-Chapter 3-
December 18, 9:52 PM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 2
For Apollo, the agonizing wait from the time he arrived at the courthouse up to the time when the trial began was the absolute worst part of being a defense attorney. On most mornings, pre-trial nerves would strike the moment he woke up (assuming, of course, that he even slept at all) and carry on up until he stepped behind that familiar bench of his. Naturally he was still nervous during the proceedings, but once the first cross-examination rolled around Apollo usually found himself too focused on the trial to be nervous about it (at least until Klavier blew a hole in his argument and trumped whatever evidence Apollo had).
This morning was decidedly different, not because Apollo was any less nervous than normal, but because this time it was a question as to how long Apollo could extend the trial on a single shard of glass and some circumstantial evidence.
It didn't help, of course, that ever since they escorted the very irritable-looking Ema Skye, she seemed rather adamant to avoid conversation. Apollo, not being much of an ice-breaker himself, was trying to think of something to say that wouldn't bring to immediate attention the fact that he had submitted the shortest evidence approval request since his courtroom debut.
It was at times like these when Apollo relied upon his ever-faithful companion, assistant, and horrible reader of atmospheres Trucy Wright to either break the ice or say something so incredibly off-key that anything Apollo could follow up with would be reasonable by comparison. Unfortunately, Trucy's absence had been all but insisted upon by her father, who had become ever more mindful of her rather shaky school attendance record recently and instructed her to attend school today.
This, of course, also meant that Apollo would be standing at the bench alone. Something he wasn't eager of in the slightest
This atmosphere is too tense! I feel like I should say something to Detective Skye, but…
"You know, if you're going to keep glancing over here with that look, you might as well just tell me how badly your investigation went."
"Aack! S-sorry, Detective Skye," Apollo flinched, slumping his shoulders a little.
Apollo had known Ema for a while now, and the he would even consider them to be on good terms (at least, as good as you could get with someone who was almost perpetually grumpy in the face of anything but science and Wright himself), but he didn't feel they were close enough at all to switch to first-name basis with her. Even though yesterday she had probably been incredibly irrate and well too distracted with both her situation and her headache to realize how distant she had been, it only strengthened Apollo's impression that their "friendship", if it could be called that, was anything but personal.
Still, now was no time to reflect on his standing with his own client. His nerves vanished as he realized how absolutely pathetic he must look. He wasn't being a very good defense attorney if he couldn't put on a brave face for Ema. Apollo straightened up and shook his head of any remaining hesitation. He crossed his arms and put on a serious face, not quite ready or able to give her a confident grin.
"I would be lying if I told you I have a lot of evidence on my hands, but there's so many questions that there has to be something there I can grab a hold of!"
Ema nodded solemnly and twiddled with her hair, "I'm just surprised you got to investigate at all, what with the crime scene being at the police department and all…"
"Actually," Apollo frowned, crossing his arms, "It was Prosecutor Gamma who let us investigate in the first place."
"W-what!" Ema replied, eyes wide with shock as she pressed her hand against her cheek in surprise, "T-the prosecutor for this case let you investigate!?"
Um… if I remember correctly, you let me investigate at crime scenes all the time…
"That's different! It was scientific!"
Apollo was caught off-guard by Ema's outburst, mostly because he hadn't realized he had spoken his thoughts aloud.
"Well, either way, I'll do everything I can to clear your name."
Ema nodded, though Apollo couldn't quite tell if she was confident in him or not. She had likely seen enough of his cases to know that he wasn't one to give up easily, but the photo she had been shown of the crime scene was pretty incriminating. Apollo was sure the only one Ema would trust wholeheartedly to get her out of this mess was Wright.
Before Apollo could say anything further, the Baliff ran into the room rather abruptly.
"Mr. Justice! Ms. Skye! The trial is about to begin!"
Apollo checked the time and nodded.
"Right! Don't worry, Detective Skye! Leave it to me! We'll be fine!"
December 18, 10:02 AM
District Court
Courtroom No. 4
- Day 1 -
Court is Now in Session
All Rise
The ever-present Judge who seemed to preside over every trial Apollo ever took sat at his bench and clacked his gavel, beginning the trial with a distinctly gentle yet powerful voice only that old man could pull off.
