"Well... Here we are. I believe that we both know what's going to be happening next."
"You... What are you doing here?"
"I feel like that should be obvious. You know about what's already happened here... And what it means for you."
"Hold on... Your face..."
"So you finally realize what's going on... It took you long enough."
"...Are you not satisfied already? You've done more than enough to completely destroy this place and the people who call it home, and yet-"
"I need more. Now... How about you lay down quietly and let me do my job? Unless you want this to be much harder than it needs to be."
"I'm not going to just-"
"Remember that you asked for this then... It's all your fault, and you'll see that soon enough."
February 10
Defendant Lobby No. 1
9:45 AM
Felicity Amaya
I hadn't stopped pacing since I arrived in the defendant's lobby that morning, and I could already tell that I wasn't going to be stopping for quite some time. How could I? This case had been sprung on us so suddenly, and I could already tell that there was a lot more going on than any of us could have ever expected. Something about this case was off, and I could feel it.
"Felicity, perhaps you should sit down. You're only going to stress out our client if you keep pacing like that."
Deirdre's familiar voice cut me off halfway through my pacing, and I glanced over to see that she was sitting calmly on the couch in the defendant lobby. I sighed heavily with a shake of my head before sitting down beside her. "You don't get it," I muttered. "I can't believe that this is actually happening. I don't think I could get rid of all this nervous energy even if I tried."
"I think I understand a lot better than you're giving me credit for," Deirdre countered. "You're nervous because of the case being thrown at us so suddenly, but we're going to do what we can to find the truth and work through everything that happens next. You don't need to be afraid."
"But that's not all there is to it," I pointed out. "You know what else is going on here? An important case in an important location. And the client specifically requested us! We don't even know who we're defending, but it seems like it must be important as long as they wanted us to do this in particular!"
Mr. Morix, the other person on the couch in the lobby, was flicking through the case file that we had been given about this case. As usual, he was the calmest person in the room, and he refused to let himself be bothered by my sudden uptick in anxiety. "You don't need to be so worked up, Felicity," he agreed. "I know exactly what's going on here, and our client should be here any minute now."
I opened my mouth at that, ready to say something in response, but I was cut off by the sound of the door creaking open. A person walked inside the defendant lobby, and I immediately felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. To say that I was surprised was an understatement, and I couldn't help wincing and wishing that I could just hide in a corner until I knew how to handle this entire case.
The woman who had entered the defendant's lobby was none other than Judge Ophani Diaphan.
"Ah, Judge Diaphan," Mr. Morix greeted as he rose to his feet. He clearly hadn't known of the situation for long, but he still had an advantage over me and Deirdre, and for that, I was jealous. He approached our client a moment later before sticking out his hand in greeting. "I'm honored that you would want us to defend you when your case went to the courtroom."
Judge Diaphan was quick to return the gesture, and I noticed that there were a lot of things about her that were the same as when she presided over trials. For example, her hair was just as bright yet composed as always, and there wasn't even a single hair out of place from the bun at the back of her head. That wasn't even factoring in her mask that effortlessly hid the upper half of her face. I didn't think I had ever seen her without it in all my time working in the courtroom, and that was certainly significant. Having never seen a judge's face... That was a big deal, to say the least, though at least I wasn't alone. Nobody else knew what happened to cause her to wear that mask nor had they seen her without the metal coverings, but it still caught me off guard to see her here of all places.
"I'm glad that you were willing and able to accept this case on such short notice," Judge Diaphan told Mr. Morix next as he glanced over to me and Deirdre. "I was worried that you were going to be too busy with other matters to take care of the case."
Mr. Morix shook his head. "Let's just say that... We've been on a bit of a hiatus over the last month or so," he replied, though that once again did nothing to encompass the overwhelming truth of the statement. The agency had been on a break, but it wasn't for any normal reasons. The truth was that somebody was back in our numbers for the first time in years, and that was more than enough to shake up everything that we had been doing in the agency. We had all held back on taking on cases for a short while to focus on helping everybody through the transition, and so, the month of January and most of December were empty of cases entirely. This was the first court case we had taken on since his return, and it still felt strange to be back here even though I wasn't exactly involved with the newcomer's revival.
