September 7, 10:00 AM
District Court
Courtroom No. 1

The courtroom buzzed with energy, people all discussing about the case, and whether the defendant indeed murdered the victim. Almost everyone that Phoenix could here was rooting for Maya, unable to believe that the young woman could kill her sister. There were a few that were still wanting to hear the whole story, and even a few that were saying she was the only one close enough to have done it, but all in all, Phoenix could see the odds were in his favor, jury-wise.

His musings were cut short by a loud clack! and the trial of Maya Fey began.

"The court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Maya Fey," the judge commanded.

Across from Phoenix, Miles Edgeworth, outfitted in a white, ruffled undershirt, black vest, and red suit and pants, nodded at the judge. "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."

Phoenix responded as the judge looked to him. "The defense is ready, Your Honor." He looked briefly at Edgeworth, noting that the man was giving him a glare. He looked away, unworried as the judge began.

"Mr. Edgeworth. Please give the court your opening statement."

Edgeworth gave a small bow, more like a half-lean with a nod of the head, before beginning. "Thank you, Your Honor. The defendant, Ms. Maya Fey, was at the scene of the crime. The prosecution has evidence she committed this murder, and we have a witness who saw her do it. The prosecution sees no reason to doubt the facts of this case, Your Honor."

Phoenix could feel Maya move toward him, nervous about the proceedings. He looked down and smiled at her, patting her on the shoulder as the judge responded.

"I see. Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth. Let's begin. You may call your first witness."

Edgeworth nodded. "The prosecution calls the chief officer at the scene, Detective Gumshoe!"

The doors opened and Detective Gumshoe walked in, outfitted in a white dress shirt and tie and brown slacks. He skipped the trench coat, in favor of a more professional look for the court. In his hand, he carried a brown envelope. He stepped up to the podium across from the judge, where the bailiff swore him in, and Edgeworth continued.

"Witness, please state your name and profession to the court."

He stood straight. "Dick Gumshoe, Homicidal Detective for the Los Angeles Police Department, sir."

"Detective Gumshoe," Edgeworth continued. "Please, describe for us the details of this murder."

Gumshoe nodded, opening the envelope and pulling out a piece of paper. "For the benefit of His Honor, I brought this floor map to better explain the murder." The judge nodded and gestured for Gumshoe to use the overhead projector they kept for such a case. Gumshoe placed the plans on the projector, and the projector screen to the right of the judge came alive to show Mia's office.

"The body was found by this window, here…" Gumshoe pointed at the lower end of the plans, near the window.

"And the cause of death?" Edgeworth asked.

"Loss of blood due to being struck by a blunt object. The murder weapon, a statue of "The Thinker" was found next to the body." He hesitated, and Phoenix could tell it was difficult for him to testify against Maya. He already liked Gumshoe. "It was heavy enough to be a deadly weapon…even in a girl's hands."

"Incidently," Edgeworth added. He pulled out the statue and set it on his podium. "I have the statue as evidence for the court to consider."

The bailiff took the statue to the judge, who looked it over, and then to Phoenix, who also looked it over, before returning it to the judge. "The court accepts the statue as evidence," the judge said.

Edgeworth continued. "Now, Detective, you immediately arrested Ms. Maya Fey, who was found at the scene, correct?" Gumshoe nodded. "Can you tell me why?"

Gumshoe nodded, looking at Phoenix briefly before answering to Edgeworth. "We believe we found decisive evidence that confirmed she was the killer."

"Hmm…" the judge said in thought, and everyone stopped to look at the older man. "Detective Gumshoe, please testify to the court about this 'decisive evidence.'" He nodded at the woman who recorded witness testimonies and Gumshoe began.

"As soon as the phone call came in, I rushed to the scene. There were two people there, already: The defendant, Ms. Maya Fey, and her lawyer, Mr. Phoenix Wright. I immediately arrested Ms. Maya Fey under the direction of a witness account describing her." He looked down, though if in thought or shame, Phoenix couldn't tell. "The witness saw Ms. Maya Fey at the very moment of the murder."

His testimony finished, he fell silent, and the judge looked down with eyes closed in consideration. "Hmm… The very moment, you say…" He opened his eyes and looked to Wright. "Very well. Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination."

Phoenix nodded, already warming up. "Yes, Your Honor." He walked in front of the witness stand, looking to Gumshoe, not needing the written transcript of the testimony. "Detective Gumshoe, you said that you 'immediately arrested Ms. Maya Fey' at the scene of the murder." Gumshoe nodded. "Can you tell me why?"

Gumshoe licked his lips. "Well, we had a witness account describing her."

Phoenix turned to Gumshoe. "But if I heard you correctly, you said you arrested her because you had 'decisive evidence' that she did it."

