A/N: Hey guys! Here's another long chapter!

Review Replies-

Gamergirl: I know that feeling, believe me! The end of the trial will be different from the game, so he won't react the same way (aka: punching his adoptive father). I had WAY too much fun coming up with that, and it won't be his last courtroom trick, believe me! He's a magician, through and through, even if he doesn't want to be. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Lastly, I (as EmeraldWings1992) am collaborating with other Ace Attorney fans to write Investigations 3! It's going to be EPIC, and while I'm only a special beta (Logic Chess/Magatama segments), I still had a hand in the planning stage. You should go check it out! It's under PierceTheVeils, and called Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: End of an Era. Prologue went up July 1st!

Well, here we go!

Chapter 12-2: The Wright Anything Agency

April

"That was quite… unexpected, Phoenix. To suddenly claim there was another person at the scene of the crime like that… I must ask… is it the truth?" Gavin said as soon as we got to the defendant's lobby. Dad looked at him for a moment.

"Well now… I'd think you would know the answer to that?" he said, his voice heavy with meaning. I quickly looked at Dad, knowing him well enough to know he was implying something.

I wasn't sure I wanted to know what that something was…

"Ah, being mysterious, are we? Sadly, I've no time for mysteries. I'd only ask that you leave the defending to your defense, in the future. Otherwise… I cannot guarantee the outcome," Gavin replied. I could almost hear the undercurrent of a threat.

"I see you haven't mellowed out one bit, Kristoph," Dad said pleasantly, seeming to not hear it.

Gavin shook his head and turned to me. "Apollo."

"Yes?" I asked, looking up at him.

"The judge has summoned me to his chambers, so carry on without me," he said, before walking away. We watched the door close behind me.

"You did well, kiddo," Dad said, clasping my shoulder. I frowned slightly shrugging him off.

"No thanks to you, Dad. You of all people should know how suspicious you're making yourself look, between lying and staying silent about the murder?" I shook my head. "You're making it really hard for me to defend you," I ranted, before moving in close and hissing "especially since I know where you got that locket, and who the victim is."

Dad looked at me, shocked.

"As I was leaving, Shadi – Zak – whatever, walked in." I could feel myself getting worked up, but was powerless to stop it. "So I stayed and overheard everything you two talked about. And I waited for you to come back up out of the Hydeout, to confront him. I know you took that locket off of him, and I know he gave all of the rights to the Gramarye magic to Trucy, and I know he's dead, and I—" I cut off as Dad's arms wrapped around me, holding me tight against his chest, anchoring me back down and dispelling the all consuming rage building in me. I sighed, resting my forehead against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Apollo. I'm sorry," he said.

"You have nothing… I trailed off and shook my head. "Why are you hiding his identity, Dad?" I asked.

"Because if it came out that Zak Gramarye reappeared after seven years, you and Trucy would be thrown back into the public eye. And even though I didn't kill him, if his real identity was revealed, that would make my motive that much stronger. Too strong to disprove, in fact, and I would probably be found guilty. Where would that put you and Trucy?" he said. I thought about what he said and nodded.

"Makes sense," I muttered. Dad gave me a squeeze, before stepping back.

"Now then, you compared magic and poker, but remember, law isn't that different from either of those," he said.

"It's not?" I asked.

"No. It's all about reading one's thoughts. Perceiving. You're usually very attentive to people's unconscious tells. Didn't you notice that witness, Ms. Orly's?" he asked. I smiled weakly.

"No, though I can't say I've been a hundred percent clear headed either," I admitted. Dad sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, get clearheaded. You're going to need it to win this," he said. "Ms. Orly would touch the back of her neck during certain parts of her testimony," Dad explained. I nodded, taking a deep breath and calming down. Then I smiled.

"You've been around me and Trucy too long, if you can pick it up," I said, and he laughed at me.

"Maybe. Finally, one more thing, Apollo. I haven't told the truth of this case to anyone yet," Dad said. I sighed.

"I knew it."

"I have my reasons, of course. All shall be revealed. And Apollo… I need you to be there, defending me," Dad said. I sighed softly.

"Dad, even if I'm incredibly irritated at you for making my first case so hard… you know I'll never abandon you," I said. He smiled before looking at the clock.

"…It's time. The real trial begins now. Do your best," he said, clasping my shoulder once more, before we reentered the courtroom.

"Court will now reconvene. Has our witness, Ms. Olga Orly, recovered?" the Judge asked, looking at Payne.

"Y-yes, Your Honor! Er, well, she's regained consciousness…" he admitted, sweating buckets.

"Perhaps we can hear her version of the events again?" Gavin asked as I opened my mouth. I looked up at him in surprise.

Uh, shouldn't I be the one doing all of this?

"That's the thing… you see, she's quite fatigued," Payne said.

"You're looking a bit fatigued yourself, Mr. Payne," the Judge said.

"Sadly, fatigue is insufficient grounds for refusing to testify… or prosecute," Gavin countered. "The defense would like to request that Ms. Orly take the stand."

Really? Again, shouldn't I be the one saying all of this?

"Very well. The witness will take the stand!" the Judge announced. Olga was shown to the stand, which she promptly hid behind.

"Perhaps you could repeat your name and profession?" Gavin said. Olga didn't answer. "Or perhaps you'd rather admit that you're a poor liar, and a poorer loser."

"Ny-ny-nye-!" she started, before growing tired of her charade. "Not." She pulled the hat, heavy jacket, and gloves off, dropping them to the floor and revealing a dealer's outfit beneath, topped off with a red bandana on her head that had a dice print on it. "Name's Olga Orly," she said with a decidedly non-Russian accent. "That's the truth. I'm a pro dealer. People call me… Olga "Quick-Fingers" Orly!" she said.

"Oh… oh really?" the Judge asked, shocked byt the sudden change in the witness.

"What to know something else? I'm not really Russian! And my last name sounds like "Oh really!" There, that's the truth! I hope you're satisfied," she huffed.

"Witness!" I said before Gavin could speak. "You will tell the court what you were really up to that night!"

"Fine, I'll talk. We had a plan, see," she started.

"Let me remind you that you are currently under oath. Any further fabrications will have serious consequences," the Judge said. Olga hesitated before shrugging.

"…Fine. Like I said, I'm a pro. That guy, Smith, hired me to do what I do best. I was planted at the Borscht Bowl Club several days prior to the night of the game. As a witness," she explained. I ground my teeth together, not liking where this was going.

"So you were in cahoots with the victim…" I ground out.

"Not that he needed my help. Smith is a well-known poker player in some circles. But winning wasn't the main purpose of this game. It was about destroying a legend: the unbeatable Phoenix Wright! The plan was simple. Elegant, really. You see, we set up a trap of storts… I was to plant a card in Wright's pocket beforehand… and then deal five aces during one of the games. When their hands were revealed, Smith would call him out and search Wright. He would then pull out the planted card and the trap would snap shut!" Olga shook her head. "Exposed as a cheater and losing on top of it! It would have made a great double play. Just like that, the legend would be dashed to pieces."

I wanted to yell and scream. I wanted to punch something. I wanted to do something – anything – but sit here and listen to how Zak wanted to screw over Dad again, especially now that Dad was taking care of Zak's kids.

But I had to get to the bottom of the case. If I left now, I would also be screwing Dad over.

Get a hold of yourself, Apollo. Zak's dead. He can't destroy Dad's life again…

"Oh really, Orly"? How droll. But… it appears you made quite the mistake," Gavin said as I tuned back in to the trial on hand.

"A mistake?" the Judge asked.

"I agree, the trap was elegant. Yet, what happened to that planted card?" Gavin asked, and it was like a ray of sun breaking through the clouds in my mind.

"Hey, that's right!" I gasped.

"He's lucky, I'll give him that. You'd have to be to slip free from a trap laid by Olga "Quick-Fingers" Orly!" Olga snapped with a scowl in Dad's direction.

"Oh really? The witness would be much cuter if she dispensed with the evil mastermind shtick," the Judge admitted, and I shook my head.

"Cute…? Who wants to be cute? I'm not cute! I'm bad! You hear me? Bad!" Olga snapped. The Judge shook his head.

