January 26, 10:48 AM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 1

"What the hell was that?" Apollo yelled the second the door closed.

"I told you my theory, didn't I Apollo?" Phoenix retorted calmly. "This card is—"

"I don't care about the stupid card!" Apollo interrupted. "For all I know, you could have forged that! Ms. von Karma didn't—"

"Did you just accuse me of forging evidence?" Phoenix asked, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his voice scarily calm. Apollo stood on his toes and glared at his mentor.

"Yeah, I just did," he hissed.

"Mr. Wright, a minute, please." Apollo turned to see Franziska standing behind him, and apologies began tumbling out of his mouth.

"Ms. von Karma, I'm really sorry," he said immediately. "I really don't think you're a murderer, and—"

"But that card was mine," she pointed out, raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah, by the way, why didn't you ever give that back to me?" Phoenix wondered.

"The next time I saw you, we were investigating a murder," she replied, her eyes averting to the floor. "It slipped my mind." Apollo's bracelet suddenly tightened. "However, I can't say why it was found in the security office."

"Why not?" Apollo asked.

"Because I was never there," she replied. "I never once set foot in the security office. This isn't even my case."

"But it's your sister's," Phoenix objected. "You could be helping her out in the investigation."

"Mr. Wright, I do not have enough free time to help my sister investigate a crime scene," Franziska said flatly, her hand drifting up to her right shoulder. Her eyes flickered to the ceiling, and Apollo clenched his fists. Why did she react like that? he thought. She touched her shoulder… and then she looked at the ceiling… but she wasn't lying just now. The only thing she lied about was the reason for not giving Mr. Wright back his card, but I don't think that's relevant to this case. "Mr. Justice, I would appreciate if you stopped staring at me like that."

"Oh!" Apollo gasped. "S-Sorry…"

"And another thing you should know," Franziska continued, "is that I was at my office the night of the murder. I never attended Gavin's concert." Phoenix chuckled.

"You're so predictable, Franziska," he said light-heartedly. "I'm not really accusing you, you know?"

"You're not?" Apollo and Franziska asked simultaneously.

"B-But…" Apollo stuttered. "I thought…"

"Things are fitting together nicely," Phoenix said, "but the trial is moving too quickly. I need more time. Apollo, sorry about the way I acted in the courtroom. You were great in there." Apollo felt his face heat up, and he scratched the back of his face and grinned.

"Oh…" he mumbled awkwardly. "Thanks… but really, what more is there to this case? I mean, it's pretty obvious that Ruka's innocent, and it's not really our job to find out who really killed Maddie, so…"

"Mr. Justice, how do you think Mina Asou will feel, not knowing the truth?" Franziska asked.

"Mina's dead," Apollo pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't testify." Apollo saw Mina at the doorway, clad in the purple robes of the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, her hair black instead of dark brown.

"M-Mina!" he gasped. "You… You're…" Apollo felt tears well up in his eyes.

"I know," she said. "Spirit channeling's great, isn't it?" Apollo chocked on a sob, and Mina raised her eyebrows in disbelief and amusement. "Mr. Justice, are you actually crying?"

"Sorry, Miss Asou," Phoenix said smoothly, "but Apollo tends to get a bit emotional."

"Anyway, there's still my murder we have to clear up," she continued, crossing her arms over Maya's chest. "I definitely didn't commit suicide. I'd never ditch Ruka like that. I'm positive someone killed me, but I don't know who. I'll bet you anything I was killed so that I couldn't testify. Maybe… maybe the person who killed me killed Maddie and framed Ruka."

"But we don't even know who killed you in the first place!" Apollo protested.

"I'm pretty sure you're the last person I spoke to last night," Mina said, pointing to Franziska. Franziska raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, but I believe this is the first time we're speaking," Franziska refuted.

"Wh-What?" Mina gasped. "But… I'm sure it was you! Long blue hair, glasses—"

"My sister fits that description as well," Franziska pointed out.

"Do you think you could have just mixed them up?" Phoenix asked.

"No way!" Mina yelled. "The person I spoke to looked way younger than the other Ms. von Karma!" Phoenix sighed.

"Oh boy," he mumbled. "Franziska, you're screwed. You look guilty either way."

"I'm well aware of that, Mr. Wright!" Franziska snapped, crossing her arms, tapping one arm with her fingers. This isn't good… Apollo thought. The chief prosecutor's innocent, but… is there really a way to prove Ruka innocent without accusing her?

January 26, 11:00 AM

District Court

Courtroom No. 2

The judge banged down his gavel. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Ms. Ruka Mills," he announced. "Mr. Justice, Mr. Wright, have you come to an understanding?" Apollo nodded.

"Yes, Your Honor," Apollo answered.

"Now without further ado, I would like to—" the judge began.

"OBJECTION!" The judge glanced around the courtroom.

