PHOENIX WRIGHT ACE ATTORNEY: GLOBAL OPERATION

~~~ EPISODE 2: TURNABOUT TECHNOLOGY ~~~
~~~TRIAL: DAY 1~~~

September 20; 9:12 AM
District Court; Defendant Lobby No. 2

("This is it. This is the day.")

"Your first trial," Athena told him. "This really goes back a long way."

Mercury had heard stories of fresh lawyers experiencing sudden breakdowns in their first trial because of overwhelming nervousness. He was bound to forget some critical information, but he would surely keep it in mind once he was reminded of it. Would his cellphone help? The evening before, he listened to Phoenix's and Athena's stories of their first trials, hopefully to give Mercury some encouragement. But as he passed through the doors while ago, Mercury could feel the excitement and tension swelling.

("I'm really excited… and nervous. I know I helped Athena in that case back. But this time, it's the other way around.")

"You're the one's who shining today!" Athena rallied, giving another victory pose.

"You can do it, Mercury!" Widget chirped.

Mercury chuckled. ("Heh… even Widget shows class.")

The defendant lobby doors opened, and Phoenix Wright stepped inside. He approached them with a hopeful smile.

Mercury breathed in and out. "I'm ready, Mr. Wright."

Phoenix nodded. "I'll be watching from the gallery. But before I leave, I'd like you to be reminded of a few things." Mercury was listening eagerly. "First, the worst of times is when lawyers put on their biggest smiles. Athena knows this too well."

Athena winked as Mercury turned around.

"Second, when backed into a corner, remember to turn your thinking around to approach the case from a new angle," continued Phoenix.

("I'll be sure to keep that in mind.")

"Lastly, always believe your client to the very end, no matter how the outcome," finished Phoenix. "Got them?"

Mercury nodded. He made a mental note of these reminders.

Phoenix smiled. "Good. I wish you the best of luck in your first trial." With that, Phoenix strode out of the lobby and proceeded to the courtroom.

"Looks like you got Mr. Wright's blessing," Athena told Mercury. "I think his experiences in Khura'in made him a little more pious, so to speak."

Mercury nervously scratched the back of his head, like that of Detective Gumshoe's. "I hope faith in my client will prove to be my greatest weapon." He turned around and looked at his client, his father, who was watching the conversation. Mercury thought that his father did not need any words. Xeus simply responded with a hopeful smile.

("Well… I've gathered some evidence for me to understand the case. But I still can't think of a plan to prove my father innocent.") He absorbed himself in thought, trying to come up with a strategy for his defense. ("And then there's the prosecution… I wonder what she has up her sleeve.")

The bailiff stepped forward. "The trial will begin in a few minutes. Will the defendant and his lawyer proceed to the courtroom?"

Mercury could feel the butterflies flutteringly wildly in his stomach. "Oh goodness, I feel like I'm about to throw up," he squeaked. Athena laughed softly.

("Well… am I really fine? Here it goes!")


September 20; 9:30 AM
District Court; Courtroom No. 3

Day 1 Trial; Court is Now in Session
All Rise

The gallery noise died once the Judge ascended to his seat and struck down the gavel.

"Court is now in session for the trial of…" He read the file before him and struggled to read the name aloud. He turned to the defense. "Defense, would you kindly read the name for me?"

On high alert, Mercury responded, "Thedefenseisready,Yourhighness!"

Objection! The snappy objection from the prosecutor shot across the courtroom. "Defense, answer the Judge's question!"

"But I'm… re-re… ack!" ("I'm drawing a blank! Sanity sectors all sides! Protect!")

Hold it! Athena interfered. "Mercury, calm down and take a deep breath."

Mercury took a deep breath. ("Breathing in… breathing out…")

"All right, stay focused and don't get too far ahead," advised Athena. "You wouldn't want to be slapped with a penalty on the outset."

Mercury took another deep breath. ("All right… I think I've calmed my nerves.") He turned to the Judge. "Er… um, what were you asking your honor?"

The Judge sighed. "Defense, I know you've been here in this courtroom before and you even presented us with the background of the case during your previous appearance."

