August 7
Courtroom 4
2:45 PM
Miles Edgeworth, the consummate professional, was late. So was Phoenix, but that was the usual state of affairs. For a ghastly fifteen long minutes, it was far more worrying that their star prosecutor had supposedly gone missing. Everyone was rather relieved when the Chief Prosecutor finally arrived to the waiting area with not a hair out of place. Contrary to him, Phoenix looked just a little bit... harried in comparison. His waistcoat was mysterious gone, the new suit he was so proud of was frumpled, and he looked just a little dazed. Not at all like his sharp self.
"Is... everything okay?" Lana asked, raising an eyebrow as the pair of them approached.
"Quite satisfactory," Edgeworth replied. Was that just a hint of smugness in his expression? "I apologize for our tardiness."
Off to the side, Wright gave a thumbs-up and a wink to his old friend Larry. Larry Butz, in turn, mock gasped, slapping his hands against his cheeks, before gesticulating wildly with his arms. All of this without uttering a single sound. It looked like Larry clued in onto what happened immediately. The amount of non-verbal communication was most impressive.
Whatever it was, (she was a smart woman, she could guess,) Lana decided that it was none of her business.
"Are we all ready?" Edgeworth asked, looking around the group.
Blackquill and Franziska, who had been conferring intensely, looked up from their work. "Ready as I'll ever be," the felon replied. From their grim expressions, they didn't have any more than they did before. It would be up to Blackquill to get Friedrich von Karma to implicate his own blood relation.
Maya, for her part, had been truly struggling. Lana surmised that it was unusual for her to be so daunted by a single summoning. The frustration was evident on her face, as she gave the pair a drawn smile. "Sorry, I have to keep trying while you cross-examine Friedrich."
"Don't strain yourself," Edgeworth replied dryly, although he didn't look particularly displeased at this development. He gestured to the doors. "Now, shall we?"
As they entered the courtroom, it was clear that things had shifted in their absence. It wasn't visibly obvious, but there was a stirring in the air, a tension. Battle lines were redrawn, alliances adrift. The von Karma patriarch seemed to have recovered from his shock, his hard expression a mask of stoic determination. Niko stood, still shackled, at the witness stand with unflappable calm.
It instantly made the defense wary.
"Now, let's get things going again, shall we?" the Judge said as he restarted court. "Mr. Edgeworth, will you be continuing your cross-examination of the witness?"
The chief prosecutor stood and said confidently, "the Defense chooses to defer the cross-examination for the moment, Your Honor. We instead call a new witness to the stand who will be able to shed some light on a pattern of behavior and possible motive." Taking a pause for dramatic effect, he spoke to an utterly silent courtroom, "We call Friedrich von Karma to the stand."
The moment was ruined, when Niko let out a bark of laughter. That wariness suddenly escalated to full-blown alarm. "Oh, you're too late," Niko tittered, grinning viciously at them. "I have exercised my right to retain legal counsel. Onkel Friedrich is my attorney now. He isn't capable of testifying against me. Attorney-Client privilege."
The blow against their plan was almost palpable, making the prosecutors rock back unsteadily. However, Edgeworth refused to let it shake him long. He straightened, rising up to the challenge. "That applies only to the statements you've made to him. He can still provide pertinent information to the case. I am still allowed to question him."
Judge Baldy spoke, "Now, now, we need to sort this out. All of you get up here." He set his gavel down an in a rare show of judicial oversight.
Bemused, Blackquill shook his head and stood up to take his place, accompanied by the rattle of his own chains. Miles, Blackquill and Friedrich all went to the judge, clearly needing to hash out just what prosecution was even allowed to ask about. This was a handicap that none of them needed.
When they returned to their respective places none of them betrayed any concessions or limitations that may have been made. However, Miles seemed somewhat at a loss for how to proceed, cut off at the legs as he was.
Finally, he started: "Initially, you believed that Phoenix Wright was responsible for both the murders of Josephine von Karma and Benedikta von Karma. Why is that?"
