'That prosecutor... She's helping us.' Apollo pushed open the doors to the defendant's lobby. Or at least, tried to - he slammed face-first into the wood.

Trucy joined him. 'Well, when you put it that way, it is just like old times. Mr Gavin was always there to help us when we needed it.'

'Not,' grunted Apollo between breaths. 'When. It. Would. Compromise. His. Case.' He wiped his brow. 'Ugh, I can't figure out this door. Why won't it...?'

Silence.

'Oh.' The attorney stepped back a few metres, breathed heavily, and then charged the wood with his shoulder. There was a sharp crack as the doors flew open, accompanied by several clatters as a drink table bounced across the floor. Great, now it only has two legs, thought Apollo. Then: ow. My pointing arm...

'Oh, kid. It's just you.' Jet was already half-way across the room with the couch. 'Help us out with this, would you?'

Apollo ignored him, striding over to the movie star and crossing his arms. 'We need to talk. I've got less than fifteen minutes to get as much info out of you as possible.'

'But what about the-'

Trucy grinned and adjusted her hat. 'Leave them to us, Mr Slater.' She pressed a secret button on her belt, and within seconds a life-sized marionette unfurled from seemingly out-of-nowhere.

Apollo stared at it in high, high amusement.

"Mr Hat," was now sporting a homemade, scarlet tuxedo, and a mop on his head which Trucy was combing to match Jet's style. 'I must say, this isn't my most tasteful outfit,' he, or rather, Trucy said. 'But I'll do what I must. Shall we, Miss Trucy...?'

The magician pocketed the comb with a smile. 'Of course. Let's go, Mr Hat.' She turned and exited the room, giggling to herself.

Shouldn't it be "Mr Mop" now...?

Suddenly, various screams and cries of: 'There he is!' 'Oh my god! 'Wait, we're here!' and 'Come back and sign my face!' could be heard through the wood. A stampede of footsteps passed by the defendant's lobby and thundered outside, leaving Apollo and Jet alone.

'That's another one I owe her,' muttered the attorney. He turned to the movie star and straightened his tie. 'Now, can we start?'

'Uh, sure,' came Jet's reply - he was still trying to work out what had just transpired in front of him. 'What do you want to talk about?'

'Let's start with your relationship to the victim.'

'What? To "Fisticuffs"? Sure, sure, me and Brad were good friends, compatriots, partners in crime. Well, maybe...' Jet crossed his arms, saddened a little. 'I get that he owed me money, but I always assumed it was because of like...family, or divorces...y'know? But, drugs? Makes you wonder whether not he liked me for me, or me for my cash... Were we ever friends to begin with?'

Apollo closed his eyes. '...I'm sorry, Mr Slater. I can't answer that for you - I need to move on. When was the last time you spoke to him?'

'At the pre-screening party. And when you say "spoke," we actually had a shouting match.'

'You fought with him?'

'Didn't touch him. But, everyone heard it in the studio, even though we were in his dressing room at the time. I'm pretty impressed actually - the room has no windows or anything, so I must have really let it out.'

'I see. What was it about?'

'My money, of course. He said he didn't have it, and, well... I may have opened several cans of whoop-ass.'

Apollo nodded. 'Er, right. And you didn't touch him. At all?'

'No.' Jet let out a long breath of air. 'I really wanted to, trust me...'

'Alright. What happened afterwards?'

'I stormed out of his dressing room. Ranted to everyone I could find back at the party.'

Those poor people.

'Then about ten minutes later we saw Brad pass by the room in his astronaut suit. We checked the time and it was about 5:40pm, so we finished up and left the studio.'

Apollo grimaced. 'That's not good. You fall just within the time of death in the autopsy report. Last question, did you see the victim when you were leaving?'

Jet flared his nostrils. 'Are you kidding? I wasn't even going to look at the guy after the spat we had - I even yelled at him about the limo service.'

'What was wrong with the limousines?'

'Nothing. They were my favourite company too, best of the best. Best valets, service, you get the idea - Brad always spends too much. No, the problem was I couldn't leave until the first limo left, which was his.'