Mercury's embarrassment action was him making a soft facepalm while keeping his eyes open. "S-Sorry, Your Honor."

The Judge nodded. "Very well. Please answer the question again. How do you pronounce the name of the defendant?"

"Your father's name," murmured Athena.

"Oh… it's Xeus," answered Mercury. "The 'X' is treated as an 's' and the 'e' is silent."

The Judge nodded again with pleasure. "Well, thank you."

"M-M-My pleasure, Y-Your Honor." ("Oh no, not again!")

The prosecutor grumbled. "We wasted two minutes on this drivel because of the defense's nervousness," she sneered. "Why, if this wasn't your first case, I'd have your neck wrangled up and my fangs bared into that thick skull of yours."

Mercury cringed. ("Y-Yikes! I'm afraid of snakes!")

The Judge struck down his gavel. "No threats, please. Anyway, Court is in session for the trial of Xeus Thinker. Are both sides ready?"

"T-The defense is fine! …I mean, ready!" When Mercury perspired, he hunched his back and repeatedly drummed the table with his fingers from both hands. ("I better not get myself carried away.")

The prosecutor grunted. "Prosecution is ready… for a bite." She looked at Mercury. "Just so you know, the 'Cobra' doesn't take kindly into sparing you once you get caught in its grasp."

Mercury was still hunched over. "R-Right. Thanks."

The Judge nodded. "Very well. Prosecutor Angelique, please give us your opening statement."

Prosecutor Angelique, also nicknamed the "Cobra," picked up the paper in front of her. "On the early hours of September 19, a murder occurred in the 12th floor of World Programs Inc., a company where computer programs are made. There were only two people at the time of the murder: the victim, a junior programmer named Marco Shaft, and the suspect, Xeus Thinker." She put the paper down. "The prosecution asserts that the defendant killed the victim in cold blood."

Objection! Mercury had his arm outstretched, a finger pointed towards his adversary. He had been practicing this pose for a while and felt good doing it for the first time in Court. "The defense asserts that the defendant is innocent. He was too busy working on something!"

Prosecutor Angelique seemed unfazed. "Little gerbil, you should wait until it's your turn to speak. Should I latch my fangs to your big mouth?"

Mercury grit his teeth. ("L-Little gerbil? I'll show you who's boss!")

"Don't let her get to you," said Athena. "Remember that she can use manipulative psychology to muddle her opponents. Stay on your guard."

Prosecutor Angelique continued. "We have evidence pointing to the defendant and witness testimony from the person who first discovered the body. Once we hear their testimony, I believe a counterattack will prove futile."

Mercury wanted to respond. But if he did, he wouldn't want the Judge to get angry at him. He was suddenly reminded of his boss, Phoenix Wright, watching him from the stands.

"The cause of death was a gunshot wound that pierced the heart," announced Prosecutor Angelique as she handed copies of the autopsy report to the Judge and to the defense. "Estimated time of death was one in the morning of September 19. Death was instantaneous."

Victim's Autopsy Report added to the Court Record.

She then produced laminated A4 copies of a photograph for the Judge and the defense. "What I'm showing is the moment when the police arrived after being alerted of the murder." The photograph showed the victim, clearly dead with the gunshot wound to the chest, slumped over the desk, his head tilting towards a photograph. There was no blood flowing down the victim's shirt. The blood seemed to be trickling to the side instead. However, a few drops of blood were seen below where the victim was seated. The desk contained a computer. An open drawer with a folder in it could be seen, and the bookshelf with books of roughly the same shape and size. The background of the photograph was the same on what Mercury observed during their investigation. Mercury thought as if something about the picture seemed off, but he let it slide for the moment.

"The first person to discover the body was the head floor who arrived roughly three hours after the incident," continued Prosecutor Angelique.

("So Uncle Loonie was the first to discover the body! Why didn't he tell us anything?")

Crime Scene Photo added to the Court Record.

"And the murder weapon?" the Judge inquired.

Prosecutor Angelique produced the murder weapon sealed in a plastic bag. "The murder weapon was found among the trash collected later in the day," she announced. The murder weapon in question was a .9mm Browning. The police examined the gun and concluded that there were two shots fired recently based on gunpowder analysis.

