August 7
Courtroom No. 4
12:00 PM
Felicity Amaya
Anton slowly approached the witness stand in the minutes that followed, and I watched him carefully. I had a feeling that he wasn't going to be a fan of getting up to testify. I had met him a few times when he dropped by the agency to visit with Mr. Morix and Chrysalis, and he was far from being a regular boy. He was so nervous all the time, and I had the sneaking suspicion that this wasn't going to sit well with him at all.
In fact, my worries were being proven. He was fiddling constantly with the hem of his shirt, and his hands couldn't seem to sit still. He glanced over to Chrysalis with wide, liquid eyes, and she gave him a smile as a vote of confidence. He nodded in response, but I don't think that it really did much to help him in the long run. He was ready to fall apart all over again the instant that their eye contact was broken.
"Please state your name and occupation for the court," Judge Frost declared, examining Anton with a solemn eye.
Anton hesitated before nodding. "I-I'm Anton B-Burke... I-I'm a student..." he stammered. I suspected that he wanted to say that he was involved with the Prosecutor's Office, but the words simply weren't coming out for him. Poor thing.
"Anton was present when the body was discovered, and he was also there when the cameraman arrived on the scene," Chrysalis explained, hopping in just in time to help Anton through his moment of nerves. "We should have him explain everything that he knows about the cameraman's actions the day of the crime. How does that sound?"
"I believe that's a lovely idea," grinned Prosecutor Lin. She looked over to Prosecutor Wood, who nodded her agreement. Prosecutor Wood looked just as nervous as Anton did, but she was hiding her anxiety far better. She seemed to have experience with appearing as if everything is fine regardless of how nervous she was. I made a mental note to catch up with her when I got the chance to talk to her about the case. Maybe she would feel better after being given the chance to speak with somebody about everything that's happened already.
Anton looked around the courtroom anxiously, and he looked more like a deer caught in the headlights than a young boy. His gaze eventually flew up to Judge Frost as he continued fiddling nervously with his clothing. "Um... Should I-I start t-talking now...?" he questioned.
Judge Frost nodded. "Yes. Please tell the court everything that you know about the cameraman and the video that he captured at the time of the body's discovery," she instructed, stern yet gentle.
Anton looked over to Chrysalis once again, and she gave him a thumbs-up and a gentle smile. He nodded upon seeing that she still believed in him, and he took in a slow, careful breath before exhaling. "Alright... I-I'll do my best!"
~ Witness Testimony ~
~ The Cameraman and His Video ~
-"The c-cameraman said his n-name was Lucas G-Gassman... He met us o-outside of the s-set just b-before we went inside..."
-"When we got i-inside, he just f-followed us around... H-He didn't say anything, m-maybe because he was f-focused on trying to record the v-video..."
-"We l-looked around most of the s-set with the help of J-James, and he was there with us the w-whole time... I don't think h-he ever left us alone, a-as a matter of fact..."
-"When the b-body was found, h-he was at the back of the g-group, but he was s-still there. I-I bet that he got i-it all on video, and w-we can look at it soon..."
-"H-He had a lot of c-complicated equipment, I-I remember... He didn't s-say what it was f-for, but he only s-seemed to be using the c-camera in his h-hands..."
-"I-I don't know a-all that much a-about r-recording video or anything, b-but I thought there was a l-lot of unnecessary stuff there... M-Maybe I'm just b-being silly..."
After Anton's testimony was finished, I was left frowning, and I turned to look over at Chrysalis. She seemed to be just as curious about our next step as I was, and I couldn't help but cringe at how that was not a good sign. We were bound to figure it out sooner or later, but it was still upsetting to know that she didn't have any ideas.
"The witness suffers from anxiety, so we would request that nobody pushes him too hard," Prosecutor Lin explained gently. "He's under a lot of pressure just by being here, and we would like him to take care of himself first and foremost."
Judge Frost nodded her understanding. "Of course. Defense, are you ready to begin the cross-examination?" she questioned. She shifted her gaze to both me and Chrysalis, and I could tell that she was making sure that we had heard Prosecutor Lin's warning regarding Anton's anxiety.
I nodded in response before looking over to Chrysalis. "Is there anything that stuck out to you during all of that?" I questioned. "Because I really didn't see anything that's all that weird... I mean, he was super nervous and fidgety, but I think that's just how he is."
Chrysalis nodded as confirmation. "Anton suffers from anxiety like Sora just said, so we have to be careful about pushing him too hard. In all honesty, I don't think that there's much we can do with his testimony until we get our hands on the camera footage, but there is one thing we can ask about... I want to know more about the equipment that the cameraman was carrying," she told me.
