried again, "H-hello?"

Still nothing. Time to break out the Chords of Steel. "HELLO."

"Ah!" The girl sprang back in surprise. "H-hello."

Well, this is getting off to a great start.

"Excuse me," said Apollo, "you're Miss Fai, right?"

"It's Fey actually, Pearl Fey," said the girl now known as Pearl, "and you are?"

"Fine!" said Apollo frantically, "I mean, Apollo. My name's Apollo Justice, Miss Fey."

"Just Pearl is fine, Mr. Justice," said Pearl, giggling slightly.

Just then, an older man walked in. He wore a blue suit, orange tie, and teal beanie. His name? Phoenix Wright.

"Good morning, Apollo." He turned to the girl.

"Pearls," said Phoenix glumly, "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

"It's alright, Mr. Nick," said Pearl, "I know that Mr. Justice will help me."

"He sure will," said Phoenix, "because he'll be fired otherwise."

"Wh-what?" said Apollo in surprise.

"Don't worry Apollo," Phoenix assured him, "you're going to win, so we don't have to worry about that."

"Er, about that," Apollo started, "you see, I think I don't quite understand the-"

A lanky man in a bailiff's uniform peered in. "Court will begin shortly. Will the defendant and her attorneys enter the courtroom."

"W-wait!" Apollo interjected. "Attorneys? As in more than one?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" said Phoenix, "I'll be there with you as part of regaining my badge. Trucy wanted to come, but she's busy rehearsing for a show tonight. Well, it's time. Let's go."

The party of three followed the bailiff out of the lobby.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Apollo Justice and I'm a defense attorney.

The guy I'm with is Phoenix Wright, my boss and, for lack of a better word, mentor. He used to be quite the attorney himself…until he was accused of forgery and disbarred. His name was cleared last year, but he only took the bar exam again this February. The results aren't in, so I guess he's started shadowing me on my cases…or it's because this case is particularly important to him.

This case…I don't really know a lot. Last week, a clock shop owner, Gloria Cog, was found murdered in her shop. After investigating, the police arrested their only suspect, a teenage girl by the name of Pearl Fey…and that's all I know. Mr. Wright insisted I take the case. "Insist" here means "to call you late at night and say 'show up at the courthouse tomorrow. The bailiff has some files for you.'"-end quote. I read the basic files and the autopsy report, but that's it. Whoever this girl is, apparently Mr. Wright wants her free, and fast.

I've handled about a dozen cases these past five months under the new Jurist system, but this'll be my first big one in a while. First homicide of the year, here comes Justice!

March 15, 10:00 a.m.

District Court

Courtroom No. 3

*Play: Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney - Court Begins* or watch?v=SfLR3zsIXB4&feature=related

"Court is in session for the trial of Pearl Fey," said the Judge, "Are the defense and prosecution ready?"

"The defense is ready, Your Honor." said Apollo from the defense's bench.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." said Winston Payne, standing at the prosecutor's bench at the other side of the courtroom.

"Mr. Payne, will the prosecution make its opening statement?" said the Judge.

"Yes, Your Honor," said Payne, clearing his throat and raising his voice, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is a simple open-and-shut case. We will not take up any more of your precious time than is needed. This was not an overcomplicated crime, with a deep-seated motive and years of preparation. The defendant, Ms. Fey, is no criminal mastermind. This was nothing more than a robbery gone wrong. The prosecution has evidence linking the defendant to the crime scene, a witness placing the defendant at the scene, and, most damning of all, the defendant was arrested at the scene." He tossed a lock of his hair. "As you'll see, Your Honor, this case will be over in no time."

"I see," said the Judge, nodding, "Mr. Payne, please call your first witness."

Wow, Apollo thought, starting to sweat, Payne actually seems fairly eloquent today. That means he's either really prepared…or I need more sleep. Either way, bad.

"The prosecution calls Detective Ema Skye to the witness stand." said Winston Payne.

xXsceneXx

"Please state your name and profession," said Payne to the young woman on the witness stand who was munching on a bag of Chocolate Snackoos.

"I'm Detective Ema Skye," said Ema, "I'm a detective in Criminal Affairs at the downtown precinct. I'm not officially part of any division, but I tend to get called in to deal with quite a…" She trailed off, her concentration fading. She was staring right at Phoenix. She suddenly smiled.

"It's good to see you at the defense's bench again, Mr. Wright," she finally said cheerfully.

"I must admit, it's good to be back," said Phoenix Wright, returning the smile.

"Detective Skye?" Payne said gingerly, sweating in embarrassment, "I hate to interrupt this reunion, but could you please concentrate on the case right now?"

"Right." Ema straightened up. "Anyway, I get called in to deal with a lot of homicides. I'm in charge of this current case."

"Ms. Skye, please explain the facts of the case," requested the Judge.

*Play: Phoenix Wright - Lets think about this!(Logic and Trick) Remix/Arrangement* or watch?v=MfG8_1JpEcs

Ema elaborated:

"The Murder occurred in the Cog Clock watch shop. The victim was the owner, Miss Gloria Cog. Cause of death was a bullet wound to the heart. Gunpowder residue around the wound indicates close proximity to the weapon as it discharged. The position of the body suggests that the back was facing the store window. The defendant was found at the scene after the police received a call from a person who witnessed the crime. The victim was found holding a watch with the victim's blood and the defendant's fingerprints on it. An empty register suggests that theft was the motive."

*Watch added to Court Record*

*Murder photo added to Court Record*

*end Song*

"Very good, Detective," said the Judge. "Now, please testify about the actual sequence of events. How did you find the body? And why did you arrest the defendant?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

Witness Testimony: Scene of the Crime

*Play: Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Music Extended* watch?v=bk35u7N_xWw

The victim was found by police officers after we received a call from a witness to the crime.

We arrived and saw the defendant standing in shock over the victim's body.

The victim was found clutching a watch in her right hand.

The watch had the victim's blood and the defendant's fingerprints on it.

We're pretty sure the motive was theft, but,

Unfortunately, we were unable to locate the murder weapon.

*End Song*

"Hmmm," said the Judge, "alright, the defense may begin their cross-examination."

"Y-yes, Your Honor," Apollo stammered.

"You up to this, Apollo?" asked Phoenix. "You remember how cross-examination work, right?"

"Er…yes! Yes I do!...I think." Apollo had started sweating again.

"Fine," Phoenix whispered. "Tell me what you know."

Play: Trance Logic- watch?v=MfG8_1JpEcs

"Well," Apollo recollected, finger pressed to his forehead, "witness testimony is the building block of most cases. In testimonies, witnesses might lie, or, in the case of someone like Ema, misremember the truth."

"Someone like me? What is that supposed to mean?" Apparently, Ema had heard that.

"Sorry. Anyway, as a lawyer, my job is to sort out the truths from the mistruths. I can press witnesses to gather more information, or I can present evidence from the Court Record to show the contradictions.

"That's right!" said Phoenix. "Now, I doubt Ema is lying, but in cases like this, it's good to press the witness from all sides, just in order to gather information."

"Sounds good," said Apollo. "Let's do this!"

"Remember Apollo, believe in your client till the very end," said Phoenix.

Cross Examination: Scene of the Crime

*Play: Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Music Extended*

The victim was found by police officers after we received a call from a witness to the crime.

HOLD IT!

"So when did you receive the call?" asked Apollo?

"Around 1:30," said Ema.

"So what did this witness say?" asked Apollo.

"He simply stated that he saw a girl with brown hair kill the victim Gloria Cog and that she was still at the store," said Ema.

"Then this brown haired girl could be anyone," said Apollo.

OBJECTION!

"Detective Skye's testimony will explain why we arrested the defendant." said Payne.

We arrived and saw the defendant standing in shock over the victim's body.

HOLD IT!

"So you never saw the defendant kill the victim?" asked Apollo.

"Not really," said Ema.

"Then you had no grounds to arrest her," said Apollo.

OBJECTION!

"Are you paying attention, Mr. Justice?" said Payne. "There was a witness who reported the murder. That means that the police arrived after the murder took place."

"Oh…right." Apollo gulped.

"Besides," Payne added, tapping his forehead, "The detective had ample reason to arrest the defendant, as her testimony will state."

The victim was found clutching a watch in her right hand.

HOLD IT!

"So how does this watch prove that it was my client that murdered the victim?" asked Apollo.

"Well, that watch…" Ema paused for dramatic suspense "…belongs to the defendant!"

There were several murmurs from the gallery, prompting the Judge to slam his gavel three times. "Order! Order in the court!"

"H-how do you know that for sure?" Apollo asked, feeling himself trembling.

"The defendant stated that the watch was hers and she had come to pick it up after getting it repaired," said Ema, "plus…"

The watch had the victim's blood and the defendant's fingerprints on it.

HOLD IT!

"Other than those two things, were there any other traces on the watch?" asked Apollo.

"Well, Ms. Cog's fingerprints were naturally all over the watch, but other than that, no," said Ema, "The watch had been completely polished recently, so there was nothing else to be found. Both of the traces were fairly fresh."

"Why would the victim be clutching my client's watch?" said Apollo.

OBJECTION!

"It's obvious as to why," said Payne, "the victim used the last of her strength to grab an item that would identify her killer."

The courtroom broke out in more murmurs, causing the Judge to bang his gavel.

"Order! Order!" demanded the judge.

"Things are looking bad for our client," groaned Apollo to Phoenix. "To be honest, I'm starting to think she did it!

"Don't worry," said Phoenix, "Pearls would never take a life."

"But…" protested Apollo.

"Don't worry," said Phoenix, "the truth will be revealed. It always is in the very end. Just don't give up."

We're pretty sure the motive was theft, but,

HOLD IT!

"How do you know this?" Apollo asked.

"Well," Ema said, twirling her hair, "as I said earlier, the cash register was empty. If you had been listening to me earlier, you'd already know that."

Apollo blushed. "Er, sorry. I just had to be sure."

"That's alright. Anyway, we also know that theft was most likely the motive based on the position of the bullet wound."

"Huh? How so?" Apollo asked.

