April 17

Morix Law Offices

5:40 PM

Venus Rinko

The first thing that I noticed about the larger of the two practice rooms at the studio was that it was notably empty compared to what I was expecting. I don't know what I was thinking that I would see, but it certainly wasn't what I was met with. There was a single person found inside, and that was the young woman who I assumed was supposed to be our witness for this case. Given that the previous summaries of the case mentioned there being younger children, I supposed that made sense. They had probably all been sent home with their parents. It wasn't as if they would be all that much help in a murder case, after all, especially given that all of them were with the witness the entire time. They couldn't have seen anything if they didn't leave the room that they were practicing in.

The girl in question had hair that was a muted light brown color. It hung freely in curls reaching her hips. Her eyes were a deep hazel color, and she wasn't looking anyone in the eye. She had undoubtedly heard us enter, but she was choosing to not acknowledge the fact that we were there until she absolutely had to. She was wearing a simple pink shirt with white leggings, undoubtedly clothing that would be easy to move in due to her role as the assistant to a dancing instructor. She looked closer to my age as opposed to Cassidy as well.

"You must be the witness behind this case," Chrysalis began simply, not wasting any time by mincing words. "Would you mind if we asked you a few questions?"

The girl jumped upon being addressed, and I got the feeling that she was hoping we would just pass her by and focus on other things rather than approach her. "I... Um... O-Okay," she replied with a nervous swallow. "I-I guess I should go on and tell you my name first, huh? I'm Sumia... S-Sumia Paige. I dance here at the studio, and I'm one of our older competitive dancers."

"You were here at the time of the crime, were you not?" Mr. Morix questioned. When Sumia nodded in response, he smiled gently and continued. "Anything that you can tell us will be helpful. We're searching for any information that we can find, so whatever you tell us will help the case. We're looking to defend Cassidy in court tomorrow."

"I don't think that Cassidy could have done this," Sumia told him, gaining a bit of confidence as she heard that we were defending my sister. "I don't think that she has it in her to hurt anybody... She can't even swat a fly. She just starts running away before it can land on her. It's happened a few times." She laughed to herself, and I wound up joining in. That most certainly sounded like Cassidy, and I had witnessed it a few times in the past myself.

"Why don't you start from the beginning regarding what happened today?" Chrysalis prompted. She was bearing a small smile of her own, undoubtedly because she was trying to calm down Sumia's anxieties. I had to admit, she had a nice smile, though I didn't think I would see it all that much given that we were in the middle of a murder case.

Sumia nodded. "Cassidy and I came into the studio today as a way of helping out with the junior class. The main teacher of the studio has been feeling run down for a few days, so Drake told her to take a break. He offered to take over since this was the only class being held this morning. He said that any of us senior students who wanted to help out could come in, and Cassidy and I both volunteered," she began to explain. "We got here with Drake and started getting the music set up for when the girls got here."

"I'm willing to assume that this was about the time that the younger girls started to arrive, yes?" Cotoli asked. He was met with a nod, and he shook his head with a sigh. "It's unfortunate that so many children had to be wrapped up in this case... They shouldn't have to deal with this sort of violence so young." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chrysalis starting to fiddle with the edge of her jacket's sleeve, but I didn't call her out on it. I didn't think that there was anything that I could say in the first place that would convince her to talk about whatever it was that was on her mind.

"That's right," Sumia confirmed. "It wasn't long after we got started that Drake looked out the window and said that he had to go take care of something... That was the last time that I saw him alive... Cassidy started feeling really nauseous after that. She had been drinking from her water bottle a bunch while we were setting up, but after a while she could barely stay on her feet. I thought that she was dehydrated at first, but... I don't think that's the case. Either way, she left and went to the restroom, and she was gone for a really long time. That was when I started getting worried, and I told the girls to talk to each other while I checked on Drake and Cassidy. That was when I... I found the body..."

"Cassidy did say that she was feeling sick as of the time that all of this started..." I frowned. "She was feeling just fine when she woke up this morning. I wonder what could have caused her to start seeming so awful all of a sudden. She wasn't struggling to stay upright this morning."

