AN: Hello, guys! This is it. The resolution to Lyn's first case, or rather part one of the resolution. I had been planning to put the whole thing into an entire chapter, but...it was running incredibly long, so I decided to split this into two parts. It will still be long, but I just wanted to make it easier to get through for reading. Hope you enjoy it! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I mean I had the AA soundtracks playing when I wrote it the whole time to help me get a feel for it...yes, I know I am a dork.
Integras : Yes, it's back! Hope the wait wasn't too bad ^^;;. BUT, I am glad it pulled you in, means I did something right (cause I will be the first to say, getting through that last chapter was a process). Hope you enjoy this chapter!
OBSERVER01 : Indeed, we are. We can't let the truth get away after all.
NikoRu Rene: Ah, thank you so much! I'm really flattered that you like this and don't think it's a badly written oc/sue story. I really love Ace Attorney so I do my best to write it well. I want to show people that you can write a decent self insert/oc story without the characters being sues- to me it is no different from writing a regular story, just requires a bit more work. I'm planning out the next chapters so be ready haha.
Dark Murcielago: Thank you so much! I can't believe you think my story is that good. Yes, me too! When Lyn meets Nick it will be an interesting experience :).
April 16th, 9:35 AM
District Courtroom No. 5, Hallway
I was pacing back and forth in the prosecution's side of courtroom five. I had to keep my head clear and focused as today was it. Today this pain in the ass would be over and done with. And of course, everyone would be watching- my main focus being Edgeworth. I couldn't disappoint him, I had to really show him what I was capable of. I wouldn't have a repeat of my sloppy day one performance. Not today. I had most things prepared- went over a strategy, sorted through evidence, and reviewed what I knew. Hell, I even got breakfast this morning. Nothing was going to ruin my show today. Nothing.
I guessed what Ray's plan would be- he'd want to call Johnson to the stand most likely to talk about that machine and check in sheet. He'd accuse him of murder, and of course in his position I would be doing the same thing. However, I still had to stick with my original claims of Mann's guilt, it would look suspicious otherwise. At any rate, I already called that ass of a human being in this morning. That telephone conversation was anything but nice:
"Good morning. Ms. Doom speaking, Mr. Johnson I've called to ask-"
"Ugh, you again? Didn't I tell you that I was a busy man, didn't you waste enough of my fucking time in the past couple of days? Leave me the hell alone!"
"Wow. I'm trying to throw you a line, asshole."
"E-excuse me?"
"I hate mornings. I hate the fact I have to go to work today. And I especially hate that I have to waste my time talking to an ungrateful person like you. I'm only calling because I know the defense will call you in to testify."
"Testify about what?"
"Hell if I know, but they're suspicious of you. They might even go so far as to pin the crime on you. So, if you want the chance to defend yourself, you'd best come over by 10:00 to the courthouse. "
"And what if I say no?"
"The police will forcibly haul your ass in out of the store, in the public view for all to see. But, of course you don't have to, if you don't want to. You can shove your lily scented candles up your ass for all I care."
"Grr...You...Fine!"
"Glad you understand."
Johnson seemed more snobbish than usual, perhaps more stressed over the phone when I had called. I wondered why, but I didn't care enough to try to figure it out. He had come and was sitting in one of those lobbies for witnesses with the closed circuit TV. At least this way, he'd know what was happening and we wouldn't have to waste time getting him up to speed. It wasn't really a favor to him at all, in fact the real reason he should be brought in -
"Ms. Doom, sir!"
I stopped thinking and looked up. "Good morning, detective. How are you doing?"
He paused like he had to really think about it. "Uh, I guess I'm okay. But the real question is, how are you? Are you ready to grind them into the ground like you always do?"
"Uh, yeah. I guess you could put it that way. I already called Mr. Johnson in."
"Really? Why's that?"
"For a few reasons. Lawyerpants is going to ask to have him brought in and I also want you to do more investigating in his office. I'm certain there are plenty of pieces to this puzzle still missing."
"Yeah, like why the sign up sheet exists if the machine is working." said Gumshoe wriggling his eyebrows.
"Right. I want you to go back to the store and look around. Check out the office and anything else that you think is important. I'll be trying to stall for time, but I'll contact you during recess if anything specific comes up that I need you to do. I'm depending on you."
"Understood, sir! You can count on me!" he said nodding and scurrying out of the courthouse.
This was good. Gumshoe would bring back some evidence and we'd kick Johnson's ass. I just needed to keep my head in the game. Like that Disney song. I was humming it to myself when I heard another person enter my vicinity.
"Good morning, Lyn."
I immediately stopped humming. I had to be cool now. "Ah, good morning, Mr. Edgeworth. You weren't kidding when you said you were coming again."
