The Judge blinked. "The real killer?"
Mercury nodded. "Only the real killer could've taken advantage of the offices and do a bold move to almost show their face in the security camera." He pounded his desk.
Prosecutor Angelique folded her arms. "Do you know who the real killer is?"
"Evidence that points to the real killer may be the unidentified fingerprints on the blue book," answered Mercury.
"But why would they leave their fingerprints on it?" the Judge inquired.
"Maybe the motive behind the murder could be on that blue book," answered Mercury. "The defense requests another fingerprint analysis."
Detective Gumshoe frowned. "It's going to take a while. I might have to go back to the venue to get some data."
The Judge nodded. "We'll await your results."
("I hope my hypothesis is right. Goodness knows how screwed can I get.")
Detective Gumshoe stepped down from the witness stand and exited the courtroom.
The Judge announced. "Let me summarize the points so far. The defense claims that the offices were swapped for some reason and that the person shown in the security video is the culprit." He looked at the prosecutor. "Does the prosecution have a response?"
Prosecutor Angelique cast a steely glare towards the defense. "The prosecution continues to stand by its claim. Only the defendant could have done the vile deed. To further contend to the defense's theory, I will call a witness."
("There was a witness?")
Prosecutor Angelique smirked. "Defense, I know you… You want to pin this person as the murderer."
Mercury blinked. ("Grk!")
"I have complete assurance, however, that this person could not have been the killer," continued Prosecutor Angelique. "After all, her fingerprints were not found in the murder weapon."
The Judge struck down his gavel. "Call your witness to the stand."
A bailiff entered the courtroom and escorted the next witness. She looked vaguely familiar as if Mercury had just seen her the day before. However, Mercury's suspicions were confirmed when Athena whispered that the witness was the receptionist. Chastain Thymes looked uncomfortable. It seemed as if she didn't want to be around.
After she was sworn in, the prosecutor inquired the witness, "Witness, please state your name and occupation."
"Chastain Thymes, receptionist at the World Programs Inc.," she introduced herself. "Though to put it in a better way… information helpdesk specialist."
Chastain Thymes, although being a receptionist, was wearing a very similar outfit to that of the programmers. However, she also had a headset with a built-in microphone and an eyepatch that varied in color – something that she did not wear the previous day. She had blonde flowing hair, fair complexion, rather beady eyes with dark blue contact lenses, and a mole close to her lip. She looked around occasionally as if everything in the courtroom looked bizarre. The eyepatch would alternately change colors from blue to green then red and yellow, like that of Athena's Widget.
"Ms. Thymes, as the receptionist, do you have knowledge on the whereabouts of the office personnel?" Prosecutor Angelique quizzed.
"Information helpdesk specialist," responded Chastain, seemingly unhappy with the way she was called.
The Judge struck down his gavel. "The witness will answer the prosecutor's question."
Chastain was fiddling with her eyepatch with one finger and adjusting the built-in microphone with another, although there was no need for it. "Oh yes," she answered. "The whereabouts of every employee is recorded real-time and sent to our database."
"Naturally, you would also know the victim's and defendant's whereabouts that evening?" Prosecutor Angelique asked.
"Hold on, let me check the database." With that, Chastain brought out a laptop from who-knew-where and set it on the witness stand. She started pecking on the keyboards while the eyepatch flashed in different colors.
("Honestly, this makes her look more like a humanoid. I'm just imagining things.")
"I got it," Chastain declared. "According to our database, only Mr. Thinker and Mr. Shaft were on the twelfth floor at 1 AM."
Mercury clenched a fist. He wanted to object, but he had to wait for the cross-examination.
"And what were you doing that evening?" Prosecutor Angelique asked.
"It was my shift, so naturally I manned the front desk station," answered Chastain.
Prosecutor Angelique folded her arms. "Would you give your testimony?"
("If Chastain's claims that only dad and the victim were there hold true, then it's over. Maybe I should establish that the killer could have sneaked in without Chastain noticing.")
WITNESS TESTIMONY: MANNING THE RECEPTION
It was my shift from 12 AM to 7 AM. World Programs Inc. works 24/7.
