NO SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW FOR SPIRIT OF JUSTICE. THEY WILL BE DELETED. THANK YOU.
A/N: Ugh… I'm sorry this is so late! I lied when I said there wasn't a lot of homework this week. *sob*
…
Chapter 21: The Siren
July
"Court is now in session for… how do I say that?" the Judge began, before looking over at Gavin. We stood at our designated spots: Me and Trucy at the Defense, Gavin as Prosecution, Machi in the Defendant's chair, and Ema and Clay in the witness chairs, waiting for their turn at the stand.
"'Machi Tobaye,' You Honor. The Pixie of the Arpeggio," Gavin said, snapping his fingers.
"Right, his trial," the Judge said after a moment. "Court is in session!"
"The defense is ready, Your Honor," I said. Not. I have no idea how to defend someone who doesn't speak English!
"The prosecution is A-Okay, Herr Judge," Gavin said.
"Hmm… very well." The Judge turned to look at the blond. "Prosecutor Gavin."
"Ah, my opening statement, ja?" Gavin asked, looking up at the judge.
"No, no, actually…" he hesitated, seeming thoughtful. "There was something else I wanted to ask you about…"
Gavin actually looked surprised, but he quickly covered it up with a smile. "Yes?" he asked.
"Say you're going to visit someone in the hospital with an incurable disease… what do you say to them?" the Judge asked.
"Eh?" Gavin asked, looking more and more confused.
"I mean, you wouldn't say 'get well soon,' right? You'd only be kicking them when they're down…" the Judge continued, as though Gavin hadn't interrupted.
"Um, what are you talking about?" I asked, concerned for our Judge's family. He cleared his throat.
"Actually, I'm going to visit someone who is terminally ill… right after this trial," the Judge admitted. "The Chief Justice's son."
"The Chief Justice…?" I asked.
"His son is afflicted with a most terrible disease… He doesn't have long, it seems." I noticed the glassy look in the man's eyes, and his low tone of voice as he said this.
"Ah…" I muttered softly.
"So I thought I'd go pay him a visit. I thought saying something moving might be the order of the day," the Judge said as way of explaining his questions. Trucy huffed, glancing sidelong at me.
"Why don't grown-ups ever just say what's on their mind instead of pretending?" she demanded. I rose an eyebrow at her, recognizing the look of disgust on her face.
"Hey! What did I ever do?" I hissed back.
"In any case… I'm a bit busy today, so let's wrap this up quickly," the Judge said without waiting for an answer. "Prosecutor Gavin, your opening statement, briefly!"
"You're in luck, Herr Judge," Gavin said with a smile. "I believe you'll be going on your hospital visit sooner than you think." My head snapped around quickly to look at the prosecutor, spotting the confident smirk on his face. "First, to review the victim in this case. Romein LeTouse, age thirty-five. The global manager for diva songstress, Lamiroir. The cause of death: blood loss due to being shot by a large caliber revolver. This report has all the details," Gavin announced, holding the autopsy report up. A bailiff brought both me and the judge copies, and I quickly glanced through it, though I already knew what it said.
".45-caliber… that's quite large, isn't it? A direct hit from that could knock a man off his feet," the Judge said.
"However, the bullet struck him in his shoulder," Gavin reminded us. "The damage to his body was slight. Death was not immediate. Sadly, his blood loss was such that he could not be saved." As he spoke, a picture of the crime scene appeared on the screen before LeTouse's body had been moved.
"Hmm… I suppose the victim's condition could have been much worse, considering," the Judge mused as I made notes on the picture.
"Two shots were fired," Gavin continued. One shot missed, the other penetrated and passed through the victim's shoulder. Both bullets were found in the wall at the scene. Observe the diagram…" A diagram of Lamiroir's dressing room appeared on the screen. Two, small 'x's marked the wall right near the door. "This is where the bullets hit."
"I see…" the Judge hummed. "The court accepts this evidence." I wrote that down quickly as well.
"If we're talking about a .45-caliber revolver… we must assume that the killer was adept at the weapon's use," the Judge said.
"Really?" Trucy asked me softly. I nodded.
"Remember what Ema said. Weapons that size have a powerful kickback. If, say, the judge tried to fire one, it'd break every bone in his body," I explained.
"The defense will take more care in choosing examples!" the Judge snapped, causing me to jump. I hadn't realized how loud I was…
"As I was saying," Gavin said with a small smirk, "the victim was shot backstage, in a dressing room. The dressing room has only one entrance: this door." He used a laser pointer to indicate the door to the dressing room on the diagram.
"That does seem to be the case, yes," the Judge said.
"However, there were witnesses who heard the gunshots," Gavin continued.
"Clay and Ema, right?" Trucy said. I nodded.
"Yet when the witnesses entered the room… it was empty, save for the victim's body, of course."
"B-but that's… that's impossible!" the Judge gasped.
"Exactly. This murder was impossible… for all but one person," Gavin said gravely.
"One person?" the Judge asked.
"That is, of course… the defendant, Machi Tobaye."
"Only this defendant could have committed the crime? But how?" the Judge asked.
"It's quite simple. The circumstances of the crime scene make it clear," Gavin said.
"Very well, I assume you have testimony to back up this claim. Let the witness please take the stand!" the Judge announced. Ema stood from her seat and stepped to the stand.
"Your name and profession, please," Klavier said.
"Ema Skye, I'm a detective for the police department. I was on security detail at the concert forum that night," Ema huffed. I frowned slightly, noticing a dragged down quality to her voice.
Ema seems… tired, somehow.
"Hmm… security at the concert, you say?" the Judge asked. Ema scoffed at herself.
"Some security I was. Couldn't even stop a murder…" she muttered bitterly, and I understood the exhaustion now.
"Now, don't blame yourself!" the Judge said quickly. "Things like this happen! I've made even bigger mistakes in my career, you know!" the Judge said quickly. I felt sweat run down the side of my face.
I'm sure that makes her feel much better… It really put me at ease… I thought sarcastically.
"I want to hear about these bigger mistakes!" Trucy said brightly. I groaned softly, shaking my head at her.
"In any case…" Gavin said. "Because you were on security detail, the crime was quickly discovered. And, we were able to identify the killer," he said. I wondered if that was his way of trying to make her feel better. Ema's shoulder's sagged more. Gavin sighed softly. "You may give the court your testimony, if you would. Describe the circumstanced of that day, and your discovery of the crime, please," Gavin said. Ema looked up.
"Alright," she sighed. "The night of the murder, I was on security backstage, at Prosecutor Gavin's request. Only people involved with the concert in some way were allowed backstage. At the beginning of the third set... I heard shots. I went into the room, filled with blaring rock music, and found the body. I examined the scene and determined that only the defendant could have done it," she concluded.
"Hmm… it was lucky that a detective was the first on the scene," the Judge said.
"But that door was the only way out of the room, right?" Trucy asked.
"That's the way it seems," I said.
"Then I don't get it. How can they say that Machi did it?" Trucy demanded.
"Looks like we need a bit more information," I said with a grin at her. She smiled back.
"Very well, the defense may begin the cross-examination," the Judge said. I nodded, going over her testimony again.
"The night of the murder was the night of the concert, yes?" I asked, even though I already knew this. It was simply for the sake of the record.
"That's right," Ema said.
"What was a detective doing on security detail, might I ask? If it was only a concert?"
"My thoughts exactly," Ema huffed. "But, orders are orders. Even when they come from rock gods."
"Prosecutor Gavin…?" I asked, turning to the man. I could see annoyance showing on his face.
"Yes, allow me to explain," he said. "I smelled something that day, you might say. The stench… of conspiracy. That day, at the concert hall."
"Conspiracy…?" I asked, dreading where this was going. He scowled at me.
"Well, Herr Forehead! You were there, remember!? My keys! That whole morning, no, the whole day was ruined!" I pinched the bridge of my nose, letting him rant himself out. "And all because someone stole my keys! I couldn't ride my hog to the show, I couldn't open my guitar case…" he seethed.
"There he goes again," Trucy sighed.
"Isn't it possible he simply misplaced them?" I asked ironically, knowing that to not be the case. Gavin didn't appreciate my joke.
"Misplaced them!?" he demanded. "Misplaced items don't just wander into a murder victim's hand on their own!" He froze, his eyes widening slightly as he realized his slip of the tongue.
"What's this!?" the Judge gasped. "Prosecutor Gavin, if your keys were in the victim's hand… that makes you a prime suspect!"