"Um…" Gumshoe began. "I'm not sure that I did." He looked at Phoenix strangely, and Phoenix cocked an eyebrow before the judge cut in.

"I did hear you say that you had 'decisive evidence' just now, Detective."

Phoenix continued. "Just what about a witness account's claim was 'decisive evidence,' Detective Gumshoe?"

Gumshoe looked defenseless. "Um… well…"

The judge cut in again. "Do you have any more solid proof other than the witness's claims, Detective?"

Gumshoe scratched the back of his head in thought. "Umm…"

"You did swear to tell the truth, Detective."

Gumshoe sighed. "Okay. Forgive me, Your Honor, I… I had forgotten the order of events in my testimony. If I may testify again?"

The judge nodded, and when Phoenix had returned to his place behind the defense's table, Gumshoe began again.

"Before securing the suspect, I examined the scene of the crime with my own eyes. I…I found a memo written on the piece of paper next to the victim's body." He pulled out the piece of paper he was referring to, and Phoenix could see it was the receipt with Maya's name on it. "On it, the word "Maya" was written in blood. Lab test results showed that the blood was the victim's. The victim also had blood on her finger." He offered the piece of paper to the bailiff as he finished. "It would appear that, before she died, the victim wrote the killer's name…"

The court buzzed with theories and conjectures about the new evidence before the judge silenced everyone with his gavel. He sat, thinking about what he had heard and reviewed the evidence before setting it aside. "Before we begin cross-examination, I have a question for you, Detective."

"Yes, Your Honor?"

"Why didn't you testify about this vital piece of evidence the first time?!" the judge shouted, a rare occurrence in court.

Even Detective Gumshoe shied away from the judge. "I, uh… " He looked briefly at Phoenix, and Phoenix could tell that Gumshoe, in his own way, was trying to protect Maya in whatever way he could. "I forgot…sir." He hung his head shamefully as the judge continued.

"Try to be more careful!" He took a few deep breaths before looking at Phoenix. "You may begin your cross-examination, Mr. Wright."

Phoenix nodded, walking in front of the witness stand again. At first, he was worried about this evidence, but after a quick glance at the court records, he was confident he could defeat it. "Detective Gumshoe…" He stroked his chin as he thought about his defense. "There's one thing I want you to clarify for me here." Gumshoe cocked an eyebrow as Phoenix continued. "You say that the victim, Mia Fey, wrote this note." He gestured to the receipt with Maya's name on it. "In this way, the victim was accusing the defendant of killing her, correct?"

Gumshoe nodded hesitantly. "Yes, sir. That's what the prosecution has determined."

Phoenix smiled. "I find that hard to believe, honestly. The victim is the only person who absolutely could NOT have written it!" He had walked back to his table and procured a brown folder, taking out the papers inside and flipping through them. "This is a report from your department, Detective. 'Immediate death due to a blow from a blunt object.'" He slapped the report on the judge's stand, looking him square in the eye. "She died immediately, Your Honor!"

The court broke out in more talk amongst the jury, and the judge had to slam his gavel down several times to bring order back to the court. "Order! Order!" The jury fell silent, and the judge looked to Edgeworth. "The defense has a point," he said, looking through the papers Phoenix had given him. "Immediate death by blunt trauma. Someone who died immediately can't write something down."

"OBJECTION!" Edgeworth called out. Everyone turned to the prosecution. "Mr. Wright. I beg your pardon, but when exactly did you obtain that autopsy report?"

Phoenix hesitated, not expecting such a question. "When…? It was the day after the murder…"

The judge's face was just as confused as Phoenix felt. "The prosecution's point being…?"

Edgeworth smiled. "That autopsy report is outdated, Your Honor."

For the first time in this case's proceedings, Phoenix felt his heart drop. He had been expecting such a turnabout, but he was hoping it would come later in the case, so that he may establish a foothold on Maya's innocence.

Edgeworth continued. "A second autopsy was performed yesterday, at my request." He read from a paper. "'Death was almost immediate due to a blow from a blunt object, but there is a possibility the victim lived for several minutes after the blow.'" He gave the report to the bailiff as he continued, "I received these results this morning." Phoenix's mind reeled, sorting through this information with the speed of a genius. "Your Honor!" Edgeworth continued. "It's quite easy to imagine that the victim did have time to write 'Maya'!"

The judge looked over the new autopsy report with renewed interest as Edgeworth yet again pressed his advantage. "Why, Mr. Wright…you look shocked. Is there something you want to say?"

Phoenix, who could feel his control slipping, nodded. "Mr. Edgeworth, I find it amusing that you requested a second autopsy. Would you care to explain why?"

The judge, to Phoenix's relief, responded in his favor. "I agree with the defense. It's unheard of to request two autopsy reports. Why did you ask for a second autopsy?"

