May 30, 9:36 am
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 3
Today's the big day. I'm feeling really nervous because I'm not sure whether I can pull this off or not. I don't even have an idea about who did it. No one seems to have a motive, and there's still a suspicious party that I haven't investigated. Is it even possible to declare a verdict today? I guess I'm just going to have to stall this trial out.
Maya is sitting next to me on the wooden waiting bench with a small burger. It calms her nerves. I kind of wish I had a burger right about now.
The brown door across from us opens, and Minnie Cooper arrives with two police judges. She's as happy as always. I still don't think she fully processes what is going on. Maybe it's for the best. If she doesn't know how serious the situation is, she won't be able to freak out. Still, I don't like keeping her in the dark.
"Phoenix!" she cries in happiness, her arms in the air in full-hug mode. I manage to stand up just fast enough for her to not run into the wall behind me. Maya slips me a sly sideways glance. "How are you? Are you excited for the trial?"
I give her a resigned look, "Not really. Hey, before we go in there, can I just ask you a few questions?" I hope she accepts. The trial doesn't start until 9:45, so we still have a few precious moments to sort this out. She thinks about it for a while, and then nods. It kind of worries me that she had to think about her answer.
"All right, then, Minnie. Can you tell me everything you know about the case?"
She… thinks about it for a minute. Way to get me really nervous about this, Minnie. After a brief moment, her eyes brighten, as if she just remembered something, and then smiles at me, "Oh! I was in Dorm 506 at the time. There's no way I could have killed Nata."
"As much as I believe you, Minnie, I can't just take it for face value. The only person that can verify that is Cody, and we need evidence to back up your claims." I sigh and glance over at Maya. This case is going to be tough. She takes a bite of the hamburger she's holding and wraps it back up again. I blink, "What are you doing? Don't you normally eat all of it?"
She grins at me, "I was thinking you might need some during the trial today. You seem pretty nervous. Besides, if you don't eat it, I could always give it to Rocky!" She beams at me. Maya never ceases to amaze me.
My watch beep and I feel the color drain from my face. The trial is about to start, and I still have no idea what went on that night and who's to blame. The bailiff takes Minnie in and Maya and I follow her. This is going to be a tough battle, but I'm going to pull through. I just know it.
May 30, 9:45 am
District Court
Courtroom No. 2
"All rise for the Honorable Judge!" cries the bailiff and everyone in the courtroom abides.
I'm feeling kind of lightheaded. I just might take Maya up on her offer sometime. I realize she's been gripping my hand for some time, but with a napkin between our hands. When I give her a confused glance, she grins and says quietly, "You're a little sweaty. But, knock 'em out." I smile. I can do this, at least with Maya at my side.
The judge blinks with his usual expression of confusion, "Are the defense and prosecution ready?"
I nod and say as confidently as I can, "The defense is ready."
Across from me, a handsome, black-haired man on a large golden throne replies, "Hmm… Phoenix Wright. How I've longed to battle you in court." He snickers, "The prosecution is ready, your honor." He holds a glass cup of dark wine and a small bottle of it rests on his podium. He takes a sip and sighs, "You will taste the bitter of defeat, as I taste the richness of aged wine." Licking his lips, he smiles at me. I can't even imagine how painful it must be to sit in a throne like that and retain perfect posture.
"Um… Mr. Falcon Wong, is it?" the judge asks, confused as always, "I'm afraid we can't allow you to make judgments while under the influence of alcohol."
"That would be a valid argument," Falcon concedes, "if I were making a judgment. No, your honor, it is you who will be making the judgments. I simply have to present the facts. I am confident that the evidence and facts we have on hand are enough to render any counterpoints useless. A monkey could do my job tonight. In fact, I think the dim-witted man in blue across from me could win this case if he were on my side."
Dim-witted? Now, that's a low blow!
The judge takes a second to contemplate, but then nods, "Okay, Mr. Wong. What is your opening statement?"
