Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney

Turnabout Of The Night

by Derald Snyder

Trial- Day 1 (Part 2)

Court Record:

Demitri's Autopsy Report

Holy Water

Simone's Footprint

Crime Scene Diagram

Crime Scene Photos

Bloody Mace

November 13, 10:40 AM

Lastation City District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 4

"...I still can't believe the Combat Cross is missing," K-Sha muttered. Putting her hands on her hips she inquired bluntly, "Are we sure that prosecutor didn't just hide the evidence somewhere?!"

"But you never said that Mr. Heinlein was the corrupt sort, did you, Miss Ryghts?" Simone pointed out.

The former villain was silent for a moment. "W-well, I've d-dealt with q-quite a few c-corrupt p-prosecutors b-back in Lowee, but... I d-didn't see anything in Heinlein's body language th-that indicated th-that he was b-being deceitful."

"Yes, and that detective also double-checked, right?" The hunter said. "Is *he* trustworthy?"

"I think so..." K-Sha sighed, before something occurred to her. "But, he said he was just assigned to watch the crime scene! What if another detective that was working the case was the one that hid Simone's weapon?"

"P-possibly," Rei allowed. "B-but what we should c-concern ourselves with n-now is th-the n-next witness..."

"So what's our plan of attack?" Simone asked.

"Simple," K-Sha explained, "we find enough contradictions and problems in the witness' testimony to force the judge to put off the verdict for a day. That'll give us the time we need to find out what happened to your Combat Cross... and maybe if the vampire you were chasing is involved."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Simone shrugged. "That fiend could've easily doubled back and slain that man while I was looking fruitlessly elsewhere..."

"W-well, it d-depends on what th-the witness has t-to say," Rei stated. "A-anyway, I th-think recess is about over, so we s-should g-get moving..."

November 13, 10:50 AM

Lastation City District Court

Courtroom No. 3

"Alright, we're back in session, so quiet down," the judge ordered as she banged her gavel. "So, Mr. Heinlein, is your witness ready?"

"...yes, Your Honor," the prosecutor answered after a moment. "He seemed a little unsteady on his feet, but he insists he can testify. The prosecution calls Tom Hall to the stand!" A dark-haired man wearing a red turtleneck sweater and blue jeans slowly made his way to the witness stand, indeed looking a little unsteady. His skin was pale and his black eyes seemed a bit unfocused.

"I can see why Mr. Willard was worried about this guy," K-Sha whispered to Rei, who silently nodded in response.

"Please state your name and occupation, witness."

"My name is... Thomas Hall," the man began, bracing his hands against the stand. "I'm a... production line worker at... Paler Sunscreen."

The judge looked over the witness with a critical eye. "...With all due respect, Mr. Hall, are you drunk or something?"

"Not drunk, just a little sick..." the man responded. "But, I can testify! I'm good, I promise!"

The robed woman mulled it over for a moment, before shaking her head. "Well, all right, witness. But I reserve the right to have you pulled from the stand if you start looking any worse! Understand?!"

"Yes ma'am," Hall agreed.

"And on that note, I would hope you wouldn't be too harsh on this man, Miss Ryghts, given his condition," Willard spoke to his adversary.

"I'll t-try not t-to upset him t-too much," Rei acquiesced, tapping her index fingers together.

The judge nodded, before banging her gavel. "Alright, you can begin your testimony anytime."

"OK," the witness said, before beginning, "I was... on the other side of the parking lot... across from the entryway. Sneakin' a little drink, I admit... so when Mr. Demitri came out, I his myself... didn't wanna get scolded or lose my job... And then... I see this spike ball and chain come outta nowhere and smack Mr. Demitri in the face. He went down... and then this guy, er, girl showed up, with muscles and long hair..."

"Was it a man or a woman?!" Willard demanded.

"-Woman! it was a woman!" Hall insisted. "Yeah, 'cause she had breasts... anyway, before Mr. Demitri can get up, she starts smacking him again... over and over again... I stayed hidden 'cause I didn't wanna be next... So after she was done she marched off... to my right... and disappeared. That's all."

"Hmmm..." the judge pondered. "Did you try to contact the police, Mr. Hall?"

"Well, by the time I got back to the factory, someone else had already called the cops," Hall stated. "Guess someone else saw Mr. Demitri's dead body..."

"For clarification, it was the victim's sister-in-law who made the call," Willard stated.

(Lisa was the one who called the cops?) Rei thought. (Does that mean she was a witness as well...?)

"By the way, Mr. Hall," the prosecutor continued, "would you kindly point out where you were standing on the crime scene diagram?"

"Uh... right about there, I think," the witness pointed to the center of the right edge of the diagram.

*Crime Scene Diagram updated in Court Record.*

"Which would mean that you saw the murderer flee to the north, which matches up with what we've already learned," Heinlein nodded in satisfaction.

"Well, I have to say," the judge mused, "this testimony is quite decisive if it stands. I personally can't see anything wrong with the witness' statements, myself..."