"You were there when the body was discovered... Did anything about it strike you as odd?" I asked, tilting my head to the side in curiosity.
Chrysalis hesitated before shrugging. "At first, I didn't think there was anything off about it, but now that Anton mentions it, there was a lot of equipment there that I don't think was necessary, and he seems to have noticed it. I don't remember exactly what equipment the cameraman was carrying at the time, but Anton definitely noticed. If we can ask him about what he thought was odd, then we can use it to our advantage. Maybe there's something involving Mr. Gassman that we can use."
"I doubt that he caught himself on camera during the sweep of the set, so that means all we can do is ask for testimony about how he looked at the time," I agreed with a nod. "Alright. Let's get right into this." I shifted my attention back to where Anton was standing before gesturing for him to repeat his testimony. He nodded slowly before speaking once more.
~ Cross-Examination ~
~ The Cameraman and His Video ~
-"The c-cameraman said his n-name was Lucas G-Gassman... He met us o-outside of the s-set just b-before we went inside..."
-"When we got i-inside, he just f-followed us around... H-He didn't say anything, m-maybe because he was f-focused on trying to record the v-video..."
-"We l-looked around most of the s-set with the help of J-James, and he was there with us the w-whole time... I don't think h-he ever left us alone, a-as a matter of fact..."
-"When the b-body was found, h-he was at the back of the g-group, but he was s-still there. I-I bet that he got i-it all on video, and w-we can look at it soon..."
-"H-He had a lot of c-complicated equipment, I-I remember... He didn't s-say what it was f-for, but he only s-seemed to be using the c-camera in his h-hands..."
-"I-I don't know a-all that much a-about r-recording video or anything, b-but I thought there was a l-lot of unnecessary stuff there... M-Maybe I'm just b-being silly..."
"Hold it!"
"Was there anything that stuck out about the cameraman's equipment? Were you able to pick out anything in particular that was in the chaos?" I asked, praying with everything I had that his answer would be a positive one.
Anton hesitated before shaking his head. "N-Not really... It l-looked like a hitchhiker's b-backpack though... It was r-really tall, and a-all sorts of s-stuff was practically f-falling out of it. I-I don't know e-exactly what all of it was m-meant to do, but... There was a l-lot of it."
I looked over to Chrysalis for confirmation, and she sighed before nodding. "He's right, as much as I hate to say it. There's really not anything that stuck out to me, but the bag was an absolute mess. It was enough to catch your attention for a moment, but since we were busy with other things, it wasn't as if we could afford to stare for too long. I feel like we'd just need to look over the bag again if we were really going to get a good idea of all that was there, but who's to say that it's even in the same condition as it was when we found the body yesterday?" she replied.
"I-I remember that there was s-some black stuff in it... I-It was sleek and b-black. I-I don't even think that e-everything was able to f-fit on the bag w-without hanging off something e-else. There was j-just a lot of random s-stuff, but I don't know what m-most of it was for..." Anton murmured.
"There are a lot of supplies involving video recording that are black, so I suppose that color at least makes sense," I commented, placing one hand on my chin. "Still, even if it makes sense, that... I don't know how to describe it... Something about it bothers me, to be honest. I feel like we need a picture of the bag or to find a way to examine it in person before we can let this go."
"Worst case scenario, it turns out to just be a random bag full of miscellaneous recording equipment. Best case scenario, it has a clue for us inside," Chrysalis agreed with a nod. "Given how large and clunky it was, I know that I wouldn't be surprised if he wound up running into something or if something got caught on his bag that he wound up pulling around with him. The bag was an absolute mess, and it's basically impossible to figure out any details about it without a photo."
"We'll have to see if you're given the chance to examine the bag in the future then," Prosecutor Lin declared with a light, easy smile. "We won't be able to say for sure what happened with the bag until we're able to check it out for ourselves, after all."
"Is there anything else that we think demands our immediate attention?" I questioned, looking over to Chrysalis with a frown. "I don't know if I want to keep Anton here for any longer than we have to. He looks absolutely miserable here."
"Perhaps the witness should step down for the time being. All of our previous questions regarding the discovery of the body were already answered with the help of the last witness, and I don't think that it's a good idea for him to stay here any longer than he absolutely has to," Chrysalis declared, looking up at Judge Frost as she spoke. She stole a brief glance to Anton, and my heart broke when she did. The poor thing looked absolutely terrible, and I felt awful for him having to be in a courtroom given how terrified he was.