At 1 AM, the database only recorded Mr. Shaft and Mr. Thinker on the 12th floor.
If you ask me, then, there could be no way someone else would be there.
When Chastain finished, the Judge thought about the testimony. "Forgive me for my lack of insight about this matter, but what is a database?"
Chastain's eyepatch flashed a cheery green. "Well, it's an information storage device that holds numerous data that can be processed into information that can be added, deleted, modified, and retrieved."
The Judge stared at her, speechless.
Mercury stepped in. "Your Honor, if I can explain in simpler context… A database is a collection of data. If someone wanted information about something, they would look at the database. Think of it like you trying to find out who the witness is from some trial long ago but you don't remember their face… so you find a database that will help you out."
The Judge nodded slowly. "I… see. But how do you know all this?"
Mercury flushed, palming his face. "Well, I'm a computer science graduate before I proceeded into law."
"Mercury, don't tease the Judge about his age," Athena whispered.
("Huh? How old is he, anyway?")
"Rumor has it that the Judge is as old as sliced bread," Athena whispered again.
"Defense, please know that despite my age, my hearing is as sharp as ever," warned the Judge.
Prosecutor Angelique did not seem amused. "And my fangs bearing into you are sharper than your wits. Perhaps you can be added to my database of victims?"
Mercury hunched over in a cold sweat. "N-No, thanks. C-Can I just proceed with my cross examination?"
"By all means," said the Judge nonchalantly.
CROSS EXAMINATION: MANNING THE RECEPTION
It was my shift from 12 AM to 7 AM. World Programs Inc. works 24/7.
Hold it! "Ms. Thymes, please explain the nature of your work. What exactly do you do as a receptionist?"
Chastain turned to Mercury and observed him closely. Her eyepatch flashed in varying colors as she did so. "Hmm, you look like a smart specimen."
Mercury nearly recoiled. "W-What do you mean by that?"
Prosecutor Angelique smirked. "Perhaps, she also thinks you're a little gerbil?"
Mercury pounded on the table, deciding to ignore the taunt. "Ms. Thymes, please answer the question."
Chastain put up the laptop again and continued pecking on the keyboard. Mercury observed that despite her good looks, she had some quirks that did not make him turn on. "As a receptionist – information helpdesk specialist, if I want to be overly formal – my tasks include managing queries of guests, tracking the whereabouts of personnel through the employee registry, and handling external data from internal use." She grinned. "As a computer science graduate, you should know what I mean."
Mercury was sweating bullets. ("Yeah, but we are in a court of law.")
Athena slammed her palms. "Speak in plain English!"
Chastain put her laptop away and frowned. "Hmph, I guess you don't have a sense of formality."
Mercury sighed. "Well, I guess she does what a receptionist does."
"That's information helpdesk specialist," retorted Chastain, her eyepatch flashing red.
Mercury felt slightly uncomfortable. Only a slight facepalm could save him from further embarrassing himself. ("Didn't you introduce yourself as receptionist?")
Prosecutor Angelique stepped in. "As a receptionist, one of your tasks was to track the whereabouts of personnel. At 1 AM, who were on the 12th floor?"
Chastain mumbled something incoherent.
At 1 AM, the database only recorded Mr. Shaft and Mr. Thinker on the 12th floor.
Hold it! "A-Are you sure no one else entered the 12th floor? Doesn't your database have any other record that evening?"
Chastain consulted her laptop again. "Error 404."
("Goodness, seriously?")
"What does that mean?" the Judge asked, bewildered.
Mercury sighed. "Not found. She means that no other record exists."
Athena was also hunched over in a cold sweat. "Talk about being too tech-savvy."
Mercury pounded on the desk. "Ms. Thymes, does part of your receptionis-"
"Information helpdesk specialist!"
Mercury was getting slightly irritated. He turned to the Judge. "Your Honor, I would like to slap a penalty on the witness every time she speaks in jargon." This brought a few chuckles from the gallery.
The Judge shook his head. "As much as I would like to acquiesce, you aren't the prosecutor. Now get on with your questioning."