Sumia shrugged. "I don't know what it could have been, but I do know that she got a water bottle out of the fridge in the back room before I got here. She arrived a few minutes before I did, and I can recognize the label on the plastic water bottles that we have easily. She probably got one while she was alone with Drake, and then she kept drinking it as we moved through the lesson," she explained. "I was wondering why she and Drake were gone, and that was when I decided to check the lobby. The bathroom door was still shut, and I could see the light on inside. When Drake wasn't in the lobby, I looked in the other room, and that was when I saw him on the ground... The plaque was next to him, and it was covered in blood..."

"The murder took place while you were busy with the lesson, and there are a bunch of people who can corroborate your alibi. The younger students wouldn't have been able to do this either," Chrysalis concluded firmly. "That means that there must be something going on that would allow a third party to commit this crime. I can't imagine that Cassidy was the one who did this, after all."

"I agree... I don't know what happened, but it seemed as if something passed by the window outside. Drake got all nervous about it, and that was when he left to go and see what was going on. He went to the lobby, but he wound up in the smaller studio room at some point along the way. As for Cassidy, she came out of the bathroom when she heard me scream, and we did what we could to keep the girls in the main room. She seemed to be feeling better as time went on, but she said that there was still something wrong," Sumia continued to say. "I don't know what could have happened with her. I really can't figure it out. She just suddenly started feeling all sick, and it was right around the time that Drake left to go and take care of some other business."

"And you don't know what it was that he could have seen outside?" I questioned, though I already had a feeling that I knew the answer. If she knew what had been seen, then she would have mentioned it to us already, I was sure.

"I have no idea what could have gotten him so upset, but it was like... I don't know. He got really pale and defensive, telling everyone to stay in the room before going out to the lobby," Sumia replied. "I bet that he was attacked while there was music playing in our room. That way, nobody would hear what was going on in the other studio rehearsal room."

"We heard that the lock on the door was tampered with when we came in earlier," Chrysalis frowned. "Do you know of anyone who would want to break into the studio for any reason? It's clear that whoever did this must have come from outside given the circumstances behind the murder."

Sumia shook her head. "I have no idea... But Drake got really upset at whatever he saw outside. He was incredibly agitated when he left, and I have to wonder if maybe he saw somebody that he didn't want us to associate with. He closed the curtains in here as he left, and that was when he went out to the lobby through the hallway," she said.

"Hm... It definitely seems like this culprit of ours used gloves. There were no fingerprints left behind on the plaque, doorknob, or curtains to the other room," Mr. Morix mused to himself. "But that makes one wonder... What could have happened between the victim and this third party to prompt something so violent out of nowhere?"

"We heard that there was another witness involved with this case," Chrysalis told Sumia with a light frown. "However, said witness is refusing to speak to anyone aside from the prosecution and police, so that means that we can't gather her testimony. Do you know anything about this?"

"I'm afraid not," Sumia sighed. "I think that it's a woman though. That was what I heard earlier today, at the very least. She claims to have seen the exact moment when the crime took place, but... I'm not sure if that's even possible. In fact, I don't think that it is. I mean, she thinks that Cassidy did it, and Cassidy was never wearing gloves today. If she did anything, then she would have left fingerprints."

"Were there any places for her to have hidden gloves on her person when she left the room?" Mr. Morix asked of her carefully. When Sumia tilted her head to the side, undoubtedly seeking answers for his reasoning, he elaborated. "I'm trying to cover all our bases to make sure that nobody accuses her of anything tomorrow."

"I see," Sumia murmured. "For the record, there weren't any places for her to hide gloves on her person. She was wearing a shirt and leggings with some designated dance shoes. All of that is pretty tight because it's important to get rid of anything that could impede movement when you're dancing. If you get caught up in your outfit, then you could get hurt. She couldn't have hidden anything on her, as a matter of fact. She didn't take anything with her when she left."

"This is all good information to have," Chrysalis whispered under her breath. "But I still want to know about this woman who supposedly saw the crime... And I have one other question for you. We've been trying to figure out if anyone would have a motive against the victim. Do you know of anyone who would fall into that category? Do you know anything about the victim's past before he came here to the studio?"

"I'm afraid not," Sumia replied. "Drake never wanted to talk about it. He just said that it didn't matter anymore. That was then, and this was now. He was always really protective of the little girls too. He just wanted to look after us..."