"Why would I kid about that?" he asked raising a brow.
(Doesn't stop me from hoping, that maybe you'd get sick, or get in accident, or just got busy and couldn't come. Now it indefinitely means I have to perform well.)
"Regardless, how are you? Are you prepared this time?"
"Oh, definitely! I have a lot of things at the ready! Everything will go according to plan!" I said pumping my fist into the air.
Edgeworth shook his head and smiled at me wryly. "Because everything I ever planned turned out exactly how I wanted it in court."
"H-hey," I pouted. Was he teasing me? "Don't kill the vibes! I mean, your cases are always ridiculous because you deal with Mr. Wright."
"You simply don't know the half of it. You'd be surprised at what can happen in there, but most of your cases have been tame in comparison. You've never faced Wright have you?"
"No, I'd definitely remember." Because I knew my ass would be grass in every sense of the phrase if I did face him.
"One day you will. I think it'd be a good experience for you to have since he's no Kristoph Gavin."
(Wait, what? I've dealt with Kristoph?)
"Kristoph Gavin..." I started to muse aloud.
He looked contemplative. "Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned him- it's going to distract you before your trial."
"Huh? Why would I be distracted?"
"You can't fool me, Lyn. You loathe that man. Though, I can't say you were ever fond of attorneys before him," he shrugged slightly. "In any case, I'll be watching from the stands again. I look forward to your performance today."
Before I could say wait he had already vanished behind a corner off to the gallery. I groaned. I really needed the time to have a full conversation around here. I hated Kristoph the most amongst defense attorneys. What made me hate him so much, or just attorneys in general I wondered?
"Ms. Doom, trial is beginning," said a bailiff who had opened up the door leading into my side of the court room.
I nodded and he vanished behind the door. It looked like I couldn't dwell on those thoughts for much longer. It was time to get this show on the road.
April 16th, 10:00 AM
District Courtroom No. 5
I took my place at the prosecution's bench and laid my briefcase of materials out. Everything I needed was nice and organized. I wouldn't be digging around like I had the other day. I stole a glance across the room and the attorney was there, all set to go it seemed. I guessed he came ready for a fight too. I looked up at the noisy gallery- a bunch of people were up there that I could recognize. Mr. Inkos, Oldbag, and Larry were in the midst of the crowd and of course, there Edgeworth was, closer to the front.
I was going to do my best to ignore looking up just like yesterday... Mr. Mann was at the defendant's seat, and the judge had sat down at his spot. He banged his gavel a few times.
"Court is now in session for the trial of Charlie Mann. Is the defense ready?"
"Uncle Ray is always ready, Your Honor."
"Is the prosecution ready?"
"The prosecution is beyond ready, it's impossibly prepared." I said grinning. I thought about it and even though I was wary of what craziness that would probably happen to us, I couldn't help but be proud of all the work I put in to getting this far being a complete noob. I'd say it was alright for me to smile a little bit.
"Ms. Doomsday, you know what today's really about, right?" Ray asked shrugging his shoulders, with a look that could only be described as mischievous in his eyes.
"I'm not stupid, Mr. Lawyerpants. It does take two to tango in a court. However, this isn't going to necessarily be a waltz in the park for you."
He chuckled a bit at my corny joke. "Good to see we're on the same page."
Well, I still certain he didn't like me, and to be frank he still was annoying, but we both knew that Johnson was the killer. We were ready to go after him.
The judge was clearly confused by our conversation.
"What are you two talking about?"
Ray shook his head. "It's nothing to worry about, Your Honor. Just a friendly chat before trial starts."
"Well, it's best to save the chatting for after the trial," he blinked. "Ms. Doom, the prosecution's opening statement?"
"The prosecution still stands by its initial claim that the guilty party is Charlie Mann. The murder weapon with the victim's blood was found in Mr. Mann's locker with his prints on it, his bloodied name tag was at the crime scene, he was spotted at the scene of the crime, which is where he normally works, by a witness covered in blood, and to top it off he had a bad relationship with the victim. These things point to the defendant as the culprit."
(Wow, that went a hell of a lot better with practice, instead of bullshitting it.)
"Those things do seem to paint the defendant in a bad light. If not for the unanswered questions we had yesterday, I'm afraid I would have had to pass down my verdict," said the judge shaking his head. "Speaking of that, what did the defense and prosecution uncover in their investigations?"
"The mysterious janitor who was unaccounted for was, Larry Butz. It was his prints that were on the machine." said Ray hands in pockets.
"That's suspicious, indeed! Why were they there? Is involved with the crime?"