Falcon clears his throat and takes a sip of his wine before looking at the audience above us, "I am sure that by the end of this day, every single person in this courtroom will agree with me that Minnie Cooper, the victim's roommate and our defendant, was the only one capable of the victim's murder." He turns his head and looks directly at me, "And I say 'every single person', which includes…. you!"
Immediately, a murmur spreads across the audience, and I feel small beads of sweat begin to drip on my face. The trial hasn't even begun yet and he's got everyone on his side!
The judge nods, "All right, then, Mr. Wong. Please call your first witness."
"I'd like to call the homicide detective in charge of the case to the stand."
This is it. The first testimony. Maya's grip is starting to cut off my circulation, but I wouldn't' have it any other way in this situation.
May 30, 9:49 am
District Court
Courtroom No. 2
Detective Dick Gumshoe stands at the witness podium, smiling his usual happy-go-lucky smile. He nods at me and performs a two fingered wave in my direction before reaching the stand. Something tells me he thinks this whole thing is a game. He couldn't be more wrong. This is life and death.
"Name and occupation, please?" Falcon says as he looks at Gumshoe.
Gumshoe smiles and happily replies, "Dick Gumshoe, homicide detective of Case AW-4."
Falcon swishes the wine in his cup around a bit and mutters, almost as if to himself, "Please tell the court what happened that day." He's staring into his wine as he swishes it, almost as if there's something interesting in it. This guy must be really confident in his case for him to be so apathetic.
Gumshoe nods and looks at me, "Sorry pal, but I think we got you with this one." He pulls out the autopsy report of Nata Otherone. "You see, Nata Otherone was kicked in the face and pushed off her fifth story dorm balcony at around 12:03. At that time, the annual Finals Week Midnight Scream-a-Thon was taking place. Thus, no one heard the argument preceding the murder, and no one heard her screams until they saw her body fall. Now all of the suspects have an alibi, because all of them were participating in the scream-a-thon at the time. In fact, there was a whole party across the dorm hall dedicated to the scream-a-thon. There's no reason why anyone would want to leave a party just to murder someone."
I slam my hands on the podium, ignoring the wet napkin that's now stuck to it, "Objection! Please keep conjecture out of the testimony. 'There's no reason why anyone would want to leave a party'? That's baseless conjecture. What if the killer didn't like loud noises and killed Nata because her screaming was annoying her?"
"Objection!" Immediately the crowd goes silent. I stare at Gumshoe. Did he actually just yell that? And did his voice actually just crack? "I told you I got you with this one, Nick." He smiles at me and wags his pointer finger happily. "Nata Otherone was asleep before the Scream-a-Thon. We've had a lot of people testify that she thought that sleeping was a better way to score better on finals than cramming until midnight and then screaming off frustration. That means she couldn't have been annoying her killer by screaming!"
Wow… Gumshoe just made a valid point. I don't think I've ever heard him do that before. I stammer, "Well… that's still just random thoughts! You can't use that in a courtroom. I demand you edit your testimony so that it just contains facts!"
The judge nods and slams his gavel onto his podium, "Please change your testimony, witness."
Gumshoe shrugs, "Well that's not all the evidence we have. I'll review what we know. Most of the students were participating in the scream-a-thon. However, we have the stiletto heel that belonged to Minnie in the court record. We had our forensics team check out the wound and they concluded that the bruise on the victim's right cheek was from this stiletto shoe."
Falcon nods and adds, "We also know that Minnie is an accomplished gymnast, and it is very difficult to kick someone in the face unless a person is very… flexible."
Wait a second. Something's not adding up. Maya gives me that all-knowing look, and I know she agrees. "Objection!" I slam the table, hoping to get utter silence. The audience keeps murmuring though. Obviously they like Gumshoe better than me. "It is either impossible for that stiletto heel to have been the culprit of Nata's wound, or it is impossible that Minnie kicked her!"
Falcon takes a sip from his wine and swishes the cup around, "Oh, pray tell, Mr. Wright. What diluted fantasy are you going to spout today? I've seen your court cases. I know your tactics."
I shake my head, "It's not a 'deluded fantasy', this evidence is!" I hold up several court papers, "We see here that the stiletto heel in question is the shoe that belongs on the right foot. Now, Gumshoe, where was the victim kicked."