"Well," Ema clarified, "Ms. Cog was shot right in the heart, but the bullet made a hole in the stomach area of her dress. That means that at the time of shooting, her hands were raised in a surrender position. If you had read the autopsy report more carefully, you'd already know that."

Wow, Apollo thought, I have got to start reading these things more carefully. And paying attention in general.

"So," Ema concluded, "when one considers that the register was empty and that the victim was most likely held at gunpoint, it becomes clear that this was most likely a failed armed robbery."

Suddenly, Apollo had an idea. "Detective Skye, was the register money found on the person of my client?"

Ema gulped on the Snackoo she was eating. "W-well..."

OBJECTION!

"Nice try, Mr. Justice, but that won't work," said Payne. "The money in question was discovered in a trash bag outside. Clearly, the defendant had gone back to the crime scene to clean up her mess when the arrest went down."

Well, it was worth a try, thought Apollo.

Unfortunately we were unable to locate the murder weapon."

HOLD IT!

"Now, according to the autopsy report, the murder weapon was a 38-caliber weapon, right?" Apollo asked.

"Yes," Ema said. "Specifically, it was an automatic pistol, the kind sometimes used by law enforcement. I occasionally see them at the precinct and in this courthouse. Pretty hard to acquire, unless you have ties to law enforcement or organized crime."

"How could Ms. Fey could have acquired this pistol, then?"

Ema frowned. "Admittedly, we haven't been able to research that. Mostly because we haven't found the murder weapon."

"So the gun the killer used has yet to be located," said Apollo.

"Yeah," said Ema, "we searched the scene and the defendant, but all we found was the bullet in the victim's heart and the register money in a trash bag outside."

"So my client might not be the killer," said Apollo.

OBJECTION!

"I'm sorry Mr. Justice, but, as Detective Skye stated in her testimony, there was a witness to the crime. In fact, we are ready to call him as our next witness whenever the court is ready." said Payne.

The Judge slammed his gavel.

*End Song*

"I think we now have a firm grasp on the facts of the case," concluded the Judge. "Does the defense or prosecution have any further questions for Detective Skye?"

Well, thought Apollo, this testimony isn't exactly perfect, but it looks like we're not getting anything more out of Ema today. "No further questions, Your Honor."

"No further questions, Your Honor," said Payne. "Thank you for your cooperation, Detective."

"Very well," said the Judge. "Detective Skye, you may step down."

Ema left. I should remember the facts of what she said, thought Apollo. It could be useful in the future.

*Ema's Testimony added to the Court Record*

Payne continued: "Your Honor, the prosecution would like to establish that, without a shadow of a doubt, it was Ms. Fey who pulled the trigger and took the victim's life. We have a decisive eyewitness account."

"Indeed," said the Judge, "the prosecution may call their next witness."

"The prosecution calls Mr. Noah Faim to the witness stand." said Payne.

xXsceneXx

watch?v=SfLR3zsIXB4&feature=related

A man with black hair, wearing a brown coat and a white shirt stood at the witness stand.

He wore a tie shaped like a grandfather clock's pendulum and a special monocle that looked like it could enhance his vision to repair watches. He was currently looking at a pocket-watch with an intricate face.

"Will the witness please state his name and profession for the record?" said Winston Payne.

The man didn't respond. Apparently, the watch was more important to him.

Payne started sweating in embarrassment. "Er, your name, sir?"

Nothing.

The judge slammed his gavel. "Witness, please give your name."

Nothing.

Apollo rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. "WITNESS, GIVE YOUR NAME!"

That caught his attention. "Gah!...oh, sorry. I got caught up in my watch. She's quite a beaut. Got her in Switzerland when I was a teenager…" He went back to staring at the watch.

This is going to be sooo much fun, thought Apollo.

The man noticed the silence in the courtroom, snapped shut his pocket-watch, and looked up, "My name is Noah Faim. My profession is clockmaker and timepiece repairman."

"Mr. Faim, is it true that in the early morning of March 11, you witnessed the murder of your employer and mentor, Ms. Gloria Cog, then called the police?" asked the Judge.

"I did."

"Will you testify about what you witnessed?" asked Payne.

"Fine," said Faim.

Witness Testimony: What I saw

*Play: Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Music Extended* watch?v=bk35u7N_xWw

I was walking to work at around 12:57 in the morning.

As I neared the shop I heard a gunshot and saw the defendant standing over Ms. Cog.

I knew something bad had happened, so I immediately phoned the police.

*End Song*

That's it? thought Apollo. Talk about a short testimony.

"I see," said the Judge, "Mr. Justice, you may begin you cross-examination."

"Apollo," said Phoenix, "I don't know about you, but from what I can tell, his testimony is filled with holes. It's up to you to find the truth."

"Right." said Apollo. Look out Faim, here comes Justice.

Cross Examination: What I Saw

*Play: Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Music Extended* watch?v=bk35u7N_xWw

I was walking to work at around 12:57 in the morning.

HOLD IT!

"Why on earth were you going to work so early in the morning?" asked Apollo.

"I sometimes get called into work at odd times, particularly when Ms. Cog has a special clock that needs special attention," Faim answered.

"How are you so sure about the time?" asked Apollo.

"Hmph," snorted Faim, pulling out his watch, "I pride myself with being on time so I constantly check my clock here, which is exact to the second."

"I see, thank you," said Apollo.

As I neared the shop I heard a gunshot and saw the defendant standing over Ms. Cog.

I knew something bad had happened so I immediately phoned the police.

OBJECTION!

*End Song*

"I'm sorry Mr. Faim," said Apollo, "but when did you witness the crime?"

"12:57:23 in the morning," said Faim.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Faim frowned, opened his watch, and closed it. "Yes. 100%."

Apollo grinned. "Mr. Faim, thank you for coming in to testifying today."

"Mr. Justice," the Judge asked, "is there something wrong with the witness's testimony?"

"A little," Apollo answered. "Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this man, Noah Faim, claims that he essentially witnessed the murder at 12:57, correct?"

"I believe he did just say that, yes," agreed the Judge. "Why is that so important?"

"Now recall Detective Skye's testimony," said Apollo.

"So when did you receive the call?" asked Apollo?

"Around 1:30," said Ema.

"Now I wonder," said Apollo, "why did it take you over 30 minutes to make the call?!"

*Play: Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney - I OBJECT!(Objection! theme) Remix/Arrangement* or watch?v=yyx7dhcACZA

"Grk," said Faim flinching.

"Your Honor," said Apollo, "why would somebody who's just seen a murder take 30 minutes to report it?"

"I…I don't know," the Judge said. "At the most, it would take me about 10 minutes, and that's because I don't know how to unlock this newfangled 'smart phone' I got for my birthday. I doubt it would take Mr. Faim that long."

Objection!

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Payne. "It's perfectly natural that, after the shock of watching such a horrible felony, that the witness would be a little late in reporting the crime."

Objection!

"30 minutes is pushing it for 'a little late,'" accused Apollo. "Your honor, the defense feels that the…"

"EXCUSE ME!"

*End Song*

"...pay-phone"

"?!" Apollo realized that Faim had muttered something, "what was that?"

"I had to find a pay-phone!" yelled Noah Faim, "I don't have a working cell phone and the nearest phone is a block away. Also, it was dark. The pay phone was a little difficult to find."

"Looks like the defense lost its theory," smirked Payne.

You're kidding me! That's the most ridiculously convenient excuse I've ever heard, thought Apollo. Only a moron would buy that!

"That sounds perfectly reasonable to me," said the Judge. "The court accepts the witness's explanation for now."

…You're kidding me. Apollo could barely see straight. I was so close!

Phoenix seemed to notice Apollo's frustration. "Don't worry," Phoenix said to Apollo, "there are still holes in his testimony we can exploit."

*Play: Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Music Extended*

I was walking to work at around 12:57 in the morning.

As I neared the shop I heard a gunshot and saw the defendant standing over Ms. Cog.

HOLD IT!

"So can you elaborate on what you saw?" requested Apollo.

"Of course," said Faim, "I saw the girl holding a smoking gun as she stood over Ms. Cog's body. Ms. Cog was leaning against the wall and I could see the bullet hole in her chest. It was particularly noticeable as it had destroyed her shiny name-tag.

"Well, Mr. Justice, was that testimony important?" asked the Judge.

"Yes, Your Honor," said Apollo, "I request that it be added to his testimony."

"Mr. Faim, please testify as to what you saw when you arrived at the scene of the crime." said the Judge.

"Fine," said Faim.

When I arrived I saw Ms Cog's body lying against the wall with a bullet wound piercing her name-tag and the defendant holding a smoking gun.

OBJECTION!

*End Song*

"Mr. Faim," said Apollo, "you say you saw a bullet wound pierce Ms. Cog's name-tag?"

"Yes," Faim said testily, loudly snapping his watch shut.

"That's funny," said Apollo, "because that's impossible!"

*Play: Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney - GOTCHA NOW!(Cornered 2001) Remix/Arrangement* or watch?v=yyx7dhcACZA

"Gah!" exclaimed Faim, tossing his pocket watch in the air and catching it before it fell to the ground.

"What is the meaning of this accusation, Mr. Justice?" Payne demanded. "Where is your proof?"

"Members of the court, please remember what is written in the autopsy report," Apollo clarified. "Specifically, this: 'Position of clothing and bullet hole in dress indicates that victim's hands were raised at time of shooting.'"

"Yes, I believe Detective Skye elaborated on something to that effect," the Judge agreed.

"Don't you see, Mr. Faim?" Apollo asked. "Ms. Cog had her hands raised. Therefore, her name-tag wasn't at chest level-it was higher! The bullet pierced her dress, not her name-tag! You were somehow able to miss that?"

"I…I…" Mr. Faim stuttered, opening his watch.

End Song

"Mr. Faim," the Judge said gravely, "this is the second major contradiction in your testimony. I'm beginning to doubt you actually saw anything that night."

"I did!" Faim exclaimed indignantly, snapping his watch shut. "I just…got a little mixed up. Your Honor, please let me testify again."