"W-with all d-due respect, Your Honor, th-that's why y-you're the j-judge and I'm th-the d-defense attorney," Rei stuttered.

"True enough," the elder woman conceded. "In that case, you can begin your cross now, Miss Ryghts."

"I'm not sure if I can see anything wrong either," K-Sha said grimly. "Can you?"

"W-we have t-to t-try..." Rei muttered as she looked over the evidence... then something caught her eye. "M-Mr. Hall..."

"Yes, ma'am?" the pale man spoke up.

"S-so, when you s-saw the murderer b-beating Mr. Paler t-to death... d-did she ch-change p-position at all?"

"Objection! What is the relevance of that?!" Willard protested.

"If it wasn't relevant, worm, I wouldn't be asking!" Rei growled.

"Watch yourself, Miss Ryghts!" the judge banged her gavel. "There's no need for that here... but I'll allow the witness to answer the question."

"Uh, well..." Tom pondered. "I didn't see her move around much while she was beatin' Mr. Demitri..."

"I see," the bluenette nodded. "Unfortunately, your testimony contradicts this piece of evidence! TAKE THAT!" She presented the photo of Simone's footprint.

"A footprint? How does that refute Mr. Hall's testimony?" Willard snorted with his arms crossed.

"Take a closer look, Heinlein!" Rei pointed. "There are blood drops on top of the footprint! If Miss Rondo didn't move, those droplets wouldn't be there, would they?!"

"Ack!" the prosecutor recoiled slightly.

"Ah!" the judge realized with wide eyes.

"Which means one of two things!" Rei pressed on. "Either Simone DID move while beating the victim, or someone else entirely did the beating after she left! Either way..." She slammed her fists on the bench. "Mr. Hall's testimony is inaccurate at best!"

"Hooooooooh?!" the witness flailed around in shock, causing the gallery to murmur...

"Order! Order!" the judge banged her gavel a few times. "Well, Mr. Hall? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"But... it was dark out..." Tom protested. "Couldn't see that well..."

"OBJECTION! Sorry, maggot, that doesn't wash with me," Rei shook her head.

"What do you mean?!" Willard demanded.

"TAKE THAT!" Rei presented the crime scene wide shot. "Take a look at this photo! There's a floodlight over the rear entrance, clear as day! It would have been easy for the witness to see exactly what happened!"

"OBJECTION!" the prosecutor shook his head. "Unfortunately for you, Miss Ryghts, that floodlight has been burnt out for a few days. I personally confirmed this with Lisa Paler..."

"Whaaaaaat?!" Rei recoiled in shock, the gallery chattering at the sudden reversal, forcing the judge to bang her gavel to restore order.

"Y-you can't be serious!" K-Sha wailed in dismay.

"I speak in all seriousness, young lady," Willard shrugged. "This means that it's entirely possible that Thomas Hall couldn't see if Miss Rondo shifted her position while beating the victim to death! Which means there was really no contradiction at all!"

"Arrrgh!" the horned lawyer groaned, sweat beading on her forehead. (Maybe I did underestimate this guy after all...!)

The judge shook her head. "I side with the prosecution on this matter. And even if Miss Rondo did shift her position, it doesn't really help the defense's position anyway..."

"B-but...! If it was so dark out, that doesn't really make the witness's testimony reliable, does it?" K-Sha grunted in desperation. She then turned to Rei. "Please Miss Rei, you have to think of something...!"

"Now, now," Willard shook his head. "Young lady, I'm not a cruel man, despite what Miss Ryghts might have told you. Given the circumstances surrounding this case, I'd be more than willing to accept an insanity plea at this point..."

"B-but Simone's not insane!" the former mercenary insisted.

"Excuse me? The defendant herself said that she was chasing a, quote-unquote, vampire," Heinlein pointed out. "Clearly someone who believe such 'creatures of the night' actually exist are not in their right mind..."

"But they DO exist!" Simone protested from the defendant's chair, causing a round of laughter from the audience.

"Order!" The judge banged her gavel. "Another outburst like that, defendant, and I will hold you in contempt!" Turning her attention back to the defense's bench, she said, "Now then, Miss Ryghts, if you cannot find any other contradictions within Mr. Hall's testimony, then I will have to accept it as accurate and render my verdict. I highly suggest you consider taking Mr. Heinlein's offer of an insanity plea..."

(But that would be betraying my client!) Rei thought to herself. (Vampire or not, I can't let things end this way! There has to be something else...) Looking in K-Sha's direction, she glimpsed the holy water still sitting on the bench. (Wait a minute...) Standing straight, she declared, "Your Honor, I wish to continue my cross-examination."

The robed woman just shook her head in disappointment. "...you've just lost your chance at an insanity plea. Not a wise choice, defense. But very well."

"I should've warned you, Miss Ryghts, she's a tough old bird," Willard sighed.

"I can handle it," Rei shrugged. "Now then, Mr. Hall, just so we're clear... you say you saw my client strike down Demitri Paler, then approach him and beat him to death, and then she left. Is that correct?"