"Court is now in session for the trial of Ema Skye."
Apollo stood at the defense's bench alone, a sensation he was not yet entirely accustomed to, but nodded anyway and replied with a strong voice.
"The defense is ready, Your Honor."
Apollo looked out across the courtroom to see the strange new prosecutor, Gamma, standing on the other side. Despite the fact that this was his first day in court, Gamma seemed relaxed, his face mostly hidden behind that strange robotic mask of his.
Gamma nodded once and replied with a calm voice, "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."
"Aah!" the judge's eyes seemed to widen as they fell upon the visage of Prosecutor Gamma, and he spoke in a surprised tone, "Incidentally, am I to understand that today is your first day in court?"
Gamma nodded, "That is correct, Your Honor. My name is Gamma. I became a prosecutor only recently. This is the first case I've ever taken."
The judge nodded, but his expression still seemed a little puzzled by Gamma's appearance.
"Ah… it's just that… that mask… it seems…"
"Familiar?" Gamma finished, a small, almost somber smile appearing on the prosecutor's face, "You probably do recognize this mask. While I have never stood in this court before, this mask definitely has. It's… a memento, of sorts."
"Ah, that explains it! Yes," the judge nodded, sounding rather pleased with himself, "A mask such as that is certainly quite distinct. I didn't think I was mistaken when I thought I had seen it before."
Apollo frowned as he furrowed his brow, pressing a finger to his forehead in thought.
Yesterday, Wright seemed to have a lot of questions about that mask as well… Why do I get the feeling that there's more to this "Gamma" that meets the eye?
"At any rate," Gamma replied, "If we're done talking about my mask, I'd like to give my opening statement to the court."
The judge's eyes widened at Gamma's comment and he nodded affirmatively, "Yes, very well. You may begin."
Gamma nodded.
"Yesterday at the police station, an officer was shot and killed in one of the evidence storage rooms. The incident took place in the middle of the day while plenty of officers and detectives were working at the station, so naturally the gunshot raised a lot of attention. When everyone rushed to the site, they were met with this scene."
Gamma presented the crime scene photo to the courtroom smirked.
"As you can see, there were only two people in that room. The victim, Allen Renchez, and the defendant, Ema Skye!"
"My… this… this scene certainly is incriminating! Why, the defendant even has a gun in her hands!"
The judge's shocked expression and statement set off something within the gallery and numerous murmurs erupted from the crowd. The judge lowered his head disapprovingly and clacked his gavel, silencing the masses.
"Order!"
Once everyone had settled down, the judge turned his attention back to Gamma. "Very well. Are you prepared to call your first witness?"
"Naturally," Gamma replied coolly, nodding, "This next witness was not only head of the investigations yesterday, but also someone who was at the station when the murder occurred. I believe his testimony will leave no doubt that the defendant was the only one who could commit this crime!"
The judge nodded.
"Very well. Call your witness."
Gamma turned his head to look directly at Apollo and grinned, "The defense calls Senior Detective Gumshoe to the stand!"
A few moments and some fumbling around later, Detective Gumshoe was standing at the witness stand with a confident grin plastered across his face.
"Witness, state your name and profession."
"I'm Dick Gumshoe, sir! A senior detective down at the precinct," Gumshoe answered.
The judge nodded, "You've given testimony a number of times in this court before. Very well. You may begin your testimony."
Witness Testimony
- Case Overview -
"The victim, Allen Renchez, was a police officer who worked at the station. He was assigned to finding and delivering evidence back and forth to the forensic scientists working in the lab. When the gunshot rang out, everyone was alarmed and rushed to the evidence room at once. No one left the evidence room, so the defendant was the only one in the room at the time! The victim had been shot in the chest and died instantly, so there was nothing we could do for him when we arrived."
- End Testimony –
The judge clacked his gavel down and nodded.
"Very well. The defense may begin its cross-examination."
Apollo slammed his fists down on the bench.
Right now, I need to focus on getting more information about the case.