"When you're through being bad, perhaps you could testify to the court?" he said in a bored tone. "Tell us about this 'trap'… and how it was sprung."

"That night, I planted the card like I was supposed to. And Wright lost the last hand, just like he was supposed to. Then Smith searched him! But the planted card was gone! The trap failed. The next moment, Wright picked up a bottle and swung it! It wasn't me who hit Smith! It was that no-good, cheating defendant!" she testified.

"Hmm… a surprisingly frank testimony that still leaves us mostly in the dark," the Judge said.

"The trap was perfect! If that rotten cheater hadn't messed it up," Olga snapped.

"Look who's talking!" I said.

"Well, the testimony, for what it's worth, is all yours, Mr. Wright," the Judge said. I nodded.

With witnesses like her, who needs criminals? I thought, before looking at the defendant's chair. And with defendants like Dad, who needs prosecutors?

"Ms. Orly, the planted card… which card was it, exactly?" I asked.

"The trump card… the Five of Hearts."

"Let me guess," the Judge said. "Mr. Wright was to have switched the Five with the Ace to make a full house. At least, that's what you were going to accuse him of doing, thereby ruining his legend."

"I slid it into Wright's pocket," Olga admitted. I shook me head slightly.

Sloppy card handling. "Quick-Fingers" Orly isn't really quick witted… "When was this…?"

"Why, before the match, of course, while he was eating with you and glasses over there. At the Borscht Bowl Club, we serve borscht… and suckers," she said with a smirk.

"Remind me never to go there," the Judge said.

"Of course, the card was to make its grand debut during the game… Like a good borscht, a good plot must be cooked up early and allowed to thicken."

My borscht is making me feel nauseous… I thought, thinking back to the borscht I ate for dinner. I shook my head. "So, everything went according to plan at first?"

"Exactly. The fifth ace came up, so it's obvious the switch went off without a hitch. Once the extra card was found in his pocket… Wright would forever be known as a cheat and a fraud," she replied. I took another deep breath.

"There are worse things to be known as I suppose," the Judge mused.

"But when my client was searched, the card disappeared?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Olga replied. "My trump card, the Five of Hearts! Gone! Without a trace! Poof! Zippo! We searched every nook and cranny… Even inside his cute little hat!" Olga said. I glanced over at Dad, noticing his shoulders shaking slightly from silent laughter.

"But the card was nowhere to be found, is this correct?" I asked.

"Never in my long, storied career… Never has 'Quick-Fingers' Orly been so readily duped!" she said. I thought again about where she placed the card, and had a hard time believing that.

"Oh really. So, what did happen to that Five of Hearts?" the Judge asked.

"Don't look at me. Why don't you Ask that cheating, lying, two-faced defendant?" Olga snapped. I clenched my fists on the bench in front of me, getting really tired of her calling my dad a cheater. Then I realized something else: The Five of Hearts is still missing…

"Hm… isn't it a little odd that the defendant attacked the victim though?" I asked.

"Wh-why's that?" Olga demanded.

"You searched the defendant, er, thoroughly, and found nothing? Which means he didn't cheat… which means he had no reason to strike the victim!" I reasoned.

"W-well…" Olga muttered, putting a hand on the back of her neck. That's when I noticed it, as well as felt a pulse through my bracelet.

Wh-what was that just now!? I… sensed something… like when someone lies, but this time… it was sharper… clearer…

"Something wrong, Mr. Wright?" the Judge asked.

"No… nothing, Your Honor." What to do? Should I press her a little harder? Hm… That seems to be the only way.

"Ms. Orly! You're hiding something!" I announced.

"Wh-what are you talking about!?" she demanded, getting a little twitchy. "Y-y-you! M-m-m-me? 'Quick-Fingers' Orly, hi-hi-hide something?"

"Objection!" Payne yelled. "The defense will refrain from baseless accusations!"

"I have one question for the witness then. You say you saw the moment the defendant hit the victim… is this true?" I demanded, knowing I had to pick my words carefully.

"O-of course it's true!" she snapped. "I d-did see it, honest! I saw it when Wright hit him. With my own eyes, I saw it!"

Suddenly, my focus sharpened on the woman. I could see every little twitch of each and every one of her muscles. I could tell what was a conscious movement, and what was an unconscious tick.

I'd always been able to see when someone was lying to me, but this time was different. I was actually seeing it, rather then simply sensing it. Like Dad said, her touching the back of her neck was a tick, something she was entirely unaware of. I smirked.

"Gotcha!" I shouted. "Ms. Orly… Perhaps you are unaware of this yourself…" I started.

"Un-unaware of what?" she demanded.

"Whenever you get to a certain part of your testimony… you touch the back of your neck with your left hand!" I announced. I could see many people looked confused, but I was focused on the woman at the witness stand.

"My… my neck?" she asked. "So… so what!?"

"What indeed, Apollo?" Gavin asked softly. "I hadn't noticed anything of the sort…"

"When she says that part of the testimony… she's subconsciously recalling something…" I said, remembering what I've learned from my own experience. Grandfather reacted to the subconscious memory of whatever happened to Mom, causing his eye to twitch all those years ago, and Trucy swallowed subconsciously when I demanded to know if she ate my pudding two days ago. "Her body reacts to the memory, and she touches her neck! I'm sure of it!"

"A memory? Would someone care to explain what he's babbling about?" Payne demanded.

"This is highly unusual… but let's ask the defense. You claim the witness is remembering something. Maybe you have evidence of this 'memory' to show us?" the Judge asked. I took a deep breath.

Her habit is scratching her neck whenever she talks about the moment of the crime… so what would remind her most of the moment of the crime? I thought before realizing the answer to be obvious. "Ms. Orly. Whenever you recall the crime that night, you scratch your neck. I've noticed it happens when you think about the moment of the crime. There must be some reason behind this 'habit' of yours. I believe the weapon that left an inerasable 'impression' on your neck is this!" I announced, holding up the Grape juice bottle – the murder weapon.

"Whenever she talks about the moment of the crime, she touches her neck… and what reminds us more of that moment than this bottle, the murder weapon!" I demanded, before looking at the woman. "But… something doesn't fit. If you were only the witness to the crime… why would that make you touch—" I suddenly cut off, remembering something from the night of the murder. I had followed Dad downstairs, where I saw Zak, dead. Dad explained he came upstairs to call the police… after Zak attacked the dealer.

"Ms. Olga… you were hit that night, weren't you?" I asked, and she gasped, lurching back in shock, before sighing.

"Yes. When we couldn't find the Five of Hearts… Smith grabbed the bottle from next to Wright… and he hit me!" She shook her head. "When I came to…" she trailed off.

"The victim was already dead… is that it?" the Judge asked, earning a nod from Olga.

"That's why I couldn't reveal who I really was. If it came out that I was in league with Smith, I'd be a suspect for sure!" she said. The courtroom was silent for a moment before the Judge cleared his throat slightly, looking around.

"Well. Where does this leave us?" he asked.

"M-madness. Th-this is madness! I'm dreaming! It must have been me who was hit with a bottle and I'm imaging all of this!" Payne gasped. I rose an eyebrow at him.

"It appears our prosecution is at his wit's end, and frankly, I can't blame him. Mr. Gavin, what do you think about this turn of events? The Judge asked. Gavin didn't answer for a moment.

"M-Mr. Gavin? Sir?" I asked.

"I believe that, as the defense in this case… we are compelled to call Ms. Orly a 'big, fat liar,'" Gavin said, much to my shock.

"Wh-whaaaaaat!?" Olga gasped, her eyes growing wide.

"Three where in that room the night of the murder: the defendant, victim, and her… and she had motive," Gavin explained.

"A motive?" I asked.

"Her plot foiled, the witness got into an argument with her client, Mr. Smith. And the denouement of that argument… was murder!" Gavin said.

"What!?" Olga gasped. "I didn't… I'm no killer! It's a trap! Someone's trying to frame me!"

Dad chuckled again. "What tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive. So tangled, we catch ourselves in the process."