"Very well," the Judge said. "Please be careful with the details this time."

watch?v=ZSUD7ccpZx0

Witness Testimony: What I Saw 2

I was going into work because Ms. Cog called me.

It was exactly 12:57 when I got there. Honest!

I saw a flash of light, heard a loud noise and peered through the window.

I saw Ms. Cog, her cold lifeless face staring out into the street…

And the defendant, looting the store with a pistol in her left hand.

I got scared, so I panicked and started looking for a phone booth.

End Song

"And that's all you can recall?" the Judge asked.

"Sorry," Faim replied, "it was all kind of quick. I remember the people, but that's about it."

Well, Apollo thought, I guess I'll just have to squeeze more details out of you.

Phoenix seemed to read Apollo's thoughts. "I wouldn't bother with pressing, Apollo. I smell a contradiction. An obvious contradiction."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"I noticed it last time. It's out in the open, go get it!"

Will do, Apollo thought, …but I don't think it would hurt to press a bit.

"Mr. Justice, you may now begin your cross-examination."

watch?v=ZSUD7ccpZx0

Cross Examination: What I Saw 2

I was going into work because Ms. Cog called me.

HOLD IT!

"Why did she call you?" asked Apollo, finger pressed to forehead.

Faim looked up from his watch. "I believe it was related to salary negotiation. She had been working hard that night and decided to handle as many problems as possible." He grimaced. "That included my last few raise requests."

"Do you frequently have money issues at the shop?"

Faim scrunched his face. "Money? No. Gloria was never stingy with cash. My real-"

OBJECTION!

"We're deviating from the topic at hand," protested Payne. "Mr. Justice, keep your questions relevant, please."

Well, no harm in trying.

It was exactly 12:57 when I got there. Honest!

HOLD IT!

"Why are you so certain about the time?" asked Apollo.

Faim held up his watch. "This watch is always correct! Always! That's how I know that this court convened at 10:00 on the dot."

"OK, OK, jeez." He sure seems hung up on time. Fits him, I guess.

I saw a flash of light, heard a loud noise and peered through the window.

I saw Ms. Cog, her cold lifeless face staring out into the street…

OBJECTION!

END SONG

Apollo grinned. "Mr. Faim, there's something I'd like to check with you."

"Ask," Faim said, looking up from his watch, "and I will answer."

"You saw everything that you claim to have seen from the store window, right? The one at the front of the shop?"

Faim nodded. "The exact one. It's the only window in the store, after all."

Apollo slammed his fists on his bench. "Mr. Faim, I can't tell if you're not trying or just plain stupid, but once again, your testimony claims the impossible!

watch?v=wuoN9MesbW0&feature=related

OBJECTION!

"Mr. Justice, you can't insult my witness like that without reason," Payne protested. "That's contempt of court!"

OBJECTION!

"We have a reason alright," Phoenix said, "Show them what we mean, Apollo."

"If you look at the scene of the crime, you will obviously see that Ms. Cog was facing away from the window when she was shot," said Apollo showing the murder photo.

"That's right," said the Judge. "That means that you wouldn't be able to see the victim's face!"

"Mr. Faim," Apollo demanded, slamming his fists, "did you or did you not see the victim's face at the scene?"

"I…I…I…" Faim took a deep breath. "I thought I did, but maybe I didn't…?"

"'Maybe' doesn't cut it in a court of law, Mr. Faim!" thundered the Judge. "Did you 'maybe' see the defendant? In court, people's freedom is at stake. Today, that person is a 17-year-old girl!"

Alright, Apollo thought, I've got the judge, and perhaps the jury, on my side. Time to make my move!

"Your Honor," said Apollo, pointing directly at Faim, "this witness's testimony is full of holes. I believe that he is an unreliable witness. The defense requests that his testimony be stricken from the record and that he be dismissed immediately!"

"This is an outrage!" Faim shouted. "You can't just ignore me like this!"

"Objection sustained," said the Judge. "Bailiff, please escort the witness out of the courtroom!"

Faim glared daggers at Apollo and the Judge, but made no resistance when the bailiff led him away.

*End Song*

xXsceneXx

watch?v=SfLR3zsIXB4&feature=related

"Does the prosecution have any other witnesses to call?" asked the Judge.

"Unfortunately," said Payne, "I believed that this witness's testimony would be sufficient. The prosecution has no further evidence or witnesses at this point."

"I see," said the Judge. "At this rate, due to the incompetence of our witness, I'm almost tempted to give this case to the jury for a likely acquittal. However, the circumstances surrounding the defendant are still quite suspicious, and I believe a long recess is in order. Mr. Payne, I would like you to have Detective Skye resume her investigation. In particular, I would like you to find the murder weapon by the next time we reconvene."

"I understand, Your Honor," Payne sighed.

Alright, Apollo thought, this wasn't so bad! Maybe I can do some private investigation so that I'll actually know what I'm doing next time.

"Very well," the Judge concluded. "Until further notice, this court is now in recess!"

The Judge raised his gavel…

OBJECTION!

"What the…? Who said that?" The Judge looked around in bewilderment.

"Me, Your Honor."

Everyone in the courtroom slowly turned towards Phoenix Wright, his face looking smug.

watch?v=lUUOVls2GkM

"Mr. Wright?!" Apollo asked. "What are you doing?"

"We're not done here, Apollo," said Phoenix. "Not when we're so close to the truth."

"The truth?" I still haven't got a clue about the facts, let alone the truth!

"Your Honor," said Phoenix, "the defense would like to request a witness."

"Oh?" said the Judge, "Who would that be?"

"The defense would like to call the defendant, Pearl Fey, to the witness stand."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Apollo in a panic.

"Does the prosecution have any objections, Mr. Payne?" asked the Judge.

"No objections, Your Honor."

I certainly object!

"Very well." The Judge nodded. "The court will take a 25 minute recess and the defendant will take the stand."

With one slam of the gavel, court was adjourned.

xXsceneXx

March 15, 12:30 p.m.

District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 3

watch?v=4t7gYBQV_po

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" yelled Apollo, once the doors were shut.

"What do you mean?" asked Phoenix.

"Calling our client to the witness stand when we could have just called it a day? You know, so that we could actually investigate and figure out what happened?" Apollo sighed. "Sometimes, I have no idea what you're thinking, Mr. Wright. Or not thinking, in this case."

"Do you not trust Pearls?" Phoenix asked.

"Er, what?"

"Apollo," said Phoenix sternly, "years ago I was on trial for murder. My soon-to-be mentor had faith in me and allowed me to take the stand and testify in my own defense. Over the course of my career, I found this to be a useful tactic. Sometimes, a defendant will know the whole truth without even realizing it. I ask you to trust me and allow Pearl to do the same."

"But…" began Apollo.

"Apollo, you said you wanted to know what actually happened on the night of the crime? Why don't you ask your client? No one's heard her side of the story yet."

That's actually a good point. "Er, OK."

Apollo walked over to Pearl, who had been standing in the corner the whole time. "Um, Ms. Fey, may I have a word with you?"

"Um…yes, you may." Pearl straightened up.

Where to start? "Pearl, you know when you got arrested? What exactly happened that night?"

watch?v=MfG8_1JpEcs

Pearl closed her eyes to think. "Well, that night, I had received a call from Gloria that my watch had been repaired and that I could pick it up whenever I was ready. I was up late attending a spiritual seminar, so I decided to go there immediately."

"Alright," Phoenix said, "what happened next?"

Pearl bit one of her fingernails. "It was exactly 1 o'clock when I got there. The shop seemed quiet when I arrived, but I went on in. Inside was-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Wright?"

END SONG

Phoenix and Apollo turned their heads. Standing in the doorway was the lanky bailiff from earlier.

"I have two things for you, sir. The first is a message. The Chief Prosecutor is in the main lobby downstairs and would like a word with you."

"Oh?" Phoenix raised an eyebrow. "That sounds important. What's the other thing?"

"Is this yours?"

The bailiff dragged in a teenage girl wearing a blue cape, a silk hat, and a small red scarf.

watch?v=nyeM6Kywxp0

"Let me go!…Hi, Daddy!"

"Hello, Trucy," Phoenix responded, smiling softly. "Was there a problem with her, Mr…?"

"Luffin," the bailiff finished. "Bail Luffin. Yes, she was causing a minor problem downstairs at the weapons check. She and her prop gun caused a minor panic and almost put the court on lockdown, then she tripped someone else being checked."

"It was an accident!" Trucy protested.

"Anyway, please keep an eye on your daughter, Mr. Wright. I had enough problems with the witness from today." Bail left.

"Trucy, I thought you were practicing for your show tonight."

"I finished up!" Trucy was beaming. "I was hoping to show you and Polly some tricks."

"Keep him company," Phoenix said as he walked out the door. "I've got a meeting with the DA."

Apollo turned back to Pearl. "So Pearl, what-"

"Hi Polly!" said Trucy, interrupting Apollo's train of thought.

"What, oh hi Trucy." said Apollo.

"This has been one interesting day. Practice went well, and I have a show tonight! Not only that, but I ran into Ema and showed her some tricks," Trucy said smiling.

Apollo said nothing.

"You look down, Polly. I know! You need a visit from the magic cat: Bullets!" Trucy said pulling out a gun and firing.

*BANG*

It all happened in an instant: Apollo's ears exploded, he felt his head instinctively duck, Pearl gasped, and Trucy staggered back. A small hole was now visible in the wall of the lobby.

"TRUCY YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!" yelled Apollo.

watch?v=lUUOVls2GkM

"Wh-what happened," stammered Trucy in shock, "that wasn't Bullets."

"In fact," she said, inspecting the gun, "this isn't my prop gun at all!"

"Let me see that!" Apollo carefully took the gun and examined it. It was an automatic pistol, definitely weaker than a 45-caliber, but it felt heavy in his hands. Thanks to Trucy's gloves, there were no fingerprints (other than Apollo's now).

"Trucy," said Apollo, "maybe you should let me hang on to this for now."

Trucy nodded, still in shock.

*Gun added to court record*

"I'll be sure to hand this to one of the bailiffs later," Apollo promised. First, I'll need it checked out.