("I'm afraid to ask but…") "Does it contain any fingerprints?"

Prosecutor Angelique smirked. "Lucky for you, little gerbil. There are no fingerprints."

("Whew that's a relief.")

Suddenly, the prosecutor clawed across the table in front of her. "But that only corroborates my case that only the defendant could have done it."

"H-How so?"

Prosecutor Angelique turned to the defendant, seated patiently. "You should know this very well, given that you are the defendant's son after all. Your father wears gloves, right?"

"Gah!" Mercury's damage action consisting of him suddenly having his hands on his head while wearing a bewildered look. ("Agh! I forgot!")

"The Court will accept the weapon as evidence," announced the Judge.

Browning added to the Court Record.

The Judge nodded. "While it's supposed to be the time for the defense to speak, I believe his premature outburst already says it all."

("Ah, curse the stars. I might be out of a job soon.")

"Stay cool," said Athena. "The battle has just begun."

"Call your first witness to the stand," the Judge ordered Prosecutor Angelique.

"I would like the detective-in-charge to take the stand."

Detective Gumshoe was brought in by the bailiff and was sworn in. He was still wearing the same crusty khaki coat.

"Name and occupation," started Prosecutor Angelique through steely eyes.

"Detective Dick Gumshoe, pal," he introduced himself. "District head detective in Criminal Affairs division." He looked at the Judge. "I gotta say, pal. It's been a long time since I've been here. I hope you've been doing well, Your Honor."

The Judge nodded courteously. "Indeed. How long as it been?"

"I dunno, pal… ten years, perhaps?"

The Judge blinked. "Has it really been that long?"

Mercury felt uncomfortable. ("With those two catching up, I have a bad feeling I'll be getting old too soon…")

Prosecutor Angelique did not want the drivel. She clawed on the table that made a somewhat screeching sound, causing Detective Gumshoe to flinch. "Detective, this is no time to muse on the past. You're on the stand."

Detective Gumshoe grunted. "Can't a guy take just a single moment, pal?"

The prosecutor did not respond as she continued her steely gaze.

Detective Gumshoe raised his hands in the air and conceded. "Fine, fine. Whaddya want me to tell?"

"Those two are really getting along, one way or another," murmured Athena to Mercury.

"I feel like we're going to have some generation clash," remarked Mercury, eyeing the witness carefully.

"Detective, you arrested Xeus Thinker after collecting some evidence and interviewing the first person to discover the body," started Prosecutor Angelique. "The Court would like to hear your reasoning behind this arrest."

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

Mercury got himself ready as he leaned forward and placed his arms on the desk. ("This is it. I just have to remember how to pick a testimony apart. If I need to review the process, I can always go to my phone for help.")

WITNESS TESTIMONY: ARRESTING THE SUSPECT

After collecting evidence and interviewing the first person to discover the body, I arrived at a conclusion.

There were only two people at the time of the murder: the victim and the suspect.

The suspect claimed to have been working in his office the entire time.

However, the security camera does capture him leaving his office one time. His alibi doesn't hold up!

"S-Security cameras?" Mercury said once the detective finished his testimony.

"There are security cameras around the twelfth floor," answered Detective Gumshoe. "We only needed to look at the cameras once, and we determined that only the suspect could have done it."

"Is there a footage of that moment when the suspect left his office?" asked the Judge.

The detective pulled out a USB from his pocket and gave it to the bailiff who inserted it into the courtroom's TV to view the playback. After selecting the only file in the USB, the video, roughly thirty long, started playing.

The video unfortunately looked somewhat blurry with all the weird lines streaking through the screen. When asked to explain, Detective Gumshoe said that the security camera was considerably damaged, although it could still record the video.

The timestamp in the video showed 1:06 AM which moved to 1:07 AM within the thirty seconds. It could see the entire hallway at length and all the thirty offices, fifteen on each side, and the door to the floor head at the end of the hallway. Six seconds into the video, one of the doors opened and somebody came out from the office. Unfortunately, the person was a bit far from the security camera, and because of the blurriness and the strange lines in the camera, his face could not be identified clearly. Before the end of the thirty-minute mark, the door to which the person was trying to access, suddenly opened. The video then finishes.

