In the Lobby…

"I expected no less from you, Phoenix," Viola was clutching his arm now.

"Well, th-thanks, Viola." Phoenix was looking down at her. She is really is cute…

"But…um…you might want to step aside before someone comes…"

"Wright!" It was Edgeworth. Phoenix gulped.

The prosecutor had his arms folded and his eyes glared straight into his rival's. "The coat will be here soon. On my authority, the bailiff will be here ten minutes early."

There was silence, as Edgeworth awkwardly shifted his gaze from Phoenix to Viola and back. Then Phoenix dared to open his mouth. "So..uh…is there anything else that needs to be addressed?"

"I do not know." Edgeworth was looking at Viola again. "Is there? I understand that the granddaughter of Don Bruto Cadaverini is serving as co-counsel."

"And we are dating." This time it was Viola who spoke. Phoenix turned red.

For a moment, even the great Miles Edgeworth himself was rendered speechless. Then he glared at Viola. "Miss Cadaverini, can you spare us a moment? You ca wait in the courtroom."

She looked up at Phoenix. "Is this alright with you?" She had finally relinquished her grip on his arm. He finally choked out an answer. "…Yes."

As soon as Viola reluctantly went through the door, Edgeworth stepped forward until he was an inch away from Phoenix. "What were you thinking, Wright?!"

Wright's mouth flapped his mouth. " She invited me to dinner because she had a case to discuss with me and I agreed and then she got in bed with me…"

"What?!"

"…because I left the door unlocked and I still came here for the trial and I still outsmarted you and stopped everything by thirty minutes no now twenty…"

Edgeworth clasped Phoenix on the shoulders. "Get a hold of yourself!" Phoenix stopped babbling. "Do you have any idea what the Cadaverini family is?"

"Yes," Phoenix replied. "The top mafia family of the city, so feared that no one in the law department dares to make a case against them. And before you ask….Viola isn't in on what the mob is doing. She is the owner of the loan office Tender Lender…"

"Which was owned by a now-convicted murderer." Edgeworth interrupted. "And anyway, do you think this is just an ordinary case for me? It's the key to stopping the Cadervinis once and for all!"

"How so?"

Edgeworth glared again. "You cannot seriously think Ms. Cadaverini would ask you to represent just anyone. I could not get anything out of him in my interrogation, but I know that he knows more about the inner workings of the mob than he lets on. If I win the trial and prove his guilt in the death of his brother, I can arrange a plea deal with him. I reduce whatever sentence the Judge has in store for him, and he can spill the beans on everything the Cadaverinis are doing. I'll even throw in a promise of personal protection; I know he would be afraid for his life if he sold out the family. I can stop the Cadaverinis in their tracks and uncover the truth-the whole truth about them-at last!"

Edgeworth finally finished his rant as he took a deep breath. "Of course, having heard of all this, you are still planning to defend him, isn't that right?"

Phoenix straightened himself. "Yes. I believe it was you who said that everyone deserves both a proper defense and a fair trial."

More silence. Edgeworth spoke slowly and deliberately. "Yes, I did." He dropped his gaze. "Yes, I did."

In the Courtroom…

The Judge slammed his gavel. "Court shall reconvene for the trial of Mr. Napoli Salsa. I trust that the defendant is ready to provide testimony and that the new coat is ready."

Edgeworth was at the stand, holding the fresh coat by its hook. "Yes for both counts, Your Honor. Without further ado, I would request that Mr. Salsa take the stand without delay."

"So be it!" The gavel slammed down. "Bailiff!"

Two seconds later, and the bailiff brought Napoli to the witness stand. He stood, fidgeting and trying to smile at the judge and gallery crowd.

"Interesting," Viola murmured. "They let him bring his sign in."

"Let's just hope he doesn't do a show here." Phoenix was staring straight ahead at Edgeworth. He knew what would come next.

"Will the defendant state his name and profession?"

"No problemo, yessir," Napoli had finally broken into a wide-mouthed smile. "The name's Napoli Salsa! I'm a sign spinner, dancing down the streets and moving folks to anywhere my clients wan'em too!"

Edgeworth looked relieved that Napoli was so forthcoming. "Now, Mr. Salsa, if you could please provide testimony…"

'Coat, if youse please."

"...What?"

Napoli gave his sign a twirl before folding his arms. "I heard the lotta of youse talking about some coat with blood on it. I know youse got a new one. Let me try it on, and I'll prove the first o' them coats ain't mine!"

The Judge blinked. "Oh...oh, yes. Thank you, Mr. Salsa." He struck with the gavel. "Bailiff! Bring in the new coat."