"M-Mr. Wright?" the Judge asked, before noticing me look up at him as well. He shook his head. "Defendant?"

"Such a hasty conclusion… it's not like you, Kristoph Gavin," Dad said, and I looked at the man I was standing next to.

"What are you saying?" he demanded.

"Why not consider the other possibility?" Dad suggested, sounding once more like an attorney. "That there was another person in the room at the time of the murder?"

Right…! Like Dad was saying before recess!

"A single card was swapped into the victim's hand after the murder. And the one who swapped the card didn't know two colors of cards were being used… a fourth person," Dad reasoned. I had to admit, his logic was sound.

"Objection!" Payne yelled. "Hah, this theory again! Your 'fourth person' doesn't exist!"

"Indeed. That's why I decided to bring this case to court," Dad said, as though he were the one in control. I almost had to wonder if he wasn't. "Here, where there's no escape, and no chance for deception… The perfect place to catch the real criminal."

"The r-real criminal?" the Judge stammered.

"And we're in luck. A clue to the real criminal's identity was kindly provided for us. And right at the beginning of the trial, no less," Dad said, and something stirred in my brain. I knew what he was talking about. After all, living with the Phoenix Wright for so long made me pay a lot more attention to what people said. But this trial had been such an emotional rollercoaster that remembering the just a few hours ago (has it really been only a few hours?) was hard.

"Wh-whaaaat!?" Payne gasped.

"Apollo… perhaps you know what I'm talking about?" Dad said. I pressed a finger my forehead, deep in thought.

"When the fourth person swapped the cards, he made one critical error. He swapped a blue one in. It was such an obvious mistake, so it couldn't be one of the three in the room. It had to be someone else, someone who thought the cards were blue…" I reasoned out.

"And there is one person, here, in our court… who thought those cards were blue," Dad reminded me.

I had that impression to… but why?

"Well, Apollo? Think you can figure out who it was?" Dad asked. I closed my eyes, still pressing a finger to my forehead in thought.

"I-it's not me, I swear!" Payne gasped, and I was distracted, looking up at him in confusion.

I never thought it was…

"Who is this fourth person!?" the Judge demanded. I shook my head, thinking over everything said in this trial, before gasping softly.

"Let's hear what the defense has to say. Who was it? Who thought the cards used in the final game were blue?" Dad asked. I took a deep breath, glancing at the man beside me.

"It was… Kristoph Gavin," I said.

"As I expected. Your eyes and ears are as sharp as your hair, kiddo," he said, and I frowned slightly at his joke. He then turned to the man who was supposed to be his friend, his eyes cold. "Kristoph Gavin. You were the fourth person that night."

"B-but of course Mr. Gavin knows the color of the cards!" the Judge said.

"How would he, Your Honor? The photo of the crime scene is black and white," I said.

"But you can see the colors in this photo!" Payne countered, as a picture of the table came onto the monitor.

"Yes, but when he said the cards were 'blue'… it was well before this evidence came to light!" Dad pointed out. I thought back to Gavin's statement: 'Only the cards, their backs wreathed in blue flame, know its final outcome.'

"Well, Krisoph?" Dad asked. The man didn't answer. His arms were crossed now, and he was looking down at the bench, the light reflection on the lenses of his glasses hiding his eyes.

"Mr… Gavin?" I asked, only to be again answered in silence.

"Mr. Gavin! I-is something the matter?" the Judge demanded.

"Hmm? N-No, nothing. Excuse me, it was just so… sudden. Wright. You aren't seriously accusing me… are you?" Gavin demanded, looking up.

"Oh, Kristoph? You know even I'd never take a joke this far," Dad said.

"Objection!" Payne yelled. "This has gone beyond ridiculous, beyond dumb… This is insanity! The defendant accusing his own defense attorney of murder?

"Objection!" I yelled. "The defendant is not accusing his attorney! Remember, I'm the head of the defense here. Mr. Gavin was simply guiding me in my first case!" I said.

"And I assure you, I'm quite sane," Dad added.

"But what possible connection could Mr. Gavin have to the victim!?" Payne demanded.

"I wasn't aware that I had a connection to Mr. Smith, either," Dad replied.

More of a connection then Gav—Wait… no! That's right! Gavin was Zak's attorney first, but he fired Mr. Gavin after playing a game of cards with him.

"Yes, but Mr. Gavin and the victim have never even met!" Payne said.

"Well… what if they have?" Dad asked.

Careful Dad…

"Huh…?"

"There is a possibility, after all. They may have met that night, before the game started," Dad said.

"What are you suggesting!?" the Judge demanded.

Did they? Gavin left before me, and I bumped into Zak at the door… but what about the parking lot? Did they run into each other there? And is this the truth Dad was staying silent about? Well, only one thing to do! "Mr. Wright! The defense would like to request that you testify to the court!"

"Objection!" Gavin suddenly yelled. "The defense would like to request no such thing."

"Mr. Gavin…?" I asked, looking over at him with a frown.

"Testimonies must relate to the case. How could anything happening before that game of poker be related?" Gavin said.

"I'm not sure I follow, Mr. Gavin," the Judge said.

"As I explained before, the defense believes that Ms. Orly—" Gavin started, only for the Judge to cut him off.

"Am I to assume you speak for Mr. Wright in this? As he pointed out moments ago, he is the defense, not you," he said. Gavin fell quiet in surprise.

"Mr. Wright. The matter of Mr. Wright's… uh… I mean the defendant's… testimony is up to you," the Judge said.

"Right," I replied, getting focused.

"Does the court, in your opinion, need to hear Mr. Wright's testimony?"

This was Dad's strategy! He was planning this all along! And I intend to see it through. "The defense would like to request that Mr. Wright testify to the court!" I announced. Gavin looked at me, before looking at the bench in front of him, staying silent.

"Very well. The defendant will take the stand please," the Judge said. Dad walked over to it, his hands in this hoodie pockets as he started.

"That evening, Kristoph, Apollo, and I had dinner to celebrate Apollo passing the bar exam. We sat at the table in the photograph. First Kristoph left, then Apollo. Shadi Smith walked in a few minutes after. Apollo bumped into him, and decided to stay, sitting at the bar. When the 'trap' failed, Smith hit the waitress. The girl was knocked out cold, and Smith was uncontrollable. I left to call the police. When I returned, he was dead, blood streaming from a cut on his forehead. Apollo followed me downstairs, and stayed there while I made another phone call… To Defense Attorney Gavin."

"Mr. Gavin! Mr. Wright! You were at the Borscht Bowl Club the night of the murder!?" the Judge exclaimed.

"I dine with Kristoph rather frequently, as well as my kids. I was hoping to get Apollo a job at Gavin and Co. Law Offices," Dad explained.

"A-and Gavin talked to the defendant on the phone directly after the murder!?" Payne gasped.

"Quite against my will, I had become involved in a murder. While Apollo offered to defend me, I thought we might be in need of a lawyer with more experience to guide him, so I called Kristoph," Dad explained.

"You were planning this all along, weren't you, Wright?" Kristoph demanded, and I could almost see him loosing his cool. "Just because you wanted to drag me into your little murder trial…"

"The only thing I want… is the truth. As I did back then… and now," Dad said, and I felt almost like I was electrocuted.

Back then? Does he mean Zak's trial?

"I thought I was doing you a favor in guiding your boy on your defense. It appears that I was wrong," Gavin said.

"Very well. The defense may cross-examine the witness," the Judge said. I thought over the testimony before nodding.

"About how long would you say you dinned with me and Mr. Gavin?" I started.

"About two hours. Kristoph left first, before you went to as well," Dad said. I nodded.

"You said we left a few minutes before Mr. Smith came in. I bumped into him at the door, so are you suggesting the two of them passed in the parking lot?" I asked.

"That would have been a 'fateful encounter' to be sure," Dad said with a small smile.

"Objection!" Payne yelled. "Here I was all nervous about this 'meeting' between the victim and Mr. Gavin," he tsked, shaking his head. "But now we hear they only passed in the parking lot? If anything, it sounds like the greenhorn has more a motive to kill Mr. Smith then Mr. Gavin does!"

