A/N: I said I would rewrite my original AU storyline, and I'm coming through with that statement. Because I'm taking a whole different approach to it, things are going to be rather different from the familiar story of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney that we all know and love.
Please leave reviews and/or feedback! This is going to be one epic project in the works.
Episode 1 Chapter 1
The Betrayed Turnabout
The drops of blood continue to drip from the tip of a knife. The hand who wields it shows no sign of hesitation or remorse. And, the person whose hand that wields it stares in disappointment at the fallen body of her former cousin.
In the hand of this young man is a pendant locket that carries the picture of another young woman, who has long been deceased. If one hadn't known better, one would assume this woman was the victim's lover, but reality is never as simple as it seems to be.
And it is a harsh reality that has led to this murder.
July 27, 2016; 9:38 am
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 1
Veteran lawyer Mia Fey is busy reviewing over the files of today's case. At first glance, it seems like an unlikely case for a murder charge. The defendant has pleaded innocent, the victim is a close family member, and there doesn't seem to be a particular motive for the crime.
Her client is what really makes this case special, though. Mia has done her homework before the trial, and she's discovered a few things about this young woman – in particular is the fact that she's been diagnosed with acute signs of DID, or dissociative identity disorder. According to the psychiatrist, her client has suffered recurring episodes of mania several times before and never seems to be in control of them when they happen. It's the ideal situation to support the plea of insanity, but Mia has refused to take that ground. First and foremost of all, she shouldn't rely on such a shifty tactic just to get her client off the hook. This is about revealing the truth of the case.
She's awaiting the arrival of this client, who for security reasons must be attended by an officer at all times. Curious, Mia thinks, when I met with her earlier, she didn't seem like the type to cause trouble…
She's also awaiting the arrival of her personal assistant, who also happens to be a lawyer. Unlike her, he has yet to take a case for himself and is probably not the most suited to this case in the first place. He's agitated pretty easily, though he claims it's really just because of his nerves, and ends up jumping to the wrong conclusions at times.
He finally arrives in a rush, clinging to the door on his way in, and is gasping for breath. He seems to be holding onto some sort of file, and it's just what his boss ordered.
"Ch-Chief! I… huff-huff… I got it! Whew…"
"Phoenix, what happened? Why are you so exhausted by fetching a file from the court library?"
He grins sheepishly, explaining himself, "I, uh, accidentally ran into the librarian on the way back from there and sorta… made her drop her books. We took some time cleaning up, and I got scolded…" He sighs. "Then, she made me run all around the courthouse doing HER errands instead, and I just got caught up in the moment. That old lady sure can be scary…"
She frowns, planting a hand over her face. She only expected he'd slip up somehow, but this was as simple of an errand as it could get! It's a good thing she told him to go early, or they'd be in even more trouble.
He hands it over to her. "By the way, Chief, what's this file supposed to be for? I took a peek at it earlier, and it looks like some old criminal record or something…"
She accepts it, simply passing him a smile. "This file will be the final decisive piece of evidence that will shut the prosecution's case down for good."
"Whoa, really?" He scratches his head, trying to figure it out, but comes up short. "…Well, I've got nothing. Mind giving me a hint?"
"Don't worry about it. I'll explain everything during the trial."
He returns her a curious stare, but nods back anyway.
Just then, they hear a commotion from outside. It sounds like an angry young woman who's resisting being dragged out here by some bailiffs. They aren't taking any of her complaints, though, and shove her inside, locking the door behind her.
As it turns out, it's their client. The once quiet but witty young lady with a little bounce to her ponytail seems to have all but vanished into thin air. She looks like a rabid animal by the way she's snarling, and her unusually sharp canine teeth only add to the image. In fact, she's slamming and clawing at the door with her fingernails, trying to break through. What makes the scene rather pitiful, though, is the fear laden in her eyes.
Needless to say, Mia and Phoenix are just a little disturbed that they've been left in the same room with this person. Nonetheless, Mia approaches her with a gentle voice.
"Mona! Mona, please calm down! It's okay. I'm here…"
Mona stops and looks over her shoulder. There are tears of frustration about ready to come out. She's still trembling as Mia takes her hand and pulls her away from the door.