Mercury facepalmed. ("How troublesome for my first trial. Cut me some slack!") When he recovered from the slight breakdown, he turned to Chastain. "Does part of your jobs as an… info helpdesk specialist include security detail?"
Chastain grinned. "That's better. And yes, it includes security detail."
"So you also monitored the 12th floor security video, right?"
Chastain nodded. "The lower floors, until the 15th floor, are monitored by myself. The higher floors belonging to the executives are monitored by the security team."
Mercury was leading her. "Tell us, then, what did you see in the security video?"
Objection! Prosecutor Angelique interfered. "I know you, little gerbil. You will want her to answer something so you can counter with an objection."
("Dammit! She's ruthless.")
Athena interfered. "The witness will answer the question."
"The security video showed someone coming out from one of the offices," answered Chastain.
("That was vague.") Mercury pounded on the desk. "Is that the only thing you saw?"
"Yes," she said.
"Are you sure no one else could have been on that floor?" Mercury asked demandingly.
Chastain looked annoyed. "Well, if you ask…"
If you ask me, then, there could be no way someone else would be there.
Hold it! Mercury had the security video projected once more. "The 12th floor security video shows this person exiting one of the offices."
Chastain looked at the video projected through the courtroom television. When she saw it, she gasped in shock, the eyepatch flashing yellow.
"What's the matter, Ms. Thymes?" Mercury asked.
"The security video wasn't like that when I checked," said Chastain.
"So it wasn't damaged as you see if right now?" Mercury inquired.
Chastain nodded. "Uh huh."
12th Floor Security Video updated in the Court Record.
Mercury plunged into thought. ("Chastain must have seen the unaltered by 1 AM. So if the camera could have been damaged by the time this video rolled around, it must mean that in the five-minute span, someone might have interfered with the camera.") He shared his thoughts. "Your Honor, the defense believes that someone might have directly interfered with the security camera in the span of time from the witness's observation and the timestamp in the camera."
"Do you have observation to back it up, little gerbil?" Prosecutor Angelique taunted.
Mercury took a deep breath. ("Evidence pointing to the security camera probably tampered…") He thought about the prosecutor's question. Why would the security video be that way, Mercury wondered. He knew that someone must have the opportunity to interfere with the video. For what reason? And the evidence. He checked the evidence once again – and saw one of them that could offer a possibility.
"The defense would like to present evidence that would explain the damaged security camera video." Take that! He presented the evidence for the Browning murder weapon.
"The murder weapon? And what about the murder weapon could help explain?"
"Two shots were fired, and recently nonetheless based on ballistic analysis" answered Mercury, reading through his notes. "One of those shots took the victim's life. So where did the other bullet go?" He pounded on the desk then pointed a finger towards his adversary. "The gun could have been fired to damage the security camera!"
Objection! Prosecutor Angelique clawed again at the table. It made Chastain yelp at the uncomfortable screech, but now it made everyone else cringe. Soon enough, the screech from her clawing would adjust to the ears of those who have heard it. "Absurd, absurd, absurd, little gerbil."
("Her calling me a little gerbil is getting on my nerves.")
"No other bullets were recovered from the area," said the prosecutor. "Perhaps, you want to establish the claim that the killer could have fired the gun, no less?"
Mercury curled his fingers. ("Damn. She's reading me like a book.")
Athena nodded. "So that's how she operates. She uses our information against us. But then do not all prosecutors?"
Mercury concentrated on his next line of attack. ("Is there a way that could establish proof that the bullet was fired from the gun and hit the security camera?")
Prosecutor Angelique tittered. "Maybe you're thinking that you want to establish some sort of proof that the bullet was fired from the gun and somehow it would hit the security camera, hmm?"
Mercury recoiled. "W-What in the world?"
Athena frowned. "Wow. She's like a psychic."
Prosecutor Angelique toyed around for the meantime. "Very well, little gerbil. I'll give you the opportunity while you have your tail between your legs."
Mercury was now feeling very uncomfortable. How could he win against a prosecutor who predicted his next move? He had to recover. "Ms. Thymes, the fact that you did not see the security video the way it was when you started your reception contradicted the video presented as evidence means that someone tampered with the camera." He pounded on the desk. "And there is proof that the murder weapon was used to fire at the camera."