"Thank you for all that you've told us, Sumia. We truly do appreciate it," Mr. Morix told her. "I don't believe that we have any other questions to ask you, so we're going to take our leave now. We're going to do what we can for Cassidy tomorrow. That much we can promise you."

"Thank you... I'm putting my faith in you," Sumia said with a weary smile. She waved gently as Mr. Morix led Chrysalis and me away from the room. We wound up stopping in the hallway that led to the lobby, and I saw a bench positioned against the wall. I sat down, and Chrysalis and Mr. Morix joined me soon afterward.

"There are still a lot of blank spots in this case, but I feel like we've gotten about all the information that we're going to be gathering right now," Mr. Morix frowned. "If you ask me, this witness is going to be the hardest part for us to break through in court tomorrow."

"I have one other thing that's been bugging me," Chrysalis interjected. "Cassidy and Sumia... When they were talking about the fact that Cassidy got sick, they both described it as being sudden. Not much happened this morning that could have made her so sick all of a sudden to the point that she had to step out of the lesson for a while. Venus, did she do anything this morning that could cause that?"

I shook my head. "She had a single apple before she came here, and we agreed that I could get her some fast food for an official breakfast after she was done helping with the class," I explained. "Why do you ask?"

"I believe that the culprit might have tampered with the water bottle that Cassidy drank from," Chrysalis replied. "That's the only thing that could have gotten her sick as far as we can tell, and she had already started drinking the water by the time that she got nauseous."

"So... You mean to imply that the culprit slipped some kind of drug into it?" I asked, my eyes going wide. When Chrysalis nodded with a solemn frown, I looked down at the ground. "I can't believe it..."

"I don't have any evidence to back up my theory yet, but it's something for us to consider," Chrysalis told me hurriedly. "I doubt we would be able to get a forensics test done today even if we wanted one... The investigation is wrapping up as far as I can tell."

"We're just going to have to trust that we've done enough for now," Mr. Morix declared as he rose to his feet. "Tomorrow, we're going to have to take care of this case in court. I don't know what's going to come of it given the information that we've pulled together, but we won't know until we get in there. One way or another though, we have to prove that Cassidy didn't do it."

"And we're going to do it," I finished for him. We all shared one final nod, and I pretended that my stomach wasn't churning with anxiety over the idea of us going to the trial so soon. I wondered distantly if every case was like this. If so, I thought that every lawyer deserved an extra two hundred dollars per case for putting up with something so dreadful. However, the humor did little to ease the sickness in my stomach. I had an awful feeling about this case, and I doubted that it would be going away until after we found a way to resolve this peculiar mystery.

April 18

Defendant Lobby No. 2

9:30 AM

Venus Rinko

Saying that I was nervous the next morning would have been the understatement of the century. Words couldn't even come close to properly saying how agitated I was at the idea of us having to go into court for the sake of defending Cassidy. I knew that she wasn't the culprit behind this case, but it wasn't as if everyone in the gallery was going to believe it quite so easily. The case was set up in a way that made her seem as if she was the killer, but I knew better than to believe it. She wouldn't do this, especially given that the victim was someone she adored so unconditionally.

By the time that I got to the courthouse, Chrysalis and Mr. Morix were already there. The two of them were conferring quietly amongst one another when I arrived, and I waved before approaching them with a smile that could have convinced just about everyone but me that everything was fine. "How are you two doing on this fine morning?" I questioned, pretending with everything I had that this wasn't a complete lie on my part.

"We're just talking about the case," Chrysalis explained casually. She stepped aside so that I would be able to face both her and her brother easier. "We've got a lot of empty spots that have yet to be filled in, though that's how these things go at times."

"I never would have expected this to only be your second case given how much you both know about the courtroom," I admitted. "It's like you've been at this for years, though I guess that you had to do a lot of studying to reach this point, huh?"

Chrysalis and Mr. Morix shared a long look before the latter responded. "We did a lot of research before ever deciding to take to the courtroom. We made this choice to focus on the defense of others after discussing quite a bit together," he replied simply. "This system that we live in... It's hardly what one could call stable or at all comfortable to live in. I want to do what I can to help those who fall victim to false arrests when the chance arises because I know that I would want someone on my side in this situation as well."