"Ahem," the Judge coughed. Apparently, this was cutting quite close to the confidential information. "Careful, Mr. Edgeworth."
"It is alright, Your Honor," Friedrich replied, holding up a hand. "I believed that Niko... Herr Wright was the culprit responsible due to timing and circumstance. Josie- Josephine was killed in the house of the family traitor, whom Herr Wright had run off to after leaving our home. Opportunity and motive. It was a simple supposition."
Having known Manfred von Karma, and being somewhat more removed from the emotional subjectivity than most, Lana could see the similarities between the two men. The stoic, intimidating demeanor, the no-nonsense manner of speaking. Yet this was not a man who had achieved the same international renown as his younger brother, whether that be by choice or by lack of talent. Lana suspected it was the former. Based on Phoenix's own accounts and the way every little action, every word, demanded poise and excellence, he was not a man to be underestimated.
"Do you believe that Wright killed Josephine now?"
Friedrich looked directly at the man in question, his expression unreadable. The court held its collective breath. "I do not," he finally answered. "The evidence is clear. He was not there. It would be foolish to keep holding onto that idea in the face of the facts."
The answer seemed to stun Phoenix, who openly gaped at him. However, somehow Lana was less surprised. This was where the two brothers differed. He was an honest man, who was honestly fooled by his far more devious relations. Phoenix would never have been able to manipulate him as he had if that was not the case.
"And do you believe that Wright killed your daughter?"
"I do not," Friedrich repeated, his grave expression tightening. "He would have been living in the United States at the time. I do not believe that he would have gone out of his way to destroy the lives of a branch family he had no knowledge of or previous interaction with."
Satisfied for his purposes, Miles said, "Thank you, Herr von Karma. You've been very helpful." When he sat back down, Blackquill shot his 'Shochou' a flabbergasted look. Edgeworth smirked at him, "Are you bored now, Simon?"
"Will you cross-examine?" the Judge asked, oblivious to the play in front of him.
"...Yes, Your Honor."
With what? Lana had to wonder, as the felon stood up to do just so.
At once the air seemed to shift, as Blackquill's demeanor changed. He became jovial, warm and entreating. Like someone you would want to have drinks with after work. It was almost... hypnotizing...
"First of all," Blackquill spoke to the German patriarch, "I would like to express my condolences for the death of your loved ones."
If this affected Friedrich, he didn't express it beyond a curt nod.
"It must be difficult to have no resolution to your own daughter's death for so long. Now your dear niece, whom I understand has been supported by you for decades, won't have justice for her death either."
"Is there a question coming?" the older attorney demanded gruffly, not quite so easily swayed.
Blackquill tapped his fingers along the edge of the railing in front of him, debating how to tackle this next. It was glaringly obvious he wasn't going to be able to ask anything about Niko and his own involvement in any of the murders. So instead, he said, "Mr. von Karma, I have to admit, I'm a bit confused about why you would think Phoenix Wright was your adopted heir in the first place. Sure, they look a bit similar..." Barely, if anyone were to compare them side by side. "... but I understand that Phoenix von Karma had been living with you since childhood. Surely, you should have realized they were not the same man."
At this, Friedrich finally grew visibly uncomfortable. "That... would be Josie's doing," he admitted, "When my daughter-" He very suddenly deliberately stopped himself, instantly self-correcting under his unusual restrictions. "Let's just say there was reason for me to believe that he had died. When Josie appeared with Mr. Wright many months later, much changed and amnesiac, she explained that he had been in a traumatic event. That he needed to undergo surgery from all his wounds and that was why he appeared different. I was... fooled. I was an absolute fool," he muttered darkly, gripping the edge of the witness stand. "I criticized my brother so many times for being too bereft of emotion. Now look where it had gotten me."
Lana glanced over to Phoenix, who had gone so very still. This had truly exonerated him of all guilt of knowingly committing fraud. However, she doubted that was at the forefront of his thoughts.