"Is that really the suspect?" the Judge asked.

Detective Gumshoe scratched the back of his head. "Honestly from this video, it's very difficult to see who it was. But we have the security record here showing that only the suspect tried to access the victim's room. Plus, the fingerprints are on the sensors too."

Mercury could feel his hands tremble. ("That's damning evidence. What do I have to counter it?")

"The prosecution would like to submit this as evidence," declared Prosecutor Angelique.

"Accepted," announced the Judge.

12th Floor Security Video added to the Court Record.

The Judge turned to Mercury. "Defense, you may now begin the cross-examination. You know how it is performed, right?"

Mercury paused for a moment. He took the brief pause to study Detective Gumshoe and Prosecutor Angelique. ("What kind of opposition is waiting for me once I begin my first cross examination?") He took a deep breath. "Yes, Your Honor. I will begin now."

Athena was smiling. "You're doing fine, Mercury."

("Hmm… I'm supposed to present evidence if there's a contradiction. But I don't seem to find any. I should press him for more info.")

CROSS EXAMINATION: ARRESTING THE SUSPECT

After collecting evidence and interviewing the first person to discover the body, I arrived at a conclusion.

Nothing interesting there. Detective Gumshoe just repeated himself before he started the testimony.

There were only two people at the time of the murder: the victim and the suspect.

Hold it! Mercury readied his question. "Detective, are you sure only the victim and my client were in that floor?"

"There's no mistake about it," answered Detective Gumshoe. "The witness's testimony and the security records confirm this."

("Hmm… how should I proceed next?") Mercury realized how lengthy the corridor in the 12th floor was. Maybe he could find something to gain leverage. "Did you check the other offices?"

"They were inaccessible when we arrived," answered the detective. "Only those two offices could be accessed."

Mercury nodded slowly. He had to concede for the meantime that the victim and his father were the only ones in the floor. "Continue your testimony, detective."

"Sure, pal."

The suspect claimed to have been working in his office the entire time.

Mercury trusted his father on this word. There was no need to press.

However, the security camera does capture him leaving his office one time. His alibi doesn't hold up!

Hold it! Mercury had the video played back and paused on the moment where the supposed suspect was leaving his office. "Because of the blurriness in the video and with those technical issues there in the camera, there's no way to determine that the person in the video is da- I mean, Mr. Thinker."

Objection! Prosecutor Angelique had her arm outstretched while her hand was clawed to show only the pointer and index finger protruding downward while the rest of her fingers were tucked in. The bracelet with the two large eerie yellow charms attached to it looked like as if her hand formation shaped like a cobra. "It was already determined that only the two of them were in the floor during the time of the incident. Need I remind you that the security record confirms this?"

Mercury bit his lip. ("Drats. I know dad is innocent. But did he really lie?") He thought about this question. ("No. He couldn't have. If he did, then I would have that reaction from the Secret Breaker. But I did not. Which means…")

He pounded the desk in front of him with his fist. "I concede that only the two of them may have been in the floor."

Prosecutor Angelique gazed at the defense attorney, still wearing an unreadable expression. "Looks like you're a wary little gerbil. And with that, I think it is time to draw this trial to a swift close."

Before Athena could step in, Mercury reacted first.

Hold it! Mercury pointed towards Prosecutor Angelique. "While I did say that, I still am not taking the video into face value!"

The Judge blinked. "Whatever do you mean, defense?"

Mercury looked at the paused video and let the flow of possibilities come into his mind. ("The blurriness of the video could be my advantage. So what exactly is happening here?") He asked that the video be replayed one more time. When the video replayed, Mercury watched carefully. The door opened and the worker stepped outside. He watched the worker move to the next room, which was in front of it so that the face could not be seen. ("Wait… if the identity of the person isn't the issue…")

He had the video stopped. "I think there is a problem with what we see in this video."

Detective Gumshoe looked surprised but interested. "Let's hear it, pal."

The Judge did the questioning. "Defense, what problem can you identify from this video?"