"Not even close, Your Honor. Through negligence, this janitor snuck into the store from the back and punched into work using the time clock. He wasn't aware of the sign up sheet that everyone else had used. The time he punched in was 1:07 AM at least 7 hours before the murder transpired." I remarked.
"What? But wasn't that machine said to be broken?" asked the judge in confusion.
"That's what we were lead to believe, yes. But through, that act of irresponsibility we discovered that it was working just fine. Here is the print out of the punch in." I picked up the document from a folder in my case and held it up to be immersed in the blue light. The paper showed up on the holographic screen for the whole court to see.
"I see. Accepted as evidence," the judge said shaking his head. "This is all very suspicious, why would the sign up sheet exist if the machine was properly functioning?"
Ray grinned. "That's something we'll have to ask the manager, since he was the one who claimed the machine was broken and made the sign in sheet to begin with."
The judge nodded. "I agree, even though I'm still suspicious of the defendant, that is one thing we can't overlook. I won't be able to pass down a verdict without all the facts. Let us call the manager as a witness-"
HOLD IT!
"Ms. Doom? Is there a problem?"
"No, not at all, Your Honor. I actually brought our manager in before hand to save us the trouble. However, we're forgetting another crucial detail."
"And what is that?" Ray asked a bit annoyed with me.
"Why was Mr. Mann being blackmailed?" I removed my glasses and twirled them in my hand for a bit. "Of course, the person doing the blackmailing is deceased, so we won't get it from him. That's why we should ask the only person who knows, Mr. Mann. Perhaps it can shed some light as to why he viciously murdered the victim."
Shields was confused. "What are you planning?"
"I want to find the truth. If anyone could help, it'd be your client, wouldn't you agree? Do you have a problem with it?"
He remained quiet, clearly thinking. I wasn't doing it for no reason, of course. This was apart of my plan- either Ray could pull the information out of him or he wouldn't. At the end of the day, it didn't really matter too much. I just needed to stall for time. Anything would do. Gumshoe had to gather more evidence so we could convict Johnson. The faster Johnson got on that stand the quicker he'd be able to weasel his way out of the murder.
"...I have no objections."
"Then, I'd like to call the defendant, Mr. Mann to the stand."
The defendant was escorted up front to the witness stand. Even if he was a teddy bear, underneath the harsh exterior, he still looked like a guy I wouldn't want to touch with a ten foot pole.
"Defendant-"
"Yo, I told you before it's C MANN! Don't forget it, lady!" he said slamming a fist into the witness stand.
"Whatever," I rubbed my temple. " C Mann, you heard our conversation from before, right? We'd like you testify about blackmailing."
"..." the boisterous fellow grew silent. It didn't even look like we were dealing with the same person before.
"Come on, Charlie. This is important. It could help us solve the case, I know you didn't do it."
C Mann shook his head. "I can't. It's...something I can't talk about."
"But Mr. Booke is dead! What can be preventing you from speaking now?" asked the judge.
The man straightened up and for the first time I've seen him, looked and sounded absolutely solemn. "I will take it to the grave. It has nothing to do with this case. Even if I'm wrong, it's fine. Jail ain't as bad as it seems."
"But Charlie!"
"Listen up, Ray!" C Mann growled slamming his fist into the stand again. "It's none of your business! I...I know you're trying to help, but I ain't saying nothing about this!"
"In that case," I said adjusting the position of my glasses. "There is something else you can testify about, that being your actions on the day of crime."
"But I already told ya-"
I was growing impatient.
(For the love of God answer a question. Just one fucking question.)
I slammed my right hand on the bench.
"Well, too bad! Let's do it one more time! Not, like the court knows your entire story yet. And maybe there's something we missed. Let's hear it from the Mann himself!"
He hesitated before groaning aloud. "Fine. As long as she isn't questioning me, I'll do it."
"That's the defense's job to cross examine you, not mine. So, if you will..."
Mann shot me a nasty look. I ignored it and waited for him to begin.
Witness Testimony
What I did the day of the crime
-I went to work about 7:30.
- I signed in on that sheet outside of Mr. Johnson's room.
-I entered the meat station where I work, it was pretty cold.
-I don't remember much, but something struck me over the head...
-I passed out after that and when I woke up...
-I was covered in blood looking at Booke's corpse.
-I got so scared, I just ended up running out of that room as far away from it as I could get!
Mr. Mann looked down and was acting as though he had a meat board chopping meat, though he was doing so in a petrified manner. The courtroom broke out into a bunch of murmuring. The Judge banged his gavel a few times to silence them.
"I don't know what to make of this testimony. Though, I would imagine waking up covered in blood with a corpse hanging in front of you would be a terrifying experience for anyone," he shook his head as though he were shaking the creepy feelings off of himself. "Mr. Shields, you may begin the cross examination."
