May 16, 8:51 AM
District Courthouse
Courtroom Lobby #3

Iris gasped. "Feenie? You're my defense attorney?"

"...Please don't call me that."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wright. I just...I can't believe you're protecting me, after what I did."

"I'm not," Phoenix said coldly.

"Hey!" Maya shouted. "If you're going to be my cousin's defense attorney, then you'd better be nice!"

Phoenix took a step backwards. "That's not what I meant!" he said quickly. "I mean...the truth is, I don't know what happened. Apparently, everybody's been lying to me for the past seven months."

Iris didn't say anything.

"So that's why I'm here. I want to learn the truth, no matter how hard it may be. That's what a defense attorney does."

"What about protecting the innocent and all that stuff?" Maya asked.

"That's important, too," Phoenix said. "I believe—"

A police officer tapped on Phoenix's shoulder. "Mr. Wright?"

"Yes, officer?"

"A Miss Dahlia Hawthorne wishes to speak to you before the trial."

Iris gasped. "Dahlia? She's here?"

"Yes, ma'am. She requested a police escort to ensure her safety."

"That lousy, no good jerk!" Maya said, clenching her fists. "She probably came here to make sure you get found guilty!"

"I'll speak with her," Phoenix said. He nodded at the two cousins. "Goodbye, Maya. Goodbye, Dahli—Iri—Miss Fey."

Phoenix was led a short distance away, where Dahlia was standing between two officers. Dressed in a simple pink outfit, she looked just like Phoenix remembered her.

"Dahlia?" Phoenix asked.

"Phoenix Wright. It's good to finally meet you," Dahlia said.

"We haven't met before?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Dahlia shook her head. "I can't believe my sister has been impersonating me for over half a year! This is like something out of a movie!"

"You didn't know about it?"

"Of course not! I was abroad, studying in Europe this semester!" Dahlia said. "And the instant I came back, I was arrested for the murder of Doug Swallow! I tried telling the police I had no idea what was going on, but they didn't believe me!"

"I..." Phoenix said. He didn't know what to think. If Iris had been impersonating Dahlia all along—and Iris admitted to this—then Dahlia must be innocent!

...Only she wasn't his Dahlia.

Phoenix gulped. "I asked to see you several times, when you were in prison. Why didn't you agree to meet me?"

"I had no idea who you were," Dahlia said honestly. "The guard said my boyfriend had come to visit, but I don't have a boyfriend, so I...I thought it was some sort of trick."

"I...I see."

"I'm sorry. You seem like a nice person. Maybe under different circumstances, we could have been friends, but as it is...I guess we're both victims of my sister's schemes."

"But that's the problem, Dahlia. How do I know you're not the twin who's scheming?"

"Besides for the fact that Iris has finally admitted she's been impersonating me?" Dahlia asked. "I have an alibi that can be confirmed by six people. And even if I wanted to visit my family in Kurain, I couldn't. Staying in Los Angeles is one of the conditions of my bail."

Phoenix wasn't sure if Dahlia could be trusted. After the blow to the head, he couldn't remember what happened in Kurain all that well, but he vaguely remembered fighting Dahlia for the gun. Or was that Iris, not Dahlia?

"I agree with your instincts, though. I think my mother is hiding something," Dahlia said seriously, putting her hand on Phoenix's arm. She pulled her arm back and blushed. "I know that's a horrible thing to say, but it's true. When she bailed me out of jail, she was acting very strangely. Almost like she was planning something."

"Are you saying that Morgan Fey is an accomplice?"

"I don't know for sure. The truth is I've never been close to my mother. Not since she disowned me and left me to live with the Hawthornes. She's always been closer to Iris, who got to keep the family name."

"I see," Phoenix said. "Well, thank you for the information, Dahlia. Your mother is the prosecution's main witness, so I'm sure it will come in handy during the trial."

"Good luck, Phoenix. I hope you get to the bottom of this case."

May 16, 9:02 AM
District Courthouse
Courtroom #3

The Judge banged his gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of the State VS Iris Fey. Are we ready to officially begin?"

"Th-the defense is ready, Your Honor," Phoenix said.

"The prosecution is also ready," Manfred von Karma said.

The Judge's eyebrows raised. "Are you a new lawyer? I don't think I've seen you before, Mr...?"

Phoenix fingering the badge on his lapel. "Phoenix Wright. I'm Mia Fey's understudy."

"Ah, of course," the Judge said, bowing his head. "I didn't know she had one of those, but it is understandable that you would want to be here. Are you sure you are up to the task?"

"I...I think so, Your Honor."

"You look nervous. Perhaps a little test will soothe your nerves a bit. Tell me, what is the—?"

"Objection!" Manfred von Karma said, snapping his fingers. "Just because this is Mr. Wright's first time in court, it does not mean we have to baby-sit him. We'll find out soon enough if he has the ability to stand on his own in the courtroom. ...Which I doubt."

"Very good. Then, let's have the prosecution make its opening statement."

"Today's case is simplicity itself. The victim was locked inside a room with the defendant. No one entered or left the room until after the shooting, meaning the defendant is the only possible suspect."

