Case 3: Turnabout Bride

Chapter 9: Four Year Murder

It was eight at night by the time Apollo and Trucy arrived back at the warehouse where Riley's letter had been found. There were several police cars parked outside, lights cutting into the darkness surrounding them. An officer intercepted them before they could get close to the warehouse, "Mr. Justice, we've taken Riley Hatter into custody, our investigation team has scoured the building for evidence, but we haven't found much."

"That's alright," said Apollo, "Would you mind if I took a look around anyways?"

The officer nodded and stepped aside for them, as they walked inside Trucy asked, "What more do we need to find here? We already have all the evidence from that case four years ago."

Apollo shook his head and held the door for her, "No we don't Trucy, think back to when Eric Black gave me the address to Top Tune Engineering."

"Ask for an Adam Samuel."

"Oh yeah!" shouted Trucy, "I completely forgot about that!"

"This Adam Samuel is an unknown factor in the case, and I can't let something like that slide with Ms. Wonder's life on the line, if he has something to do with thislike Mr. Black was implying, then I'm going to have to have a word with him."

Apollo led her to the back of the warehouse, where a small square room was located. He pushed the door open. Inside was a desk with papers on it along with a filing cabinet. The label on the top drawer said 'Employee Records'. "Considering as Mr. Black worked here, and Riley Hatter as well, I can only come to the conclusion that whoever this Adam guy is did as well." He pulled open the top drawer and shuffled through the files to the S section. After a moment of searching he pulled out the file in question and showed it to Trucy.

She opened it and began to read, "Adam Samuel, police officer, deceased. Polly, why would someone keep a record on whether their employees were alive or not?"

Apollo pondered on this question, "The answer is right in front of us," he said.

"It is?"

"Yeah, and I'm going to pose the same question tomorrow."

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The defendent's lounge was quiet, Alice, dressed in jeans and a shirt, and Apollo sat on the couch while Trucy stood by the door, looking lost in thought. Apollo turned to Alice, "Ms. Wonder, I'm going to need you to answer me some questions, we have everything we need for this trial... except the truth."

"I don't know what you're talking about,"she mumbled.

Apollo's bracelet tightened, "I know you're lying. What really happened in that case four years ago?"

Alice sighed and shook her head, "I did it... I rearranged the scene of the crime, on that fateful day."

"Why?"

"Because I knew that he murdered him. I knew that Riley murdered Adam Samuel, the police officer."

"Alice, I know you didn't kill Jennifer, but I think I know who did."

"You're right, I was thinking the same thing."

"What is the secret behind Top Tune Engineering, that is the only crucial part of this trial that's missing. If you can help me with this, I KNOW I can get you the verdict you deserve, and you can go home. Both these cases are tightly intertwined, and unless we do something... together, both of them will remain unsolved."

Alice nodded and her eyes teared up, "O... okay." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but this is the piece of evidence that you need."

Apollo took the paper and unfolded it, his eyes widened, "This..."

"Is a list of names," she mumbled, "A hit list. I've held onto this list for four years. It was the crucial evidence that would have put him away for good in that trial, the one piece of evidence that I never got to bring up."

"Why didn't you just leave the crime scene alone?"

"It wouldn't have been enough to put that man away. He... betrayed me. Adam was my best friend, and he used me to get to him. When the murder happened, I felt like such a fool, and now it's coming back to haunt me again, even the same attorney is trying to get me locked up."

Apollo looked back at the list, 'This,' he thought, 'This list means that the reason he killed Jennifer Clives was...'

"Mr. Justice," said the bailiff, "It's time, the trial is about to begin."

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"The trial for the defendent Alice Wonder will now reconvene," said the Judge.

"The defense is ready your Honor."

Edgeworth smirked. "Prosecutor Edgeworth?" inquired the judge, "Is something the matter."

"Oh, no, nothing at all your Honor, I was just savoring the moment is all, after all, today is the day that Ms. Wonder is put away for murder."

"Hmm." The Judge scratched his beard, "A bold proclamation indeed Mr. Edgeworth. Your opening statement please."

Edgeworth shrugged and shook his head, "It is the prosecution's belief that Riley Hatter is a crucial witness, and was in fact bribing the first witness, Eric Black."

The court room was silent, 'What is he playing at?' thought Apollo, 'He just put the Hatter on the spot.'

"However," continued Edgeworth, holding up his finger, "The man in question has an alibi!"

Apollo did a double take, "WHAT?!"