Mercury did not need to think. "The problem in this video is the movement of the person here." When asked to justify, Mercury explained that if it were the suspect who came out from his office and tried to access the next room, then it would place a piece of evidence into question. "This evidence contradicts the assumption that the person in this video is the suspect!" Take that!

"The door sensor?" Prosecutor Angelique questioned.

Mercury took a deep breath. "The door sensor lifted two fingerprints: the defendant's and the victim's. However during the investigation, that sensor was from the office where this person came out from in this video!"

Now that the point was taken across, the Judge and the detective blinked in surprise, but Prosecutor Angelique remained unmoved.

("What does it take to make an impact on that slimy snake?")

"So… what does it mean, pal?"

Mercury's pose where he seemed to get the advantage made him look like a person in the middle of thinking as he stroked his chin and smiled. "It means that the person in this video could not have been the suspect… but the victim!"

Detective Gumshoe flinched this time, the pencil wedged above his ear falling off. "R-R-Really pal?"

The revelation also brought the gallery to murmurs. Phoenix Wright, among them, was listening carefully. He knew the problem with this statement, although he predicted that the prosecution would just handle it.

Objection! Prosecutor Angelique clawed the table again, making another uncomfortable screech that tingled Mercury's back. "Little gerbil, that is a daring assumption."

Mercury was sweating. "Um… can we just call each other normally?"

The prosecutor did not heed. "You have yet to earn my respect, little gerbil. But if you do answer this riddle, maybe my opinion of you will change… slightly."

"What opinion?" Athena asked.

"Do not take it into face value," answered Prosecutor Angelique, still with the unreadable expression. "Anyway, back to you, little gerbil." She folded her arms. "If you're claiming that the person in this video is the victim, then how do you explain the fact that the office his body was found happened to be the suspect's office?"

Mercury was fuming. He didn't have the answer to that yet. He knew the names to the offices were switched, but he couldn't find out the mechanism behind it. ("Have I missed something in the investigation?")

Prosecutor Angelique did not seem satisfied. "As I thought, no answer."

Objection! Mercury pounded the desk. "T-There is something…"

Objection! Prosecutor Angelique clawed at the table. "I have no time to swallow little gerbils with half-baked bluffs. Admit it."

"Grrk!" Mercury could feel the tension boiling at the tip of his fingers. He knew something was wrong, but he did not have the evidence to back it up. ("First testimony only, and I'm already seriously disadvantaged!")

"Take a deep breath, Mercury," Athena told him.

Mercury looked perplexed. "H-How can I in a time like this?"

Athena smiled. "I think you're missing the big picture here." She looked at the prosecutor. "Hey, prosecutor. Just because my partner here is a little gerbil doesn't mean that he doesn't have the answer."

("Y-You're making it look worse than it already is.")

Prosecutor Angelique scoffed. "Hmph. Then answer my question. I prefer to have full-sized gerbils, anyway."

Mercury grew tired of the prosecutor's snake references. ("Fine. If my problem is that I'm missing the big picture, maybe it's time for me to connect the pieces.") He got to his thinking pose: folding his arms and casually looking at the ceiling as he tilted his head. "The victim ended up in the suspect's office even if the suspect claims to have never left his office. I think there's only one explanation."

While Prosecutor Angelique didn't show it, she seemed interested. "And what would that be?"

("How did the victim end up in dad's office even if dad never left his?") Mercury voiced out his answer. "It's possible that someone must have switched the offices after the murder was killed."

Objection! Prosecutor Angelique looked impatient. "No one has time to swap every content of the office, you gerbil-brained gerbil."

Objection! Mercury pointed. "That is not what I meant. The real killer intended to lead the police into thinking that the victim ended up in the defendant's office." He pounded his fist on the desk. "And there is evidence that leads to this fact!"

Prosecutor Angelique did not say anything. She wanted Mercury to present it.

"Here is evidence that proves that the offices were swapped!" Take that! "The defendant's office contains a strong whiff of Khura'inese tea and it lingers there for a while after such tea is prepared. However, the same cannot be said for the victim's room!"

Detective Gumshoe, who was listening carefully, nearly jumped. "S-S-So that's what it was!"

"What do you mean?" Mercury asked.