Cross Examination
- Case Overview -
"The victim, Allen Renchez, was a police officer who worked at the station-"
"HOLD IT!"
"Could you describe the victim in more detail?" Apollo requested.
Gumshoe looked up and shrugged, "He was just a random guy down at the precinct. He didn't really stand out much, to be honest."
"Hmm," Apollo frowned, "was there anyone who openly harbored ill will towards the victim?"
Gumshoe shook his head, "Sorry, pal. He really didn't stand out much. He wasn't the kind of person who went around making enemies."
Apollo nodded, conceding his line of questioning.
The judge stepped in, clacking his gavel once before turning his attention towards Gumshoe.
"Very well, witness, please continue."
Gumshoe nodded eagerly.
"He was assigned to finding and delivering evidence back and forth to the forensic scientists working in the lab-"
"HOLD IT!"
"You said the victim was delivering evidence back and forth, but the lab's right next to the evidence room, correct? Why would an officer be assigned to such a mundane task?"
Gumshoe furrowed his brow and looked up in thought before nodding.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, pal…"
"OBJECTION!"
Gamma brought his right arm up for a brief moment before slamming the back of his clenched fist down upon the prosecutor's bench.
"Even though the labs are right next to each other, fetching evidence still takes time. It would be inefficient for the forensic scientists working there to constantly stop their work to get up for new evidence. Isn't that right, Detective Gumshoe?"
"A-ah, yes, that's how we do it down at the precinct, sir!"
The judge nodded, "Very well. Witness, you may continue with your testimony."
"Right, so…"
Gumshoe picked up where he left off.
"When the gunshot rang out, everyone was alarmed and rushed to the evidence room at once-"
"HOLD IT!"
Apollo pressed his finger to his brow in thought.
"About what time would you say the incident occurred?"
Gumshoe looked up in thought for a moment.
"What time… hm… well, I'd say it was about 12:30, pal."
Apollo nodded, "So, the murder occurred at 12:30, then… but how does that implicate the defendant?"
Gumshoe frowned at Apollo and gave him an indignant glare, "I was just getting to that, pal!"
"No one left the evidence room, so the defendant was the only one in the room at the time-"
"HOLD IT!"
Apollo slammed his fists down on the desk and glared at Gumshoe, "How can you be so sure she was the only one in the room at the time of the shooting!?"
Gumshoe smiled, as though he fully anticipated that question, and answered with a smug look on his face.
"The evidence room is rather small, so there's only one door in or out. Incidentally, I was asked to prepare a mock-up of the evidence room for the court."
Gumshoe presented an overhead view diagram of the evidence room, marking the door and the location of any permanent fixtures such as the evidence lockers, filing cabinets, and shelves lining the walls.
The judge looked at the diagram and nodded, "Very well. The court accepts this into evidence."
-Evidence Room Diagram added to Court Record-
Gamma slammed the desk again.
"As you can see, there's only one way into the room. Any 'third killer' the defense would have us believe exists could not have escaped the room unnoticed."
Apollo slumped over and began sweating bullets at the defense bench.
Great… my case is already falling apart and I haven't even made one yet…
"Detective Gumshoe, if you will," Gamma motioned for the witness to continue.
"The victim had been shot in the chest and died instantly, so there was nothing we could do for him when we arrived-"
"HOLD IT!"
"Speaking of the victim… has an autopsy report been prepared?"
Gumshoe nodded, "Of course! Here you go, pal!"
Gumshoe presented the victim's autopsy report to the court.
"Naturally," Gamma replied, smirking, "The autopsy confirms what the photo of the crime scene already told us. The victim died of a gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet entered his heart and he died instantly."
-Renchez's Autopsy added to Court Record-
The judge clacked his gavel down and nodded.
"That's enough. I believe we have established for the court a firm grasp of the events that transpired."
"Coincidentally," Gamma replied, "It was mentioned that the victim was shot and killed. I believe the next step is establishing the facts surrounding the murder weapon."
The judge nodded, "Indeed. Witness, I assume you are prepared to testify about the weapon, correct?"
Gumshoe nodded smugly.
"Sure thing, Your Honor!"
