AN: It's showtime. This chapter was running incredibly long so I had to split it into two parts. So double update time! Next chapter will be done sooner than my usual wait times lol. As always thanks for reading, reviewing, faving, and following!
OBSERVER01: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
CivilixXXX: I'm glad it was worth it. There isn't too much left now, so I'm hoping to get through it sooner than later.
GlaresThatKill: Thanks, I do try my best to have them written sooner than later, but then something gets in my that stops me from finishing in a more timely matter. But for me, better late than never. I always feel bad when I read a wonderfully written story that just ends, so I try my best to finish what I have even if it takes me a while. Thanks so much for the high praise; I remember how hard it was to write like this so to see the improvement over time is nice :). Well, I think your questions will be answered in this chapter...for better or for worse hehe. Lyn and Kristoph, they have and had their reasons ;). Thanks!
Jack54311: Well, it's gonna be a fight now. And well...hehe it certainly won't be easy considering what happens...That might be helpful, at least for Kristoph's case. The guard not so much. You gotta remember too that those channeled victims aren't necessarily accurate at times :P.
jh0.0: Wow, I'm flattered you read so fast. Thanks so much, hope you enjoy what's coming next :)!
JordanPhoenix: Lol that would be the perfect horrible couple, putrid and foolish. They'd be great at parties. I don't recall what Lyn's called him, but he's endured loads throughout the main games, so he can cope lol. Yup! Enemies haha. It'll all make sense soon enough.
June 3rd, 9:30 AM
Defendant Lobby No. 5
I had arrived at the courthouse early, unable to wait. After the talk I had with Lyn in the detention center yesterday, I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Just why would she suddenly want me to forget about this case? Especially when she clearly wasn't guilty? Earlier in the day she was rooting for me and yesterday evening she claimed that we were 'enemies'.
I sighed as I kept leafing through the notes in my case file on the bench.
"You seem troubled," Edgeworth said, as he now was standing in front of me. I had been so absorbed in my notes that I didn't even notice his entrance.
"You're not wrong," I frowned. I hadn't informed Edgeworth what happened at the detention center yesterday since I was sure he'd want to confront Lyn himself.
I didn't beat around the bush. Closing the file, I looked him directly in the eye. "Lyn's hiding something."
He folded his arms. "Hiding what?"
"I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's not good since she wanted me to drop the case and claimed that today we'd be enemies."
"Ridiculous," Edgeworth muttered, as I noticed his eye twitch in irritation. "It is always something…"
"I'm guessing you don't have any idea about why."
He sighed. "Believe me, I'm just as clueless as you are. When we spoke yesterday, nothing like that came up."
I stroked my chin. "Actually, around what time did you speak to her?"
"I visited around 2:45, I think. I didn't leave until 3:30."
"Did you notice anything off? Anything out of the ordinary back then?"
"No, everything was fine. We spoke normally. She even went as far to tell me her awful jokes," he rolled his eyes at the memory. "I only left when she was called back for further questioning."
(Hm...so it's possible that something transpired during questioning. Or afterwards, considering Kay and I were there sometime past 4.)
In about 5 minutes, my client was brought in by the bailiffs, very unenthused to see Edgeworth and I.
There was an awkward silence as we all looked at each other without saying a word. Eventually, I broke the ice. "Good morning," I said.
"I see that you came," was the cold response. Lyn had her arms folded looking as far away from me as possible. "Just like I thought."
"Um..." I had no idea what to say to that. But there was no way I was skipping out on the case.
"You're stupid for coming," she berated.
"Just what are you doing hiding things?" demanded Edgeworth headed straight to the heart of the matter. "No one has time for any of your games, Lyn."
She adjusted the glasses on her face. "I'm not playing any games. And quite frankly, it has nothing to do with you."
"What…?" he looked at her incredulously. Even I had to admit I was surprised, if anyone could talk sense into her it was Edgeworth.
"What has gotten into you?"
She took a step back looking down. "Like I said, it doesn't concern you, Miles. This is between me and Mr. Wright."
Edgeworth said nothing, he just took a breath, closed his eyes and tapped a finger against his arm.
Lyn was the most serious looking I had ever seen, but she couldn't hide the despondent expression she was making now.
After a minute or so Edgeworth spoke. "Stop being childish."
If he was trying to get a reaction out of her, it definitely worked. The blood rushed to her face. "Childish? Just what do you know?" she snapped. "You always think you know everything, but you don't. You have no idea about…about..."
She bit down on her lip, playing with her long fingers.
"No idea about what?" he pressed.
"I…" she closed her mouth as soon as she opened it. Then, she curled her hand into a fist, shaking her head. "...no. No, I won't fall for your stupid trick."
He reached for her hand. "Lyn, we can't help you if you don't tell us everything-"
"I don't want your help. I'll be fine by myself so...please leave me alone," she said as she jerked away from him. Wasting no time she walked to the door leading into the courtroom. She turned to me one last time. "It's up to you. We don't have to do this, you know."
"You're innocent, Lyn. I'm defending you until the end, no matter what."
"Fine, just remember it was your choice," she scowled. "I won't make this easy for you."
Before I could respond, she turned her back on me and slipped through the door with a resounding slam. Edgeworth and I stood there dumbfounded.
"...I see," he muttered to himself, as he held his arm. "Again, I find myself unhelpful..."
"Edgeworth..."
"Wright," he started. "I may not know what Lyn's hiding, but whatever it is, it's serious. A small insignificant truth is easy to grab from her. But the last secret she held about the future of your badge, Kristoph, and her origin...she didn't budge on it for months even with my badgering. She went as far as to distance herself just like she's doing right now. You'll have to be on the offensive when it comes to dealing with her."
"Wonderful. Now, I have to ward off two aggressive women at once," I sighed. In any other circumstance I was certain that would be fun, but this was anything but...
(Why me? How could I be this unlucky?)
"At least you do not need to hear the rather intense details of the interrogations," he frowned, folding his arms. "They've been at each other's throats and I'm caught in the middle of it."