"I was wondering what that smell was when I investigated the other office," answered Detective Gumshoe. "Heh, I owe you one, pal."

Detective Gumshoe's answer gave Mercury a new angle to work on. "Detective Gumshoe, you investigated the defendant's office, the other office from where the defendant was found?"

"Yeah, I did, pal. So what?"

Objection! Prosecutor Angelique outburst. "Detective, you also had a good reason to arrest the defendant, right?"

Detective Gumshoe scratched his head nervously. "Yeah, pal. But that…"

Without warning, Prosecutor Angelique clawed the table, causing another uncomfortable screech.

"Fine, fine, pal. You want me to testify."

Prosecutor Angelique folded her arms. "You know very well what it is. Do it now!"

Mercury became cautious. ("Why does the prosecutor want Detective Gumshoe to testify so badly? Is she leading me into a contradiction on purpose?")

WITNESS TESTIMONY: INVESTIGATING THE DEFENDANT'S OFFICE

We investigated the other office that was thought to belong to the defendant.

The scent of tea filled the air when we entered.

After investigating the room and questioning Mr. Thinker, we arrested him.

The evidence belongs to the blue book with stains of blood we discovered shortly.

"The blue book in question is here," clarified Prosecutor Angelique. She held up the blue book sealed in plastic wrap. "Luminol testing revealed blood traces found on the outside cover of the book. It appeared to have been wiped off."

"Something's strange about the evidence," said Mercury.

Prosecutor Angelique scoffed. "You question its validity, little gerbil?"

Mercury frowned. ("I can't put my hand into it. But the evidence is really, really starting to bug me.") He shook his head. "I don't question that the evidence has bloodstains. But there's something else. And I'll be sure to present it to you during cross-examination."

The Judge sighed. "Better go things their way, then."

WITNESS TESTIMONY: INVESTIGATING THE DEFENDANT'S OFFICE

We investigated the other office that was thought to belong to the defendant.

Nothing useful here.

The scent of tea filled the air when we entered.

Nothing to question as well. Detective Gumshoe, after all, seemed to be surprised about the tea, anyway.

After investigating the room and questioning Mr. Thinker, we arrested him.

Mercury wondered the kinds of questions being asked to Mr. Thinker. But he thought the line of questioning would lead him nowhere. He decided to let it slide.

The evidence belongs to the blue book with bloodstains we discovered shortly.

There it was. Objection! Mercury exhaled slowly. "Detective Gumshoe, this blue book… the one with the bloodstains…"

"What about it, pal?"

"It's true that I cannot dispute the presence of the bloodstains," continued Mercury. "However, something about it is still off." He pounded the table. "And that is when the bloodstains were discovered."

"I don't get it, pal."

Mercury explained that the bloodstains on the blue book were discovered late in the investigation and that the blood belonged to the victim. This investigation result popped up after Detective Gumshoe left the crime scene. However, Prosecutor Angelique was adamant that the blood was already discovered early. Mercury felt as if Detective Gumshoe was missing something.

"Could it be that the book you have there and the book I have are different?" Detective Gumshoe wondered.

Mercury broke a sweat. "I-Isn't that plainly obvious?" Mercury pondered into deep thought. ("Hmm… two blue books of slight variations. One with bloodstains discovered late into the investigation. One with bloodstains discovered early.")

Objection! Prosecutor Angelique interrupted Mercury's thinking. "The blue book is the one and only, little gerbil. You cannot possibly prove that there are two of them."

Mercury returned to his thinking pose. ("Hmm… is there a way to prove that there are two blue books?")

Athena offered her suggestion. "Mercury, we should think back to what we did during the investigation."

"What we did, huh…"

*FLASHBACK – PART 3, INVESTIGATION*

("Wait… this book. I haven't seen this here.")

"Let me look," said Athena, who peered over Mercury's shoulder.

"There's nothing sensible about this," Mercury answered in a hushed voice. Detective Gumshoe was preoccupied looking outside, probably to check on the investigation going on outside the office "But this wasn't here when we last visited."

"Should we take it?" asked Athena.

Unfortunately for her, Detective Gumshoe overheard the question. "Hey, no taking things from the crime scene, pal!"