Judge Diaphan nodded at that. "I've heard that your old friend has returned... Mr. Fury has finally come back to us," she said, and I winced at the sound of his name. I didn't know why that caught me off guard, but it most certainly did that anyways, and I had no idea how to articulate why. Judge Diaphan cleared her throat before continuing, not seeming to mind the subject of Pieter in the slightest. "Still, I'm glad that you were willing to help me in such a way. I understand that this has all happened rather quickly."
"It's no issue at all," Deirdre assured her. "Would you mind telling us as much as you can about the case? Because it was given to us with so little foresight, we weren't exactly able to investigate the crime scene."
"Luckily for you, I doubt that you would have been able to investigate the crime scene even if you wanted to," Judge Diaphan told us. "It's a closed-off place, and not many people are allowed there under normal circumstances, much less when a murder has taken place. If there was ever a case where you could get away without investigating, it would be this one."
"That sounds..." I began, though it wasn't entirely surprising to hear her say that. As soon as I had heard where the crime took place, I felt like I had gotten punched in the stomach, and I had no idea what to do about all of it. Of course, my shock hadn't stopped me from taking on the case, and there was a lot that I was going to push through in order to figure out what happened that day, but... Well, it was a lot, to say the least.
"The murder took place in the headquarters of an elite group of judges... An elite group of which I am the youngest member," Judge Diaphan began to explain. "The body was found in the victim's office, and he was stabbed in the chest a single time... I'm sure that sounds familiar to anybody who has investigated cases in this area for a few years."
I hesitated at that before shrugging. "I don't think so," I muttered. "Then again, I guess I haven't really been at this all that long... Three years... Would that be enough to have heard about this?"
"Considering the fact that it was about five years ago now, I suppose so," Judge Diaphan said nonchalantly. She was much more relaxed outside of the courtroom, I had to say, though she still seemed as imposing as ever. "The victim was one Graham Brooks. He seems to have died instantly... And the killer has escaped."
"But you're being accused of doing it," Deirdre finished for her. "What reasons would the prosecution have to suspect you for all of this?"
Judge Diaphan shook her head. "I found the body, and soon afterwards, I was found with the body by another witness. I couldn't even tell you what he was doing there to begin with, but I suppose I should have been a bit more careful with everything that happened around the time of the crime," she said. Oddly enough, she seemed almost disappointed in herself for being arrested for murder even though this wasn't exactly something that anybody could control. It was strange to see, I had to admit, though I supposed there was little I could do about it.
Before I had the chance to ask her what she was talking about when it came to the witness though, a young man appeared in my field of vision. I recognized him from the stories I had previously heard of the agency. KJ Jett was standing beside me, dressed up in his bailiff's uniform and saluting to us. "The trial is about to begin. I must ask all of you to proceed to the courtroom at this time," he announced.
Mr. Morix shrugged as he closed the case file in his hands. "Well, I suppose we'll simply have to work all of this out when we get into the courtroom," he said simply. He glanced to me and Deirdre a moment later with a small smile on his face. "I'm counting on you two to have my back in there."
"You can count on us," Deirdre assured him. I nodded my agreement, though I couldn't quite help the anxiety that had been creeping through my body ever since all of this began. I liked to think that I normally knew better than to be shaken by a case like this, and yet, I couldn't seem to stop the anxiety that was rushing through the entirety of my body. Everything about this case felt off to me, but I couldn't place why.
I took a few steps towards the courtroom, but I allowed the others in the group to pass me by. Once I was sure I was alone, I slapped my cheeks as firmly as I could stand before letting out a heavy sigh. I wasn't going to let myself get caught up in my own head now. It was important to press on when we were faced with a difficult case, and even if everything about this situation felt weird to me in a way that I didn't know how to describe, I couldn't stop now. Everybody else was counting on me, and I was relying on myself too.
February 10
Courtroom No. 1
10:00 AM
Felicity Amaya
When we arrived in the courtroom, the first thing that I noticed was just how strangely empty the area was. I couldn't help staring around in shock. I would have thought that with an important case like this, there would be countless people set up throughout the area to watch the proceedings. Instead, everything was being conducted carefully, and I realized that this was likely intentional. The case was going to stay as quiet and under the radar as possible to make sure that the information about what happened at the time of the crime didn't get out to the media or anybody else who may have been listening.