"Well? I'm waiting," said Prosecutor Angelique.
("If I compare it with the 12th floor map and the position of the cameras, there are two possible ways to shoot the camera from afar. You could shoot at it from the front, as what the camera shows. Or you could shoot it to its right down the hallway and to the conference room. But then…") Mercury took a deep breath. "This is the evidence that shows the gun could have been used to shoot the camera." Take that!
The Judge squinted his eyes so that he could see the evidence clearly as it was projected in the courtroom television. "W-What is that thing?"
"It's a hologram," answered Mercury.
"A holo-what?"
"A hologram, Your Honor," Athena responded. "The screen you see when I activate my Widget to do psychoanalysis is an example of it." She activated her Widget and let the holographic screen appear in front of her.
The Judge nodded slowly. "So it seems I'm so very out-of-reach when it comes to technology." He turned to the defense. "So what about the hologram?"
"I would like you to divert your attention to the upper part of the hologram where it is blurry," announced Mercury. "Such a technological wonder could only have one point of defect, and that is…"
*FLASHBACK – PART 4, INVESTIGATION*
"Why is this part of the hologram blurry?" Athena asked.
The uninteresting-looking worker leaned close to the hologram and observed it. He frowned. "Hmm, this wasn't here yesterday. Usually, some, er… how should I put it… severe outside interference would disrupt the hologram, causing it to be this way."
"So if I hover my arm like this," said Mercury curiously, testing the hypothesis as he lifted a hand and waved it slowly through the hologram. To his amazement, the hologram blurred… for a few seconds.
*FLASHBACK END*
"… severe outside interference," answered Mercury. "For example, if you pass your arm through it, it would become slightly blurry, but it would fix itself again."
Unfortunately for Mercury, the Judge was clueless. "I don't understand the point."
Before Mercury could continue, Prosecutor Angelique stepped in. "You're saying that the bullet could have been fired from there so that it passed through the hologram and hit the camera. Is that what you're saying?"
Mercury almost pounded the table in frustration. "Since when were you able to predict my lines?"
Prosecutor Angelique chuckled. "Little gerbil. The cobra is fast and furious. It rears up when threatened and will not back down when its fangs latch onto its prey. Unfortunately for you, I had my fangs latched when you presented the murder weapon."
Mercury dropped a cold sweat. ("For my next trial, I will need to purchase antivenom.")
"Is there a problem, prosecutor?" the Judge asked.
"Witness, I'd like you to answer this question," Prosecutor Angelique turned to Chastain. "Is there a security camera in the conference hall?"
Chastain got onto her laptop again. "There is," she answered. "It gives a full view of the area as well."
When Mercury heard this, he realized the implication. "G-Gyurk!"
Prosecutor Angelique was tittering. "So you see, little gerbil? Only a fool who would try to damage the security camera would inexplicably be caught by another security camera."
Mercury turned to Athena and mouthed for help.
Athena was busy reviewing the evidence using her Widget. "Hmm, is there no other way to be spotted by the conference hall camera and still fire at the hallway security camera?"
"It's pointless, little gerbil," taunted Prosecutor Angelique. "The presence of the other camera has destroyed your precious theory."
("Hmm… times like these where I have to remember what Mr. Wright told me.")
*FLASHBACK – PART 6, TRIAL*
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.")
*FLASHBACK END*
"Turn my thinking around," Mercury mumbled. ("That's it! I must approach this from a new angle.")
"Is there a way you can still prove it, little gerbil?" Prosecutor Angelique was tittering again, still delighted.
("Funny how the emotionless cobra suddenly gets excited.")
Athena turned to Mercury. "If you find a new way, then give it to her."
Mercury took a deep breath and focused. He still remembered that he was fighting for the life of his father. ("I was focusing on how the culprit could have fired the hallway camera from the conference hall. But is there another way to approach it? What if there was another place the gun could be fired from?")
The Judge slapped down the gavel. "Time to hear it, Mr. Thinker."