"We don't have any further questions to ask him either," Prosecutor Lin agreed. Prosecutor Wood nodded from her side while looking over to Anton, and I saw him give them both a glance of extreme relief when he realized what we were trying to do.
Judge Frost nodded her understanding. "Of course. If the witness wishes to step down, he may do so at this time," she announced.
Anton nodded to Judge Frost. "Thank y-you!" he stammered before dashing off to the safety of the witness bench. When he arrived, he was met with a smile from Yuri, and I was relieved to see the way that his entire body sagged with gratitude that his testimony was over.
"I believe that we should take this time now to discuss the fact that only a few people arrived at the scene of the crime for the tour," Prosecutor Lin declared. "I personally think that there must have been some odd interference at the time given how only a few hours of notice were given to those who were meant to show up. The radio wasn't even told about the cancellation of the tour, and the lack of notice is incredibly strange. The fact that the defendant didn't receive this information is suspicious as well since the body was found in his dressing room."
"You suspect that someone else cancelled the tour somehow," Judge Frost commented with a frown. "I suppose this is feasible given the circumstances, but I doubt that there is any evidence to confirm this suspicion at the moment."
"Maybe not yet, but as soon as we're able to get into the director's office, we'll be able to check his computer. If we can get into his phone, we'll be able to see about his emails as well, and that might just be all that we need," Prosecutor Lin suggested with a shrug.
"The other members of the cast who didn't show up at the time said that they received an email from the director to say that he didn't want them to come, but... I still find that to be odd," Prosecutor Wood muttered. "I feel like the director would have given them more notice, and sending out such an important message by email is strange. After all, many of the stars in the show are on the younger side, so would they really check their email each day?"
"I bet one of them got the message and then passed it on to the rest, but I do agree that it's rather strange," Prosecutor Lin nodded. "What I think we're learning now is that nearly everything that we have yet to uncover regarding this case is locked behind one of three different doors."
"There's the literal door of the director's office that went missing at the time of the crime. We need to get into the victim's phone as well, and that's our second problem. The lack of a murder weapon is keeping us from getting any further as well, and there really isn't anything that we can use to find out more as long as those three walls are blocking our path," I commented.
"That's not exactly true," Chrysalis piped in. "Think back to the crime scene, will you? There was a footprint in the spilled makeup just beside the body. We already agreed that the footprint must have been made by somebody with that specific shoe size since if anyone wore shoes that were too much larger, they would have undoubtedly slipped due to the spilled powder. If we can find out who had that shoe size or wore those shoes, we could find our perpetrator."
"You make a good point," I nodded. "The powder was likely spilled when the culprit was trying to move the body using the rack. Maybe they bumped it while still positioning the clothing rack, and it dropped onto the floor behind them. From there, they set up the body to be discovered when James arrived to lead the tour, but they stepped in it on the way out of the room. That would make a lot of sense, and it explains how the powder fell over."
"That's all true," Prosecutor Lin agreed. "We've been trying to find out more about who those footprints could belong to, but... I'm afraid that we've already hit a bit of a roadblock. The victim was likely dead already as of the time of the crime, and he's the only one with feet that are anywhere near the size of the footprint."
"All of the people who were part of the tour have feet that are way smaller than the outline that we saw at the time of the crime," Prosecutor Wood explained. "The closest size comparison came from James himself, but it was still the difference of a few sizes. The killer had larger feet than anyone who was involved with the discovery of the body, and given that nobody from the cast showed up... That leaves us wondering..."
"The culprit could have committed the crime and then decided not to come back," Chrysalis concluded, a frown on her face. "Unless we can find out more about whose footprints those are, we're going to have a few problems in the future. I feel like it's practically required at this point, but... I don't know how well that's going to go. If the killer really did commit the murder and then decide to escape and go elsewhere, then we're going to have a real problem when it comes to figuring out who did it."
"What matters most aside from showing who committed this crime is clearing James' name though, and if we cans how feasibly that he didn't do it, then we might be able to have him freed from the detention center without any further issues," I pointed out. "It's all about us playing to our strengths in this situation, though given how many roadblocks we've already run into, that could be an issue..."
"Wait a minute," Chrysalis suddenly said, looking up to the prosecution with intensity in her eyes. "What about Mr. Gassman? Were you able to get his shoe size? Because if so, then we could totally use that to our advantage. Of course, it all comes down to him actually having the correct size, but... We'll just have to see, I suppose."