The judge sitting at the head of the room was none other than Ervan Frost, and for the first time perhaps ever, he seemed to be perfectly focused on the case. Well, he was usually stern and concentrated when it came to matters like this, but... You know what I mean. Something was off about him, and everybody in the courtroom could feel it. If that didn't set the tone for what was going to be happening next, then I didn't know what did.
"Court is now in session for the trial of Ophani Diaphan," Judge Frost announced as he slammed his gavel down in front of him. "Are the defense and prosecution ready?"
I looked over to the prosecution's bench on the other side of the courtroom and saw three people. Prosecutor Elec Daegana was at the forefront of the trio, and he was dressed up in his fancy courtroom attire. I had been informed that he regularly walked around without it and looked more like Anton than anybody else, but when he was in the courtroom, he chose to wear a fancier outfit to ensure that people took him seriously. It seemed that this was certainly a case for him to choose to wear it; after all, this case was going to be serious business to the bitter end.
Beside him, Prosecutor Polly Burke could be seen, and Anton was on Prosecutor Daegana's other side. All of them looked solemn as could be, and I could only imagine that them choosing to take on the case had something to do with their family. They had likely all come together to work on this case for a reason, and I couldn't help wondering why that was the case. After all, if everything about this case was carefully selected for the sake of keeping secrets, what connection did they have to it all?
I wasn't able to think about this for too long though, and Prosecutor Daegana's voice cut through my thoughts when I let my guard drop. "The prosecution is ready," he announced, firm and steady as could be. In other words, he understood the gravity of this case and was ready to handle it accordingly.
"And the defense?" Judge Frost questioned as he glanced over to where I was standing with Mr. Morix and Deirdre. He looked solemn as could be, and I felt my heart do a quick flip from sheer nerves. Why was I getting so worked up about this? I liked to think that I was better than letting anxiety get the best of me this way.
Mr. Morix nodded stoically, taking control of the situation effortlessly the same way he usually did. "The defense is also ready," he assured Judge Frost. When he said it, I almost believed it, though the nerves that were quickly rattling throughout my body told me that I shouldn't get too sucked up in the idea for any longer than I absolutely had to.
If Judge Frost had picked up on my anxiety, then he chose to not acknowledge it, instead simply nodding to himself. "In that case, the court will hear the prosecution's opening statement at this time," he announced, turning his gaze over to the opposite side of the courtroom. I could feel the eyes of the gallery watchers breathing down my neck, and I couldn't help wondering if this was just the nature of secret trials like this. If that was the case, I absolutely hated it, and I couldn't quite put a finger on why I couldn't muster my regular brazen confidence when I needed it most.
"The murder took place in a business building where the victim and defendant do much of their work," Prosecutor Daegana announced. "To be more specific, the crime scene was the Council of Six headquarters."
"The Council of Six..." I hummed to myself. Something about that felt familiar, but I couldn't quite put a finger on where I would have heard the name before. I tried to pull it from the depths of my memory, but once again, I simply fell short in a way that I couldn't describe but absolutely despised.
"The Council of Six is a group of important judges. There are six of them, and our client is one among their ranks," Mr. Morix explained. "The judges often take on the highest profile cases, so they're well-known in many different ways."
"And the victim was one of those judges," Prosecutor Daegana went on. "Graham Brooks was found stabbed to death in his office within the building. He was killed almost instantly, and his injury was too severe for him to rise to his feet and search for help before he succumbed to his wounds. In the end, he was found by a young boy who was at the scene of the crime... And he found the defendant standing over the victim's body. From there, it was rather easy to decide who to arrest."
"It certainly seems like a clear-cut case," Judge Frost hummed. "But I somehow doubt we're going to be thinking that by the time all of this is over. For now, I believe it would be for the best if the first witness was called to the stand... Assuming the prosecution has nothing else to add in regards to the opening statement, that is."
"No, that should be all," Prosecutor Daegana said. "With that said, the prosecution would like to summon the leading detective from the investigation to the witness stand. I believe her testimony will be crucial to figuring out what really happened that day."
A few moments later, a familiar face started to walk towards the witness stand. Detective Wattson settled in behind the podium, though she seemed somewhat nervous in a way I couldn't articulate. I could only imagine that she was feeling just as nervous about taking on such an important case as I was. I mean, that was the one thing that stuck out about this crime; everything involved with it was crucial, and we had to be careful with how we handled it in every way imaginable.
"Please state your name and occupation for the court, witness," Prosecutor Burke instructed as she set down a small stack of papers on the bench in front of her.