"The man in question was at a good friend's birthday party across the way, and several witnesses have testified to the fact that he never ONCE left the building! Also, I have solid evidence stating this fact as well. The building across the way was a hotel, the party was taking place in a grand lobby." Edgeworth pulled out a schematic for the hotel and showed it to the court. "Cameras surround this building, even if Mr. Hatter was to have slipped away during the party, they would have spotted him leaving the premises."

Apollo slammed his fists down on the desk, 'Dammit, how is this possible?' he thought, 'Riley is the only other suspect.'

Trucy turned to him and patted him on the shoulder, "Polly, we should have everything we need, think outside the box. He didn't leave the building, so that only leaves one other possibility."

'That's it,' he thought.

"OBJECTION!"

The room went silent, "The defense would like to raise a new possibility."

"What's that Mr. Justice?"

Apollo smirked and crossed his arms, "The prosecution says that Mr. Hatter never once left the building,and he has undeniable proof of this fact through the camera records of the hotel." He slammed his fists down once more, "The defense states that he wouldn't have had to leave the building!"

"Objection! Justice, the crime scene was at the alter, the gun was fired twice."

"Think crazy Polly," whispered Trucy.

Apollo's smirk did not leave his face. "The facts don't add up."

"What are you talking about? We've already established the Glock as the murder weapon!" shouted Edgeworth.

Apollo shook his head, "We've been going about this all wrong. What if the murder weapon...

Was NOT the glock in question!!"

Pandamonium erupted in the court room. The judge slammed his gavel down, "Order! Order in the court! Mr. Justice, what are you driving at?"

"Think about it your honor. This entire trial is built on the premise that the crime scene was at the alter, but what if that wasn't the only place? The bullet shattered to pieces before it even pierced the victim's skull, preventing it from being identified and traced back to the weapon it was fired from. This raises the possibility that the murder weapon was a different weapon entirely. The glock in question was planted there the day of the crime."

"Objection! Justice you're insane, you were there as well as I. The gun wasn't there when we arrived at the wedding, you're not saying it was put there during the murder..."

"That's exactly what I'm saying, if you'll let me explain. Yesterday, while investigating the murder, you yourself gave me permission to sift through the file YX7, correct?"

"That's right," said Edgeworth.

"Another case that Riley was suspected in, yet never convicted, for the soul reason that my own client tampered with evidence!"

"Mr. Justice," said the Judge, "Why are you bringing up old cases, and ones that have been solved I might add?"

Apollo looked at Edgeworth dead in the eyes, "The defense requests that Riley Hatter testify about the trial four years ago. Through this, the defense belives that the truth will become clear in both cases."

"I will grant this request, may Mr. Hatter take the stand."

After a wait that seemed like forever, the doors to the court room opened, and the bailiff escorted Riley to the stand. He was a scruffy looking man with greasy blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a bright red T-shirt and overalls.

'This is him, the Mad Hatter,' thought Apollo, 'Unless I bag him, Alice will go tumbling down the rabbit hole, and find lethal injection at the end of it!'

The bailiff returned to the Judge's side as Riley took the stand. Apollo's eyes narrowed, 'I have to tie him to this murder, and I have to prove that he did it.'

Edgeworth smirked and shook his head, "You are way too much like Wright. I know exactly what you're trying to pull,but it won't work. The investigative team scoured that hotel and there was nothing to find. This real murder weapon you speak of... doesn't even exist. Your Honor, having the witness testify about a crime that happened years ago will in no way help us with the current case, I formally request that..."

"OBJECTION!

Prosecuter Edgeworth... surely you know..." said Apollo with a smirk.

"Oh, and what would I know?"

"That the case four years ago is indeed tied to this murder."

"W... what?!"

"Think about it for a second. Your honor, I believe that you were the one who presided over that case, so stop me if I say something fishy."

The Judge slammed the gavel down, "Very well, I will here what the defense has to say. If he can provide solid ground as to why the two cases are connected, then the witness will be allowed to testify about the case four years ago. If not then I am afraid we can only go forward with the current state of affairs."

Apollo chuckled, "Four years ago, there was a murder in an apartment complex. The apartment belonged to one Adam Samuel, a police officer, he was murdered brutally in his own home." Apollo slammed his fists down on the desk, "The suspect in the case was the very witness standing here today, yet he was aquitted of all charges."

"Yes," said the Judge, "It's all coming back to me now, I remember that day well."

"However, the defense belives that the witness is indeed the murderer in that case."