He looks at me, confused, "The right cheek."
The judge looks at me, equally confused, "Could you explain this to me, Mr. Wright?"
"How could Minnie kick the victim on the right cheek, with her right foot? That is physically impossible if they were standing, facing each other!"
"Why… you're right!" The judge's eyes light up, "Do you have a response, Mr. Wong?"
Falcon grins as he shakes his head, "That would be a valid point if you had proof that they were standing facing each other."
The judge glances at Falcon, "But when people are talking, or even screaming, at each other. Wouldn't they face each other?"
Falcon shakes his head, "What if Nata turned around, being done with Minnie, and she was kicked then?"
"Your response, Mr. Wright?" the judge chimes in.
"I have a witness that can verify that the victim was facing the defendant!" I smile, slamming the podium.
Falcon looks surprised, and he slams the table in response, "And who is that?"
"I'd like to call to the witness stand, Cody Pendant!" I cry.
May 30, 9:55 am
District Court
Courtroom No. 2
Cody Pendant scratches his head nervously, holding the latest copy of the Oppel Opal and flipping a page. He has a stack of the newspaper on the podium, each from a different month.
Falcon brushes the hair out of his eyes, "Name and occupation. Now." He seems peeved. I guess he was expecting to get a verdict just out of Gumshoe. He obviously doesn't know how I play. I may not have the whole case down, but I know how to point out inconsistencies if I see them.
Cody flips a page, "Cody Pendant, I'm a student at Oppel Boarding School."
The judge hits his gavel on the podium and says, "What would you like the witness to testify about, Mr. Wright?"
"Please tell us what you saw on the night of the crime." I'm confident that Cody's testimony will help clear up Minnie's name, at least for the stiletto heel incident.
Cody nods and closes the pages of the Oppel Opal. "I guess I should get started then. So, Minnie and I had planned to meet and study at around 11:30. She usually gets tutored by Nata, but that night, Nata went to sleep early. It was the Sunday before Finals week, so Nata wanted to rest up."
"Hold it!" I cry, pointing a finger at Cody, "Minnie gets tutored by Nata? That could be vital information. Why didn't you tell me before?"
He scratches his head, "Could you… not point at me like that? It's kind of terrifying."
Maya grabs my arm, "It really is."
Cody opens his newspaper and hides his face behind it, only showing his eyes, "Anyway, uh, I just didn't think it was that important. Nata's been tutoring Minnie for ages. They've been friends forever."
I nod, "Exactly. Why would Minnie want to kill her best friend? She has no motive!"
The crowd murmurs, and I smirk with victory. Falcon just shakes his head, "Let's get to motive later. I'm sure you'll be quite… surprised at what I can prove." I gulp. "Witness, please continue your testimony."
"Minnie showed up right on time to my dorm. I live in Dorm 506, the one right next door to Nata's. We studied for a bit and at around 11:52, she went to get something to drink. I took the time to go out on my balcony and look at the stars."
"Hold it! Cody, did you notice anything strange when you were outside?"
He nods and continues, "The balcony door in Nata's room was closed, but when I came out to scream later, it was open. Nata hates the cold, and always closes it before she sleeps. Heck, everyone does. It gets really cold at night."
"Objection!" Falcon swirls his wine around in his cup, "Couldn't Minnie have gone back to her dorm to get a drink while you were outside? Couldn't she have opened it then?"
"Well… I guess."
"Then what's so strange about it?"
"Objection!" I glare at Falcon. Unfortunately for me, he knows what he's doing, "Nata never opened her balcony door when she sleeps! If it was open one night, don't you think she'd feel the cold at midnight and wake up to close it?"
The crowd murmurs and I smile. There's no way Falcon can maneuver himself out of this one. I've got him.
"Well, actually, Mr. Wright. We can assume that Nata Otherone was a deep sleeper. A fire alarm went on at around 11:00 and she slept right through it." Falcon grins at me and brushes the hair out of his eyes. I wish he'd get off that throne and prosecute like a real man. Like Edgeworth would.
