Sonic the Hedgehog: Attorney of Law

by thedraconicwerewolf

Sonic is a defense attorney with a law degree fresh out of high school thanks to his advanced studies in the ways of the judicial system. He's now able to defend others from various allegations. Will his training be enough to help him prove his clients' innocence? And what will happen when a ghost of his past that made him walk the path of law comes around once again?

38. The LK-9 Case Turnabout Pt 11

Hello everybody! I know I've said this many times already, but this is officially the very last chapter of this story. Here now before you is the exciting conclusion of an already difficult and nail-biting trial! How will the final moments of this trial end? Will Sonic and company manage to pin Mephiles down for the murder of Maria Robotnik, or will they fall short and be forced to watch as the ruthless prosecutor takes Shadow down with him? Read on to find out!

...But yeah, that's enough of the dramatic lead-in to this final chapter. Sorry if it sounded super random and whatnot. I'm just super excited that this story is finally over! It's been a little over three years since I started this, and to think it was only supposed to be a short-lived experiment in writing mystery. Never in a million years would I thought I'd go all the way with this and finish it! Honestly, it feels kind of surreal. I'm literally thinking back on all the good and bad times I had writing this story as I'm typing this author's note! It's a pretty nostalgic feeling, I'll give you that.

Of course, these trials were a pain to make and probably something I wouldn't look back on in the near future. And speaking of such, I've had such a hard time with the final part of this trial. It wasn't until the end of the last chapter did I realize I completely forgot about Maria's death. At the same time, I also noticed that I practically had no evidence in regards to that apart from the autopsy report and murder weapon. Yeah, I definitely dug myself into a pretty deep hole. I can honestly say that the outcome of her death is very open-ended. If you want to know how I officially ended the issue in regards to her murder, then read on!

Also, I'm going to create an epilogue after this. It's nothing like the investigation and trial chapters; it's just a catch-up on the characters a few days after this trial. It's basically like the credits scene of the Ace Attorney games where most of the characters share a little bit about what they're doing now and whatnot. So apart from that, this chapter marks the end of one of the greatest stories I've ever written!

And for the last time for this story, please don't forget to leave a review after you finish reading. As always, it's great to hear what you guys thought about the chapter. I hope that I've written this well enough that you would want to reread it whenever you're in the mood for something mysterious. And I hope that you would want to pass this on to your friends so they can read it. And with that, see you all on the next new story idea I come up with! And don't forget to look out for my other works!

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Evidence:

Attorney's Badge: Sonic's badge proving that he's a genuine defense attorney. Ever since getting tied into a murder because of him losing it, he's since taken precautions to make sure that it stays secured within the inside of his gloves.

Pistol: The weapon that was recovered at the Mobius Docks. The ballistic markings on the bullet extracted from Ms. Mae's body matches the gun. Signs show that it was fired twice, the second happening during Shadow's case. It also bears Shadow's fingerprints. It also appears that it was also used in the LK-9 Incident as the weapon to have murdered Maria Robotnik.

Picture: A photograph given to Sonic by Knuckles who had initially received it from Salemand Eres. It shows a picture of a white-furred lion with occasional blue spots on all fours like a wild animal and smiling brightly at the camera. Amazingly, his entire demeanor appears almost child-like despite his rather strong and toned body. It's clear that he has the rare genetic disorder Feralisis Syndrome.

LK-9 Case File: A case file summarizing all the information gathered by police and detectives at the height of the LK-9 Incident. A copy of the file was given to Sonic and Tails by Vector in hopes that it would help them obtain the answers they seek about the case. Just before the trial began, it was discovered that both the paper and digital forms were destroyed. Vector's and Silver's official copies are the only two left to exist.

Vector's Account: Testimony recorded by Tails that detail what Vector saw in the courthouse lounge on the day of Knuckles' acquittal. He said he saw Mephiles entering the lounge for the first time in his entire career in order to watch over Sonic's case. He then said the old prosecutor left the room with cell phone in hand after hearing Shadow exclaim that Ace be held in protective custody.

Notes: Notes taken by Tails that depict what he, Sonic, and Silver had discussed regarding possible connections with Sonic's cases and the LK-9 Incident. It's speculated that all the murderers in the previous cases were orchestrated by a single mastermind. It also appears that this person is involved in the smuggling ring Interpol is investigating.

Case Summary File: A file found in the LK-9 Case File that summarizes the scene of the crime. The crime took place at the Mobius Dock's lighthouse that was then a business known as the "Prycey Seafood Company". It was owned by three people and had employed one person to work on cargo duty; two of the owners were Lois and Maxwell Pryce with only a lesser percentage of the business to their name. An unnamed third person had owned a majority of the business before it was forced closed upon being in the spotlight of a murder.

Witness List: A list of witnesses found in the LK-9 Case File. According to the list, there were four potential witnesses to the murder. Two of them were Max and Lois Pryce and have been recorded as supplying witness statements to the police. The third person was Salemand Eres who appears to have been working at the Prycey Seafood Company at the time, although Shadow states that he was merely working undercover then. A fourth person, the third owner of the business, was kept anonymous for some reason and had his wish to refuse to testify be granted.

Victims' Report: A report that supplies basic details of the victims of the LK-9 Incident. One of them was a senior detective by the name of Charles Hedgehog, Sonic's uncle. The second victim was a defense attorney called Maria Robotnik, Shadow's good friend and apparently a relative of Dr. Robotnik.

Charles' Autopsy Report: Charles was found dead with a single strike to the head with a blunt object. The bruises covering his body and on his fists show that he most likely struggled with his killer prior to dying. The murder weapon was the Ornamental Cane discovered to have been in Interpol custody for the past five years. The report makes no mention of any puncture wounds being found on the body.

Maria's Autopsy Report: Maria was found dead with a single gunshot wound to her head. The bullet was shot at a distance and went straight through her skull. The entry wound was from the back and exited the front. There were no signs of any struggle.

Bullet: The bullet that was found lodged in a wall after having killed Maria Robotnik. It was proven five years ago that it was fired from the same Pistol that was used to kill Prosecutor Flora Mae. According to the trajectory report, it was fired in a position that would make the bullet's path parallel to the hallway.

Diagram: Floor plans that show the interior of the lighthouse five years ago when it was still known as the "Prycey Seafood Company". Vector has written in a red sharpie on it the path Maria took upon entering the lighthouse. She first went to the bookshelf located on the other side of the foyer before making her way to the office. She then went back to the bookshelf where she was ultimately killed.

Statements: Statements made by Sonic and friends five years ago about their kidnapping ordeal. All four said the same thing and that they were blindfolded when they entered the lighthouse. They felt themselves going downstairs and were then left in a pitch black and windowless room. However, detectives failed to find said room. That and they were ultimately discovered on the lighthouse second floor, a fact that none of them were able to properly explain. As such, their statements were considered useless and shuffled away.

Leon's Statement: Testimony regarding the moments leading up to Leon's kidnapping. He entered the old Prycey Seafood Warehouse and went to the office in an attempt to collect more information with regards to either the smuggling ring or their person of interest. Before he could perform a thorough search, he was soon attacked and imprisoned in the office before the Chaotix Detective Agency found and rescued him. He mentioned that the room looked as though it had been rifled through when he came to.

Warehouse Keypad: A sophisticated password system for the door to the Prycey Seafood Warehouse. According to Salem, the security company in charge of the password is still supplying service to the building. However, the bi-annual password change is sent to only one person. It's suspected that Mephiles is the one with access to the new passwords.

Salem's Testimony: Testimony recorded during Salem's court appearance. He testified to working overtime at the warehouse from midnight until one. He made it clear that nobody left the lighthouse the moment he went out to take a look after hearing gunshots. All four employees, including himself, were scattered about the Prycey Seafood Business grounds when the police had arrived. Charles was still alive when he first approached him. He also mentioned that Maria and Charles had knowledge of the smuggling ring and believed through their last case's client that the company had ties to the ring.

Print Report: Documents the prints that were found in the warehouse office. One of them belonged to Leon and were made during his entrapment. The second set were made from gloved hands and couldn't be identified. However, the gloved prints only touched certain areas of the room and indicated that the perpetrator knew exactly where to look for what they wanted.

Warehouse Office Diagram: A blueprint of where everything in the office was. It also has markings on it which demonstrate where the gloved prints and blood were found. Two prints were found on the handles of a file cabinet situated behind the desk. Another set was found all over the wall-mount safe. There were no other gloved prints to be found. The blood was found in the center of the room where a clean spot devoid of dust was found.

Blood Analysis: A forensics report done on the blood found in the warehouse office. While it had appeared recently, a proper examination of it couldn't be done because the composition had been destroyed with bleach. The only known clean sample was taken from Leon's nails from when he wounded the perpetrator, but that alone isn't enough to prove who it belonged to due to lack of a proper culprit.

Written Statement: A letter that was written by the fourth witness five years ago at the start of the LK-9 Incident. A handwriting analysis has shown that Mephiles was the one who wrote it out.

Letter: A document found in the lighthouse basement instructing Max Pryce to murder Lois. The handwriting analysis shows that it couldn't have been Mephiles who written it out. In fact, the penmanship of the letters seem to be a mash of various writing styles and suggests the writer is well-versed in differing writing formats. The proof that it was written out by the same person is the fact that the structure of the E and S when put together are consistently the same throughout the letter.

Ornamental Cane: The weapon used to kill Charles Hedgehog five years ago. The blood found on the serpent head's teeth couldn't be properly analyzed due to the interference of an organic substance in the composition. Upon further examination of the organic substance, it was discovered to be a special type of poison obtained only through a rare breed of snake found in the forests of Mobotropolis. There is no known cure for the poison, and the one inflicted is forced into a lifetime of specialized antibiotics only accessible through prescription. Also, the poison leaves an everlasting scar from where it enters the body; a bald spot is also present on anthropomorphs with fur.

Five-Year-Old Photograph: A picture taken by Dr. Robotnik five years ago. The time stamp shows it was taken just ten minutes before the double murders occurred along with scribbles on the back saying it was taken in the Prycey Seafood Warehouse. It shows Mephiles in a dimply lit area leaning against a crate and talking on his cell phone while looking through an address book. It's believed that he might've been trying to organize a black market auction for the smuggling ring. On the ground next to him is a shiny object made obscure due to it's glint.

Profiles:

Sonic Hedgehog: He's a seventeen-year-old cobalt hedgehog who has taken upon himself to act as the defense for the LK-9 Incident. However, he knows next to nothing about the case and must learn as much as he can during the course of the trial. He wishes to try and solve the case despite the fact that expert investigators over the past five years have failed to do so.

Miles Prower: A twelve-year-old two tailed fox who likes to go by his nickname "Tails". Ever since proving himself to be an above average investigator during the precinct murder, he has been hired by Dr. Robotnik to be the law firm's local detective. He's now working alongside Sonic in an attempt to find answers that lie hidden within the LK-9 Incident.