"Yes, Your Honor." Shields nodded.
Cross Examination
What I did the day of the crime
-I went to work about 7:30.
- I signed in on that sheet outside of Mr. Johnson's room.
HOLD IT!
"So, you saw everyone else who signed in before you on the sheet?"
"What kinda question is that? Course I did. Well, everyone 'cept that dweeb Larry. His name wasn't on there." Mann said pretending to throw knife up in the air.
"You don't have any idea how long that sheet was up there for?" asked Ray.
"No idea, man. It just said on the top that the puncher was broken and to sign in there."
-I entered the meat station where I work, it was pretty cold.
HOLD IT!
"But, isn't a meat room supposed to be cold?" Ray shrugged.
Mann slammed a fist down. "HEY! You think I'm kidding around when I say cold, man!? It was an ice box in that room! The room's supposed to be cold, but not frozen cold. It's not a freezer. It has to be just...right. But not, so right that it's right wing, you follow me?"
Shields put his hands up, sweating a little. "Uh, yeah. I do follow you. So, the room was colder than usual...interesting."
(Now, why would that be?)
-I don't remember much, but something struck me over the head...
HOLD IT!
"Do you have any idea what could of hit you? Or who could have done it?"
"HA! Trust me, if I knew who did it I'd a clocked them myself by now! ...Iunno what coulda hit me, though. It was something very hard and heavy, I know that much."
-I passed out after that and when I woke up...
HOLD IT!
"How long were you out?" asked Ray hands in pockets.
Mr. Mann just glared at him.
"The defendant will answer the question," said the judge.
"I'll only it say it ONE more time. I don't know how long as I was out for," he folded his arms.
"Sorry. Then, let me ask this: How much time had passed before someone knocked you out?"
"Huh. I was in the room for about...an hour and a half I think. Then someone came in and... wham!"
"And you didn't notice anything that could give a clue to who it was?"
Mann shook his head. "A lot of people come in and out of that room, either to punch in or just to throw stuff out. You just get used to it after a while. I didn't even bother looking up. I mean, who the hell expects to be attacked at work like that?! Huh?!"
"Yeah, Uncle Ray wouldn't expect to go in to work to be attacked, well, unless it's on the account of an evil prosecutor." he smirked looking at me.
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, shut up."
-I was covered in blood and looking up at the Booke's corpse.
-I got so scared, I just ended up running out of that room as far away from it as I could get!
OBJECTION!
"Huh? What?"Mann asked.
"Charlie, don't play dumb. I can't help you if you leave things out." Ray shrugged. "You aren't going to conveniently forget the knife, right?"
The butcher's knife with the bloody handle appeared on the giant holographic screen. Mann's eyes widened.
"...Yeah, that's true. I did carry the knife."
"For what purpose?"
"I wasn't thinking, alright? ...I really love that knife. It's my favorite one! I mean what is an artist without his tools?! Can you chop meat without a knife? Impossible! I mean, I feel kinda empty if I'm not using it," he mimicked chopping meat on a board this time excitedly. "Plus, it was just lying next me when I woke up so I just took it."
"..."
The courtroom went very quiet.
"W-what? Why is everyone quiet all of a sudden? Why's everyone looking at me like that, huh?!" Mann asked timidly holding onto his smock.
"To put it simply, C Mann...your explanation is hard to take in. You see a bloody knife in front of a dead body and take it? And then even put it in your locker?" I shook my head.
"H-hey! I realized what I did was a bad idea...and then I realized people would think I did it so I put it in my locker..." he frowned.
"I have to agree with the prosecution. Why on earth would anyone do that? I love my golf clubs, but if they were covered in blood at a crime scene I would leave them there!" he closed his eyes. "I can't say this testimony has helped remove doubt about who the killer is. Mr. Shields, unless you have any more questions for the defendant, you should end this cross examination."
I could see Shield's face, scowling at how things were going. A little part of me enjoyed it, but only a small part. I didn't want to keep making Mann look bad if he were innocent, but I didn't have many other options to go with.
"I have no further questions," he said defeatedly.
And with that Mann was escorted back to his seat by bailiffs.
"I really don't think I see the need of prolonging this trial. The defendant's guilt is clear to me-"
OBJECTION!
"We aren't finished yet, Your Honor! You're already forgetting that the store manager was brought in to answer some questions."
"But after that, I'm not sure if we need to hear more. Ms. Doom has clearly defined her case and have used solid evidence to substantiate her claims. I hardly see the need to keep going."
OBJECTION!
