~ October 15, 10:00 AM ~ District Court ~ Courtroom No. 4 ~

The Judge banged his gavel down with the expression of someone who'd seen it all before. "This court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Wendy Powers," he said.
Edgeworth bowed. "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."
Phoenix nodded. "The defense is ready, your honor." April wasn't with him. Once they'd gotten back to the law offices, she'd conked out on the sofa and was still snoring this morning.
Still, he was pretty sure that the trial wouldn't be resolved today. If Edgeworth brought out the photo, Phoenix could make enough doubt about it that he'd get another shot at investigating in the studios... not that he was exactly certain what there was left to investigate.

The Judge looked at Edgeworth. "Your opening statement, please."
Edgeworth smiled. "The prosecution will show the court that, at 2:30 PM on October 13, the defendant, Ms. Wendy Powers, killed fellow actor Jack Hammer at Studio One of Global Studios. It is impossible for anyone else to have committed this heinous crime. The evidence presented during the trial will all point to this fact."
Big claims, Phoenix thought.
"I see," the Judge said. "Without further ado, I would like to move to testimony. Mr. Edgeworth, the prosecution may call its first witness."
Edgeworth nodded. "First. I would like to call a familiar face. Detective Gumshoe, please come to the stand."

Detective Gumshoe stepped into the witness's place to no one's surprise. He was carrying a large easel with a map of the studios, which he placed next to him.
"Detective," Edgeworth said, "if you would briefly describe this case to the court?"
Gumshoe nodded, pointing to the map. "Yes sir! This is a map of Global Studios. As you can see, there's the main gate in the center. The actual studios are on one side of the gate, and the employee area is on the other." He pointed at the Employee Area. "The actors did a run-through of their action scenes here, on the morning of the murder." He shifted his hand to the Main Gate, saying, "The security guard who works at the gate came in at 1:00 that day. There's an archway with a camera between the main gate and the studios."
Detective Gumshoe now pointed to Studio One, and grinned a bit. "And here it is, pal... Studio One. This is where the body was found, the scene of the murder!"
The obligatory buzz came from the gallery.

Gumshoe wasn't done. "On the day of the murder, October 13, there were only three people at the studios. The victim, Jack Hammer, the defendant, Ms. Powers, and a young man, the production assistant."
"HOLD IT!" Phoenix said. He hadn't met an assistant at the studios. "Who is this young man? I don't remember seeing him at the studio...!"
"His name's Cody, pal," Gumshoe said. "He helps the studios, and supervises if no one else is around."
"Detective," Edgeworth said, "You will refrain from saying 'pal' in court."
"Yes, sir..." Gumshoe replied. He slowly began to droop.
"What happened next?" Phoenix asked.
"All the production staff were in the Employee Area until after noon," Gumshoe said. "At 1:00, the security guard arrived at the guard station at the main gate. After that, the victim, Jack Hammer, went to Studio One."
Gumshoe pointed at the Employee Area, then dragged his finger over to the studio. "Now, jump ahead to later that day... 5:00 PM. The production staff came to Studio One to perform a rehearsal. Needless to say, the rehearsal was cancelled." He paused to think. "The time of death was 2:30 PM. The 'Princess Rapier' found lodged in the victim's chest was the murder weapon." Detective Gumshoe shrugged. "And that's the case, in brief."

"So, the murder weapon was a... rapier?" the Judge mused. "Isn't that a crime in itself?"
"A rapier is a type of thin sword," Edgeworth explained.
"How... medieval!" the Judge said, as Edgeworth placed the pink-and-steel sword (wrapped in plastic, and with a guard on the tip) on the evidence table.
"Your Honor," Edgeworth said, once he got back to the prosecution's table. "This case is quite simple if you ask one question: What did the security guard see? I would like to call the guard on duty at Global Studios to the stand!"