Knuckles Echidna: An eighteen-year-old red echidna who is a detective at the local Precinct. Despite having nothing to add on the case, he's decided to watch the proceedings in the gallery. He delivered the LK-9 evidence to Vector after learning that someone had managed to destroy both the electronic and paper versions of the case file.

Salemand Eres: An Interpol Agent who has decided to reveal his true identity in court in order to be granted immunity from the charges of tampering with the scene of a crime and removal of evidence. He was working undercover in the Prycey Seafood Company at the time the double-murders happened. His real name is actually "Salem".

Shadow Hedgehog: An eighteen-year-old ebon furred hedgehog who became a prosecutor at sixteen. He has been cleared of murder thanks to Sonic and is now overlooking the case from the gallery to see what will surface during the trial regarding the LK-9 Incident. He's prepared to be pinned as a murderer due to his fingerprints being on the Pistol that killed Maria.

Silver Hedgehog: A nineteen-year-old silver furred hedgehog who is the country's youngest Senior Detective. He has taken it upon himself to testify to the courts as if he were one of the detectives from the initial investigation of the LK-9 Incident. Everything he knows about the case is through the many reports that have been documented over the past five years.

Mephiles: A sixty-five year old veteran prosecutor whose ruthlessness is well known both inside and out of the courtroom. He expects nothing but perfection in his work and condones from his opponents nothing short from a blatantly relevant question and an extremely well-based argument. Salem has pointed him out as being a person of interest for Interpol's smuggling ring; this has inadvertently turned him into a potential suspect for the LK-9 Incident.

Vector Crocodile: A twenty-three-year old local prosecutor who is friends with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles as well as Shadow's coworker. He has decided to continue with his work as a freelance detective along with Charmy Bee despite the conviction of his friend and partner Espio that caused shadows about the integrity of his work that soon quickly dissipated. He has also taken it upon himself to oversee the LK-9 Incident as a prosecutor and help as much as he can to keep the trial going and uncover the truth behind it all.

Leukis Kruger: Salem's younger brother who's afflicted with the rare genetic disorder, Feralisis Syndrome. He also happens to be with Interpol. According to Salem, they were reunited after Leukis had managed to successfully shake off members of the smuggling ring who figured out his true identity and wanted him dead. His real name is "Leon".

Charles Hedgehog: Sonic's uncle with greyish blue fur who was once a resourceful and reliable senior detective down at the local precinct. Because of the events from five years ago, he became an unfortunate victim of what is now known as the LK-9 Incident. Was the key reason why Sonic decided to pursue a career as a defense attorney.

Maria Robotnik: Shadow's good friend with beautifully long blond hair who was once a defense attorney. She apparently has some relations to Dr. Robotnik. Because of the events from five years ago, she became an unfortunate victim of what is now known as the LK-9 Incident. Was the key reason why Shadow decided to pursue a career as a prosecutor.

Ace Sleuth: A former Senior Detective who was jailed for the murder of his fiancee. He was then sent to a secluded safe house courtesy of Shadow upon discovering he had some connections with the LK-9 Incident. However, some unknown person discovered where he was hiding and killed him. An anonymous note sent to the Precinct telling officers about the murder seems to have been written by the mysterious fourth witness.

Charmy Bee: A young and hyper eight-year-old kid who works with Vector at the Chaotix Detective Agency. Because of Espio's arrest, he is currently the only one employed in the business at the moment. He had worked together with Leon in order to search the abandoned warehouse and procure new evidence for both Sonic and Vector to use in the LK-9 Incident.

Dr. Ivo Robotnik: A fifty-three-year-old defense attorney of some renown who owns and runs the Robotnik Law Firm. He served as Salem's and Leon's contact in Mobius and is thus himself an agent of Interpol. He has gotten himself close to the smuggling ringleader in order to learn as much as he possibly could about their covert operations. Despite not knowing for sure, he seems to indicate in his letter his belief that Mephiles is the ringleader on top of being a high-interest suspect in the LK-9 Incident.

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Chapter 38: The LK-9 Case Turnabout Pt. 11

"Wh-what exactly is the meaning of this, Prosecutor Mephiles?" the Judge asked, clearly stunned at the turn of events and apparent disgraceful downfall of a prosecutorial legacy. The entire gallery, shocked at everything that had taken place, quietly watched as the truth began to unfold before them. "Are you really providing this court with a confession telling us that you're the one who's responsible for murder five years ago?"

"I don't see any reason now for me to keep denying that fact, Your Honor," Mephiles replied without any sense of distress. It was almost as though he was somewhat expecting to be pegged as a murderer. "Both the defense and prosecution has done a more than adequate job at proving their case. I'm merely surprised that they were able to get to this point with the shabby information they call evidence under their possession this entire time."

"It's only shabby when in the hands of someone who doesn't know the truth behind the case," Sonic stated with his arms crossed triumphantly. "And since we figured out the answer somewhere along the line, it was just a matter of connecting the dots until you weren't able to continue refuting everything we said. I'm still wondering how you managed to worm your way out of almost every point I brought against you."

"Oh, it's simply a matter of analyzing your arguments and slipping through even the smallest of cracks," the old hedgehog explained. "I've learned through all my years working as a prosecutor that no argument is fully structured so long as even the slightest misconception or confusion exists. Had you not been so persistent this entire time, I'm sure I'd have gotten away with that this time around."

"As much as this is a valid confession coming from the witness, there's still something I'm somewhat concerned about," Vector spoke up as he crossed his arms in thought. "Both the evidence and his own words are enough to convict him of murder, but we still don't know what compelled him to do this. I mean, I don't think we've ever really substantiated a foundation for his motive in wanting to kill Detective Charles."

"…I think I might have the answer to that, Prosecutor Vector," Tails answered before taking out the Letter. "This is merely a theory at this point, but it does pose some semblance of a motive when put in context to the witness.

"Remember how Interpol mentioned earlier that they expressed interest in him being the smuggling ringleader?" he began explaining. "Agent Salem mentioned to me during the recess that both Detective Charles and Maria Robotnik had obtained some key information regarding the ring through one of their cases. And in the trial regarding Ms. Lois Pryce's murder, Mr. Maxwell Pryce said that the ringleader was the one who sent him this Letter that instructed him to kill his sister. It's too bad that he doesn't know the true name of his leader, but that piece of testimony alone is suspect enough to be further scrutinized!

"I'll admit that proving whether or not Prosecutor Mephiles is indeed the leader of this smuggling ring isn't what we're here to do. However, I do see a chance for us to help Interpol further along their investigation into it by passing on what little information we've gathered on the topic to them. In so doing, we'll come to a mutually beneficial partnership in where they can get further along with their case while we unearth the witness's motive. In short, I proclaim that he was the true orchestrator behind the kidnapping which then served to lure both victims to the lighthouse where he then had easy access to murder them."

"Hah, you really do have a knack for crafting wild tales!" the witness chuckled as though he were slowly going mad. "Even if this trial were about my supposed involvement with a smuggling ring, that single Letter is hardly grounds to try and connect me with it. That and it seems so unsubstantiated in whatever motive you claim I had for committing murder."

"How about you wait until we're finished with our explanation before trying to shoot us down," Sonic countered as he took the witness's Written Statement from five years ago and put it beside the Letter. "This statement is a document you handed to detectives five years ago in an attempt to avoid providing oral testimony. Since it's been proven to be your handwriting, I propose that we use this as a comparison for the handwriting on the Letter. However, I'll admit that we've already had these sent to forensics where they showed no connections of having been written by you.

"Unfortunately for you, I decided to enlist the help of Interpol's forensics team in hopes that they might be able to uncover something new," he continued on before putting both on the projector for all to see. "It seems I was right to make that call. If you would pay attention to how the E and S are written at the end of every word that has it, then you'll notice how they're all written in the same style. Coincidentally enough, the same formation is seen on the Written Statement you provided five years ago. I'll admit that this probably seems coincidental at best, so I suggest that we take a look at other documents penned by your hand and check for this. If they come out the same, then we'll pass on the information to Interpol so they can deepen their search into your overall involvement with the smuggling ring.

"But in the meantime, having proof that the handwriting is the same will provide us with enough evidence as to what your motive might've been in wanting to kill Detective Charles. If you are the leader of a smuggling ring, then you would want whatever information he managed to dig up about you to die along with him. As such, you orchestrated the kidnapping to lure him to you where you had unrestricted access to his murder."

"My, it sounds like you've mustered enough evidence to bring about a slew of charges against the witness!" the Judge exclaimed as he merely sat back and watched everything unfold. "It was only some time ago today that you were struggling to just convince the court on your view of things. I'm simply amazed with how far things have progressed in this trial. And to think that we've also heard a confession of guilt coming from a prosecutor who is well respected in this district! Imagine the scandal this is going to cause for the entire legal profession once words spreads beyond these courtroom walls."

"As amazing as my confession having been made public to you all has been, I don't believe the defense has any right to be accusing me of being the smuggling ringleader," the old hedgehog responded normally as though he had not just been deemed a murderer. "That Letter they've presented as evidence could've easily been written by someone else. And even if they were able to present more substantial evidence on the matter, whether or not I'm the ringleader has nothing to do with this trial. The fact remains that I've already admitted to having murdered Detective Charles Hedgehog. All the evidence that both defense and prosecution has presented supplements my confession.

"However, that's all I will admit to on this matter," he continued on, his last statement confusing everyone in the courtroom. "In fact, that's all that both sides of the courtroom have managed to prove beyond doubt. You may feel free to question whatever other kinds of wrongdoings they have brought against me, but none of them have anything to do with what's currently being discussed. As such, the only crime that I am guilty of and that they have been able to prove is me having killed the detective."

"Oh, come on; you've already admitted to us about having murdered Detective Charles Hedgehog!" the cobalt hedgehog groaned. "As far as we're concerned, you've forfeited your right to freedom with that admission. Stop trying to avoid further responsibility and come clean with everything you did that night!"

"But how can I 'come clean' when I've already laid in front of you all the atrocities I've committed then? I've nothing else to confess to you all in regards to this case. Asking anymore of me would then be forcing me to provide a false confession in order to satisfy your delusional ideas. I'm sure that's the last thing you want to be slammed for after having worked so hard to garner my conviction."

"So you're just going to pretend that you had no involvement whatsoever with Ms. Robotnik's death?" the crocodile asked. It was clear he was trying to keep the trial going but was having almost nothing to make it work. "That matter is the second half of our case, and we haven't yet finished discussing about the conditions in regards to her murder. If you were able to kill Detective Charles, then you definitely had more than enough time to have also killed her. I don't see the reason why you keep refusing to admit it. At this point, there's no reason for you to keep denying it."

"Actually, there is plenty reason for me to continue on with my denial. The first reason is that it's strategically better for me to be convicted of one murder instead of two. That way, I'll only be eligible for life in prison rather than the death sentence as is customary by the constructs of modern law. Even though I've already lost my freedom at this point, I would like to live out the rest of my life while behind bars. I won't let you have the satisfaction of having rid this world of a 'double murderer'.