"So Ms. Fey," Apollo resumed, turning back to Pearl, "what did you s-"

Bail Luffin re-entered the lobby. "Court is about to reconvene. Will the defendant and her attorney please return to the courtroom."

25 minutes already? That was fast. "OK, we'll be right there."

Apollo turned to Trucy. "It looks like Mr. Wright isn't back yet. Can you help me for the rest of the case, Trucy?"

"A-actually, Polly," said Trucy, her voice still shaking slightly, "I think I need to search this courthouse for Bullets. If I don't find her by the show tonight…" Trucy ran out of the room.

Great, thought Apollo. I'm completely on my own now.

"You're not alone, Mr. Justice."

Apollo turned to face Pearl, who had just spoken. Her face was serious and there was a glint of determination in her eye.

"You never are."

xXsceneXx

March 15, 12:51 p.m.

District Court

Courtroom No. 3

Everyone filed back into the courtroom. Pearl stood at the witness stand, Apollo stood by himself at the defense bench, while Payne and the Judge were at their prior positions.

watch?v=SfLR3zsIXB4&feature=related

"Court is now back in session for the trial of Pearl Fey," said the Judge. "Mr. Payne, proceed."

"Will the defendant state her name and profession for the record," said Payne.

"Um, my name is Pearl Fey," said Pearl, "my occupation is high school student and spirit medium in training."

OBJECTION!

"Your Honor," said Payne, "the defendant fails to grasp the seriousness of her situation, thus…"

OBJECTION!

There was a silence in the court. That objection had not come from Apollo. What the?

"Your Honor, I'm quite serious," said Pearl. All of a sudden, she no longer seemed like a frail little girl. She stood tall and proud, and her eyes were full of determination.

"But, spirit mediums don't…" began Payne.

"Your Honor," interrupted Pearl, "I strongly object to Mr. Payne's attempt to simultaneously slander my profession and make me appear untrustworthy before the jury. I would like to establish that this court has accepted the legitimacy of spirit channeling and other psychic powers in the past. In particular, I would like to cite the precedents set by the criminal cases State v. Edgeworth, State v. Fey, and State v. Iris, among others."

"Objection sustained," said the Judge. "Those memories are hard to forget."

"But, but…" stuttered Payne.

"Miss Fey, please testify to what happened when you were found at the shop," the Judge said, ignoring Winston Payne.

Wh-what just happened? thought Apollo. Is this the same Pearl I was talking to earlier? And did she just get the Judge to agree that magic is real?

Pearl smiled calmly. "Yes, Your Honor."

Witness Testimony: My Perspective

*Play: Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Music Extended* watch?v=bk35u7N_xWw

I was heading to the watch shop to pick up a watch of mine that I left there for repair.

When I arrived, the store was open, so I walked inside.

When I entered I saw Ms. Cog's body lying against the wall.

I was in shock until the police arrived.

*end song*

"Mr. Justice, you may begin your cross-examination," said the Judge.

"Yes, Your Honor." Why can't she just cross-examine herself? She clearly knows more about what's going on than me…and possibly more about the law.

Cross Examination: My Perspective

*Play: Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Music Extended* watch?v=bk35u7N_xWw

I was heading to the watch shop to pick up a watch of mine that I left there for repair.

HOLD IT!

"Can you tell us what time it was?" asked Apollo.

"Yes, it was 1:00 in the morning," said Pearl.

"How were you certain?" asked Payne.

"There was a large clock over the watch shop that had the time on it," said Pearl. "I had seen it before when visiting Gloria."

"Gloria," huh? "Out of curiosity, did you personally know the defendant, Ms. Fey? You seem to be on a first-name basis with her."

"As a matter of fact, yes!" Pearl beamed. "She had connections to several members of my family. I always got a special discount from her."

"I see." said Apollo. "Please continue."

When I arrived, the store was open, so I walked inside.

HOLD IT!

"There wasn't any sign of anything strange going on?" asked Apollo.

"No," said Pearl, "the shop looked empty, but I thought I saw a shadow of somebody inside, so I decided to check and see if my watch was repaired."

She probably saw the victim's body. "Continue, please."

When I entered I saw Ms. Cog's body lying against the wall.

HOLD IT!

"So the victim was dead when you walked in?"

"Well," Pearl admitted, "I couldn't tell that at first glance, but yes, she wasn't moving and she was lying in a pool of blood. I couldn't check her pulse or breathing, but I'm now positive she was dead by then."

"Was she like this?" Payne asked, holding up the murder photo.

"Yes, exactly like that. I was there when they took the photo, so I know the body wasn't tampered with in any way before the police arrived."

"Did you do anything in the meantime?" Apollo asked.

"Well…"

I was in shock until the police arrived.

HOLD IT!

"You were 'in shock'?" asked Apollo.

"Yes," Pearl answered. "I had no idea what was going on. I didn't even know that it was a murder until that detective arrested me."

"Nice try, Ms. Fey," said Payne in a condescending voice. "Given that you clearly pulled the trigger, you knew full well that this was a murder!

OBJECTION!

"Your Honor," said Pearl somewhat icily, "I object to Mr. Payne making assumptions and automatically denouncing my testimony."

"Objection sustained," the Judge agreed. "Mr. Payne, please refrain from accusing the witness at this time. The purpose of this cross-examination is so that Mr. Justice can establish the defendant's perspective of events."

…Why am I here again? Pearl seems to have it all under control. I should probably ask something…

"So, Ms. Fey," Apollo slowly said, his finger pressed to his forehead, "did you do anything between arriving at the store and the police coming?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well," Apollo observed, "the police arrived at least 30 minutes after you found the body. That's a long time to wait."

"Well," Pearl admitted, "I was in shock…"

OBJECTION!

"Nice try, Ms. Fey," scolded Payne, "but that excuse won't work here!"

OBJECTION!

"That's ridiculous!" protested Apollo. "We accepted an excuse similar to that from Mr. Faim less than an hour ago!"

"Not entirely," Payne reminded him. "You yourself pointed out the flimsiness of his argument, which caused him to clarify that he was looking for a pay phone. Besides, his testimony was thrown out, so what he said has no meaning to us now."

"I'm afraid Mr. Payne is right," the Judge concluded. "Objection overruled, Mr. Justice."

The defendant is a legal expert, Payne's using my arguments against me…am I the only one unprepared in this room?

"Ms. Fey," the Judge said, "you will need to clarify what you were doing. This court finds it difficult to believe that you did nothing in the presence of a dead body, particularly one belonging to a personal friend of yours.

"Well," Pearl explained, "I wasn't completely sure if she was dead or not, so I initially tried to wake her up. After around 10 minutes, I gave up. I considered calling the police or the paramedics, but my cell phone battery was dead."

"So what did you do?" asked Payne.

"N-nothing," said Pearl. "I didn't want to leave Gloria alone, so I decided I'd wait for morning, when someone was bound to enter the store.

"So you didn't do anything?" Payne asked, a devious grin creeping onto his face.

"Yes."

"And you didn't go anywhere?"

"Yes!"

"And you didn't touch anything?"

"YES!"

"Mr. Payne, I thought that this was Mr. Justice's cross-examination," interrupted the Judge.

"My apologies, Your Honor." Payne quickly regained his previous stiff composure. "However, I feel that the defendant just said some important things that should be added to her testimony. Any objections, Mr. Justice?

"Um, no."

"Ms. Fey," the Judge ordered, "please add your recent statements to your testimony."

I have a bad feeling about this…

I didn't do anything to the scene, I didn't go anywhere, and I certainly didn't touch anything.

OBJECTION!

END SONG

There was an eerie silence in the courtroom for several seconds.

"Mr. Justice?" the Judge finally asked. "What is the reason for your objection to this testimony? Is there some contradiction?"

"Found it too, didn't you?" Payne asked, barely unable to contain himself. "Well, Your Honor, since Mr. Justice has run out of fire, allow me to point this out to the jury."

"Ms. Fey," Payne continued, directing his comments towards Pearl, "are you familiar with this watch?" He held up the bloody watch from the Court Record.

"Yes, I do," said Pearl. "It's my watch."

"Very true," said Payne. "Now, tell me Ms. Fey, do you know what your watch is doing in the Court Record?"

"Because my fingerprints and Gloria's blood are on it," answered Pearl. Suddenly, she went pale. "Ohhhh…"

Payne flicked his hair. "Now you see, Ms. Fey. Do you want to tell the court, or should I? It won't look good one way or another."

"Mr. Payne," demanded the Judge, "stop badgering the defendant! What is the problem?"

"Alright, I'll spell it out," Payne spat out. "Ms. Fey has claimed that she didn't touch anything at the crime scene, right? Well then how did her fingerprints get on the watch that the victim was holding?"

"That's…that's…ridiculous!" shouted Apollo. "It's her watch!"

watch?v=yyx7dhcACZA

"Under some circumstances, that may be a valid defense," said Payne. "But remember what Detective Skye said earlier:"

"The watch had been completely polished recently, so there was nothing else to be found."

"The watch had been polished! That means that the defendant had to have touched the watch on the night of the murder! Now, remember that the watch was found in the victim's hands. What does that tell you?"

"Uhhh…that the defendant was…being less than truthful and that…she was at the crime scene before the murder…and that there was possibly contact between the victim and the defendant?" Apollo was intensely blushing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you heard it from the defense: the defendant is a liar who certainly seems guilty!"

OBJECTION!

"'Seems guilty' isn't enough to warrant a conviction," Pearl pressed, but her confidence now seemed shaken.

END SONG

The Judge slammed his gavel. "Ms. Fey," he said in a warning voice, "leaving things out will not help your case."

"I'm not lying!" Pearl now seemed extremely anxious. "I just…forgot."

"That sounds familiar," Payne gloated.

This is bad, Apollo thought. Pearl's looking guiltier and guiltier by the minute. I better think of something…

"Out of curiosity," he asked, "when and why did you touch the watch?"

"Well," Pearl answered, "I noticed Gloria had something in her hand and I was curious to see what it was. When I realized it was my watch, I let go immediately. I think that's all."