"Wh-Who said that?" he stammered.

"I did, Your Honor." Klavier stood at the witness stand.

"Gavin!" Apollo gasped. What's he doing here?

"Yesterday, the primary witness in this case, Fraulein Asou was found dead after questioning," Klavier said. "Her throat was slit. Her fingerprints were on the knife in question, leading people to believe that she committed suicide." He frowned. "This. Is. False."

"We already know that," Apollo muttered impatiently.

"Found near her body was this card here," Klavier continued, holding up a white card with a pink shell. Shelley de Killer Calling Card #2 Added to Court Record.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Apollo yelled. "That's exactly like—"

"Like the card found in the security office, right?" Phoenix asked. "Only that one has my face and name on it. This one's authentic." Phoenix cleared his throat. "Your Honor, if I may…" He stepped over to the witness stand. "I'd like to testify about that card."

"You mean you've seen that card before, Mr. Wright?" the judge asked.

"Yes I have, Your Honor," Phoenix answered, "though for a different case."

"Very well," the judge said, nodding. "Mr. Wright, please testify to this court about the meaning of this card."

Witness Testimony: The Card

I ask the court to recall a certain case from nine years ago: State v. Engarde.

It started out as any murder trial would – with Matt Engarde, the defendant, on trial for the murder of his rival Juan Corrida.

But then this calling card came up in that case.

At that point, the case was no longer treated as a murder, but as an assassination, and our top priority became finding de Killer's client.

Apollo pressed a finger to his forehead in deep thought. Everything hinges on this testimony. My bracelet didn't tighten… but I hope for Ruka's sake, Mr. Wright told the complete and total truth…

Cross-Examination

I ask the court to recall a certain case from nine years ago: State v. Engarde.

HOLD IT!

"Was this one of the cases you handled?" Apollo asked.

"Yes," Phoenix answered.

"And was Ms. von Karma involved too?" Apollo asked.

"You're going to have to be more specific than that, Apollo," Phoenix muttered, staring off to the side. "Tell me, which von Karma are you referring to?"

"The chief prosecutor," Apollo answered. "Franziska von Karma."

"Her?" Phoenix asked. "Yeah, she was involved in the case, but unless you can prove how that's relevant to this case, you're out of luck." Apollo pulled out the other calling card with Phoenix's face drawn on it.

"TAKE THAT!" he shouted. "This is hers, isn't it? It's the same exact card as the one you have now, but your face is drawn on this one."

"I remember," Phoenix said. "We presented that not too long ago, didn't we?"

"So…" Apollo continued, sticking his finger out. "That establishes her relation to this case!"

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix yelled. "Sorry Apollo, but the owner of this calling card happens to get many clients. It's no surprise Franziska hung onto this card after that case, but it really doesn't have anything to do with this case." Apollo hung his head in disappointment.

"Oh…" he mumbled.

"So what happened with this case?" the judge asked.

It started out as any murder trial would – with Matt Engarde, the defendant, on trial for the murder of his rival Juan Corrida.

HOLD IT!

"Do you think you could describe the circumstances of this case?" Apollo asked, pressing a finger to his forehead.

"Long story short," Phoenix began, "Juan Corrida was found dead in his hotel room with a knife bearing Engarde's fingerprints plunged in his chest and a button from Engarde's costume in his clothes. So as I was saying…"

But then this calling card came up in that case.

HOLD IT!

"How so?" Apollo asked.

"A witness, Engarde's manager, incidentally, had it," Phoenix explained. "It became obvious that the owner of this calling card was the true culprit, but…"

At that point, the case was no longer treated as a murder, but as an assassination, and our top priority became finding de Killer's client.

HOLD IT!

"Who's de Killer?" Apollo asked.

"Oh, I didn't go over this, did I?" Phoenix asked, staring off to the side. "Shelley de Killer… is the owner of this calling card." The crowd broke into chatter, and the judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order! Order in the court!"

"Or rather, this is his calling card," Phoenix continued. "Shelley de Killer is an assassin. An honorable one, but an assassin nonetheless." How exactly can an assassin be honorable? Apollo thought. "You know what this means?" Phoenix smirked. "This is no longer a murder case. It's an assassination."

"OBJECTION!" Klarissa immediately interrupted, snapping her fingers. "I understand that Mina Asou was assassinated, but this has nothing to do with Maddie Thompson's murder."

"Yes it does!" Mina, in Maya's body, stood at the witness stand with her arms crossed. "My death has everything to do with Maddie's." Suddenly, everyone in the courtroom burst out talking.

"What's going on?" one random spectator asked.

"Is that the witness from yesterday?" another piped up. "I thought they just said she died."

"Mommy, who is that?" a child asked. The judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order in the court! B-But… Miss Asou!"

"Yes, Your Honor?" Mina replied innocently.