"…'Love, slow-acting and new. Atroquinine… is waiting for you'…" Gavin sang softly to himself. I groaned at the fact that I actually recognized the song…
"He's singing something," Trucy said.
…and that apparently Trucy didn't.
"Does everything with this guy have to be so over-the-top?" I muttered.
"The killing happened in the middle of my concert," Gavin reminded the court. "I was… like a sailor, adrift on a sea of sound." He shook his head. "Anyway, I didn't want anything else stolen. So I put the detective with the most time on their hands on the task."
We might be something akin to friends now… but Gavin's still an ass.
"I see. I can accept that," the Judge said.
"Well I can't! What do you mean 'time on their hands'!?" Ema demanded.
"You said, in your testimony, only people involved with the concert were allowed backstage… yet Mr. Clay Terran and Trucy Wright were allowed in," I pointed out, heading off her argument about her lack of time.
"I didn't know about that!" Ema snapped. "I certainly didn't invite them."
"I gave the Fräulein special permission to be there… I wanted to see her again," Gavin said with a smirk.
"Oh boy!" Trucy gasped. "Did you hear that? We're officially involved now!"
"No. You're not," I said with narrowed eyes at Gavin. Part of me knew he was joking, but I still felt a surge of over-protectiveness.
"Some other hangers-on tried to get backstage, but I drove them off," Ema said, regaining my attention.
So, no other 'outsiders' were there, then… I reasoned.
"What were you doing when you heard the shots?" I asked.
"Snacking. Your buddy there was chatting," Ema said, pulling out a bag of Snackoos.
"Ah!" the Judge gasped. "Hey! No snacking in court!"
"And you're sure the shots came from Lamiroir's room?" I asked.
"Of course! I've only said it a million times," Ema snapped. "Here, this'll keep you from asking dumb questions," she said, throwing a Snackoo at me. I managed to catch it.
"Ah, thanks," I said distractedly. "So –munch—how about it –munch—Ema?" I asked.
"It's hard –munch—to mistake it –munch—when we were right there," Ema said.
"Please, either talk, or eat. Not both at the same time!" the Judge commanded. Ema swallowed her mouthful.
"Right, so after that… me and Mr. Visor over there—" she motioned towards Clay "—opened the dressing room door."
"Rock music filled the dressing room at the time of the crime?" I asked.
"Blaring, yes," Ema said.
"When you say 'rock,' are you referring, perhaps… to this 'rock 'n' roll' music that's so popular these days?" the Judge asked.
Gavin piped sounds from the stage into the backstage through speakers so the people in the back can hear when they're supposed to be on stage… I remembered.
"When we walked into the room… the band was playing 'Guilty Love,' I believe. Making it easy to determine the time of the crime," Ema said.
"Hmm… if you could hear that music playing…" the Judge began.
"…Then everyone on stage for that song has an alibi. Including myself," Gavin said.
"Anyways, I closed off the scene and started my investigation," Ema said.
"How, with just an initial investigation, could you know Machi was the only one who could commit the murder?" I demanded.
"As I said, it was clear from the circumstances," Ema began. "Listen... We know there was only one exit from the room: that door. The small window only opened a tiny crack. And I was standing in front of that door. So, how could the killer have fled the scene? There's only one possibility: the air vent."
"Ah…" the Judge gasped.
"Objection!" I yelled, picturing the air vent in my mind's eye. "But that air vent was too small!" I reminded her. "Who could possibly…" I trailed off, realizing I just made her argument for her.
"Exactly," Ema said. "There's certainly no way you could get through there. Nor me. The only one who could fit through there… was a child."
"A child…" I mused, glancing sidelong over at Trucy, remembering the joke I made.
"Remember, access to those rooms was limited," Ema asserted. "Only those involved with the concert were allowed."
"And of all the people involved with the concert," Gavin began, picking up the argument. "Only one is small enough to be considered a 'child.'"
"The defendant!?" the Judge gasped.
"The pixie of the arpeggio flitted up toward the sky… and disappeared from the scene of the crime," Gavin said, shaking his head.
"Objection!" I yelled, my voice cracking slightly. I was a little desperate. "B-but that's just conjecture!"
"Oh?" Gavin asked. "There was no other way out of that room. You've seen it. You should know, Herr Forehead," Gavin said. I ground my teeth together, knowing he was right.
"And… there is another vital piece of evidence," Ema admitted.
"Evidence…? What!?" I gasped.
"Marks were found on the air vent grill. Traces that it had recently been opened," Ema said. I flinched slightly.
Yes, but that wasn't Machi – that was Uncle Val—
"And something else was found, quite clearly. The defendant, Machi Tobaye's fingerprints," Ema concluded.
"Wha… whaaaaaaaat!?" I gasped, lurching back. The galley erupted into muttering.
"Order! Order! Order!" the Judge demanded.
"The air vent was the only way out of the room! The defendant's fingerprints were found on the grill!" Gavin snapped. "Well, Herr Forehead? What fairy tale does this suggest to you?"
"Urk…" I muttered.
"Only one could pass through that vent, that 'doorway to heaven'… and that one is our pixie," Gavin concluded. I stayed silent, putting my magician's mind to work.
Was there another way out of that room? Another mystery behind this 'disappearing act'? Unfortunately, I didn't see one.
But… this couldn't be the end… right? This can't be the only answer…
"I believe that's enough of that," the Judge finally said. I looked up at him in surprise. "The prosecution has a rather convincing case. The only way in and out of the crime scene was watched. Making the defendant the only one who could possibly leave the scene. Simple, and decisive."
"Ugh…" I groaned softly.
"I believe we've heard enough to determine our verdict. Even if I wasn't in a hurry to make a hospital visit," the Judge said.
"I'm sure the Chief Justice will appreciate the gesture. Unfortunately, we have no direct witnesses. Fortunately, the criminal left decisive evidence for us. That will have to be enough," Gavin said.
Argh! It can't be over already! I thought frantically. I quickly scanned the courtroom… and my eyes fell on Clay, who was waving slightly at me. I gave him a 'what?' look, and he pointed first from himself, then to the stand.
It hit me like a .45-caliber bullet.
"Very well, I believe this trial is finished. If the defense has no contradicting evidence?" the Judge asked.
"Hold it!" I demanded. "I do have one question for the Prosecution," I said with a smirk, crossing my arms.
"What is it, Herr Forehead?" Gavin asked.
"Why did you prepare another witness if you had no intention of using him?" I asked. "Mr. Clay Terran was removed from the scene the night of the murder, taken to the precinct, and now he sits in the witness retaining area." I looked up at the Judge. "Clearly, Mr. Terran saw something different from Detective Skye." I slammed my fists down on the bench in front of me, before pointing at Clay. "The defense demands to hear from all of the witnesses. To declare a verdict now would be a gross miscarriage of justice!"
The Judge gasped. "That's right! And we can't have that…" he sighed. "But the Chief Justice…"
"With all due respect, Your Honor, I feel the Chief Justice would understand if you were late in your visit due to doing your job correctly," I said, trying to emulate the cool demeanor of a certain one of Dad's rivals used when talking the Judge over to his side.
It worked.
"Very well. The current witness may step down, and the next take her place!"
Ema stepped away from the witness stand, and Clay stepped up to it in her stead.
"Name and occupation," Gavin said. He didn't seem the slightest annoyed or upset at my prolonging the trial. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it.
"Clay Terran; Astronaut in training at the Cosmos Space Center," Clay said with a smile, adjusting his visor. I smiled slightly.
"Alright, Mr. Terran. Why don't you tell us what you saw the night of the murder?" the Judge said. Clay nodded, gathering his thoughts.
"I was invited to the concert by Apollo – er, Mr. Wright—who was helping out. His sister really wanted to go, but wasn't allowed to by herself. During the third set, I needed a break, and went backstage, where I talked to the detective. We heard gunshots, but… Mr. LeTouse was already bleeding out. He gave me a message with his last breath," Clay said.
"Mr. Wright!" the Judge gasped. "You were helping with the concert?"
"Mostly effects and stunts that required a magician's touch, Your Honor," I said.
"But that means… you were there, and you could go backstage!" the Judge said.
"Making me a suspect?" I asked. He nodded. "To be honest, Your Honor, during 'Guilty Love,' I was in the wings, trying to fix one of the effect machines before the next song. Any of the stage hands could attest to that," I said.
"Oh…" the Judge seemed crestfallen. I shook my head slightly at him.
Why is he trying to get us convicted today…? I thought, glancing at Gavin, who had an amused look on his face.