Mercury looked at the evidence one more time. "Your Honor, the defense asserts that the culprit fired the gun at the security camera from another place."
Prosecutor Angelique looked interested. "Well, little gerbil. I'm surprised you have some guts left. Let's see how tasty that'll get." She clawed at the table once more, making Chastain wince. "Show us some evidence that will point to an area the gun could be fired from."
Take that! Mercury presented the World Programs Inc. pamphlet with the floor diagram. "The floor diagram points out another place that the gun could be fired from. And that place is… the elevator."
Prosecutor Angelique blinked, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Th-The elevator?"
Mercury nodded. "If the elevator were open, the culprit could be inside so that they could fire on the hallway security camera and not get caught by the conference hall camera!"
When Prosecutor Angelique acknowledged this, she recoiled. She had both of her hands clawed upward and was breathing heavily. "Y-you got me…"
Athena looked delighted. "You struck back at the cobra, Mercury!"
Mercury was oozing with confidence. ("Who's the little gerbil now?")
Objection! Prosecutor Angelique outstretched her clawed hand, quickly recovering from the unexpected turn of events for her. "Let's say the culprit fired at the security camera from the elevator. That would mean that the culprit would have to step into the floor to do the killing deed! Knowing that, the culprit would give themselves away because of the conference hall camera!"
Mercury thought about that for a while. ("She raised a good point. Could the culprit risk be getting caught?") He remembered the circumstances about the floor. Something about the floor seemed convenient for the culprit to do the task. "The culprit knows very well the risks they would be taking. Which is why they fired on the hallway camera from the elevator, simply rode it back down, and returned to the 12th floor using the other elevator!"
"That's right," Athena said, "the floor has two elevators!"
"But why go that far?" Chastain asked. "It seems a lot for the culprit to do!"
Mercury pounded on his desk. "The culprit has to be very knowledgeable with the security camera systems to get to their target."
Athena stopped him. "Wait Mercury. You don't mean…"
Mercury stopped her. "The defense would like to point out one person who had the perfect opportunity to do all this."
The Judge slapped down his gavel. "Mr. Thinker, please name this person with that opportunity."
Take that! "I'm talking about our witness, Ms. Chastain Thymes."
Chastain, who was working with her laptop, was suddenly taken aback as she involuntarily dropped her laptop beyond the witness stand, crashing on the floor with a sickening thud. "M-M-M-M-Meeeeeee?"
Mercury pounded on the floor. "You had the opportunity, Ms. Thymes. You monitor all the cameras in the lower floors, as you said yourself."
Objection! Prosecutor Angelique clawed at the desk once more, making Chastain wince louder than the last. "You dirty little gerbil, you're forgetting one thing."
Mercury raised an eyebrow, his fist still not lifted from the table. "Oh? And that is…?"
"The murder weapon has no fingerprints," she answered.
Objection! "Because fingerprints would be an easy giveaway," countered Mercury.
Objection! Prosecutor Angelique countered. "If you're implicating the witness of murder, then you must have evidence to back it up, right?"
Mercury took a deep breath. ("Do I have the evidence?")
Athena offered her advice. "Mercury, the witness does have a perfect opportunity to commit the crime. But…" Athena turned to the witness, who was sweating bullets and pecking furiously on the keyboard of her somehow recovered laptop, "… did she have a reason for wanting the victim dead?"
("I admit it's very farfetched, but it's the only thing I've got. There must be a reason, in one way or another.")
Hold it! All eyes in the courtroom were on the witness, whose eyepatch was flashing red. She was looking at Mercury. "You're telling me I put Mr. Shaft on permanent BSOD?"
("Really? BSOD? Blue screen of death?") Mercury frowned and shook his head. "I did not say anything about that. I only said you had the opportunity to do so."
Chastain was having none of it. Her delicate guard shattered too easily. "That's one and the same!"
Mercury pounded on his desk. "But still! You could have fired the gun from the elevator!"
Chastain was seething. "But the prosecutor already established that no fingerprints were on the gun!"
Mercury smirked. "Because you could have been wearing gloves."
