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Apollo was not particularly surprised to see Ema Skye ascending the witness stand. What did surprise him was the absolutely foul scowl resting on her face as her hand sat on her hip. What is with Ema today? Did she forget her Snackoos or something?

Franziska was back to grabbing her shoulder as she said, "Witness, state your name and occupation."

Apollo felt the frost on Ema's tone as she replied, "Ema Skye. Homicide detective."

Franziska cracked her whip on her desk as a prelude, then held out her hand invitingly. "Detective Skye, If you would enlighten this court of fools as to what you witnessed at the crime scene, we can get this foolish trial finished."

Ema nodded in understanding. "If everyone would please take a look at this photo…"

She produced a large manila envelope, which she then handed to the bailiff, who took it over to Apollo. Apollo gingerly pulled out his copy of the picture, and saw the image of Lea Hamme in her hangman's noose, her feet easily ten feet off the ground. The bar from which her noose was suspended was about on the same level as the guard rail for what seemed to be a catwalk, just out of the audience's line of sight.

By now, Ema had drawn everyone's attention to her digital display of the same photo. "This photo was snapped as soon as we arrived on the scene. Now," she paused for a moment as she pulled up the victim's autopsy report, "According to the coroner's examination, the cause of death was strangulation. We know for sure her time of death had to be sometime between 4:30pm and 5:20pm. But, while we may not have an exact time of death, what we do have is a murder weapon." She produced a bag containing a length of rope fashioned in a noose from the container at her side. "This rope was the very one coiled around the victim's neck. No fingerprints were pulled from it."

OBJECTION!

"Then why was my client apprehended? If there are no fingerprints, you don't have any direct evidence that he-"

OBJECTION!

CRACK!

Apollo recoiled in pain as the lash of Franziska's whip found his exposed arm. The prosecutor leaned on her desk with her finger wagging at him as though she were scolding a small child. "Tsk tsk tsk. So impatient for your impending doom. How foolish." Her posture straightened. "Your Honor, if you would accept this evidence, then we may have Detective Skye testify about the apprehension of the suspect." Her whip lashed against her desk. "Now, you fool."

The kind old judge stammered for a few moments while he recovered from the shock of the loud noise, and said, "Yes, of course. This court accepts these articles into evidence."

Crime Scene Photo, Autopsy Report and Rope added to the Court Record.

WITNESS TESTIMONY: Arrival at the Scene

Ema's bearing remained serious as she delivered her testimony. "We received the call from the scene at 5:20pm. The call stated that someone had been killed, and that we needed to get to the scene right away. By the time we got there, the victim had been hanging there for at least fifteen minutes. We found the suspect at the scene, and apprehended him right away."

Franziska smirked, curtsying. "So you see, Your Honor, there is little mistaking the fact that the defendant strangled the victim." She leaned on her desk once again. "Well, Mr. Apollo Justice? Are you ready to admit defeat?"

Apollo's fists banged on his desk. "Not by a long shot!" Considering how vague that testimony is, it can't possibly stand as the only incriminating evidence…

The judge turned his attention to the defense. "Very well, Mr. Justice. Begin your cross-examination."

CROSS EXAMINATION: Arrival at the Scene

"We received the call from the scene at around 5:20pm."

HOLD IT!

Apollo poked his forehead in thought. "That's quite a precise time."

Ema did not seem amused. "We keep records of this sort of thing, you know. Besides, the timing of the call isn't necessarily important. The contents are."

"The call stated that someone had been killed, and that we needed to get to the scene right away."

HOLD IT!

Apollo's curiosity was piqued. "What exactly did the person who called you say?"

Ema toyed with her hair thoughtfully. "Well, it was a bit difficult to understand through the sobbing, but I already told you the basic gist. She seemed really distraught."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "She?"

Franziska grabbed at her shoulder. "That would be my witness. She is in a very… delicate state right now. She should not be brought into this trial needlessly."

Apollo sstarted sweating at the now threatening look the prosecutor was giving him. That's a very weird display of heart from a supposedly ruthless prosecutor…

"By the time we got there, the victim had been hanging there for at least fifteen minutes."

HOLD IT!

Apollo crossed his arms with a smirk. "But I thought you said you didn't have an exact time of death."

Ema glared at him. "We arrived on scene at 5:35pm. Our call was received at 5:20pm, so logically speaking, she had to have been hanging there for at least that long. Besides, her death would have happened any time within a three minute span from the moment she was sent to hang."

"Why?" Apollo asked, trying to poke his brain into cooperation. "Why three minutes?"

Ema rolled her eyes. "Well, scientifically speaking, a human will die if they go without air for three minutes. Didn't they teach you that in grade school?"