For bumping into him? No. For reasons you don't know about? Maybe…

"Hmm… simply passing each other does seem a little weak as a pretense for murder," the Judge agreed.

"Oh it would be. If that was all that really happened," Dad said. I sighed softly, getting an inkling of knowing what happened.

"I do have a question for the defense though," Payne suddenly said. I looked up at him.

"Yes?"

"Why did you wind up staying?" he asked.

"After bumping into Mr. Smith… I could see that he was they type of poker player who would attempt to win, no matter the cost. Those types of players are dangerous to Dad, and I got worried. Apparently with good reason, considering everything we've learned today," I explained. The Judge nodded.

"A son worried for his father. How noble, he said with a warm smile. I smiled slightly back before growing serious again.

"the 'trap' you mentioned: Ms. Orly's trap?" I asked, and he nodded.

"A harmless prank, in essence. It was by a quirk of fate that I happened to discover it…" Dad said.

"A 'quirk'…?" Payne asked.

"I happened to put a hand in my pocket… and found a card," he said. I shook my head once more.

"Sloppy planting on her part," I said.

"You would know, Apollo," Dad said with a smile. "I snuck a peek at it and found it was the Five of Hearts. I had a feeling something might happen so I disposed of the card… before the game," Dad explained.

"Disposed… where!?" the Judge demanded.

"There was an empty bottle of grape juice I had been drinking right beside me. I threw the card inside the bottle," he explained.

"And empty bottle of grape juice…" Payne muttered.

"The murder weapon!?" I gasped.

"Yes. I rolled it up and shoved it in. The colored glass makes it hard to see," Dad explained.

"Hmm… a battle of wits between the deceiver and the would-be deceived! That sounds like terrific drama…" the Judge mused.

A card inside the murder weapon? That's strange… did the police miss it in their investigation? Maybe I'll take a look… I decided, though I had to wait until I had a moment.

"Mr. Wright! The 'Poker Head of Courtroom No. 3' approves of this battle of wits! Please revised your testimony with this new information!" the Judge said. Dad nodded, and I decided to deal with that bit of information later.

"So, you made the call to the police from the first floor of the restaurant, correct?" I asked.

"Exactly. Cell phones don't get signal down in the Hydeout," Dad explained.

"Was anyone else on the first floor at the time?" I asked.

"Other then you, no. And I didn't even notice you. It was the middle of the night, after all. So there, in the darkened restaurant, I called the cops. After making the call, I returned to the Hydeout. It didn't seem right to leave the injured waitress alone," he explained. I nodded.

Then I followed him…

"When you returned, the victim was already…" I started.

"Dead, yes. I'll admit, I was a little startled when I walked in…" Dad said.

"A 'little'?" the Judge asked.

"He was bleeding from his forehead, after all," Dad explained.

I was a little more then startled, though it might just be my past with Zak… Wait a minute!

"Objection!" I yelled. "Mr. Wright, if I may," I started.

"Yes?" Dad asked.

"Take a look at this photograph of the crime scene," I said as the picture came up on the monitor. "See the victim here? He's wearing a hat. I wouldn't think you could see blood on his forehe…" I trailed off, suddenly realizing why the picture looked wrong to me.

He wasn't wearing his hat when I walked into the room…

"Good point…" Dad muttered, knowing what I just realized.

"Defendant," the Judge started, and I noticed he hadn't called him Mr. Wright in quite a bit. "Can you explain this to the court?"

"Ah… I forgot to mention something. I was the one who put that hat on his head," Dad explained.

"Eh…?" I muttered.

"You…?" Payne questioned.

"You put the hat on the dead man's head?" the Judge asked.

"He wore it through our entire poker game. After calling the police, when I returned to the scene, his head was in full view. Shining bright… Just like in this photograph," Dad explained, and the close up came onto the screen.

"And…?" the Judge asked.

"And I picked his hat up off the floor and put in on his head," Dad said.

"Wh-wh-why'd you do a thing like that!?" Payne demanded.

"All I can say is… I'm sorry. But that's the only thing I touched at the crime scene," Dad said. I frowned slightly in thought.

"So… Ms. Orly didn't see it? 'It' being the victim's… er, his head," I asked.

"I'd think not. She was out cold. I believe you and I were the only ones who witnessed his head, and you were in such a state of shock that I don't think you even remembered," Dad pointed out.

"Mr. Wright!? You witnessed this?" The judge demanded.

"I… saw his head, but not Mr. Wright putting the hat back on. As he said, I was in a state of shock. After all… that was the first dead body I'd ever seen," I explained.

"Ah, here we go again…" Gavin muttered.

"Mr. Gavin?" I asked.

"Ahem. Pardon. It just seems that our client is determined to lie his way through this case. Be careful, Apollo. Follow your father's example, and you'll loose your badge before you even start another case," Gavin said.

Hey! Watch it! I thought before turning back to Dad.

"Could you explain why you called Mr. Gavin?" I asked.

"I'd obviously gotten involved in a rather… sticky affair, and while you offered to defend me, Apollo, you'd only had your badge for about a week. I figured Kristoph's law offices would give me a friend rate for my defense fees if it was he who guided you through the case," Dad explained.

"Ah, glad to hear you intend to pay," Gavin said.

"Oh, I'll pay in full, Kristoph. It was I who got you involved, after all," Dad said.

"…You may find the price of your defense quite high, my good friend. Quite high," Gavin said, and I could almost hear the threat in his voice. I decided to steer the conversation away from that topic.

"So, why did you hide the card in the bottle?" I asked.

"I perceived my opponent's intent immediately. I'm used to entrapment, you see. I knew what was coming," Dad explained.

"Hoh hoh… so you struck first! I like that," the Judge said excitedly.

"After having a pair of magicians for kids, I know every trick in the book. They don't work on me," Dad explained.

At least, when you get lucky and stick you hand in your pocket they don't… I thought, thinking about the times Trucy and I did pull one over on him. Deciding now would be as best a time as any, I requested to examine the murder weapon. Pulling on gloves, I turned it this way and that.

"Mr. Wright… if I may?" I said, looking past the bottle and to the man on the stand.

"Yes?" Dad asked.

"I've examined the bottle, and I don't see any card in here," I explained.

"Hmm? No?" Dad said before falling silent, studying the bottle in my hands. He himself looked confused.

"What, Defendant? Surely 'Hmm' isn't all you have to say for yourself!?" the Judge pressed.

"I can't say that I know what happened to the card. I did put it in that bottle, however," Dad said.

"Huh…?" I muttered.

"Perhaps a fifth person came and took it out? Oh, and a sixth person could've helped!" Gavin said mockingly. He was definitely loosing his cool.

"Mr. Gavin… the defendant is your client!" the Judge said in slightly outrage.

"…My apologies, Your Honor," Gavin muttered.

"I won't have you disparaging our investigation, either! We looked inside that bottle. There was nothing!" Payne said.

I don't think Dad's lying about this one. So what happened? Did the card just… disappear?

"I believe that's enough of that," Gavin said.

"Uh, Mr. Gavin?" I asked.

"The witness's 'testimony' is more like a 'travesty.' It's riddled with lies. I'm beginning to see how you came to lose your attorney's badge seven years ago…" Gavin said. Rage boiled in me.

"That was uncalled for, Mr. Gavin," I snapped.

"Well. You certainly have a unique way of treating your clients, Kristoph. I never knew," Dad said.

"I believe it was you who threw the first stone…?" Gavin countered.

"Dad!" I cut across his response, fed up with the formalities. "If you intend to ever tell the truth about this case… it's now or never!" I pressed.

"Don't be misled… I haven't told a single lie here," Dad said.

"Eh…?"

"When I noticed the 'trap'… I put the card in the bottle to dispose of it. And when I put the hat on the victim's head… Let's just say I had a reason for doing that as well," Dad explained.

"A… reason?" the Judge asked.

"That reason… is right here." He held up his cell phone.

"Your… cell phone?" I asked.

"That night… Recall that I spoke with Defense Attorney Gavin after calling the police. Just in case, I recorded our conversation," Dad explained.

"What's this…?" Gavin gasped softly.