Will Oldbag looked even more like a bear when he was out of his element. Glowering at the assembled court, he took his place at the witness stand.
"Will the witness declare his name?" Edgeworth asked.
"..." Oldbag answered.
Edgeworth tried again, assuming Will hadn't heard him. "Your name, please."
"..." Oldbag continued.
Edgeworth looked imploringly at the Judge, who spoke from on high, "The witness will state his name."
"...!" Oldbag finished.
Finally, Edgeworth had had enough. Pointing straight at Mr. Oldbag, Edgeworth bellowed, "YOUR NAME, PLEASE!"
"...Will Oldbag," the guard finally said.
Edgeworth launched into his prepared questions. "Mr. Oldbag. On the day of the murder, you were stationed at the studio's main gate, were you not?"
"...Yes." Oldbag said.
"And, to get to the studios, someone would have had to walk past you, yes?"
"...Correct." said Oldbag. He was smiling slightly.
"Mr. Oldbag," Edgeworth said, "Please testify to the court about what you saw on the day of the murder."

~~~~~TESTIMONY~~~~~

"...!"

~~~~~END~~~~~

Edgeworth slowly placed his face in one of his hands. Turning to the Judge, he said, "Your Honor, I object."
"Object? To what?" the Judge asked.
"To the witness's supreme stoicism and long silences!" Edgeworth said.
The Judge mulled it over for a few moments, then nodded. "Objection sustained. Mr. Oldbag," he said, "please testify to this court in a manner that is understandable by the general public; otherwise, I am afraid I will have to hold you in contempt."
Slowly, Oldbag testified again.

~~~~~TESTIMONY~~~~~

"...On the day of the murder, I arrived at my post at 1:00. Powers, Hammer, and the assistant had been running through action scenes since morning. From then until 5:00, I was at the main gate.
...Before 2:30, the time of the murder, two people passed by my post. One was Jack Hammer. He was the victim. The other person was Wendy Powers."

~~~~~END~~~~~

"You saw the defendant, then?" the Judge said. "Hmm... very well. Let's begin the cross-examination. Mr. Wright?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Phoenix said.

"Mr. Oldbag," Phoenix said, "Why did you only show up to work at 1:00?"
"...I was told to come in at 1:00 that day," the guard said.
"So, up until that time, anyone who wanted to could have just walked into the studio?" Phoenix asked.
Will Oldbag shrugged. "...The main gate was locked all day. You would need an employee cardkey."
Phoenix tried a different tack. "You said they were running through action scenes?"
Oldbag nodded. "They were working out the fight scene for the grand finale. It's a pity Hammer had to be defeated in the end... he was a good actor, but he played the villain."
Is he talking about Hammer losing the fight, or dying? Phoenix thought.
"And you're sure you were at the main gate from 1:00 afterwards, until 5:00. You didn't let your gaze stray for even a moment," Phoenix prompted.
Oldbag looked deeply miffed. "...I am a professional," he said. "No."
So far, the cross-examination had been unproductive. Still, it was time for Phoenix to bring out his trump card.
"And you're sure you saw Wendy Powers," Phoenix continued, keeping his voice calm.
Oldbag nodded. "...I did."
"OBJECTION!" Phoenix yelled. Edgeworth and the Judge both sat up, as Phoenix fished out the photo he was looking for. "Mr. Oldbag, you could not have seen Wendy Powers..."
He held up the photo for all to see. "Because the person who passed by you at the guard station was none other than The Pink Princess!"

There was a stunned silence. The Judge stared at the photo, looking as though he was about to say something. Mr. Oldbag glowered at Phoenix and said, "...!"— he had figured out how Wright came by the photo. But it was Edgeworth who broke the news.
"Mr. Wright," Edgeworth said, smiling, "If anything, that should prove that your client was at the scene of the murder!"
"W-wait!" Phoenix said. "Just because Ms. Powers plays the Pink Princess doesn't mean Ms. Powers is the Pink Princess! My client claims she was sleeping when this photo was taken. Someone could have stolen the costume and headed to the studio!"
"I see!" said the Judge. He turned to the witness. "Mr. Oldbag, you do not have any proof that the person in this photo is Wendy Powers, do you?"
Mr. Oldbag smiled. "...I have proof."
"What!" Phoenix said.
"Huh?" said Edgeworth. On the bright side, he'd been blindsided by this proof too, so he'd be improvising just as Phoenix was. "The prosecution would like to request to the witness to make all information in your possession known ahead of time!" he added, angrily.
Oldbag shrugged. "...I showed the photo to the scruffy detective," he said. "The detective said, 'This isn't any good as evidence, pal!' I took him at his word."
Edgeworth looked at Oldbag rather flatly. The Judge interrupted.
"Mr. Oldbag," the Judge said, "Please testify as to the nature of your 'proof'."

~~~~~TESTIMONY~~~~~

"...That morning, during the action scene run-through, Powers fell, and twisted her ankle. The afternoon of the murder, the person in costume who passed me was limping! You can see it on the photo. The person must have been Powers."