'And you left at 5:45pm...' Apollo thought for a long time, then, he stared at Jet whilst gripping his bracelet. 'So, you definitely didn't kill Brad Fist?'

The movie star frowned. 'Why're you being so mysterious? I didn't kill him, alright?'

Silence, then the attorney's eyes lit up. 'I believe you. Thank you, Mr Slater - I think I can get you out of this.'

'Really?'

'Yes, I just need your testimony written down.'

Jet looked to the side, eyes glancing up at Apollo like a dog that had just ruined a mattress. 'Hey, kid... Thanks for this. And, thanks for not being a star-struck idiot - gets tiring, y'know?'

Trust me Mr Slater, it isn't difficult whatsoever. 'One last thing: the prosecution thinks that the murder occurred during the trip to the premiere. Did anything happen on the way?'

'Take it from me, kid. It was smooth sailing until Brad's body turned up in the trunk of the car.'

Apollo grinned. 'That's all I needed to know.'

The courtroom was buzzing once Apollo stepped back inside. He was startled to find everyone but him and Jet in their appropriate positions - with a quickened pace he joined Trucy at the defence's bench.

'So,' puffed the magician, cheeks flared red from exhaustion. 'How...did...the...interview...go...?'

'Great - Jet is definitely innocent. I think we have a fighting chance.' Apollo looked the teenager up and down. 'Are you alright, Trucy?'

'J-just...f-fine...'

He decided not to pursue the subject, but made a mental note to double her noodle order afterwards.

'Ahem.' The courtroom fell silent. 'Has the defence come to a decision?'

Apollo nodded at the Judge, eyes unmoving. 'We have, your Honour. The defence...' A large thump echoed around the walls as the attorney slammed his fists against the wood, a renewed energy filling him. '...will not change its stance.' He threw a finger across to the prosecution. 'Our client, Jet Slater, is not guilty. And we will prove it without a doubt.'

Both Kay and Edgeworth smiled in response.

The Judge nodded. 'I see. That's the sort of answer I'd expect from you, Mr Justice.' He sounded his gavel. 'This trial is now back in session. Will the prosecution bring in their next witness?'

'Of course, your Honour,' said Kay. 'The prosecution wishes to call the driver of the first limousine to the stand.'

The driver of Brad Fist's limo... I wonder what he's got to say...?

Within minutes, a tall, skinny man garbed in a valet uniform stepped up to the witness stand. He looked like someone had strung him through a washing machine: his clothes were all wrinkled, and they seemed a tad too tight on his body - even his hat sat lopsided on his messy, black hair.

Kay brushed a finger under her nose, smirking. 'This witness was there when the murder was committed, and he saw the moment in which the defendant bludgeoned the victim.' Out of nowhere the woman whipped out a large, gold-tinted key, twirling it like a ninja twirls a sai before impaling it into the bench and turning her back to the court, scarf blowing in a magical wind. 'He's the prosecution's star witness.'

Apollo flinched, both to the damage done to the wood and to what Kay had just said. Wait, this guy is the "key witness" she was referring to...? He's so ordinary. A gavel interrupted his thoughts.

'The prosecution will refrain from damaging court property,' said the Judge, frowning.

Kay offered an apologetic grin as she removed the key and replaced it back into her pocket, much to Edgeworth's disapproval. 'Sorry, your Honour. I'm still trying to find my schtick.'

'That's quite alright, Miss Faraday. I know what it's like to have a loss of identity in the world. Why, I never found mine until old age came along and gave me this beard.'

I'm starting to think that the Judge has a lot more issues than I previously thought.

'In any case, witness, state your name and occupation.'

The gangly man gripped the brim of his hat, speaking with a soft voice. 'My name is E-Edward Chuck... Chuckpe... Chuckpeck. I am a professional limo driver.'

'You couldn't tell by looking at him, that's for sure,' said Trucy, her breath having finally caught up.

'I see. Mr Chuckpeck, this court wishes for you to testify about what you saw that day.' The Judge closed his eyes, as if he were attempting to imagine the scene of the murder. 'Please let us know in full detail about the time from when you left the party to when you arrived at the premiere.'

