March 25th

Tenby Rose Diner

Crystal went back to crime scene, after all she was a witness. It was highly probable that Franziska's defense attorney would be showing up today and he would probably have some questions for her. (Only giving her information to Klavier would be a little unfair) It was weird feeling. The diner was as quiet and peaceful as ever but one look at the white outline where Felicity's body was found said it was anything but peaceful.

For a while it was just her and the detectives, whom she didn't talk to. Detective Gumshoe, who was in charge of the investigation seemed nice enough, but Crystal would never open up to him. She hardly ever opened up for anyone (with the exception of a very few select people.) Not wanting to interfere with their investigations, she kept mainly to herself, straightening up what she could or just sitting and listening to her music.

Her solitude was interrupted though by the arrival of someone new, namely Franziska's attorney: Apollo Justice. At first she couldn't hear him over the sound of her music, until he finally spoke loud enough for her to hear him.

"Um.. Miss, Hello?!"

She pulled out her headphones. "Yeah?" She asked, "and…There's no need to yell so loud. Gosh, you must have cords of steel or something…"

"Cords of steel…?" I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be an insult but hey,I kinda like it… "Um.. well you could've turned your music down, Who's 'sister golden-hair surprise' anyway?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard that song. I tell ya they don't play enough classics on the radio…" She then trailed off, mumbling something about the lack of appreciation for 'true music'.

"So uh… changing subjects… do you know anything about the crime Miss?"

"Oh that." Crystal tone changed to one with a bit more sadness, "yes I'm a witness. Are you Ms. Von Karma's lawyer?"

"yeah." Apollo replied, "So can you maybe, tell me a bit about what you know?"

"What do you want to know?"

"How about you tell me what you saw-er- I mean heard."

"Very. I stayed by the front counter the entire time. There was silence at first, then I heard what I believed to have been a struggle, followed by a woman's scream. When the light came back one shortly later, I was the one fist one to find Felicity's body… but that doesn't mean I killed her got it?. Oh, and Felicity is the victim in case you may have forgotten."

"Anything else?"

"Did you want to know anything else?" she asked teasingly back.

"Well to be perfectly honest I want to know the truth about what happened but that's not going to come easy is it?"

"No that it won't I assure you." Crystal commented, "That's about all I saw, feel free to conduct your investigation. The Prosecutor already did theirs yesterday. If you have any questions just ask." She gave Apollo a small smile to let him know she meant it. And with that, he was off to check out the crime scene.

"Ok, time to investigate. Guess I should start with where the victim's body was found." He walked over to where the chalk outline lay in the aisle between the tables. At first glance nothing seemed out of the ordinary but when he knelt down for a closer inspection, he noticed something odd about the carpet. There was a tear right at the seams, a small piece of it had come loose ad been torn off from the floor revealing the hard board underneath.

Oddly enough there was no blood there, despite being right next to where the victim's body was found. Maybe the killer cleaned it up, Apollo though, it's definitely unusual so I should make a note. What he noticed next was also strange, a small plastic flower just barely poking up from underneath. He pulled it up and realize that it looked a bit familiar. Hey isn't this one of those flowers from that Crystal lady's headband? He turned his head to look back her, (She seemed to be humming to herself, lost in her music as usual) and proved his assumption correct. It was indeed Crystal's flower.

Stayed by the counter time you say? Yeah right! Apollo thought, finally something that looks good for my case! Apollo was then shaken from his thoughts as another voice called to him.

"Hey pal, are you Ms. Von Karma's lawyer?"

"Huh?" He looked up to see none other than Detective Gumshoe, "um y-yeah… and who are you?"

"The name's Detective Gumshoe and I've been put in charge of this case."

"Oh, I see… You don't mind if I investigate a little do you?"

"Nope, go ahead. Though, I should tell you that the prosecutor already found pretty much all the important clues yesterday."

"Yeah I know, I've seen the evidence files." Apollo said, though maybe I should ask the detective some questions, he seems unusually helpful. "So do you mind if I ask what you know about the case?"