"However, the second and more important reason is the lack of evidence proving I'm the one responsible for her death. If you really believe it to be the truth, then present some evidence that backs up your claims. Don't forget that you've yet to disprove my theory of Prosecutor Shadow's involvement with her untimely death and how he was the one to have orchestrated the kidnapping. That's the entire basis of your claim as to what my motive is, but it's only formed by countless pieces of unsubstantiated claims. You can refute it however much you want, but the only thing I'm guilty of is the murder of Detective Charles Hedgehog. I had no involvement with Ms. Robotnik's death."

Instead of providing a counterargument, both sides of the courtroom stood quiet as they stared defiantly at the witness. As much as they both hated it, the defense and prosecution had to agree that Mephiles was right on this point. Despite being so sure that he was the culprit in both murders, there was a lack of evidence that proved he was also responsible for Maria's murder. No matter how hard he tried, nothing was popping into Sonic's head that remotely hinted at the thought being the truth. Even Vector was unusually quiet, a sure sign that he was also unable to come up with or discover anything new.

"…It's true that we don't have any evidence that can disprove your theory of Shadow having murdered Ms. Robotnik," Tails spoke up after intently thinking on the subject during the few moments the courtroom was in silence. "Despite how suspicious things might be, we can't say with certainty that you're the one responsible. All the work we've done to get to this point only serves in bringing peace to Detective Charles's death. None of it has any true regards with the second murder tied into this trial.

"However, I'm not going so far as to admit there isn't any evidence in existence to help supplement our claims," he quickly added just as Mephiles's mouth was about to let loose some kind of cocky remark. "Through all the evidence and testimony heard thus far, it's already been proven that Maria died before Detective Charles did. That was mainly because the detective was unconscious before dying of blood loss. And right after the gunshot was heard, Agent Salem has testified to having made his way outside where he preserved the crime scene apart from taking key evidence for Interpol's smuggling case."

"What exactly is the defense going on about with this?" the Judge asked, his eyebrow raising at why they were now delving back to the early parts of the trial. "We've already went through this when Agent Salem was testifying earlier. I hardly see how reminding us all of this is relevant to Ms. Robotnik's murder."

"Well, I've noticed that there was a small window of time left unaccounted for in terms of the witness's movements. Salem was adamant in saying he saw nobody until the police arrived; and that means he doesn't know what Prosecutor Mephiles was doing during that time. Since we have no idea what the witness did in those few minutes, I think that we've one more avenue in which to discover what really happened in regards to the woman's murder. As such, I find that we as the defense still have some room to further question the witness as to what he was doing that night!"

"I'll admit that this unaccounted time is of valid concern, but how do you suggest to use this information to your advantage?" the old man questioned with clear intrigue tagged along with his words. "You've already admitted yourself that there's a lack of evidence to indict the witness for Ms. Robotnik's murder. Without that, I fail to see how you plan to successfully garner any new information from further testimony."

"But we can't ignore the fact that there's a window of time that has yet to be discussed!" Sonic quickly countered after finally getting on the same page as Tails. "To do so would be an injustice to this trial. Just because there's a lack of evidence doesn't mean we can't obtain the information by other means."

"Are you suggesting that we have the witness testify once more, Mr. Sonic?" Vector asked as he finally caught on to what the fox was getting to. "If that's what you're suggesting, then I agree wholeheartedly with it. The only matter that's left to be cleared is who's responsible for the woman's death. Being that there's no evidence that proves the witness's guilt in this matter, I agree in that we need to hear from him as to why he can't have been her murderer. If we can create a timeline depicting the moments between Detective Charles being knocked out and when Ms. Robotnik was killed, then we'll be able to figure out who's the true guilty one in this second murder."

"So you're basically asking me to explain what I was doing in the moments between the two murders," Mephiles simplified, his face looking more than intrigued at what was being suggested. "Very well; I don't see any harm in humoring your unsustainable theory. What you're claiming is so full of holes that you can't possibly hope to pull off one of your ever so popular miraculous turnabouts. Nevertheless, I'm sure this will serve to be my last bit of courtroom excitement. Hopefully, you'll see at the end of this that everything you hope to accomplish now is nothing but a clogged pipe dream."

"The only thing that's clogged around here is that sick head of yours!" the defense attorney exclaimed. "It's about time you got off your high horse and steel yourself for defeat once we've proven how you are nothing but a ruthless murderer!"

"That's enough!" the old man said as he banged his gavel and effectively brought silence to the courtroom. "I'll allow the defense's request to be granted. However, this will be the last time I'll allow Prosecutor Mephiles to testify. We've already substantiated Detective Charles's murder through great deliberation, I doubt that we'll find out more about Ms. Robotnik after having conducted so much work. If neither side of the courtroom is able to pinpoint something important during the next cross-examination, then I'll be inclined to believe that the witness was not responsible for Ms. Robotnik's murder. As such, I'll have to take in the possibility that Prosecutor Shadow was responsible. Is that clear?"

Neither side made any sound of acknowledgement. Rather, Sonic and Tails merely nodded their heads in nervousness while Vector crossed his arms in an attempt to stay calm. Mephiles was the only one smiling as though what he was going to say was going to be his saving grace from the second accusation.

"I'll take it that you both agree. Now that we have the conditions covered, I ask that Prosecutor Mephiles testify about what it was he did immediately after Detective Charles's murder. If you would, witness?"

"I'll be more than happy to, Your Honor. After all, my innocence in this matter hangs in the balance."

"What innocence?" the cobalt hedgehog grumbled so that only Tails could hear. "You already admitted to committing murder. You can't be any guiltier than that!"

"So long as he still has something left to lose, I doubt he's just going to let us have an easy win," the fox responded back. "Like he said, all he has left is his life which he wants to keep. Convicting him of this second murder would make him eligible for the death penalty. Once we've taken away his right to live, he should be more than willing to tell us the truth in terms of this trial."

"Geez, you saying it like that makes it kind of sound like want him dead," the other deadpanned while receiving an annoyed look for the comment. "But I know you're just trying to remind me as to what the law is on this. To be honest, I don't care whether or not he's able to get onto the death row list. The only thing that matters now is getting Shadow off of this guy's radar and prove that he's the only one capable for both murders!"

Why I'm Not Maria's Killer

After having killed Detective Charles Hedgehog, I immediately made my way back into the lighthouse. I had to clean myself of the detective's blood that had managed to get on me. I also had to dispose of whatever items on me that could potentially link me to his death. I was taking care of this in the office bathroom when I head the gun go off. I had assumed it was one of the Pryce siblings and didn't bother checking. However, I later learned that they were on the roof. They were trying to come up with an alibi that would make their situation into a "wrong place, wrong time" scenario. As such, the only one who had the opportunity to have murdered Maria Robotnik was Prosecutor Shadow!

End Witness Testimony

"That's a rather convenient story you want us to believe," Sonic deadpanned when the testimony was over. "You happened to be inside the lighthouse yet not in the same exact room as Ms. Robotnik was. You then heard a gun go off but decided that cleaning yourself was more important than investigating to see if it was a threat to you. I can't tell you how unbelievable all this sounds, but what really stands out the most is that you somehow just managed to fail seeing her while making your way to the bathroom!"

"I must agree with the defense on this," Vector said with a nod of his head. "I've never been in the lighthouse myself, but my coworker for the Chaotix Detective Agency has. From his description, the first floor is relatively small and comprising of only three rooms including the hallway. With such small space in-between rooms, I seems near impossible that you were able to miss another living person during that span of time."

"You can believe whatever it is you want, but it doesn't change the fact that you have no evidence to refute my claim," Mephiles coolly countered with a straight face. "If you really have something that proves I ran into the woman while on my way to the bathroom, then why don't you show it now instead of merely spewing out empty threats? And do I even need to point out that saying it 'seems near impossible' indicates that you have some reservations as to it being just another lie of mines? Even if your tone doesn't say it, your words reflect that small bit of doubt that rests in your mind. If you had concrete evidence, then there wouldn't be any reason for your words to sound doubtful."

Instead of answering back, both the crocodile and cobalt hedgehog let out a growl of frustration. He knew that he did not have anything like that in his arsenal, but he rather stay quiet than openly admit defeat on that front to the old witness.

"I'll take your silence as an agreement to what I said," the old hedgehog chuckled as he crossed his arms in a defiant manner. "Still, I have a feeling you're just not ready to give up yet. Then how about you get on with your frivolous cross-examination and see for yourself just how fruitless your efforts are in trying to portray me as Ms. Robotnik's murderer? I'm sure a rather large dose of reality is just what you need to get you off of your high horse."

"As much as I don't agree with Prosecutor Mephiles's tone, I agree that we should get on with the proceedings," the Judge responded. "I don't want to be spending more time than it is necessary on this topic, especially since we've gone to it with no evidence. Don't forget that I'll put an end to this trial if this doesn't uncover anything new."

"Understood, Your Honor," the defense attorney acknowledged while Vector merely nodded his head. He then said in an undertone, "I'm not going to let you go down while also placing doubt on Shadow's good name! I don't care if there isn't evidence that proves you're responsible for killing Maria; I'm going to do everything I can to prove your theory to be the piece of crap it is!"

Begin Cross-Examination

"Prosecutor Mephiles, why did you see it fit to run into the lighthouse after committing murder?" Sonic began with a simple question. "If I had just killed someone, the last thing I'd want to do is to clean up while so close to the body. In fact, I'd either try to get rid of it as quickly as possible or get some distance between me and the cops. Then again, you don't strike me as the kind of person who would be so easily panicked over something that you did. Despite that being the case, why was it that you just decided to leave Detective Charles's body out in the open for the world to see?"

"That's because it was already past midnight when I killed him," Mephiles replied as though it were a simple answer. "That particular part of the city never sees any traffic during those hours. Provided that there wasn't some odd person deciding to take a late night stroll; I knew it wouldn't be discovered until the next morning at the latest."

"In other words, you were able to take the time cleaning yourself up of all evidence that connected you with the crime," Vector concluded. "Still, that was a pretty brazen move on your part to just leave a body out in the open like that regardless of the time of day. Then again, you were careful enough to not leave any tangible trace of yourself at the scene and thus made it look like a well prepared random murder. The only traces of yourself that you couldn't get rid of was the blood on the Ornamental Cane's fangs. Even so, you knew that forensics wouldn't be able to get a clean sample due to the poison destroying its composition."

"My, it's almost as though you're able to see right into my mind," the old hedgehog added with a smug smirk. Sonic barely managed to suppress an obnoxious scoff and passed it off as an equally obnoxious cough. "Everything you've said thus far is exactly what I thought at that moment, Prosecutor Vector. I had no reason to be worried as I knew the police would have trouble making any kind of case with what little insignificant clues I was forced to leave behind. As such, it mattered not that the body was discovered on my business's premises. So long as the police didn't discover the secret to the cane and figured out I sustained similar puncture wounds, I needn't have worried over anything."