"Yeah, Apollo, even I knew that!" Trucy chimed in with a smile.

Apollo started sweating. I'm actually getting schooled by the magician.

"We found the suspect at the scene, and apprehended him right away."

HOLD IT!

"Why?" Apollo asked, now giving Ema the side-eye. "Why did you apprehend him, aside from the fact that he was at the crime scene? Couldn't he have just stumbled upon it by accident?"

Ema shrugged. "I'm sure you'd like to think that, but unfortunately, that's not possible. If I could draw your attention to this photo…"

Apollo gaped at the image he was seeing. Cress was facing the camera and appeared to be manhandling Lea Hamme, his hands gripped around her shoulders as he shouted at her. This… is not encouraging…

The judge blinked in surprise before looking down at Mr. Inpax with a grave look on his face. "Few are the men that I would trust after seeing them treat a lady like that. Shame on you!"

OBJECTION!

The judge raised his brows in surprise. "Who was that that just objected?"

Cress cleared his throat. "That would be me, Your Honor. That picture has been taken completely out of context and is being used to form allegations that are slanderous to my charact-"

OBJECTION!

This time, the objection was Apollo's. "Mr. Inpax, I'll handle the picture. Trust me." Apollo waited for Cress to begrudgingly nod and seat himself before turning his attention to Ema and clearing his throat. "Anyway. I believe what my client is trying to say is that this picture does not necessarily illustrate that he struggled with the victim on the day of the crime."

Ema was back to twirling her hair in thought. "Well, it is true that this photo was snapped by one of his castmates yesterday. But the bruises on her shoulders match up perfectly with his fingers. And when we apprehended him, after we'd read him his rights, he was grumbling something or other about 'the stupid woman never listened to me'. Pret-ty incriminating stuff, if you ask me."

Apollo drew back in shock. Dammit, Mr. Inpax, why didn't you tell me about this in the lobby?

Franziska smirked. "So, it is becoming very clear to you now, Mr. Apollo Justice. Your client's actions and words are echoed a thousand-fold by this picture, and they all speak that he had a motive."

"So it would seem." The judge concurred. "This photo is accepted as relevant evidence."

Fight Photograph added to Court Record.

Franziska smiled, leaning on her desk once more. "Detective, I believe that is all we needed to hear from you."

Ema nodded. "All right. I'll be in the lab if anyone needs me."

With that, Detective Ema Skye exited the courtroom, leaving Apollo in a cold sweat at the holes she'd just punched in his case. This is not good. This is not good at all. Why didn't Cress tell me about any of this?

Still smirking over her desk, Franziska said, "In a case such as this, it seems only fitting we hear what the defendant has to say for himself. The prosecution calls Cress Inpax to the stand."

OBJECTION!

Apollo's sweating worsened. "Y-You can't… my client never discussed…"

Franziska only tisked at him again. "Whatever your foolish client foolishly chooses to disclose or not disclose to you is neither my, nor the court's concern. The foolish fool seems foolishly confident enough of his innocence to foolishly testify for himself. I see no reason to stop him from testifying, should he so choose to incriminate himself."

Apollo's fists clenched on the desk as his client stood from his side and fluidly advanced to the witness stand. Dammit, Cress Inpax! What the hell are you thinking?

Court Record

Attorney's Badge: My badge. I polish it every day so that it shines its best!

Autopsy Report: Victim: Lea Hamme. COD: Asphyxiation due to strangulation. Estimated TOD: 4:30pm-5:15pm 5/2. Severe but healing bruising found on her face and shoulders.

Crime Scene Photo: A picture of the victim's body suspended over the stage by the flies, sandbags piled on the sides of the stage. She's about ten feet in the air. The fly her noose is tied on is on the same level as the guard rail for the catwalk above the scene.

Fight Photograph: Taken the day before the murder. Shows the victim and the defendant arguing, the defendant holding tightly onto the victim's shoulders.

Rope: The murder weapon. No prints found on it.

Profiles

Apollo Justice: Simply put, me. And I'm fine!

Trucy Wright: Mr. Wright's adopted daughter, and my sister. She's one of the last remaining magicians of Troupe Gramarye, and a pretty decent one at that.

Franziska von Karma: A prodigious prosecutor from Germany. She seems to have it out for my boss, for some reason. Crazy lady with a whip.

Lea Hamme: The victim, age 36. A fairly well-known stage and operatic actor/singer before her untimely death. Didn't socialize much.

Cress Inpax: My client, age 45. Also a well-known treader of the stage, more commonly known as Desmond Moore. Accused of strangling Lea Hamme.

Ema Skye: The lead detective on this case. Surly and addicted to Snackoos, which she seems to like chucking at me.