~~~~~END~~~~~

"Hmm," said the Judge. "So she had twisted her ankle...?" He turned to Phoenix. "Mr. Wright, you may cross-examine the witness."

Phoenix had already spotted a big hole in the guard's story. "Mr. Oldbag. How did you find out about the ankle if you were at your post the entire time?"
"...My— er, the assistant, Cody, told me," Oldbag explained. "He was glad nothing had been damaged. Powers almost fell on the Princess Rapier!"
"Almost?" Phoenix asked.
"...Cody said they don't have a spare sword. If it had broken, the show would have been delayed."
"I see," Phoenix said. "Mr. Oldbag, this still isn't proof!" He held up the photo again. "You can't say this is Powers!"
"But only Powers would be dragging her leg," Edgeworth pointed out.
"He has a point," added the Judge. "It seems quite likely that it was Powers."
Phoenix tried looking over the testimony for errors, and found none. Oldbag wouldn't have any reason to lie about Powers' limp, and he'd seen everything while he was at the guard station.
He was starting to run out of possibilities.
"But..." Phoenix said, "someone else could have passed while you were checking the security camera!"
Mr. Oldbag glared at Phoenix. "No one else did."
If no one else did, then Powers was the only one who'd gone to the studio... the case was starting to look more and more airtight.
Or was it?
As he looked through the Court Record one more time, Phoenix's eye fell on the corner of the photo of the Princess, with its timestamp. That was the nudge he needed for his next line of argument.

"Objection," he said, smiling. "Mr. Oldbag, you are wrong." Should he have gone that strong? Too late to fix it now.
"...!" Oldbag said.
"Mr. Wright, please explain yourself!" Edgeworth said.
"Look at this photo one more time," Phoenix explained, holding it up. "This photo was taken by the camera at the studios archway, correct?"
Oldbag nodded. "Yes."
"So, whenever anyone passes by here, it automatically takes a picture?"
"Yes," Oldbag said.
"And," Phoenix added, "the picture is recorded on the computer in the guard station."
"Yes," Oldbag concluded, his gaze growing slightly darker.
"That computer printed out this photo," he said, "as well as this other one." He pulled out the photo of Jack Hammer.
"That's a photo of... the victim!" the Judge said.
Phoenix nodded. "Please note the timestamps on these photos. The photo of the victim is labeled 'Photo #1'." He held Hammer's photo up so everybody could see it. "The photo of the Pink Princess is labeled 'Photo #3', and the computer only held data for two photos on that day." He took a deep breath. "Not two, but three people went to the studio that day— yet there is only data for two photos! Someone must have erased the third photo, and the only person who could have done so, the only one with access..."
Phoenix pointed dramatically at Will Oldbag. "...was you! The security guard! Mr. Oldbag, you erased what very well could be the decisive evidence in this case!"

The crowd gasped and whispered, while the Judge banged his gavel for order. "Can the witness explain this to the court?" the Judge asked.
"Grrrrr..." Will Oldbag said, staring at Phoenix, his expression set.
"Mr. Oldbag!" the Judge said, banging his gavel once again for emphasis. "Why did you erase the third photo?"
Oldbag looked over at Edgeworth meaningfully, but Edgeworth looked as stunned as the rest of the court. He hadn't been expecting this, either! Phoenix was starting to feel as if he had a chance.
Caught between an irate Judge, an expectant courtroom, and a grinning Phoenix, Will Oldbag groaned, and testified.

~~~~~TESTIMONY~~~~~

"...As part of my job, I look at the photos captured by the security camera at the end of the day. I throw out any that are unimportant."

~~~~~END~~~~~

"M-mr. Oldbag!" Edgeworth said. "This is the first I've heard of this."
Oldbag shrugged. "You never asked."
Edgeworth looked as though he was getting a migraine.
"Mr. Wright," said the Judge, "Please begin the cross-examination."