"Objection! Justice, your personal opinion does not matter in this courthouse. The only thing that matters...

"Are the FACTS!"

"And that's exactly what I was getting to, if you'd let me finish," said Apollo.

"I... impossible!" shouted Edgeworth, "There's no way this case is connected to that murder!"

"The defense states this. four years ago, Riley Hatter commited that murder, and got away with it thanks to the fact that the crime scene had been tampered with!" Apollo pointed at Riley, "The prosecution had descisive evidence that day, evidence that would lock The Mad Hatter up for good."

The Judge slammed his gavel, "I see... so if it weren't for Ms. Wonder tampering with evidence, this descisive piece would have been presented. What is this descisive evidence Mr. Justice?"

Apollo pulled the piece of paper that Alice had given him out of his pocket, "this was that piece of evidence your honor. A list of names...

Specifically for the purpose of ASSASINATION!"

Edgeworth did a double take, "WHAT?!"

"This is a list that Riley had written himself! Adam Samuel's name is on that list. He was dating the defendent at the time of the murder in order to gain easy access to his target. Officer Samuel and Alice Wonder were best friends, and the witness used that to get the drop on him!"

The court went into an uproar and the Judge slammed his gavel, "O... Order in the court! I can't believe this. The witness has not even testified, and yet you're already accusing him of murder."

Edgeworth smirked, "Surely you can see the defense is going mad Your Honor."

"Objection! I think not Edgeworth. While defendent's testimonies are not usually held to light in a court room, Ms. Wonder has stated the fact that The Mad Hatter used her just to get to Samuel. Is it more than a coincidence that his name is on a hit list, and he was murdered?"

"Objection! Justice, this is purely speculation and theory, you're trying to sway the jury with pretty words and I will not have it! You accuse the witness of murder and you hardly have a shred of evidence! If you're so set in your ways, I want to know, do you have the evidence to back your claims?! Or are you just spouting nonsense for the viewing plessure?!"

Apollo gritted his teeth, 'Can I prove it?' he thought, 'Everything in this trial is riding on me prying open the Hatter's mouth, and if I can't even do that... then Alice is finished for sure.'

"C'mon Polly," whispered Trucy, "You can do this. You can connect these two cases together, there has to be something..."

A gavel slam, "Well Mr. Justice, we are all waiting. Do you have evidence that supports your claims of the witness being the killer?"

'That's right... all I have to do... is connect these two cases and keep them tied tight,' he thought. "Your Honor... the defense does not have evidence supporting its theory of Mr. Hatter being the murderer."

"HA! Just like Wright I see, always the talker."

Apollo smirked, "I didn't say I was giving up. My goal is to connect the two cases. I was hoping to catch the witness on the first try, but I obviously underestimated you Edgeworth."

"What are you saying?"

Apollo crossed his arms, "I have evidence that these two cases are connected."

The Judge nodded, "I see, the defense will now present this evidence to the court."

"Four years ago, Adam Samuel was murdered in his own apartment complex. The weapon was found at the scene of the crime and had the witness' fingerprints on it. That's not the interesting bit though. What really caught my eye...

Was that the bullet shattered before it hit the victim!"

The courtroom froze. It was deadly silent, The Judge's eyes widened, "A shattering bullet you say?!"

Apollo smirked, "Needless to say, they couldn't trace it back to the weapon because the bullet was completely annihilated. Sound familier?"

"Objection! That doesn't prove anything!" shouted Edgeworth, "It could just be a coincidence that..."

"Objection! I think not Edgeworth. It's not every day that you find shattering bullets in a gun store. In fact, until this case, we all thought such a feat was impossible! The shattered metal I found in that evidence bag for YX7 proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, whoever murdered Jennifer Clives... was the same person who killed Adam Samuel four years ago!"

Edgeworth slammed his hand on the desk, "How is that possible?!"

"Oh it's very possible, considering as the real killer was never found, much less convicted."

The Judge slammed the gavel down, "Hmmmmm... while he has not presented any truly solid proof to the court that the two cases are intertwined, I cannot deny that the defense's argument holds water. A shattering bullet is indeed a miracle of modern technology, and it would not be easy to obtain such a thing. Very well, witness, you will testify to the court about your trial four years ago."

The Mad Hatter grinned, "Hey youse, defense attorny."

Apollo raised an eyebrow, "Yeah?"

"It's gonna be fun, ain't it?"

Apollo sweat dropped, 'Fun?' he thought, 'You've got to be kidding me!'