"Witness," I start, staring intensely at Cody, "What time did Nata go to sleep?"
Cody thinks for a moment and flips to the front page of the Oppel Opal. It reads, "Nata Otherone, Two Hours of Beauty Sleep Before her Beauty Death!" I have to say that that's the worst headline in a school newspaper that I've ever seen.
"By logical deduction, and taking into account the newspaper article, Nata went to sleep at roughly 10:00." Falcon takes another sip out of his wine. "Ergo, I have just proven that Nata Otherone was a deep sleeper."
"Objection! The witness just testified that the victim hated the cold! If she had such a vehement dislike of cold weather, I'm certain that she would have woken up if the door were open. Thus, her killer must have known that she wouldn't wake up unless it was cold!" I grin at Falcon. Unfortunately, he grins back.
"And who would know this information? Why… her roommate of course, aka the defendant, Minnie Cooper!"
Ack! How does he manage to turn everything into his favor? I know that Minnie didn't do it! No Psyche-Locks appeared when I asked her and she denied it. I must be approaching this whole thing from the wrong angle, "Cody. Please continue your testimony." I'm pretty sure that I won't get much ground if I keep pressing this topic. He has this area down.
"So anyway," Cody continues, "She got a drink and I joined her back inside again. We studied for a couple more minutes, but then I realized that midnight was approaching. We went out to scream on my balcony and, as I said before, Nata's balcony door was open. I also saw two figures in her room moving around and facing each other."
"Hold it! Cody, was there anything suspicious about what was going on in Nata's room?"
He thinks for a brief second and then responds, "Her movements were very fast and erratic. I thought she was doing some sort of exercise routine."
Falcon nods, "So the victim seemed to put up a struggle. I can assume that there was a fight going on, which ended up with the victim getting the wound on her right cheek. All signs still point to Minnie."
"Do you forget what I proved during Gumshoe's testimony," I egg him on, "Since Cody just verified that the victim and the killer were facing each other, it's impossible that Minnie could have kicked her on the right cheek with her right heel. In fact, it's impossible for her to be at the crime scene at the time of the murder in the first place. She was with Cody the whole time!"
"Objection!" Falcon slams his arms on the table, spilling wine all over his podium, "There was a brief couple of minutes where the witness was outside looking at the stars. Minnie 'went to get a drink', but no one can verify where she went!"
I growl, but try to hold my stance, "Still, it was impossible for Minnie to kick Nata!"
The judge blinks, "Well this testimony has caused a lot of arguing. Mr. Wright, what do you propose actually happened that night?"
Oh no. I still have no idea. I guess I'm just going to have to make things up as I go along. "All right. So, by the facts, we know that Nata went to sleep at around 10:00, and the murder happened at three minutes after 12:00. A student in Dorm 108, Mikey Sloth, found the body at 12:05. As you said, the murder occurred during the scream-a-thon, which started at midnight, and continued through the murder. Thus, most students would have an alibi, but not all. There was a party across the hall from the victim's dorm. I've heard this from multiple sources, and I think it holds a key to what actually happened. I propose that it was someone from inside the party that murdered Nata Otherone!"
Falcon shakes his head and pops open the cork of his wine bottle. It hits me square in the face. Maya grins at me, "I think you were supposed to dodge that."
Falcon pours himself another glass of wine and slams the bottom of the bottle on the podium, "All of what you just said is baseless conjecture."
The crowd begins to talk, and I begin to blush. Just when I thought I had a road out of here, he has to pull me down again!
"That being said," Falcon eyes me suspiciously, "I would be willing to entertain the court with another day of trial if we briefly discuss the possible motives that our defendant could have."
He's… giving me a chance. If I just let him talk about the motive, he'll be willing to extend the trial, which means I can investigate the party! But… if he's willing to give up his chance at a one-day trial, like he said in the beginning of today, I'm sure he must have some pretty solid proof with the motive. Can I deflect it all in time to stall for another day?
"Well, Mr. Wright?" The judge looks at me, gavel in hand.