Phoenix's first instinct was to go for the statement that had set the court whispering again. "Mr. Oldbag," he said. "You said you throw out unimportant photos. What counts as unimportant to you?"
"On tour days, the archway camera overreacts," Oldbag explained. "We only need one photo. We get ten. The rest of the time, any photos that don't look suspicious are deleted."
"W-what counts as suspicious-looking?" Phoenix asked. He thought this guy was a professional!
"You can tell by looking, usually," Oldbag replied conversationally.
"U-usually?" Phoenix said. "This is a murder trial, Mr. Oldbag!"
Will Oldbag shrugged. "That's why I didn't delete the photos of Hammer and Powers."
Phoenix bit back a desire to place his hand over his face.

"Mr. Oldbag," he said. "You did delete one photo on the day of the murder. Who was in the photo that you erased?"
Mr. Oldbag said, "A fangirl."
"F-fangirl?" Phoenix said.
"Pink Princess fans," Oldbag explained. "Nuisances. They find out when rehearsals are and sneak into the studio. One was there that day."
Wright couldn't let that pass. "Hold it! Didn't you just say no one could get into the studio?" Oldbag stared at him narrowly, but Phoenix kept talking. "'The main gate was locked all day'... those were your words!"

Oldbag slumped slightly, as if remembering something that was troubling him. "There is a drain. It goes from the Employee Area, to outside. The grate comes off easily. The fangirls get in there."
"Wait, they come in through the drain?" Phoenix asked.
That got Oldbag going. "If the director wants to make another episode with the Pink Princess sneaking into the Evil Magistrate's whatever through a vent, I am going to say no."
Wright decided not to mention to Oldbag that the director probably outranked him.

"I'd have thought that drain would be hard for a person to fit through..." Phoenix mused.
"They're children," Oldbag said.
"Ch-children?" said Phoenix. "You mean, on the photo you erased..."
Oldbag nodded. "A girl. Maybe... 2nd or 3rd grade."
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?" Phoenix said. A girl was at the crime scene?
"O-order! Order!" the Judge yelled. "Let me get this straight. You saw three people pass by the gate on their way to the Studios that day? One was Jack Hammer, the victim, and the second was the Pink Princess, dragging her leg. The third was a 3rd-grade girl?"
Oldbag nodded. "You can't catch them. I've tried. We're going to repair that drain."

After Oldbag's revelation, Edgeworth had been weighing the situation. Now, he said, "A girl in 2nd or 3rd grade? Hmm... I assume it would be hard, if not impossible, for a young girl to wield the Princess Rapier?"
The Judge nodded, gesturing at the sword on the evidence table. "Impossible, I'd think. It's quite heavy."
Oldbag said, "Exactly. I didn't think she was important, so I erased the data."
Interesting. The girl's presence made her a suspect in the trial. Would she testify, tomorrow or the next day?

"I'd like to take a 5-minute recess," the Judge said, brow furrowed in contemplation. "I want the defense and prosecution to consider this new information."

During the recess, Phoenix met with Ms. Powers. Even the sight of Oldbag and Edgeworth in a fierce argument at the other end of the defendant lobby wasn't enough to get the worried expression off Phoenix's face.
"You're sure you were in your dressing room?" Phoenix asked. "You didn't go to the studio?"
"I didn't go to the studio. I was asleep!" Ms. Powers insisted.
"Hmm," Phoenix mused. "I believe you were asleep... but then who was the 'Pink Princess' in the photo?"
Wendy Powers shrugged distractedly. "I don't know. The Pink Princess costume was off in the corner of the dressing room. Anyone could have come in and walked off with it."
"Hmm," Phoenix said. "It doesn't look good... we can point out that anyone could have stolen the costume, but you're still the primary suspect, right now."
Ms. Powers sighed. "What are we going to do?" she asked.
"Well, first," Phoenix said, "we can play for time. I think there's one other person who could conceivably have been the person in the photo. We can accuse that person, and if I'm right, we should be able to delay things a day so that we can gather new evidence."