I made the quiet coyote sign. "The need is simple. We don't know everything yet. Why the sign in sheet was created, when the punch in machine was working perfectly fine is something only the manager can answer. I'm glad you are aware of how good my case is, however I want all loose ends tied up. I'm certain this testimony will help me perfectly establish my case- to put a final nail in the defendant's coffin. Or..." I removed my glasses and twirled them. "It can give the defense it's last chance to find a hole in my nearly air tight case."
I looked at Ray, making a face that I hoped was screaming: THIS IS IT. DO YOUR DEFENSE SHIT. I was certain he understood, or least hoped he did.
"I see you're both very passionate today... Though, I don't see too much need to proceed, I suppose I am curious about the machine and the sign up sheets. However, this will be the last testimony. If this testimony does not shed new light on this case, I will hand down my verdict. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Your Honor," I nodded.
"Crystal clear, Your Honor," said Ray.
"Ms. Doom, you said the witness was already here?"
"Indeed, he is waiting in a lobby to be called. He wouldn't mind going sooner than later, because he is a very busy man." I remarked sarcastically.
The judge nodded. "Very well. Bailiff! Bring the witness to the stand."
In a couple of minutes, the pudgy and untidy manager was brought into the courtroom. He stood at the witness stand, but couldn't be seen causing the bailiff to bring out a wooden crate for him to stand on. One could only hope the crate would support his weight, because the goal was to have him up there as long as possible, until we could declare him guilty.
I decided to keep the trial moving. "Witness, state your name and occupation for the court."
"Hmph. Woody Johnson, store manager for Kum and Go."
"We want you to testify about sign in sheet and punch in machine. Is that clear?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I already know. Stop asking me so I can get on with it and leave. I got stuff to do."
"Yes, important stuff that involves sitting in a dark room at a computer screen. Wouldn't want to disrupt that." I rolled my eyes. "Lawyerpants, this is it. If you can't pull anything from this cross examination, it's over.
Ray pressed his hat down. "I can see that, but Uncle Ray has it covered. Let's get started!"
"Are you two done yammering?" Johnson asked sourly.
Witness Testimony
About sign in
-Look, that machine was broken.
-I have no reason to lie about it otherwise.
-When I tried using it at then end of the day, it didn't work.
-So, I left a sheet for other employees to sign in on my office door
"Happy now? Can I go?" he asked rocking back and forth on that crate.
"Not, until I'm done questioning you, no."
Cross Examination
About sign in
-Look, that machine was broken.
HOLD IT!
"Can you prove it?" asked Ray.
"Can you prove it wasn't at the time?" spat back Johnson.
Ray started sweating. "...No, I guess I can't."
"Then, it was broken. Anyway..."
-I have no reason to lie about it otherwise.
HOLD IT!
"Why wouldn't you have a reason to lie about it?"
Johnson huffed. "Are you stupid? Why would I bother with that, when the murder happened anywhere from 8 to 11? The machine being broken is just coincidental."
"That's hard to believe..."
"Well, too bad, because you don't have a lick of proof to say otherwise, do you?"
Ray was starting to get irritated, and maybe even say something fresh, but he dropped the point and moved on.
-When I tried using it at the end of the day, it didn't work.
HOLD IT!
"Actually, what was the end of your day? What time did you leave?"
"I left around 6 PM. I was tired that day so I left earlier than I normally do."
"When do you normally leave?"
"Around 8 PM, but it depends on when I'm starting my shift. I tend to stick around for a while though."
"I see."
-So, I left a sheet for other employees to sign in on my office door
HOLD IT!
"When did you do that?"
Johnson sighed exasperated. "After I saw it wasn't working around 6. I put it on my door then."
OBJECTION!
"You know, I don't think I can't buy that statement." Ray grinned.
"And why not?"
"Because of what a certain employee told us previously- Mr. Butz had entered the building at 1:07 according to this." Ray said presenting the time punch on the screen for the court. "And he claimed to have heard very loud yelling coming from your office around that time, which leads me to suspect you were still there and not alone either," shrugged Ray.
Johnson was finally showing signs of being shook up, he was starting to sweat now.
"That moron...! He- he was probably hearing things," he laughed nervously.
"And why would he have a reason to lie about that? You're not the nicest man I've ever met, and according to other witness testimony, you aren't well liked amongst your peers, with a habit of yelling at them for any mishap that occurs at that store."
Johnson was now glaring a hole into Ray's head. I laughed quietly to myself. I without a doubt I agreed with Ray, though I know I would have said that in...fewer than nice words.
"Fine."
"Are you confessing to being there?" asked the judge.