"I… accept Mr. Wong's conditions. I will investigate the party tomorrow and we will discuss motives today."
The judge nods, "Then after the next witness's testimony, we will adjourn for the day. Mr. Wong, who would you like to call as your last witness?"
"I would like to bring to the stand," Falcon smirks, "the defendant, Minnie Cooper!"
May 30, 10:38 am
District Court
Courtroom No. 2
Minnie Cooper stands at the stand with her wide-mouthed smile. I'm starting to wonder if anything can get this girl down. She's still wearing her Oppel Boarding School uniform and she's still smiling at me. I don't think she realizes how serious this situation is.
Falcon smirks, "Name and occupation please."
Minnie cocks her head to the side as if thinking hard about something. I swear if her testimony is filled with her just standing and thinking, I will hurl something at Falcon. "Um… Minnie Cooper, I'm a student at Oppel Boarding School." She beams at him. He's the enemy! Someone needs to tell her to stop fraternizing with the enemy!
"All right," Falcon swishes his wine around, "Please testify as to your and the victim's relationship."
She cocks her head to the side again, "I'm sorry, Dave. I can't do that."
What?! Immediately the audience starts to talk, and I can see Falcon is just as confused as I am.
"Explain yourself. Now!" Falcon slams his wine glass on the podium, spilling more wine all over the place.
"Well," she begins looking up to think, "I don't know anyone named 'Taye Vincent'."
I can feel sweat droplets the size of Pearl forming on my head. I turn to Maya, "Maya… could I have that half-eaten burger you offered me? I think I might need it." She takes it out of her pocket and hands it to me. It's cold, but the way this case is going, it'll be hot before we finish.
"First off," Falcon shakes his head, "My name is not 'Dave'. It's 'Falcon Wong'. Secondly, there is no one named 'Taye Vincent' involved in this case. I will ask you again. Please testify about your relationship to the victim, also known as Nata Otherone."
Immediately, her eyes light up, "Oh! Nata! I love her so much, but we got into a big argument recently."
Falcon's eyes glint and he smirks at me, "Continue."
"Well," Minnie begins, staring up to think again, "Nata and I have known each other for years, before we came to Oppel, I think."
She… thinks? Oh brother. "Hold it! Minnie, if you and Nata were such good friends, you would have no reason to kill her, right?" It's a stretch, but it might be enough to end this prematurely.
"I guess you're right." She smiles at me.
"Objection! Stop interrupting the witness's testimony. She hasn't finished yet." Falcon glares.
"Objection sustained, "the Judge nods, "Please continue."
"Okay…" Minnie scratches her head and then shrugs, "She used to tutor me. She's always been the smart one. I was just the funny one, see?"
I don't think she realizes the awkward silence.
"So anyway, we had a flower dedicated to our friendship. It was the white… the white carnival, I think?"
"'Carnation' is the flower I believe you were thinking of." Falcon cuts in. "The white carnation."
"That sounds about right," Minnie continues, "So anyway, we both have vases of white carnations on our desk. I bought hers after she bought me mine at the beginning of the semester. So that's… January, I think. But recently, we got into an argument because she was frustrated that I really wasn't getting the material for our Math class."
"Wait, Minnie," I interrupt, "Was Math the only class that she tutored you in?"
"No… She tutored me in a lot of things. She always has. Without her, I don't think I could have gotten into Oppel!" She beams. I don't think she realizes that what she just said isn't the best thing to boast about. "So, I really didn't get the material, and she was frustrated because her grades were suffering from spending so much time helping me. I said some stupid things, and she did too, and before I knew it, we weren't talking."
"Precisely." Falcon grins, "As you can see, the defendant and victim got into a huge argument. We have witnesses who say the argument occurred on the twenty-fifth of May, that is two days before her murder."
I gulp. Frankly, the timing is awfully suspicious.
