Chapter 6 - The Road To Hell

It was the morning of the trial. Nu Ascom had hired Phoenix Wright to defend her. No other defense attorney was willing to take her case, but that's how Phoenix gets most of his clients anyway...

Phoenix was more nervous than usual as the trial opened, but he knew what he had to do. It would be tough to pull off, especially within the context of such a touchy subject as a child murder, but he had to do what he had to do and he was going to do it in his usual style.

"Are the defense and the prosecution ready?" asked the judge.

Franziska found herself unable to force her usual confident smile onto her face this morning as she replied, "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Phoenix declared with an intense expression on his face. He was determined not to screw this up.

The judge was slightly taken aback by Phoenix's intense stare. "Ms. von Karma, you may make your opening statement."

"Nu Ascom murdered two of her own children, and I intend to prove it!" She cracked her whip against her desk and shot Phoenix a death-glare. The defense attorney noticed for the first time that something was wrong. This was usually the part where she would say "A von Karma is perfect!" and tell Phoenix how he was going to be defeated. Today she seemed to be off her game.

At the worst possible time... he thought to himself, sighing aloud.

Detective Gumshoe was called to the stand to testify about the police's findings at the crime scene.

"It was about 9:30 p.m. when we got the call. We arrived on the scene at 9:55 p.m."

"HOLD IT!" Phoenix shouted. "Who did you recieve the call from?"

"It was the defendant's sister-in-law," Gumshoe replied. "Well, that's what we would call her if her brother and the defendant were actually married-"

Franziska's whip cracked against the witness stand, but missed the detective, as she shouted, "Stop rambling and just say her name!"

"Phoenix Asib."

The witness's name is Phoenix...? Phoenix Wright thought to himself. He was not amused. That could get confusing.

"Continue your testimony, detective," the judge commanded.

"The murder took place in the living room. There were two bodies. The murder weapon, a metal bat, was left nearby in plain sight."

At this point Franziska submitted the crime photo and murder weapon to the court as evidence. She looked like she was about to be sick as she handed them over, and once Phoenix got a look at the picture he could see why.

"If the defense has no further questions, then the prosecution may call its next witness."

"Witness, please state your name and occupation for the court."

"My name is Phoe Asib. I moderate a message board."

"Please testify to the court about what you were doing at the defendant's house the day of the murder."

"I went to Nu's house at 10:30 a.m. to babysit the younger children while she went to work. The older children had already been taken to school earlier that morning."

"HOLD IT!" Wright shouted. "Which of the children were with you at that time?"

"OBJECTION!" Franziska shouted. "This question is irrevlevant. All of the children were present at the time of the murder!"

This was it. This where he had to push it.

"Don't you think that's a little strange?" the defense attorney asked, with a thoughtful look on his face.

"What are you getting at, Mr. Phoenix Wright?" Franziska asked suspiciously.

He slammed his hands down on his desk, then pointed his finger at the witness (in that special way he has of doing just that) and said, "Ms. Asib, one of the older children witnessed the murder. Isn't that true?" Wright knew he was right; he had recieved the information after a grueling battle with a very stubborn Psyche-Lock.

"Yes, that is true," Phoe replied, hanging her head. "Sparky ran out of the playroom when he heard the fight."

"And you, yourself, are not an eyewitness to the actual crime?"

"No. I was in the playroom the whole time."

"The defense demands that the boy be called on to testify!"

A few seconds later than he would have expected, Franziska's whip slashed savagely across his face. Any harder, and that would have drawn blood.

"Mr. Phoenix Wright, we are talking about a five-year-old child," she said. Her voice was cold and dangerous and he knew that he had stepped into risky territory, but he couldn't back down now.

"OBJECTION! Ms. von Karma, this boy is the only witness in this case who both saw the crime and has no reason to lie about it!"

"OBJECTION! Mr. Phoenix Wright, nothing the boy could testify would improve your case! I didn't want to have to do this-" He could tell from the look on her face that she meant it. "-but since you insist on pressing the point, you have forced my hand. The boy gave a statement to the police on the night of the murder. I have a recording of it here." She handed it to the bailiff who passed it on to the judge.

The judge decided to allow it, and played recording for the court to hear.

/There was a crackle of static, then a voice Phoenix recognized as belonging to Maggey Byrde: "Can you say your name for me?" A sniff, then the scared voice of a little boy: "Sparky Asib." "Sparky, can you tell me what happened tonight?" "We were getting ready to go to daddy's house and then Cat and George started having a fight and Raven pulled Mushroom's hair so I punched him, and Sparda did too, then Aunt Phoe dragged us all into the playroom except for Raven and Cat." There was about 30 seconds of silence, then Maggey's voice asking: "Can you tell me what happened next?" "I heard them fighting and I went back into the living room. Mommy was holding her bat, the one we're not supposed to touch, and she was screaming, she was really mad." "Did you see you brother and sister?" "I didn't have a chance to. My daddy picked me up and took me out into the hall as soon as I came into the room. I kept trying to get away from him and go back in the living room but he made me go back in the playroom with Aunt Phoe." "Is there anything else you remember about it?" "When we were in the hallway I heard a big bang like she hit something with the bat, then Raven screamed and I heard some squishes. I didn't hear anything but Mommy screaming after Daddy put me back in the playroom. He closed the door."/

The judge shut the recording off. "I think we've heard enough!" He slammed his gavel down. "The court sees no reason to prolong this trial. I will now render my verdict. Nu Ascom is GUILTY of two counts of murder. Pending Odin Asib's trial, the court grants temporary custody of the remaining Asib children to Franziska von Karma. Court is adjourned!"