"But if you were heading to into the lighthouse in order to destroy the evidence on you, then wouldn't you have ran into Ms. Robotnik?" Tails asked. He noticed that the old prosecutor was trying to guide them back to the topic of his guilt in order to distract them from their original intent. "It's clear that you didn't see her outside, but I find it hard to believe that you simply missed her once you were inside. I've been to the lighthouse myself, so I know that the first floor merely comprises of a kitchen, an office where the bathroom was, and the main hallway with a set of stairs at the end which lead to the second floor. She was only in the first floor the entire time she was there, and the space was small enough that you couldn't possibly hide from someone. So how is it that you still managed to miss her?"

"When you miss bumping into people, there often is no explanation to such phenomena. Things like that just simply happen whether or not you believe it to be true. I can't give you an explanation for why it happened because it'd be like explaining why nature only gives some people superior minds. All I can say is that I never once laid eyes on her from the moment I went to the bathroom until I came out and saw her dead."

"Oh, that has to be the worst answer I've ever heard!" the cobalt hedgehog exclaimed while rolling his eyes. "I can't believe that you never once saw her while making your way to the bathroom as you claim! According to the diagram, the nearest bathroom from the entrance was in the office. It's been proven that she was in there at one point looking for a way to move the bookshelf in the hallway, so you must've ran into each other there! And if not there, then you would've seen her on the other side of the hallway when you first entered!"

"If she did go in there, then it must've been after I entered the bathroom. And she couldn't have possibly have been in the hallway since I saw nobody there. In that case, she was either in the kitchen or in a blind spot that was present when one enters from the front door. Despite how it may look like today, that hallway had its share of blind spots five years ago. I was in a rush at the time to clean up after my crime; I easily could've easily missed her if she was in an obstructed part of the hallway or the kitchen."

"…I'll admit that there's a small possibility of what you said being the truth," the fox murmured as he tried to find some way to discredit the witness's words. "So if we're to stick with that thought, you never once saw Ms. Robotnik while you were inside. I would suppose then that serves as the basis of your alibi in terms of her murder? I mean, saying that you never once laid eyes on her means your ability to commit the deed was nonexistent."

"I'll admit that it isn't the best alibi in the world, but it doesn't change the fact that it's the truth. When I figured out the woman was dead, I asked if the Pryce siblings had anything to do with it. They denied it, and I could tell they were telling the truth. After being their boss for a few years, I could tell whether or not they were lying. As such, the only other person left who had both the time and opportunity to commit the murder is Prosecutor Shadow. Out of all the kidnap victims that were in the lighthouse, he is the only one with a questionable alibi of being just another kidnap victim.

"Here's what I believe happened," the old hedgehog said as he began the basis of his theory. "Maria was about to stumble upon the secret basement room where the kidnap victims were held. Under normal circumstances, her discovering it wouldn't be too much of a problem. However, Prosecutor Shadow was already busy at the time doing god knows what away from where he was supposed to be. Should she have seen only three people imprisoned, she would immediately be alerted to the idea that he could have at the least been an accomplice in this plan with someone in the lighthouse. There's no doubt in my mind that he couldn't have done all this alone, so I believe he managed to persuade either one or both of the Pryce siblings in helping him to concoct this rather convoluted plan."

"Hold on a second," the crocodile interrupted. "Are you now saying that one of your coworkers played a part in the kidnapping? I'll admit that it seems pretty impossible for this to be pulled off by a single person, but what evidence do you have that proves your own workers were in league with Prosecutor Shadow in this plan? For a perfectionist such as you, it seems odd how you want to present ideas when you have no evidence to back it up. Or is it that your time on the witness stand has started to dull your mind."

"If you want to take jabs at me, then at least wait until you have the basis to make such attacks. I'm ready to admit that I haven't any proof which can provide substance to what I'm saying. However, I was merely stating a hypothetical scenario. Don't forget that your theory is also merely hypothetical with no evidence to even slightly infer that it might be the truth. Now if you don't mind, allow me to finish my explanation.

"After seeing Ms. Robotnik looking for the hidden basement entrance in the hallway, Prosecutor Shadow started to panic. Not wanting to be found out, he could only think of figuring out a way to get her away. The only gun that was in the vicinity was on my office desk, so he had to have been there when he saw the woman. That would be the only time he could've had access to the gun. The shot that ensued afterwards was then heard by me who had been secluded in the bathroom the entire time."

"While that all sounds like a good theory, it doesn't make sense for Shadow to take part in a kidnapping scheme," Sonic quickly pointed out. He did not believe a single word that was coming from the witness and was ready to point out any inconsistencies in a heartbeat. "I'm sure he hasn't had any history of psychotic episodes since the legal association checks on such things before issuing licenses to practice law. So apart from a sudden psychotic breakdown, what reason could he possibly have in wanting to fake his own kidnapping and drag his friends along for the ride? And let's not forget that he was only thirteen at the time this all took place. Trying to plan a kidnapping would've been the last thing on his mind!"

"Perhaps he merely wanted to garner some excitement in his otherwise boring life," the old hedgehog suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. "High school life could've easily have been a bore that he wanted to have remedied. What better way to cure it than to be put under the spotlight as a survivor of a kidnapping. Of course, he wanted it to make the whole ordeal look as authentic as possible. To that end, he went and forced three victims to unwillingly take part in this along with him. His motive for it was to ensure that whatever connections between him and the kidnapping will fail to make itself known during the investigation."

"Believe me when I say that the defendant is the last person who would consider school life boring or even concoct such a plan to kill boredom," Vector objected in a defensive tone. "As his fellow friend and coworker, I've heard quite a few stories in regards to some of his interesting school escapades. With the amount of detail he put into them, he'd have to be a rather accomplished liar to remember even the smallest of details.

"And let me make mention about how he managed to get his prints on the murder weapon in the first place," he continued on without missing a beat. "I still believe that he got into a fight with one of the kidnappers. During that scuffle, he managed to momentarily get ahold of the gun which was when he left his prints on it. However, you mentioned just now that he instead simply took it from your office desk. If we're to go along with your theory, then I don't see any reason for him to even be in that room if he were merely using the lighthouse as the backdrop for his kidnapping scheme."

"Perhaps he was simply looking for a way to make transporting his victims to the second floor easier. That's reason enough to be exploring the office, especially since it's already been proven that the actual victims were moved for some unknown reason. I still see no reason as to why he would go through all the trouble for that, but the fact remains that he moved the other three to a different area. And since my gun was on top of the desk, he had both the time and opportunity to commit the murder."

"As good of an explanation it may be, it sounds nothing more than a well-crafted story," Sonic countered back. "Everything that you've testified to in order to prove your theory are nothing but suppositions. You've yet to present a single piece of concrete evidence to prove Prosecutor Shadow's guilt in Ms. Robotnik's murder!"

"And I can say the same to you, Mr. Sonic," Mephiles calmly objected. "You and your partner have thrown a lot of theories and suppositions my way as to why I'm responsible for both murders that night. However, you've only managed to squander enough evidence to prove me guilty on one count. You decided to indict me in her murder, and I simply provided the court with another unproven yet equally possible scenario as to what might've happened. Until you can disprove what I've said, you can't comfortably rely on just your theories without the solid foundation of evidence to back it up."

"I must admit that the witness has a good point on this," the Judge surmised after banging his gavel. "He's brought up even before his indictment on Detective Charles's murder of there being a chance Prosecutor Shadow was guilty of Ms. Robotnik's death. Neither the defense or prosecution has found any way to discredit his thoughts, so I can't feel comfortable saying that Prosecutor Mephiles was responsible for both murders."

"If Your Honor doesn't feel comfortable about it, then there's obviously room for doubt as to Prosecutor Shadow's role of simply being a kidnap victim," the old hedgehog added. "As such, I'll continue to say that he was the one who shot the poor woman in the head. She must've seen him armed at one point and tried to fight him for possession of the gun. I do remember hearing something akin to a struggle while I was in the bathroom. Failing to obtain the gun, she decided to make a run for it towards the stairs. If you think about it that way, then it seems more than reasonable for him to be the murderer."

"Is that so?" Tails murmured as he turned this over in his head. "Do you mind if you added that detail to your testimony? It has to do with why you're not the murderer, and I don't believe any of us have heard this detail before."

"I don't believe we have," the Judge agreed with a nod of his head. "Could you please add this to your official testimony, Prosecutor Mephiles?"

"If it'll help you all further see my innocence in this matter, then I'll do it. That and I'd rather to have all these needless questions end as soon as possible. It's clear that everybody's merely grasping at straws for nonexistent information. What better way to prove the futility of the defense's actions than to let them fall from grace? I promise that neither of our explanations will be blessed with the evidence to prove it anytime soon."

And maybe that'll change depending on what comes flying out of your lying mouth, the cobalt hedgehog thought as he braced himself for some new testimony. So why don't you just stop talking nonsense and get on with your testimony?

New Statement

I assume that Prosecutor Shadow shot at the retreating Ms. Robotnik from the office doorway the moment she was in his sights.

End New Statement

"And you're saying that her body just conveniently laid in front of the bookshelf that was the entrance to the hidden basement?" Sonic asked, heavy skepticism dripping from his words. "I find that to be unnaturally coincidental since we believe she already realized the secret to that shelf and was trying to get the kidnap victims out."

"If you were put in the face of danger, I think the last thing you'd want to do is rescue people," Mephiles explained. "Considering the time it'd take to get that door open, running away from the gunman would be the more obvious choice. Unfortunately for her, she failed to run fast enough and was gunned down. Had she been in the kitchen instead of the hallway, then perhaps she'd have had a better time using the cover to her advantage. But alas, the hallway was practically bare of such lifesaving reprieves."

"As poetic as you're trying to make it sound, the fact remains that she was killed in that hallway," Vector surmised while trying to keep the trial going at a normal pace. "As much as I want to say how I don't agree with your explanation, I must admit that it makes some amount of sense. By using the basis of Shadow's fingerprints being on the murder weapon, your theory does have some amount of plausibility. The only problem is that it's lacking evidence, a problem that both the defense and I are also facing with our own theory. As such, it looks like we're stuck in the middle of a deadlock."

"Well, then I guess that means you can't really continue going about saying that I'm the woman's murderer," the old hedgehog smugly replied. "It's hard for any of us to continue on when two conflicting theories exist. Until we can clear up this matter as to who's in the right, the court can't comfortably side with either one of us."

"Then that just means we need to a little more digging around until we find the truth!" Tails countered in an attempt to break out of this logical stalemate.

"You can dig around as much as you want, but I doubt you'll find anything. After all, you already spent all this time proving that I'm Detective Charles's murderer with hardly any worthwhile evidence under your possession. And now you've come at me with nothing but suppositions and circumstantial evidence against the second murder. With all the floundering about you've been doing for the past few minutes, it's clear you still have nothing to pin any of this on me. If you're hoping to pull off a miraculous win like you did earlier, then I'm afraid you're sorely mistaken."