Detective Wattson nodded before going on. "My name is Vera Wattson. I'm a homicide detective and the leader of this investigation," she explained.
"In that case, we would like to hear your testimony about what happened on the day of the crime," Prosecutor Burke told her. "You know about the affairs of the crime scene, so please share with the court all the details that you gleaned from your investigation."
Detective Wattson nodded once more. "If that's what you need, then it shall be done," she agreed firmly.
I glanced over to Mr. Morix and Deirdre with a small frown on my face. "So... Where do you think this is going to lead us?" I questioned, though I already had a feeling that whatever we were going to see next was hardly going to be good. Once again, I kicked myself for being so pessimistic when I was normally better than this. I liked to think that I wasn't the sort to get caught up in my own nerves like this, but I couldn't seem to help it this time around. What about all of this struck me as being so strange?
"I don't know, but we'll just have to see," Mr. Morix frowned. "I doubt that they would have arrested Judge Diaphan if the only evidence they had was that she was found at the crime scene. There has to be some other reason for all of it, and that means that it's up to us to press the truth out of the parties involved."
Deirdre nodded her agreement. "Afterwards, we should be able to hear from this other witness. I have no idea what a young boy would have been doing in the headquarters for the Council of Six, but I suppose it's not the time to muse on that right now. There's work to be done, and it all begins with this testimony," she said firmly.
I hummed at that, though I was desperate to figure everything out as soon as possible. Beyond that, I just wanted to leave the courtroom behind for a little while. Why did everything feel so out of place today? It was like the world was just slightly off kilter, and I had no way of getting it back on balance.
Oh, well. For now, we had a testimony to cross-examine, and that was what mattered most.
~ Witness Testimony ~
~ Details of the Murder ~
-"The crime scene was the headquarters of the famous group of judges known as the Council of SIx."
-"For years now, they've taken on some of the highest profile cases in the area, and they're known for their legal prowess."
-"The victim, Graham Brooks, was one such judge. He was found stabbed a single time in the chest in his office on the fourth floor."
-"He was left to bleed out because of his injury when he was unable to get help in time to save his own life."
-"Not long after the fact, he was found by two people: the defendant and a witness who saw the defendant towering over his body."
-"The knife that was used in the crime had no traces of fingerprints on it... Meaning that it was completely clean."
-"The defendant just so happens to wear gloves, was found with the body, and could have entered the scene of the crime. The truth seems to make a lot of sense, does it not?"
I thought for a long moment about what she was saying before I glanced up to meet Detective Wattson's gaze. "Why is it so strange that she would have been able to enter the crime scene?" I asked. "The defendant, I mean. If she really did so much work there, then of course she would be able to check out the scene of the murder. That was where she worked."
"The Council of Six headquarters are under tight supervision a majority of the time. Very few people are able to get inside, and those who do are often supervised the entire time they're in the area. However, the people who work there are absolutely allowed to move around freely. That's something that would have been necessary in order to commit the murder, and I believe it helps to prove that the defendant committed the crime," Detective Wattson replied.
"What exactly is the security system like on the building?" Deirdre questioned, though I could tell there was already a lot bubbling up beneath the surface of her mind. She wanted to know about this mysterious other boy who had managed to get into the crime scene despite all of this. She wasn't saying it openly, but I could tell.
"You need a keycard in order to get inside most of the time, though this can also be subverted if you are escorted inside by a guard," Detective Wattson explained. "Of course, the guards on duty there are incredibly strict and won't be letting just anybody inside. That defeats the purpose of the security system in the first place."
"The defendant and victim are the only ones who would have had keycards and are involved with this case, in other words," Mr. Morix concluded. "The other people who would have been able to enter the scene of the crime already had alibis at the time of the murder and could not be considered suspects reasonably."
"Precisely," Prosecutor Daegana affirmed with a nod. "The only one who could have committed this crime was the defendant, and there's no way for you to escape the truth. She was found with the body, and she's the only one who would have had the opportunity to commit the crime."
"I think we'll have to see about that after the cross-examination," Mr. Morix pointed out. He glanced over to Detective Wattson to prompt her to repeat her testimony. "Would you mind starting from the beginning again, Detective Wattson?"
The detective nodded with a small smile on her face. "It would be my honor."