Apollo stared the man down, bracelet at the ready. Alright, I know that this guy is important to the prosecution's case - in fact, he's their main weapon. But I know Mr Slater isn't lying, and if he said that the trip was smooth, then I'm curious to see what Mr Chuckpeck has witnessed. He swallowed. No matter what he says, I'll be prepared for it. Here comes Justice!

'Me and my buddy left the studio at 5:45pm.

Just as we turned down a side road, I saw something in the mirror.

It was Jet, and he had a taser at my buddy's throat!

He indicated for me to pull over, so I did - then Brad got out.

Jet rushed him. He was shouting about money, or something like that.

Suddenly, he picked up a piece of wood and clocked Brad over the head.

Then, he forced my buddy to stuff the body in the trunk. The rest is history.'

No-one spoke. No-one spoke for a good ten seconds. The deafening silence lingered heavily in the air, until:

'What?!'

The crowd was in an uproar, but the loudest voice of them all was Jet's.

Apollo just pinched the bridge of his nose. 'I... I wasn't prepared for that. This is...' The attorney could feel it, the tension circling his wrist like a guillotine. I've never felt it tighten this much - he must have lied about just about everything.

'Order! Ordeeer!' The gavel finally silenced the chaos.

Kay hadn't stopped smiling since the testimony. 'Your Honour, this is the case as the prosecution sees it. The photograph of the victim proves he was alive on the way to the premiere, and Mr Chuckpeck's testimony tells us about what happened during the trip. It's undeniable, the defendant murdered Brad Fist.'

'Objection!' yelled Apollo. 'Miss Faraday, there is no direct proof that my client murdered the victim. For starters, where is the murder weapon?'

'Well,' murmured Kay, an annoyed look emerging on her features, 'as Mr Chuckpeck informed the police, the defendant slid the piece of wood into a drain before he made the second driver stuff the body into the trunk.'

Edgeworth folded his arms and tapped a finger. 'Inconvenient, because it's not entirely unlikely that the murder weapon is halfway towards the Pacific Ocean by now. However, we have several teams out there searching for it as we speak.'

The Judge nodded. 'Very well, let's just hope they can recover it before it's too late.'

'But if it pleases his Honour,' chirped Kay, her bubbly demeanour creeping through, 'the prosecution would like to submit some other decisive evidence. Evidence that supports Mr Chuckpeck's testimony.'

Apollo could feel the colour draining from his face. But...it's a lie... That entire testimony is a lie. How could there be...?

The female prosecutor held up a plastic bag - it contained a yellow object. 'I would like to submit to the court this: the defendant's personal taser.' Her jade eyes seemed to glisten as she looked at Apollo. 'And before you ask, Mr Justice, it's been tested. We found both the defendant's finger prints,' she threw a powerful finger towards the defence, 'and traces of the second driver's DNA.'

'Wh... W-what?!' Apollo shot a look towards Jet, whom had sucked his lips inwards and was currently offering an embarrassed shrug. '...I don't believe this.'

'Ohohoho,' said the Judge, wide-eyed. 'That seems pretty decisive to me. The court accepts the taser into the evidence.'

'Maybe Mr Slater likes to play with his drivers?' thought Trucy aloud. 'Kinda like when I hide Daddy's grape juice and he starts getting melodramatic.'

'Hiding grape juice and holding a taser to someone's throat are two completely different kinds of playing.'

The Judge grunted, deep in thought. 'Before we move on, however, I would like to clarify something with the prosecution.'

'Yes, your Honour?'

'Where is this second driver? Is he currently waiting in the witness lobby?'

'He's in hospital, your Honour.' Kay sifted through her documents before holding one up. 'He collapsed from exhaustion once the body was discovered, and hasn't woken since. I still haven't had a chance to question him.'

'That's disappointing, I was hoping for some more light to be shed on the situation, but no matter. Mr Justice...?'

'Yes, your Honour?'

'You may begin your cross-examination.'

Apollo turned towards the gangly man on the stand. Alright, here goes. I'll start with the obvious hole in his explanation. 'Mr Chuckpeck, about your statement regarding the defendant striking the victim... Do you mean to say that my client struck Mr Fist over the top of the head?'

Chuckpeck scratched his nose. 'N-no... I mean, he hit Brad as he ran away from him. I-in the back of the head.'