"But... is that... right?" Wendy asked Phoenix. She looked unsure.
Phoenix nodded. "There's only so many people who could have done it. If you didn't, then my guess is as good as anybody's. We have to try."
"Right!" Wendy Powers said. She was starting to perk up again. "By the way, there was something strange in one of Mr. Oldbag's testimonies—"
At that moment, the bailiff tapped Phoenix's shoulder. He was late! It was time for the two to separate. "Tell me later!" Phoenix called back, as he sprinted for the doors of the courtroom.

The Judge banged his gavel as everyone filed back into the courtroom. "The court will now reconvene for the trial of Ms. Wendy Powers. Mr. Edgeworth, will you present the prosecution's thoughts on the matter?"
Edgeworth shrugged. The argument with Mr. Oldbag didn't seem to have disturbed him. "The prosecution's thoughts are simple," he said. "Nothing has changed. The other person who went to the studios was a girl of roughly 10 years of age. The photo we have may not be hard evidence, but there is still no one else that could have committed this crime!"
Edgeworth raised his voice above the buzz from the gallery, and yelled, "I call for a verdict of 'Guilty' for the defendant, Ms. Wendy Powers!

"Hmm..." said the Judge, when the noise had died down, "Very well. Mr. Wright, your thoughts?"
"The defense disagrees with the prosecution's claim. There IS another person who could have committed this crime!"
"Order!" the Judge said, banging his gavel to quiet the crowd. "Interesting... let us hear who you have in mind. However, be aware that this court does not look kindly on accusing the innocent." The unspoken words You are at risk of a penalty here didn't have to be said. "So, Mr. Wright, who was this person, other than Ms. Powers, that could have committed murder?"
Phoenix took a deep breath. If his hunch was correct, this would be enough to delay the trial for a day, at the least. He pointed dramatically.
"It was the assistant, Cody!" he said.
Oldbag turned pale. Immediately, he interrupted with 'Nonsense!', but Phoenix ignored him.
"The Pink Princess is dragging her leg in this picture," Phoenix explained. "That means, whoever was in the suit knew about that morning's injury. So, who was aware of Powers' injury?" Phoenix gestured around the court for emphasis. "Wendy Powers knew, obviously, as did Mr. Hammer. But there was one person other than Powers and Hammer who was watching the run-through. One person who had seen the accident happen with his own eyes!"
Oldbag, for some strange reason, wasn't taking this too well. "It was Powers!" he insisted. "Why would Cody want to kill someone?"

Phoenix continued, "After lunch, Cody would have had the opportunity he needed when Ms. Powers fell asleep! He slipped into her dressing room, stole the Pink Princess costume, and went to the studios."
"Hold it!" Edgeworth said. "Why would the assistant go out of his way to take the costume?"
"That's easy," Phoenix said. "Mr. Oldbag. How many people knew about the camera on the archway by the studios?"
Will Oldbag thought for a moment. "...It's no secret. All studio personnel knew."
Phoenix shrugged. "There you have it! Cody knew the camera would take his picture. He wore the Pink Princess costume to pin the blame on Ms. Powers!"
"I see!" the Judge said. "Excellent deductive reasoning, Mr. Wright."
Mr. Oldbag still wasn't enjoying this line of questioning. For some strange reason, he was getting angrier and angrier.
"The very same reasoning that makes Ms. Powers a suspect in the case," Phoenix continued, "can be used to cast doubt on Cody's actions that day!"
"But why would he want to kill Mr. Hammer?" Oldbag asked.
Phoenix pointed out, "You forget that Ms. Powers lacks a clear motive, too."
Oldbag was really getting mad now. "Cody couldn't have been the killer! What about... about the girl? The one whose photo I erased!"
The Judge piped in. "She's only a grade-schooler, though, as you said. 2nd or 3rd grade, was it?"
Oldbag stammered. "Th-that doesn't matter. When I was that age, I knew all the Silver Samurai's moves— and could use them!"

Phoenix pointed at the Princess Rapier. "Mr. Oldbag, Silver Samurai or no Silver Samurai, that girl is not the killer. Can you imagine a ten-year-old— any ten-year-old— wielding that sword?"
"Well—" Oldbag began, but Phoenix held out the photo of the Pink Princess.
"Not only that," Phoenix said, "but the girl would have to have taken the sword from the person shown in this photo!"
Edgeworth and Oldbag both reeled at the realization.
"Your ten-year-old," Phoenix said to Oldbag, "would have had to have met the Pink Princess, mugged him or her, then used the sword she took off of the Princess to kill Jack Hammer. It's impossible!"
Oldbag was speechless.