"That's a pretty solid set of reasons," I agreed with a nod. "Anyways, I guess I should move on and start thinking about the case itself. Is there anything about the case that you two have figured out since our investigation ended yesterday?"

"I'm afraid not," Chrysalis told me with a deep frown. "But Cotoli agrees that my theory about something being put into your sister's water is becoming more and more likely. Something must have happened to make her sick so suddenly and violently, and I can't imagine that it was the apple that she ate in the morning."

"We're going to have to ask Cassidy that when she gets here," I said, sighing heavily. I already hated the idea of all this, though I knew that there wasn't a way for us to get out of it. We had to make sure that Cassidy was cleared of all suspicion, preferably sooner rather than later. I didn't want to have my sister put in this position to begin with, but it wasn't as if I had ever been given much of a choice in these matters. My own arrest made that perfectly clear.

"Ask me what?"

I let out a gasp before turning to face my sister upon hearing her voice. Cassidy was standing nearby, a gentle smile on her face. She waved to me carefully, and I grinned in response. I had to make sure that she was feeling at least somewhat upbeat in preparation for what was to come. Court was hardly a fun place to be, but I wanted to do what I could to help her cheer up. I had wanted such a thing when I was on trial, and I knew that Cassidy would be no different.

"We've been thinking about the story that you shared with us about the day of the crime, and the short version is that we believe there's a possibility somebody might have tampered with your water before you arrived at the studio," Chrysalis explained for me with that same blank stoicism that she always seemed to have. "Can you think of anything else that would have possibly made you sick on the day of the murder?"

Cassidy's eyes went wide, and she frowned as she glanced down to the floor. "I don't think that anything else could have made me sick. I felt fine the night before, and when I woke up, I still felt okay. If anything happened, I guess it would have had to be that," she murmured. "You know, now that I think about it, I think that you might have a point in saying that. I mean, I don't have any evidence of this now, but... I'm pretty sure that the seal on my water bottle was broken when I picked it up."

"What?" Mr. Morix echoed with wide eyes. I had to admit that I felt much the same way. If the seal was broken, then that surely could have been a sign that something had happened to make her sick all of a sudden.

Cassidy nodded. "Yeah. Normally, the caps on those plastic bottles are sealed with the small ring around the end where you drink from. Well, when I grabbed this bottle, the seal had already been broken. I didn't think much of it at the time, and... I'm pretty sure that all of the other bottles were like that too. I gave them a brief glance before I left, and I believe that they were all broken in terms of seals too," she said.

"If that's not evidence that something happened, then I don't know what is," Chrysalis announced. "It's fully possible that someone used the water as a chance to get you, or anyone else in the studio at the time, sick for some reason or another. I have no reason why it is that someone would want to do this, but I guess that we've got to focus on other things for the time being."

"In my eyes, the question at this point shouldn't involve why," I began to say. "We should really be wondering how. I mean, if someone tampered with the drinks, then that means that they would have had the methods of doing so. It's not like just anybody has the ability to do something like that, you know. There must have been someone with the direct power to use chemicals or something to cause that sort of reaction."

"That's certainly a matter of debate that we're going to have to bring up in the courtroom," Mr. Morix agreed with a nod. He opened his mouth to say something more, but he was cut off when he saw another pair of figures appear in the doorway.

I had to admit that I was surprised to see the newcomers as well. One of the two new arrivals was Yuri while the other was my mother, Tatiana. I had left for the trial earlier in the morning just after crying out to them that I was going to do what I could to help Cassidy, but it seemed as if they were curious enough on the matter to come and investigate for themselves.

"Yuri, Mom... What are you two doing here?" I asked, hating the gut-wrenching feeling that was starting to spread through my stomach. I felt awful enough about the idea of Cassidy being the suspect in this case. The concept of Yuri and Mom being there to see the trial only made me more nauseous. I hadn't liked it when Yuri and Cassidy came to the trial before when I was the defendant, but I knew that I couldn't exactly change their minds. After all, if there was one thing that ran in the Rinko family for better or worse, it was stubbornness.

"We wanted to come and make sure that the trial went well!" Yuri exclaimed, and I immediately winced. I shouldn't have expected any other answer, in all honesty. "I'm sure that everything is going to be okay though... I mean, Mr. Morix was able to help us out before when you were the one who was arrested."