Mr. Edgeworth, very briefly, donned the look of fright before masking it with his usual arrogance. "In a murder case, I consider it my duty to find facts, not conjectures. I requested a second autopsy report to solidify the prosecution's claim that the victim did indeed have a few moments of life after the blow to the head."

Phoenix nodded. "Of course, that would make sense…" he said, producing papers and offering them to the bailiff. "If you had requested second autopsies in your previous murder cases, that is." The jury began murmuring amongst themselves, and Phoenix had the brief victory of watching Edgeworth fluster. He had suspected something of the sort here, and had prepared appropriately, siphoning through Edgeworth's past trials to see if there were a pattern in his preparation or representation of the trails. Phoenix continued, looking at the judge. "I can't help but question Mr. Edgeworth's motives in asking for a second autopsy report, Your Honor."

"Indeed," the judge concurred. He looked at both autopsy reports in detail before setting one aside. "This updated report, while unexpected, was completed by Dr. Doug Stevenson, a reputable doctor. I've worked with him before, and he always provides accurate reports." He looked at Phoenix. "I'm not familiar with the other doctor, nor his credibility, and so I must accept this updated report into evidence over the outdated one. I trust the defense understands?"

Phoenix most certainly did not, but didn't voice his opinion. He instead nodded, glaring at Edgeworth, whose arrogance seemed to have reached a new high in low. "Your Honor," Edgeworth started. "The evidence strongly suggests the victim was identifying the killer."

The judge nodded. "Perhaps, yes. But more is needed before I pronounce my verdict."

Edgeworth gave his small bow. "Then the prosecution is prepared to call its next witness."

The judge nodded, and Gumshoe stepped down. Maya grabbed Phoenix's arm, the terror in her eyes mimicking the shaking in her arm. "What are you going to do, Phoenix?" she whispered.

"What I do best," Phoenix said, smiling at her. He looked up as the judge announced:

"Let the witness, Miss April May take the stand."

The bailiff escorted April in, and even before she reached the stand, Phoenix could tell that all eyes were on her. She had beautiful, straight pink hair, wore a blouse that was much too small and revealed too much cleavage, and wore that same too-high-in-the-thigh skirt. One part of Phoenix found it alarmingly attractive; the other refused to stare, ashamed that she would dress so immodestly.

The bailiff returned to his position near the judge, and Edgeworth began. "Witness, your name, please."

She smiled sweetly. "April May!" She crossed her arms, using the gesture to push her breasts up and make them more appealing. "At your service!"

The crowd, particularly the males, all whispered amongst themselves, and it didn't take a detective to see that they were all excited about April. The judge's gavel brought their attention back to the case at hand.

"Order! Order! An introduction should not require any reaction from the jury!" He glared at the jury before turning his eyes to April. "Uncross your arms, Miss May. It is unprofessional." April pouted but uncrossed her arms as the judge turned to Edgeworth. "The prosecution may continue."

Edgeworth nodded. "Tell us, Miss May, where were you on the night of September fifth, when the murder occurred?"

April May looked up in thought, and even Phoenix had to admit that it was a cute gesture. "Um… gee… I was in my hotel room." She giggled. "I checked in right after lunch."

"And this hotel room is directly across from the Fey & Co. Law Offices?" Edgeworth asked.

April smiled seductively at him. "Mmm… that's right, big boy." She winked at him, and Phoenix smiled slightly to himself as Edgeworth looked uncomfortably away from April.

"Please, Miss May, testify to the court about what you saw." Phoenix leaned in, ready to hear every word as April began.

"It was 9:00 at night. I looked out the window, and I saw a woman with long hair being attacked! The one attacking her was the mousey girl sitting in the defendant's chair!" Phoenix looked at Maya to see the girl's face grow red. He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder as April continued. "Then the woman dodged to one side and ran away! But that girl," she said, looking at Maya accusingly, "she caught up to her, and… and…" her voice broke in a deceptively sorrowful voice. "She hit her!" She wiped her eyes, and Phoenix was disgusted, as he knew it was a ploy all along to win the favor of the jury. "Then the woman with long hair… she kinda…slumped." She looked up at the judge. "That's all I saw."

The judge sat, taking in all he had heard, when Edgeworth asked, "Well, Your Honor?"

"Hmm…" the judge said in a deep voice. "It seems to be a solid testimony." He looked at Phoenix. "Mr. Wright, if you believe you have found a contradiction in Miss May's testimony, you may proceed with your cross-examination."

Phoenix nodded. "Gladly." He walked in front of the stand, arms crossed, head down in thought. "Miss May, you say that you saw my client attack the victim." He stopped in front of her. "How do you know it was the defendant?"