Witness Testimony
- The Murder Weapon -
"You can see it in the crime scene photo, pal! The defendant's holding a gun in her hand! The gun was tested for fingerprints, but the only set found belongs to the defendant! She went and shot the victim! A single shot right in the heart! The bullet taken from the victim's body was examined, and it was definitely fired from the defendant's gun, pal!"
- End Testimony -
The judge nodded, "Hmm… well, I can't say this looks very good for the defendant. Very well. Mr. Justice, your cross-examination, if you will."
Apollo nodded.
I'm not sure if I have anything against him yet, I just need to press him for more details for the time being!
Cross-Examination
- The Murder Weapon -
"You can see it in the crime scene photo, pal! The defendant's holding a gun in her hands-"
"HOLD IT!"
Apollo frowned at Gumshoe for a moment before proceeding, "Out of curiosity, where did the gun come from?"
Gumshoe chuckled to himself, once again as though he had been anticipating Apollo to ask such a question.
"The defendant's a detective, pal! All homicide detectives are issued sidearms for their protection! We've run the serial number through our system, and the gun definitely belongs to the defendant!"
Yikes! I didn't know Detective Skye had a gun! I guess it does make sense… but she doesn't seem like the kind of person to ever use one…
"Coincidentally," Gamma began calmly, "I happen to have the gun right here."
Gamma presented a medium-sized revolver to the court and the judge nodded.
"The court accepts this gun into evidence."
-Ema's Gun added to Court Record-
Apollo took time to examine the gun and noticed something odd. Not one, but two of the gun's chambers were empty, meaning the gun had been fired not once, but twice.
I should keep note of that… it might come in handy later.
The judge clacked his gavel to get things back on track.
"Witness, please continue with your testimony."
Gumshoe nodded, chuckling to himself.
"The gun was tested for fingerprints, but the only set found belongs to the defendant-"
"HOLD IT!"
Apollo slammed his fists down on the bench in front of him.
"The gun belonged to the Detective Skye! Her fingerprints on the weapon aren't unusual!"
Gamma shook his head, a confident smirk plastered across his face.
"Mr. Justice… allow me to remind you that I'm supposed to be the rookie here."
Apollo was taken aback by Gamma's comment.
"W-what!?"
"Allow me to remind you that only Ema's fingerprints were found on the gun! Moreover, you can see it right here in the photo…"
Gamma slammed the back of his fist down on the bench again, then raised his arm and pointed aggressively at Apollo.
"Ema was found at the scene of the crime, holding the weapon in her hand!"
Apollo flinched and recoiled at the fierce accusation.
"W-well, yeah, but…"
"Not only that," Gamma continued, "but gunpowder residue was found on Ema's hand! She's definitely the one who fired the gun!"
"W-WWWHHHHAAAAATTTTTTT!?"
Apollo doubled back and was left reeling over the defense's bench, sweating bullets. Such substantial evidence against Ema definitely didn't help Apollo make her case, and the fact that he had a single shard of glass to work with definitely didn't help.
Had Apollo been a lesser defense attorney, he might have turned to Ema and asked if she was sure she didn't do it, but Apollo had faith in his client. He truly believed Ema was innocent, he just needed to prove it.
The judge clacked his gavel and shook his head.
"The longer these proceedings last, the guiltier the defendant seems. However, I believe there are still some points that need to be cleared up before I can bring this trial to a close. Witness, please continue.
"Yes sir!"
Gumshoe thought for a moment before picking up where he had left off before.
"She went and shot the victim! A single shot right in the heart!-"
"HOLD IT!"
"There's still a possibility someone else killed the victim!"
"OBJECTION!"
Gamma smiled, shaking his head.
"That, my friend, is for you to try to prove… and allow me to say you're not doing a very good job of it so far!"
The judge clacked his gavel angrily and glared at Gamma.
"Prosecutor Gamma, allow me to remind you that I am the judge of this courtroom!"
Gamma straightened his expression and leaned on the bench in silence.
"….."
The judge hesitated a bit before reluctantly nodding.
"T-that being said, the prosecution is correct. You're not doing a very good job of convincing me that your client is innocent, Mr. Justice."