*FLASHBACK – PART 5, INVESTIGATION*

("It's… the blue book from before!")

Mercury and Athena were handed gloves.

"Where was the blood found?" Mercury asked.

"A few were found on the front cover and more on the back cover," answered the investigator. "But these blood traces were quite close to each other. Death was instant, after all."

*FLASHBACK END*

("There was something else placed in one of them… it is possible!") Mercury pounded a fist on his desk. "Prosecutor, I'm afraid I have to disagree."

Prosecutor Angelique did not make any facial response. "And why would that be so, little gerbil?"

"To prove that there are two books would require that one of them would have to have something… extra."

The Judge blinked. "C-Care to explain further, Mr. Thinker?"

"To prove that there were two books, one of them should contain… fingerprints."

Objection! Prosecutor Angelique clawed at the table. "So sorry to rain in your merry thoughts, little gerbil, but to cut the tail short, only the defendant's and victim's fingerprints were on that book."

Objection! Mercury countered with a finger-point. "Then you have overlooked something, I'm afraid."

Prosecutor Angelique paused for a while. She was interested in the new theory. "Entertain us, little gerbil. If you say that there are fingerprints on one of the books, then to whom do those fingerprints belong to?"

Take that! "The person's fingerprints," answered Mercury, "should be mine."

The Judge looked surprised. "W-Why would your fingerprints be on it?"

Mercury looked flustered. He facepalmed himself. "W-Well… I didn't think it was some piece of evidence at the time. Honestly! Well… if we can get to the fingerprinting, that'd be fine."

Prosecutor Angelique grunted. "The prosecution has no objections."

The Judge ordered Detective Gumshoe to do the fingerprinting analysis. Detective Gumshoe had the fingerprinting analysis kit brought into the courtroom. When he received the blue book from the prosecutor via the defendant, Detective Gumshoe wore his latex gloves. Detective Gumshoe performed the fingerprinting: applying powder to the book, blowing off and removing excess powder, and analyzing traces of fingerprints to the data. When he finished, he announced the results.

"Well, pal. Gotta hand it to ya. Your fingerprints along with the victim's, the defendant's, and a fourth person's prints are in here."

("A fourth person?")

Objection! Prosecutor Angelique outstretched an arm, protruding her clawed hand rather than a finger point. "So you proved that your fingerprints are on the book. So what?"

Objection! "There are actually two books," countered Mercury. He brought out the other book from under his desk and placed it on the table. "This book was found… in the victim's room."

"The victim's room?" Detective Gumshoe questioned.

"Remember the victim's rooms were swapped," said Mercury. "I'd say my fingerprints alone are further proof that the victim was found in his actual office." He then directed the Court back to the security camera video. "That would mean that the person here in this video is actually the victim, minutes before the gunshot! And that would also explain the presence of the fingerprints on the ID sensor… because the victim was trying to access!"

The gallery was filled with murmurs of agreement. The tide has been turned to the defense.

Objection! Prosecutor Angelique objected, silencing the throng. "Little gerbil, that was… quite an impressive bit of deduction."

"Y-You think so?" Mercury asked, almost elated.

Prosecutor Angelique stared at Mercury for a moment. Then, for the first time in the trial, she smirked. "It is impressive… but it poses one very serious problem."

Mercury could feel his hands trembling. "W-What is it?"

"Let's look back at the video, shall we?" The security camera video was played again. On different intervals, Prosecutor Angelique had the video stopped so she could explain. "By your claim, you stated that the person in the video is the victim." She had the video play at the moment where the supposed victim's office room opened and the victim alight from it. "And you also claimed that the offices were swapped because of the blue book and the tea." She let the video continue playing until the part where the supposed victim was attempting to enter the other office. "By your logic, that office should be the defendant."

Mercury nodded. "Of course, Mr. Thinker would not respond because his office was in a 'do-not-disturb' mode."

Prosecutor Angelique's smirk did not fade. "But little gerbil, there is a very big problem."

Mercury blinked. "A – A problem?"

Prosecutor Angelique lifted up another sheet of paper. "We were able to lift the fingerprints of the two nearest offices. Unfortunately, only the door sensor of which the victim was found contained both sets of fingerprints!"