Thrown off by the question, April hesitated. "Well…y'know… She had a girlish physique. Women know these things." She shook her head. "Look, I just know, okay?"

Edgeworth stepped up to April's defense. "There was only one person at the scene of the crime with a short, girlish figure. The testimony stands."

"I'm not so sure!" Phoenix nearly shouted, stopping Edgeworth's rebuttal. "I was in Miss May's hotel room just yesterday, and while I was there, I looked out the window to see the victim's office. Inside, I saw many police officers, but I couldn't distinguish any remarkable features among any of them. I'm willing to bet the witness is lying!" He turned to April before anyone could react to his claim. "Miss May!" He got in her face, finger pointed at her. "Did you really see the defendant?"

He heard the smack of the gavel as the judge shouted. "Mr. Wright! What is the meaning of this?"

Phoenix turned around. "If she had really witnessed my client, Maya Fey, she would have noticed her clothes before her physique!" He pointed at Maya, gesturing for her to stand, and the girl turned red as the court turned its attention to her. "No one wears clothes like this on a daily basis! Except her! And I'm no expert on fashion, but her hairdo looks far from normal to me!" He pointed at April. "However, the witness's testimony mentions neither of these things! Something is off with Miss May's testimony, Your Honor!"

Even as he looked back at April, he could see her beginning to look nervous.

The judge leaned forward to address Phoenix. "Mr. Wright, you make a valid point, but…" Phoenix held his breath. "…we don't know if she was dressed that way the night of the murder…"

Phoenix fished out a paper from his folder and gave it to the judge. "The police report, Your Honor, filed by our first witness, Detective Gumshoe. In this, he states the defendant's clothing was 'unusual' and goes on to describe her clothing in vivid detail. If you read the description, you'll see it matches the outfit the defendant is wearing today." He turned to Maya with a smile. "It's her uniform, you could say. She is dressed like this every day. It makes sense to believe she was dressed like this on the night of the murder." Maya gave him a small smile, and he nodded at her.

The judge looked over the police report, nodding with a small smile. "This report does mention the defendant's clothing. And it is stamped with the LAPD Seal." He looked up and nodded his head. "I accept this as evidence that the defendant, Maya Fey, was indeed dressed in such a fashion on the day of the murder."

Phoenix turned back to April. "Why did you not notice such a thing when you looked out the window, Miss May? Or mention it in your testimony, when such a description as her clothing is far more memorable than her physique?"

April stuttered. "I… I saw what I saw. I just didn't think all the trifling little details were necessary, darling." He smiled sweetly up at the judge, who didn't return her smile.

"Miss May. The court would like to remind you to please omit nothing in your testimony."

April nodded, adjusting the shoulders of her outfit, and Phoenix noted the slight bulge of her breasts as she did so. He shook his head at the underhanded attempt to win favor with the court. "I understand, Your Honor," she said sweetly.

The judge nodded, seemingly unfazed by April's attempt. "Your testimony again, if you would."

Phoenix smiled slightly to himself, knowing that April's credibility was questionable at best. She wasn't the smartest tool in the shed, that much was obvious. It would only get better from here.

"I saw everything, Your Honor. The victim—the woman—dodged the first attack and ran off to the right. Then the girl in the hippie clothes ran after her and hit her with the weapon! I know I saw that! It was that clock…the Thinker statue, I think." She glared at Phoenix. "Well? Does the accuracy of my report not startle you?" She gave him that hated cheerful smile as she turned to the judge.

The judge nodded. "Indeed, though I wish you had been so detailed from the beginning. Every little bit is vital to this case, Miss May." He held her gaze for a moment longer before turning to Phoenix. "Please begin the cross-examination."

Phoenix nodded, stepping to his usual place, stroking his chin in thought. "Miss May. What you said just now was quite…revealing."

April smiled seductively at him. "Revealing, you say? What an interesting choice of words, Mr. Wright."

Phoenix ignored the comment, instead grabbing the statue from the judge's stand and producing it for the court to see. "You just said this statue was a clock. Of that, there's no argument. What I find disturbing is how you know it's a clock." He looked around and shrugged for effect. "We made no mention of the statue's true purpose here in court." He placed his hands on his hips, looking at April critically. "Can you enlighten us to how you knew this statue was a clock?"

April visibly faltered, speechless. The courtroom was filled with talking amongst the jury, and the judge once again slammed his gavel on his stand to bring order to the court. "Order! Order!"

As the jury grew silent, Phoenix pressed once more. "Miss May. I demand you explain to this court how you know this statue is a clock!" Before April could answer, she was interrupted with an…

"OBJECTION!" Edgeworth stepped forward to gain the attention of the judge. "The witness saw the murder with her own eyes! That's all that's important here!" He glared at Phoenix. "The defense is trying to confuse the issue with trivial concerns!"