"You 'think?'" The Judge seemed serious, but not angry. "Ms. Fey, your testimony as it stands right now is somewhat questionable. I won't charge you with perjury, but I'll need you to testify again for the court."

"Very well, Your Honor." Pearl's sense of pride was gone, but she didn't seem too despondent. She straightened herself up. "What exactly would you like for me to say?"

"Please testify about everything that happened," said the Judge. "In detail, this time. Try to leave nothing out."

"Yes, Your Honor."

Witness Testimony: All That Happened

watch?v=ZSUD7ccpZx0

That night, I had been attending a spiritual seminar, so I was already up late.

At around 12:30, I received a call from Gloria that my watch was ready.

I went to the store as quickly as I could.

When I arrived at the store, I noticed that the lights were dim, but on.

I entered the store.

It was hard to make it out initially, but I saw Gloria lying on the floor.

I checked to make sure she was alright, but I felt no pulse.

I realized she had died and tried to call the authorities.

My cell phone battery was dead.

I didn't want to leave Gloria's body alone, so I stood in the doorway and waited for someone to walk by.

After about 30 minutes, the police arrived and arrested me.

END SONG

"Thank you, Ms. Fey," said the Judge. "Mr. Justice, your cross-examination, please."

Cross Examination: All That Happened

watch?v=2PKxsOMkmZA

That night, I had been attending a spiritual seminar, so I was already up late.

HOLD IT!

Apollo closed his eyes and tried not to laugh. "A…spiritual seminar? How much did that cost?"

"Nothing!" Pearl gleefully exclaimed. "I go to one of these every year. It gives me a chance to talk with spirit mediums and other psychics from different schools. They're quite fun!"

"Um, OK." I'm glad she didn't pick up on my snarkiness.

At around 12:30, I received a call from Gloria that my watch was ready.

HOLD IT!

"What precisely did Ms. Cog say in the call?" asked Apollo.

Pearl bit one of her fingernails in thought. "I don't remember her exact words, but I'm pretty sure she said something along the lines of 'Hey, Pearls. Your watch is fixed and ready for pickup! You can come by tonight or tomorrow morning-either's fine.'"

"Did she sound anxious or stressed in any way?"

"No," said Pearl, "just a little tired."

I went to the store as quickly as I could.

HOLD IT!

"Out of curiosity, how did you get there?" asked Apollo.

"I walked."

"Um, is that all?"

"Yes."

That was fast…

When I arrived at the store, I noticed that the lights were dim, but on.

HOLD IT!

"Could you see anything through the window?" asked Apollo.

"I…don't think so," said Pearl. She didn't sound sure.

That sounds peculiar. Maybe I should press this point a little further…

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Well…" Pearl seemed lost in thought. "I guess there was that shadow I saw."

"A shadow?" said Apollo. "That was probably the victim's body."

Pearl thought for a few seconds, then her eyes snapped open. "No."

END SONG

"Er, sorry?"

"Now that I think about it, I don't think that shadow belonged to Gloria."

"Wait, what?" That's news to me! "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," said Pearl, "it seemed to be the shadow of a male figure."

watch?v=lUUOVls2GkM

A male figure?!...wait a second…

"Hmmm. Mr. Justice, do you have any idea who this shadow was?" asked the Judge.

Of course! Taking all the evidence and testimony into account, there's only one person it could be!

"Your Honor, we do," said Apollo. "Ladies and gentlemen of the court, I present to you the murderer of Gloria Cog!"

TAKE THAT!

"Your honor," said Apollo, "There's only one person the shadow could have been. The defense indicts Noah Faim for the murder of Gloria Cog.

*Play: Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney - GOTCHA NOW!(Cornered 2001) Remix/Arrangement* or watch?v=mtN-NGIv71U&feature=relmfu

OBJECTION!

"What?!" exclaimed Payne. "This…this is madness! What grounds do you have for this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Apollo asked. "Ms. Fey claims to have seen a male figure at the scene of the crime. Given all that we know, there was only one person that can be called "male" at the crime scene…and that was Mr. Faim!"

"Grk!" Payne was starting to sweat.

"Furthermore," Apollo added, "Keep in mind that Mr. Faim made numerous remarks while on the witness stand that were proven unreliable. The defense believes that Mr. Faim was lying on the stand in an attempt to implicate the defendant!"

"A common occurrence these days," the Judge observed. "However, do you have any proof to back up this claim?"

Apollo took a deep breath. "As of now, Your Honor, the defense has no evidence to prove its claim. However, we believe that by further cross-examining Mr. Faim, we can delve further into the truth behind this dreadful crime!"

*End song*

The Judge slammed his gavel. "As lacking as the defense's argument is at the present moment, I must admit that the possibility certainly exists and should be pursued further."

Payne whimpered.

All right! I now know the truth! Now I just have to prove it.

"Bailiff," yelled the Judge, "find Mr. Faim and bring him to the witness stand! Hopefully, he hasn't gotten too far from the courthouse. This court is in recess until he is brought before us."

"That will be unnecessary, Your Honor," Payne said, his voice still a little woozy. "Mr. Faim was taken into temporary custody for disorderly conduct and contempt of court when he got into a…heated confrontation with a few of the bailiffs. He should be in one of the holding cells in the basement right now."

Faim got into a scuffle? He seemed pretty calm earlier…oh wait:

"Anyway, please keep an eye on your daughter, Mr. Wright. I had enough problems with the witness from today."

…I guess that makes sense. He did seem angry.

xXsceneXx

Noah Faim was brought back onto the witness stand in handcuffs, which were promptly removed. With his free hands, he opened his watch and began leering at it. Meanwhile, Pearl sidled over to the defense bench and stood next to Apollo.

"Mr. Faim," said the Judge, "I assume you understand the accusations against you."

Faim snapped his watch shut without bothering to look up, "Yes, that pincushion and his heartthrob-haired client are accusing me of murder."

"DON'T DISS THE HAIR!" shouted Apollo. Pearl merely rolled her eyes.

"Ahem. Mr Faim, we have a very important question for you. Were you in the Cog Clock watch shop when the murder occurred?"

Faim looked up, down, and around, then sighed, "Yes, I was."

The audience broke out in talking, only to be interrupted by the Judge's gavel.

"Order! I will have order!" yelled the Judge, "Mr. Faim, you have just confessed to the crime of perjury! Please explain why you lied during your testimony."

"Fine," said Faim.

He took that perjury charge too well. Let's see how a murder conviction scares him.

Witness Testimony: Why I Lied

*Play: Questioning ~ Allegro 2007 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Music Extended* or watch?v=2PKxsOMkmZA

Yes I was in the shop that day.

I had arrived early to set things up.

That is how I witnessed Ms. Cog getting shot.

I was in the back room when I heard the gunshot.

Looking out, I saw the defendant, the pistol still smoking in her hand.

After watching the deed, I slipped out the back and went looking for a phone booth.

I lied because I thought I would be a suspect!

*End song*

"So let me get this straight," said the Judge, "you lied under oath because you thought the truth would make you seem suspicious?"

"Yes," replied Faim.

The Judge sighed. "Let me be frank with you, Mr. Faim: in my mind, you are now equally as suspicious as the defendant in this case. All of the evidence and testimony pointing to her can point to you as well."

Faim gulped, then recomposed himself. "That may be true, but there still any concrete evidence that implicates me. If there was, I'm sure Red over there would have brought it up."

Don't diss the red!…but he's right. All my evidence is circumstantial and hinges on Pearl's testimony!

"The defense may begin their cross-examination," said the Judge.

"Apollo," said Pearl, "this is it. We are nearing the end of this fight."

"Right," said Apollo, "but there's a bit of a problem. As far as I can tell, there aren't any contradictions in his testimony!"

"That…may be true." Pearl conceded. "That doesn't mean you can't get more out of him, though. Try to…perceive him a little."

"Perceive? What do you mean by tha-"

Apollo stopped suddenly. Wait…there is…that.

Let me tell you a secret. I have a…power, to put in the best words. Since childhood, I've worn this mysterious golden bracelet. According to the people at the orphanage I grew up, it belonged to my real parents. I still don't understand it completely.

What's important here is that when someone is lying, my bracelet sometimes tightens. When that happens, it's usually an indication that they have some sort of tic that betrays their real feelings or thoughts.

Now, I've noticed that every time Mr. Faim talks about the exact moment of the murder, he tends to fiddle with his watch. I'm sure it means something, but what?

"Are you going to space out all day, Red?" Faim called out. "We haven't got all day, you know."

At these words, Apollo's bracelet tightened. Alright, here comes Justice!

Cross Examination: Why I Lied

*Play: Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Music Extended* or watch?v=2PKxsOMkmZA

Yes I was in the shop that day.

I had arrived early to set things up.

As Faim said these words he began to glance at his watch. Apollo immediately touched his bracelet and focused in on Faim's hands. They were fiddling with his watch. To be exact, his index finger was tapping on the watch.

GOTCHA!

*End song*

"Mr. Faim," said Apollo, "lying won't help prove your innocence."

"Wh-what are you talking about?!" demanded Faim.

"I'm not sure if you know," said Apollo, "but as you testified about witnessing the crime, you unconsciously fiddled with your watch."

watch?v=u6ikBJePm_w

"So? I do that a lot, in case you haven't noticed. It comes with the territory of being a watch repairman."

"Yes, but it seems to happen more whenever we discuss the murder, it tends to come out more. I think that's because you were concerned with the timing of your crime."

"Preposterous!" yelled Faim. "What crime?"

"Mr. Faim," said Apollo, "let me see if I can summarize what really happened that day. You arrived at work that day with the intent to steal from your workplace, but were caught in the act by the victim. You cornered her against the window and shot her. While you were leaving, you spotted my client heading to the shop and devised a plan to frame her for the crime. Am I right?"

"ARRRRRGH!" yelled Faim.

END SONG

"That is all," said Apollo.

The court was in shock. Suddenly dark laughter was heard.

watch?v=lUUOVls2GkM

"Excuse me." Faim had now recomposed himself and was now calmer than ever. "I think I know how you want this to go. You're expecting me to confess to the murder of my boss and for your client to go free, aren't you?"