Phoenix, meanwhile, has kept a safe distance away from this maniac and admires his chief for her courage.
"Phoenix, don't look at her like that. It makes her even more uneasy."
He shakes off the shock on his face and replaces it with concern. "Chief, is this really…?"
"Yes, it's our client, Ms. Xilin Ying. I suppose she prefers the name 'Mona Spectra', though."
He blinks with a blank stare. Since he didn't accompany his chief down to the detention center, he isn't quite caught up with all the details, but he's at least been informed that their client was 'unusual'. He just didn't expect that 'unusual' to be this unusual.
The girl called "Mona" is staring at the floor with an empty expression on her face. It's like all the rage that poured out earlier is suddenly nowhere to be seen.
Mia turns back to her. "Mona, can you tell me what's wrong? You look so terrified."
"I'm…" She doesn't continue, instead drifting back into silence.
"…If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too. Just be on your best behavior during the trial, okay?"
She doesn't respond. Mia sighs, turning back to her assistant. "Phoenix, why don't you try talking to her?"
"Huh!? Me?"
"Yes, you. She always becomes unresponsive like this around me, and I'm not sure why. Maybe you'll have better luck with getting her to talk."
"Um, Chief… nothing against you, but I don't think I'd be qualified to talk with her. She might not be in the best mood to talk anyway…"
"Just try it, Phoenix. You won't know unless you do."
He gulps, but swallows his fears and approaches her as Mia takes a few steps away. "Um… It's Mona, right?"
"…"
"Okay… uh, you feeling alright? Anything happen?"
And once again, she seems to shift a different persona. This time, she looks back up at him and glares. "What's it to you, Spiky?"
He flinches at the sudden change. "N-nothing, just wondering…"
"I don't have anything to say to you, ya prick. Why don't you go poking into someone else's business and see how they respond, huh?"
"Er, I'd rather not…"
She's back to snarling. "So you'd rather stay and pick on the mentally ill, is that it!? You think this is funny, do you!?"
"N-no, no! Not at all!" He adds, quietly in his mind, In fact, it's terrifying! What's with this woman!?
"You wanna see something funny?" She grabs him by the lapel and raises a fist. "I'll rearrange your face so people can laugh at you instead!"
"W-wait!"
"Mona! Stop that!"
As soon as she hears Mia's voice again, she snaps out of it. She lets him go, with a simple "Sorry," and reverts back to the silent treatment.
Phoenix scurries away back behind Mia. He's had enough of this madness for one day.
Mia looks as concerned as before, commenting to herself, "…I suppose it wasn't such a good idea to show her someone with that kind of hairstyle."
He stares back at her. "Um, Chief… What do you mean by 'that kind'?"
"Oh, I don't mean it like that, Phoenix. Sorry about what happened. I just wanted to see how she'd react."
He shrinks. "…Please don't use me as a test subject for your theories, Chief."
Soon enough, the bailiff announces that it's time. Mia takes Mona by the hand once more and leads her inside, with Phoenix nervously trailing behind them.
This is going to be one heck of a trial today…
July 27, 10:00 am
District Court
Courtroom No. 2
The ring of the gavel silences the noise amid the courtroom. "Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Xilin Ying."
"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." It appears the ol' Rookie Killer has made another appearance.
"The defense is ready, Your Honor." Mia remains unfazed, and for good reason.
"Mr. Payne, your opening statement, please."
"Yes, Your Honor…" He clears his throat. "The incident in question took place a week ago, on the 20th, at approximately 1:30 in the morning in the victim's apartment. It seems the defendant was paying a visit to her cousin when an argument of sorts broke out. The prosecution has given the defendant full consideration of her background and is prepared to explain, through decisive evidence and testimony, why there is none other than her who could have committed this crime."
The judge nods approvingly. Everything's been by the book thus far, but there is one thing he needs to inquire into. "Incidentally, Mr. Payne…"
"Yes, Your Honor?"
"I've received a report this morning regarding the circumstances around this particular defendant. Am I correct to believe that she was once a patient at a psychiatric clinic?"