The judge looked at Edgeworth for a moment before turning to Phoenix. "Mr. Wright? Will you withdraw your question?"

Phoenix shook his head. "No, Your Honor! Questions are all I have! And if you look at the witness, it is obvious the prosecution has not prepared her to answer this question!" He held the judge's gaze for a tense moment before the judge nodded.

"Objection overruled. I myself am interested in her answer. The prosecution understands..." he said more than asked as he looked at Edgeworth threateningly before returning to Phoenix. "You may continue to question the witness."

April looked around, confused, and Phoenix saw her look to Edgeworth for guidance. "What happens now?"

Edgeworth had returned to his place, leaving Phoenix to continue as he stepped right in front of April. "What happens now, Miss May, is you answer my question! How did you know that the statue was a clock?"

She again faltered. "Well…because…" she looked at Edgeworth as she said, "I heard it…?" Edgeworth gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Yes! I heard it say the time!"

Phoenix crossed his arms. "So, you've been to the law offices of Fey & Co.?"

April looked startled. "What? No! Why would I go there?"

Before Phoenix could comment further, Edgeworth said very firmly, "The law offices of Fey & Co., where the murder took place, are very close to the hotel. She could easily have heard the clock!"

The judge looked at Phoenix. "Well, Mr. Wright? Are you satisfied with her answer?"

Phoenix shook his head. "No, Your Honor!"

"And why not, Wright?" Edgeworth suddenly asked. "Do you simply want to terrorize this traumatized woman with your insane questions, all the while keeping a criminal in our midst instead of locked up?"

Phoenix looked at him hard. "Actually, no, Mr. Edgeworth. It's something far more simple than that." He looked at the judge. "I don't think she answered truthfully, Your Honor. You see, the clock couldn't have rung." He shrugged for effect. "It's missing its clockwork."

"And how do you know this, Mr. Wright?" the judge asked.

"Take a look for yourself, Your Honor."

The judge humored him and opened the clock, and Phoenix was satisfied with the judge's startled look. "My…It's as the defense says!" He held up the clock, its insides clearly empty. "This clock is missing its clockwork!" The jury started up again, and the judge silenced them with his gavel before looking to Wright. "Mr. Wright, would you care to explain to the court the meaning of this?"

Phoenix nodded. "It's as you can see. The clock was empty. It couldn't have rung. Therefore, this witness…" he gestured to April. "…is lying." He turned to the judge. "Her credibility has been questionable since she took the stand, Your Honor, and I'm finding more reasons to question it."

"Your Honor," Edgeworth piped in. "A simple question." The judge acknowledged him, and he continued, looking straight at Wright. "When was the clockwork removed?" He smiled dangerously. "If it was after the witness heard the clock, then there is no contradiction."

The judge looked aside in thought. "That is a distinct possibility, yes…" He stroked his great, gray beard. "It is possible the clockwork was removed after the witness heard the clock."

Edgeworth smiled. "And that is precisely what happened, Your Honor."

The judge looked to Wright. "Do you agree with the prosecution that this is a very possible theory?"

Phoenix smiled and shook his head. "No."

Edgeworth chuckled. "And how can you possibly prove otherwise?"

Phoenix procured Maya's cell phone, holding it up for the judge to see. "The defendant's cell phone. My client called the victim on the day of the murder. The phone recorded their conversation, and in this recording is my proof that the clockwork to that clock was removed before the murder."

Edgeworth looked positively dangerous. "The defendant's cell phone?! This wasn't brought to my attention!"

Phoenix shrugged before continuing. "If Your Honor allows, I will play the recording." The judge nodded, and Phoenix started the recording.

The entire conversation played out over a silent courtroom, and at the end, it confirmed Phoenix's claim: the clockwork was removed before the murder occurred.

"Your Honor," Phoenix began. "I think this recording makes it clear that the clockwork was already gone, and that this was recorded in the morning, before the witness even arrived at her hotel." The judge looked slightly confused, so Phoenix explained further. "If you recall, the witness did state that she checked into the hotel after lunch on the day of the murder." He allowed himself a brief smile as April looked outraged. He shook his head in disappointment. "Miss May, I grow tired of asking this question." He stepped up to her. "Just how did you know that weapon was a clock?"

April shrugged, a gesture Phoenix wasn't expecting. "I saw it in a store."

Phoenix waved away her excuse almost immediately. "Impossible. This clock was made by a previous defendant of this court, Mr. Larry Butz. There are only two in the entire world: One is here, and the other is in police custody." He looked at her for a final time, glaring daggers at her. "Stop lying to this court, Miss May. How did you know this statue was a clock?"