"Slow down, you old geezer. I didn't say that! Let's say for a theory, that yeah, I was there yelling at someone. What does it mean? Nothing. After all, the body was in the meat room with Charlie covered in blood holding the murder weapon at 11 AM. Even if I was here at 1 it doesn't mean a thing. On the report it says the time of death was some time between 8 to 11, which I wasn't there for, but Charlie was. You can't pin this on me as much as you'd like to."
"Darned, I guess you got me there," he paused. Something had occurred to him and his hands went up in the air. "Wait, you said you had no reason to lie, but if that's the case, why does it say you came in at 3 AM on this sheet?"
Johnson began to sway back and forth on that crate. "I, um, well...because I did."
"Are you now saying you came in at 3?" asked the judge.
"Y-yeah! The other thing was a theory! I didn't really stay here till past one..."
"I don't find this witness's testimony to be all together, but unless you have some proof against it, I'll have to ask you to end this cross examination."
"But..." Ray's expression was a grave one.
"Ha! I told ya you couldn't pin this on me. That prosecutor was right when you said you'd try to, but you can't do a thing without proof," laughed Johnson obnoxiously, stomach bouncing in all directions.
"Actually," I began. "I have a question of my own. Hypothetically, let's say you were there at 1 yelling at someone. Who would be there that late?"
"Even if that were true, it would be none of your business!"
(He's definitely hiding something. I'd bet my life it was Booke he was talking to.)
"Why is that? If it's all hypothetical, why not give a couple of names of who might be there?" I asked forcefully.
"Because it's not relevant, quit being nosy! What is this, why are you asking this stuff? I thought you were on my side."
I laughed out loud. "Who said I was on your side? I'm on the law's side, not yours. To be honest, I think you're full of shit."
"Ms. Doom!" yelled the judge disapprovingly. "That is a penalty."
I waved my hand in the air, it didn't matter. "I only called you to save time. I knew you'd be dragged in here anyway and after that chat this morning, you got some nerve thinking I'd be on your side. You're foul."
Johnson looked like he had been slapped in the face. "You...two timing..."
"And you know, I find it interesting that you keep pointing out how you couldn't be the murderer because of the times. You were only asked to testify about the punch in machine and sign in sheet. You weren't accused of murder...not just yet anyway. You're pretty defensive now as well."
He was failing to balance on that crate again. "I- I am done here. I have stuff to do and no one has any evidence to support their claims. I'm leaving."
OBJECTION!
"You're not leaving just yet, buddy. I have a couple of more questions." said Ray.
"Mr. Shields, I hope these questions are relevant," said the judge growing impatient. "This man is questionable, but what is says is correct. If you don't have any evidence to substantiate your claims, he will be dismissed."
"Heh, exactly!" Johnson said triumphantly.
Ray was trying to stall by asking an array of bullshit questions. Something was wrong, but what exactly was it? Johnson had to be the killer, but how could we prove it?
I cleared my mind and laid the facts out before me in my head. The way Johnson kept parading how he couldn't have been the murderer because of the time was bothering me, but as to the reason why, I couldn't exactly put a finger on it. He was correct- based on the time frame, it didn't seem likely that he were the killer, especially with Charlie coming to work at 7:30 in the morning. So, he couldn't have been the killer, right? ...No, that wasn't it. He had to be the killer. Larry came in at 1. He heard yelling from Johnson's office. Larry also didn't see the time sheet and used the time clock not knowing how it was allegedly supposed to be broken. This means, the clock being broken was a lie and Johnson's name on that sign up sheet also a lie. I could also assume that the reason Johnson won't tell us who he was speaking to that night was because he was speaking to Booke. And he was angry with him for some reason. If this is true, then Booke's name on the sign in sheet was also a lie. But the time of death is between 8-11. There's no need to make up the time sheet and broken machine, right? Unless, it was broken like he said, but... It din't make sense...maybe he really wasn't the guilty party. Gah, no! That couldn't be it...
My world was slowing down, everything was coming to a halt. I was trying to conjure images of what could have possibly happened the day of the murder, but I was stuck. I closed my eyes trying to force out an explanation of any kind.
(Ugh! I'm almost there, I'm just not thinking hard enough. Come on, brain! Please, work! Please! I had to think. Think. Think. Think. Think! THINK!)
Time ?
Location ?
It felt as though something in my head clicked open, as though I unlocked a door somewhere. It was a strange feeling. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind about what I should do. I sighed and opened my eyes-
"How...? What...?"
This wasn't the courtroom. I looked around left and right- the elegance, the organization, the suit jacket hanging on the hall, the bookcase of files, the chessboard, the Steel Samurai figurine- when the hell did I make it to Mr. Edgeworth's office?
(What the hell is this? What is happening?)
I was sitting on the couch in confusion, when a voice roused me.
"Hello, Lyn."