"You are indeed correct, Your Honor. The defendant has been diagnosed with a serious case of DID."
"D-I-D? What is that?"
"It stands for 'Dissociative Identity Disorder'. It's a frightening psychological disorder that twists the minds of even the meekest of patients into becoming wild killing machines."
"K-killing machines!?"
Mia frowns, cutting in with an "Objection! The prosecution will refrain from muddling fact with fiction! Your Honor, the symptoms of this disorder are rather unclear and easily mistaken. It's a disorder that is characterized by a person with different, alternating personalities, but it by no effect means that the person suffers from insanity."
The judge blinks, but then nods. "Um, yes, well… yes, I see."
Mia sighs. It's clear that the judge hasn't got a clue. Hopefully, he hasn't been watching too many horror movies with psychotic killers.
Payne smirks back, replying, "Yes, in relatively normal circumstances, a victim of DID can still control themselves. However, the defendant in particular is not merely a 'normal' case." He draws out a paper. "Your Honor, here is a report from the psychiatrist who made the diagnosis. It explicitly states that, and I quote, 'The patient suffers from acute symptoms of DID and has undergone sporadic episodes of mania in which she cannot control herself.'" He hands it to the bailiff, who passes it up to the judge's bench.
The judge nods, giving it a quick skim. "Hmm… It appears this disorder may relate to the case on hand, after all. The court accepts this into the evidence." That sentence is followed by a little jingle from the speakers above.
Payne makes a take-that face toward Mia, who returns it with a glare. He continues, "Your Honor, as a matter of fact, the defendant has claimed to have another distinct identity and gives herself the name, 'The Specter'. It seems under this persona, she has been up to quite a lot of mischief in the past."
"Mischief, you say?"
"In the more serious sense, Your Honor. This is not the first murder she has been charged with."
The judge gasps. "Y-you mean, this defendant has committed murder before!?"
The gallery bursts into a flood of noise, and the judge has to clear it with three strikes of the gavel.
Payne follows the chaos he stirred up with a snicker. "Not quite, Your Honor, but a good guess nonetheless. No, she has merely been arrested for obstruction of justice and tampering of crime scenes that she has no business in."
The judge sighs in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. For a moment there, I thought we were actually dealing with a psychotic killer here, like from the movies."
Mia feels stricken. So he really has been watching too many of those things!
Phoenix shares her pain. "That old fogey really knows how to warp things in his mind, doesn't he?"
"Yes, and it's almost never a good thing…"
"Almost? When is it ever?"
"Remember, Phoenix. A very fickle person is by nature also a more easily persuaded one. When you finally stand here as a representative, you should learn to use it to your advantage."
"…That almost sounds like we're manipulating him."
"To put it bluntly, yes, but it's for a good cause."
Phoenix nods contemplatively, jotting down her advice in a notepad.
Now that the judge has regained his composure, he nods to the prosecutor. "The prosecution has made it very clear that this defendant is the type to stir up trouble. It will be difficult for me to take her testimony without a grain of salt…"
"No worries, Your Honor. We have not any plans to hear from her. If anything, it's likely she'll come up with nothing but nonsense. Instead, as I've mentioned previously, we have a witness who can help clear up some of this confusion."
You're the one who stirred up the confusion in here just earlier! Mia feels like pointing out, but keeps quiet anyway.
"Very well. Mr. Payne, please call up this witness of yours."
"The prosecution calls the landlady of the apartment who happened upon the scene."
This witness, a stout middle-aged woman, takes her place on the stand. She looks to be the grumpy-old-lady type.
Phoenix whispers to his chief, "You know, she kinda reminds me of that naggy ol' librarian I met earlier…"
Mia remains unsympathetic of him. "She's only that naggy because of the trouble you caused her."
"But Chief! It's not like I mean it! These things just happen…"
"Witness, please state your name and occupation for the court."
The landlady proceeds in a rather gruff voice, "My name is Elizabeth Marchande – that's 'shand', not 'chand' – and I'm the landlady of the Palazzo Pelpepe apartment complex."
"Mrs. Marchande, please tell the court everything you witnessed on the night of the 20th."