"Well, at any rate, the defense can now cross-examine the witness," the Judge said. I nodded, looking at Clay.
"So, during the first and second sets of the concert, you were in the audience?" I asked. Clay nodded.
"Yeah. I couldn't tell you what they played during the first set, though, to be honest. The lights were way too bright, and the music too loud. The second set though, with the 'Guitar Serenade'… that was beautiful," he said. I smiled slightly at that.
"Is Lamiroir really that good?" the Judge asked.
"She's the best singer I'd ever heard," I immediately replied. Everyone was silent for a moment, looking at me. I bit my lip, rubbing the top of my head. "What!?" I demanded.
"You were a little quick to jump to her defense, Herr Forehead," Gavin said with a smirk, leaning over forward slightly. I rolled my eyes.
"Excuse me for having taste in music," I muttered. Clay snickered at that, shaking his head, and I decided to steer the conversation back to the point. "The light and noise was why you skipped out on the third set?" I asked.
"Yes," he said.
"What did you and Detective Skye discuss?" I asked. A sly smirk spread across Clay's face: one I recognized as someone who followed through on a plot that I would reap the consequences of. My formality melted away. "What did you do, Clay?" I demanded. His smirk widened.
"Nothing, Polly. Nothing pertaining to the case."
"Is that true, Detective Skye?" the Judge asked. I quickly looked over at her, noticing a slight flush across her cheeks.
"Um, yeah," she muttered.
"Then carry on," the Judge said. I shot Clay a look that clearly stated 'later,' before thinking back to the testimony.
"How long after you heard the shots did you enter the room?" I asked.
"Instantly," Clay admitted.
"Did you see anyone? Anyone at all?" I demanded. Clay sighed softly.
"No. There's no way anyone could have gotten past me or Ema through the door," he said.
Damn... wait! I thought, remembering the last bit of his testimony.
"The victim gave you a message?" I gasped. Clay nodded, shivering slightly at remembering.
"It was with his dying breath. His last words… 'The witness… is Siren.'"
"'Siren'?" I asked, confused. Clay nodded.
"Yes, I'm sure of it," he insisted, before biting his lip. "Plus, while I was trying to keep him awake while Ema got backup… I'm sure I heard the door open, then close again."
"What!?" Gavin gasped, slamming the wall behind him with his fist. "Why didn't you mention this before!?" he demanded.
"I forgot about it until this moment!" Clay said defensively. He squeezed the wood of the witness stand with his left hand, and my bracelet grew tight. My senses sharpened to focus on his hand, Perceiving his unconscious tell, and I knew he was lying.
He remembered that detail from the beginning. I didn't have to question Clay about it: I knew him too well. I knew he kept it from the police. He wanted to tell me first, probably because he feared how the cops would twist that.
Part of me wished he had said something though…
Gavin sighed, shaking his head. "This means nothing. The sound was heard after the murder, and the defendant's fingerprints was still found on the grate," he said. I slammed my fists down onto the bench in front of me.
"I am, however, interested in the victim's last words. He named a witness to his murder!" I said.
"He did…?" the Judge asked, surprised.
"Yes. 'The Siren.'" Realization struck. "That could only mean one person! The 'Siren of the Ballad,' Lamiroir! Lamiroir was only on stage for the second set," I reminded the court. "And she had access to the backstage area. She could have been a witness: Mr. LeTouse's dying words confirm this. This contradicts your claims of no direct witnesses!" I announced, pointing at Gavin.
"I see… well, Prosecutor Gavin?" the Judge asked.
"My claim still stands. There were no witnesses to this crime!" Gavin asserted.
"Very well!" the Judge said. "Let's hear it from the horse's mouth then, shall we? Please show Lamiroir to the witness stand."
The bailiff left the courtroom.
Lamiroir would say nothing the night of the murder. This is probably why! Today, though, we'll drag that story out of her no matter what it is!
"It is my distinct honor to welcome the Siren of the Ballad to our courtroom," Gavin said once the woman stood at the witness stand.
"You are too kind," she said, her eyes flickering in his direction.
"Ah, y-you can speak English?" the Judge gasped, surprised.
"Yes… yes I can. Though I am not very good," she admitted. "There is much I do not know."
"You speak so well!" the Judge replied. "Have you spend time here before?"
"Actually, I do not know how I came by my knowledge of your language. Nor where I studied it…"
What does she mean, she doesn't know…?
"I, too, thought to call her as a witness. But I did not. I had a reason, of course," Gavin said.
"What's that?" I demanded.
"Lamiroir… suffers from amnesia."
"Amnesia?" the Judge asked.
"Lamiroir is not my true name. Yet I remember nothing of the time before I was given it. Nothing of the time before I started singing on stage," the woman explained.
"Whoa! She's even more mysterious than I thought!" Trucy breathed, and I nodded. For all my working alongside her, Machi, and LeTouse… there was a lot I didn't know about those three.
"As lauded singer Lamiroir, she lives a good life. There are little difficulties for her, thanks to her success," Gavin said. "Yet, I did not wish to subject her to unnecessary stress," he added.
"Hmm… I see. I care surprisingly little about people's pasts. You have nothing to fear in this court, Lamiroir," the Judge said.
"Thank you. Yet there is something I do not understand. I am being called as a witness? What might I say? No one will tell me anything of what happened…" she sighed.
"Lamiroir, let me be frank. I did not want to ask you up there to testify. Yet, the little magician over there was adamant that you stand," Gavin said, throwing the blame on me. I scowled at him.
"Oh my…" Lamiroir gasped.
"Congratulations, Polly. You're the bad guy!" Trucy said brightly.
"Ugh…" I groaned.
"Well, now that you're here, please give us your testimony," the Judge said. "If nothing else, the sound of your voice is welcome."
He doesn't know how true that is for me…
"Tell us what you saw the night of the crime!"
"As for what I saw… I saw nothing," Lamiroir started. "That night, I was invited to sing on stage, and this I did. I did not return backstage after the second set. Then I was led by the police to Mr. Gavin's dressing room, and told to wait there. That was where I learned that something had happened… but I wasn't told the details," she concluded.
"Hmm… I must say, you sound wonderful just testifying," the Judge sighed, his eyes closed. I wiped some of the sweat from the back of my neck.
I hope he was too distracted to hear what she was actually saying…
"There you have it. She saw nothing that night. Now we can only pray that the defense has the sense to admit defeat… and refrain from detaining her here longer than need be," Gavin said with a smirk in my direction.
"Wow, you just badder, Polly! Way to go!" Trucy said brightly, while I clenched my fists, growling softly.
"Very well, Mr. Wright. Keep it short and sweet!" the Judge commanded.
Lamiroir wouldn't talk to me the night of the crime. She must know something, and I've got to find out what! I thought as I sifted through her testimony. Only one part stood out like a sore thumb.
"You said you didn't return backstage after the second set. Not once?" I asked.
"Right," she replied.
"Where were you then? What were you doing?" I asked.
"I was cleaning up on stage. There are many things I must do for a performance other than simply sing. As a performer yourself, Mr. Wright, you should know this."
"True…" I hummed. "And was Machi with you at the time?"
"Unfortunately, I do not know where he was…" Lamiroir said, looking away. I sighed. So much for an alibi for Machi… but that's not right. I was in the wings and didn't see her. But… I need proof… I dug through my evidence for a moment, before spotting something.
"Objection!" I yelled. "I'm sorry, Lamiroir, but I'm having trouble believing you," I said. My words were met with silence, so I pulled out my evidence, found just inside the doorway to the crime scene. "You remember this brooch, do you not?" I asked.
"Why, that's Lamiroir's. She was wearing it for her song," Gavin said in surprise. I smirked, crossing my arms and looking at him.
"Care to add that to the testimony, Prosecutor Gavin?"
"Wh-what…?"
"This brooch was found after the murder took place… at the very scene of the crime!" I announced.
"What!?" Gavin gasped, lurching back.
"Lamiroir. How did your brooch get backstage if you did not go there yourself?" I demanded. "And, as Prosecutor Gavin has just told us… you had been wearing it during your performance that night!" That's right! It was part of my stage costume as well when I swapped places with her!
Lamiroir stayed silent, her eyes widening.
"What is the meaning of this? Lamiroir, please explain!" the Judge pleaded.
More silence.
"Lamiroir?" I asked, only for her to say something in Borginese. Gavin tipped his head slightly.
"…She says, 'English is quite difficult,'" he interpreted. I frowned, slamming my fists down on the bench in front of me.
"That trick's not going to work here!" I snapped. She spoke again.