"M-Mr. Edgeworth!" I jumped up from my seat. "What- what is going on? How did I get here? Why am I at your office?"
"To be specific, this isn't actually my office. It's really your mind. I think you referred to it as your mind map or something like it previously. It helps you to think."
"I...I see? And you're here because?"
"Because you want me to be here," he said smugly. "Apparently, I make you think."
Even in my own mind, I could still feel embarrassment. Ngh.
"We don't have much time to talk about this, though," said Edgeworth curtly. "Let us begin. What is the true time of death?"
"Well, the autopsy says 8-11, but..."
"But?"
"It doesn't seem right. Why go through all the trouble with the sign in sheet and punch in machine, if the murder really happened from 8 -11?"
"Indeed. From that, what can you conclude?"
"! No way! Are you implying that the murder actually occurred at 1 AM?"
"Correct. Your question is why the autopsy report claims the time of death to be between the hours of 8AM to 11AM. That's not the right question to be asking. The proper question is: what circumstances arose that made the time of death look like 8AM to 11AM?"
"Uh, he paid someone to do the autopsy report?"
"Out of the question. Do you really think a man like him could convince someone of doing that?"
I wracked my brain together. What would make the death time change? Not, magic, not an act of God... maybe science? But I mean what could have done-
"AHHH! T-The cold room! Mr. Mann complained about the cold freezer like temperature in the room! The coldness screwed up an accurate report on the time of death!"
"Yes, correct. Mr. Johnson changed the time of death by messing with the temperature. Now, then. Why was he lying about the time clock? And the time sheet?"
"Because," I squinted. "the actual time of death was 1 AM. He was still with Booke and had killed him at that time. He was planning on leaving the body in the room with the time clock because of how potentially cold that room could get as well to frame Mr. Mann because they hated each other. If anyone entered that room and discovered the body he'd be in trouble. Therefore, the myth of the broken punch in machine was born and the time sheet was created. I doubt when Larry came, the time sheet wasn't in existence yet. Mr. Johnson was still most likely killing Mr. Booke or trying to figure out where to dispose of the body. Mr. Johnson lied about coming in at 3 and lied for Mr. Booke saying he came in around late 5 o'clock to throw off any suspicion."
"Excellent deduction," Edgeworth said pressing a finger to his forehead. "But if this is true, why didn't Mr. Mann notice the body?"
That was a good question. Why didn't he didn't he notice the body? It was hanging up on a hook and bleeding out everywhere. Unless...
"Mr. Johnson hid it in the meat room so it wouldn't be noticed by Mr. Mann when he entered. It would had to have been hidden in there considering the faked time of death. Mr. Johnson waited a bit until after Mr. Mann came to work at his station- he entered the room and knocked him out. He took the body from its hiding spot and hung it up on the hook. That way, there'd be lots of blood to forge a crime scene with. He left as though nothing happened and didn't return until Oldbag, saw Mr. Mann fleeing the scene. She probably found him, he played dumb and pretended to be the first one on scene to discover the body."
"Hmm, but how could he move the body?" he questioned with a confident smirk.
"What? What do you mean? He just...moved it." I said folding my arms.
"Lyn, a man of that short stature moving a giant like Mr. Booke with just his own strength, seems very unlikely. It's challenging enough for him to place the body on the meat hook. He'd probably preserve what energy he had for that feat. Mr. Johnson would need something to help him considering the distance from his office to the meat room."
"Oh."
He had a point there. Mr. Johnson was a little, fat, and out of shape man. Mr. Booke was muscular man who was taller than him. He would need to move the body with some assistance. If Mr. Booke were dragged, there would have been bruising on his body to suggest it. What could he have used?
"You have the answer. It's in your head already, put it together."
I groaned. What did he move it with ? A lift? A shopping cart?
Edgeworth was growing impatient with me. "Larry would have figured it out by now."
"Woah! Wait a second, Larry out think me-" I snapped my fingers. "Of course, he used a dolly! He dragged the body and put it on a dolly and wheeled it around! The sugar Larry spilled- it didn't make sense as to why all those trails were there, but, if Mr. Johnson were trying to wheel a body on the dolly through the sugar of course those trails would exist!"
I received a wry smile. "Exactly. There isn't much time to cover anything else, but that sums up the most important parts. You need to return, you have work to do."
"Aw," I frowned. I wondered if this was the type of conversation other me and Edgeworth would have a lot? I mean, this had to be based on something. "But, what if I get stuck again?"
"I'm confident you can figure it out. The truth is right at your fingertips."
It seemed Edgeworth was just as cool in my...mind castle or whatever this was, as he was in real life. "Uh, then will I see you again?"