Oh great… looks like even though he's a rookie, the judge still favors him…
"Um… may I continue?" Gumshoe asked, hesitantly.
"Ah, yes," the judge answered, nodding, "Please continue."
"The bullet taken from the victim's body was examined, and it was definitely fired from the defendant's gun, pal-"
"HOLD IT!"
"If the bullet has been analyzed, the defense requests that it be presented to the court as evidence!"
Gamma nodded, "As you wish, Mr. Justice, but keep in mind this bullet only hurts your case!"
Apollo nodded, "It may seem like it, but the bullet is still evidence!"
Gumshoe smiled, holding up a clear plastic bag with the bullet inside for the court to see.
"I have the bullet right here, pal! The report clearly states the bullet was fired from Detective Skye's gun!"
The judge nodded, "Very well, the court accepts this bullet into evidence."
-Bullet added to Court Record-
The judge clacked his gavel, "Very well, please continue with the cross examination."
Apollo frowned.
I've gone through all his statements… maybe I should ask about that one thing that's been bothering me…
Gumshoe smiled, ready to repeat himself for the court.
"You can see it in the crime scene photo, pal! The defendant's holding a gun in her hand! The gun was tested for fingerprints, but the only set found belongs to the defendant! She went and shot the victim! A single shot right in the heart!-"
"OBJECTION!"
"Detective Gumshoe, let me get this straight," Apollo began, holding up a sheet of paper with notes on it in one hand while holding his other hand behind his back, "You said that the victim was shot once, correct?"
Gumshoe nodded, "Yeah, pal! One shot was all it took, she hit him square in the chest!"
Apollo nodded, "And, earlier you mentioned that you heard a single gunshot from the evidence room. Am I correct so far?"
Gumshoe nodded, but then grew puzzled by the questions Apollo had asked him.
"Uh, where are you going with this, pal?"
Apollo slammed his fists down on the bench, "Detective, if things went as you say, then things just don't add up!"
Gumshoe grew indignant and shouted back at Apollo, "What are you talking about, pal!?"
Apollo held up the gun for the court to see.
"This gun… there's something odd about it. Detective Gumshoe said he only heard one shot, and only one bullet was found at the scene of the crime, inside the victim's body… however, two bullets have been fired from this gun."
Apollo slammed his fists down on the desk and pointed fiercely at Gamma, "When was this second bullet fired!?"
The judge nodded, "Why, that is a very good question. Does the prosecution have anything to say?"
Gamma was leaning against the desk with a hand in front of the mask on his face, a pained expression clear across his lips.
Apollo smirked, "It looks like your inexperience has caught up with you. If I were the prosecutor, the first thing I'd do is check the gun."
Gamma frowned, but then straightened up and smirked.
"Heh," he laughed smugly, his confidence returning instantly, "I may have been careless, but it doesn't matter much. After all… I believe you were the one who asked the question… When was the bullet fired?"
Uh oh… I think I know where this is going…
Gamma slammed the back of his fist down on the bench and pointed back at Apollo, "If the bullet was fired well before the incident, it bears no significance to this case!"
"A-ACKK!"
Apollo recoiled, not expecting Gamma to recover so quickly.
He… he's right… there's no way I can prove that bullet was fired at the scene…
Gamma smiled, nodding successfully to himself.
The judge clacked his gavel, "I believe this case has more or less come to a close. While the matter of the second bullet does in fact leave some questions, there is substantial evidence to implicate the defendant for the murder of Allen Renchez."
Apollo looked up from the desk, his fists clenched and his hair spikes droopy from the trails of sweat dripping from his forehead.
Wh-what!? The judge is about to end the trial! This isn't good!"
"Does the defense have any additional statements before I bring this trial to a close?"
Apollo sat sweating in his spot, hunched over the defendant's bench.
I have to say something now… but… but I can't! I don't have anything! There's nothing there! The crime scene was too clean! If only I had been able to investigate before the team got there!
"I uh… I have… an objection!?"
The judge shook his head.
"Mr. Justice, that sounded more like a question than an objection. If you don't have anything else to add, I believe it is time for me to call my verdict."