"'You might be a master magician, but you are also a lawyer, truly. But… you have missed one important fact.'" Gavin interpreted again. I glanced over at him.
Since when could he speak Borginese?
"What now?" I asked.
"'In fact, at the time of the incident… I went backstage, but only for a moment.'"
"What!?" I gasped.
"'Think back to the last testimony. Mr. Terran mentioned it.' Wait, you don't mean-!?" Gavin gasped.
"Ah!" I gasped at the same time. "You mean when Mr. Terran heard the door open, then close?"
"Yes. I… looked into the room. Just a glance, mind you," Lamiroir said, finally speaking English again.
"So this is when your brooch dropped? That explains that," Gavin said.
"It does. There was no other time I could have dropped it," Lamiroir said.
That… seems wrong.
"That's ridiculous! You only looked in for an instant, but you dropped your brooch?" I asked. There was another time she could have dropped it, wasn't there?
"Herr Forehead," Gavin suddenly said. I looked up at him. "She has raised a possibility. The only thing that can counter that… is evidence," he reminded me.
"Hmm… so she looked in at the crime scene," the Judge mused.
"Actually, I intended to go into the dressing room. I knew nothing of what had happened, of course. But the moment I opened the door, I heard a horrible voice," she explained.
"Herr Terran shouting 'who's there!' no doubt. A horrible voice indeed," Gavin said with a grin.
"Hey!" Clay snapped from where he sat. I covered my mouth to hide my laughter.
"I closed the door immediately," she concluded.
"Well, that explains the brooch. Let's return to your testimony," the Judge said with a nod.
That's too convenient… she's hiding something, but what!? "Lamiroir! You did look into the room though, right?" I demanded.
"Y-yes…" she answered.
"Testify as to what you saw!"
"Very well. Though it was only the briefest of glimpses," she warned. "When my performance was finish, I went backstage for just a moment…"
I let that one slide, seeing nothing of value in it.
"I saw nothing. The late Mr. LeTouse's body was behind a wall," she said.
I felt my bracelet pulse around my wrist. My focus sharpened on her, on her throat.
"Could you repeat that once more?" I asked.
"Um. Alright. I saw nothing. The late Mr. LeTouse's body—"
"Gotcha!" I called as I noticed her throat constrict slightly on those words. "'The late Mr. LeTouse's body,' you say?"
"Yes…?" she said in confusion.
"You know something more about Mr. LeTouse's death than you are saying," I said.
"What…?" she asked.
"I could see you trying not to remember… but the effort made you swallow!" I pointed out. "You can't fool my eyes."
Lamiroir gasped, before looking away. "It is true," she admitted. "It was so terrible, after all. Why did Mr. LeTouse have to be shot?" she asked. An alarm went off in my head.
"One moment, Lamiroir," I said.
"Yes?" she asked.
"What was that you just said? 'Why did Mr. LeTouse have to be shot?'"
"Yes…?"
She was hiding something! I know it! Lamiroir, I'm afraid you haven't realized it, but… your words just now contradict your testimony!" I announced.
"Eh? How could that be?" she asked.
Take this! Lamiroir contradicted her own testimony, and I have the evidence to prove it! I thought, pulling out a document.
"Tell me, Lamiroir… How did you know he had been shot?" I asked.
"Eh, well, I…" she muttered.
"Immediately following the incident, a gag order was placed on the scene. This is the document proving that," I said, presenting it. "In your testimony, you told the court 'no one told me anything about the incident.'"
"Ah…"
"Furthermore, you testified that you had 'seen nothing,'" I added. Her eyes widened. "Yet you knew that Mr. LeTouse had been shot! How could you have known!?" I demanded.
"Lamiroir! You aren't hiding something from this court, I hope!" the Judge gasped. She didn't answer, and I crossed my arms.
That sweet song of hers was sounding a little too sweet!
"Ah, now I remember. Please… allow me to add to my testimony," Lamiroir pleaded.
"She looks kind of pale, huh?" Trucy muttered. I nodded.
"She saw something. Clay wasn't lying. The victim said so!" I replied.
"I saw bullet holes in the wall, and knew Mr. LeTouse had been shot," Lamiroir said. I shook my head.
"Lamiroir. They call you the Siren of the Ballad… but lies are hardly becoming of such a creature," I said.
"A put-down worth of our prosecutor, Mr. Wright," the Judge gasped, sounding surprised.
"Such put-downs are hardly becoming of you, Polly," Trucy added.
"Stop polishing your forehead and start polishing your character, ja?" Gavin added. I sighed, my spikes drooping.
C'mon, can't I be cool for once!? I demanded silently, before pointing to the screens in the courtroom. "Observe the diagram!" I said. It appeared on the monitor. "Lamiroir, you looked in from the door for just a moment. Correct?" I asked.
"Y-yes, that is so," she replied.
"There were bullet holes in the room, yes," I said. "But they were in the wall the door is on!"
"Eh…" Lamiroir muttered.
"You see?" I said. "Assuming you mrely glanced into the room… you couldn't have seen those bullet holes!"
"No!" she gasped.
"Lamiroir…" the Judge said after a moment.
"Y-yes?" she asked.
"I'm afraid the defense has raised a good point. It appears you have been holding back something," the Judge said.
"And I must tell you? I must tell you what it is that I saw?" she asked.
"Yes. The happenings in this trial are being recorded. And I'm certain it will be on the news in Borginia. You understand your reputation is at stake. It falls to you to avoid tarnishing it," the Judge explained, appealing to her performer's mind.
"Personally speaking, I still believe that cross-examining her will yield us absolutely nothing," Gavin said.
"But she knew how Mr. LeTouse died! And he named her as a witness!" I pointed out before looking at the woman. "You must have seen something, Lamiroir!"
"Very well. Lamiroir… please continue your testimony," the Judge said.
"Very well. I shall." She took a deep breath. "I was on my way from the stage to the backstage exit. There was something like a little window there... That's how I saw it. There were two shots... I couldn't do anything to stop it. But it wasn't Machi! It was a grown person! ...I know it was!" she said. I took a deep breath, crossing my arms with a scowl.
"So you did witness the crime! And the killer was… a grown person, you say?" the Judge asked.
"Ach! This is my first time hearing this, I assure you," Gavin all but snarled. "Nice play, Herr Forehead."
"Very well, Herr… er, Mr. Wright. You may begin your cross-examination!" the Judge said.
"Great going, Polly! You were right about Lamiroir…" she trailed off, taking in my scowl. "What's wrong? You don't look too happy…"
This whole thing smells fishy… that's what's wrong, I thought.
"So you were heading towards the dressing room?" I asked.
"Yes."
So this is a little before she opened the dressing room door and dropped her brooch. About the same time Ema and Clay heard those shots.
"So, what exactly is 'something like a little window'?" I asked.
"Yes, well… 'window' is the best word I know in English. I think this is how it is said, yes," she muttered in uncertainty.
"You need not worry, Lamiroir. Your choice of words is impeccable. There is a small window in the dressing room in question. Perhaps the defense remembers this detail?" Gavin asked.
That little window on the wall…
"I er, saw the crime from there," Lamiroir continued. My bracelet vibrated slightly, but I couldn't spot any tells, so I left it for now.
"Are you certain you heard two shots fired?" I asked.
"Yes, quite certain. I was on my way to the backstage exit. This was when I heard a faint sound… like a gunshot. Wondering what it had been, I peered through the window. That is when I heard the second gunshot, much closer.
And there were two bullet holes at the scene. No contradictions so far…
"It all happened on the other side of that window. There was nothing I could do," she sighed sadly.
"Are you sure it wasn't Machi who shot?" I asked.
"Yes, quite certain," she said. Gavin suddenly laughed.
"It amuses me that you would question her testimony. It is testimony in your favor! Isn't it my job to object?" he asked.
"Yeah, Apollo, what were you thinking!?" Trucy demanded.
"Trucy… let's just listen to what Lamiroir has to say," I told her before looking back at the woman. "Can you tell me how you were so sure?"
"Yes, of course. You see… I know the shooter was a man. A young man," she said.
"And you're sure of that?" the Judge asked.
"Yes. His voice was quite clear," Lamiroir said.
"Voice?" I asked.
"Hmm…" the Judge glanced at the diagram that was still on the monitor. "Looking at this diagram, it seems the dressing room was quite cluttered. It does seem likely that you wouldn't have had a clear view of the shooter," he said.
"As a singer, I rely more on my ears than my eyes. When I hear a voice, I do not forget it. That voice… was the voice of a man," Lamiroir insisted.