~ Cross-Examination ~
~ Details of the Murder ~
-"The crime scene was the headquarters of the famous group of judges known as the Council of SIx."
-"For years now, they've taken on some of the highest profile cases in the area, and they're known for their legal prowess."
-"The victim, Graham Brooks, was one such judge. He was found stabbed a single time in the chest in his office on the fourth floor."
-"He was left to bleed out because of his injury when he was unable to get help in time to save his own life."
-"Not long after the fact, he was found by two people: the defendant and a witness who saw the defendant towering over his body."
-"The knife that was used in the crime had no traces of fingerprints on it... Meaning that it was completely clean."
-"The defendant just so happens to wear gloves, was found with the body, and could have entered the scene of the crime. The truth seems to make a lot of sense, does it not?"
"Hold it!"
"The defendant wears gloves..." Mr. Morix murmured. "Were there glove marks found on the hilt of the knife used in the crime?"
Detective Wattson shook her head. "No, there were not... However, the knife was not removed from the victim's chest after the crime was committed. In other words, the culprit would have had to rub off the fingerprints with a small piece of material, and the palm of a glove certainly would have made that much easier than using the hem of one's clothing for example."
Mr. Morix thought it over for a long moment, but he was cut off when Anton raised his hand into the air carefully and politely. Deirdre glanced across the courtroom to him with a small frown on her face. "Is there something you would like to add?" she questioned even though the answer seemed clear as could be already.
Anton nodded. "D-Do you have a c-copy of the photo of the crime s-scene?" he questioned, and I realized that was just what he was holding onto. It was hard to make out from such a distance, but upon closer examination, it was clear that he was clutching tightly to the photo that could have turned this case around.
Well, that was my hope, at the very least, but I wasn't putting too much faith in it for the time being. After all, if this was really going to change the case entirely, it would have already done so during the investigation period.
"I'm afraid we do not," Mr. Morix said, and with that, he crossed the courtroom to accept a copy of the photograph. He walked back to the defense bench and settled down again a moment later, and Deirdre and I both peered over his shoulder to see what the picture detailed.
As was to be expected, there was a man in the photo, and he was sprawled out on the ground with a knife sticking out of his chest. His eyes were empty as he stared up at the ceiling. A small cloud of blood could be seen around the wound where the knife entered his body, and I realized that much of the rest of the office seemed rather clean despite the struggle that had ended the victim's life. I winced at the sight, wishing that there was something more I could do to fix all of this aside from stand off to the side in the midst of the courtroom battle.
"Hey... What's that?" Deirdre murmured as she pointed to something small in the corner of the picture. I followed her finger and realized that there was a small line stretched across the corner of the photo not far from the man's shoe. At first, I thought perhaps something had gotten onto the picture, but closer examination told me that it wasn't quite so simple.
In fact, it seemed like that small line was part of the picture itself.
"There's a peculiar line in the corner of this picture," Mr. Morix announced. "Would the prosecution be aware of what it means for the investigation?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," Prosecutor Burke announced. "That would be a small fiber of clothing that was found at the scene of the crime. We believe that it may have belonged to either the defendant or victim. Perhaps it fell off in the struggle for the victim's death."
"Struggle..." I muttered halfheartedly even though it didn't seem like much of a struggle. If anything, it was just a one-sided assault against the victim. I shook that off though and glanced over to Mr. Morix and Deirdre. "Do you think we should have that added to the testimony?"
Mr. Morix nodded. "I do, as a matter of fact," he agreed before glancing up to Detective Wattson. "Please add the detail about the clothing fiber to your explanation of the case."
Detective Wattson nodded. "Of course."
-"There was a small thread of dark purple clothing found at the scene of the crime not far from the victim's body. I believe it belongs to either the defendant or victim's clothing."
"Objection!"
The courtroom fell still as soon as Mr. Morix called out that single word, and I glanced over to him with a small frown on my face. I felt like there was something amiss with the thread as well, but I hadn't expected him to jump on the chance so quickly. Then again, I wasn't complaining. It certainly made things easier for us.
"The defense sees a contradiction in the witness' testimony," Mr. Morix declared firmly. He crossed his arms over his chest before taking in a careful breath and continuing to speak. "No matter how you look at this case, there is a problem, and it all lies in that fiber. That thread... It could not have come from the victim or the defendant's clothing."
Morix book five! Hell yeah!
-Digital