"Very well," the Judge said. "This court will suspend proceedings on the current trial for today. Mr. Edgeworth, please find out more about the assistant, Cody."
Edgeworth nodded. "We will, Your Honor."
The Judge nodded. "We will resume the trial tomorrow, when new information has come to light. That is all. Court is—"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!" Will Oldbag yelled, as the Judge put his hands over his ears. Oldbag had finally flown off the handle.
"Cody was not the killer," Oldbag growled. "He had his hands full! He had to supervise the action scene, with everybody else in that meeting! He— could— not— have— been— the— killer!"
"Mr. Oldbag," the Judge said, "you are out of order! This is not a place for blind insistence—"
Then, Phoenix realized what he'd just heard. "HOLD IT!" he yelled. "Your Honor! I believe the witness has just made a vital slip!"
That brought Mr. Oldbag up short. "What are you talking about? All I said was—" He stopped, as the realization of what he had said hit him.

"Your Honor," Phoenix said, "Just now, the witness mentioned that 'everybody else was in a meeting'. It has already been established that only four people were at the studios: Oldbag, Hammer, Powers, and the assistant, Cody." He pointed directly at Oldbag, and shouted in his loudest voice. "If what the witness said is true, there must have been other people at the studios on the day of the murder!"
"Mr. Oldbag!" the Judge said, looking like thunder, "What is this all about? Have you omitted something from your testimony?"

"...I was told not to talk about it," Oldbag said, sullenly. The fire had gone out of him.
"N-not to talk about it?" Phoenix said. So there was something!
"By whom?" Edgeworth said. He looked ill. Whatever was going on, it wasn't Edgeworth trying to conceal evidence— this time.
"Mr. Oldbag!" the Judge said. "You will testify about what you were commanded to keep secret!"

~~~~~TESTIMONY~~~~~

"...Global Studios wanted my silence on something. There were several other people at the studios on the day of the murder; they insisted they had 'nothing to do with it', and told me to say they 'hadn't been at the studios that day'. So I did."

~~~~~END~~~~~

Phoenix didn't need the Judge's cue to begin his cross-examination this time. "Mr. Oldbag!" he said. "You say these people insisted they had nothing to do with the murder. You believed them?"
Oldbag said, "I had no choice. They run the studios."
"They r—?" Phoenix said. "W-who were these people?"
Oldbag thought for a moment. "The director, the producer... and a bunch of TV-station men in suits."
"...the director." Phoenix said. Something that should have been obvious had been hidden under everybody's nose.
"We should have known something was fishy!" Edgeworth said. "How could they have done a run-through of an action scene without a director? Of course!"
It was the bit about the assistant supervising that kept us from asking, Phoenix thought. Clever.
"Where were these people?" Phoenix asked.
Oldbag answered, "The director was in the Employee Area in the morning, for the run-through. He joined the producer at lunchtime. They had a meeting with the suits after that."
"Where!" Edgeworth said.
"In the Studio Two trailer," Oldbag said.
"S-studio Two...?" Phoenix said. He'd seen the Studio on the map, but the gate had been locked.
"You go to the left, after the camera arch," Oldbag explained. "It's not used often."

"I see," said Phoenix, before spreading his hands wide. "Your Honor!" he said. "We have learned that there were others at Global Studios on the day in question. The director, the producer, and, er, some 'suits' were all present. Yet, as we stand here, they have not been questioned!"
Edgeworth, on the other side of the room, looked as though a small cloud was raining on his head.
"I hold that it is impossible to declare a verdict on the defendant, Ms. Powers!" Phoenix said.
"Hmm..." said the Judge. "The court acknowledges the defense's point. The prosecution will gather more information about the assistant, Cody..."
"Hey!" Mr. Oldbag said.
"...and more information about these other people we have just been told of!" the Judge finished.
Edgeworth looked up at the Judge. "I understand, Your Honor," he said.
The Judge raised his gavel. "This ends the day's proceedings in the trial of Ms. Wendy Powers. That is all. Court is adjourned!"

To Be Continued