"I think most wouldn't criticize you for grieving for the loss of your children," Blackquill said, all platitudes and kindness. Whether it was genuine or part of his emotional manipulation, Lana couldn't say. Yet it was amazing to watch the subtle Suggestion at work. After a beat, Blackquill continued, "So you would say that Josephine had the intellectual and emotional wherewithal to pull this sort of scam with her own family. Do you think that she did it before?"
"At this point, I truly do not know what she was capable of," Friedrich answered tiredly. "It is... possible."
"In your experience as a high-profile prosecutor, if someone had pulled this sort of thing with their family, would they have taken revenge for their crimes?"
At this, legal instinct submerged the emotional fugue Blackquill had lulled him into. His gaze hardened, seeming to clear into painfully sharp intensity. "That is a leading and prejudicial question, sir. It has no relevance to this case."
Blackquill was forced to take a different tack again, "From third-party observance, how would you characterize Josie's relationship with Niko?"
"They were close."
Apparently, the time of willingly giving out details was over. "Did you see any noticeable difference between her relationship with Phoenix Wright and her relationship with the defendant?" Blackquill pressed.
"Josie was harder on Herr Wright than she ever was on Niko."
"Because Niko was already more conditioned than Wright?"
Friedrich's temper flared, his eyes growing wide with outrage. "For what reason would Josephine have to condition either of my children?"
It was a slip. One that Blackquill immediately seized. "Either? What do you mean either of them? Are you saying that something illicit happened between the victim and both the defendant and Benedikta von Karma? Your dead daughter?"
"Do not put words in my mouth!"
"The dead daughter that turned up dead, right when your defendant went missing?" Blackquill pushed, raising his voice in heated crescendo. "Just what did Josephine do to them, von Karma? How did she damage the children you were responsible for? What was it that you always suspected happened, Friedrich? What did you hide? Who are you protecting!"
"I-!" the huge man bellowed, pounding his hands violently against the witness stand. There was a moment there, a microsecond, when Lana was sure that he would give it up. Then Friedrich wilted, the mighty man seeming to crumble right in front of their eyes. "I cannot say," he hissed, his fingers squeezing the lip of the witness stand. He looked utterly defeated, a broken man.
"Alright, that is quite enough," the Judge said, pounding his gavel to bring this to a close. "I'm shutting this down. Thank you for your testimony, Mr. von Karma."
Frustrated, Blackquill slammed a fist against his podium before he slumped down into his seat. "I was so close!" he hissed, his fingers clawing against the striped fabric over his knees.
Letting out a shuddering breath, Edgeworth considered their options. Lana knew this wasn't going to be enough. Sure, the pair would likely be let go with a Not Guilty, but they didn't have anything to pin down Niko yet. If they didn't get him now, who knew when he'd resurface again. When Miles shared a look with Phoenix, it was with a heavy unspoken agreement. With that, Miles looked wearily over his shoulder at Pearl Fey.
Picking up on the cue, Pearl bolted to her feet and went out into the hallway. She returned shortly with Maya in tow. Neither of their faces indicated any luck with the summoning. Nonetheless, Maya found herself at the witness stand.
"And who on earth is this now?" Niko snorted, looking over the strangely dressed mystic.
"This is Maya Fey. She is the leader of the Village of Kurain. She is a spirit medium." Edgeworth explained, gesturing at his witness. After a long, pained moment, he elaborated, "...she will attempt to summon the spirit of Benedikta von Karma to contribute to the trial."
At the Chief Prosecutor's strained explanation, Niko couldn't help but laugh incredulously. "Mein Gott! You truly are desperate! This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"
"Oh hey now," Judge Baldy interjected in a jovial defensive that was unique to his style, "I know this young lady very well! She's done some incredible things in here. It's always entertaining. Go on, Ms. Fey. Do whatever it is you do."
"Thank you, Your Honor," Maya said with a smile, though in this instance, she hardly looked relieved she was being called on for testimony. Taking a breath to ready herself, she focused on her sacred hand gestures, flipping gracefully between them with practiced ease, in time with the soft mantra that would draw forth the spirit to her and back into the land of the living.