She nods, clearing her throat, and delves into a long-winding tale that is her testimony.
"I was in my office tending to my account books when I heard a loud crash from upstairs. Naturally, I found it suspicious, thinking some hooligans were playing a prank too far, and I headed up there. Before I opened the door, though, I heard some terrible noises coming from the room. They sure startled me! I decided it was best that I stay out of it, in case that heated argument took a turn for the worse. When everything seemed to quiet down, the door swung open and someone stepped out holding a bloody knife! No doubt it was the defendant sitting right there! She just walked right out of there after that. Since I was hidden behind the door, she didn't notice me. Thank goodness."
The judge nods in sympathy. "Indeed. It's a good thing you weren't attacked."
"I don't care who that girl thinks she is! She's a dangerous person and should be locked away right away! Who knows when the next time she'll crack is?"
"Now, now. I understand that you're in shock from the incident, but please leave the decision of her sentence to me."
Mia winces. No, Your Honor! You're supposed to first consider her innocence before the sentence!
Phoenix catches on as well. "It makes me wonder what sentences he's given out…"
"Well, from what I've heard, he's known to be rather fair…" and then she shakes her head, "but knowing how forgetful he is, he might have even forgotten to pass a sentence at some point."
"F-forgotten? …C-come on, Chief, how can that be possible?"
"You've met him before when you were on trial. What do you think?"
He barely gives it a thought. "…Yeah, you know what? You may be onto something there."
The prosecutor offers up two things now: a floor map and a photo. "Your Honor, here is a map of the specified floor of the complex, and a photo of the crime scene."
The judge shakes his head upon finding the mess in the photo. "My, my… It must have been quite the ruckus." He submits both pieces into the Court Record, and turns to Mia. "Ms. Fey, you may proceed with your cross-examination."
"Yes, Your Honor." She turns to Phoenix with a smile. "Ready? It's time to take notes."
He whips out that notepad again and nods, looking ready.
Mia recalls the backlog on the testimony as she proceeds through. "Mrs. Marchande, allow me to clarify one thing."
"And what's that?"
"Did you get a chance to look inside the apartment to find out what was actually happening?"
"Well, of course! But that was only after that crazy person left! I found a dead body bleeding on the floor, so I called the police right away! It's not like I had anything better to do!"
"Precisely, Ms. Fey," the prosecutor makes it a point to stab at her, "There is nothing wrong with how the witness behaved on the scene."
"Yes, but anyone could stumble upon a dead body after the fact. I'm asking her to make sure that she didn't simply mishear the noise coming from a different room."
He shakes his head. "Anyone can tell from this photo that it was this one!"
"However, a photo doesn't record sound, Mr. Payne. I'm asking the witness how she knew."
"What? You think I don't know which room makes the most noise?" the landlady rebuts, acting dignified. "I run those apartments, you know! I know each and every one of the residents! It's my job to!"
"In that case, can you tell us exactly how you knew the noise was coming from that room specifically?"
"It's 'cause there wasn't any noise coming from the other rooms, of course! Everyone was supposed to be asleep by then!"
Mia's eyes hone in upon a detail in there. "Indeed? And you were still up at that time? I'd find it an odd time to manage your account books."
"W-what? Oh, don't you give me that look, young lady! I had nothing to do with the crime, you hear me? Nothing!"
"Ms. Fey! Are you seriously suggesting that this witness would have a reason to lie?" Payne refutes her, explaining further, "We've done our part as well, and we can confirm she was in her office at the time!"
"C-confirm? According to what?"
"According to this, of course." He draws out the witness' schedule book. "It's because this witness is so busy during the daytime that she has little choice but to stay up late to update those accounts!"
When the judge receives it, he gives it a closer inspection. "My, my… What's this? Table tennis lasts 4 hours every day?"
Phoenix's jaw drops. "W-what the heck in table tennis takes FOUR hours!?"
"Hmph! And that's what separates the casuals from the hardcore folks! I'll have you know that in my younger years, I was table tennis champion at the Women's Nationals for three straight years! Back then, we'd do nothing but table tennis all day!"