"Um, yes. That's what usually happens." What the-? How is he still so calm?

"I'm sorry, but that's not how things are going down today." Faim raised his voice and looked straight at where the camera for the jury was.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Mr. Justice here is insulting your intelligence with his asinine claims. All of the evidence he has presented against me is purely circumstantial."

"Yes," Apollo conceded. "But so is all the evidence against Ms. Fey. More so, in fact!"

"That may be true, Mr. Justice, but that doesn't make me a murderer."

"Y-yes, but you lied earlier in your testimony! That makes you suspicious!" Apollo slammed his fists on his desk. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, are you going to listen to a confirmed perjurer?"

Faim laughed. "Didn't your own client say earlier that being suspicious isn't necessarily a crime? Besides, I technically didn't commit perjury. I saw everything I said I saw. According to the law, it doesn't actually matter where I said I saw it."

"He's…actually correct," said the Judge, somewhat startled by this turnaround. "According to the law, lies under oath are only perjury if they have the potential to affect the case. What is important in this case is if he actually saw the defendant at the crime scene."

"Besides," Faim added, "your client has been less than truthful on the stand, too. The fact that she's a pretty young girl doesn't excuse her actions. Hopefully, the jury won't fall so easily for that."

"O…K." Apollo was now beginning to sweat. This is bad-he's using the jury against me! "But…but…there's nothing concrete that really implicates her!"

"Of course there is!" Faim was practically laughing. "There's her fingerprints on a bloody watch! Besides, there's something she has that I don't."

"What's that?"

"A motive, that's what. As everyone knows, the crime in question was a botched robbery. The defendant is a starving spirit medium who, by the look of her clothes, could use a little extra cash. I, on the other hand, have a fantastic salary and have no need to embezzle from my employer, let alone with a gun."

"But Ms. Cog knew Ms. Fey! How could she expect to get away with the robbery?"

"Hence the murder." Mr. Faim raised his voice dramatically. "After robbing Ms. Cog of her livelihood, Ms. Fey callously robbed her of her life. This was a cold, calculated, cold-blooded, and premeditated murder!"

The gallery broke out into murmurs, causing the Judge to slam his gavel multiple times. "I WILL HAVE ORDER!"

END SONG

When everything settled down, the Judge turned to Apollo. "Mr. Justice, do you have any further questions for this witness? If not, then I believe it is time to hand this case over to the jury."

watch?v=5ZC16wTh3jM

Apollo was practically collapsed at his desk. At this rate, the jury is sure to find Pearl guilty. Everything's been completely turned around. I was sure I had him! Have…I been wrong about this whole case?

"You haven't."

Apollo looked around. That voice had come from Pearl, who seemed somewhat relaxed.

"I think you've practically won, Mr. Justice. You just need to put a few things together."

"Put what together? I thought I already had!"

"Well," said Pearl, "try addressing Faim's challenges. He said that he doesn't have a motive and that there isn't any concrete evidence tying him to the crime. At the moment, I don't think you have any concrete evidence…or at least, concrete evidence that can be submitted now."

"What do you mean by tha-"

"Anyway, if you can at least establish even the possibility of the motive, you'll gain some support from the jury."

"But what motive can I establish? He clearly wasn't out for money."

"Then you need to approach this case differently. This whole time, we've been assuming that this was a robbery. What if…there was a different motive?"

Apollo stopped to think. Actually, that just might be it! Faim doesn't seem to be the type motivated by money…so what would drive him to murder?

The Judge banged his gavel. "If there are no further objections, then this court is now-"

OBJECTION!

"Your Honor," Apollo shouted, "the defense has more questions for the witness! We believe he did in fact have a motive to kill."

"You have a question? How cute." Faim was smirking. "Go ahead, Red, ask me whatever you want. Just know that I have a right not to answer, given that I'm currently under your indictment."

"Mr. Justice," Winston Payne spoke up, "I won't allow you to badger my witness unnecessarily. Please only ask questions supported by the evidence."

Apollo nodded. "Very well. Ladies and the gentlemen of the court, here is my question for Mr. Faim."

TAKE THAT!

Apollo held out the bloodied watch. "This watch explains everything!"

Payne snorted. "You mean the evidence that implicates your client? Yes, it does explain everyth-"

HOLD IT!

Apollo crossed his arms and grinned. "That's not why I'm presenting this, Mr. Payne." He slammed his fists on his desk. "Mr. Faim, my question to you is this: who repaired this watch?"

END SONG

"Tha-" Faim suddenly stopped talking and frowned. "That's an idiotic question, and I refuse to answer."

"Alright then," said Apollo. "In that case, I'd like to ask this question to the defendant. Pearl, who repaired your watch?"

Pearl beamed. "It was Gloria, as usual!"

Suddenly, Apollo felt a tightening on his bracelet. "Can you repeat that again?"

"It was Gloria."

This time, Apollo carefully looked at Faim as Pearl spoke. Upon hearing Pearl's words, Faim seemed to tense up, particularly around his hands. As I thought.

"Mr. Faim, it seems that every time Pearl credits Gloria with fixing her watch, you seem to tense up. And I think I know why. This is the person who actually repaired Pearl's watch:"

TAKE THAT!

"You, Mr. Faim. You fixed this watch. Am I correct?"

"…"

"But Mr. Justice, that's impossible," said Pearl. "Gloria always told me that her apprentice just helped her with small tasks."

"…"

"Mr. Faim," continued Apollo, "is there something you want to say? In particular, something to say about being Gloria Cog's less talented partne-"

"STOP IT!"

Everyone stared at Faim. He now looked quite different than when he first walked in. His eyes were wide and bloodshot and his knuckles were white. "It's a lie, all of it!"

The Judge seemed particularly shaken. "Um, Mr. Faim, could you please use your indoor voice. Thi-"

"You think you know the truth?" Faim bellowed. "Let me tell you the truth, Red: if it weren't for me, Gloria would have hit Chapter 11 months ago! I'm the talent that kept that shop open!"

Apollo nodded. "I don't doubt you for a minute, Mr. Faim."

Faim was still seething. "But Gloria…she refused to give me credit! She paid me well, but her reputation soared while mine stagnated!"

"That's why you had to kill."

Faim stopped and looked around anxiously. "What do you mean by that."

Apollo grinned and crossed his arms. "Mr. Faim, you claimed earlier that you were innocent because you had no motive. However, I think you've just established quite a good motive for the jury just now."

Faim anxiously tried to straighten himself up.

Apollo continued: "In fact, I think I can piece everything together to figure out what happened that night."

watch?v=wuoN9MesbW0&feature=related

"As you stated, Mr. Faim, Ms. Cog took all the credit for your hard work. This naturally incensed you and you decided to remedy this."

OBJECTION!

"That's ridiculous," protested Winston Payne. "If Mr. Faim was so desperate for credit, he simply could have negotiated with Ms. Cog."

HOLD IT!

"You're right, Mr. Payne," said Apollo. "He could have done that. And that's just what he tried to do. Based on the fact that the victims arms were raised in a surrender position at the time of death, we can conclude that he held her at gunpoint and tried to 'negotiate.'"

"However, even with her life on the line, Gloria called your bluff. She probably thought you weren't capable of murder.

"At that point, you were in a difficult position. You didn't actually want to hurt Ms. Cog, but you had now threatened her at gunpoint. Now, she could have you charged with aggravated assault, or even blackmail you, permanently tainting your career. You had no choice, so you silenced Ms. Cog forever!"

The gallery broke out in murmurs, which was dispelled by the Judge's gavel.

"After you completed the murder, you got scared, but fortunately, you had a way out:

TAKE THAT!

"This watch. Specifically, you knew that Ms. Fey would be coming soon to pick it up. As such, you decided to pin the murder on her! You planted the watch in Gloria's hand, making sure not to leave any fingerprints. You emptied the cash register and stashed the money outside to make it look like a robbery. Then, you fled the scene, taking your time to call the police so that they'd find Ms. Fey at the scene."

"Unfortunately for you, just as you were finishing up and heading out the back door, Ms. Fey happened to come in and see you. Fortunately, she was so shocked by the sight of Gloria's body that she stayed in the shop in a daze and was still there when the police arrived."

"This, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is how this man, Noah Faim, murdered Gloria Cog in cold blood, then pinned his horrific felony on a teenage girl!"

END SONG

There was complete silence in the court. Everyone was staring right at Noah Faim, who seemed completely lost for words.

Then, finally, a voice spoke up. "That's far enough!"

Everyone turned to look at Winston Payne, who, despite sweating profusely, was now fully upright and grinning.

He continued: "I won't allow you to badger this witness any further, Mr. Justice!"

watch?v=lUUOVls2GkM

"What? But…everything I've said is true! This all adds up with everything we've heard today."

"Not everything. As His Honor will point out, there's one aspect of the case you have yet to resolve!"

"Er, what?" The Judge sounded just as surprised as Apollo was.

Payne sighed a little under his breath. "The murder weapon and its whereabouts, of course."

"Huh?"

Payne elaborated: "Mr. Justice, as you know, the murder weapon was a 38-caliber automatic pistol. My question to you: in your version of the events, what happened to it?"

"Oh, uh, simple," Apollo answered, "Mr. Faim disposed of it on his way to the pay phone."

OBJECTION!

"Sorry but that won't cut it."

Huh? That was a quick denial. Too quick.

Payne cleared his throat. "Your Honor, if it would please the court, I would like to admit that I had my doubts about this witness in the beginning. For this reason, I personally authorized a sweep search of all nearby alleys for any possible discarded pistols. Needless to say, we found nothing."

"Simple," said Apollo, "then he must have disposed of it after he first talked to police."

OBJECTION!

"Once again, that's impossible. Mr. Faim has been under police surveillance for the past few days. We've monitored everywhere he's been and everything he's done. If anyone saw anything similar to a gun, we'd have him under arrest by now."

"Furthermore, Mr. Faim was searched while being brought into the courthouse today and no sidearm was found on him."