After a few minutes of intense chanting... absolutely nothing happened. Edgeworth looked utterly mortified, resigned, and not altogether surprised. And Phoenix... he looked stricken, guilt-ridden and confused as he watched Maya look as though she would break into tears any minute...
~o~
Phoenix von Karma let out a jarring laugh that made everyone cringe, not in the least of all Phoenix Wright. The Judge looked on Maya in confusion, blinking his eyes rapidly. "It didn't work? Wow, that is kind of a letdown." To Edgeworth he asked, "Well, I don't suppose there's any other dead folks you want to try instead?"
"Your Honor..." Miles said, utterly pained. "No, I do not."
"Oh," the Judge blinked again. "Well, do you have anything else? Any other evidence to show?"
"We've only just found the real Phoenix von Karma as our main suspect in an alternate theory to the crime," the chief prosecutor tried to reason. "If we could just recess for a few days, just so that we could compare the new evidence-"
"If you think that my client would agree to such a thing, you would be woefully mistaken. This courtroom has turned into an absolute sham of a trial. The prosecution is not even bothering to prosecute the actual defendants," Friedrich von Karma spoke in his gravely superior fashion. Yet he didn't have nearly the level of conviction that Phoenix usually saw in his trials. This was a tired, sad, old man.
"I'm afraid I have to agree," the Judge said sternly. "From what I've heard, you've got speculation at best and nothing to show for it. Considering the absolutely backwards way this new suspect was brought to trial, the best I can do is dismiss the case without prejudice. And you should be grateful I'm doing that much!"
"I... yes, Your Honor..." Edgeworth forced himself to say.
Phoenix sank behind the Defense, unable to believe that this was really the end. They had nothing else to throw at this man. And it was all his fault. In his haste to draw the real culprit out into the open, he'd caught them all unprepared. Now Niko was just going to slip out of their grasp again, as he had for years without a single trace. On the hook for not just one, but two murders.
His eyes went to Maya, who looked so defeated at being unable to help at such a critical juncture. To Edgeworth, who truly looked as if this were his lowest moment in life. To Friedrich, who hid his grief and anguish behind a mask of cold stoicism. To Niko, who only smiled smugly at how well this was all going his way, knowing he was going to get away with it. To Franziska, who was repressing her own well of emotion at listening to her murdered sister's sordid history to no avail.
Wait... wait a minute. Phoenix looked to the last three. There had been a clue sitting in front of him this entire time. Something niggling at the back of his mind that something wasn't right. But now with these three in front of him.
The childhood pictures... they just... stopped.
Suddenly, in one horrifying moment of clarity, it clicked.
"OBJECTION!" Phoenix cried, leaping to his feet before Maya could leave the stand. "Defense would like to call a new witness!" Everyone froze where they were, as he ran up to the witness stand. He took out the locket of Benedikta on his person, pushing it into her hands. He whispered softly into her ear, so that no one else could hear. Her eyes widened in shock, but she nodded.
"One last time," Phoenix said as he jogged back to his side of the courtroom. He grinned at Miles' absolutely dubious look. "She's going to get it this time, I promise."
Once again, Maya went through the channeling ritual. Immediately, the air felt different. Instead of the stagnant air conditioned atmosphere, it grew charged with energy. A mysterious wind whirled around the spirit medium's clothes and with a flash of light, she was suddenly changed. Beautiful, angular features, long luxurious brown hair, warm eyes and soft smile. Benedikta von Karma in the flesh, so to speak.
Eyes bulged, a raucous clamour sounding from the courtroom. Friedrich was so taken aback that he lost his strength and fell back into his chair. Edgeworth blinked, though he had seen this particular trick before. Blackquill, on the other hand, twitched, not quite believing what he was seeing.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Phoenix declared proudly, waving a hand at his brand new witness, "I would like to introduce you to the real Phoenix von Karma."