The article of clothing was brought forth, and it was not long before Phoenix was grinning. It was just as he'd thought. The coat was too small for Napoli. Even from the gallery one could see his arms bulging through the sleeves of the blue fabric.

"There youse have it!" Napoli ripped off the coat and flung it to the floor. "The coat don't fit me, so the coat that little punk with that stupid frilly tie brought don't fit me neither!"

Edgeworth's hands were clenched into fists. "Stupid...frilly…"

Ignoring him, Napoli saluted the defendant's stand with his free hand. "Good show, Mr. Wright! What a quick wit, youse have!"

Viola giggled. "I think he likes you."

Phoenix forced his "aw shucks" expression on his face. He slammed the stand. "Mr. Salsa, as Mr. Edgeworth was saying, the court would appreciate some testimony on what you were doing at Grande Azuro on the night of the murder.

"No problemo, my boy!" Napoli composed himself for a moment, coughed, and proceeded with his testimony.

"Yeah, I was at the restaurant that night. But I swear on my brother's soul, I ain't the one that done him in! I was just there for business! The lovely proprietor, Ms. Pane, hired me to sign spin an' advertise that night! I was just goin' inside the joint and I found the body there! That's why I'm on the photo! Anything else youse want me to say?"

"Hmmm…." The Judge paused. "Are you satisfied with the testimony, Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix stood at the stand, cocky. "Of course, Your Honor! My client was simply there for his performance!"

"OBJECTION!"

It was Edgeworth. He smirked, tapping his forehead. "I wonder, Mr. Salsa", he spoke slowly and deliberately. "If you can actually prove you were at the restaurant simply for, as Mr. Wright has said, a 'performance.'"

"...What?!" All the joy and energy had slipped out of Napoli's voice.

"Do you happen to have a paycheck we can look at? A receipt, perhaps? Or maybe a signature from Ms. Pane?"

"Why would I have anything like that on my person in this here courtroom, boy?" Napoli was fuming. "What else would youse say I was doin'?" Viola touched Phoenix's arm.

"This does not look good," she said, looking thoughtfully in Edgeworth's direction. No kidding, Phoenix thought. What else does Edgeworth have up his sleeve? ANOTHER coat?

"Members of the court," Edgeworth began. "While it is true that we are in the process in determining the guilt of this defendant on the charge of murder, allow me to remind everyone that he has been caught in the act of burglary several times over. What if I were to say that a window at the restaurant was found broken?"

"Now that's a lie and youse know it!" Napoli's face was red. "The back door of the restaurant was kicked open! There ain't no way youse could confuse wood splinters for glass!"

Everyone was silent for a moment. Edgeworth's face beamed with triumph. "Mr. Salsa. If you, as you say, had nothing to do with the murder, and you were not at the restaurant for business, then how could you have known how the building was breached? I do not believe you were told anything about the restaurant, apart from the murder, when you were in questioning."

"Ohhhh…." Napoli sank back, his eyes moving to the sweating Phoenix to Edgeworth to the Judge and back to Phoenix. "I do believe I may have spoken a bit too much…"

The gallery was shouting, drowning out the sound of Phoenix's heart to him. The Judge slammed his gavel. "Order! Order! Order! I shall have order!"

"The position of the prosecution is this," Edgeworth continued. "I hold that Mr. Napoli Salsa came to Grande Azuro with the intent to rob it. He kicked down the back door of the restaurant, and by sheer cosmic coincidence discovered that his own brother was a witness to his deed. So he silenced him the only way he could! With a fountain pen to the neck!"

Noooo...Phoenix was fighting every urge to slam his head down on the stand. Viola was next to him. She was actually worried. Her face was scrunched up and she was shivering. It was the first time he had seen her do either.

"The prosecution has a compelling theory," The Judge said. "What do you make of this, Mr. Wright?"

"I…" Phoenix slammed down on the stand. "Object- OBJECTION! The-The prosecution has failed to explain the coat! As Mr. Salsa has clearly demonstrated, it does not fit him!"

Edgeworth was smirking. "Well, then, it would seem more investigation is in order. Your Honor, I believe you understand that under these circumstances, Mr. Salsa cannot be declared 'not guilty' and released. I would like to request an additional day to search for witnesses and uncover more evidence."

The Judge sat for a moment, eyes closed and mouth pursed in consternation. Then he opened his eyes and spoke. "Very well. I permit the prosecution and the defense another day for investigation. Court is adjourned!"

The gavel slammed down. It was final.

I made things a bit harder for Phoenix this time around, but I do feel a little bad for him. LOL.