"So you heard a voice," Gavin said. "But wait… couldn't that have been the victim, Mr. LeTouse?"
"Absolutely not. Did I not just say that I do not forget a voice? If it was Mr. LeTouse who spoke, I would have known," she said.
"Hmm… indeed. So you were at the window, and you heard the shooter's voice, the voice of a young man," the Judge summed up.
"Polly! This is a good testimony! That proves it wasn't Machi!" Trucy said brightly. I frowned, more, closing my eyes.
"Indeed… if this turns out to be true, it would cast this case in a considerably different light. What is the defense's opinion of this testimony?" the Judge asked. I sighed. I could easily say it was good, we should take it at face value… but Gavin would almost definitely catch me on my bluff.
Besides, something about it just felt… wrong.
"Though it pains me to say this…" I sighed. "There's something about Lamiroir's testimony that rings false," I said. Lamiroir's eyes widened at that.
"Heh. Bravo, Herr Forehead. You're colder than I thought," Gavin said with a grin. I narrowed my eyes at him
I'm sure you remember what the problem is as well as I do, Gavin. "As has been established… no grown man could pass through that air vent. He couldn't have fled the scene of the crime," I reminded the court.
"B-but that means Lamiroir has to be lying!" Trucy gasped.
"I know, and I know it's bad for our case, but I can't shut my eyes to this," I told her. Believe me, the idea was tempting…
"It is as Herr Forehead says. Yet, this is not the only contradiction within her testimony," Gavin added.
"Wh-what next!?" I demanded. What's he talking about!?
"Lamiroir. I understand why you would want to protect Machi. Yet remember, you are the Siren of the Ballad… and lies to not become such a creature," Gavin said.
"What does the prosecution mean!?" the Judge asked.
"Polly! What's he talking about!?" Trucy demanded.
How come no one bats an eye when he says stuff like that!?
"I recall the state of the crime scene quite well," Gavin said.
"The state of the room?" I asked.
"Yes, and when the murder took place… that window was closed. I find it hard to believe you could hear a voice through it," Gavin explained.
"What!?" Lamiroir gasped. "B-but I… I'm sure…"
"Lamiroir. I have nothing but the highest regard for your musical sense. But… my opinion of you as a witness is somewhat lesser," Gavin said.
"Objection!" I yelled. "B-but she's the only eye-witness we have!" I countered.
"Objection!" Gavin snapped. "So you say. And the victim named her, the 'Siren' as the witness?"
"That's right! Mr. Terran knows what he heard—"
"We heard his claim. We even entertained the possibility. And it brought us to this. Herr Judge!"
"Yes?" the Judge asked.
"The prosecution requests that the witness… be excused. Please."
"Hmm… I'm afraid I must honor the prosecution's request. There is indeed a question of the witness's credibility," the Judge said.
"B-but if Lamiroir can't testify…" I muttered.
"Then we don't have a chance of proving Machi's innocence," Trucy finished.
"This cross-examination is over! Prosecutor Gavin. You may continue making your case," the Judge said.
"Danke. Now, where were we? Ah yes, I would like to hear from Fräulein Detective again," he said.
"Objection!" I yelled. "Wait! Let me hear Lamiroir's testimony one last time…" I pleaded.
"But the cross-examination is already over," the Judge said. "Until such a time as a need arises… this witness may leave the stand."
"I'm sorry I could not be of more assistance…" Lamiroir said softly as she walked away.
"At last, back to the real trial. Ready, Herr Forehead?" Gavin asked with a smirk. I glared at him.
I really hope I didn't just miss my only chance… I thought as Ema stepped back up to the stand.
"Fräulein Detective, how far had we gotten until we were so rudely interrupted?" Gavin asked. Ema scowled.
"Don't ask me!" she snapped. I smiled slightly at that.
"I dislike saying the same thing twice. And I never repeat a song for an encore," Gavin replied.
"If you would, Ms. Skye," the Judge sighed.
"Hmph. I believe I was saying that the only way Mr. LeTouse's killer could have escaped… was through that air vent on the ceiling," Ema said.
"Ah, yes, there was only one door in the room. And two witnesses, you and Mr. Terran, were standing in front of it," the Judge added.
"That air vent isn't very big, see. Kind of limits the people who could possibly get through there," Ema said.
"I certainly would have a difficult time," the Judge said.
"You sure would. Not that you would have been there in the first place, though. Remember, the whole backstage area was off-limits to people not involved with the concert. The only one who meets the conditions for out killer… is the defendant," Ema explained.
"A virtuoso performance! I couldn't have put it better myself," Gavin said with a smile.
"Hmm. She does state a clear case. Though, reading the report, something caught my eye," the Judge said, scanning the paper in front of him.
"Oh? What's that?" Gavin asked.
"The circumstances of the defendant's arrest."
"The circumstances?" I asked.
"Hey, that's right, Polly! Remember when we found Machi? That was bizarre!" Trucy said.
She's right… why did Mr. LeTouse's body disappear from the room…and end up on the stage tower with Crescend's guitar?
"A perceptive observation, Herr Judge," Gavin said with a smile.
"Ah, er, thanks!" the Judge said, clearly flattered. "It was kind of an accident, really. But when you work in this job long enough… you get a nose for things, eh he he."
"The judge sure seems pleased with himself!" Trucy giggled.
"Very good, Fräulein Detective. Perhaps you can tie it all together for us. Why was the body moved? And how does that lead us to the killer?" Gavin demanded.
"I believe Machi stole the body because of some lyrics," she began. "He moved the body to match Lamiroir's song. No one in this country had a motive to kill the victim. And, Machi practically left his signature at the scene. All of this evidence clearly points to the defendant."
"That's right…" I breathed, having forgot, for the moment, about 'The Guitar Serenade.'
"Lamiroir's song?" the Judge asked.
"All the events that day followed the lyrics to our song. First, the keys my 'heart' held on to so tightly were stolen," he began as a picture of his keyring appeared on screen.
"Then Prosecutor Gavin's guitar burst into flames on stage. Mr. LeTouse's life was taken by a bullet," I added. A picture of Gavin's flaming guitar appeared on screen, followed by a picture of the crime scene.
"The rest hardly needs explanation. 'Guitar, guitar… up together to the sky,'" Gavin finished.
"Th-that's mad! It's like a story out of some fairy tale!" the Judge gasped.
"Hey! You know I was the one who first noticed that!" Trucy reminded us.
"I've heard of jumping rope to songs, and counting to songs… but killing!?" the Judge asked.
"It's a wild world out there, Herr Judge," Gavin said with a grin.
"Very well! We've heard one song and dance… let's get on to the next: the cross-examination!" the Judge said.
I'm not sure I'm going to be doing much singing…
"So, does the prosecution have any idea why the killer would go to such lengths for this crime?" I asked.
"You want my scientific opinion? 'No clue.' But, he clearly had a reason to go through all that trouble. Some deep reason," Ema said.
"A deep reason?" I asked.
"Not only did he steal my keys, he torched my guitar!" Gavin snapped, losing his cool momentarily. I sighed at that. "Unforgivable acts even if he had a reason… and worse if he had none!"
"The diva's complaints aside, I can't imagine someone doing this on 'just a whim,'" Ema added. I coughed slightly to hide my laughter.
"Fräulein Detective! I take offense at that description!" Gavin complained. I had to try even harder not to laugh.
"Indeed, it does seem too well rehearsed, shall we say," the Judge agreed.
"Yes. This crime was planned for sure," Ema added.
"You say no one in this country had motive to kill the victim, but he spoke English. He may have come to this country before!" I said.
"I looked into that, I assure you," Ema said, shooting me down.
"Oh."
"It was his first time in the country, it seems. Apparently, he learned English on his own," Ema explained.
Great…
"You see? No one here had a motive to kill him, and certainly not in such an elaborate fashion," Gavin said.
"Hmm… it does seem difficult to imagine…" the Judge said.
"Right. So what did you mean by Machi's 'signature'?" I asked.
"The bullet holes in the wall, of course," Ema said.
"The bullet holes…?" I asked.
"The revolver was fired twice. One shot missed, and left a hole in the wall," Ema said.
"And that means what, exactly?" asked the Judge.
"That dressing room isn't exactly spacious. Picture the shooter facing off with the victim in there. They can't have been more than five feet apart. It would be difficult, almost impossible to miss at that range," Ema explained.
"Difficult to miss, you say?" the Judge asked.
"Very. Assuming the shooter could properly aim," Ema added.