"...Oof." In that case, I guess I did get the better end of the deal. Once I get past court the worst is over. I was glad I didn't feel stuck between two people like chatted briefly before the bailiff told me it was time to head in.
Hopefully this mess would be sorted out soon enough. If I was lucky I could figure out it today, but who knew what could happen inside?
June 3rd, 10:00 AM
District Courtroom No.4
As I made my way inside, the gallery was buzzing up a storm. The same amount of people had shown up once again to watch whatever would transpire in court today.
I exhaled deeply, as I took out my notes.
Franziska was already on the other side, her hand loosely holding her whip with her eyes shut. After a minute or so the judge came from his chambers and took his seat, banging the gavel three times in quick succession. The noise of the crowds above quieted.
"Court is now in session for the trial of Lyn Doom," the judge said. "Is the defense ready?"
As ready as I would ever be. "Yes," I nodded. "The defense is ready."
"Is the prosecution ready?"
Out came the whip, striking the judge square over the chest. "Yeowch!"
"Of course!" Franziska raised the whip over her head. "Let us not waste time today with trivialities. My open statement is as follows: the defendant is guilty and shall be proven with the latest evidence and witness testimonies prepared today. The prosecution maintains that the defendant killed Kristoph Gavin and Kevin Hutchison."
So, she wasn't changing her stance. I shouldn't have expected anything different.
"I see," the judge bobbed his head up and down. "That said, what has been discovered about the items in the safe?"
Franziska reached for her notes and began reading them aloud. "In the safe was found the victim, Kristoph Gavin's hair as well as his glasses. Also, a document written about a suicide case...after analyzing the writing style of the document as well as the journal, we found both to be a match to Kristoph Gavin's known writing."
"So, the victim left these items," the judge shook his head."But why? Why would he leave a document about a suicide case?"
"It is my belief that the victim was a disturbed individual, one of those conspiracy theorists," she began. "In his journal, he claimed that there was a Seeker connection to this particular case, known as the 'Maxwell Miller' case. However, it is pure speculation. He had no proof to show. The report in the safe ranted on about some sort of death trap and how it was the actual method of murder, despite the case being labeled as a suicide."
The judge blinked. "That sounds outlandish."
"The prosecution would like to submit this theory as evidence."
He nodded as the evidence was accepted into the court record. I took a second to read over the note.
A lot of it was a preamble, but the most important part came towards the end.
" 'This was no suicide. It was murder and it was murder by them...Seeker. They will go out of their way to kill anyone who doesn't bend to their will just to make a point. It is impossible for this to be a suicide...I guarantee they used one of their specialized death traps, I've heard talk of devices used to saw and hack off limbs or electrical currents used to force people into talking...ones that they use to kill and galvanize so flawlessly. But they're only used in special cases. They are too clean so they left no shred of evidence behind.' "
I stroked my chin as I squinted. Did they seriously have death traps? Could that be how it happened? That sounded crazy even to me.
The gallery was murmuring behind me. The judge banged his gavel asking for order. Franziska took no time moving on.
"That said, I'd like to call my first witness to the stand one I believe will help elucidate the victim's state."
The bailiff drew out of the room and in a few moments reappeared with Klavier Gavin, who had now taken his spot at the stand. He still didn't look good, but seemed better than he had the previous day.
"Witness, state your name and occupation to the court."
"Jaa...Klavier Gavin, prosecutor and guitarist, singer, and frontman of the Gavinners," he said, doing a quick air guitar.
"Testify about the night of the murder...more specifically what happened right before it."
He frowned, but nodded his head in solemness. "Alright."
I felt bad for the kid. He was lacking the gusto he had before. And it was all thanks to…
Witness Testimony
-What Happened Before The Murders-
-I had been...disturbed after my first case.
-After what I saw on the news, I needed to know the truth.
-So, I had plans to meet with my brother.
-I arrived at his house and we talked for a bit. Everything was fine until…
-...he started talking about this "shadow" thing and how it was coming for him.
-He was erratic. I had never seen him so...unhinged before.
-The next thing I knew, he struck my legs.
-I tried to talk sense into him, but he wasn't listening...so I tried to fight back.
-But he was too strong and the last thing I remember was being hit in the head.
-When I woke up, my clothes were gone and I was tied up in a closet.
My jaw dropped. What the heck?!
(It would make sense about the clothing, but to go so far to beat and tie him up as well?)
I shook my head.
I'd have to pull what I could from this testimony...If my hunch was correct, Franziska was trying to make Kristoph seem crazy. Though, his actions did a great job at it and making my life more difficult. After all, if he was crazy and violent...it would be a good excuse to murder him, wouldn't it? So...how do I prove he had his marbles?
Cross Examination
-What Happened Before The Murders-
-I had been...disturbed after my first case.
HOLD IT!
"You mean the case against me?"
"Jaa, a big mistake was almost made...because of my brother's meddling," he said with his hands over his ears. "And then that little girl poisoned…"
I nodded in understanding. "That's a lot for any case, let alone your first."
"And…"
-After what I saw on the news, I needed to know the truth.
HOLD IT!
"What did you see on the news?" I asked stroking my chin.
He folded his arms, nearly sticking his nose up in the air as he muttered. "Es ist beschämend, dass Sie es nicht wissen..."
The whip's lashes made their way over to the boy twice.
"Ack!" he said as his fist was pressed into the bench, sweating bullets.
"Schneide es aus! Du schämst meine Sprache. Sie werden auf Englisch antworten!" Franziska whipped the bench. "Do you understand?"
Regaining his posture, he started playing in his hair. "Alright, alright, I get it Herr von Karma. You're no fun."
"This is a trial!"
Klavier grinned widely. "Well, you can believe me now, right?"
"...Fine. You are not as bone headed as once believed in my mother tongue. It does not mean it does not disgust me in how you use it as a farce," Franziska declared, raising her whip over her head.
"Blame my fans, I just give them what they want," he laughed.
"Uh...what just happened?" I asked.
"I agree, Mr. Wright," said the judge. "I too am very lost."