Apollo slammed his fists down on the desk, "Wait, Your Honor… I… I have…"
"HOLD IT!"
At the sudden outburst, the judge's eyes widened and he looked around the courtroom. Apollo, too, was equally surprised by the shout, but once he looked across the courtroom, he realized that Gamma had once again slammed the bench in front of him and was now prepared to say something.
"It's not in my nature to leave things so half-baked, Your Honor," Gamma replied.
"This is a court of law, not a bakery! I ask that refrain from baking anything at all!" the judge replied, indignant.
Gamma shook his head, not the slightest bit phased by the almost unbelievable misunderstanding on the judge's part.
"It was an expression. I mean to say, there's still one major question the prosecution has left to answer for the court before I'll let this case close."
The judge shook his head, "Prosecutor Gamma… you do realize that I am prepared to hand down a verdict in your favor, correct?"
Gamma nodded, "Oh, I understand completely… but if I leave things like this, I'm sure Mr. Justice over there will raise an objection sooner or later."
Apollo looked up at Gamma in confusion, not entirely sure what was going on in that masked prosecutor's head.
"In fact," Gamma replied, "I'll allow the defense to take this one. Wasn't there something bothering you about the whole incident, Mr. Justice?"
Something… bothering me… Ah! Now that he mentions it, there was something I was curious about… but why is he helping me like this!?
The judge clacked his gavel, "Well, is it true, Mr. Justice? Is there something about the case so far that's bothering you?"
Apollo nodded, "Yes, Your Honor, the thing that's been bothering me about the case is…"
Apollo paused to gather his thoughts, and after a brief moment he arrived at his answer.
"There was something odd about the crime scene photo, something I noticed from the moment I saw it," Apollo began, "In this photo… the defendant's been knocked unconscious."
Apollo slammed his fists down on the desk and pointed at Gamma.
"That seems rather strange for someone who allegedly committed murder, wouldn't you say?"
The judge's eyes widened, "Ah yes! That was rather curious! To be honest, I was bothered by that too."
Yeah right… you were about ready to end the trial a few minutes ago…
Gamma nodded, "Naturally, the prosecution noticed this as well. I have formulated my own theory as to what transpired in that room on the day of the incident, but I feel that witness testimony might be more effective."
The judge's eyes widened, "So, is the prosecution prepared to call another witness?"
Gamma nodded.
The judge nodded and turned to the gallery, which had grown restless at the thought of the end of the trial. Murmurs of discussion and whispers of gossip could be heard faintly, and the judge himself had realized how long the proceedings had gone lasted.
"Very well. The court will take a ten minute recess, after which we will hear the prosecution's answer to this quite puzzling question."
The judge brought his gavel down on the bench with a loud clack and almost instantly, the gallery began to disperse and make their way out of the coutroom.
Apollo also took a step back from the bench, simply relieved that the Judge had decided to prolong the trial at all. He truly believed in Ema's innocence, and couldn't imagine how terrible it would be if he failed his job and got her a guilty verdict, but he just didn't have enough to go on.
There's a lot of mysteries still surrounding this case… I just need to hope that, in due time, these mysteries will clear themselves up.
Apollo began making his way out of the courtroom himself when he turned back to see Gamma standing silently at the prosecution's bench, still as a statue and head raised slightly upwards as though he were in thought. There were a lot of questions Apollo had, both about this case and about that man. Wright seemed to be rather interested in the new prosecutor himself, and although Apollo couldn't make him out, he knew that somewhere amongst the gallery, his boss was watching the trial.
At any rate, Apollo thought to himself, watching Gamma turn and head out the door towards the prosecutor's lobby, this case is far from over.
To Be Continued...
AN: There we go, the first "trial" chapter. I try to make the trial much more like the games, so the witness's repeat themselves with cross examinations and everything. I also intend to write in other game elements, so if it gets a bit strange or seems out of place for a story, just try to look at it like being an actual in-game case. I hope I captured the essence of the games well enough, and I hope this segment of the trial was interesting to read. I hoped you enjoyed, and reviews are always appreciated.