Wow so sorry for the delay in posting another chapter, I went on holiday to Nebraska and after that got stuck with end of year assignments and work, it's been a hectic month!

Chapter 3 –Trial

As Phoenix and Maya got to the defence bench, the judge banged his gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of Phoenix Wright. Prosecution, defence, are you ready to begin?"

"The prosecution is ready."

"As is the defence, your honour."

"Can the prosecution begin with its opening statement?" The judge asked.

"Of course your honour, the prosecution will prove the defendant Phoenix Wright murdered Trey Delacourt at the victims' place of work. I call my first witness to the stand."

The detective shuffled up to the stand. "Please state your name and occupation" Edgeworth asked.

"Dick Gumshoe sir, I'm a homicide detective at the local precinct."

"And can you give us the details of the case please?"

"The victim died from blunt force trauma to the back of the head, the defendant was arrested for the crime as his fingerprints were found along with the victim's blood on the murder weapon. The defendant was seen at the tennis courts around the time of the murder."

The judge looked wide eyed at Phoenix, "You may cross examine the witness." He announced in a tone that suggested it was a futile effort.

"You said blunt force trauma, has the full autopsy been done?"

"Yeah it was completed this morning" the detective replied.

"And the murder weapon was confirmed as the trophy?"

"It fits the injury so yes it's safe to say the trophy was the weapon."

"So the tennis ball machine?" Phoenix asked hopefully.

"Dead end, the only clear prints on it was yours and the victims."

"That's right Me Delacourt asked me to switch on the machine because the remote control had gone missing, but hold it! My prints would only be found on the button not anywhere that indicates I moved the machine, meaning someone else must have been there after me!"

Edgeworth jumped in. "Objection! There is no way to say when it was moved or even why, there is no reason to carry on this line of inquiry."

"Objection sustained, this has nothing to do with this case Mr Wright." The judge agreed.

'Gah I thought you were going to help me Edgeworth.' Phoenix thought sullenly.

"Sorry your honour, you say detective that I was seen at the courts around the time of the murder, but did anyone see me there at 2.15 which according to this new autopsy was the time the victim died."

"Yes in fact we do." The detective told him.

Phoenix sighed "No more questions your honour."

The judge looked at Gumshoe and said "Very well detective your may leave the witness stand."

"The prosecution wishes to present the next witness" Edgeworth announced.

A girl in her late teens took the stand; Phoenix thought she looked a bit like Hermione Granger.

"Could the witness state their name and occupation for the court please?"

"Angie Fairbanks and I am a student."

Phoenix saw through the persona she was trying to out on of being all sweetness and light, he had seen her lose her temper before.

"Can you tell us what you saw that day?"

The girl smiled shyly and replied "Sure thing Mr Prosecutor, I'd spoken to Mr Delacourt and left, on my way home, I realised I had forgotten something and returned later to see the spikey haired man over there holding the trophy and Mr Delacourt was lying on the ground, I went to use the office phone to call for an ambulance and when I got back he was gone."

Phoenix tried to remain calm even though everything the girl had just said was total lies. "Nick, this really doesn't look good." Maya said beside him.

Phoenix began his cross examination. "Miss Fairbanks, as I recall it was less of a talk and more of an argument between yourself and Mr Delacourt, could you tell the court what that was concerning?" he asked half expecting Edgeworth to object again.

Angie looked over at the prosecutor who said nothing, arms folded finger tapping his bicep in his usual impatient manner.

"I…I don't think I need to answer that." She stated, chain drawing around her and psyche locks in place.

Phoenix looked confident and told her "And I know why you don't, it would give you more of a motive than I had, Mr Delacourt told me you had asked him to coach you every day this past week and that you were angry with him because he refused as it could make your shoulder injury worse."

The psyche lock fell apart. 'This is a lot easier when I know the secret in advance!" he thought triumphantly.

"Fine." She replied, the mask slipping slightly before reverting back to her previous façade.

"I dislocated my shoulder 3 months ago, it didn't heal correctly and so the doctors told me not to put it under too much strain, when Trey found out he refused to coach me anymore. Anyone would be angry if the dream they had trained their whole life for was over." She told the court with tears in her eyes.

The judge fell for the tears. "If the defence could refrain from upsetting the witness please."

"My apologies your honour but this is important to the case,"

Edgeworth interjected "Objection! The witnesses feelings that morning are not important to this case!"

"Objection! Why in that case did you not stop me before?" Phoenix asked knowing full well Edgeworth had only objected now to not look favourable to the defence.

"I was not expecting the witness to actually respond."

Phoenix continued "Witness you stated that you returned for something, can you explain what that thing was?"

"I thought I had left my phone in my locker, but it seems like I didn't, that's why I had to go to Treys office to phone for help." she explained.

"We were able to obtain the phone records to corroborate this." Edgeworth added.

Phoenix was worried he had nothing, "Try thinking outside the box Nick, what can you prove instead of thinking what you can't." Maya beside him instructed. Maya I have nothing, this girl has set me up very well."

"What haven't they shown?"

Phoenix thought for a moment and remembered the camera he'd seen. "The cctv? But the camera just faces the office, it wouldn't show who comes and goes..." he despaired.

"If the defence has no more questions then I believe there is no reason for this trial to drag on, all the evidence points toward the defendant, there appear to be no other suspects, I am ready to pass judgement, has either side got anything to say before I do so?"

Phoenix tried to take Mayas advice, desperately racking his brain. He looked over at Edgeworth hoping he had something but he looked apologetically back, holding his arm as he did whenever faced with something he didn't like.

"I have nothing to add your honour." he uttered in monotone.

The Judge looked over at Phoenix who looked defeated. "In that case the court fines Phoenix Wright..."

"HOLD IT!" A voice cried out.

Well that's it for another chapter I apologise again for the delay, please leave a review, with the time I'm having at the moment I could really use the boost, Thanks - W.A.A.