"Why don't you get a little more cultured some time," Klavier grinned. "Anyway, I said it should be obvious. Vera Misham's kidnapping caught my eye. And since the likelihood of my brother knowing her...I needed to know if he was involved."
-So, I had plans to meet with my brother.
HOLD IT!
"So, you told him you wanted to see him and talk about it?" I asked.
"Actually…" Klavier paused. "He reached out to me first. It had been some time since we had spoken and I...was uncertain."
(Interesting.)
"So, he asked me to come over to his house, to have a proper conversation."
-I arrived at his house and we talked for a bit. Everything was fine until…
HOLD IT!
"What did you end up talking about? You said he called you, not the other way around," I stroked my cheek.
"Well, I did question if he had kidnapped the girl seeing as it wouldn't be stretch to believe...if he poisoned her," he remarked, sweating bullets. "But he kept denying he had anything to do with that. I tried to get more out of him about his intentions during that case but then…"
-...he started talking about this "shadow" thing and how it was coming for him.
HOLD IT!
My eyebrows raised. "The shadow? And you're certain he said that?"
"Yes!" he snapped his fingers. "That's all he went on about. How he was being watched every day and night, how he didn't have time, how they were out to get them and soon they'd be out to get me and so on and so forth."
"Did you believe it?"
Klavier shook his head. "Absolutely not."
-He was erratic. I had never seen him so...unhinged before.
HOLD IT!
"How was he erratic?"
"Well...you've seen how he usually would look," Klavier began hesitantly, playing in his hair. "He was always pretty pristine. But he had this kind of wild look in his eye, like he was some sort of caged animal. His hair had unraveled, his eyes were blood red...I had to admit it scared me. He kept yelling at me to believe him. It was like he was possessed."
(Yeah, that totally sounds sane.)
-The next thing I knew, he struck my legs.
HOLD IT!
I leaned into the bench. This, I found hard to believe. "Struck your legs?"
"Yeah, he had a pipe he had taken out...and all of sudden he just bashed my knees with it," Klavier said looking down at the floor.
"That sounds awful," said the judge, wincing.
-I tried to talk sense into him, but he wasn't listening...so I tried to fight back.
HOLD IT!
"What did you do?" I pressed.
"I tried to wrestle the pipe away from him, but he was in a frenzy. He was bigger than me, so I couldn't stop him."
-The last thing I remember was being hit in the head.
HOLD IT!
"How long do you think you were out for?"
"I don't know. It was probably over an hour by the time I came to."
-When I woke up, my clothes were gone and I was tied up in a closet.
HOLD IT!
"So, he took your clothes and tied you up?" I asked stroking my chin. Just what was Kristoph thinking doing all of this?
"I had no idea why at the time. But when I woke up, I couldn't move, my hands were tied behind my back and my legs hurt so bad...in a cramped dark closet," he said with his hands over both his ears.
"How did you get out?"
Klavier frowned. "The police came to report 'my' murder and came to the house. I was yelling and banging against the door as much as I could to get anyone's attention. So luckily, they found me a few hours after."
"Does this not illustrate the victim's bizarre and erratic behavior?" asked Franziska, smirking. "He beat and locked away his own brother, stole his clothes and began masquerading as him before his death. It is impossible to say he was in the right state of mind. Acting like this, I would not fault the defendant if she felt threatened."
The judge nodded with his eyes shut. "This behavior certainly is unstable. I would be fearful for my life if I had to encounter such an individual."
(Is there anything here I can use to prove otherwise? Something that he was thinking or planning?)
It's a bit of a stretch, but I was sure I could pull it off.
-So, I had plans to meet with my brother.
OBJECTION!
I placed my hands on my hips. "Maybe it all looks crazy on the outset, but on the inside, Kristoph's behaviors do make sense."
OBJECTION!
Franziska whipped the bench. "You're telling me beating someone, stealing their possessions, and pretending to be them makes sense?"
"Perhaps not for us, but for him it made perfect sense. After all, we have it written in his own words," I smirked, presenting his journal.
"Mr. Wright, what passage there shows there was a rhyme and reason for the victim's actions towards his brother?"
TAKE THAT!
"It's right here! Where it says: 'And tell Klavier it was for his own good and I stand by my choice.' "
"And...what does that mean? For my own good? How could that be?" Klavier asked me, now sweating up a storm with his hand balled up into a fist.
(That's a good question.)
There could only be three reasons why Kristoph did what he did to his brother…I could whittle it down to malice, insanity, or security.
I picked up my notes. "I think when we connect what we know about everyone involved and the events of that night, it all becomes clear. Kristoph beat Klavier and stole his identity that evening to serve a two fold purpose."
Franziska snorted. "I'm not convinced that you are just trying to pull the wool over our eyes, Phoenix Wright. What would be the alleged first purpose?"
"Let's take into account my client. It's a well known fact that she and the victim had a poor relationship...but she and the victim's brother had an actual friendship. Kristoph Gavin, had been exposed in the Grammarye trial. He had nowhere else to turn as he was being hunted. So, he thought if no one would listen to Kristoph Gavin...he figured someone would listen to Klavier Gavin instead."
"Ahhh…" said the judge, nodding in understanding.
"Lyn had known what had transpired in that case plus she and Klavier were friends. What a great excuse to reach out to her and spill the beans? So, purpose one was to get Lyn to listen to his concerns about the Seeker organization. And he could only do that as one person…"
TAKE THAT!
"And that is Klavier Gavin," I said slamming on the bench for emphasis as I presented his profile.
"...So suppose we go down with this little theory of yours. What other reason would he have to masquerade as his brother?" Franziska asked with the skepticism deeply rooted in her voice.
I shook my head. "Easy peasy. Kristoph believed the organization was closing in on him, so he thought he needed to deliver critical information to someone who would listen...and also protect himself. After all, he was a sitting duck. The organization knew who he was. To become Klavier was a way to buy time for himself and perhaps even to protect Klavier himself."
"And where is your proof?"
TAKE THAT!