"No! Y-you can't be serious…" I gasped.
"Machi! He can't see… that's why he missed?" Trucy asked.
"It's the only explanation that makes sense. He used sound and other senses to fire the gun… poorly."
"That reminds me, the monitor in that room was blaring at the time, ja? Hardly ideal conditions for tracking by sounds," Gavin said thoughtfully.
"A blind shooter…" the Judge said in shock. "No wonder he missed!"
I knew those bullet holes would come back and haunt me. This Wright, what do I do now!?
"Objection!" I yelled. "Sure, there were bullet holes left in the wall… but that doesn't prove the shooter couldn't see!" I announced.
"Oh? How so?" Gavin asked.
"Well, there could have been a struggle with the victim," I said.
"Hmm… that's certainly possible," the Judge said.
"And… it might have been the revolver's fault," I added.
"The revolver?" the Judge asked.
"The revolver was a very large caliber, correct?" I asked.
"It the shooter wasn't used to firing such a large weapon… why, it could dislocate their shoulder," the Judge realized.
"Exactly," I said. "The defendant, Machi Tobaye, is, as you can see, tiny. It's not so hard to picture him firing the gun and missing entirely! The kickback alone would throw off his aim," I explained. Everyone was quite for a moment.
"A convincing argument, to be sure," the Judge finally said. I smirked, crossing my arms.
Ha ha! Take that, smug prosecution!
"Um, Polly?" Trucy finally said.
"Huh? What?" I asked.
"That bit about Machi being tiny… and the gun throwing off his aim? Um… aren't you kind of, um… admitting that he did it?" she asked. I thought for a moment before groaning, my spikes falling into my face.
"Oh."
"It does not matter why he missed. What matters is that the shooter was, without a doubt, the defendant. Even the defense seems to agree on that point," Gavin said with a smirk.
"Uhh…" I mumbled. Cripes! I really put my foot in it this time!
"But, let's get the facts of the matter on the record. If you would, Fräulein Detective," Gavin said.
"Very well. The witness will add this to her testimony."
"Right," Ema said.
"From the state of the crime scene, I conclude the shooter was blind," Ema said.
"Objection!" I yelled. "You can't say he was blind just because of those bullet holes in the wall! I think I've proven that!" I countered.
"I wouldn't call it 'proof,' per se," Ema said.
"Huh?"
"You merely raised a 'possibility.'"
"Fräulein Detective has made a most logical conjecture based upon the evidence. Of course, there is more evidence that just the bullet holes. The defendant was the only one who could have escaped through the air vent," Gavin said.
"Objection!" I yelled. "But wait! If he was blind… how would he know about the air vent in the first place?" I asked.
"Ah, a very good point. Well, Fräulein Detective? If you would care to explain?" Gavin asked.
He certainly seems sure of himself… I noticed.
"Recall the crime scene, if you would. There was a stepladder below the air vent. As it happens, maintenance was scheduled for that day. Custodial staff went around checking all the air vents.
That's right! Uncle Valant and I were worried they'd mess up our trick…
"Everyone backstage was told about the maintenance if you recall… including Machi Tobaye. He would have known that there would be a way out at the top of that stepladder."
"Ugh… Great…" I sighed.
"Looks like the defense's objection has been squished by a stepladder," the Judge said.
"Well, Herr Forehead? Out of ammunition, perhaps?" Gavin asked, leaning forward, a gleam in his eye.
I've never seen Gavin so… aggressive! Maybe he's caught the scent of blood, I thought.
"Polly, don't you have something? Anything? You know what we need… we need something to prove the killer could see! That'll put him in his place!" Trucy gasped.
Proving the shooter was sighted would do it. That would take down one of their central points… do I have evidence that can—that's it!
"I have just the thing!" I declared.
"As I knew you would, Herr Forehead," Gavin smirked.
"The defense will please present their evidence. Evidence that overturns the prosecution's claim that the shooter couldn't see!" the Judge commanded. I nodded with a smirk, turning to the monitor.
"Let's take a look at the crime scene," I said. It appeared on screen, though I noticed Gavin was smirking.
"The photograph of the crime scene…?" the Judge asked.
I don't care much for the smirk on Prosecutor Gavin's face… but this is no time to think twice… time to press on! "Yes, Your Honor, the crime scene. There is something in here that decisively contradicts the prosecution's point!" I said.
"Then perhaps you'd best show us this 'something,' ja?" Gavin suggested. I smirked, using my laser pointer to point out the smeared blood in front of Mr. LeTouse's hand.
"The contradiction is right here!"
"The smeared blood stains!" Ema gasped.
"Hmm… I thought it was just my blurry vision," the Judge admitted. "But it really was blurry! The way the victim's hand is raised above his head… much like a gesture I have seen many times in this court."
"It's almost as if he wrote something…" Ema asked.
"Aha! I get it! At least, I think I get it!" Trucy gasped.
"Get what, Fräulein?" Gavin asked.
"When Mr. LeTouse was shot, he tried to write something! And what would he write but the shooter's name? And what would he write it in but his own blood? Pretty good, huh?" she asked with a grin.
Thanks for making my point for me… "Yes, in fact, that's what I think happened here," I said.
"Hmm… that does seem to be a distinct possibility," the Judge agreed.
"The victim wrote the killer's name… it's certainly a logical conclusion," Ema said.
"Drat! I just wish it wasn't all rubbed out like that," Trucy sighed.
"Of course it's rubbed out. Why, if I were a killer… I certainly wouldn't want to leave my own name behind!" the Judge gasped.
"Neither would I," Gavin said, that infuriating smirk still in place. Everyone fell quite. I looked between them for a moment.
"Um… no one has anything else to say?" I asked.
"About what?" the Judge asked.
"So the prosecution accepts this?" I demanded, looking at Gavin. "You agree this was the victim making an attempt to record the name of the killer? And that the killer tried to rub his name out?" I said.
"What's your point?" Ema asked.
"What's my point!?" I gasped. Are they really that blind!? Er… no pun intended… "Let me ask you this: How did the killer know the victim was writing their name?" I asked.
"Well, Mr. LeTouse was writing something in blood. Once the killer saw what it was… wait," Ema froze, her eyes going wide, a hand to her cheek. The judge was still oblivious.
"Once he 'saw' what it was…?"
"But what did you just testify about the shooter?" I asked. Ema looked at me.
"I said… they were blind. Ack!" she gasped.
"Yet the crime scene itself contradicts that!" I announced, pointing at the picture, before slamming my fists down on the desk. "The killer had to have been able to see! Why would they rub out the name in the blood otherwise?"
"Ah… ahh…" Ema mumbled. I continued to press the matter.
"May I remind the court that the defendant, Machi Tobaye, is blind! He couldn't have been the shooter!"
"Impossible!" Ema cried.
"Order! Order! Order!" the judge yelled, quieting the noise suddenly coming from the audience. "P-Prosecutor Gavin! Please explain to me what all this means!" he demanded. Gavin stayed quiet, snapping his fingers. "I mean, looking at this photo… it seems quite clear that the shooter could see! Yet, up until now…"
"It seems I owe the court an apology…" Gavin said, looking up.
"Hmm?" the Judge asked.
"The Gavinners are a band with law enforcement ties, yet a murder occurred… during our concert! Apparently, this caused some confusion over jurisdiction. As a result, some reports were not filed in an entirely timely manner," he explained.
I… I'm not sure I like the vibe I'm getting here.
"Hey Polly, look at him. Why is Prosecutor Gavin all relaxed and smiling like that?" Trucy asked. "Like he knows something we don't… and he's about to tell us."
Gavin laughed. "I've got an idea… let's rock! With this documents," he said, pulling papers from his briefcase. A bailiff came over to take them. "But before that. I have a question for the Fräulein Detective. If I may?"
"Wh-what?" Ema demanded as the bailiff walked over to the document viewer that would show the papers on screen. He waited for Gavin's signal.
"Tell me… why do you think that Machi Tobaye is blind?" Gavin asked.
"Huh?" Ema asked.
"What did he say?" I gasped. "Wait…!" I thought back to all the times I'd seen Lamiroir and Machi together while I was setting up the magic trick.
Those two walking hand-in-hand. Machi being the one to tug Lamiroir out of the path of other people. Machi reacting a second sooner to things going on than Lamiroir.
Even when discussing the magic trick, Mr. LeTouse would tell her in Borginian, while Machi would trace seemingly random patterns on the back of her hand.
No way… I thought in horror. I even proved that Machi didn't have to be blind to to miss that first shot!