"I see no problems, there," said Mercury.

Objection! Prosecutor Angelique did not claw at the table, mercifully for the rest of the courtroom. However, she leaned forward and made a fierce hard pound on the table. "Then whose office was it where the victim emerged?"

"If it wasn't the victim's office, then it could've been the…" Mercury stopped himself, realizing the fatal flaw. "W-W-W-Wait…" ("It wasn't the victim's office… but dad never left his…")

Prosecutor Angelique this time clawed on the desk, making Athena nearly jump. "Now that you've learned the error, little gerbil, my fangs are ready for your neck!"

Mercury recoiled, his hands gripping the sides of his head. "N-Nooooooo!" The gallery was already in bits of murmurs, louder than the last.

With the defense speechless, the Judge had to strike down his gavel. "Order! Order in the Court!"

Athena lent a hand. "Is it really the victim who came out from that office? If your father never left his, then who could that be?"

Mercury quickly recovered from the unfortunate gut-punch to his logic. ("Damn, I almost forgot about dad not leaving the office. So much for my logic practice.") After taking a deep breath, he put himself back into thinking mode, searching for another answer. ("Now that my claim of the person in the video being the victim has just been blown out the window, can I really figure out who this person is?")

"Maybe you ought to re-evaluate your analysis of the case so far," suggested Athena. "One thing hasn't changed: the victim's offices were swapped."

Mercury nodded slowly. ("The offices were swapped. It couldn't have been the victim who emerged from the office. And if dad was really busy in the other office, then that must mean…") He found the answer. "Ah! I've got it."

Prosecutor Angelique raised an eyebrow. "I see the little gerbil still wants to put up a fight. Well, my fangs are already ready."

("I've had enough with the slithery references.") Mercury made a hard pound at the table with his fist. "One fact remains: the offices were swapped. I concede that the person in this video could not have been the victim. Therefore, the person in this video could likely be… the real killer."


COURT RECORD:

Evidence

Attorney's Badge – My badge as proof of my profession. I obtained my badge abroad a little over half-a-year ago.

Smartphone – My smartphone. Operating system is AidLaw v1.0.2. Contains a variety of apps that help me in my investigation.

World Programs Inc. Pamphlet – Contains a map of the place (registration and 12th floor included). An event about a programming competition is also found.

Door Sensor – Victim's and defendant's prints were lifted. Audio in office will not respond if the office is in "do-not-disturb" mode.

Blue Book – Book obtained from crime scene. Contains unfamiliar source code, but it seems there was a project involving robots.

Hologram – 12th Floor Conference Hall hologram in the middle of the room. Top part is blurry since something might have disturbed it.

Khura'inese Tea – A soothing waft filled the office in which my dad worked. However, absent in where the victim was found. Uncle Loonie also has this.

Victim's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: 1 AM to 2:30 AM. Cause: gunshot wound to the heart. Death is instantaneous.

Crime Scene Photo – Photograph when the victim was found. Note very little blood on the floor below the desk where he was seen.

Browning – Murder weapon. No fingerprints were lifted. Two shots were fired. The killer may have been wearing gloves or some sort.

12th Floor Security Video – Defective and blurry security video showing a person exiting an office and about to enter another.

Profiles

Phoenix Wright (36) – Veteran defense attorney and boss of the Wright and Co. Law Offices. Has considerable victories under his belt.

Athena Cykes (20) – A lawyer working for the Wright and Co. Law Offices. Specializes in analytical psychology drawing out emotions from witnesses.

Xeus Thinker (48)My father and the defendant in this case. Programmer from World Programs Inc.

Dick Gumshoe (44) – Detective-in-charge of the case. Also a Senior Detective in the Homicide Division from the police department.

Lunix Metsys (52) – The 12th Floor head to whom my father reports. I call him "Uncle Loonie" since he's been with the company for as long together with my dad.

Marco Shaft (24) – Junior programmer working with my father. Unfortunately, he's the victim of the case.

Seraph Angelique (23) – International prosecutor also dubbed as "the Cobra." She also happened to be the prosecutor of that other case…