"Explain yourself!" the judge spluttered.

"It's quite simple, Your Honor," Phoenix said smoothly, taking his place next to Apollo at the defense's bench. "She's being channeled by the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique herself."

"Channeling?" the judge mumbled confusedly.

"Spirit channeling, Your Honor," Phoenix reiterated. "The women of the Fey clan can call back spirits of the dead temporarily, remember?"

"Oh, yes!" the judge gasped. "I remember!"

"OBJECTION!" Klarissa shouted. "I refuse to accept this… this… absurdity!"

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix countered. "Sorry Ms. von Karma, but the legitimacy of the Kurain Channeling Technique has already been established in this court several times."

"Your Honor, please let me testify," Mina begged. "Someone killed me to keep me from talking, and I won't let them get away with blaming Ruka for Maddie's murder!" The judge banged down his gavel.

"Very well," he said. "We will hear your testimony."

Witness Testimony: The Assassination

I was called in for questioning yesterday after the trial.

I spoke with Ms. von Karma – the one standing over there – for a couple hours before the other Ms. von Karma – the chief prosecutor – took over.

We didn't talk for that long, but just as she left, someone approached me from behind and slit my throat!

If it really was an assassin, I'll bet you anything that the person who hired him to kill me had him kill Maddie too!

This isn't good… Apollo thought. Chief prosecutor von Karma has an alibi, but it won't do her any good if this case is treated as an assassination! But… if this case is treated as an assassination, then proving Ruka innocent becomes so much easier!

Cross-Examination

I was called in for questioning yesterday after the trial.

I spoke with Ms. von Karma – the one standing over there – for a couple hours before the other Ms. von Karma – the chief prosecutor – took over.

HOLD IT!

"But Ms. von Karma – I mean chief prosecutor von Karma – said she never spoke to you until this morning in the defendant lobby," Apollo pointed out.

"I don't think I mixed her up with the other Ms. von Karma, though," Mina refuted. "I'm sure the second von Karma I talked to was way younger. Her voice even sounded different!"

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix yelled. "Miss Asou, as a girl, I'm sure you're well aware of the extent of modern cosmetics' benefits. Older women can easily hide their wrinkles with a simple face cream."

"OBJECTION!" Klarissa shouted. "A-Are you insinuating that I had something to do with this witness's murder?" Apollo shook his head.

"Not at all," he replied, "just that you met with the victim – I mean the witness – not once, but twice on the day of her murder!" There was noise in the courtroom, and the judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order in the court! Mr. Justice, explain yourself!"

"It's quite simple, Your Honor," Apollo said. "Chief prosecutor von Karma said that she never once met the witness until this morning, as she was being channeled by the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique Maya Fey, but this contradicts the witness's testimony and therefore her memory."

"Perhaps the chief prosecutor lied?" the judge asked. Apollo shook his head.

"I'm afraid not," he refuted. "Ms. von Karma was telling the complete and total truth."

"OBJECTION!" Klarissa yelled before snapping her fingers. "And you know this how?"

"I just do," Apollo replied.

"That's not good enough, Apollo," Phoenix pointed out.

"I know," Apollo snapped back. "Usually when people lie, they develop strange habits, be it biting their nails, running their fingers through their hair, or the like." Apollo slammed his fists down on the table. "However, none of this occurred when I spoke with Ms. von Karma."

"OBJECTION!" Klarissa yelled. "I apologized, but my sister happens to be a very good liar." Apollo's bracelet tightened just as her eyes briefly drifted upward and her right middle finger twitched, and he smirked confidently. Gotcha.

"I believe you are the good liar here, Ms. von Karma," Apollo said.

"von Karma?" the judge asked. "Which one? The chief prosecutor?" Apollo shook his head.

"No, Your Honor," he replied. He then thrust his arm outward, pointing at Klarissa. "The one standing at the prosecution's bench!" The spectators in the courtroom began conversing nervously to each other, and the judge banged his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order! Order in the court! Mr. Justice, do you mean to say that Franziska von Karma is a very good liar?"

"Klarissa von Karma, Your Honor," Apollo corrected. "Franziska von Karma is the chief prosecutor."

"Oh…" the judge mumbled. "Carry on, then."

"Just now, when Ms. von Karma stated that her sister was a very good liar," Apollo began dramatically, "her eyes briefly drifted upward and her right middle finger twitched. Ergo…" he slammed his fists down on the table. "She is the liar here!" Klarissa flinched, and beads of sweat began to roll down her face.

"Proof…" she whispered. "Do you have proof that I lied just now, Mr. Apollo Justice?" Apollo shook his head.

"That isn't something I can prove, Ms. von Karma," Apollo said. "I wouldn't have said anything if you just looked up, or just your finger twitched; I can't really make much of an argument with that. However, those two actions happened simultaneously. Each of them on its own could pass off as a coincidence, but two coincidences look more like a pattern to me."