"We're going to do everything that we can to show that she wasn't the one responsible for this case," Mr. Morix assured her with a light smile. "Everything is going to be fine. All you have to do is stay in the gallery and cheer us on with everything that you've got."

"Got it!" Yuri chirped, clapping her hands together with too much energy for such a dismal situation. Then again, I supposed that was just like her trademark. Yuri was great at keeping the energy up even in the darkest of circumstances, and it was something that she had likely learned from trying to echo me. When she was younger, she looked up to me with everything she had, and it seemed that even as she reached the age of twelve, she still felt the same way. It was flattering, if I was being honest.

"Thank you for all that you have done, Mr. Morix," Mom smiled to him. Everything about her expression screamed that she was exhausted, not that this was out of the ordinary for her. She had always been working with everything she had to make sure that Cassidy, Yuri, and I were provided for. Our father had never been around, so if there was anyone I could count on, it was her. I knew how much she did to keep us safe and afloat, and that was why I hadn't expected her to come to the trial when I was arrested previously. I didn't anticipate her coming to Cassidy's trial for the same reason, though it seemed as if my assumptions were being proven wrong in all kinds of ways already.

"It's my honor," Mr. Morix assured her with a light grin of his own. "I don't believe that we've met yet, so allow me to take this time for a proper introduction. I'm Cotoli Morix, and this is my younger sister, Chrysalis. We've been investigating with one another for a long time, and we're going to do everything that we can to make sure that Cassidy is declared not guilty for this crime. We know that she didn't do it."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both properly," Mom said with a gentle yet strained laugh. I could tell that she was putting up a front for Cassidy and Yuri, not that she would ever even dream of admitting it. "We all have confidence that you will be able to do this."

"You have nothing to worry about," Mr. Morix replied, smiling brightly. "We're going to make sure that your daughter is let off the hook for this crime. She wasn't the one who committed the murder, and we're going to prove that no matter what."

"I don't think that I could ever thank you enough for this," Cassidy murmured. "But I guess that all I can do right now is focus on having faith in you... That was what you said a moment ago, and I'm going to do just that. I promise."

"We've got a lot of evidence to show that you aren't the culprit, and there's proof that there was someone else at the scene of the crime around the time of the murder. All we have to do is put together the pieces so that they can form a complete picture, and from there, everything should fall into place," Chrysalis said. She didn't spare a smile even as she was trying to reassure Cassidy, though I knew that it was far from being a matter of malice. If anything, it was probably anxiety. I could tell that Chrysalis was a person who struggled with stress no matter how much she tried to hide it, and I got the feeling that it would be a while before she loosened up enough to be comfortable around the rest of us openly.

"I'm going to count on that then," Cassidy smiled, though once again, I could tell that she was trying her best to seem more optimistic than she felt. She might have thought that she could fool others, but I knew her too well to be deceived. I could tell based on the expressions of the others in the area though that nobody else was buying it either. Cassidy didn't drop the act regardless, and her loyalty to her falsified grin remained firm even in the face of such uncertainty.

"Defense! It's time for you to head into the courtroom!"

Mr. Morix sighed heavily, not allowing his smile to disappear all the way. "We have to go in now since the trial is about to start. All you have to do now is have confidence that Chrysalis, Venus, and I know what we're doing. We're going to make sure that everyone is aware of the truth, and that much I can promise you."

"Good luck," Mom whispered in his direction. Mr. Morix nodded as Mom took Yuri's hand in her own and started to walk to the gallery. Yuri gave a wave over her shoulder before she vanished from sight.

I glanced over in the direction of my companions with a grin of my own. "Well, we've got a job to do!" I declared. "Don't you worry about a thing, Cassidy. We've got all of this under control. I'm sure of it."

"I'm counting on you," Cassidy nodded. "And you'll have my support no matter what. I swear it." Cassidy turned on her heel and walked into the courtroom, leaving only me, Chrysalis, and Mr. Morix in the lobby.

"Let's go and see what the trial has in store for us," Chrysalis said firmly. After sharing a look with both me and her brother, she started to walk in the direction of the doors to the courtroom. I trailed after her with determination fiercely written across my heart. We were going to find the truth behind this case. I was going to make sure of it no matter what.

Oops late update

-Digital