"Well pal, the victim was Felicity Rivers, one of the waitresses here. The cause of death was a stab wound to the chest which strangely, was done with two knives at once. The crime itself happened during a short blackout due to the storm outside. As far as witnesses go we have the only other two people in the restaurant at the time, Crystal Lennox, the girl over there with the headphones and Adam Wolsey, a detective. "

"Wait. Did you just say there was another witness?!" Apollo asked in surprise, all he had seen so far was Crystal. If there was another witness, why isn't he here?

"Yup, that there is. Detective Wolsey hasn't been on the force very long. Rumour has it that Felicity was his girlfriend and they recently had broken up."

"Another great lead!" Apollo thought, "Don't worry Ms. Von Karma this case is very far from closed."

"So, is that all you wanted to ask about pal?"

"uh, no not quite. Who turned the lights back on? Ms. Lennox said she saw the victim's body when the back-up generator was turned on but she doesn't know who did it."

"We ran a fingerprint analysis on generator last night actually."

"And… C'mon whose prints did you find?"

"Ms. Von Karma's."

"Really?" Apollo got a bit excited, this could potential by an alibi for his client, "Then if she was busy with that she wouldn't have had time to kill Ms. Rivers!"

"Not necessary. I know shouldn't be revealing the prosecution's arguments yet but, in order to find the door to the basement in the dark one would need a flashlight. And if Ms. Von Karma had a light then…"

"Then….What?" Apollo paused for a moment but then it all began to sink in, "Oh… then she could easily spot Felicity in the dark and seen where to stab her…"

"Just thought I should let you know about it pal, I know you took this case kinda last minute and all."

"Thanks. Anyway, I'd better continue with my investigation." Apollo then headed off to examine another part of the restaurant.

Great, I never can just get an easy, straight-forward case can I? Apollo thought, I guess I'm going to have to try to paint either Crystal or Adam as the murderer. Crystal doesn't strike me as the murderous type, but then again most killers try to hide that part of their personality. As for Detective Wolsey, he has a motive but I have no idea where he's at to ask him questions. This isn't going to be easy.

March 25th

Courthouse—Defendant Lobby #2

"Rookie! You're late!" Franziska called as her defense attorney entered the room.

"I know I'm sorry. I was busy." He replied,

"You better have been working on something important." She glared at him and crossed his arms.

"I was… well kinda. See, I was looking up information about the victim. Did you ever meet Felicity Rivers by chance?"

"Absolutely not. I had never met Ms. Rivers before that night."

There was a short silence, Franziska then relaxed a bit, 'You'd better get me a 'not guilty' Rookie. A von Karma never fails."

Before Apollo could reply, another voice interrupted, "He's doing his best Franziska, you really ought to put more faith in your own attorney."

"Miles Edgeworth, what are you doing here?" She turned to face him.

"Simply here to see how your trial turns out. Look, if you really did not commit this crime then you should not be worried in the slightest about be proven anything but innocent."

She sighed, "It's hard to when your attorney is fresh out of law school. Ah, I knew I should've gone with your boss instead Rookie. Kristoph Gavin would've given me a much better defense."

"Hey, I haven't even shown you anything yet!' Apollo chimed in, "Just wait, I promise I'll show everyone you're really innocent Ms. Von Karma. It's almost time for the trial to start anyway."

"So you say…" She commented, "Very well. If I'm not impressed with your work I'll be switching attorneys to someone more experienced, so for your sake I hope you're right."

"Don't worry 'Ziska, he'll prove you wrong. Won't you Justice?"

"yeah, I will!" Apollo added, but Franziska didn't hear it. She was taken aback by Miles' use of her childhood nickname. He hadn't called her 'Ziska since they were young children. She put her hand to her cheek was that… colour, rising to them? She couldn't be blushing, it just wouldn't be right. She turned her head away. Why did he call me that? I'm not a child anymore. She thought, what's he planning? Oh, good. Time for the trial to start now. It can only go one of two ways really. Either this rookie turns out to be prodigy like myself, or a total failure. More than likely the latter.

And with that, the defense entered the courtroom and Edgeworth took a seat in the gallery.