"Now that we're all here, I see no reason why I shouldn't play it back for the court," Dad said, before putting it on speaker phone and hitting play.

"Kristoph. I seem to be in a bit of trouble."

"What's this? Game not going well?"

"Something like that."

"The gentleman who challenged you… he turn out to be good?"

"He turned out to be dead. Someone hit him. Hard."

"You mean someone cracked that flawless bone china pate? It… wasn't you, was it?"

"Me? Please. The cops should be here any minute. Apollo's going to defend me, but we'll need your help in guiding him… should it come to that."

The call cut off then.

"'Bone china plate'…?" I asked.

"A kind of porcelain, very smooth and shiny. And not 'plate,' but 'pate.' I believe he as referring to a certain gentleman's balding forehead," Dad explained.

"Hmm… the court appreciates the defendant's discretion in not indicating my forehead," the Judge hummed.

Wait a second… something's not right about that phone call! "So, after we ate dinner with you, Mr. Gavin left the Borsch Bowl Club," I said.

"Yes," Dad replied.

"Then… then how did he know? When did he see this 'bone china pate'?" I demanded.

"Oh… that's right!" the Judge gasped.

"Yes… that was when I began to see my good friend in a different light. Troubled, I returned to the crime scene. You still hadn't entered the room, Apollo. You were sitting in the hallway, seemingly in shock. But when I spotted Mr. Smith's head again, I realized exactly what was wrong." He shook his head. "Well, Mr. Gavin. The stage has been set. Perhaps you would like to explain this to the court? Exactly how did you come by your privileged knowledge of the victim's head?" Dad asked.

"…So, this is your 'reason.' The reason you put the victim's hat back on," Gavin said.

"Your point, Mr. Gavin?" Dad asked.

"…It's come down to this, has it… Phoenix Wright," he said. The gallery started talking amongst each other.

"Order!" the Judge yelled, slamming his gavel. "I will have order! Mr. Payne!"

"Y-yes, Your Honor!?" Payne gasped.

"I believe this court has been left with no other choice… Are you prepared to hear Defense Attorney Gavin's testimony?" he asked.

"Eh? Ah… Urk? Ahem! Well, as the prosecutor, I…" he trailed off, seeming to stall for time.

"…Very well! We'll break for ten minutes. After which Mr. Gavin will take the stand for cross-examination! Are we clear on that?" the Judge demanded.

"Crystal clear, Your Honor," Gavin said, his voice cold.

"Very well! This will be the final recess for the day."

I flopped onto the couch in the lobby, rubbing my face with my hands and letting out a deep sigh. Gavin and Dad are both in the judge's chambers! Who'd have thought today would turn out like this!?

"Polly!" an all too familiar, and frankly comforting, voice said. I looked up in time to be see Trucy rushing over to me, throwing her arms around me in a hug. I smiled at her, hugging her back.

"Hey, Squirt. Watcha doing here?" I asked.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I could see your emotions running high, especially when they called Daddy a cheater," she said. I smiled, giving her a squeeze.

"I'm good," I said. "I just… I need something. I don't have any evidence to prove Gavin did it, other then his few slip ups. But that's not enough. I need… I need…" I mused.

"A trump card?" Trucy supplied, and it was like a light bulb went off in my mind. I hadn't seen Gavin, but that didn't matter. The layout of the Hydeout, the reason the cards were swapped… everything clicked into place, and I knew what to do.

A trick… an illusion… one Dad himself used before. I have everything I need already!

"Yes! That's brilliant, Trucy!" I said, giving her a tight squeeze. Trucy grinned brightly up at me.

"Glad I could be of service, Polly! Now go out there and get Daddy a full acquittal!" she cheered. I laughed, kissing her forehead.

"Will do."

My hands nervously shuffled my deck of cards as I stood at the defense bench. Illusions and tricks were common place for me, but the timing and success of this one would determine a lot: Dad's verdict, and probably my reputation as a lawyer.

I'M APOLLO WRIGHT, AND I'M FINE!

"Court will now reconvene. Defense Attorney Kristoph Gavin, will you please take the stand?" the Judge said. Gavin stepped up to the stand, arms crossed, clearly displeased with this turn of events. "Now then, if you would, Mr. Payne."

"Y-y-yes, Your Honor! Erm, will Mr…. er, the witness state his name and occupation?" Payne said.

"Is this farce necessary, Your Honor?" Gavin demanded.

"Believe me, far stranger things have gone on in this courtroom," the Judge said, and my hands froze on my deck for a moment.

And I'm worried about a little magic trick?

"…Fine, I'll play along."

"First, there's one thing we need to have made clear. How did you know about the 'secret' beneath the victim's hat?" the Judge demanded.

By 'secret,' I'm guessing he means the fact that Zak was bald…

"Forgive my curiosity, but what is it about this fellow's head? Your honor seems to have an inordinate interest in it," Gavin mused.

"Objection!" Dad suddenly yelled from right next to me, at the bench. I jumped slightly, nearly loosing my cards. "I wouldn't call it inordinate, Mr. Gavin," he said, pointing at the man.

"D-Dad!" I gasped.

"What do you think you're doing, Wright?" Gavin nearly growled, though he still, somehow, retained the collected façade.

"Wow, things sure look different from the other side. You know what I mean, Apollo?" Dad said, and I couldn't help but smile. I knew he missed this. "Speaking of 'looking from the other side,' let's consider something for a second. The victim wore that hat all night, never once taking it off, except for that one time," he explained.

"That one time… being the instant he was hit!" I replied.

"Oh…!" the Judge gasped.

"When my client returned from reporting the crime, the hat was lying on the floor. He picked it up, and placed it on the victims head… in other words, in order to have seen Mr. Smith's bald head… you would have had to be at the scene of the crime… at the time of the crime!" I announced.

"In other words, you'd have to be the real killer… is what you're trying to say," Gavin said.

"Not bad, kiddo," Dad said warmly, giving my shoulder a squeeze. I smiled warmly at him, until Gavin started chuckling.

"Mr. Gavin…?" the Judge asked.

"I'm afraid that I haven't been entirely honest with the court," he said.

"Wh-what!?" Payne gasped.

"…Oh, I assure you, I had the noblest of intentions. I did it all… to protect my client, Mr. Wright," he said. I jolted in surprise slightly, scared of where this might be going. "Yet, I'm afraid in the current situation I see little reason to hide anything… Very well. Allow me to tell you the truth of what happened that night."

"Finally! You may begin your testimony. Tell us… how were you involved in the events of that fateful night?" the Judge asked.

Don't get your hopes up, your honor.

"The rage I sensed in that man that night troubled me… so I returned to the club. I went down to the basement and peeked in through the little window to the Hydeout. It must have been right after the murder took place. The victim was dead, as he appears in the photo. A bald head, an unconscious girl, Apollo in shock… and Wright, holding a bottle in his hand. I sensed that was not the best place for me to be at the time and so I left. That's when the call came from Wright," he said.

"So… you witnessed the murder!?" Payne demanded.

"For better or worse. I missed the actual moment of the deed. Though I do wonder if Apollo saw what happened, but his mind has blocked the memories to protect the image he has of his father…"

"Objection!" I yelled. "I was upstairs in the bar at the time of the murder! I witnessed nothing until Z – Smith was already dead!" I snapped. Gavin looked at me in surprise for a moment, before adjusting his glasses and shaking his head.

"Mr. Gavin, may I remind you that you are on Mr. Wright's defense team… Your testimony is clearly disadvantageous to your client!" the Judge said.

"What else could I say? I'm standing on the witness stand, after all," Gavin replied.

"So you are, Mr. Gavin," Dad replied, getting a questioning look from the other man. 'And you had to testify as you just did… You had to tell them you saw the scene of the crime through that little window."

"Uh… Dad?" I asked.

"You had to say that… because that was the only probable window of opportunity. Right, Apollo?" Dad said.

"Oh…"

"Defendant, the defense should do the cross-examination, not you! Mr. Wright, are you prepared?" the Judge asked. I nodded.