"Once again Kristoph's journal tells all: 'And who would even want to help me after that trial? Not even my own brother trusted me at this point. But I had no other choice. Someone needed to know about them. The shadow. I called him over...I told him how it was watching everything. And to be wary of it.' "
I slammed both hands on the bench. "Kristoph saw the threat even if no one believed him. He even warned his brother, even though at this point Klavier didn't trust or believe in him. In his eyes, I can assume he thought it was safer or better to have Klavier incapacitated in case anything went wrong."
The boy's eyes widened. "S-so! When he said it was for my own good...he…"
(I honestly can't tell what type of person he was considering what he tried to do to me and did to Vera...but…)
"He was trying to keep you out of it. Otherwise...he could have just as easily had you meet with Lyn yourself. I doubt you would have objected to a friendly meeting."
"...No, probably not."
"It still doesn't change what happened," whipped Franziska. "Even if this speculation of yours is correct, do you really believe that he was in the right state of mind, talking about death traps like some sort of movie? Leaving his hair and glasses behind in a safe in the prosecutor's office?"
"Uh...well…" I rubbed the back of my head with a forced grin. "Maybe…?"
With incredible force I was knocked back by a blow from the whip. "Ow!" I yelled, as my eyes watered.
"You foolish fool! This is pointless conjuncture. Everything the victim left in the safe was pointless and does not render him any less a dangerous individual."
"I'm inclined to agree," nodded the judge. "While Mr. Wright proposes an interesting theory, I still don't understand why the victim would do this."
I stroked my chin. Were the other items in the safe pointless? Or did they have a point?
(It's wild, but I have reasonable idea as to why. Those actions weren't pointless.)
I examined my notes. "Let me start by saying that all the actions Kristoph Gavin did have some sort of point to them."
"Then explain the hair and glasses," demanded Franziska.
"Alright, he left those there because…" I paused to get my thoughts all together. "...to prove without a doubt it had been him to deposit the items in the safe."
"What?"
I would answer it through Klavier. I turned my focus to the boy. "Klavier, did your brother always wear glasses?"
"Yeah, he never went anywhere without them."
"And he always had long hair?"
He nodded. "I was jealous at how fast his grew out. Once it got to a certain length, he kept it that way."
I slammed the bench. "As you can see, our victim was a very vain man, particular about his appearance. He wouldn't have changed his appearance for no reason at all."
Franziska slammed her fist into the bench. "And the conspiracy theory?"
"Easy," I said placing my hands on my hips. "It comes back to...proof."
"Elaborate, Mr. Wright. Just what was the victim trying to prove?"
"Well, the victim left his journal with information about Seeker. There was always a possibility, that even he acknowledged, that no one would believe his story. However, he knew about one particular case that was so suspicious that no one in their right mind would turn a blind eye to, that being the Maxwell Miller case."
"So what? That case is labeled a suicide. It's closed," Franziska wagged a finger at me.
I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. It only matters that the details of the case are what stood out to the victim. To be shot, and have your arms torn from your body...there's no way anyone would believe it was a suicide, right?"
The judge blinked. "Whaaaat? H-how could that be possible? Did he have an extra set of arms?!"
"Exactly, my point!" I slammed the bench with both hands. "This is what led to Kristoph claiming this was a Seeker related incident."
OBJECTION!
"Again, this is only his word and only speculation. This case has never appeared in my research into Seeker. Where's your proof?"
TAKE THAT!
"While it's not exactly concrete, this article written by this reporter corroborates Kristoph's ideas," I said tapping the piece of paper against my fingers.
" 'The police investigation ended unusually fast and closed without a shred of evidence being found to indicate the appearance of a perpetrator or another human on the scene. But how could it be? How could it be humanely possible that someone had the means to rip their arms off and shoot themselves in the head?"
"Even if this was *actually a suicide* he would have needed to help. And most suicides according to research are quick, this by no means is a quick death. The fact that no other trace of a person existed in the apartment where Maxwell Miller is a very popular well liked worker amongst his peers is highly suspect."
"According to his friends I interviewed, he'd host parties every so often. Why then isn't there a single fingerprint, hair, fiber anything in that place that isn't his? The police may have labeled this a suicide, but the public is starting to wonder. Was the murderer really that good not to leave a trace? Or...were the police that good at hiding a murderer?"
"End quote," I said, slamming my hands on the bench. Ugh, I heard him say it so much it started to rub off on me. " 'Was the murderer really that good not to leave a trace? Or...were the police that good at hiding a murderer?' This line says it all! Kristoph may have seemed wildly unstable, but other people were also of the opinion that something peculiar happened in this case!"
OBJECTION!
"That doesn't mean that Seeker was involved!"
OBJECTION!
"NO, but what does matter is the perception! The fact that another person outside of Kristoph noticed something was wrong is the important fact here!"
"Nrg…"
"This means he was not as off his rocker as he seemed!" I pointed.
"Quite frankly, I believe it would be anything short of crazy to believe that a suicide was possible in such a case. The fact that the victim tried to bring someone's attention to it, shows me he was in sound mind," the judge declared.
(Yes! That's an ace in the hole!)
"That said," began the judge. "I think it's fine to end this cross examination."
He brought the gavel down and Klavier was escorted off the stand.
"Now then, how will the prosecution proceed?"
Franziska was over in the prosecutor's bench stewing. She whipped the bench, took a breath to regain some semblance of control of herself. "The prosecution would like to call-"
HOLD IT!
"Who was that?" blinked the judge.
"It was me," said Lyn, who was now at the witness stand.
The judge was looking like a goldfish who had accidentally hopped out of its bowl of water. "What is the meaning of-"
"You're wrong. Kristoph...was crazy," Lyn said clutching the stand with both hands. "And when I found out who he was I...I did it! I killed him!"
"What?!" my jaw dropped. What was she thinking? Was she seriously confessing?!
Franziska smirked. "So you're finally admitting guilt?"
"...Not like it's for you, you know," Lyn muttered as she crossed her arms.
"So, this is a confession?" asked the judge. "If so, I see no need to proceed with this trial-"
OBJECTION!
"Your Honor, I object! My client is making a false claim!" I pointed. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but this is entirely different from what you told me before!"