"Don't underestimate the defense simply they're just a couple of rookies," Vector warned in a tone that sounded a lot like a praise. "I'll admit they have had their share of lucky moments every now and again, but everything they've worked towards has been hard fought and well earned. They've been able to make it this far with the hand they're dealt with; I'm sure they'll find some way to make the best of a seemingly terrible playing field."

"You do have a way with words, Prosecutor Vector," the witness as he rolled his eyes at the crocodile's short speech. "Unfortunately for you, trying to mask your shortcomings behind a hastily raised veil of praise will do little in bettering your current situation. The fact remains that there isn't any evidence to support the claims that you and the defense have brought against me. Until such a thing comes about, my theory of Prosecutor Shadow and the victim fighting over dominance for the gun just moments before the shot stands firm if not at the least on equal footing with yours."

End Cross-Examination

"Then prepare to have the scales of justice tip to our favor," Sonic quickly exclaimed before Mephiles could get another word in. "Your Honor, the witness has just said something that directly contradicts the evidence!"

"Hmm, it sounds like you're about to go on another one of your bluffing sprees," the old prosecutor goaded as the gallery began to talk amongst themselves. "Very well; I'll go ahead and indulge you for a moment. Just what exactly are you saying you have that can prove either the truthfulness of your theory or the invalidity of mine?"

"I'm sure you'll find the answer for yourself once you've taken a good look at Maria's Autopsy Report," the cobalt hedgehog challenged as he placed the document on the projector. "According to this, she was killed by a single bullet to the head. It goes to say that she died without showing any signs of a struggle. But if we compare that with what you've already testified to in that you heard her and her killer scuffling out in the hallway, then we have ourselves yet another contradiction in your testimony! You could've easily said that you didn't hear anything while cleaning up until the gunshot, so the only reason why I believed you lied once again was so that you could throw us off-track. Is that the truth, or do you have some other convenient excuse that explains this blatant contradiction?"

"Tch, can you really call what I said a lie when I was merely giving you my opinion on a matter that I never witnessed with my own eyes?" the witness quickly countered without any hesitation. It was almost as though he was prepared for that to be brought up. "I know I heard something which sounded like a fight while I was in the bathroom. Perhaps I was simply wrong as to who was responsible for making the noise. Maybe it was in fact the Pryce siblings whom I heard arguing instead. Obviously, there isn't much I can say on the matter as my eyes failed to catch anything. Regardless of what the answer is, squabbling over this fact isn't going to help you prove that I'm the guilty one in this death."

"It's true that this detail amounts to nothing when all is said and done," Tails admitted as he seemed ready to bounce back with another mode of attack. "However, that wasn't the only thing we noticed to be off in your testimony."

"Are you saying you found another contradiction in his testimony?" the Judge asked after quieting down the gallery. "But what exactly is it?"

"Well, let's just assume for a moment that Prosecutor Mephiles's version of things that night is the truth," the fox started as he crossed his arms and prepared for another war of words. "That would mean Prosecutor Shadow shot Ms. Robotnik as she was running away from him. We've already proven that there was no scuffle between them prior to this, so the victim must've made an immediate run for it upon seeing the gun. Shadow then made his way to the hallway where she was already at and shot her dead from his position by the office doorway. These are the conditions stated by the witness's theory."

"However, the report that's been done on this tells us a different story altogether!" the defense attorney took over as he took out the report on the Bullet. "From what forensics has discovered, the Bullet was fired directly parallel to the hallway itself. In other words, it was shot in a straight line with no indication of hitting the side walls at any given time. The doorway to the office is in the middle of the hallway along the right side with a perfect view of the staircase. It'd make sense for Shadow to shoot from there once he had sight of Maria. Yet at the same time, the start of the staircase at the end of the hallway hugs towards the left side. That means the Bullet would've struck the left hallway wall had it missed its target. Since the trajectory doesn't suggest that the shot was fired from where you say it was, that means Shadow wasn't the one who kill her!"

"Wow; that was definitely something I managed to completely miss!" Vector exclaimed in awe at what the defense managed to uncover. "So if we retrace the Bullet's trajectory, we can figure out just where the shooter was standing!"

"But you've yet to disprove Prosecutor Mephiles's theory that Prosecutor Shadow is Ms. Robotnik's true murderer," the old man reminded them as the gallery talked amongst themselves. "I don't see how discovering where the original shot came from will matter if the person you claim isn't responsible is still under suspicion."

"That may be true, but what if I told you that we could figure out who the real culprit is once we've discovered where the gun was fired from?" Sonic suggested as he began looking through the Diagram once more. "It's clear that the Pistol was fired from inside that hallway. In that case, there's only two possible locations where the shooter could be standing. When you take into account the details on the Bullet's trajectory, then it seems more likely than not it was fired from the doorway. It's the only place left where you could fire a gun in a way so that you would never hit any of the side walls. Firing from anywhere else would fail to comply with the details of the Bullet!"

"So you say, but you've only speculations on the matter," Mephiles countered. "Even if you did have the evidence that said otherwise, I fail to see how this will help absolve Prosecutor Shadow of his crime."

"That's because you've forgotten to take your own testimony into account," the fox countered back. "You already testified that you went into the lighthouse after having killed Detective Charles. That means you were the only one who came through the doorway during those moments!"

"I already said that I was in the bathroom cleaning up when the shot took place," the old hedgehog reminded in a low tone. "Just because I entered through the front door like any other civilized person doesn't mean I'm her killer. Someone else could've came in and done her in while I was busy cleaning up and ran before anyone came around."

"Unfortunately for you, Agent Salem's Testimony already discredits that theory," the cobalt hedgehog said. "He immediately went outside upon hearing the shot and kept careful watch over the scene. Also, there's nothing to suggest that either Maxwell or Lois were the ones responsible. If you take all this into account along with how you just tried to make an excuse out of this, then you're the one who's most suspect!"

"Evidence is everything, Mr. Sonic. You may have reasonable suspicions born from what little you could gather, but none of them can lead you to your ultimate answer. I know that you want to pin me for her death, but you have nothing more than a bunch of coincidences to serve as the basis of your argument. After all you've done to convict me as a murderer, I half-expected a better argument than this."

"It may be based off of speculation, but the defense's views are more than enough to cast doubt on your original claim that Shadow is the only one capable of pulling this off," Vector quickly countered. "We understand that it's quite a longshot at this point to pin you for Ms. Robotnik's murder. However, I feel that we've done more than enough at this point to discredit your theory that he played some role in her murder. In turn, it also makes it hard to believe that he had anything to do with the entire kidnapping scheme that facilitated the murders. So even if we're only sending you to prison for a single murder, you're not going to take an innocent person down with you!"

"Is that what you think I've been doing, Prosecutor Vector? I assure you that I have no reason to create a personal vendetta against anybody in this trial. All I've done was take a look at the evidence and interpret them as best as I could. Whether or not I was right, my main goal was to deflect whatever suspicions you had left on me. If all you could muster was proving that Prosecutor Shadow couldn't be responsible for crimes I alleged against him, then it seems as though I've done my job well."

"That's what you're trying to convince us of, but is that actually the truth?" the defense attorney asked much to the old prosecutor's intrigue and annoyance. As happy as he was with Shadow finally being clear from the court's relentless crosshairs, he was not going to let Mephiles get away with a single murder. If that meant he had to bluff his way through this with literally nothing left, then so be it! "Not everything that's been brought up has been explained completely. If you truly wish to deflect all our accusations, then you'd best try and clear up the rest of the inconsistencies in regards to your overall involvement."

"Just what kind of inconsistencies are you talking about, Mr. Sonic?" the Judge asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm intrigued to hear your explanation as to how these unresolved issues can serve to help your case despite the fact that you have no more evidence."

"Then how about I help kick things off for them?" the crocodile suggested as he crossed his arms and twisted his face in thought. It was clear he caught on to Sonic's bluffing game and was ready to give him a hopefully helpful nudge in the right direction. "If there's no longer any evidence to help prove theirs and mu argument, then perhaps connecting the scattered pieces of information will be enough to create a clear picture. Even I admit that the evidence now proves to be a dead end, but I'm not ready to stop here because of that. I'm sure that the defense will agree with me on this completely."

Without saying a word, Sonic and Tails stared at the prosecutor in thanks for his continued support in this terribly difficult fight. He has already gone so far as to openly admit to and side with their version of events; he was definitely going the extra mile to help them out in any way he could. This meant he still had something up his sleeve, and they were going to go along with him and see where it would take them. All they could hope for now was that this will finally put an end to their long and arduous battle.

"…I'll take it then that the defense has no objections," the old man said after examining their reaction. The entire gallery was dead silent as they waited impatiently for what was going to happen next. The anticipation was so thick in the air; it was enough to make anybody's hair or fur stand on end. "Very well, I'll give the both of you one last chance to convince me that these inconsistencies can prove that Prosecutor Mephiles murdered Ms. Robotnik. Just remember that it all had better be good as there's absolutely no evidence which ties him to her death. If you fail to provide me with an infallible explanation, then I'll call an end to this drawn-out trial. That's my only warning to you all. Now, let's go ahead and hear what you have to say on the matter, Prosecutor Vector."

"To start out with, there's the question as to who is the one responsible for having committed the kidnapping that was the start of this whole mess," Vector began after nodding his head in acknowledgement to the Judge's conditions. "We've already managed to cast heavy doubt on the witness's claims that Prosecutor Shadow had any role in it. And being that he along with the other victims were discovered inside the lighthouse, it's no doubt that someone employed with that company played some role in it all. That means it was either one or all three of the suspects who were in that building at the time of the murders. They were the ones who had clean access to whatever rooms and tools the building provided; a random criminal who just decided to use it as a base would never know of the secret basement door."

"Now that we know that at least one person involved with the Prycey Seafood Company, Agent Salem excluded, is a kidnapper; this leads us to another unresolved issue," Tails continued on once he found an opening to squeeze in a question that has been on his mind since the trial began. "Why would they take the time to transport all four kidnap victims from the basement up to the second floor? No matter how you look at it, this action seems completely redundant for anybody to do.

"The only plausible reason I can come up with is that the kidnapped were never meant to be long-term victims. The basement itself is sealed from any outside contact. There weren't any windows or pipes of any kind that led to the outside, and they made sure any kind of electronic communication was stripped away. It was a perfect place to hide someone without the risk of a random passerby walking by and hearing screams for help. And when the kidnapped played out their usefulness, they'd then be moved to an area that had no chance of implicating the company itself."

"Unfortunately, that supposed plan had an unexpected hitch to it," Sonic argued now that the groundwork was laid out before him courtesy of his partner and the prosecutor. "Detective Charles and Ms. Robotnik caught on to the kidnapping scheme and quickly discovered where the victims were being held. They committed to a rather impromptu rescue mission and paid for it with their lives. We've already covered the details on the detective's death, so it's no longer of any concern. Ms. Robotnik was shot in the back of the head and killed just as she was about to figure out how to open the secret basement door and free the kidnap victims. As we've already discussed, the shooter had to have come from the front doorway as indicated by the Bullet's trajectory.