He shrinks again. "…This woman is terrifying in a completely different way…"
Payne finishes the debate. "And of course, we have verified such details with her associates at the tennis courts next door."
Mia sighs. As usual, the prosecution is keeping up a sturdy resistance. There's got to be something she can poke a hole in. Then, she gives the crime photo one more look, and a flash of insight hits her.
"Witness, can you tell us which direction you saw the defendant leave?"
"Away from me, I can say for sure! I wouldn't know if that was north, south, east or west, if you're asking, though!"
"No, I'm asking about when she exited. Did she go to your left or right?"
"My left, of course! The stairs were closer that way."
"Your left…?" She smiles. "Mrs. Marchande, please add that statement to your testimony."
"Oh, fine, fine." She tacks on one more sentence and a bit: "When she left, she headed to the left. There, you happy?"
"Very." She turns back to Phoenix, giving him an assuring nod. "Well, Phoenix, did you catch that?"
"Um… You think there's something wrong with that last sentence?"
"Check the Court Record again. I'm sure you'll find there's a contradiction."
"A contradiction?" He delves into the papers on their bench in search of it and soon finds what she means. He grins, turning back to her. "Good eye, Chief. I think I'm getting where you're going with this…"
Mia turns back to the witness, and lets it out, loud and proud: "Objection!"
"W-what!? What's all that racket!?"
"Sorry, Mrs. Marchande, but you've just contradicted the facts!"
"What are you talking about!?"
"Take a look at this floor diagram. You claim that my client left the room to your 'left' because the stairs are closer that way. However, doesn't this diagram suggest otherwise? If she had gone to your 'left', she would be heading the opposite way."
"So what? There are stairs on either side on each floor anyway!"
"That doesn't matter. The point is, you claimed she chose that side because 'the stairs were closer' when they actually were not."
"Objection!" Payne butts in, "It's likely the witness simply misremembered how close each of the stairs were!"
But the witness remains stubborn. "W-what are you saying!? I know these apartments like the back of my hand! I wouldn't make some silly mistake like that!"
"Yes, I believe you wouldn't. In fact, it's more likely that you actually viewed the defendant leave the room from the other side of the door!"
"W-what!?"
The judge blinks. "B-but that means… the witness was actually standing inside the room!"
Mia asks once more: "Mrs. Marchande, did you really not enter the room until after the defendant left?"
"O-of course not! Why would I go in there? They were making a huge mess of the place and I didn't want in on that!"
"Well then, let me remind you of what you said earlier… 'Since I was hidden behind the door, she didn't notice me.' But aren't apartment doors supposed to swing inward? It's even shown in the crime scene photo. How could you hide behind the door from the outside when it swings inward?"
"O-oof!" She gasps for breath after taking a heavy blow to her pride. "Okay, okay… fine, you win. I admit it. I did go inside…"
"M-Mrs. Marchande!" the judge exclaims, "What you've done just now is perjury! I hope you have a good reason to explain yourself!"
"But, Your Honor, I didn't mean to! I just didn't want myself to look any more suspicious!"
"Well, you certainly aren't helping your case this way…"
"P-please, Your Honor, let me explain! I didn't have a choice but to go in!"
Phoenix rolls his eyes. "Oh, boy… she's taking the victimized route now."
"They always do, Phoenix. All it means is we're one more step toward solving this case."
He grins. "You always seem to amaze me when you're in court, Chief."
"It's nothing, really. Even you'll get to show off your skills to me eventually. I'm looking forward to that day."
"Heh, yeah, me too…"
The judge sighs. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to listen to this explanation. Witness, if you please…"
"Okay, so I did go inside. But those two were making such a racket, how could I not barge in? Just as I was going to yell at them for waking up the neighborhood, I found them fighting each other! They even had knives! Even after I told them to stop, they didn't listen! Then, when I warned them I was gonna call the police, that girl picked up the boy and threw him at me! I ducked behind the door and stayed there throughout the whole thing. Finally, when it was over and I saw her go, I found the boy dead and called the police then."
The judge blinks. "My goodness! They were in such a heated argument that they broke out into a fight?"
"That's what it looked like."
The gallery is now filled with whispers, and the gavel silences them. "Order! …Hmm, I see. So you didn't try to break them up?"