"Yes, Your Honor…" I replied. I can't believe I'm going up against Mr. Gavin. Wasn't he supposed to be my mentor?

"The rage in 'that man'… you mean Mr. Smith?" I asked.

"He was different from the other customers… His aura, shall we say. I knew he was a serious poker player… bit it was more than that," Gavin explained.

You can say that again…

"So then, you knew the true nature of your client's job!?" Payne asked.

"Of course. But I also knew he wasn't engaged in gambling, which would be illegal," Gavin explained.

Which would make sense, considering they were friends.

"Worried for my friend, and his son, I returned to the club. You see, I feared this Mr. Smith might be someone coming to settle an old score," Gavin explained.

"I see…" the Judge said.

"The little window you looked through… you mean the one used to keep watch up the stairs?" I asked.

"Yes, a relic of the ancient past. The black marketers used it, I believe," Gavin explained.

"Objection!" I shouted. "Mr. Gavin, since you left the club after dinner, I didn't see you at all that night," I countered.

"Apollo," he tsked, his voice full of pity. "You were sitting by the steps, in a state of shock. I doubt you noticed much," he said.

"It's true, Mr. Wright. According to the police reports, you were in shock from seeing your first dead body when they arrived," Payne said, and I cast my mind back.

"I have to make another call, okay?" Dad said.

"Who?" I asked, my voice soft.

"Kristoph. I believe I'm going to be arrested for this," he said, walking past me. I caught his sleeve.

"Dad, let me defend you," I offered. He stopped, looking back at me in surprise, before smiling warmly.

"If that's what you want. Alright then. I'm still going to call him, and ask him to mentor you through the case though, alright? After all, this will be your first trial."

I gave a small smile and nodded. "Alright. Makes sense," I said, letting him lead me back up the steps.

That's when I realized… he probably doesn't know that I know the real identity of the victim.

I sat in a booth, listening to Dad's side of the conversation, before the realization settled over me.

Zak… was dead. Not simply missing, but…

"—ght. Mr. Wright!" My head snapped up to the sound of someone calling my name, and I saw an officer standing in front of me.

"Huh?" I muttered.

"Oh, thank goodness. You were conscious, but unresponsive for about five minutes there, kid.

"But… I…" I muttered. Dad pit a hand on my shoulder.

"Drop it, Apollo. You have no way of disproving this," he said. I sighed, but nodded.

"Alright then. When you say the victim was as he appeared in the photo, do you mean the second pictures of the crime scene? The close up?" I asked.

"Precisely. You see, he wasn't wearing his hat then. I saw his head… when he was dead."

And then Dad came along and replaced his hat…

"So you're saying we were the only four at the scene of the crime?" I asked.

"Kind of. You were outside the scene and unresponsive, Apollo," Gavin said. "But those three, yes, as far as I saw, at least."

"…Then we're back where we started, with just the addition of a useless witness," Payne said, throwing me a dirty look, like it was my fault. "The killer is the defendant, Phoenix Wright! Who else could it have been? But… why didn't you talk to the police?"

"Two reasons," Gavin started. "First, I didn't actually witness the very moment of the crime. Second… my office was asked to assist in defending Wright. Even after seeing what I had seen… I couldn't abandon my friend."

"Hmm…" the Judge hummed.

"Objection!" I yelled. "There must have been someone else there at the moment of the crime!" I asserted.

"Apollo… I just said I saw no one. Not a soul," he said.

"But that goes against what we've thus far have proven!" I replied. "There was a fourth person there!"

"Ah yes, this mysterious 'fourth person'… who would conveniently be the 'real killer,' I suppose," Gavin said.

"Glad to see we agree, Mr. Gavin," Dad said brightly.

"Let me pose a question, then. Tell me. What possible reason did the 'real killer' have to swap cards in the victim's hand?" Gavin asked. I flinched slightly, though I was expecting the question. With a sigh, I placed my deck on the bench and drew the top card, twirling it slowly in my hand in thought. "Hmm? Perhaps you can show us a reas—" Gavin cut off, staring at the card in my hand. "Wh-whaaaaat!? Wh-what… what is that!?" he nearly roared.

"This? It's an Ace of Spades, Mr. Gavin," I said.

"Objection!" he yelled. "Impossible! Unacceptable! The court can't accept this evidence! It's a fraud! The fifth ace should not exist!"

"Oh… really, Mr. Gavin?" I asked, putting the card on the bench, face down. "Now how would you know something like that?" I asked.

"Wh-what…?"

"The only person who could claim that the fifth ace should not exist… would be the one who took the real card from the crime scene… the real killer!" I announced. Gavin flinched, gripping his arms.

"Allow me to answer your question. What if the Ace had blood on it, and that was the reason?" I posed.

"The reason for…?"

"For the real killer to take the card from the scene of the crime," Dad added, realizing what had just happened.

"Where are you going with this?" the judge asked.

"Take another look at the second photo," I said as it came on screen. "At the victim's head. When he was hit, his hat fell off… and a trickle of blood ran from his forehead down the back of his head. Couldn't a drop of that blood have fallen on one of the cards?" I explained.

"I suppose…" the Judge said. I smirked.

"Then the killer took the card to hide the blood," I explained.

"Objection!" Gavin yelled. "R-regardless! That evidence is non-permissible!"

"Oh?" I asked.

"Wright! Regardless of how you wasted the last seven years, you used to be a lawyer! You know what a serious crime it is to conceal evidence! Didn't you teach your son this!?" Gavin demanded, sweating bullets.

"Oh, we can discuss the finder points of our legal system later… What's important now is that we've answered your question," Dad said.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Gavin asked.

"You wanted to know why the killer would have taken a card from the scene, and we've told you. That one drop of blood would have been decisive evidence," I explained.

"Objection!" Gavin's voice was starting to show panic. "Th-this is… baseless conjecture! Baseless!"

"Objection!" Dad yelled. "Oh, I assure you it's quite based."

"Wh-what!?"

"It's amazing, really. How a single drop of blood on a single card can lead us… to the truth. It's quite simple. Well, Apollo? With everything we've said so far, isn't there a problem with the scene of the crime?" Dad asked.

"Yes," I said, already knowing where this was going. It was one of the things I realized during the last recess. "The victim's position is wrong," I announced.

"I don't follow your logic, Mr. Wright," the judge said.

"Well… Look The victim was struck on the head, sending him back in his chair. You'd think any blood would fall behind the body, not onto the table in front of him," I explained.

"Ah!" the Judge gasped.

"Take a look at the photo again. If he bled in this position… the blood would fall on the floor, not on the cards," I explained.

"Why, that's right! So… what does this mean?" the Judge asked.

"It means, with them in swivel chairs, the victim was facing this way!" I explained, turning the victim's chair around on the interactive recreation of the crime scene.

"The chair was facing the other way!?" the Judge gasped.

"It would have to be. So, we have to assume that at the time of the murder… the victim's chair was facing away from the table!"

"When the defendant returned from informing the police, which way was the chair facing?" the Judge demanded.

"When I cam back to the room, the body was facing as seen in this photo," Dad said, motioning to the crime scene picture.

"That would mean the killer turned the chair back around," I said. I put a finger to my forehead. "But then, with the victim facing away from the table at the time of the murder, another contradiction arises," I said.

"A-again!?" Payne gasped.

"Yes." I looked at the crime scene recreation. The victim – Smith – was now facing the cabinet, the table at his back. The killer – Dad, supposedly – sat at the other end of the table, and the first witness – Olga Orly – between them. The second witness – supposedly Gavin – was outside of the room, at the door, and the third witness indicator – myself – on the stairs. "The killer's location now doesn't make sense. After all, wouldn't it be hard for the killer to hit him from the front, sitting where his indicator currently is?" I said.

"I would think it'd be quite hard, yes," Dad said, seeming to enjoy himself.

"Objection!" Payne yelled. "Yes, but what you're saying makes no sense! Why would the victim suddenly turn to face the wall… in the middle of a game!?" he demanded.

"I believe a sufficient reason will soon come to light," Dad said.

"Wh-what!?"