"This is where the murderer and kidnapper had to improvise," he continued. "With the two rescuers dead, it was too risky to move them to a different location. The chances of police discovering they were moved was too great. Dumping the bodies into the ocean was out of the question since they were a renowned attorney-detective duo. The only thing that could be done was paint the lighthouse as the stage for the kidnap/murder scene. And that's why the four who were kidnapped were moved up to the second floor. It was so they could be easily found when the place was searched and would paint a picture that the two who died did so while on a rescue mission gone wrong."

"My, that's quite a convincing story you all managed to weave," Mephiles chuckled after having carefully listened to every word they said. Despite remaining in his trademark stoic attitude, irritation was rolling off of him in waves. Even his crossed arms held a good amount of annoyance just in body language alone. "And with how you've put such a good label of progression from one event to the next, it sounds very believable. Let's just say for now that it's all true. How does any of it help you prove that I'm Ms. Robotnik's murderer? None of this has anything to do with either me or her!"

"Then how about you think of it this way?" the fox suggested. "With two unscheduled murders, the kidnapping plan was drastically changed. Once the changes were completed, the next thing to be done was to erase any evidence that pointed back to someone with the company as the one responsible. That meant cleaning their clothes and themselves of any blood along with any kinds of telltale fibers on and around the bodies. It's clear they did a good job of tampering with the scene since none of the detectives found anything odd. The perpetrator even went so far as to create false evidence. Of course, I'm talking about the Pistol that had Shadow's fingerprints on it. Only the person he took it from during the struggle would know that the gun had his prints. All they had to do then was wait for the right time to use it against him should the need ever arise like it has now."

"In other words, you're the only one who fits all the things we've described thus far," Vector concluded. "You're a man who's able to think on his feet and quickly adapt to any kinds of unexpected situations. The time when Charmy Bee suddenly came by to testify in my stead yesterday is proof of that. And then there's all the times when Mr. Sonic and his assistant have derailed your arguments during your trial against him. You always fought back with the same level of ferocity.

"Then there's another matter that indicates to us your true involvement in all of this. Of the three people who were in the lighthouse at the time of the murders, you're the only one with enough experience in criminal investigation to know how to tamper with the scene and having it look like nothing was amiss. I mean, you've worked as a prosecutor for well over half of your life. Such experiences has no doubt left you with a well of knowledge as to how detectives work. Even I knew a bit about the whole process before I took up my little side business as a freelance detective agency. And being the control freak that you are with any investigations that come your way, I don't find it a stretch to say that you were able to garner lots of unrestricted and unsupervised access for both bodies.

"And finally, there's the Pistol that has Shadow's fingerprints on it. You said earlier in your testimony that it was on top of your desk. I think it safe to say then that you acknowledge ownership of the murder weapon through that alone since you appeared indifferent when testifying about it. I believe you now when you say that it was where you say it was. However, that was after you were in a scuffle with Shadow and he momentarily took possession of it. You were merely handling it with great care so as to not disrupt your potential trump card. You knew the prints wouldn't be enough to blame him for Ms. Robotnik's murder, but it was enough to create needless confusion throughout the investigation. And if push came to shove, you'd be able to use it in a falsified indictment as you already did not so long ago."

"Of all the inconsistencies we've brought up along with their unique conditions, you're the only one who fits them all," Sonic said with a sigh after literally going on an explanation binge. "I don't know if you're the original kidnapper, but you certainly played some role in it after the fact. Out of the three people that were in the lighthouse, you were the only one who had any kind of knowledge of how investigations worked and how to tamper with the scene without raising any red flags. At the least, it's enough to have you charged as an accessory to kidnapping after the fact!

"At the same time, all of this lends credence to the idea that you had something to do with Ms. Robotnik's death. Just by examining the Pistol itself, it's clear that the scene of her murder was compromised. You've already admitted that the gun belongs to you despite your prints not being on it. And since your prints wasn't on it, you put it next to her body so as to distract the investigation from the truth!"

"And you're saying you can prove I murdered her with all these pretty words you've spewed out?" the old hedgehog asked. "I'll admit that everything you said is sound and can easily fall back on what has already been presented. However, you already said that it all gives the idea that I merely had something to do with it. You've nothing else to help propel your claims beyond that!"

"… … …Fortunately for us, you're wrong on that," Tails said after thinking hard on the subject. "It's true that we've run out of evidence to use against you. However, there's still one more avenue of attack that's still available to us. In short, we still have a witness who can help us clear all remaining questions as to whether or not you're the one who shot that gun! All we need to do is ask him to come and testify about what he knows."

"…Are you talking about Maxwell Pryce?" Vector asked. His tone was somewhat confused yet intrigued at the same time. "It's true that he was also at the lighthouse on the night the murders took place. Are you suggesting that we have him testify as to where he was during the time of Ms. Robotnik's murder?"

"Looks like you caught on quick, Prosecutor Vector," the fox responded with a confident smile. "The only thing keeping us from being able to indict Prosecutor Mephiles for this second murder is whether or not he was the only one able to fire that gun. Since the good prosecutor is insistent that he's innocent, the only person left we can ask to clear up this matter is Mr. Pryce. We've no idea what he and his sister were doing there at that moment, so figuring that out will serve as proof whether or not our theory is correct. And being that he hasn't been around since we started this trial, I'm sure there isn't going to be any problems of him being biased as he doesn't know what we've already covered."

"Unbiased or not, his words mean nothing unless it can be backed up with evidence," the witness countered, his worry barely escaping past his calm façade.

"That's true, but it's easy to circumvent that depending on the questions we want him to answer," the cobalt hedgehog added with the same confident smile as his partner. "We can ask about where he and his sister was in the lighthouse and what they were doing. If he doesn't say anything about either of them having entered through the front doors just moments before Ms. Robotnik was killed, then both of them are innocent in that regard. After all, we've already proven that the only place the gun could be fired was from that doorway.

"At the same time, what he testifies to will either prove you innocent or guilty in this matter. You've already testified earlier that you went through those doors right after killing Detective Charles. And based on how you testified about having done nothing but look at the Pistol as you passed by it, it's quite likely you're the one who owns it. Only the owner would walk on by without giving it a second thought. All we need now is Mr. Pryce's testimony to cement everything we've fought for all this time. I'm sure that he'll be more than happy to help us out being that he hates his sister for having forced him to unwillingly participate in all these illegal activities. The only thing we want to know from you now is how you want this to play out. Are you ready to admit to your crime, or are you going to wait until Mr. Pryce comes to testify and prove your guilt?"

"… … …Do what you will," Mephiles murmured so quietly that almost nobody could hear what he was saying. "I refuse to say anything more on the matter."

"B-but refusing to object is as much of a confession of guilt at this point!" the Judge exclaimed. "Both the defense and prosecution have already adequately explained through the backings of presented evidence that you had something to do with Ms. Robotnik's murder. To not refute at this point suggests that you accept their claims as they are!"

"You can interpret my decision however you like, but I've nothing more to say," the old prosecutor repeated. Just like it was earlier, a small hint of panic slipped through with his words. "Feel free to do what you want at this point. If you really want the truth behind this case, then I suggest you listen to what Mr. Pryce has to say."

"…I suppose that's all we can do now," the old man sighed before banging his gavel. "Bailiff; please call the detention center and have them take Mr. Pryce's testimony about what he was doing in the lighthouse during the murders five years ago. I doubt they'll let him come here right now, so a record of his words shall suffice. One way or another, this is going to end with whatever he has to say on this. Until then, nobody is to enter or leave this courtroom."

"Do you think we finally got him?" Tails asked as the gallery began talking amongst themselves. "Can Mr. Pryce's testimony really be the one singular piece of evidence that can bind our case together?"

"I can only hope at this point," the defense attorney replied with a heavy sigh. "Max is practically a wild card. What he has to say is either going to make or break our case. I guess now's a good a time as any to see just how much he really hates his sister for dragging him into Mephiles's smuggling ring."

As the minutes slowly ticked away, the entire courtroom waited anxiously to hear what Max had to say. Vector was nervously fiddling with his headphone cords while listening to whatever music was blasting through it. Mephiles still stood at the witness stand but was now lacking that cockily aggressive aura he normally exuded. In fact, this was probably the first time Sonic and Tails had ever seen him show any semblance of nervousness in the three days they had dealt with him. He was probably nervous about what his former coworker might say and had no means of controlling what was to happen next.

It was about a good half hour before the bailiff returned. Everyone immediately fell silent and watched in anticipation as the man walked up to the Judge. He had in his hand a manila envelope that no doubt held Max's written statement on the matter. It was now the moment of truth; whatever words that lay hidden in that envelope would either bring the truth to light or shove it into the deception of darkness.

"It's time to see what Mr. Pryce has to say about all this," the Judge announced as he took the envelope and opened it. He then took the paper in his hands and read the contents aloud:

"On the night the double murders took place, I was in the lighthouse along with my sister. We were busy doing some work prescribed to us by the head of the smuggling ringleader. I was to keep watch over the four kidnap victims; Lois served as lookout on the roof of the lighthouse and made sure the cops weren't coming. She saw Mephiles kill someone outside and informed me of it through text. By that time, I had already knocked out the kidnap victims. She continued to text me and even sent me an incomplete one the moment after I heard a gun go off. She immediately texted me asking if I heard that. If you want proof of our conversation, then just take a look through my cell phone's history of text messages. I thought I could somehow use it as a blackmailing ticket against the smuggling ringleader, so I made sure to preserve it. I guess it's time to make good use of my foresight."

"…It sounds as though we've finally got our answer," Vector replied after hearing what Max had to say. "Mr. Pryce has testified that neither he nor his sister were anywhere near where Ms. Robotnik was killed. In fact, he even has text messages received from Lois moments after she saw Prosecutor Mephiles kill Detective Charles. I'm sure that if we're to look through that, we'll see the validity of his words."

"Well, it just so happens that we have those transcripts with us along with his testimony," the old man stated as he took out another sheet of paper from the envelope and put it up on the projector. "Let's see if this does indeed back up what Mr. Pryce has testified."

From: Lois; 12:59:46 A.M. Just so you know; I saw the boss kill someone.

To: Lois; 12:59:59 A.M. Are you sure, Lois? I thought he said the kidnapping was only meant for bargaining purposes.

From: Lois; 1:00:17 A.M. I guess something came up that even he failed to take into account. Doesn't matter much since he's already done it.

To: Lois; 1:00:41 A.M. Hmm, did you see where he went?

From: Lois; 1:00:54 A.M. He just came into the lighthouse. He did get hurt during the fight, so I guess

From: Lois; 1:01:01 A.M. Did you hear that?!