"Mr. Justice, this is quite a hole in your theory," observed the Judge. "Do you have any rebuttals to Mr. Payne's arguments?"

End Song

Apollo paused to think, then suddenly smiled. Of course! Now it all makes sense!

watch?v=5ZC16wTh3jM

"Mr. Payne, I'd like to thank you for bringing this up. You've just made things easier for me for two reasons."

"Wh-what?"

"First of all, under your logic, where would Ms. Fey have hidden the murder weapon? This weakens your case against her."

Winston Payne gulped and flinched.

"Second, by bringing up the murder weapon and its specifics, I'm now permitted by the laws of evidence to submit something important before the court."

"Your Honor: the defense presents its final piece of evidence:"

TAKE THAT!

Apollo held up the pistol he had received earlier. "This pistol proves everything!"

"Ack!" The Judge hid under his desk while Winston Payne raised his hands. "Mr. Justice, please put that down!"

Apollo blushed. "Whoops, sorry about that. I'm pretty sure I put the safety on, though."

He straightened up. "Anyway, this pistol is the key to the case! I would like to request that Detective Skye take the stand again."

"That should be easy," said Payne. "She's still in the lobby."

The Judge got up. "Er, very well. Bailiff, please bring in Detective Skye."

Less than five minutes later, Ema was back on the stand.

"Detective Skye," said Apollo, "what can you tell me about this handgun?"

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Ema took the pistol and examined it. "This is 38-caliber, definitely the type used by law enforcement officials with a special permit. It's been fired once, has some fingerprints on the grip, none on the magazine…" She suddenly stopped and became pale. "This is the type of pistol that was used by the murderer in this case!"

End Song

The entire court broke out into murmurs.

"What!" The Judge seemed stupefied. Detective Skye, can you get that pistol examined for ballistic marks?"

Ema adjusted her glasses and beamed. "Absolutely! I recently got a new device from the forensic team that lets me do that right here." She produced a computer of some sort from her lab coat and walked off into the corner with the pistol. "This may take a few minutes, though, as I don't quite know how to use it yet."

Back on the witness stand, Noah Faim was breaking into a cold sweat. Meanwhile, Pearl seemed to be almost ecstatic. "I think we've almost won, Mr. Justice! Out of curiosity, though, what are bull-is-tick marks?"

watch?v=MfG8_1JpEcs

"Oh," said Apollo, "ballistic marks, also known as rifling marks, are a kind of mark left on bullets by the barrel of a gun. Each type of gun, and each gun, produces a distinct pattern of grooves that can be examined and compared. By matching the ballistic marks of the bullet to the gun, we can determine whether a bullet was fired by a specific gun."

"So it's like the fingerprints of a gun? That's amazing!"

END SONG

After about 15 minutes, Ema came back to the witness stand with the pistol. "Alright, I have complete analysis for fingerprints and ballistics. The fingerprints on the gun were hard to analyze, but after close analysis, I believe that they belong to Mr. Justice. That's to be expected, given that he was handling the gun without gloves."

Apollo blushed. "Heh…sorry about that…"

"As for ballistic mark analysis, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that a basic analysis shows that this is definitely the exact model of gun used in the murder. The bad news is that a detailed analysis shows that pistol in question is not the murder weapon."

The court broke out in concerned murmurs, prompting the Judge to slam his gavel.

"Order! Order! Mr. Justice, this is a massive hole in your argument!"

Apollo smiled. "Actually, it isn't. I was expecting this."

"Your Honor, the defense would like to call one final witness to the stand. A witness who will clear everything up!"

"What? Who is it?"

Alright, it's time to bring it all together. I need to think of it this way-not where the real murder weapon is, but who has it.

"Your Honor, here is my witness!"

TAKE THAT!

"Er…who is this man?"

You don't know him? He works here every day! "Your Honor, his name is Bail Luffin, and he works as a bailiff at this very courthouse. I would like him to take the stand."

"This is most unusual," the Judge pondered, "but I'll allow it. Bailiff, please find Mr. Luffin!"

Within five minutes, Bail Luffin was on the witness stand.

"Bailiff, er, witness," said the Judge, somewhat confused about the turn of events, "please give your name and occupation for the record."

"My name is Bail Luffin, and I work as a bailiff in this court. I'm in charge of checking visitors for weapons on the first floor."

"Mr. Justice, do you have any questions for this new witness? Why do we need to hear from him?"

"Mr. Luffin, is it true that you searched Mr. Faim for weapons today?"

"Yeah, I did. He was a real piece of work, let me tell you that. He kept going on about me "invading his privacy," then shoved me into a wall, knocked me to the ground, and punched me a few times in the gut. I was about to arrest the kid, but then that lady in the lab coat interfered, telling me he was an important witness for a murder trial."

"So you were briefly physically attacked by Mr. Faim."

"Yeah, then lab lady took him aside and gave him a talking-to. I was so frustrated, when I had to deal with that teenage girl that came after him, I almost snapped! She ran right past the checkpoint into him! We almost had to put the whole court on lockdown!"

I see. As I thought. "Thank you, Mr. Luffin. I only have one more question for you."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Can you please show your pistol to Detective Skye, the woman in the lab coat?"

"Sure." The bailiff pulled out his sidearm and gave it to Ema.

"Detective Skye, what can you tell you about this pistol?"

Ema inspected the gun for a few seconds, then became white as a sheet. "This gun is almost identical to the last one: one set of fingerprints on the grip, one round fired, same make and model!"

Once again, the court broke out into whispering, prompting three gavel slams. "Order, ORDER! Detective Skye, have this pistol analyzed immediately!"

As Ema went back into the corner to re-examine the gun, Noah Faim resumed his position on the stand. "Wh-what's the meaning of this, Mr. Justice?"

"Simple," Apollo replied with a grin, "I've figured out everything."

watch?v=mtN-NGIv71U&feature=relmfu

"Mr. Faim, after the murder was done, you had a serious problem on your hands: disposing of the murder weapon. Even though the police couldn't legally search you, as they lacked probable cause, you knew you were being watched. You knew that it was only a matter of time before you would be searched at the courthouse. However, there was one way to dispose of it quickly and would leave few questions asked: you'd pass off your pistol to the bailiff! You had the same make and model, and by the time he noticed his pistol was missing a round, it would be too late. Therefore, right when he was about to search you, you 'attacked' him and in the ensuing struggle, you switched guns with him. Because you essentially had been searched, being arrested for contempt of court wouldn't be a problem."

Apollo slammed his fists on the bench. "Your Honor, if this pistol turns out to be the murder weapon, I believe this proves Ms. Fey's innocence, and Mr. Faim's guilt, beyond a reasonable doubt!"

END SONG

Ema returned to the witness stand, her hands shaking. "I've finished my analysis of the pistol."

"Oh, and the results?" inquired the Judge.

"The ballistic marks match up perfectly. Without a shadow of a doubt, this was the weapon that murdered Ms. Cog!"

The crowd practically burst into pandemonium.

"Order! Order! Well, this is…quite an unusual turn of events. At this rate, I'll have to-"

"…ha ha ha…"

"What is the meaning of this laughter?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" It was from Faim. If he was at all anxious about this turn of events, he wasn't showing it.

"Congratulations, Red: you've just proven that the bailiff is the murderer. I guess your client was innocent after all…"

OBJECTION!

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"What do you mean by that?" Apollo asked. "You're the murderer! That's what this proves!"

"So you say. However, I'd like to point out that the murder weapon was found on the bailiff with his fingerprints all over it. What does that mean?"

No. He wouldn't…

Faim answered himself: "It means that the most logical explanation is that, on that night, the bailiff in question, Mr. Luffin, murdered the defendant using his own gun. No one would ever suspect him of murder, him being a lowly bailiff with a legally owned weapon. He would have gotten away with it too, if you hadn't called him out."

"T-That's not what I'm saying!" protested Apollo. "As I said, you planted this gun on the bailiff during your struggle!"

"That's a nice theory, Mr. Justice-prove it."

"But…I…that's…augh!"

END SONG

I can't believe it! After everything I've done, he's still going to get away with murder-with an innocent person in his place, no less! I bet that was his plan all along!

The Judge, as usual, seemed confused by this recent turn of events. "So, that means that, well, this…"

HOLD IT!

Just then, Ema stormed back onto the witness stand. "Alright, Mr. Faim, you're going to accuse a member of law enforcement? You just made this semi-personal."

She addressed the court. "Your Honor, there is one more test I need to conduct with this pistol. I need to check the fingerprints on the magazine."

Suddenly, Faim turned incredibly pale. "There are fingerprints on the magazine?"

"Absolutely! Whoever planned this crime clearly didn't think things through." She popped out the gun's magazine. "They wore gloves for the murder, but didn't think at all about doing so while loading the pistol."

As Ema applied aluminum powder to the magazine and dusted it for fingerprints, Faim looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

After two intense minutes, Ema lifted her glasses and smiled. "We have a match! The fingerprints on this magazine belong to Noah Faim, without a shadow of a doubt."

Everyone was silent. All eyes were on Noah Faim.

Apollo grinned. "Checkmate, Mr. Faim."

Oddly enough, Faim seemed to have calmed a bit, as he was once again examining his watch intently.

The Judge shook his head. "Mr. Faim, let me be very frank with you. During my many years on the bench, I have seen all manners of miscreants stand before me. Dishonest attorneys, corrupt police officers, even serial killers. However, among the sociopathic sinners that have entered this hallowed hall of justice, you hold a special place of contempt in my mind. You butchered an innocent woman over a matter of pride, set up an innocent young lady to take the blame, and in a pathetic act of desperation, blamed everything on an innocent protector of the court. Have you anything to say for yourself?"

Faim didn't say anything, simply looking at his watch.

The Judge slammed his gavel. "Mr. Faim! Do you…"

"'Innocent,'" said Faim, closing his watch. "You use that word a lot, Your Honor. Do you think it really applies here?"