April suddenly slammed her hand on the podium, and Phoenix knew she had snapped. "What's it to you, porcupine-head?!" Phoenix grimaced inwardly, but not at the insult itself. More-so the stupidity of the insult. "That stupid clock doesn't matter, okay?!" April continued, pointing at Maya. "She did it! She killed her sister! I saw it!"

The court burst into murmurs and the judge had to silence them with several raps of his gavel. "Whoa! Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He glared at April. "This is a court of law, and the witness will retain her composure at all times!"

April took several deep breaths before smiling again. "Sorry, Your Honor! I just wanted the lawyer to get out of my face is all!"

The judge ignored her comment. "Miss May, let me ask." He leaned forward in a dangerous way. "How did you know the weapon was a clock?"

Phoenix had to use all his willpower to keep from smiling as April glared daggers at him.

The judge sighed, rubbing his bald head. "Oh dear…" He ran the palm of his hand down his face in surrender as he looked to Phoenix. "Does the defense have an opinion on this…" he gestured to April's glaring self, "…behavior?"

Phoenix nodded. "Yes, Your Honor. While the witness had never held the clock in her hand, she had heard that it was a clock."

The judge cocked an eyebrow. "She 'heard'…?"He looked to Edgeworth before looking back at Phoenix. "But I thought we came to the conclusion that she couldn't have heard the clock! It was missing its clockwork!"

Phoenix shook his head. "No, Your Honor. She heard that it was a clock. There's no other way she could have known "The Thinker" was a clock."

"And you can prove this how?" Edgeworth asked, looking furious.

Phoenix produced the item he had recovered from April's room. "Your Honor, please have a look at this." He handed the wiretap to the judge as he saw April suddenly look terrified. "I found this in Miss May's room."

"Hmmm….. Interesting…" the judge commented. He glared at April for a moment before turning to Phoenix. "Mr. Wright. Perhaps you should explain to the court what this is."

Phoenix nodded. "Miss April May? You were tapping the victim, Ms. Mia Fey's phone, were you not?"

April looked positively dangerous, but Edgeworth put in an impressive "OBJECTION!" before she could answer.

"Your Honor, this is irrelevant!"

The judge shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure that it is. Objection overruled." He stroked his beard. "It troubles me that our witness was in possession of a wiretap."

Edgeworth still wouldn't give in. "This is outrageous! Does the defense truly claim that the witness was tapping her phone?"

Phoenix almost laughed. "Absolutely!"

Edgeworth slammed his hand down on his table. "Even if that was the case, you still have to prove one thing! Did the victim ever say that the weapon was a clock on the phone?"

Phoenix nodded, very comfortable with Edgeworth's rebuttal. "Of course." He looked to the judge. "Your Honor, if I may play the recorded conversation again…?" The judge nodded, and Phoenix began the recording. He stopped it when Mia, in answer to Maya questioning what the evidence was, said 'a clock' and that it looked like 'The Thinker'. At the end of the recording, he pointed at April. "Miss April May! You used a wiretap to listen to this conversation! That's how you knew 'The Thinker' was a clock!" He crossed his arms. "Am I wrong?"

"OBJECTION!" Edgeworth shouted. "Your Honor, this is ridiculous!"

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix replied. "Your Honor, look at the witness's face! Does she seem amused to you?!" He slammed his hand on the table, startling Maya. "The defense demands an answer!"

April was glaring daggers at Phoenix when the judge leaned forward. "Witness, answer the question. Did you tap her phone?" April continued to glare at Phoenix, and he briefly thought about asking again, but decided to leave it to the judge. "Miss May!" the man shouted.

April finally answered in the form of a shout. "Shut up, all of you!" She leaned on the podium, face outraged. "What gives you the right to talk to me like that, huh?!" She took a few deep breaths, during which the judge held her gaze in a dangerous stare.

Phoenix used this time to ask her, "Why did you tap her phone, Miss May?" His question, in contrast to the recent events, was very polite and quiet. He was hoping she would respond more favorably to such a method. She hesitated, and he placed a hand on the podium she stood behind. "Answer the question," he said.

"Do I have to?" she asked. "This is a murder trial… how is tapping a phone relevant to this?"

"Miss May," Phoenix asked, his tone darkening. "You were tapping the victim's phone! Then she ends up dead. I can safely classify that as 'relevant'!"

The judge rapped his gavel once, and Phoenix backed down. "While the court does not condone the defense's tone, he has a point," the judge said. He looked to April. "Do you have an explanation for the court?" He leaned forward. "Can you prove you had nothing to do with this murder, even though you tapped her phone?"

April made a point to look over at Phoenix and smile as she nodded. "Of course! The killing happened around nine at night? That's just when I was getting room service from that sweet bellboy…" her eyes trailed in thought. "Ice coffee, I believe…?" She shrugged. "What does it matter? Ask the bellboy! He'll confirm my testimony!"

