Phoenix took a deep breath. It was almost time for the trial to start.

"So like I say before, Mr. Wright," Napoli was saying, "youse gotta heart. So I know youse gonna be the best o' the best in there. Just remember I'm in ya corner and my life's in ya hands. I..."

Viola silenced him with a hand on her shoulder before standing alongside Phoenix. "He understands, Napoli."

Phoenix took another deep breath. "Let me explain the case. You are being tried for first-degree murder. I know the prosecutor. Miles Edgeworth. Good man, but not a friendly one, and he's as determined as me. And if my hunch is right, a certain detective will be on the first witness."

Napoli unconsciously twirled his sign, nearly missing his own head, as he scratched his nose. "But like, don't we have double jeopardy? I was already tried for murder once and was appealed, as I told youse. Don't the courts follow that rule?"

"They do." Phoenix replied. "When they feel like it. They've already lost face with you before, and they don't want a repeat." He checked his phone. "The trial's just about to start."

Napoli needed, and the uniformed, bearded bailiff escorted him away.

Viola looked up at Phoenix. "Let us begin."

In the Courtroom...

The Judge struck forth with the gavel, silencing the gallery audience

"Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Napoli Salsa."

Miles Edgeworth stood at the far side of the room, his gray hair neatly styled and his red coat without a crease, his demeanor steely and yet his face passive. "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."

Phoenix spoke up. "The defense is ready, your Honor."

"..…"

"…"

"…."

Silence.

All eyes were trained on Viola Cadaverini, standing next to Phoenix as co-counsel. Then there were voices everywhere, and all Phoenix could do was sweat.

"Is she…."

"That is…!"

"No way…"

Alone among the voices, Edgeworth hunched down, fists on the table. "What is this? What is this? Why…"

The Judge's gavel came down three times. "Order! Order!" The gallery crowd quieted itself. "Mr. Wright…who is that next to you!?"

This time it was Viola who spoke up. "I am Viola Cadaverini, Your Honor. I will serve as co-counsel."

"But…but…we…uh…" The Judge's lips flapped so quickly that Phoenix swore his long white beard would be shaken off. He cleared his throat. "May we have the prosecution's opening statement?"

"Uh, uh, uh…yes! Yes! Mr. Edgeworth, if you please…"

Edgeworth had already composed himself. "Strange choices of co-counsel aside," he began. "I will begin. The accused, Mr. Napoli Salsa, is accused of the murder of one Formaggio Salsa on March 5th, midnight, at the restaurant known as Grande Azuro. The murder weapon was a fountain pen taken from the front desk of the establishment. I submit this pen and the autopsy report as evidence."

Phoenix was stunned. "Formaggio…Salsa?" Edgeworth nodded. "Yes, Mr. Wright. Mr. Salsa is accused of not simply murder, but fratricide." Phoenix spun around to Viola. "The victim is Mr. Salsa's brother!? I didn't know this…"

Viola shushed Phoenix with a finger to his mouth. He felt as if the entire court dropped bricks. "I will explain later. For now, please take this copy of the autopsy report." She held out a manilla envelope, and Phoenix grabbed it. He read it, wanting something to take his mind off the sudden change in the situation. The report read:

Formaggio's Autopsy Report

Time of Death: 3/5 at 12:00 p.m.

Cause of death: Stab wound to the neck.

Attached to the report was a photo of the murder weapon. It was a fountain pen with a shiny brass tip and unsightly red-and-yellow handle. Phoenix could see that from one end to the other, it was covered with splotches of dark red blood.

At that moment, Edgeworth's voice cut through the air. "I would like to call forth the detective assigned to the case. Would Detective Dick Gumshoe come to the stand?"

The frumpy, burly detective stood at the witness stand, decked out in the khaki trenchcoat he had received as a present from his darling Maggey. He was trying very hard not to look in Viola's direction. His voice brightened a bit as Edgeworth spoke. "Please give us the details of the murder."

"Y-Yessir! Right away!" Gumshoe boomed this out faster than the Judge could give his order to provide testimony. Here we go, Phoenix thought. Gumshoe cleared his throat loudly.

"Let's see…the murder occurred at 12 p.m. sharp on March 5th. The victim was found dead in a pool of his own blood in the restaurant. The defendant, Napoli Salsa, was at the scene of the crime. The security camera caught a photo of the defendant standing near the victim's body. I have copies of the photo here if anyone wants to look."

The Judge's voice rang out. "The court accepts the photo into evidence."

Upon getting his copy, Phoenix quickly scanned the photo as Viola came nearer to him. She could see in his face that he knew something was wrong.

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix's arm flung forward.

"Detective…" he slammed his hands on the stand. "Are you sure these photos are authentic?"