"Well things change," she scowled. "I'm guilty so just pass the verdict now-"
OBJECTION!
I slammed the bench. There was no way in hell, I was going to let that stand. "I demand the right to cross examine my client before any verdict is passed!"
"Tch! Screw you!" she cried taking her glasses off and squeezing them in her hand. "Ms. von Karma! You believe I'm guilty...so end this!"
Franziska held her whip in silence, looking at Lyn with a piercing gaze. Eventually, she bent over with a smirk, wagging her finger.
"While it is nice to see you finally admitting your guilt...the trial will not end before you testify. There a few things I'd like to know...so you will not be escaping so easily Lyn Doom."
"Dammit…." Lyn was sweating now, as she stopped squeezing her glasses and placed back on her face.
"Now then, defendant," Franziska pointed. "Just what do you know about the shadow? What more do you know about Seeker? You will testify now."
With a grunt, she began.
Witness Testimony
-What I know-
-I obviously know a bunch, since I had first hand experience with them.
-They're pretty scary.
-The shadow, especially because whenever you see it…
-...You're a goner. You're dead.
-Honestly, that's all you need to know.
Franziska glared at the girl and whipped her twice. "OW!"
Then she whipped me thrice. "H-Hey I didn't do anything," I protested.
"Phoenix Wright, you will cross examine her vague statements now!" she demanded as she tugged on her whip.
Even though Lyn was reeling from the pain, she was smirking at Franziska's aggravation.
"Lyn…why won't you just tell the truth?"
"Stop talking about boring stuff," she said removing her glasses and twirling them in the air. "I already told you to give up, but since you're still standing over there...let's get this over with."
She wasn't kidding.
I knew she wasn't messing around from the beginning after yesterday and especially in the lobby this morning. But these statements were so incredibly vague, that I had no doubt she probably had some traps laid out. For now, I'd press and see what would happen.
-Cross Examination-
-What I know-
-I obviously know a bunch, since I had first hand experience with them.
HOLD IT!
"Can you elaborate on that?"
She yawned. "Same old same old. You know. Murder mansion hell where one of their hired assassins killed half the guests, and almost killed my boyfriend...They are vicious, sneaky, and will go to the ends of the earth to achieve a goal. Oh! And they tried to drown me."
"Tried to drown you?" I pressed.
"Yeah, you know," she waved a hand nonchalantly. "The car crash I had after escaping the restaurant."
I stroked my chin. "How do you know it was Seeker, though?"
"Who else could it be? I'm sure they wanted to tie up loose ends. After all, I killed Kristoph. Maybe they were mad I beat them to it," Lyn shrugged.
(...I can't do anything with that. I have to keep looking.)
-They're pretty scary.
HOLD IT!
"How so?" I asked. If I could get her to slip up with expounding on some details...I'm sure I could catch her.
"I mean...they're like invisible!" she said placing both hands over her ears, her eyes wide. "They're hard to track down and when they do show up they mean business. That assassin guy...he killed people so effortlessly at the mansion. Half the dinner party was dead within a few hours. Imagine if the police never showed up, I probably would be dead by now!"
-The shadow, especially because whenever you see it…
HOLD IT!
I scratched the side of my cheek. I wondered how she'd respond. "Have you seen the shadow?"
"Unfortunately," she pouted, folding her arms.
"What's it look like?" I asked.
"Horrible! It's...all black and it's face is a skull…"
"What is this foolishly foolish talk? Nobody's face is a skull!" protested Franziska.
"Not like you'd know! You've never seen it!" Lyn stood her ground, pressing up her glasses. "And it's the worst thing in the world because if you see it…"
-...You're a goner. You're dead.
HOLD IT!
"So, if you've seen the shadow, what exactly happens?"
"It kills you! Dead! Death! Kaplow! Bye bye cruel earth...you're over," she said in a deflated way.
I cocked my head to the side. It was too vague. "But...how does it kill?"
"By any means necessary!"
-Honestly, that's all you need to know.
HOLD IT!
"Lyn, you're lying!" I pointed.
"Nu uh! There's not a single lie in this testimony, I guarantee it." she grinned, pressing the glasses up on her face. "You wanna accept defeat here?"
"Well, Mr. Wright?" questioned the judge. "If nothing is wrong with the defendant's testimony, I see no need to prolong the trial."
(No...something's wrong. Because if there's not a thing wrong this trial is as good as done.)
"Yes, something is wrong with her testimony," I said stroking my chin.
"Really?" asked Franziska with an outstretched hand. "I have little doubt you are doing nothing more than bluffing...so enlighten the court. What's wrong with her testimony?"
(That's just the problem. Nothing here is wrong...it's everything we already know...we know…No, it should be everything we think we know.)
It clicked. I put my hands on my hips. "That wasn't half bad, Lyn."
The smug expression fell into that of mild surprise. "Huh? ...Really?"
"You almost had me fooled. But you made one mistake."
She started sweating. "N-no I didn't. You're bluffing!"
I shook my head. "The only one here bluffing is you...or let us say stretching the truth, in this case. Let me ask you once more: You've seen the shadow?"
"Yes! I have! What's wrong with that?"
"Quite frankly, everything," I said looking at my notes, tapping my fingers against them. "According to this piece of evidence…"
TAKE THAT!
"...You shouldn't be alive," I said as I presented Kristoph's journal.
"Huh…? What do you mean?"
"What passage would indicate that, Mr. Wright?" asked the judge.
TAKE THAT!
"The one right here: 'It's rumored that once you've seen The Shadow, your time is coming to a close...and it's in part why I decided to write. Whatever you do, you must absolutely keep a low profile to avoid being hunted by The Shadow.' "
"When Kristoph made this journal, he had limited time. He had claimed to see the Shadow...and knew he was going to die soon. By the same logic, why isn't Lyn dead? It's been over two weeks since the murders at the Oceanic, after all."
"So...what does it mean, Mr. Wright?"
I slammed the bench. "It means that Lyn never once saw the shadow!"
OBJECTION!
This time it was from Lyn. "B-b-but! I did! I really did see it!"