Edgeworth took that moment as on opportunity to put it, "Ergo, the witness was not on the scene at the time of the murder!"

Phoenix smiled, nodding as he stroked his chin. Very good… Very good indeed…

The judge clasped his hands in front of him. "And so that leaves us where…?"

Edgeworth crossed his arms. "It is my great displeasure to inform you that the witness appears to have been tapping the victim's phone." He slapped his hand down on the table. "However! That is a separate crime, with no bearing on the current case whatsoever! Her testimony stands!" He pointed over to Maya. "She saw the defendant, Maya Fey, commit murder!"

The judge nodded, seeing the possible truth to the prosecution's claim. "Well? Does the defense have anything to say to this?"

Phoenix nodded. "The defense would like to call the hotel bellboy as a witness." He crossed his arms. "There's something suspicious there, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."

"I object to calling the bellboy!" Edgeworth called out, turning to the judge. "I have already stated that Miss April May was guilty of tapping the victim's phone! That was an entirely separate crime, though, and had nothing to do with this case at hand." He turned to Phoenix, allowing himself a brief smile. "However…" Phoenix could feel he wasn't going to like the rest of this sentence. "If you agree to one condition, I'll consent to calling this witness."

"And what condition might that be?" Phoenix asked.

"If Miss April May's alibi is not called into question after you examine the bellboy,then you will recognize that Miss April May was not the killer, and thus innocent." He pointed at Phoenix. "Therefore, you must accept the verdict of 'guilty' for Ms. Maya Fey!"

Phoenix nodded, determination set on his face. "Understood. I accept your condition."

Edgeworth laughed. "Fool. You've fallen into my trap."

Phoenix smiled and nodded. "And I shall spring it, Mr. Edgeworth. Continue with your confidence. It will make it all the easier to defeat you."

Edgeworth allowed a brief look of surprise before the judge rapped his gavel. "Very well! The court calls the hotel bellboy to the stand!" The judge looked at the bailiff and nodded, and the officer walked out of the courtroom to retrieve the bellboy. The judge looked to the defense as he said, "You may gather your wits and prepare yourselves for the coming testimony, gentlemen. The bailiff will be along shortly." He looked to Edgeworth and said, "The prosecution may wait in the lobby and prepare their witness." The judge confided himself to the current evidence, looking it over critically, leaving Phoenix to sit next to Maya.

"Well, this is going rather smoothly, don't you think?" He asked, smiling at her.

Maya, unsure of where they stood in court today, smiled back nervously. "Yeah…I guess so." She looked at Edgeworth, who was staring at Phoenix with a confused look on his face before turning to leave the courtroom, and turned back to Phoenix. "How are you going to win this, Phoenix?"

Phoenix smiled as he began looking over the evidence he had. "Hopefully with an 'I told you so' to Edgeworth's face. But I'll settle for stylish if I have to." He looked at her again and smiled. She smiled back, nervous for the trial to continue, and yet anxious for it to be over with. They sat for no more than three minutes before the doors to the courtroom opened and the bailiff reappeared, the hotel bellboy and Edgeworth in tow.

The bellboy took the stand after being sworn in, looking unsure, but still professional as both prosecution and defense took their places. The judge put away the evidence he was studying and gave the bellboy a once-over before looking to the prosecution.

Edgeworth took that as his cue to begin. "I believe we're ready for the witness to testify." Edgeworth stroked his chin in thought. "He certainly does look like a bellboy."

The bellboy nodded, smiling. "Yes, sir. I received your summons in the middle of work, sir. I'm happy to be of service."

The judge nodded. "We won't keep you long, sir. And the Gatewater Hotel shall be notified of your help in this trial. You may begin your testimony."

"Very good, sir!" The bellboy cleared his throat before beginning. "I am the head bellboy at the fine Gatewater Hotel, in business for four generations! I believe I received a call after eight o'clock in the evening from our guest, Miss May. She asked for an ice coffee to be brought to her at nine o'clock, on the dot, sir. I brought it to her at precisely the requested time, of course, and I delivered the ice coffee to our guest Miss May, herself." He nodded, smiling. His testimony was over.

The judge nodded. "I see. The defense may begin its cross-examination."

Phoenix nodded and walked to the front of the stand. "Bellboy, you're positive that when you delivered her ice coffee, it was to Miss April May herself?"

The bellboy nodded, "Of course, sir! Absolutely positive!"

Phoenix nodded. "And she wanted it brought to her at precisely nine o'clock, you say?"

The bellboy nodded. "Yes. I confirmed that detail several times. She was watching a program on TV, and wished to drink after she finished, sir."