"Then prove it," said Chastain. "Prove that I was wearing gloves!"
Athena stopped Mercury. "Stop it, Mercury. We don't have anything of the sort."
Mercury took a deep breath again. ("Athena's right. There's no way right now I can establish that Chastain killed the victim. But… she still has the opportunity.")
Objection! Prosecutor Angelique's outburst silenced the gallery, who had been in a burst of murmurs ever since Mercury pointed out Chastain as a possible culprit. "Little gerbil, you don't have proof. And to add to that insult to injury, there was… another thing that happened that evening."
Mercury stood on alert. "A-Another thing?"
Prosecutor Angelique turned to her witness once more. "Ms. Thymes, it's time to come clean."
Chastain was looking down. "Do… do I have to?"
("What's happening?")
Prosecutor Angelique folded her arms. "Your Honor, Ms. Thymes is my eyewitness. She has personally seen the crime unfold in the twelfth floor."
The gallery's murmurs filled the courtroom once more, but these were silenced by the Judge's gavel. "Witness, is this true?"
Chastain sighed. "I… I'll talk, Your Honor. If it means to clear my name of suspicion."
WITNESS TESTIMONY: I SAW THE CRIME!
I admit it. I went up to the twelfth floor that evening.
But it was only because of the security camera.
Someone had tampered with it, so I went to take a look.
But when I did, I saw something I shouldn't have seen!
Chastain was gripping on the edges of her laptop's monitor. "B-But if I did…"
Mercury pounded on the desk. "Witness! What did you see?"
Chastain shook her head. "No… no… I saw…"
Mercury demanded for an answer. "What is it?"
Hold it! Athena stopped him. "Stop it, Mercury. You're going to traumatize her further."
Mercury's eyes widened. "T-Traumatize?"
Athena turned to the Judge. "Your Honor. The co-counsel would like to conduct a therapy session on this witness."
Chastain blinked. "Th-Therapy session? I'm perfectly fine, thank you!"
Athena activated her Widget and viewed her analysis in the hologram. "Ms. Thymes, the more you deny your involvement, the more withdrawn you suddenly become. You saw something, but the more you want to forget what you saw only makes the memory stronger. It all makes sense now. Your antics in the witness stand stemmed from your panic in your involvement."
Prosecutor Angelique smirked. "Ah. So this is the yellow gerbil who uses analytical psychology. Interesting. Naturally, I have no objections."
Athena broke out in sweat. "Now I'm a gerbil too?"
Mercury shuddered. "Don't take it personally. The prosecutor has given her blessing anyway."
The Judge slapped his gavel. "The witness will undergo a therapy session, courtesy of Ms. Cykes."
Chastain scoffed. "Therapy? You must know that I'm absolutely fine!"
Athena frowned as she peered into her holographic screen produced by Widget. "Hmm… a lot of discord. Are you up for this, Mercury?"
NOISE LEVEL: 100%
Mercury had seen Athena perform psychoanalysis during the previous trial. However, he had yet to try it out on his own. After a brief explanation, Mercury felt ready.
("All right. It's time to get this going.")
Athena nodded. "Witness, you must have been absolutely shocked at what you saw. Don't be afraid to let it out. The point of this therapy session is to draw out the truth." With Chastain silent, Athena activated her Widget again, letting the holographic screen show the Mood Matrix, with its happy, angry, sad, and surprise moods in their respective quadrants. However, as she activated her Mood Matrix, the sad emotion overwhelmed the other three.
MOOD MATRIX
Sad: !
I went up to the twelfth floor that evening.
(Chastain)
It was because of the security camera.
(Damaged hologram, damaged security camera)
Someone tampered with it, so I took a look.
(Chastain, damaged security camera)
But I saw something I shouldn't have seen!
(Chastain, open office door)
Mercury observed the pictures manifested by the statements. Athena asked Mercury to find out cause of her overwhelming fear and "probe" it. "Once you probe that item, you must interpret the meaning behind it. Think you can do it?"
Mercury nodded. "Alright. I'll have another crack at it."
He returned to the last statement.
But I saw something I shouldn't have seen!