The Judge looked at him quizzically.

watch?v=wuoN9MesbW0&feature=related

"Gloria was not in any way 'innocent,'" continued Faim, his composure still collected. "She exploited me at every opportunity and never treated me with an ounce of human decency. I didn't really want to kill her. All I wanted was to be an equal partner in the business and to be recognized for the talent I am! When she refused that simple request, I-I-I…"

"…lost it."

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"Well," the Judge said, "it appears this is enough for this case. I'll hand it off to the jury now. Detective Skye, please take Mr. Faim back into custody."

Ema grinned slightly sadistically. "With pleasure." She pulled out her revolver and a pair of handcuffs and held them in one hand while putting away her scientific kit.

Apollo crossed his arms and beamed. This is great! I won! That scumbag's going up the river for a long time.

He could barely contain his excitement. "Well, Mr. Faim, it looks like I was right! You've confessed and my client's about to be acquitted, just like usual."

Pearl tugged his arm. "Mr. Justice, I wouldn't recommend provoking hi-"

"You have got to be one of the most pathetic criminals I've ever put away…and that's saying something!"

END SONG

Suddenly, Faim looked up, his eyes completely and unquestionably deranged. His voice matched. "IS. THAT. SO? YOU THINK YOU'VE WON?!" Without warning, he produced a pistol from his coat and waved it in the air.

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Payne and the Judge ducked under their desks. Ema dropped her revolver in shock. Bail, Apollo, and Pearl were all frozen where they stood.

Faim continued: "He warned me about people like you! I should have seen this coming. No matter-even if I spend the rest of my life rotting in prison, I'll have the satisfaction of you not winning! Let's see you get an acquittal without a defendant!"

Apollo could barely speak. "You'll…kill her?"

"HA HA HA HA HA!" laughed Faim, "GREAT DEDUCTION! TOO BAD IT WON'T GET YOU ANYWHERE THIS TIME!" he said in his demented voice, aiming his gun at Pearl, "DIEEE!" he shouted, pulling the trigger.

"PEARL!" yelled Apollo, moving to shield her with his body.

END SONG

*BANG*

"...meow"

"Aww, how cute!" exclaimed Pearl, as the adorable black and white cat landed in her arms.

"Wh-what?!" exclaimed Faim, "WHY DID MY GUN MAKE THIS CAT APPEAR?!" He continued pulling the trigger, but nothing happened.

Apollo smiled. Of course! "Mr. Faim, there's one part of my story I didn't get around to telling."

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"You see, after you swapped your gun with the bailiff, you had a bit of a collision with the other visitor who was being checked: a magician and close friend of mine. Like you, she brought a pistol to this courthouse, but a prop gun that fires Bullets the Magic Cat. You both dropped your pistols and in the quick and ensuing confusion you picked up the wrong gun."

"Ironically, it was this particular mistake that made me realize what had happened, as the young woman in question showed me her…peculiar new handgun."

"Isn't it amazing, Mr. Faim? Up until now, your success with this crime has been determined by lucky timing and the presence of a teenage girl. It's only appropriate that you were done in by unfortunate timing and the unpredicted presence of a teenage girl!"

"It doesn't matter how you approach it, Noah Faim: one way or another, your time is up!"

Faim snapped. His monocle fell off and broke, he dropped his pocket watch and pistol, and as he shouted out in despair, his tie swung out of control and wrapped around his neck. He collapsed into a semi-conscious heap on the floor, where he was handcuffed and dragged out by Ema and Bail.

xXsceneXx

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"Mr. Payne, what is the status of Mr. Faim?" asked the Judge.

"He has been arrested and taken away and will be transferred to the Detention Center. Because of his highly unstable nature, Detective Sky and I will need to discuss what kind of homicide to charge him with. Rest assured, between that, the attempted murder just now, and several counts of perjury, he'll be in prison for a long time, even if we only settle on a voluntary manslaughter charge."

"As is appropriate for a scoundrel of his nature. Mr. Justice?"

"Yes, Your Honor?"

"You did incredibly well today. Mr. Wright has taught you well."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Well? I didn't even know what I was doing half the time! I guess that is impressive to an extent.

"Well," the Judge concluded, "I guess all that's left is to wait for the jury to finish deliberating."

xXsceneXx

"The Jurists have made their decision." said the Judge, "With a unanimous vote, I pronounce Ms. Pearl Fey…"

NOT GUILTY

"Court is adjourned."

March 15, 3:42 p.m.

District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 3

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"I can't believe it," said Apollo. "I won! The deck was completely stacked against me, and I won!"

"Thank you Mr. Justice, for everything," said Pearl with a light blush.

"It was no trouble," said Apollo. "According to Mr. Wright, this sort of thing is par for the course for attorneys."

"Absolutely right," said Phoenix, strolling into the lobby, a smile on his face, "though getting shot with a cat in court is a new one."

He turned to Pearl. "Congratulations, Pearls. I'm sorry you had to go through that ordeal."

Pearl smiled. "That's alright, Mr. Nick! According to Mystic Maya, this sort of thing is par for the course for anyone living here."

…What kind of twisted mindset has this kid been raised with?

Suddenly, Payne walked in.

He shook Apollo's hand. "Congratulations, Mr. Justice." He then turned to Phoenix.

"Mr. Wright," he said, "I'm...glad...that you are on the road to getting your badge back. Now we can finish what we started all those years ago when you were disbarred."

"Thanks, Winston," said Phoenix.

Winston Payne being courteous? Between this and his newfound competence, I'm starting to think that we're dealing with an alien doppelganger.

Payne grinned as he shook Phoenix's hand. "I look forward to crushing you into fine powder the next time I see you in court. They don't call me 'The Rookie Killer' for nothing!"

…Aaaand then we're back to normal. That's the Payne we know and hate.

Payne straightened up. "With all due respect, there is something I'd like to discuss with both of you in private. Can we-"

END SONG

Just then, a man wearing a tattered grayish-brown trench coat walked into the room, flanked by two police officers. His face was bandaged, his hair had four upward spikes, his coat appeared to be full of holes, and he wore an eye patch over his right eye.

The grizzled man in the center pulled out a police badge and introduced himself: "Captain Gumshoe, Criminal Affairs."

Phoenix tried to say something, but the captain ignored him and walked right over to Winston Payne, who was anxiously backing away slowly.

"Winston Payne?" asked the captain.

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"Yes." Apollo had seen Payne flinch and sweat before, but he was now doing both like never before.

The man instantly produced a pair of handcuffs and cuffed Payne's hands behind his back. Phoenix flinched and Pearl gasped inaudibly.

"Winston Payne," said Gumshoe, "you are under arrest for murder. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. If you do not have an attorney, one will be provided."

With those words the police and the captain led Winston away.

There was an awkward pause in the room. Finally, Pearl spoke up: "Was that…?"

"Yes." Phoenix nodded.

"Wait, do you know that man?" Apollo asked.

"Yes, quite well." Phoenix's answer seemed somewhat evasive.

"What just happened?" asked Apollo, but before he could get an answer, Trucy burst in.

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"You did great Polly!" she said, "Oh and Daddy, can you get my prop gun back?" she asked Phoenix.

"…'Daddy'…"

Suddenly the room seemed to drop 10 degrees and Phoenix paled with a look of pure fear on his face.

"Mr. Nick," said Pearl dangerously, suddenly radiating anger and Killing Intent, "why did she call you 'Daddy'?"

"Wait! Pearls, I can explain…" began Phoenix.

"HOW DARE YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER WITH ANYONE BESIDES MISTIC MAYA!" yelled Pearl as she beat Phoenix into unconsciousness.

Apollo and Trucy backed away slowly. Twisted mindset is right. This is psychopath territory right here…

"O..K…" Trucy turned to Apollo. "Well Polly, all's well as ends well! You got a bad man locked up, helped free Daddy's cute yet violent friend, and the show at the Wonder Bar will be fantastic tonight! Let's go!"

Leaving the hapless Mr. Wright to his fate, the two left the lobby.

And that was how that case ended. Little did I know, soon I would be flung into a series of cases beginning with Mr. Payne's arrest…

Court Record:

Evidence

Attorney's Badge: Proof of my profession. Wearing it, I almost feel like a superhero.

Apollo's Bracelet: A mysterious bracelet I've had since childhood. Allows me to perceive nervous habits.

Cog's Autopsy Report: Date and time of death: March 11, 12:30-1:30 a.m. Cause of death: 38-caliber gunshot wound to the heart. Additional notes: Gunpowder burn found around bullet hole on victim's clothing. Position of clothing and bullet hole in dress indicates that victim's hands were raised at time of shooting.

Murder Photo: A photo of the scene of the crime. Taken from in front of the store window

Watch: A watch belonging to my client found in the victim's hands. Has Pearl's fingerprints and the victim's blood on it. Freshly polished.

Ema's Testimony: The police received the call at 1:30 a.m. The defendant was found at the crime scene. Money was found outside, no murder weapon was found.

Gun: A real gun that was swapped somehow with Trucy's prop gun.

Profiles:

Apollo Justice-Age: 23, Gender: Male-Me. An amateur defense attorney. There's not much else to say.

Phoenix Wright-Age: 34, Gender: Male-My boss, once a defense attorney of legend. Awaiting results from bar examination.

Pearl Fey-Age: 17, Gender: Female-The defendant in this case. Apparently an old friend of Mr. Wright and the victim.

Gloria Cog-Age: 27, Gender: Female-The victim, owner of the Cog Clock Repair shop. A successful entrepreneur.

Winston Payne-Age: 62, Gender: Male-The prosecutor for this case. Somewhat respected for his experience but lacks a presence.

Ema Skye-Age: 26, Gender: Female-Detective in charge of this case. Very enthusiastic about forensic science.

Noah Faim-Age: 23, Gender: Male-Clockmaker at the Cog Clock Repair shop and a witness. Extremely knowledgeable and intelligent, if not eccentric.

Trucy Wright-Age:16, Gender: Female-My boss's daughter. A precocious and professional stage magician.

Bail Luffin-Age: 30, Gender: Male-Baliff at the District Court. In charge of checking visitors for weapons

Dick Gumshoe-Age: 40, Gender: Male-Apparently, an influential detective who knows Mr. Wright. Came out of nowhere...