To: Lois; 1:01:14 A.M. That sounded like it came from inside! Was it a gunshot?

From: Lois; 1:01:28 A.M. I think it was, but who would the boss be shooting at in here?

From: Lois; 1:01:41 A.M. Damn, the new guy heard the shot! He's coming from the warehouse and is calling the police. So much for going to dispose of the body.

To: Lois; 1:01:55 A.M. Oh boy; here's to hoping the boss didn't leave any evidence that could point back to him.

From: Lois; 1:02:17 A.M. Don't underestimate him. He's got enough foresight to avoid trouble before it even begins. How do you think he's managed to net us so much money without raising red flags from the international community?

From: The Boss; 1:02:20 A.M. Hurry and get up here, Max! There was a sneaky rat I had to kill, and I need your help to fix the scene. I've already taken care of her detective partner, so we shouldn't have any disruptions for the time being.

To: Lois; 1:03:28 A.M. We'll talk about this later, Lois. The boss is calling me up to help him clean after his own mess. Don't forget to text him about that stupid black cat having called the police.

From: Lois; 1:03:46 A.M. Got it. I'll keep watch up here and tell you when I see the police coming around.

"…Well, the timestamps on each conversation is definitely around the time when Ms. Robotnik was said to have been killed," the crocodile stated after reading the texts, his arms now crossed in triumph. "And the things mentioned certainly condemning against the one responsible for the murders. The only problem with this is that Mephiles's name isn't directly mentioned at any point during the conversation."

"But the clues we find throughout the discussion is enough to prove it was him that the Pryce siblings were talking about," Sonic objected. "We've already proven that Prosecutor Mephiles killed Detective Charles, so 'The Boss' mentioned in the texts can only be referring to him. And when we put that together with what 'The Boss' said about having to kill a woman that snuck in, I think it's safe to say that he was also responsible for Ms. Robotnik's murder. Therefore, I believe that we've adequately proven through both evidence and testimony that the witness standing before us was the sole person responsible for the murders that facilitated the start of the LK-9 Incident!"

"… … …It sounds like you've finally arrived at the truth you've been feverishly seeking all this time," the old hedgehog stated with an unreadable smirk. "To be honest, I'm amazed that Max actually had the balls to testify against me. After all we've been through the past five years, I thought he'd be more merciful to me."

"Apparently, you haven't been treating him well enough so that he would feel the want to protect you," Tails deadpanned. "It's actually pretty funny how things like this can come back to haunt you. Had you only gave Mr. Pryce the treatment he deserved for standing by you these past five years, he just might've lied for your sake and destroy our case against you. But since you didn't, he's now helping us in convicting you of two murders."

"…Yes, I suppose all this does have some kind of sick humor to it. And to think that I've prided myself in my ability to foresee problems before they arise. Never in the history of my life would I have thought that the four children I kidnapped would come together and take me down. You truly are a force to be reckoned with."

"…Am I to take this then as a confession of guilt on?" the Judge asked. He appeared somewhat surprised at what he just heard yet was at the same time relatively calm as though he anticipating it somewhat.

"As much as I hate to say this, I admit to the murder of Ms. Maria Robotnik. As such, I also admit to being the one responsible for the double-murders. And to think I would've gotten away with this had this trial been called off an hour ago. Luck must truly be on your side today, Mr. Sonic."

"You're still pretty full of it, aren't you?" the cobalt hedgehog responded while shaking his head. "Luck did play some role in me being able to get this far, but the skills I've learned over the past few months were what really helped me today. And as pushy and questionable your techniques have been, you also taught me an important lesson. Evidence is everything, and it's all pointed towards you as nothing more than a cold-blooded killer!

"But do you know what the real difference between you and me is? And no, it's not that you're a veteran and I'm a rookie. Throughout both cases that pitted us against each other, I've always had someone who I could fall back on for help. I always had someone to lend me their help whenever I found myself stuck. Not once during both trials was I ever alone in my quest to defend my clients.

"You, on the other hand, have always relied only on yourself and your ability to warp the truth just enough to obscure information and still be admissible. You never trusted anybody with anything. You insist on controlling every aspect of the investigation so as to hinder the defense's progress and retain all known information to yourself. It's true that you're able to handle even the most random of happenings in court, but your cold and arrogant attitude has proven to be your downfall today. Like my partner just said, you probably would've been able to get away with Ms. Robotnik's murder had you only treated your partner-in-crime with the respect he no doubt deserved over the past five years. What you lacked with Mr. Pryce was also missing with those you worked with during investigations."

"Ha, so you're saying trust is the key to winning in a court of law?" Mephiles asked, his tone even yet slowly becoming hostile. "All attorneys should be trusting the outcome of their cases on those who have no role in the courtroom itself? Ha, what a childishly naïve sentiment! When we're in this sacred room dealing with murderers, there's no such thing as trust. The only thing that we can rely upon is our ability to put away all defendants who dare to come through here trying to preach to us their façade of innocence!

"Why do you think I fight so hard to obtain guilty verdicts? I only have the goodwill of the people in mind. One less criminal on the street simply means a city that much safer from the unthinkable. When I took on the job as one of this city's prosecutors, I swore that I would do anything in my power to put away all criminals who dare to cross my path. Why should I show them mercy when they've shown less than that to their victims?

"Why can't any of you understand that my actions have made the city safe?" he questioned everybody with his arms raised. "It's through my convictions that you're all able to live the comfortable lives you have today. Ensuring your safety is all that any prosecutor is obligated to do. So what if my methods were questionable? The fact that most defense attorneys are too inept to fight back proves they never had a case to begin with!

"But then came along Maria Robotnik and Charles Hedgehog!" he spat out with heavy venom at their names. "They had high hopes of wanting to revolutionize the way law was being portrayed in court. They decided to meander around in crime scenes and wherever else their noses didn't belong. They even had the gall to go poking around in one of my investigations for the sake of a defense attorney I was up against! They definitely didn't know their place, and I was more than ready to put them in line."

"And that's when you concocted the whole kidnapping scheme," Vector stated, his arms crossed as they had nothing better to do. Amazingly, he had listened completely to the witness's rather maniacal rant. "You planned to pressure them into stopping their means of conducting investigations in order to preserve your twisted philosophy."

"It was only meant to be for bargaining purposes. I threatened to kill the hostages unless he agreed to know his place in the legal world and stop poking his nose in prosecutorial business. Unfortunately, I completely underestimated his detective skills. I was quite surprised when he and that woman realized it was me and came to where I was holding the children. Since they knew too much, I couldn't just let them live and ruin me.

"Of course, Detective Charles was merely acting as a decoy when he fought me. Maria was the one who snuck in while I was preoccupied. It wasn't until after I won my skirmish did I realize she was in the lighthouse. I quickly ran inside and shot her like the dog she was. And to think that she was so close to rescuing the children herself."

"And you did all this simply because they were conducting their business in a way that went against your ideals?" Tails inquired. "You willingly committed a crime just so you could maintain your philosophy of what a prosecutor's job should be?"

"As I said, they didn't know their place. A defense attorney's job is to merely provide their clients with a defense. That means they're to defend criminals, and I can't allow that to happen. Them investigating crime scenes for themselves simply opens the risk of contamination of evidence. In turn, that can destroy the prosecution's case!

"Criminals should never be given even a single inch of space to move. Everyone who comes into the courtroom pleading their innocence is nothing but a conman! Defending them is just as criminal as the crimes they've committed. We must do everything in our power to cast upon them judgment for their crimes! Allowing even one to go free would be a disservice to the people we've sworn to protect. It's our responsibility given to us by the people of this city to convict all who enter here! That…is our sworn duty as emissaries of the law!" he concluded as he slammed his fists on the podium for added emphasis.

"… … …I object, Prosecutor Mephiles," Sonic calmly replied after having listened to the witness's confessional and philosophically skewed rant. He could not even bring himself to be angry at the one who murdered his uncle and turned his life upside-down. Just hearing him spit out his twisted view of what the law should be was enough to dull his anger and leave behind pity for a man who has fallen so far. "It isn't merely to convict every man who comes in to defend themselves of crimes they're accused of. Our true duty as defenders of the law is to uncover the truth. It doesn't matter who's right or wrong. The true victory in any trial comes only when the truth has been attained. That is the meaning of our work!"

For a few seconds, the entire courtroom was dead silent. It was as though they were all trying to digest everything that had just taken place. It was no doubt a shock for all to see the man they once highly respected fall from grace in more ways than one. The reign of his twisted philosophy of how the law should work had come to an end.

"…Bailiff, please escort Mephiles out of the courtroom," the Judge announced. His lack of title for said man was indicative enough of the loss of respect he felt. The bailiff did just that and escorted the witness out in handcuffs. All the while, the old hedgehog had an unreadable smile planted on his face as he left the room.

"…Never in my life would I thought this case would come to such a conclusion," the old man said once the former prosecutor had left. "It's been shuffled into cold case storage for the past five years and showed no progress until this day. It's amazing how both the defense and prosecution have managed to solve what many before you could not in the span of a day! I've no doubt that the law will be safe in your hands."

"We only did what we could, Your Honor," Vector simply responded. He had since fully taken off his headset and rested it atop his desk as though he were paying respect for what this moment in time meant. "The law can never be safe in just the hands of two people. Only when both sides of the law work together to come to the truth can the law ever serve its true purpose. Mephiles has clearly lost sight of that. We merely exposed his corruption before his viral ways crippled our city's society."

"And I can only hope this case will serve as an example of how all attorneys should act in the future," the old man agreed with a nod. "We've allowed ourselves to become accustomed to the ruthless style of proceedings on the prosecution's part. I feel that today's proceedings will bring about a reform across the board on how we conduct future business.

"However, all of that will have to wait for another day. For now, it's probably best that we call an official end to this trial. After all, Mephiles did accuse Shadow of murder with a surprisingly sound argument during his attempts at avoiding his crime. Even if for formality's sake, let's tie up all these legal loose ends so they won't come back to haunt us. So without further ado, I'm ready to render my verdict. This court finds Prosecutor Shadow Hedgehog not guilty in the murder of Defense Attorney Maria Robotnik! With this verdict comes the official end of this five-year-old case. Court is now adjourned!"

With a bang of his gavel, the case was officially closed. He then got up from his seat and retreated back into his chambers. The members of the gallery got up and slowly made their way out of the courtroom. All the while, they animatedly talked amongst themselves about what they just bore witness to. Only the defense and prosecution stood quietly where they were as the fact of their hard-won victory slowly sunk in.

"You two truly are a force to be reckoned with," Silver commended as he, Knuckles, and Shadow walked down from the gallery. "What I saw happen just now is something I couldn't achieve myself during my three years of investigation. And to think that the one responsible was the man whose power all respected! Never in a million years would he have ever come under my radar as a suspect!"