The attorney folded his arms, smug. 'Is that so? Because, Mr Chuckpeck, my problem is not with where the victim was hit. Rather,' he slammed his fists down, 'how he was hit, seeing as he was wearing a bulky astronaut helmet at the time.'

The limo driver flinched.

'My client and other witnesses stated that Brad Fist was wearing his outfit to the premiere as a joke. So, how do you suppose Mr Slater killed the victim through a chunk of plastic? My client might be a movie star, but he doesn't possess superhuman strength.'

The crowd chattered amongst themselves as well as swooned sighed - several groups of women nearly fainted at the thought of Jet being hunkier than he already was. They were soon quietened by the Judge.

'Why, that is an excellent point. How was the defendant able to penetrate that helmet?'

Trucy beamed. 'That's the way, Polly. I was wondering what had happened to your Chords of Steel.'

Apollo, on the other hand, looked quite serious. 'I wouldn't get too excited, Truce. Have a look at the prosecution.'

She did so, and frowned once she spotted the female prosecutor.

Kay, in response to Apollo's explanation of events, merely shrugged with a lopsided smirk. 'Thanks for the reminder, Mr Justice. Your Honour...?'

'What is it, Miss Faraday?'

'I forgot to mention that the victim was not dressed up in his space suit when he was discovered at the premiere. In fact, I would like to submit the astronaut outfit as evidence.'

The Judge blinked, wide-eyed. 'Oh, I see, the court accepts it into the evidence. But if the victim wasn't wearing it when he was found, then where did the suit end up?'

'Why,' Kay folded her arms and stuck her head out, 'it was in the backseat of the first limousine.' She slammed a hand onto the bench. 'It got there when the victim took it off to confront the defendant.'

Apollo groaned and hung his head. That would have been nice to know...a little earlier...

'First the taser, now this. She's good,' said Trucy with a nod of approval. 'But, I guess that's what happens when you're Mr Edgeworth's protege.'

Whose side are you on?

The Judge shook his head. 'Once again, I believe the defence's claims have fallen short. There is nothing wrong with this witness' story of the events.'

Apollo quickly regained his composure. 'Wait, your Honour, this cross-examination isn't over. I would still like to ask the witness about one thing.'

'And what is that?'

This is the part that hurt my wrist the most, and I think it's the key to turning everything around. If he's lying, then he'll slip up, he's got to.'Mr Chuckpeck,' said Apollo, gripping his bracelet and homing in on the limousine driver. 'Your last statement, the one about my client ordering your buddy to stuff the victim into the trunk. I only have one simple question.' He swallowed, taking a breath to calm himself. 'Why? As you allegedly saw, the defendant disposed of the murder weapon, so why not dispose of the body in the same way? Why go to all that trouble to end up at the premiere with thousands watching and get caught? It doesn't make sense.'

The room fell silent, awaiting the answer from Chuckpeck. He looked disturbed, restless, like he wanted to run - he kept wrestling with his valet cap. Eventually, he spoke up.

'I don't know.'

Apollo winced, his bracelet tightening. 'Excuse me?'

'I don't know w-why, okay? He just did it, h-he was acting crazy.'

'But you would have to know, Mr Chuckpeck, you were ther-'

'I d-don't. He went insane, I tell ya. M-Maybe some of the drugs got up his nose as well? It was like he was on 'em. I j-just don't know, okay?'

Everything stopped.

Apollo felt as if all the tension from the past hour had lifted from his shoulders. He and Trucy exchanged an incredulous look. 'Did he just say...'

'...what I think he said?'

Both of them looked to the prosecution bench - Edgeworth and Kay stood still, mouths open in shock.

Apollo grinned, the sense of a turnabout in the air. 'So, it wasn't just us who heard it.'

Chuckpeck just looked around, unsure of what was happening. 'W-what? What's with the silence?'

The attorney in red stood up to his full height - it was time to finish this.

Once again, I have grossly underestimated the amount of writing needed to finish off this case. Still I guarantee it will be done next chapter.

As always, R&R, criticism is always welcome. And thank you, Mr Guest reviewer. It's the little messages through the day that get you through life :3