(Chastain, open office door)
Got it! Mercury thought for a few seconds on the implications. "Ms. Thymes, I understand that you are an eyewitness. But why would an open office door cause you so much worry? I think I have an answer." Mercury again took a deep breath. ("The reason why Chastain seems very distressed about the open office door is because of…")
Take that! Mercury presented the security video. "Ms. Thymes, you said that there were only two people in the floor that evening and you based it on the security video."
Chastain held up. "Th-That's right!"
Mercury frowned. "But it doesn't make sense. The victim is dead in his room and was only accessed at the request of the detective-in-charge. The defendant is in his room and never left his office. Yet, there is an open office door."
The Judge inquired Mercury. "So what does it mean, defense?"
Mercury had a hunch. ("The fact that there was an open office door that the witness saw when she checked on the camera means that…") "Ms. Thymes, discounting yourself, there's a third person on the floor that evening, am I right?"
When Chastain heard this, she was taken aback again and accidentally knocked over her laptop to the floor as she shrieked.
NOISE LEVEL: 60%
"You got the noise down," Athena told Mercury. "So there was another person in the floor after all!"
"That would mean she tampered with the security data so that only the two of them would be on the floor," Mercury continued.
Chastain quickly recovered her fallen laptop. "B-But even if I tampered with the data, it still wouldn't change anything!
Mercury fell into thought. ("Would it?")
Athena tapped Mercury on the arm. "Actually, it would. There's an inconsistency in her statement right now."
"An inconsistency?"
Athena nodded. "We're still in the Mood Matrix, but all you have to do is to point out that conflicting statement and present evidence to the contrary. Keep in mind that the info will be updated."
"I see… Let's see how it changes things."
I went up to the twelfth floor that evening.
Nothing unusual. She outright admitted it anyway.
It was because of the security camera.
She already noticed it, making her previous discovery moot.
Someone tampered with it, so I took a look.
If the fourth person were identified, this would be a contradiction. However, since that wasn't the case, Mercury skipped the statement.
(INFO UPDATE) The victim's office door was open!
Hold on, Mercury thought. He quickly compared that statement with another piece of evidence. Objection! "Ms. Thymes, how did you know it was the victim's office door?"
Chastain looked surprised. "It's that easy. The victim was inside his room."
Mercury shook his head. "It's not that easy, Ms. Thymes. And you know very well." He presented the data for the hologram. "The hologram shows the 12th floor map. You can see on the top part where the offices are that it's been blurry due to severe outside interference."
When Chastain saw this, she gasped. Thankfully, she did not knock over her laptop. "I… I…"
("What's the meaning of this? How does Chastain know that the victim's office door was open at first glance?")
"Hmm," Athena fiddled with her earring. "Is there something amiss?"
"We had a hard time identifying the room during the investigation because the layout for every door looked very similar. Wait…" Mercury immediately recalled something to that effect when he was cross-examining Detective Gumshoe.
*FLASHBACK – PART 6, TRIAL*
"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."
*FLASHBACK END*
"Chastain, you have access to the security from your terminal as the receptionist," Mercury told her. "Yet as the detective from earlier established, the victim was found in the defendant's room. However, you said that the victim's door was ajar."
"Explain the meaning behind this," said the Judge.
Mercury pounded on the desk. "Ms. Thymes, you're the one who swapped the offices, didn't you?"
Chastain recoiled again as she shrieked… and sent her laptop crashing to the floor for the third time.
("I wonder if she earns enough from her job to repair that laptop.")
NOISE LEVEL: 20%
"It's time for you to come clean," Mercury said demandingly as he pointed at the witness. "You did it, didn't you?"
It took time for Chastain to recover her laptop which was now showing some cracks on the monitor, though it was still operable. "I… I am not the killer. I did not do anything!"
"So why did you swap the data of the offices?"
Chastain fell silent.
"Ms. Thymes, you should tell us everything you know," said Athena soothingly. "As an eyewitness, your testimony is always invaluable."
("Trusting my client's innocence is the number one priority. But can I do that once I hear Chastain's full story?")