"What I believe happened," Falcon sighs as he takes another sip from his wine, "Is that the white carnations had been wilting for quite some time… the white carnations… of their friendship!" That has got to be the corniest thing I've ever heard. "Trying to make it up to her, Minnie entered the crime scene with a single white carnation, found next to the stiletto heel. She presented it to Nata, but something went wrong. This lead to the stiletto attack on Nata, and ultimately, the murder."
"Objection! All that is just conjecture! You have absolutely no proof that Minnie brought a white carnation to Nata's room on May 27!"
"Objection!" Falcon pours himself another glass of dark wine, "Who else knew about the sign of friendship?"
This is it- the moment where I can prove Minnie innocent. Who else could have possible known about the white carnations? Only one person had the possibility to kill Nata Otherone, and I'm about to prove it! "The other person that knew about the white carnations was… You, Falcon Wong!!"
There's an awkward silence in the air. Falcon just laughs. Well… it worked on all my other cases. I thought I'd give it a shot. I guess not all prosecutors are involved in the case. "Oh, Phoenix Wright. You always try to pin the crime on the prosecutor, don't you? Too bad for you, I have absolutely nothing to do with this case."
"Well… I was, uh, just testing you!" I don't know what came over me. Maya looks at me, resigned, as if she knows. "No one… no one could have known about the white carnations."
Falcon smiles, "Exactly. Other people would have just thought that Nata and Minnie liked white carnations."
Maya's eyes widen and she prods me on the waist with her elbow, "Nick! What if the killer didn't know about the sign of friendship?"
She's right. What if… it was just a coincidence? "Objection! The killer didn't need to know that the white carnations were a sign of friendship! He or she could have just been in the dorm and seen the vases of white carnations and assumed they were Nata's favorite flower!"
"Objection! And what reason would they have to randomly bring in a white carnation on the midnight of finals week?"
"Objection! I… uh, why does there have to be a reason?"
The Judge slams his gavel, "Mr. Wright, this is a court of law! While we can entertain your theory that the killer assumed white carnations were Nata's favorite flower, there has to be a reason and evidence to back your assumptions! Tell me, Mr. Wright, what reason would the killer have to give Nata Otherone a flower?"
I stare at the court papers. There has to be something I can use. "I propose," I start, my voice shaky with nervousness, "I propose that… the killer loved the victim!"
The audience begins chattering away again. This is a good sign. Even if I'm just picking at sticks, I'm getting them to think, and considering how easily the Judge is influenced, I think that just might do it.
"Objection! Mr. Wright, what evidence do you have to support the killer loved the victim?" Falcon glares at me. It feels like lasers burning into my head.
"Mr. Wong, let me ask you a question," I hope I can get away with this. "What happens when a toad is struck by lightning?"
Falcon is silent. He isn't even touching his wine.
"The same thing that happens to everything else." The Judge blinks, trying to piece my riddle together.
"And what's your point?"
"And what happens when a student is struck by love?" It's working, I can feel the audience's energy amp up. I just might be able to do this. "The same thing that happens when a toad is struck by lightning! A student who's madly in love does not think rationally. THAT is why the killer entered the dorm at midnight. THAT is why he brought a white carnation when he didn't know what it meant. THAT is why he opened the balcony door to wake Nata Otherone up. I propose that the murderer of Nata Otherone was one who was deeply smitten! I propose that the murder… was an accident!"
I love the sound of court murmurings in the morning.
The Judge starts attacking his podium with his gavel to quiet the noisy and restless audience, "Order in the court! Mr. Wright raises an interesting point. I think both sides need to investigate further and get all of their facts down. That being said, we will reconvene in two days to decide the verdict of the defendant, Minnie Cooper. Any objections?"
I shake my head, "The defense has no objection, your honor."
Falcon is steaming. I got him. I got him good. "N- no! This can't be… Fine! Fine, Phoenix Wright. I'll give you your extra day, but you better work hard. My case is still rock solid, and there's no way for you to weasel your way out of this one!"
The Judge nods, "Then in that case, court adjourned!" He slams his gavel.
I did it. I got myself another chance to investigate. I just hope it's enough to declare Minnie innocent. I have to do this, for myself, for Minnie, and… for Winnie Cooper.
To be continued…