"There's something in this diagram that makes far less sense, actually. Look again at the diagram. Apollo, if the victim was struck while he was sitting as shown here… where would his assailant be standing. Mark it on the diagram," Dad said. I smirked, thinking to all of the Hydeout's 'features' Dad had mentioned earlier.

"Here," I said, marking just in front of the victim, the cupboard.

"Objection!" Payne yelled. "You get points for flair, but that's about all you get."

"Oh?" I asked with a smirk.

"I hardly need to point out that standing there would be impossible. The victim is facing a solid cupboard! Or are you claiming the killer climbed the cupboard and hit him from above? Hah!"

"That's not at all what I'm claiming, Mr. Payne," I said, crossing my arms. "Simply, that the cupboard was moved!" And the killer used the secret passage behind it…

"What's this now!?" the Judge gasped.

"That's the only explanation! Right, Mr. Gavin?" I said, looking at the man, who simply glared at Dad and myself.

"Your Honor! I have a suggestion for the defense. We should arrange to examine the cupboard in the Hydeout immediately!" Dad announced.

"Bailiff! Send a team to the crime scene immediately! Have them try to move the cupboard!" the Judge called.

"Ah, Your Honor?" Phoenix called.

"What?"

"There's one more thing your men should look for. Please give this to the bailiff," he said, holding up a folded piece of paper. The bailiff took it, handing it to the curious Judge, who read it before looking surprised.

"Hmm…? Mmm, yes… I see. You do belong in the courtroom after all, Mr. Wright," he said, looking at my Dad, who looked away with a sad smile.

"I do my best." He looked up. "But let's forge ahead here while we wait. Apollo?" he said, looking at me.

"Right. If we move the cupboard the only way it could have gone…" I moved the cupboard to the side in the recreation. "Another contradiction arises!" I announced.

"What!?" Payne exclaimed.

"If the cupboard was here at the time of the crime, it would completely cover up the window to the stairs!" I explained.

"Aaah!" the Judge gasped.

"That's right! Someone standing outside wouldn't be able to see in. Someone… like Mr. Gavin!" I said.

"What… what did you say?" Gavin demanded.

"Oh? Is the 'Coolest Defense in the West' losing his cool?" Dad said.

"Nnk…!" Gavin gasped, before adjusting his glasses. "Don't expect me to play along with your little game, Wright," he growled.

"It's only a game until someone gets killed, Mr. Gavin. And someone was… while the window to that room was blocked but a cupboard," Dad replied. Gavin stayed silent.

"So, My Gavin. Perhaps you'd like to explain to the court. Where did you witness the crime scene from?" I asked.

"Nnn… Nnnk!" Gavin growled, clutching at his suit sleeves.

Just then, the court doors opened, and the bailiff burst in. "Excuse me, Your Honor!" he called.

"Order!" the Judge yelled, slamming his gavel. "This is a court of law and I will have order!"

"We… we just now received word from our investigative team at the Borscht Bowl Club," the Bailiff said. "They've examined the cupboard in the Hydeout, Your Honor!"

"Oh…? And what did they find?" the Judge asked.

"Well, Your Honor… it turns out there is a secret passage behind it!" he said. I crossed my arms with a smirk.

"Whaaaaat!?" the Judge gasped.

"Ah yes. I believe I mentioned something of the sort before. This is one of the tricks to the room many of our regulars know about…" Dad said. "A secret passage is a handy thing to have when you're engaged in illegal goings-on. Never know when you might need to duck away from the eyes of the law."

"And the other side of the passage connects to the restaurant above," I said. "The underworld bosses could get away from the cops… and enjoy a cold bowl of borscht." I shook my head. "This leads us to the killer. At the time of the murder, the window was blocked and the victim's hat.. was only off his head for a few minutes between Mr. Smith's murder… and Mr. Wright's return from calling the cops. In other words, the only place anyone could've seen the victim's bald head… was from inside the Hydeout!" I explained, before turning to the man on the witness stand. "Well, Mr. Gavin?" I demanded, but Gavin simply stayed silent.

"Hmm… Dare I ask what really happened that night?" the Judge said.

"Actually, I think we can probably figure it out ourselves at this point," I said. "That night, for whatever reason, Our killer had a date with Mr. Smith… a date with destiny. He returned to the Club when it was still early and crowded, meaning I didn't notice him, and entered the secret passage, where he crouched, hidden behind the cupboard… holding his breath, waiting for just the right moment… Then the chance came… and he took it! Ms. Olga Orly was out cold, struck by Mr. Smith… But his time was soon to come. Dad went upstairs to cal the cops. Leaving Mr. Shadi Smith alone in the Hydeout with the unconscious dealer. Then our killer stepped out from the secret passage and into the Hydeout," I explained.

"The victim must have heard the cupboard sliding aside," Dad said.

"He wheeled the chair around to look, and met his end," I said grimly.

"…After the deed was done, the criminal must have seen the blood on the card. He would have, of course, realized the need to destroy the evidence. That single spot of blood told the whole story of the crime," Dad said.

"Too bad for him he didn't linger any longer in the Hydeout that night. If he had, he might have noticed the cards on the floor… and the fact that they were all red!" I finished.

"Nnnrgk!" Gavin… I can't even describe the noises he was making.

"Well, it seems this trial… has taken yet another turn. I'm truly, truly sorry I had to see this day come, Mr. Gavin," the Judge said. Gavin didn't answer.

"Mr. Gavin?" I asked.

"Mr. Payne!" the Judge said, causing the prosecutor to jump with a strangled, started sound. Trying to retain dignity, he cleared his throat.

"Yes, Your Honor?"

"The prosecution will continue its investigation! As for Mr. Phoenix Wright, the defendant, he is hereby cleared of all suspicion," the Judge announced. Payne made another interesting noise at this announcement. "Believe me when I say that I don't believe this is happening, Mr. Gavin. But, I'm afraid circumstances call for me to issue a warrant for your arrest. Immediately."

"Objection!" Gavin yelled. "Oh, no need to apologize. I rather enjoyed myself. It's not every day you get to witness a legendary attorney's dirty tactics first hand… though it's sad to see the apple didn't fall too far from the tree," he said. I ground my teeth together, and Dad put a hand on my shoulder.

"Your point, Mr. Gavin?" Dad demanded.

"Frankly, Your Honor, I'm shocked. That a person of your caliber would be taken in by such a low-grade parlor trick…" Gavin shook his head.

'Low-grade parlor trick'!? I was highly offended by that.

"Erm… excuse me?" the Judge asked.

"The defendant is 'cleared of all suspicion'…? This is hardly the time for jokes, Your Honor. Mr. Wright hasn't proven anyone's guilt or innocence here. What he has done is use illegal evidence to put the blame on someone else!" Gavin said.

"I-illegal evidence?" the Judge gasped.

"Objection!" I yelled. "By illegal evidence, I assume you speak of this card?" I asked, holding up my card again, the back facing the court.

"Exactly. That card was not found by the police, thus it must be a fake, meaning you presented false evidence in your first trial, Wright," Gavin said. I smirked.

"I never presented this card as evidence."

"What!?" Gavin gasped.

"I was simply playing with it while I thought over your question, Mr. Gavin. I never actually presented it," I explained.

"Why… he's right!" the Judge gasped.

"B-but the blood spot!" Payne said. I smirked and slowly turned the card to face them. It was the Ace of Spades, with a red circle to the side of the spade. It was sun, and inside, in white, stylized letters forming my initials, 'AW.'

"It's my signature as a magician. Dad might suck at playing the piano, but he's a great artist, and he designed this for me. It's red, of course, considering that's my favorite color," I explained, motioning to my attire. "But that's not the important part. I never presented this… yet you implicated yourself, Mr. Gavin."

With a sigh, I placed my deck on the bench and drew the top card, twirling it slowly in my hand in thought. "Hmm? Perhaps you can show us a reas—" Gavin cut off, staring at the card in my hand. "Wh-whaaaaat!? Wh-what… what is that!?" he nearly roared.

"This? It's an Ace of Spades, Mr. Gavin," I said.

"Objection!" he yelled. "Impossible! Unacceptable! The court can't accept this evidence! It's a fraud! The fifth ace should not exist!"