"OBJECTION!" Klarissa shouted. "Th-This… This is absurd!" Apollo crossed his arms and smirked.

"So you're admitting it then?" he asked. "You really did lie just now?" Her finger twitched again.

"Of course not!" she refuted. Apollo raised his eyebrows.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She glanced up.

"Of course," she replied.

"Gotcha." Klarissa's hands balled into fists.

"Wh-What is the meaning of this?" she spluttered. "I… I…"

"See?" Apollo asked. "You just did it again. You looked up and your finger twitched. Like I said before: happens once, and it's a coincidence; happens twice, and it's a pattern. You're just a big fat liar, aren't you, Ms. von Karma?"

"What I said about my sister is meaningless!" Klarissa insisted.

"Then why don't you tell us the truth?" Apollo prodded. "The whole truth. Did you meet again with the witness twice the day she died, disguising yourself as your sister?"

"Yes," Klarissa answered quietly, and thankfully, Apollo's bracelet didn't tighten.

"But… why?" Apollo asked. "It wouldn't really have changed anything… I don't think it even matters that you were the last person to speak to her yesterday."

"But since you disguised yourself as Franziska," Phoenix continued, "you were clearly trying to cover up something. Maybe you did something wrong, and you wanted to frame your sister for it?"

"I…" Klarissa mumbled, flinching. "I would never…" Apollo's bracelet tightened, and he calmly observed her eyes drift up and her middle finger twitch.

"See?" Apollo said. "Right there. You did it again. You looked up, and your middle finger twitched."

"HOLD IT!" Everyone's eyes flew to the witness stand, where Trucy stood. "I… I have something to say…"

"What is it, Trucy?" Phoenix asked gently.

"I can see this trial isn't going to end today," she said. "There are too many loose ends! Too many questions left unanswered, so… I went back to the crime scene… both of them… and…" She pulled out her pair of magic panties, and Apollo hung his head. Panties again? "I found this." She pulled out another pink shell card. "It was in the A block of the parking garage, where Ms. Starr said the real crime occurred."

"Where was it?" Apollo asked, slamming his fists down on the table. How could we have missed that?

"There was this one black car there," Trucy replied. "I noticed that that black car was always there, but I didn't really think anything of it until I saw this card under it. Maybe that car belongs to the guy who killed Mina and Maddie!"

"Sorry Trucy," Phoenix said, "but the question isn't 'Who killed Mina and Maddie?'. We already know it was an assassin by the name of Shelley de Killer. The question is: 'Who was his client?'"

"Oh…" Trucy mumbled as she hung her head sadly. "I'm sorry… I didn't find anything about that… I… I was just trying to help…"

"You've helped out a lot," Apollo said. "Now we know that the witness's murder is tied to the victim's, and this card is the proof!" The judge banged down this gavel.

"Very well," he said. "Court will now adjourn until tomorrow morning. The defense and the prosecution will look into this assassination before then." Whew… Apollo thought. We made it. The judge banged his gavel one last time.

Court Record:

Evidence

Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this.

Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood.

Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife.

Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage.

Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime.

Maddie's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: January 23, 8:02 PM. Cause of death: loss of blood from one stab wound to the chest.

Crime Scene Photo #1 – Depicts the victim lying dead on the ground of the parking garage.

Crime Scene Photo #2 – Depicts the defendant lying unconscious near the crime scene.

Parking Garage Map – Check for details.

Bleach – Traces found at the real crime scene. Reacts to Luminol in the same way that blood does.

German Serial Killings Essay – "With the outstanding lack of legitimate evidence and the failure of Germany's prosecutors to convict the real criminal… the obvious conclusion is that the real criminal has close ties to law enforcement or is a part of law enforcement."

Shelley de Killer Calling Card – A card bearing the print of a pink shell. Has the face of Mr. Wright drawn on it in black pen.

Shelley de Killer Calling Card #2 – A card identical to the one found in the security office, but without Mr. Wright's face drawn on it.

Profiles

Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade.

Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again.

Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge.

Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead.

Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin.

Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor.

Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree.

Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends. A photography major who previously did a fashion shoot.

Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case. Wrote an essay detailing her thoughts on a serial killing in Germany that was published in the Los Angeles Times.

Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case. An anthropology major who previously studied abroad in Japan.

Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister.

Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder.

Mia Fey, Deceased – Mr. Wright's old dead mentor who's back from the dead to help us with this case.

Angel Starr, 41 years old – A woman known as the "Cough-up Queen" who claims to have seen something related to the case on the day of the murder.

Tyrell Badd, 68 years old – A veteran (now retired) detective who was incarcerated for his affiliation with the Yatagarasu.

XX

Badass Polly is badass. He gets it from his badass mentor and his even more badass neighbor. And it looks like Trucy's turned into young Ema... Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!