"Mr. Gassman wasn't able to spend all that much time at the crime scene, so... I'm afraid not," Prosecutor Lin answered. "He had to go elsewhere to get the film developed off his camera of the video he took during the tour. It took up a lot of his time, and we haven't been able to talk to him personally all that much because of it."
"Sounds to me like we've got a bit of a problem on our hands with that then," I commented, nudging Chrysalis with my elbow. She looked up at me and nodded, showing that she had gotten the message. We were going to have to find a way to speak with Mr. Gassman after the trial was over to make sure that he wasn't involved somehow. When this shoe size issue was combined with his large, bulky camera bag, he was starting to look a bit suspicious.
Before anyone could speak once again, Chrysalis' phone began to vibrate. She frowned and dug the device out of her pocket as Judge Frost glared at her. "Now is not the time to be answering phone calls," she said sternly, and I couldn't help but agree. What was Chrysalis thinking?
"This call is from the lead detective on this case," Chrysalis explained. "We asked her to tell us if any of the issues involving the crime scene were resolved. I'm only picking up for her because I believe it could aid the investigation." She pressed the button to accept the call before pressing the device up against her cheek, her other hand cupped around the area between her mouth and the phone's speaker.
I couldn't help but grin at her words. If that was true, then we were finally going to be able to make some progress on finding out more about the crime! We had been spending quite some time already trying to push and squirm against the roadblocks set up by the director's office, locked phone, and missing murder weapon, but it seemed that wouldn't be necessary anymore.
Judge Frost had relented in her anger when she realized the reason for Chrysalis answering the phone, and she was now watching the young girl curiously. I looked over to Prosecutor Lin and found that both she and Prosecutor Wood were also staring with wide, excited eyes. I felt my heart skip a beat in my chest. I couldn't tell which of the three possibilities for the investigation's progress would be best for us. I suppose that all three of them would be for the best, but that wasn't exactly up to me, so I shrugged it off.
Chrysalis hung up after bidding farewell to Mukuro, and she slid her phone back into her pocket. "She says that they were finally able to get into the director's office," she explained. "She believes that it would be for the best if the defense and prosecution both moved toward the crime scene as soon as possible to ensure that we're able to fully solve this issue."
Judge Frost nodded her understanding before looking over to Prosecutor Lin and Prosecutor Wood. "Does the prosecution object to adjourning the court for another session of investigation?" she questioned sternly.
Prosecutor Lin shook her head enthusiastically without even needing to ask Prosecutor Wood. "The prosecution has no objections," she confirmed. She even seemed to be excited about the idea of us being able to head out to look around more, and I couldn't blame her in the slightest. I thought it would be for the best given how few facts we were working with.
Judge Frost shifted her focus over to me and Chrysalis next. "How about the defense?" she asked. I doubt she was expecting us to object, but she seemed like a very thorough person, so it was in her nature to make sure that we were alright with it as well.
"The defense has no objections," I told her. I looked over to Chrysalis and found the girl smiling to herself, and I couldn't blame her in the slightest. We had been holding on for a breakthrough like this, and the door of the director's office opening was likely exactly what we needed, and I couldn't wait. This was going to be a great; I could already tell.
"In that case, court will reconvene tomorrow for another session of the trial. Until then, both the defense and prosecution are expected to thoroughly examine the crime scene. Results will be presented when court next comes into session. Until then, court is adjourned!" Judge Frost declared. She hit her gavel against the podium before her, and the next phase of the case began.
August 7
Defendant Lobby No. 4
12:45 PM
Felicity Amaya
When we got out to the defendant lobby, I immediately released a long, heavy sigh. "I'm glad we were able to get out of that one. I don't think that we would have been able to get much further than we did even if we wanted to, so it's good that everyone agreed that this session of investigation was needed," I said.
Chrysalis nodded. "I feel the same way... Mukuro called me basically as soon as the door opened, so they haven't had time to search the room yet. For all we know, the murder weapon could be hiding inside, and all it will take is a quick sweep of the area to find it at long last," she told me. "We'll have to get down to the crime scene as soon as possible to find out."
"Sounds like a plan to me," I agreed with a grin. I grabbed her by the wrist with intentions of dragging her out of the room, but Chrysalis pulled away before I had the chance. I tilted my head in her direction, but she didn't offer an answer, instead simply dropping her gaze to the floor with a sheepish blush rising in her cheeks.