Gavin pointed to the bailiff, he and Ema having continued their conversation while I tuned out for a few minutes. "I have a report here on the defendant, Machi Tobaye. According to this, Machi Tobaye… can see perfectly well."
"What…?" Ema asked.
"His blindness was merely a publicity ploy by those clever Borginians. He can see quite well," Gavin explained.
"Objection!" I yelled. "B-but you said…
"What did I say, exactly?" Gavin asked. I lurched back, realization striking yet again for the second time in three minutes. "Herr Forehead, not once in the course of this trial… have I claimed the defendant was blind. The only one who did was Fräulein Detective."
"But that's…" Trucy began.
"A significant fact, yes! Consider: Machi Tobaye sees. And he was the only one who could have fled through the air vent. I see no problem with this," Gavin said.
"But what about the bullet holes in the wall?" Ema demanded.
"Yes, the bullet holes. I believe Herr Forehead neatly explained those for us. He didn't miss because he couldn't see. It was the kickback from the .45-Caliber revolver. A simple accident, in other words," Gavin countered.
"P-Polly? Can he do that?" Trucy asked. "Withholding evidence like that?"
"Unfortunately… yes. Dad's done stuff like this before," I admitted. "It falls under the Laws of Evidence. A Lawyer can present evidence in a trail, even if the other side has not seen it, so long as it pertains to the case," I explained.
"Then he should have presented it sooner!" Trucy growled.
"He didn't have to. Ema came up with a theory as to why Machi missed. Before he could object, I stuck my foot in my mouth, like he just said. The need to present it didn't arise until just now." I looked over at her. "Besides, he's a prosecutor, doing his job to get the defendant proven guilty. Why would he present evidence that would hurt his case?"
"Eh… right…" Trucy sighed.
"This is where the real fun begins, Herr Forehead!" Gavin said with a grin.
"You… you jerk!" Ema snapped, glaring at Gavin, her face bright red with embarrassment. "Just what was I in here for? Comic relief!?"
"Yeah!" Trucy snapped. "Apologize!"
Gavin laughed at the twos' tempers. "Oh, sorry!"
"That's no way to apologize!" Trucy growled.
He's angered the Trucy now. Look out…
"Ahem," the Judge cleared his throat. "If we can please end the bickering. Now."
He almost sounded like a parent, threatening to turn this car around…
"Whatever! I'm not leaving! I can't leave like this." Ema crossed her arms and looked away with a scowl. "I'll come up with some clue to solving this case if it kills me!"
"But your testimony has already given us enough to convict the defendant…" the Judge said.
Ugh, don't say that…
Suddenly, Ema started laughing, startling everyone.
"What is it?" I asked.
"The blood stain… the criminal tried to wipe it off, right? Ema asked.
"That seems to be what happened, yes," I replied.
"We might be able to find out what was really written here!"
"Really!?" I gasped. "You can do that?"
"That's right, with this!" Ema said, pulling a spray bottle from her bag. "It's called Luminol! Maybe you know of it? It's a chemical that reacts to blood," she explained.
"Ah yes, have we done those tests yet?" Gavin asked.
"Hah! As if I'm going to tell you!" Ema snapped, obviously still sour.
"The blood stains covered a section of the carpet. In order to perform blood tests, that section was removed and submitted. Perhaps we should request it here in court now," Gavin suggested.
"Right! Go for it, Apollo!" Ema said, tossing me the bottle. I scrambled to catch it.
"Whoa! Huh?" I looked at her. "I have to do the test?" I asked. She grinned at me.
"You just do them so well. Just spray the luminol on the carpet section. Simple!" she said as the bailiff brought the carpet section over to me. I looked down at it.
A chemical that reacts to blood… Dad's used this…
"Yes, I believe an analysis is called for. Have at it!" the Judge said. Everyone watched as I carefully sprayed the carpet square, making sure I covered it in an even coating. Soon, the bright blue reaction formed letters and numbers.
"This must be… this must be the power of science!" Trucy said brightly.
"It says… 'IPXX314206'," I said, allowing the bailiff to move it over to a camera. The image of it soon appeared on the court monitors.
"Is that the killer's name?" Ema asked.
"Hmm. Maybe it is… if the killer was a robot!" the Judge gasped. I thought I heard a soft, Clay-esque excited choking noise from the galley.
"Ah hah! I have it!" Gavin suddenly said.
"So what is it?" I asked.
"I thought those letters 'IPXX' looked familiar. This is an Interpol ID number," he exaplined.
"I-Interpol? You mean the international police agency?" Ema asked.
"Yes. Most are undercover agents working to solve international crimes. But why would he write that number…" Gavin mused.
"Why would Mr. LeTouse even know a number like that!?" I added.
"Your Honor! We can verify this number immediately. Daryan, are you there?" he turned to look at the Galley. "Come up to the witness stand!" The man did as he was told. "Daryan… you heard what we need. Go check into this Interpol ID number," he said.
"Sure thing. Gimme thirty minutes. No… Gimme twenty-seven." And with that, he was gone.
"Hmm… I'm not sure what to think of all this. The prosecution's case is airtight, or so it seems. Yet if this umber is really that of an Interpol agent…" the Judge mused.
"Oh, wait, I know… Wjhat if Machi Tobaye's really an undercover Interpol agent?" Ema suddenly said.
"That would be a possibility," Gavin added.
"A possibility, yes. And one that would mark him as the killer for certain," the Judge agreed.
Why did LeTouse know an Interpol ID number… that's what I want to know.
"Well, we have some time while we await Daryan's report. Let's work on unraveling another mystery, shall we? A curious mystery concerning Machi Tobaye," Gavin said.
I think I know where this is going…
"Fräulein Detective, please accept my apologies. I received word that the defendant could, in fact, see, just before the trail began." Ema smiled at Gavin's words. "It seemed too much a bother to tell you," he added, and Ema's face became thunderous once again.
"You had me until that last bit."
"Does this not raise a rather straightforward question?" he asked.
"Well, sure," Ema said, looking away thoughtfully, tugging on a lock of her hair. "Why did Machi pretend he couldn't see?"
"Exactly… it makes little sense. What do you think, Herr Forehead?" Gavin asked, looking at me.
He's known from the start of the trial… I realized. I sighed, taking a deep breath.
"He was pretending he couldn't see… because of Lamiroir," I announced.
"Lamiroir!? Wasn't she supposed to be the 'landscape painter in sound' or something?" Ema asked.
"Well, since we have her here…" Gavin began. "Why not ask Lamiroir herself? I believ she is still in the witness waiting room."
"P-Polly… what does this mean for our case!?" Trucy asked.
"No clue. I didn't realize it until a few moments ago," I admitted.
"Bailiff! Bring in Lamiroir!" the Judge commanded. A few moments later, the singer was back on the stand, this time by Gavin's request, not mine.
Another realization struck.
This is why he was so against us cross-examining her earlier! Of course she couldn't see the crime!
"Lamiroir. It pains me deeply to call you before us again in this way. And yet I must," Gavin said.
"Please, do not be concerned on my behalf," Lamiroir said. I peered at the blue eyes peeking out from between the hood and the veil. They seemed… hauntingly familiar. As though I'd seen them a million times, growing up.
Those eyes… they're so familiar. But... she really can't see? Really?
"It's true," Lamiroir suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I even jumped slightly. "How funny it is that a tiny lie born in the Borginian countryside… would one day grow to entangle the entire world…"
"So… so you are…?" the Judge stammered.
"Yes. As I mentioned before… I have no memory of the time before I became Lamiroir. Know too that my memories begin in darkness. The word 'light' has no meaning for Lamiroir," she explained.
"I see…" the Judge sighed sadly.
"You may recall me saying something toward the beginning of this trail, Herr Forehead," Gavin said. I looked at him, thinking back to my earlier realization.
"That this crime has no 'direct' witnesses," I said.
"Ja. Of course, I had questioned Herr Terran yesterday. I know of the witness's last words, and had planned to call him to the stand. But learning, today, that Lamiroir was blind, I had decided against that," he explained. I nodded, understanding. He turned to the singer. "Now, Lamiroir, I must ask you to stand once more. Well you testify to the court about your eyes?" Gavin asked.
"Of course. It was never my intent to deceive any of you. May I begin, Your Honor?" Lamiroir asked.
"Uh, yes, yes of course. Though I admit, I'm a little lost here," he said. I sighed softly, my bangs drooping.
