"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" A young woman, tied to a chair, blood seeping out from multiple wounds, asked the man standing over her, knife in hand.
"I'm sorry, Marielle, but I'm afraid that you're paying for the sins of your father."
"My father will pay the ransom. Just please…please spare me."
"Oh, I'm sure he would have, but I'm not after money. I want him to feel the pain I felt when I lost my daughter at his hands! The only way for that to happen is for him to lose a daughter of his own, in a rather painful way too. If you were a part of a different family, I would have no need to kidnap you in the first place." The man held up the knife to his face, eying the reflection from the one lightbulb hanging from the room.
"Now, it's time for you to bid farewell to this world."
Marielle screamed, but the knife came down quickly and decisively. The only sound that could be heard was the man's heavy breathing.
Phoenix yawned and looked at the paperwork in front of him. As much as he loved being a defense attorney, he hated the paperwork that came with it. "Why can't this be done on the computer already? My hand is starting to cramp from so many signatures." In the other room, he could hear the playful argument between Apollo and Athena, vying for who gets the remote for the TV. I suppose I could take a break.
Phoenix walked out of his office and into the entrance of the "Wright Anything Agency."
"Why are you guys arguing about the remote again? This is the sixth time this week."
Athena glared at Apollo. "And the other five times, Apollo had the remote! It's my turn!"
"You must be joking right?" Apollo shook his head. "YOU'RE the one who had it the past five times!"
Phoenix sighed. Taking the remote from Apollo, he smiled. "Well, since we can't be civilized about this, I'LL be the one that has the remote then."
Athena and Apollo immediately objected. However, before Phoenix could respond to their objections, he heard the phone ring. Taking the remote with him, he walked to his office and picked it up. "Wright Anything Agency. This is Phoenix."
A timid, female voice was on the other end of the call. "A—are you Phoenix Wright? The defense attorney?"
"The one and only. Do you have need of my services?"
"Y—yes I do. You see…m—my sister…she was murdered…and I'm being accused of killing her."
Phoenix stared at the entrance into his office, seeing Apollo and Athena curiously looking in to see what was happening. "I see…I assume you're already at the detention center then?"
"Yes I am…"
"Alright then. What's your name?"
"Mary. Mary Winslow."
"Alright Ms. Winslow, I'll be down to speak with you about what happened. I'll make my decision to take your case or not once I talk to you in person."
"O—okay. I understand. I'll be waiting for you then…Mr. Wright."
"Alright. I'll see you then." Phoenix hung up the phone and sighed. His mind flashed back to Mia's murder, how her sister Maya was accused of killing her. It seems like there was another case like it. Apollo and Athena entered the office. "Another case boss?"
"Yes, though I'm not sure if I'm going to take it or not. I'm going to meet her now and see what she has to say. Stay here and guard the fort while I'm gone."
Athena gave Phoenix a mock military salute, while widget responded with "Sir yes sir!"
Phoenix smirked and started walking out of the office, briefcase and remote in hand. "I'll be taking this along with me to avoid any conflict while I'm gone. I don't want my office to be burned down while I'm gone."
Apollo and Athena opened their mouths to say something, but Phoenix was already out of the door and hailing for a taxi.
Phoenix arrived at the detention center, seeing the outside of the all-too-familiar building. How many times have I been here? Once he entered the building, the familiar security guard ushered him where to go. Sitting down in front of the glass, Phoenix waited for his potential client to appear. Soon, a petite, brunette woman was ushered into the room by security. She slowly sat down in the chair opposite of Phoenix and picked up the phone. Phoenix did the same. "Mr. Wright…"
"Ms. Winslow. Let's get right to the point. What happened?"
"Well, my father and I went out to go shopping yesterday morning. I asked my sister Marielle if she wanted to come along, but she said she was too tired and wanted to stay home. I went shopping with my father, but he got a call from the hospital asking him to come to perform an emergency surgery. Since the hospital was on the way to the house, he quickly dropped me off and hurried there. However, when I got inside the house, my sister wasn't there. I figured she went out with friends, so I didn't think anything of it. However, when I got to my room, someone hit me on the back of my head and I blacked out. When I woke up, I was surrounded by officers in a building I didn't know. That's when they accused me of murdering my sister and arrested me…"
"What proof did they have to arrest you?"
"I don't know. The only things I've heard is that they have my DNA on several items in the crime scene and fingerprints. I don't know what they exactly have though…"
Phoenix looked at Mary. She doesn't seem to be lying…
"You said you got hit on the back of your head. Can you prove that there's at least a mark there?"
"Yes…but the police said it occurred during the struggle…"
"Struggle?"
"Yes, but they haven't said what struggle. I've been kept in the dark about my sister's death…"
Phoenix sighed and looked down. Mary started tearing up. "Please Mr. Wright…I—I didn't kill my sister…I would never do anything like that. Please…please help me!"
Phoenix looked at Mary. His mind was decided. "Alright Ms. Winslow, I'll take up your case."
Mary looked at Phoenix, a genuine smile flashed across her face. "Y—you really mean it?!"
"Yes. I wouldn't joke about something like that."
"Thank you Mr. Wright! Thank you! I asked several attorneys before you, but none would believe me and defend me…thank you Mr. Wright."
Phoenix smiled. His mind flashed back to the time of Mia's death and the face Maya showed him when he said he would defend her. "I will find out who killed your sister. I promise you that."