"Sure, pal. What else do you'd think they'd be? A joke?"

Phoenix's cocky smile stretched across his face. "Not at all. I just have a couple questions about it, is all. For starters….why is my client clean?"

"Hunh?"

"I…don't follow." The Judge hunched forward in consternation.

"Wright," Edgeworth's arms folded. "What game are you playing now?"

"It's just as Detective Gumshoe said." Phoenix held up his copy of the photo. "There is blood all over the victim, and all over the floor. And of course, my client is staring at the body. But there is not a drop of blood on him at all!"

The gallery chattered, and the gavel slammed down.

"Order! Order!" The Judge proclaimed. "Fascinating, Mr. Wright!"

"Furthermore, Your Honor," Phoenix continued as he held up the photo of the fountain pen, "Anyone can see that this murder weapon, held in the hand, has a striking point of no longer than an inch. And thus, it would have to be used for the killing blow at very close range! So, short of wearing full-body cover…" He slammed the desk once more. "There is no way Mr. Salsa could have used such a weapon without being as drenched in blood as the victim!"

"OBJECTION!" This time it was Edgeworth shouting. He tapped his forehead. "Already getting ahead of ourselves, Wright! What if I were to say that there WAS a way for Mr. Salsa to show himself on camera without being covered in blood?"

"Whaaaat!?" Phoenix was aghast.

"Last night," Edgeworth continued, pulling a plastic-wrapped object from beneath the stand, "I personally investigated the restaurant and found this behind the building." Phoenix was sweating now. Even from the gallery, one could tell it was a blue coat covered in bloodstains.

Did he have that under the stand the whole time? Phoenix moaned internally.

"The prosecution requests that this coat be admitted as evidence," Edgeworth spoke with a bow, "and I would like to remind everyone that the fountain pen had fingerprints from Mr. Salsa's left hand on it. As far as I'm concerned, the case is already closed."

Nooooo! Phoenix screamed internally. Viola looked at him, worried.

"Keep up the good work, sir!" Gumshoe pumped his fist with a grin.

Viola bit her thumbnail. "This…does not look good for Napoli." She looked at Phoenix. "Do you have any ideas?"

Phoenix slammed the stand. "Just one!" He muttered. "Your Honor?"

"You have something to something to say, Mr. Wright?"

"Several things, actually." Phoenix stroked his chin. "First, Your Honor, I believe that you, the prosecution, and I have been in enough cases to know that fingerprints do not prove anything these days. With a lit wit and opportunity, they can be easily fabricated. Furthermore, according to the presenter of this coat himself, it was found behind the restaurant. It may be covered in blood and it may have been stashed behind the murder site, but…"

"….that does not prove it belongs to the defendant!"

Everyone was silent for a moment. It was Edgeworth who finally spoke up. "Mr. Wright, I will not dignify this outrage of yours with a straight response. I will instead ask this. Suppose it is true that the fingerprints were planted and the coat does not belong to the defendant. If so, then why was the defendant at the scene of the crime at all?"

"Yes," The Judge fidgeted with his gavel. "What do you have to say to this, Mr. Wright?'

Phoenix smirked. "Your Honor, there is a way for us to resolve all three of these issues. The defense demands that my client, Mr. Napoli Salsa, take the witness stand himself!"

"What?!" The Judge was gobsmacked.

"What?!" Edgeworth flinched.

"What?!" Gumshoe looked shriveled.

"He can provide testimony." Phoenix stroked his chin. "From that, we will resolve the mysteries behind his location and his fingerprints. Furthermore, we can have him try on the coat to see if it is truly his size."

"But…!" Edgeworth slammed his stand with one hand and waved the plastic-wrapped coat with the other. "This is the only coat we have! We cannot just let the defendant wear this evidence!"

Phoenix shrugged. "Then we will have to get another one. Same brand, same color. The department store is a ten-minute walk from here. Your Honor! The defense requests a recess of thirty minutes before Mr. Salsa takes the stand! Please dispatch a bailiff to purchase an identical coat!"

"I…I…I…" The Judge finally cleared his throat. "I will accept both of these requests! Court will reconvene in thirty minutes! Court adjourned!" The gavel slammed down.

Edgeworth had things of his own to slam down: his fists. "Un…unbelievable…"

Phoenix smiled triumphantly, only to suddenly see Viola out of the corner of his eyes. She was smiling and holding her face! "You were so cool!" She squealed. Squealed.

And before Phoenix could say anything, she leaped forward and hugged him around the waist. Right in front of the Judge, Edgeworth, and the entire gallery crowd.

First trial scene; not sure why but something feels missing to me…not sure what it is! I'll have to do some refining!