"I just said they had knives! How was I supposed to break that up?"
"O-oh, yes, of course. Excuse me."
Payne is now cackling to himself. "Your Honor, I believe this testimony speaks for itself. There were clearly no other people in the room when the defendant and the victim were engaged with each other, and the defendant was the one who left. Even if the witness did not see the final blow, it's rather clear that there could be no one else."
The judge nods. "Indeed. It certainly is difficult to imagine otherwise."
Now it's Mia's turn. "Not so fast, Your Honor. It's because this witness didn't see the final blow that we have to call her credibility into account."
"H-hey, young lady! If you think I'm lying, then think again! Why would I lie about this? I swear they were fighting, and this time, I mean it!"
She shakes her head. "By no means am I suggesting you are. I'm just saying that because you didn't see most of the fight, it opens up other possibilities."
"Other possibilities, huh…" Phoenix ponders over them himself.
The judge gives her a curious look. "Such as…?"
"Such as… Anyone else could have walked right in and joined the fray! The witness stayed behind the door and out of sight, so that means the door was open. Since those two were making such a racket, it's possible someone else could have slipped in without this witness' knowing."
"Bah! There you go again with the baseless conjecture. If you really plan to insist that someone else is the killer, then I suggest you provide your evidence!"
"Of course… but before then, I'd like to cross-examine this testimony."
"Ms. Fey, I would much rather see this evidence if you have it," the judge mentions.
"Yes, Your Honor. I'll prove it through this cross-examination."
"Hah! More pointless attempts to stall for time. She clearly doesn't have anything, Your Honor."
She smirks back. "We'll see about that, Mr. Payne."
"…" Payne shrinks when her determined gaze doesn't falter. "W-why does the defense seem stronger than ever? This is like a flashback to a bad memory…"
"Very well, Ms. Fey, you may proceed."
Mia turns back to the witness. "Mrs. Marchande, when you found those two fighting, are you sure they both had knives? As in, there were two of them?"
"Of course! I saw something shining in both their hands! If they weren't knives, then what else could they be?"
Mia falters a bit. "Um, they could be anything else that shines…?"
"…I swear they were knives, okay? I mean, unless they were boxing with jewelry or something, I can't figure out what else they'd use!"
Payne seems to back it up. "For your information, Ms. Fey, there were indeed two knives found at the scene. It's no stretch to believe that they each were armed."
"But that's strange."
"W-what is?"
Mia draws up the crime scene photo. "In this photo you submitted, there's only one knife planted into the victim's body. What happened to the other one?"
"It was located on the defendant's person, of course."
"Really? And was this knife soiled with blood as well?"
"We ran tests on both knives, if you must know, and they both tested positive for drawing blood."
"Both? But neither the defendant nor the witness is injured in the slightest. Why would both knives be stained?"
"Well, it's entirely possible the defendant used both knives to stab the victim. I don't see a problem here."
"…Oh! That's it!" the landlady suddenly shouts.
"Y-yes, witness? What is it?" the judge asks.
"I remember now! I'm sure I heard the boy shouting at the girl for taking something from him! She must have swiped up the knife from the boy at some point!"
Payne smirks. "Well, that's settled, then. It's obvious the defendant disarmed the victim and then pressed for the kill!"
Mia shakes her head. "Sorry, Mr. Payne, but that doesn't work."
"W-what?"
"It's written in the autopsy report. The victim died of a single stabbing, not two. There shouldn't be a reason why both knives are bloodied when only one is needed."
Phoenix reads through the details in the Court Record. "…Oh, yeah. It does."
Mia gives him a disappointed frown. "Phoenix, didn't you already read through that?"
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah…" His eyes are shifting around.
"…Don't tell me you slacked off."
"O-okay, Chief, I won't."
"…" She returns his shifty eyes with a light rap on his head.
The judge acknowledges her argument. "Well, Mr. Payne? Can you explain this discrepancy?"