You're not the only one…
"I have no memory of the 'light.' I debuted in a world of darkness and sound. My producer came up with my PR line before he knew this. So, silly as it may sound, I had to pretend I could see. Everyone on my staff knew, of course, but no others," Lamiroir testified.
"But… this is a murder trial!" the Judge gasped.
"I apologize. It was part of my contract, you see. I was to keep my blindness a secret, no matter what. Music is everything for me. I never imagined something like this would…" she trailed off, her eyes glistening.
"She told us the truth in the beginning. When she said she 'saw nothing,'" Gavin said. I nodded, touching my wrist where my bracelet sat. Of course she did…
"Very well. Does the defense have anything to add?" the Judge asked. I hesitated a moment before nodding.
"I'd like to cross-examine."
"But, what is there left to ask!?" Trucy gasped.
"There was one thing in her testimony that bothered me," I admitted.
"Perhaps it is best we let you get it out of your system. Someday, you'll come to understand… the importance of thinking for yourself," Gavin said with a smirk. I scowled at him.
"Very well. The defense may proceed. However… be aware this court will not tolerate any questions deemed too stressful to the witness."
"Okay," I said. It's just this one thing…
"When you said your staff, do you include Mr. LeTouse?" I asked.
"Of course," Lamiroir replied. "He was my manager."
So he knew… and that's what's been bugging me!
"Something the matter, Mr. Wright?" the Judge asked.
"I believe I know what is bothering our young defense attorney. You are thinking of your friend's testimony of when he discovered the body, ja?" Gavin asked. I looked over at him quickly.
"Is he right, Polly?" Trucy asked.
"Yes, I was," I said as answer. "Mr. Terran testified that Mr. LeTouse told him to ask the witness, and he named you," I said. Her eyes grew wide, surprised and confused. "Why would he do that? He knew you were blind!"
"I… I don't know…" Lamiroir breathed, sounding sincere.
"Tsk, tsk." Gavin shook his head. "What did I just say? You need to learn to think for yourself."
"Meaning what?" I asked.
"There was one other thing our victim told Mr. Terran. He said 'can't see,'" Gavin said. I quickly looked over at Clay, who looked shocked.
"Is that true, Cl-Mr. Terran!?" I asked, remembering formality at the last second. He stood, answering from in front of his seat.
"Y-yeah, but I thought he meant his own vision was fading… not that the witness couldn't see…" he replied. I internally groaned. That is a reasonable assumption…
"That's right. He tried to tell Mr. Terran. When he said 'can't see' he wasn't talking about himself. He was talking around the witness!"
"I see!" the Judge gasped.
"Too bad the defense didn't ask for enough information when he had the chance. Well, Mr. Terran? Next time, try gathering as much information as you can before wasting the court's time!"
That statement seems contradictory… I thought, my spikes drooping into my eyes.
"Recall Lamiroir's earlier testimony," Gavin said. "She said she was on her way from the stage to the backstage exit. She heard two shots, but couldn't do anything."
"But she couldn't have heard those gunshots! I thought we proved that…" the Judge gasped.
"That is not the most important point here," Gavin countered.
"Huh?"
"The moment he was shot, Mr. LeTouse 'witnessed' her through that window in the back of the room. Why else would he have named her as the witness?" Gavin laid out.
"Ah…" I muttered.
"But I really did hear them! Two gunshots… and a man's voice!" Lamiroir insisted. I watched her, searching for any sign of deception.
There was none.
"Unfortunately, such a thing was impossible. The window was closed. We have already run a simulation, of course," Gavin said.
"But it was so clear… if I heard that voice again, I would know it in an instant," Lamiroir insisted.
"Hmm…" the Judge hummed.
"Your Honor!" the Bailiff suddenly gasped.
"What is it, Bailiff? Can't you tell we're in session here!?" the Judge demanded.
"We have the results back from the investigation!" the man replied.
"The investigation?" the Judge asked.
"Ah, the Interpol number that Mr. LeTouse left us," Gavin said.
"Ah! Well let's hear it!" the Judge gasped. "We will continue this cross-examination afterward. Detective Crescend! Your report please!"
As Lamiroir stepped away from the stand, Crescend stepped up.
"I asked Interpol about that number. I'm sure you'll find their answer intriguing." Lamiroir froze, her hand resting on the short wall that separated the galley from the rest of the court. "'IPXX314206'… the agent registered under that number… was Romein LeTouse," he said, regaining my full, undivided attention.
"What…?" Gavin gasped, taken aback.
"Our undercover Interpol agent was Mr. LeTouse himself! He was apparently in the middle of an operation," Crescend explained.
"So, when he wrote those letters…" I began.
"…He was trying to tell us his own identity. And a cautious killer tried to wipe them away," Crescend finished.
"Mr. LeTouse was an undercover Interpol agent… so him being Lamiroir's manager…" Trucy began.
"…Was just a cover, most likely," I finished.
"There's one other important detail I found," Crescend said.
"Well, out with it," Gavin said.
"It concerns that .45-caliber revolver, the murder weapon. Apparently, it belonged to Romein LeTouse. He had an Interpol permit to carry firearms. And the registration number on the revolver matched," he said.
"So the victim was killed with his own weapon, which makes sense. It's hard to imagine someone who wasn't an Interpol agent with such a large revolver," Gavin mused.
So the victim was an Interpol agent on an undercover op… I wonder how that ties into everything…
"This has to tie in somehow, you'd think," Trucy said, as though she had read my thoughts. I smiled slightly at that before growing serious once more.
"Yeah, somehow…"
"Thanks for looking into that for us, Detective Crescend. It's a great help," the Judge said.
"Oh, no problem at all, Your Honor," the man said with a smile. "I'll be heading out."
"Hold it!" Lamiroir suddenly cried, having not moved from where she stood. "Wait!"
"La-Lamiroir! Is something the matter?" the Judge asked.
"That voice just now…" she said softly.
"Daryan?" Gavin asked in confusion.
"Mr. Daryan, is it…?" She was silent a moment, before tipping her head up in determination. "It was him. I am sure of it."
"It was 'him'?" the Judge asked in confusion. Gavin instantly got it, lurching back for a moment before leaning heavily on the bench, sweat pouring down his face.
"Y-you aren't saying-!?" he gasped.
"That voice I heard talking to Mr. LeTouse…" her voice was growing stronger with each word. "When I heard the gunshots fired. It was him! It was Mr. Daryan!"
"Is this some kind of a joke!?" Gavin demanded, grabbing and shaking his head, his bangs hiding his face. I lurched back from the bench in my own right.
"Whaaaaat!?" I gasped.
"…No way…" Crescend muttered, looking angry and nervous at the same time.
The courtroom, at that moment, fell into chaos. The Judge, unable to regain control, had to suspend the trial temporarily. I'd never seen that happen before. Of course, it's not every day that you get an accusation like that one. Lamiroir, fingering Daryan Crescend. Not only is he in a famous rock band, but he's also a detective!
Could it really have been his voice Lamiroir heard? Things are changing fast, and frankly, I don't know if I can keep up…
…
A/N: So… long… ugh…
Alright. A (long) note to justify something in this chapter. I used to think poorly of Gavin for withholding the fact that Machi can see, just like a majority of the fanbase. But recently, I saw a video, condemning Phoenix for doing the SAME THING! (which, he really does in the original trilogy: withholding evidence from the prosecution until such a time where it would benefit his case). This video points out that, in the United States court system, that wouldn't fly, which is correct. All evidence must be registered so that both parties can examine it and create arguments against it.
There was a rebuttal video, a la Ace Attorney style. This video reminds us that the court system is based off of JAPAN courts, but also that the AA-Universe has its own set of rules and laws, including Evidence Laws, as seen in Rise From the Ashes. The second evidence law is that a lawyer may present evidence so long as it pertains to the case at hand, even if it's not previously registered to the court. This law doesn't say when/how, leaving plenty of loopholes for lawyers to exploit. Which every lawyer in this series does. I mean, come on now. Updated Autopsy Report, anyone?
Which brings me to my next point: Apollo's justification of it in this AU. I didn't do this because he and Gavin are friend. Apollo Wright is a little more law savvy then his canon counterpart, Apollo Justice, because he grew up under a legendary (ex-)lawyer. He ransacked all of Phoenix's personal files. Which means you can be sure he also found that book Gant gave Phoenix in RftA.
If you want to know what those videos were, just ask!
Well, I don't think I have anything else to say here. This is the official start of my Hiatus. Sorry!
Also, for those of you who will place Spirit of Justice, NO SPOILERS IN THE REVIEWS. THEY WILL BE DELETED.
So I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