"This is your mind, Lyn. I'll always be around if you ever need assistance." He bowed to me and returned to his cup of tea sitting on his desk. "Until that time arises again, farewell."
I blinked, the walls had crumbled and I was sent back to reality. I ran my fingers through my hair. That was an incredibly disorienting experience, useful, but it left me with a very what the fuck was that, sensation. I shook my head. I could see images of the things that had transpired recently- the tricks, the trial, the murder- the clarity was incredible. It was strange having this type of insight. But I couldn't enjoy having these new revelations for long.
"...Mr. Shields, there is no need to reexamine evidence. You haven't pulled any new information from the cross examination and have wasted our time with useless questions," said the judge clearly annoyed.
"But Your Honor! This man... this man is the true killer! Can't you see it?!"
"Another outburst like that, Mr. Shields, and I'm going to hold you in contempt of court!" the judge was about to bring down the gavel.
(Shit! That can't happen!)
OBJECTION!
The judge was exasperated. "What is it you're objecting to, Ms. Doom?"
"I object to..." I was sweating. I had my hands holding the sides of my head. "The, witness's...tom foolery?"
"Ms. Doom, you are wasting the court's time. This man has helped your case, I don't see why you're so intent on making him stay."
"W-wait! I...I have new evidence that will turn everything around!"
The judge looked surprised. "You do? Then where is it?"
I looked down. "It's...it's on it's way! Just give it some time, if just have some more time then we can get new information!"
"I'm afraid we've used enough time today. Nothing new was established through the cross examination, and I already made it clear that if nothing new arose from it, we'd end this trial."
I saw that ugly sneer, Johnson was giving me. Mocking. Mocking us all. That piece of garbage.
"I will have to call this cross examination to an-"
HOLD IT!
"Ms. Doom! What now?"
"I..."
Everyone was waiting for what I would say. Their eyes were glued upon me, like an actor on stage. They were expecting an act, but I had choked. I had forgotten my lines and was frozen stiff. I was feeling light headed and weak in the knees. This couldn't be happening. We were so close to getting a full picture- the truth was so close I could almost taste it. Yet, any good feeling of grasping that perfect truth was replaced with a sinking feeling in the bottom of my stomach. I believed I might throw up. We were about to lose him, he was about to walk away, get off scot free, and have some innocent man sent to jail in his stead. I knew what happened, I had just pieced it together. We needed to get that autopsy report updated, without that we couldn't place Johnson at the scene of the crime. Otherwise it was just theory I threw out was just a theory and nothing more. Once he was gone, the verdict would come down as guilty- the thought of it made me feel worse.
What could we do? Was this it? Was it over? Could we really do nothing to stop him from leaving? Was I just not capable of being a lawyer? Was the show over?
Profiles:
Maya Fey: Age 19. It looks like we're good friends based on what I know.
Miles Edgeworth: Age 26. My mentor? Likes giving me lectures. It seems we're on good terms.
Detective Gumshoe: Age 33. Lead detective on this case. Help me.
Reed Booke: Age 45. The victim in this case. Deli employee. Sounds like a jerk.
Charlie Mann: Age 30. Butcher. Suspect in this case. Found fleeing the crime scene. Really strange.
Woody Johnson: Age 51. Store manager. First one to discover the body. Likes to sit in the dark...
Larry Butz: Age 25. Janitor. This guy is insane, how does he even exist?
Jo Jo Inkos: Age 35. Assistant manager. Very kind seems genuinely concerned about what's happening.
Raymond Shields: Age 35. The sassy defense attorney I'll be facing in court. Fuck.
Wendy Oldbag: Age ?. Cashier. (Unfortunately) a witness.
Judge: Age ?. Old timer judge. No one know his real name.
Evidence:
Fingerprint time clock: Was said to be broken since sometime early this morning, but was used. Mysterious prints belong to Larry.
Sign in sheet: List of names and times people came in/out for work.
Bloody name tag: Suspect's name is on it.
Planner: List of Booke's day to day chores.
Autopsy report: Time of death estimated between the hours of 8:00 AM to 11: 00 AM. Cause of death blunt force trauma to the head. Death was not immediate. Puncture wounds occurred after death.
Fingerprint analysis: One set of prints belong to Mann, other prints are Larry's.
Blood results: Victim's blood found on the time clock.
Meat Cleaver: Blade is clean, but handle is covered in blood.
Kum & Go building plans: Map outline of the building.
Candle: "Special" candle Mr. Johnson made.
Sugar spill: Mess Larry made due to clumsiness. Different trails of sugar moving in different directions.
Tender Lender Notice: Asking for money, found in Johnson's waste basket.
Security camera footage: From day of the murder and earlier, but nothing odd appears on them.