I was rather surprised. She didn't appear to be lying now. I stroked my chin. "Where and when was the first time you saw it?"
"Well...it was sometime after I woke up in the hospital."
"What does that matter?" asked Franziska. "If Gavin's journal is to be fully believed, the defendant is lying."
I shook my head. "She's not actually. It's totally possible for her to have seen it."
The judge shook his head. "S-so which is it? I'm getting confused."
"The one way Lyn could have seen the shadow is because…"
TAKE THAT!
"If we look at the defendant's medical records...you'll see that she suffers from brain damage. And one of the long term effects of that brain damage is...hallucinations."
"Ah! So you're saying...the defendant saw only hallucinations of the shadow?" asked the judge.
"Yes," I nodded.
OBJECTION!
"That doesn't mean there wasn't a possibility of her seeing it prior to the hallucinations!"
OBJECTION!
"Kristoph Gavin is dead! And it's claimed once you see it you'll be dying soon! Lyn is still alive!"
OBJECTION!
"The victim's word isn't gospel! I want concrete evidence that the shadow the defendant saw was only her hallucinations!"
"Solid proof, huh? ...Okay. I can prove it."
"What?!"
TAKE THAT!
"If we take a look at this… it will all become clear!"
The judge blinked. "Another journal? Do you have a fetish for reading other people's thoughts, Mr. Wright?"
I hunched over and began to sweat. "No, Your Honor...just...anyway. This is the defendant's journal. And right on this page is the evidence that will prove that these were hallucinations."
" ' So for today, for fun I decided I was going to do rankings of the hottest guys I've seen-' "
"KYAAA! MR. WRIGHT! I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR A-" Lyn's arms were pushing her up on the stand, as though she were about to climb up and make a lunge towards me.
"Ahhhh! Your Honor! No! NO! The sentence above, I'm pointing to the sentence above that!"
"Ah! I see. That makes a little more sense. You mean, 'It's a good distraction for how everything is right now after that crash...it helps to not think about the shadow so much.' "
"Yes…" I said weakly. Luckily for me, Lyn settled down. She was still seething, but not ready to murder me anymore. "Um and if you notice the date of the entry...it's dated a week after Lyn was discharged from the hospital, right after the hallucinations started...this combined with how she's still alive and only Kristoph is dead proves that her shadow is just a hallucination!"
"But how could she hallucinate something she never actually saw?"
"...I have a hunch that after she read Kristoph's journal, the shadow made quite the impression on her to the point it affected her mental wellbeing. After all, Kristoph describes it in detail."
"...Are you done now?" snapped Lyn. "Hand my journal back over!"
"S-sorry not before-"
"You've violated our blood oath! I'll never forgive you!" Lyn glared.
"Hmph...even so, did you forget the other glaring problem, Phoenix Wright?" Franziska chimed in.
"What's that?"
"Even if her knowledge of Seeker is mostly hearsay...Lyn Doom has confessed to the crime," she smirked.
"Yeah! That's right!" barked Lyn in agreement.
"This is true," the judge said, closing his eyes for a moment. "That last cross examination doesn't mean much if the defendant is claiming to be guilty."
(Uh oh. The judge is losing patience…)
HOLD IT!
"That may be so, but I know Lyn didn't do it! She's not telling the truth...and as her lawyer I demand the right to cross examine!"
"Very well...but let it be known that this will be the last cross examination of the defendant. If no new information is brought to light in regards to the culprit, I will pass down my verdict," the judge said gravely.
"So let's hear it. What did you do the night of the crime?" asked Franziska.
-Witness Testimony-
-It Was Me-
-Kristoph pretending to Klavier had invited me for dinner.
-Not knowing it was him, I showed up. But not without a guard.
-We met up and chatted for a while before dinner.
-Then dinner came and that's when I noticed it.
-I went to the bathroom acting like everything was fine but I was planning my next move.
-First I went to the guard's room and killed him with the knife and then...
-When I returned to my room, Kristoph was distracted with the rock looking at the window and that's when I took the opportunity to grab the pool cue and…
-I did it. I killed him.
"That's totally different from what you told me in the detention center!" I pointed.
"Hm? What are you talking about?" she asked me, feigning ignorance, twirling her glasses in her hand. "Even if I did say something different, that information wouldn't be admissible as evidence in court."
"I don't get why you're doing this, but I believe in you, Lyn."
For a moment, her eyes widened. She looked down towards the floor, her brows scrunched in consternation. "I…"
"You're innocent and I won't go away until I prove it."
She folded her arms, daring to meet my gaze. "But I...can't stop now. I won't let you win…if I lose it's over…."
(It's over? What exactly would that be?)
"Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross examination."
I took another glance at the girl, as she chewed the inside of her mouth. Her sullenness grew exponentially as she ran her fingers over the stand.
Cross Examination
-It Was Me-
-Kristoph pretending to Klavier had invited me for dinner.
HOLD IT!
"What did you think of it at the time?"
"I was surprised, but really relieved that he was okay and reached out since I hadn't heard anything from him in a while."
-Not knowing it was him, I showed up. But not without a guard.
HOLD IT!
"Why the guard?" I pressed.
"It was Miles' idea, not mine. He was paranoid about Kristoph and what he could possibly do after the trial leading to his suspension," she said twirling her glasses once more.
-We met up and chatted for a while before dinner.
HOLD IT!
"What did you talk about?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. Just work mostly and what he had been up to after that trial since I hadn't seen him in a while."
-Then dinner came and that's when I noticed it.
HOLD IT!
"Noticed what exactly?" I asked scratching the back of my head.
"That he wasn't Klavier."
"And how did you know it wasn't Klavier?" I questioned. Before, she had no idea it was Kristoph. He clearly had a convincing act.
"Well...he was a lot more pale. And more serious. So yeah. That's when I realized after he sent me with that note," she said, though it was an obvious lie to me.
-I went to the bathroom acting like everything was fine but I was planning my next move.
HOLD IT!
"What was your next move?"
She folded her arms. "Isn't it obvious? It was Kristoph! I had to do something to protect myself! So I made a quick plan to get rid of him."