"…" His head is covered in sweat by now, but he does come upon an idea. "Oh, of course! The defendant only used one knife to make the kill, but then also planted the other knife in the wound. It's all just an elaborate scheme to confuse the investigation! Yes, that must be it…"
Mia smirks back. "Well, that's all fine, Mr. Payne, but now YOU have to prove that the defendant did as much. Did the blood on the knife the defendant held really belong to the victim? Did you check it?"
He's back to sweating.
…Nope, as I thought.
The judge gives him a stern stare. "Well, Mr. Payne? If you can't come up with an explanation, then you'll have to withdraw it."
"…Y-yes, Your Honor. I'll withdraw it."
He shakes his head, only expecting as much. "And we're back to the same issue once again. Ms. Fey?"
"Yes, Your Honor?"
"What do you think? Why would both knives be stained with blood when only one would have seen use?"
"…Given that the victim only suffered from one stabbing and the defendant is unharmed, there's only one other explanation we can draw." Mia nods, resuming her confident pose. "The blood on one of the knives came from someone else. There was a third person in the room."
And once again, the gallery is abuzz with noisy chatter, and once again, the gavel silences them. "Order! Ms. Fey, are you sure about this?"
"Of course I'm sure, Your Honor. Without knowing for sure whose blood it is on that knife, we can't say for sure that there were only two people in the room."
He nods in agreement. "As we have reached a stalemate here, I believe the best course to take is to adjourn for now and return tomorrow. And I expect the prosecution to deliver a proper investigation next time!"
"W-wait, Your Honor! I'm sure we can settle the trial today. If we need clarification on the owner of that blood, that's a simple matter!"
Mia adds, "Don't forget, Mr. Payne, the door was left open. Even if it was dark outside, there's no denying the possibility that someone could have sneaked in."
"Urf…"
The judge nods. "Very well. I believe we have come to a good moment to rest. Court is adjourned for the day!" And another clack of the gavel seals the deal.
As everyone rises and takes their leave, Phoenix and Mia first check up on Mona, who's still seated. She doesn't seem to be moving, as if she had fallen asleep. Perhaps that's why she didn't make a peep during the trial.
But on closer inspection, she looks a bit pale. Mia gives her a shake by the shoulder. "Mona… Mona! Wake up. The trial's adjourned for now…"
Phoenix blinks. "She's not moving at all. Is she in that deep a sleep?"
"Hmm…" Mia gives her forehead a touch. To her surprise, it feels somewhat cold. Now alarmed, she checks her pulse by her neck, and there it still is… but it's weak.
"Chief, what's wrong? How is she?"
A bailiff approaches them and asks, "Is something the matter?"
"Oh, bailiff!" Mia asks in an almost pleading way, "The defendant isn't feeling well. I think she may need to be taken to the infirmary. And please hurry."
The bailiff nods and calls over a few of his crew to help him carry the young woman up and out.
"Chief, what happened? Is she okay?"
"…She's pretty weak and her forehead was cool to touch. She also looked a bit pale, but wasn't sweating." Mia turns back to him with that worried look. "I think she may have lot quite a lot of blood."
"What? She's anemic?"
"I'm not sure. I don't recall her ever having an anemic condition…" She looks off, pondering over it. "…If anything, this might not mean well for our case."
"Huh? Why would you say that?"
"Phoenix, think about it. If it turns out the blood on that knife she held wasn't the victim's, but her own…"
His eyes widen upon realizing it. "She could have been injured in the fight with the victim!"
"Exactly. And that would suggest she actually may have been the one to land that final blow."
"Oh, man. That's not good, not good at all…" He clutches his head in both hands. "So… could she actually be guilty?"
"Perhaps… but again, it's only conjecture for now. We're left in the dark until we can get those blood test results."
Later that day, she was sent from the infirmary to a hospital for surgery. Eventually, we found out what was the cause of Ms. Spectra's loss of blood. It wasn't really anemia, but simply a large wound in her stomach that seemed to have opened up some time during the trial. On closer inspection, the doctor said the wound was most likely due to a knife.
Worse still, the dimensions of the wound matched that of the knife she had held when the police arrested her. It seems like everything Mia theorized was right, and it only meant the worst case scenario for our case.
But that's not the end of it. Things were only due to become worse during the second day of trial…