"Yyyyes ma'am," Hall slurred a little.

"Hmhmhm..." the former villain chuckled sinisterly. "So, you never saw her pour any water on the victim's head?"

"...!" Willard's eyes went wide with shock.

"Ah...!" K-Sha gasped. "That's right! The holy water! I completely forgot about that!"

(Even though it was literally right under your nose?!) Rei sweat-dropped, before continuing, "You see, Mr. Hall, this close-up photo clearly shows that Mr. Paler's hair is all wet! So how come you left that detail out of your testimony?!"

"Huuuuuuuuhhhh?!" the witness flailed in shock again.

"Objection!" Willard cried, sweating slightly. "M-might I remind you that it was pitch-black outside?!"

"OBJECTION!" Rei shot back. "That won't work a second time, Heinlein! After all, even if he didn't see it, he should've been close enough to hear the sound of water being poured!"

"Nghkk!" the prosecutor grimaced, causing the gallery to murmur.

"Order! Order in the court!" the judge gaveled down the audience. "Just what are you insinuating here, Miss Ryghts?"

"That Mr. Hall's testimony is completely unreliable!" Rei argued. "And might I remind the court of what the witness admitted at the start of his testimony?"

"And that was?" the elder woman pressed.

"That he snuck out of the factory he was working in order to sneak a drink!" Rei pointed dramatically. "In other words, there's a very real possibility that Thomas Hall was intoxicated at the time he saw the murder!"

"NGGGOOOOHHHH!" Willard grabbed his hair in distress. "I-I'm starting to get horrible flashbaaaacks...!"

"In fact, Your Honor," Rei continued, "you yourself believed the witness to be drunk when he first took the stand, didn't you?!"

"Ah! Y-yes, that's right, I did!" the judge agreed. "And to be frank, I'm still not completely convinced that he isn't!"

"Th-that's right!" K-Sha gasped. "I-If he was drunk at the time of Mr. Paler's death, then his testimony can't be used in court, can it?!"

"Exactly," the goddess nodded. "Which is why, at this time..." she slammed her fists on the bench. "The defense demands that Mr. Hall's testimony be stricken from the record in its entirety!"

"Noooooooo!" Tom Hall wailed, waving his arms in the air in apparent distress, before collapsing over the witness stand in shock. The gallery promptly went into a tizzy.

"Order! Order! ORDER!" the judge yelled as she banged her gavel repeatedly. Once the chatter had subsided, the robed woman heaved a sigh before stating, "Well, it seems the defense has made a compelling argument about Mr. Hall's competency. Sorry, Mr. Heinlein, but you're going to have to find another witness to prove your case, this witness's entire testimony is hereby stricken from the record."

"C-curse you...! Again you humiliate me, Rei Ryghts...!" Willard groaned, sweat beading on his forehead as he braced his hands against the bench.

"What do I doooooo...?" Tom moaned as he slowly pushed himself back to a standing position. "What do I do nooooow, master...?"

(Master...?!) Rei pondered. She watched as the factory worker abruptly jerked his head up, as if trying to listen for something...

"Yes... I understand... my role is finished..." Hall slowly waddled over to the defense's bench, stopping in front of K-Sha.

"Don't try anything funny, mister," the schoolgirl warned as she took a defensive stance. "I may not have my guns on me, but I am trained in CQC...!"

But instead, the man abruptly grabbed the jar of holy water, popping off the top before dumping it on his own head! "GWAAAAAAHHH!" Thomas Hall screamed as he was abruptly engulfed in flames, the audience screaming in shock!

"KYAAAAAA!" K-Sha screamed as she recoiled in fright!

"What the-?!" Rei gasped.

"What in the world?!" Willard shouted, watching as the man collapsed to the ground, his upper body completely immolated! "Wh-what just happened?!"

"I'll tell you what happened!" Simone Rondo spoke up loudly, her booming voice grabbing the attention of the courtroom. "That holy water, when it comes into contact with a being possessed by a dark aura, attempts to purge the darkness with a purifying flame! But the fact that it reacted so badly with Thomas Hall can only mean one thing!"

"And what would that be, defendant?!" the judge demanded.

"Simple! This man was already dead! And his cadaver was being used as a puppet!" Simone declared, causing the gallery to mutter in confusion.

"A puppet?! But by who?!" the prosecutor demanded, before realization suddenly dawned. "Wait... don't tell me...!"

"It seems you've already realized it, Prosecutor Heinlein," Simone nodded. "This poor man was a puppet, and likely an unfortunate victim, of the vampire!" The gallery didn't laugh this time, instead buzzing in shock and disbelief. "Most likely the same one that I was pursuing that very night!"

"ORDER! ORDER!" the judge screamed as she banged her gavel repeatedly to no avail. "That's it! We're adjourning for today! Bailiff, have Miss K-Sha detained for questioning! Miss Ryghts, Mr. Heinlein, my chambers, NOW!"

*To be continued...*