"Mind adding that to your testimony?" I asked.
-After realizing the truth of his identity, I made a plan to get rid of Kristoph to protect myself.
HOLD IT!
(A plan? Really now?)
I decided to really hone in on this as I pressed my hands into the bench. "And what was this so called plan?"
Lyn fidgeted with her fingers, glancing at the floor for a moment. "Uh, well, it was like get rid of the guard and then use anything I could in the room to take out Kristoph! So…"
-First I went to the guard's room and killed him with the knife and then…
HOLD IT!
"When did you kill the guard?"
"...Before I came back to our room."
"And when did you grab the knife?"
"Oh, that? I just picked it up on the way out before I left for the bathroom," she smirked. "Anyway…"
-When I returned to my room, Kristoph was distracted with the rock looking at the window and that's when I took the opportunity to grab the pool cue and…
HOLD IT!
"Seems rather convenient for you," I said stroking my chin.
Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead. "Huh?"
"That the timing of the rock crashing through the window and Kristoph noticing it was the same exact time you decide to come in and pick up any ol' object lying around to murder him."
Lyn pressed her glasses up on her face. "W-well, let's just chalk it up to great luck! That's how things were, when I got there, so deal with it!"
(That's what you want me to do, but I won't let go so easily.)
-Did it. I killed him.
HOLD IT!
"You're saying that you're the one who killed Kristoph with the pool cue?"
"Yes!" she said slamming her hands down on the stand. "How many times do you have to hear it? It was me! I did it! Now, lock me up!"
"Well you've heard it straight from the horse's mouth…" smirked Franziska. "We might as well end it here."
(Lyn did a mostly alright job...but there's one glaring problem with her lie. It's time to tear the rug from underneath her.)
-After realizing the truth of his identity, I made a plan to get rid of Kristoph to protect myself.
OBJECTION!
"I've got you now," I said, placing my hands on my hips.
"G-got what? You don't have anything on me except for my journal, you filthy p-pervert!"
"That was for evidence!" I protested, while sweating. (You're the pervert, not me!)
I took a moment to regain my composure. "Anyway...I've caught you in a bad lie. Tell me," I started as I presented the body guard's profile. "Why would you feel the need to protect yourself, when you were accompanied by a hired guard? One that was right next door?"
"A-ack!" Lyn pressed her hands to her face, eyes wide.
"If I felt threatened, the first thing I would have done was go right next door to the hired guard to get him to protect me! Not confront the threat directly! What would be the point of the guard?" I pointed.
"Urk...stupid...Phoenix..." she was muttering under her breath.
OBJECTION!
Franziska held her whip over head. "It could be very well that the defendant wanted revenge."
OBJECTION!
"Even so, there are two things wrong with the idea," I said looking at my notes. "The guard is in the room next door, not in the room with them. There is no good reason for Lyn to murder him. She could have easily murdered Kristoph and claimed it to be self defense in this scenario, but never did. Plus, it is impossible for her to have not only killed the guard and Kristoph!"
"And why is that? She is claiming as much!"
"Did you already forget?" I shook my head. "I'll make it as clear as possible with this!"
TAKE THAT!
"That stupid rock again?" growled Franziska. "Your head is full of them, Phoenix Wright!"
"Don't get upset that your case is just as rocky as they come," I smirked. But I couldn't for long as a couple of whip lashes came my way.
"What's the importance of the rock, Mr. Wright?" asked the judge.
"As we've already established earlier, the rock had to have been thrown by a 3rd party. An accomplice. There's not enough time for Lyn to have murdered the guard and come back to kill Kristoph."
"Then...she had an accomplice," shrugged the prosecution.
"Yeah! What she said!" Lyn chimed in.
"Well, Mr. Wright, what do you think? Do you think the defendant was working with someone else?"
(...Of course she wasn't. She's making this all up. Though, I do believe there were two separate people behind this. However, I need proof. I can't just say no without disproving it…so how I can do it? How can I prove she had no part in it? Or I should look at it another way...proof that someone else was involved.)
"I don't believe Lyn was working with anyone at all," I said stroking my chin.
"Harumph. But two people are involved. What is it you're getting at?"
"Of course two people are involved. It just wasn't my client and I have the proof to back it up."
"W-what?!"
"Then what is it? What proves that the defendant had nothing to do with it?" asked the judge.
TAKE THAT!
I presented the listening device to the court.
"H-huh? Wh-what's that thing?" asked Lyn.
I placed my hands on my hips triumphantly. "Oh, so you don't know? Ms. I was totally involved with the crime, doesn't know what this is?"
"H-hey! S-stop being so mean!" she flushed.
"Well, just so you know...this is a listening device. This was found under the table of the room you and Kristoph were having dinner in!"
"What?!" she pressed both hands firmly into her cheeks so hard she started to look like a fish. "But...but…but..."
I slammed my hands on the bench. "If you were actually involved you would have known about the listening device. There was no way this was left there by accident."
The judge glanced at the device quizzically. "So what was the purpose of this listening device?"
(The purpose of the listening device was…)
"I believe it's use was two fold, Your Honor," I said, stroking my chin. "Whoever placed it there wanted to know what was being discussed and also wanted to know the timing."
"The timing? What foolish theory are you blathering out now?"
I presented the rock once more, much to her chagrin as her response to whip me.
I winced, but it didn't stop my explanation. "Let's think about it. Lyn leaves the room to use the bathroom, the people using the listening to device notice this opportunity. What do they do?"
"Ah. Someone throws the rock and..."
"...The other kills Kristoph," I finished.
"That's-"
"Plausible, considering the defendant clearly knows nothing about the device. I can't believe the defendant's statement about being involved knowingly with an accomplice because it," said the judge seriously. "Ms. Doom."
"Y-yes?"
"You know that you can be charged for perjury," the judge remarked sternly.
Lyn only folded her arms like a petulant child and twisted her mouth into a scowl.
The judge sighed. "I think we've heard enough from the defendant for now seeing as it was mostly a waste of time."
He banged the gavel. The bailiffs removed her from the stand as the crowd murmured in the background.