March 25h (Meanwhile)

Prosecution and Witness's Lobby #2

"Nervous Fraulein?" Klavier asked Crystal, who was sitting with her legs crossed on the couch in the lobby, "you kind of look that way."

"oh! I-I'm fine. I just, don't really like testifying is all." She explained "You understand right?"

"I suppose. Look, you don't have anything to worry about really. Just say what you saw to the court, that's all."

"The defense is going to try to make me out to be a liar." She added sheepishly.

"See, that's where I come in. If they do that, I'll present evidence to the contrary. So try and smile ok?"

Crystal smiled, but it was more forced than it was natural. She didn't like being the courtroom or the courthouse in general. It brought up bad memories. Memories she had plunged deep into her subconscious long ago, never wishing to pull back up. She wished deeply that she could explain all this to Klavier, but she couldn't. Not yet. There was still no telling how he would take the news.

There was a reason the Gavinners were the only modern rock band she liked. It was also no accident that the Tenby Rose was the diner at which she worked. She tried to focus on the happy memories from that time instead. One look at the Stevie Nicks concert button she always wore was enough of a reminder of that.

"Klavier." Crystal said, "I don't think Ms. Von Karma killed Felicity."

"You know, I don't really think so either. I mean it could be true, but then again it very well couldn't. That detective is looking rather suspicious himself."

"You mean Adam?" Crystal replied, "I guess one could argue he had the motive, not to mention he has the physical strength to overpower Felicity in a struggle. I just can't picture him as a killer either though. I heard he was really shaken up over Felicity's death."

"I guess we'll have to discover the truth for ourselves then. Are you ready to go Crystal?"

"Y-yeah… I'm your first witness aren't I?"

"Yeah, and you're going to do great. Just wait here until you're called in got it?"
"Got it."

Crystal then sat and watched as Klavier entered the courtroom. He was also so confident in his abilities, Crystal wished so desperately then that she could have even just a drop of his confidence in her own abilities. She would be returning to the witnesses stand, and the prospect still seemed dreaded.

She couldn't fretting over it allowing her subconscious guard to slip and a painful memory come back to haunt her.

The scene was the very same courtroom only a few years ago. Crystal was much younger, almost done with her schooling. Her schooling though, may never be completed with the way things were going. Grave accusations had been made against her and all throughout her trial the prosecution hurled insult after insult, forever tainted her good reputation. Things seemed to have been going her way at first but as the trial reached it's end, that was no longer the case.

"Please… there has to be something. You promised me you had decisive evidence that would prove my innocent this morning before the trial. "Crystal desperately pleaded will sitting on the witness's stand, "You have to know all these accusations are false. Please just say you have some way to defend me against this."

"Objection!" The prosecution cried. "The witness ought to refrain from simply begging for evidence to be presented. Don't you agree your honour?"

"Hmm… you do have a point Prosecutor Edgeworth. Very well, objection sustained. Ms. Lennox, I believe we've heard enough of your testimony to reach a verdict."

"Please Mr. Gavin!" She cried out, "Your promised me this morning you had decisive evidence. I'm not a liar and I'm not a fraud. Show me you believe in me!"

Her defense attorney, simply stood by and watched. He was able to keep his cool throughout the whole ordeal while Crystal appeared fragile, broken, and on the verge of tears. He knew he had been the only one to take her case, and she believed in him whole-heartedly. Everyone else she knew had turned on her, except him. She had counted on him to save her and all he said was.

"I have no such evidence your honour. Even I, her own defense attorney am convinced by the prosecutions argument. It seems you really are guilty Ms. Lennox."

"No, Please no!"

Recalling that scene, Crystal winced, and felt water start to well-up in her eyes. She didn't want to recall the day she lost everything she had ever worked for. A few minutes later a bailiff came and called for her. It was time to testify to the court.

Heyo, Berengaria here!

Thanks again for reading. And in case you were wondering "Sister Golden-hair surprise" comes form the song "Sister Golden Hair" by the band America. (copyright belongs to them) Coming up next: Crystal testifies, and will Apollo be able to prove his worth to Franziska?