"I think we were all taken aback when his name suddenly popped up," Knuckles stated as he made his way towards Sonic and Tails. "I mean, who ever heard of such a respected figure in law committing such terrible crimes? What makes it all the more embarrassing for us is that he was right under our noses working beside us the entire time! I can only imagine what the front pages will say once the media gets wind of this. And that's not to mention all the cases that he's worked on which will no doubt be put under review now."

"I wouldn't be surprised if the Prosecutorial Investigation Committee started reforming the current layout of our jobs tomorrow," Shadow sighed as he stood next to the witness stand and placed a hand on it. "Mephiles did manage to earn their trust thanks to his many years of experience in delivering consistent conviction results. They're no doubt going to be more than a little pissed at their trust being so badly taken advantage of. I can't even think of the kind of damage he could've done if he managed to get a seat in the committee. And the worst part of it were the rumors that he was going to try for one of the open positions!"

"I've heard that the committee is pretty ruthless when they reform current prosecutorial practices," Sonic stated as he collected the evidence and placed them in his folder. "And thanks to Mephiles's major corruption, I wouldn't doubt that they'd look at every prosecutor as though they were just as crooked. I hate to think that you and Vector are going to have to go through all that just because of what one man did."

"You don't have to be that concerned over us, Sonic," Vector assured with a lighthearted chuckle. He had already collected all of his evidence and had his headset resting over his neck. The courtroom had also emptied out except for the attorneys and detectives. "Shadow and I have made it a point to only fight for the truth during all of our cases. We only maintain our position that the defendant is guilty unless enough evidence that happens to say otherwise has been presented. You've already seen that for yourself when you faced off against us. The committee shouldn't be that embarrassed so as to overlook that."

"Still, I think it best that we start preparing ourselves for an inquiry," the ebon hedgehog cautioned. "They're most likely going to employ a ruthless auditor to weed out those they feel are either too corrupt or ill-suited to hold a prosecutor's badge. If we want to stay out of their crosshairs, then we better get our affairs in order and make sure we sound as good as possible. God only knows how much sucking up we'll have to do."

"Wow, you're the last person I'd ever think would suck up to anybody," Tails said with a low groan as though he were sharing the other's pain. "And what about things at the Precinct? I can only imagine how deep his influence was with detectives. I mean, his method of obtaining and submitting evidence has been more than questionable."

"We're probably going to see the same kind of reform conducted through an independent auditor," Silver supposed with a shrug. "But like it is with Shadow and Vector, Knuckles and I shouldn't have too much to worry. Nowhere in our records have we ever worked with Mephiles. The last case was my first time working with him, but the only time I ever spoke with him was on the first day of that trial. Even then, he didn't seem to give me the same treatment that he's notorious for giving other detectives."

"He probably figured your reputation for thorough and truthful investigations would make it difficult for him to control," Knuckles suggested. "I'm just glad he never considered working with detectives of my level. I'd probably get into a fight with him the moment he starts to boss me around."

"Alright, can we please stop talking about that man already?" the cobalt hedgehog asked exasperatedly. "He's right now getting what he deserves, so let's just pretend he never existed and move onto something else. Namely, how about we go out for dinner and celebrate the fact that we've finally solved the LK-9 Case? I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast, and I don't know of a better time than now to eat!"

"I think that's a great idea!" the crocodile agreed with a wide grin. "Let's all go together and have a humongous celebration party! The guests of honor here is going to be you and Tails, the ones who solved a case that past detectives and attorneys couldn't do!"

"Do you mind if you had a couple of tagalongs to your party?" a familiar voice asked. Turning towards the courtroom entrance, the group saw Salem and Leon standing there. "I'd also like to celebrate the birth of an amazing attorney."

"Hey, what're you guys still doing here?" the defense attorney asked. "I figured you guys would be heading back at your home base or something after this. I mean, the reason for you staying here is over now."

"That's true, but we kind of wanted to congratulate you on doing such a great job!" Leon explained as he approached Tails and gave him a friendly nudge. "Interpol has looked through the LK-9 Case so many times due to its involvement with the smuggling ring but never got as far as you guys did. Seriously, it was almost like something out of a courtroom drama how you all managed to bounce back from every contradiction Mephiles threw at you!"

"Speaking of smuggling, what're you going to do about that?" Shadow inquired as he reverted to his usual business-like tone. "If the former prosecutor really was the ringleader, then I don't see any reason for you to still be here."

"Unfortunately, we still need evidence proving that he's the leader," Salem sighed. "It's pretty hard to let a claim like that stick with only our limited firsthand experiences with him. However, I'm thinking that everything the defense and prosecution has presented during the trial will serve as some rather damning evidence against him. After all, some things were touched on during the proceedings that I'm sure Interpol would be more than interested in wanting to sift through. All we have to do is to put in a formal request with the Judge to have all the evidence transferred to us."

"You don't have to worry about that, Agent Salem," a familiarly deep voice cut in. "I've already started with the paperwork for the evidence transferal."

"D-Dr. Robotnik!" both Sonic and Tails exclaimed as he walked into the courtroom. Then Sonic asked, "When did you get here?"

"Just a little after the trial ended," the portly man simply explained. "I'm extremely proud at the job you've done, Sonic. You've definitely come a long way from when I first hired you as a rookie attorney. I only hope that the clue I left for you proved helpful."

"Oh, it was definitely a case-breaker for us, sir! Still, it was quite a shock to hear that you were Salem's and Leon's superior here in Mobius. Never in a million years would I've guessed you were an Interpol Agent."

"It's a detail that I keep to myself," the man said despite the look of shock he got from the others apart from the Interpol brothers. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid my time here has been compromised the moment Mephiles was named prime suspect in the LK-9 Case. Because of that, I'm afraid I'll have to make myself scarce for the time being. I suggest that you two do the same as well," he added as he stared at Salem and Leon.

"I guess this means your mission here is over for the most part," the young fox said. "But couldn't you at least join us in our celebratory dinner before leaving? It's because of your help that Sonic and I were able to get as far as we did. If it weren't for that picture, I don't think we would've been able to pin Mephiles at the lighthouse."

"I wish I could, but I served as his right-hand man after having worked my way into the smuggling ring. Of course, that's provided our assumptions of him being the ringleader are correct. Still, I'm more than confident all the evidence you've brought against him will serve to help us nail him for that. I guess you could say that it's a combination of work and necessity that I must leave. I probably won't be coming back here for obvious safety reasons, so I decided to come over and say goodbye.

"But before I forget, I've a little something for you, Sonic," he added before reaching into his jacket and pulling out an envelope. "This is the deed to the Robotnik Law Firm. It was given to me by Interpol as part of my undercover position. However, I managed to convince them to relinquish the title over to you. You've more than earned your stay in my law firm; I hardly see how it'd be fair for me to make you leave simply because I can't continue with my undercover persona. You can change the name to something that fits your taste or keep as it is now; the decision is yours to make."

For a few seconds, everybody in the group stood silent as Dr. Robotnik handed the envelope to a stunned Sonic. Most in the group who knew the man never even thought that he was with Interpol; now they see Sonic being handed ownership to a law firm and thus officially becoming a business owner!

"…Congratulations, Sonic!" Vector exclaimed as he was the first to recover from the shock of everything. "You're already starting to build yourself a reputable name amongst all defense attorneys!"

Everybody else quickly joined in with the congratulations. Tails and Knuckles were standing next to Sonic trying to snap him out of his stupor. Vector was busy shaking his hand and going on about how great everything had turned out. Salem and Leon were standing slightly off to the side to avoid the chaos yet looked upon it with congratulatory smiles. Both Silver and Shadow were still somewhat dumbfounded at how the sometimes immature defense attorney was suddenly the owner of his own law firm, but they quickly recovered and joined in on the ecstatic atmosphere. Dr. Robotnik merely stepped back and watch the entire thing unfold before him with an amused chuckle.

After everything that has happened up to this point, all of it seemed too surreal to Sonic. Not only did they managed to figure out who was responsible for killing his uncle and Shadow's best friend; they also took down the most respected prosecutor in the city! Then they managed to help Interpol further their investigation into the smuggling ring while also presenting further suspicion onto the man they just convicted. And to top it all off, he had been presented by his now former boss the deed to the Robotnik Law Firm.

He finally has closure on a case that has haunted him and his friends for the past five years. He was able to help Interpol out with taking down a notorious international smuggling ring. He has obtained notoriety within the legal community for both solving a case many had thought impossible and taking down a well-known but corrupted prosecutor. And now, he was the proud owner of his very own business thanks in no small part to his now former boss. All this definitely sounded like something out of an amazingly good ending to some old-fashion crime drama. But even though he was not a big fan of such clichéd endings, this was one time where he had no objections whatsoever with it.

---

Well, here we are. We've finally finished the entire story! And Sonic has gotten a lot more reward out of it apart from the closure of having finally solved his uncle's murder! Like I said in the final sentence, I'm not a big fan of cliched endings. However, I think that it's the only thing appropriate in this case, especially since I actually somehow managed to pull out of my butt an ending where Mephiles gets convicted for Maria's murder! I think I deserve to put in a cliched ending just because of that!

Seriously, that was the hardest conviction I ever had to write for this story! I know I've said that a lot, but I really mean it with this. Even though he was just a product of my imagination, Mephiles has hounded me the moment I introduced him to this story! You'd think he'd show mercy to the one who created his persona for this story, but even I can't escape his ruthless attitude.

Still, it was all well worth the suffering, and I'm amazed to hear myself say that I'll be missing that feeling of helplessness during typing a lot. I don't know if I'll ever make another mystery story like this; it takes a lot of time and dedication to get it on here. But if I do make another one, then I promise that it's going to be a sequel to this one! However, don't be expecting anything like that to happen. Perhaps I'll consider it once college has slowed down for me and I'm in the mood for another bout of mystery. God only knows what other kinds of amazing crimes I'll be able to pull out of my butt next time!

But yeah, the next chapter on here is nothing more than an epilogue stating how the characters are doing a few days after this trial. Like I said at the beginning author's note, it's nothing significant that would make you feel like you want to read it. But if you want to, then feel free! It's basically my version of the credits like how its typically done in the Phoenix Wright games.

I'd like to thank all you readers out there for having read this from beginning to end. I also thank you for bearing with my rather random update times that were sometimes fast or a few months slow, especially that one time where I accidentally stopped updating for like nine months. I know how annoying that is for you readers, and it means a lot to me that you stuck with it despite it. Seriously, you're all the reason why I got myself to finish this rather enjoyable story!

I'm not going to bother asking you to leave a review simply because it's now the end. That and I've already said it at the top of the story. Instead, I'll say in terms of this story goodbye. The trials and investigations are now officially over, and Sonic and the gang have done what other detectives and attorneys before them failed to do. I hope to see some of you guys in my other stories on this site even though they're nowhere near being mysteries! Thanks for your support, and I hope that I'll have both the time and ability to create an amazing sequel to this! Just don't keep your hopes up; it's not a definite promise it'll happen. Rather, it's merely an open-ended possibility.