"If not for this new discovery, I would have felt satisfied to draw this case to a close. However it presents a new problem: Who was the one to leave the listening device?"
"You might have some other questions too, considering the new evidence we've found," said a familiar gruff voice.
"Detective Badd?" blinked the judge. "What's this about new evidence?"
The rough and tough detective made his way to the stand. He stuck a lollipop in his mouth before speaking. "Right, so we discovered a few things. I was late to the party because of test results. Anyway, I'll start with the knife."
He presented the knife we discovered in the pot.
"In addition to having no known prints and Kristoph Gavin's blood, we found that the tip of the blade was covered in a tranquilizer."
"A tranquilizer? But why?" asked the judge.
"More likely than not, it probably would make attacking the victim easier if he were a bit drowsy. Hell, it was very possible the attacker tried to kill with the knife first before choosing the pool cue. If you examine the back of the victim's jacket, you'll see the tear right down the middle. It matches the blade."
(Interesting.)
Knife updated in the court record.
"The next evidence I'd like to present," he said, stroking his chin. "Is this toxicology report."
"Ah! Is this for the guard?" I asked in eagerness.
"The one and only," he remarked dryly. "Apparently, this sorry guy had three times the regular amount of sleep medication in his bloodstream. And based on the circumstances of the murder, I have no doubts in my mind he was drugged."
"I see," remarked the judge deep in thought. "Accepted as evidence for the court record."
"Anyway, that's all I have to report for now," Badd said looking into his mirror as he stepped off the stand. "You kids play nice now."
The crowd broke out into loud noise at the new revelations.
The judge banged his gavel a few times demanding order and threatening those watching with being held in contempt of court.
"With those new facts," he started. "It leads to another question: who drugged the guard? I couldn't fathom him taking this much medication on the job."
"Glad to see that brain of yours is still functional," Franziska smirked as she wagged a finger. "The answer is simple: it was the defendant."
HOLD IT!
"Where's your proof?" I asked her. "When would Lyn have time to drug the guard?"
"Easy, before they arrived at the Oceanic."
"But that's implausible," I pointed. "Why would she drug the guard before going?"
"Perhaps it was a lie and she was set out to commit murder that night regardless of who it was. As far as I know the defendant wasn't in love with the idea of having a guard follow her around, she said as much herself," Franziska said leaning over the bench smugly.
"Then let's ask her or Mr. Edgeworth-"
OBJECTION!
"I'm sure the court would rather not waste anymore questioning the defendant. And Miles Edgeworth would not be a reliable source of information in this matter, considering he would foolishly try to protect the defendant. Besides," she said with a smirk. "It's not entirely out of the question as the defendant is also known for pulling a variety of foolishly foolish practical jokes on others."
(Urk...it's a somewhat valid point.)
"Okay, fair enough. But I will argue that there's also a possibility that the guard was drugged at the Oceanic sometime after he arrived."
"But unless you can turn up evidence, my theory stands," whipped Franziska.
(Of course...but what's new?)
"Speaking of drugging, I would like to call my next witness who has a background in medicine. Perhaps, they can shed some light on this situation more."
The judge called for the bailiff to bring in the witness. What came next was anyone's guess...
Evidence:
Attorney's badge: It's my all-important badge. It shows that I am a defense attorney.
Autopsy Report #1:For Kevin Hutchinson. Estimated time of death 9:05 PM. Cause of death slit throat. Died within 1 minute. Traces of benzodiazepine discovered in system.
Autopsy Report #2: For Kristoph Gavin. Estimated time of death 9:22 PM. Cause of death blunt force trauma to head. Died instantly.
Crime Scene Photos: Show Kristoph dead on the pool table and Kevin slumped over in the chair.
Seeker Tabloid: Article that talks about Seeker's goals.
Lyn's Medical Documents: Discusses the injuries and damages she sustained from the car crash, as well as medication taken.
Hostage Newspaper Article: Discusses the hostage taking at the prosector's office.
Lyn's Journal: ...Has some interesting personal details.
Kristoph's Journal: Contains instructions and information about the Seeker organization.
Bloody Pool Cue: Murder weapon that ended Kristoph Gavin's life. Lyn's prints are on it.
Broken Window: A rock was thrown through the window, and one has to wonder why...
Listening Device: Found under the table in private room 3 where Kristoph Gavin was murdered.
Hidden Knife: Steak knife found in a plant pot in private room 3. Has no known prints and Kristoph Gavin's blood. The tip of the blade is covered in a tranquilizer.
Black Scrap: Burned fabric found in the fireplace.
Bloody steak knife: weapon used to murder Kevin Hutchinson. Lyn's prints are on it.
Toxicology Report: Kevin Hutchinson's blood stream had 3 times the recommended amount of sleep medication.
Profiles:
Maya Fey: Age 19. A close friend. Used to be my assistant before leaving to become Master of Kurain.
Trucy Wright: Age 8. My adopted daughter. Already dresses the part of a magician to the hilt.
Detective Badd: Age 53. In charge of the Interpol investigation. Very gruff.
Franziska von Karma: Age 19. Prosecutor in charge of this case. Working with Interpol.
Kay Faraday: Age 17. Claims to be the Yatagarasu. Edgeworth's mischief making assistant.
Detective Gumshoe: Age 33. Homicide detective at the local precinct.
Lyn Doom: Age 25. My client. A feisty prosecutor who helped saved my badge.
Miles Edgeworth: Age 27. A close friend. A well known prosecutor.
Kristoph Gavin: Deceased. The attorney who tried to revoke my badge. Pretended to be his brother the night of the murder.
Kevin Hutchinson: Deceased. Body guard hired to look after Lyn the night of the murder.
Klavier Gavin: Age 17. Star prosecutor and leader/vocalist for the rock group, the Gavinners. Still alive.
Eva Green: Age 36. An obsessive dentist, witness for this case.
Judge: Age ?. Judge who presides over my trials.
Connie Hall: Age 29. Waitress at the Oceanic who dreams of being a Hollywood actress.
Oppie Rah: Age 28. A rather extravagant artist.