Gavin frowned, before smirking. "The Defense still has yet to prove the defendant's innocence," he said, though it was clear he was worried.

"Objection!" Dad yelled. "Let me ask you, Mr. Gavin… is there sill any reason, at present, to suspect me of wrongdoing?" Dad asked.

"Of course. The bottle, for instance," Gavin said.

"The bottle of grape juice Dad was drinking…" I muttered.

"How do you intend to explain away the fingerprints on the murder weapon? And not just any fingerprints, am I right, Mr. Payne?" Gavin said.

"Er, a-actually, yes. The fingerprints on this bottle were, erm, upside-down…" Payne replied.

Just then the final piece of the puzzle, something that bothered me from the beginning, clicked into place.

"The court, and this case, demand an explanation. I can think of only one reason why one would hold a bottle upside-down… and that is to hit someone with the bottom of the bottle. Well, Your Honor?" Gavin said.

"Hmm…!" the Judge hummed, seeming to agree with Gavin's assessment.

"Ah, see how the caught fish squirms to the last… well, Apollo?" Dad asked.

"Right!" I said, slamming my fists onto the bench. "The defense asserts there is another reason, though it'll be easier to show you then explain, Your Honor," I said. "Place that bottle on the floor, next to your chair."

"Excuse me? On the floor?" he said, doing as I said. I crossed my arms with a smirk.

"Yes. Now, reach down and pick it up… without getting out of your chair."

"Ah…!" Payne gasped as the Judge did as I said. Even he looked surprised at his own actions. He was holding the bottle, by the neck, upside-down, just as Dad's fingerprints were.

"See? You naturally go to pick up the bottle by its neck… with you fingers upside-down! Look at this photograph taken on the night of the murder," I said as the picture Olga took, of Dad and Zak at the table, appeared on screen. "The defendant, Mr. Wright, sat here… playing piano, bottle of grape juice on the floor to the side of his piano bench. He would have naturally picked up the bottles upside-down several times," I explained.

"Wow! I can't believe it was that simple!" the Judge gasped.

"Recall our dinner that evening, Kristoph," Dad said. Gavin didn't answer, so he continued. "I was drinking my usual juice then, too."

"Basically… you used the bottle on the table to do the deed… but then you must have remembered! So you went and picked up one of the bottles from under the piano… and you switched the bottles! You took one of Mr. Wright's bottles and made it look like the murder weapon!" I said. The gallery erupted.

"Order! Order! Order! What do you have to say to these charges, Mr. Gavin?" the Judge demanded.

"Fascinating… So this is the legendary attorney's famed tactic of misdirection. Tell me though, Wright. If you were in the club, as you claimed to be, wouldn't you have seen me?" Gavin asked. I crossed my arms.

"I was sitting at the bar, that's true. But… I wasn't there every single minute of the whole time Dad was downstairs. I had to use the restroom once, and returned to the bar just before Dad came upstairs," I explained. Gavin flinched, before shrugging, shaking his head.

"Fine. You claim that I switched the bottle? Where is your proof?" he demanded.

"Well…" I hummed.

"As I thought. More baseless conjecture. I'm afraid your 'bottle' of proof is quite empty…" Gavin said with a smirk

"Objection!" Dad yelled. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." He turned to the Judge. "Your Honor. When you initiated the investigation of the Hydeout earlier… do you recall I requested an additional investigation?" Dad asked.

"Ah, yes, I have your memo about that here. 'Retrieve the bottles from under the piano at the Borscht Bowl Club,'" he read, before motioning to the bailiff. "And here's one of the bottles in question," he said as the officer bought it over to me. I quickly pulled on a pair of gloves.

"Hmph! What, are you going to dust that for fingerprints, too? I would be surprised if any were on that but his," Gavin said.

He probably wouldn't make such a novice mistake, true… but there has to be something!

"Say, Apollo…" Dad mumbled and I studied the bottle.

"Hm?"

"Why don't you go ahead and examine that bottle," he said. I looked up at him.

"No, Dad, I thought I'd just stare at it," I said sarcastically. He chuckled at me, and I returned my attention to the bottle. I carefully picked it up and held it to the light to see through the colored glass… and gasped.

"There's something inside the bottle!" I announced. "A card…"

"Th-that card…! It can't be…!" Gavin gasped.

"Recall that unpleasant woman's testimony for a moment…" Dad said.

"Er, Ms. Olga Orly?" I asked.

"Yes, our little swindling devotchka," he replied, butchering the Russian word. I thought back on her testimony…

"W-wait, this isn't…! You're telling me that this is the planted card you 'disposed of'?" I asked.

"The Five of Hearts… this is the card!" Dad announced. "The bottles were swapped. And the only one who could have done that was the fourth person in the room that night. You, Mr. Kristoph Gavin," Dad announced. Everyone was silent for a moment. "That is all."

"Is… this your idea of revenge, Phoenix Wright?" Gavin demanded, obviously unraveling. Quickly.

"Revenge…?" the Judge asked.

"Revenge for the events that took away your attorney's badge seven years ago!" Gavin snapped. I felt like I was kicked in the gut.

This whole case… everything in this entire case connects back to the one of seven years ago! Why!? Why does it have to keep coming up!? And… what did Gavin have to do with Dad loosing his badge? It was all Zak's fault, after all!

"I believe this time we've finally come to the end of our trial. Mr. Payne… do you have a report for us on Kristoph Gavin?" the Judge asked.

"…He's admitted everything. We're processing his arrest now," Payne said.

"I see. Still, one has to wonder why he would do such a thing… he didn't even have a connection to the victim… did he?"

Yes… I thought solemnly.

"Er… none that we know of," Payne said.

"Mr. Wright… er… Phoenix Wright," the Judge said, "do you have anything to add?"

"…I'm afraid I can't shed any more light on the matter," Dad said.

"About this victim, Mr. Shadi Smith… his occupation was listed as 'traveler'… and odd profession to be sure, and that's all we know about him!" the Judge said.

"…I'll arrange a follow-up investigation, Your Honor," Payne said.

"Good. Mr. Phoenix Wright?"

"Yes?"

"Seven years… and you still haven't lost your touch," the Judge said, shaking his head.

"Kristoph Gavin… was a man with much significance for me. Both as a friend… and a lawyer," Dad said.

"He was extremely talented, to be sure," the Judge said.

"I needed two things before I could confront him: the first was a place where no injustice would be tolerated… this courtroom. The second was a man who would tolerate no injustice… in other words, a defense attorney." He smiled warmly, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "I just never thought it would be my own son," he said proudly. I grinned at that, a warm feeling flowing through me.

I loved making Dad proud.

Dad sighed, growing serious once more. "A dark time is coming for our legal system," he said. "A twisting of justice brought on by our very own court system. We have to set it right."

"Dad…"

"Our work lies ahead of us… and I, for one, am looking forward to it," he added with a smile.

"Well, this seems like a good time to announce a verdict. This court finds the defendant, Mr. Phoenix Wright… Not Guilty! Court is adjourned.

"Thanks, kiddo. You came through, just like I thought you would," Dad said, slinging an arm around me. I smiled, though I was still troubled. Not just by the case (though that was a huge part of it), but also by Dad's words.

A… twisting of justice? That doesn't sound good…

"Daddy! Polly!" Trucy called, and suddenly, Dad was tackled by a flying hug. He stumbled back, catching her with a laugh.

"Hey there, Truce! You act like it's been months!" he said, and Trucy just grinned, hopping back.

"I have something to show you!" she said, pulling something out of her bag. "Because Polly's a lawyer now, I thought we should do something!" She pulled out a flier, handing it to me and Dad. It looked like one of the fliers for the talent agency… except this one had an Attorney's badge on it, and the name was different.

"'The Wright Anything Agency'?" I read.

"Yep! You need talent? BAM! We're there! You need a lawyer? BAM! We're there! You need your toilet scrubbed? BAM! Apollo's there!"

"Hey!" I complained, while Dad laughed at us.

A/N: Sorry for any mistakes and typos… I'm going to go curl up in the corner and die now…. Ugh…