"A locked room murder. I see," the Judge said.

"Hold it!" Phoenix cried. "That's not accurate! There was another person in the room!"

Von Karma grinned. "You are correct, my dear defense attorney. An unimportant brat with stupid hair was inside the room at the time. Are you saying that you want to accuse him of being the murderer?"

Phoenix paled. He knows. Von Karma knows I was the third person! ...But why hasn't he said anything?

Von Karma wagged his finger at Phoenix. "If the defendant is not the murderer, then it must have been you...r third party."

This is blackmail! Phoenix thought. Sweat started pouring down his face.

"So there were three people in the locked room, at the time of the murder," the Judge summarized. "I presume you have a good reason for accusing only one of the suspects, instead of both."

"I do, Your Honor. This crime was...premeditated."

"You mean it was planned in advance?"

"As it so happens, someone called the police department that day, warning them about the murder plot. That is how the police were able to arrive so promptly. The prosecution summons Detective Gumshoe to the stand!"

A large detective with an overcoat took the witness stand.

"Name and occupation."

"Detective Dick Gumshoe, Pal! I'm a homicide detective! I was the one who investigated the crime scene yesterday."

"Please testify as to what you discovered," the Judge asked.

Phoenix took a deep breath and leaned forward. Okay, this is it. I can't mess up here.

"The crime took place in Kurain Village, a place famous for its spirit mediums. Kurain Village was founded by Ami Fey, about three hundred years ago. Ever since then, the Feys have been in charge of running the village, sort of like a family dynasty."

"Skip the history lesson and get to the case!" snapped von Karma.

"Sorry, Pal! This is important to know! 'Cause there are two members of the Fey Family who don't live in Kurain: the defendant and the victim."

"I see," the Judge said. "The two of them were estranged from their ancestral home."

"Right! Or at least, that was the case, until a month ago. The defendant moved to Kurain, but instead of revealing her true identity, she pretended her name was Clarissa Wright."

"Wait, that's my last name!" Phoenix said. "She was pretending to be my sister?"

"Your sister is named Clarissa?" the Judge asked. "What an astounding coincidence!"

"Is she single?" Gumshoe asked.

"Objection! Witness, if you don't start telling the details of the case now, you can expect a paycut!"

"Ugh!" Gumshoe said, sweating a bit. "Yesterday, Mia Fey showed up in Kurain, and she asked to speak with the defendant alone. For the sake of privacy, the two of them were locked inside a remote room. A few minutes later, the defendant left the room, carrying a gun. She got the attention of some local spirit mediums. When they arrived, they found the victim's wounded body, lying on the ground."

"The prosecution submits this gun into evidence," von Karma said.

"Hmmm..." said the Judge. "The defendant left the room with a gun in her hands. I must say, that does sound incriminating."

"Ob-objetson!" Phoenix said, tripping over his words. "There's a gap of a few minutes in the testimony! Maybe someone shot the victim after the defendant left, but before the witnesses arrived!"

Von Karma wagged his finger at Phoenix. "Nice try, rookie, but I'm not finished yet. We had ballistics run a check on the gun, and they were able to give us the exact time of the shooting. Naturally, this was before the defendant left the room."

Von Karma submitted the ballistics report to evidence. Phoenix scratched his head in confusion. "Um...this report says the bullet removed from the victim's chest matches the ballistic markings from the gun."

"Yes. And?"

"Well, I was just wondering...what's a ballistics?"

"Shocking! You call yourself a defense attorney, and you don't even know what ballistic markings are!" von Karma asked. "Incompetent wretch! Judge, explain to this numbskull!"

Excuse me for not knowing high-level police terminology... Phoenix thought, sweating.

"Ballistic markings are like the fingerprints of a gun," the Judge said. "Using them, the police can determine which gun a bullet was fired from. It's very accurate."

"More like completely accurate!" von Karma said. "This report proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this gun was used to kill Mia Fey!"

"K-kill?"

"I have the victim's autopsy report right here. It confirms the time of the shooting."

Phoenix felt like fainting, as the autopsy report was added to evidence. "An autopsy report! But does that mean Mia is...?"

"She died in the hospital about a half-hour before the trial," von Karma said. "As such, I request that the charges against the defendant be upgraded from attempted murder to actual murder!"

The Judge thought about it for a moment, then banged his gavel. "Motion carried. Now, if the prosecution has finished..."

"I have."

"...Then it is time for the cross-examination."

Phoenix wiped the sweat off of his forehead. I'm not ready for this...

Court Record

Attorney's Badge: I stole this from Mia's desk. Hopefully no one will realize it's not mine.

Photograph: Also stolen from Mia's desk. It shows a much younger Mia with her baby sister and an older woman I don't recognize.

Gun: The murder weapon. Removed from the crime scene by the defendant. Forensics confirmed that three different people grabbed it, indicating there was a struggle for the gun.

Ballistics Report: The gun was fired twice, at 2:59 PM and 3:00 PM. The bullet found inside the victim's chest matches the murder weapon.

Autopsy Report: Mia Fey was shot in the heart at 2:59 PM on May 15th. She died in a hospital at 8:31 AM, the following day.