Chastain closed her eyes for a moment as if she was trying to shake away the horrid thoughts filling her for witnessing a horrifying sight. "Th-That evening… there was another person. Th-They came out from the room. Th-They saw me. H-He approached me. I… I… I was p-petrified. And then… and then… I…"
*FLASHBACK – UNKNOWN*
Chastain stood there on the hallway, petrified at the thought that her life would be in permanent BSOD. Her vision became blurry. The panic overwhelmed her as she collapsed to the floor. However, she could make out a few words before her mind slipped into oblivion.
"Erase the data."
*FLASHBACK END*
"You passed out," finished Athena.
Chastain shut her eyes as she nodded. For the first time, tears were welling down from her shut eyes and down to her cheeks. "A-And when I came to, I was in someone's room. I dashed out immediately while they weren't there."
"S-Someone's room?"
"I didn't know whose room it was, and my vision was still blurry."
Mercury frowned. ("Well that wasn't very helpful. If her vision was blurry, then is there something I can ask her to identify?") He had an idea. "Chastain, could you smell anything in that room?"
Chastain wiped her eyes. "Y-Yes. It had a peculiar smell. B-But it was a strange exotic smell."
("A strange exotic smell… Could that be…?") Mercury pounded on the desk, racing on this idea. "Ms. Thymes, could that smell be this?" Take that! He held up the data for the Khura'inese tea. "I'm not sure if you know this kind, but is it similar to Khura'inese tea?"
Chastain looked away. "I'm not sure. But it could be just like tea."
("Chastain fainted in the hallway after witnessing a man approach her. She was then brought to an office where she smelled the essence of tea. Whose office was it?")
Objection! Prosecutor Angelique objected after a lengthy silence. "Just because it was tea could be anyone's office. Remember the defendant also had the same variant of tea."
Mercury's mind raced ahead. He could have objected immediately, but he had to think. ("Come to think of it. Wasn't there another person who had tea in their room?") Mercury thought back to the investigation. He was offered tea by his father five days prior, so he quickly identified it. Then he was offered tea again by another person… and that person was…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Mercury's outburst surprised everyone in the courtroom.
"What is it, Mr. Thinker?" the Judge asked, stunned.
Mercury could feel his heartbeat rise. ("Could it be? Could it really be…?")
"Say it already before you get confused," said Athena.
Mercury pounded on his desk. "Your Honor. There is another person who could be very well behind everything." Before he revealed his answer, he glanced at his father, who had a look of both determination and worry. Mercury believed that his father knew who it was. "The defense would like to question this person about the events that night." Take that! "Chastain had the opportunity to swap the data. Her panic from the events made her do it and subsequently had her memory blocked temporarily." He turned to the witness. "Chastain, this is the person you saw that evening, right?"
When Mercury had the person's profile displayed on the TV and Chastain saw it, her eyes bulged and her mouth hung open.
"Is this the person?"
Chastain did not make out a word, but she nodded.
NOISE LEVEL: 0%
BYE BYE
"W-Who is that person?" the Judge asked Mercury.
("With all the discord gone from Chastain, this person could very well be the culprit we're looking for.") With swaggering confidence, Mercury announced to the Court. "Ladies and gentlemen, the defense points out Lunix Metsys as the other person in the floor that evening."
The gallery's murmurs were even louder than the last. Athena was in shock. Mercury observed the reactions of the other people. Prosecutor Angelique seemed unmoved, which came as no surprise if she already knew. He glanced over to Phoenix, who had his arms folded and was still being observant. Mercury then turned to his father in the defendant's seat, who looked both determined for his son to finish the job and now broken that his close friend would be implicated of murder. But if it was the only way to go for Mercury, then he had to finish the job.
Author's Notes: Oh snap. That update took a bit longer than usual, because I was engrossed with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Anyway, I already have Turnabout Technology on grasp. Will the next chapter be the last for the trial? Or will some insane twist happen? Before I end, I would also like to give a shoutout to frequent reviewers, most notably chloemcg and hellspam. Thanks a lot! You can still leave reviews and suggestions.
PowerZone
P.S. Episode 3's working title is "The Passed Turnabout."