Even if we had wanted to leave right then, we wouldn't have been given the chance. James, Yuri, and Anton approached us, and I knew that they were ready to talk about what had just happened. Yuri was the first one to speak, and she playfully punched Chrysalis on the shoulder. "Look at you two, being all cool during the trial," she declared.
Chrysalis let out a sigh and shook her head. "We did what we had to in order to help James out. That's what matters," she told Yuri firmly. "Anton, how are you feeling? I know that you were rather anxious when testifying. If there's anything we can do to help-"
Before she could even finish the sentence, Anton was running into her arms, pulling her into a quick, tight embrace. Chrysalis stood still in shock at first before returning the gesture. Anton looked up at her with glittering blue eyes. "Thanks, Chrysalis," he said confidently, and I have to admit that I was proud of how he was able to talk with stuttering. "I-I'm going to be fine!"
When Anton pulled away, his face was pulled tight with newfound determination, and I couldn't hold back my grin. He was such a sweet little kid! Every part of him was so pure that it just demanded my attention!
"It seems to me like we've got a great support group here," I commented, looking to Yuri and Anton with my widening grin. "We're planning on heading down to the crime scene to check out the director's office now that the door has been unlocked. Are you two coming with us?"
"I think we're going to be going with James instead," Yuri replied. "I know how lonely the detention center can get, and I don't think that he should be left alone. Nobody deserves that."
James shook his head. "If you're going to be needed at the crime scene, then you should be there. I don't want to be the reason that you stay behind," he told her, but the steel in Yuri's eyes would not be diverted by something as simple as James telling her to leave. I had come to know her well enough in the short time we had been working together to be fully aware of how stubborn she could get. She wasn't going to be swayed no matter what he said.
"Too bad! I'm staying behind no matter what you say," Yuri told him. "We know how terrible it is, and it's not like we're exactly needed at the crime scene. If anybody needs us, they can come and find us. In the meantime, we're happy to stay with you at the detention center."
I looked over to Chrysalis, and judging by the expression on her face, she was seeing right through Yuri's ploy about spending more time with James. She was likely doing this because of her massive crush on James, and it was impressive that she was still pretending that it was anything else. That sounded like Yuri alright. She was certainly getting closer to him for better or worse, so I suppose that counted for something.
"You did an impressive job in there," James suddenly said, and I realized belatedly that he was speaking to me and Chrysalis. His eyes were shining, and I couldn't help but wonder what had him so excited.
"Thank you," Chrysalis replied simply, a smile on her lips, but the grin didn't reach her eyes. "We're happy to help. It's what we do."
"You know, my father was a lawyer," James went on, closing his eyes in melancholy reminiscence. "He went missing a long time ago, but... I suppose I've always thought about following in his footsteps. I have an acting career now, but if that ever falls through, I know exactly what I'm going to be studying. Your work in there has only solidified my decision."
"I'm just happy that we've been able to help you out," I grinned to him. "It's so nice that we can work to get you out of the detention center. You're innocent, so you don't deserve to be locked up for something that you didn't do. It's not something that anybody deserves."
"I used to go to my father's trials when I was younger, but I didn't fully understand what was going on in them. I was too young to fully comprehend it, but times are different now. I'm glad that I'm able to be here with you two," James smiled. His irises were practically glowing with his sad grin, and I couldn't help but feel awful for him.
"Who knows? Maybe you'll find yourself as a member of our little team one day," I commented, nudging Chrysalis with my elbow to make sure that she caught on. She looked up at me with a nervous, awkward smile, but I couldn't quite place the cause of her jittery anticipation. I brushed it off, figuring that it wasn't a big deal.
James shrugged. "We'll simply have to see... But I suppose that I'm going to have to get going now. I know that I need to return to the detention center, and you have to investigate the crime scene. I'll be looking forward to your next update," he told us, bowing his head kindly. "Enjoy the rest of your day, lovely ladies!"
We watched as James walked away with Anton and Yuri, and I turned to Chrysalis. "He seems like a good kid," I commented. "Yuri certainly seems to think so too."
"I haven't seen her this into a guy in a long time," Chrysalis murmured. "But I suppose that there's nothing we can do about it now. She can have her crush, and since it's not going to interfere with our investigation, we're going to be fine. Now, how about we go to the crime scene to see what's waiting for us there?"
I nodded my agreement and started walking towards the door. Chrysalis trailed after me, and I could tell that she was just as determined as I was to follow through with finding the truth of this case. Getting into the director's office was just the first step, and we were going to get through this! That was a promise!
My school district is a nightmare wow
-Digital