Before Phoenix could continue questioning, Edgeworth piped up. "Can't you see that there is nothing there to contradict, Mr. Wright? I beg you to stop this tedious examination now!"

The judge began to nod. "I agree with the prosecution on this, Mr. Wright. This is looking a bit far-fetched."

Phoenix stopped, mid-thought, before looking at Edgeworth. "Then perhaps one last question, if the prosecution is confident in their witness's testimony."

Edgeworth laughed. "One last question? Wright, there's nothing to contradict." He shrugged. "But the prosecution will allow this one last question." He looked up to the judge. "Afterwards, of course, we will have the final verdict from Your Honor." He looked to Phoenix. "I believe it was a 'guilty' verdict for Miss Maya Fey?"

Phoenix heard Maya squeak in terror, but patted her back reassuringly. "Of course." He looked to the judge, who nodded.

"The defense may ask one last question," he said.

Phoenix nodded, smiling, and walked up to the bellboy, who was so cheerful it was sickening. "Bellboy. Please tell me how Miss May checked in to the hotel. Every detail, if you would."

Even Edgeworth narrowed his eyes, as he couldn't see what Phoenix was driving at. The bellboy neither knew, nor cared, and beamed as he agreed. "Of course, sir! My first thought was that she was a beautiful, beautiful person. She's just my type of girl, so it was a disappointment, really…"

Phoenix nodded. "What was a disappointment?"

The bellboy grew a shade of red as he explained, "Well, I am not without charm, sir, but even I'd have little chance with her lover there."

Phoenix smiled as he heard what he wanted to here. "So…you're saying Miss May checked in with another person?" He looked at the bellboy, and the man could see from Edgeworth's face that he had said something wrong.

Before the bellboy could confirm or deny Phoenix's claim, Edgeworth objected. "I object! That information is—"

"Objection overruled!" The judge said, leaning forward with interest. "The witness will answer the question."

The bellboy practically flushed from embarrassment. "Er… yes, I see."

"Why didn't you mention this in your testimony before?" Phoenix asked.

"Well…" the bellboy replied weakly. "Um…you didn't ask!"

Phoenix shook his head. "This is something you typically mention in testimonies, bellboy." He stepped up in front of him. "Why didn't you mention this?"

The bellboy looked aside in embarrassment as he weakly gestured to Edgeworth. "It was the, er, good barrister there, Mr. Edgeworth, who… um…" he stuttered. "He asked me not to mention it if I wasn't specifically asked, sir."

Edgeworth's look of surprise was priceless to Phoenix. "You fool!" the prosecutor said.

Phoenix nodded, eyes closed and stroking his chin in thought. "So… now we know there was a man with Miss May. She checked into a twin room with a man. When you brought them room service, you didn't see that man in the room…?"

"Correct, sir," The bellboy replied.

The judge looked down in thought before Phoenix grabbed his attention by saying, "Your Honor! We have just learned of another person involved who may have been the murderer! In this new light, I hold that it's impossible to judge the defendant." He looked to the prosecution, who was fuming. "You agree, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Who is this other person, Wright?" Edgeworth asked.

"The man with Miss May, of course," Phoenix stated. He turned to the judge. "Your Honor! As has been previously revealed, Miss April May was tapping the victim's phone. She hasn't told us exactly why she was doing so, but she does have an alibi at the time of the murder." He pointed at the ground for emphasis. "The man who checked in with Miss May, however, does not have an alibi! The bellboy saw no one else in the room at the time of the murder!"

Edgeworth looked to be just controlling his rage. "My, what a convenient little setup. But it's too late!"

Phoenix smiled. "I suppose you would like to think it was too late…" He pointed at Edgeworth accusingly. "After all, it was you who hid the presence of this other man from this court!"

"Upstart amateur!" Edgeworth shouted, losing composure, and Phoenix was just about to fire back another insult when the judge rapped his gavel loudly.

"Enough!" he said, silencing both parties. "The court acknowledges the defense's argument." He looked pointedly at Edgeworth as he continued. "I expect the prosecution and the defense to look into this matter fully!" He looked to the defense. "Am I understood?"

"Yes…" Edgeworth replied through clenched teeth.

"Of course," Phoenix replied through grinning lips.

The judge nodded. "That is all today for the trial of Maya Fey. Court is adjourned!"

. . . . .

September 7, 2:24 PM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 1

Phoenix and Maya had just walked into the lobby before she hugged him with deceptively strong arms. "Mr. Wright! You were amazing in there!" She stepped away, smiling. "I think I might be your newest fan!"

Phoenix laughed, nodding. "It was my pleasure. I'm just doing my job."

Maya smiled as she looked aside in thought. "You know…that other lawyer was pretty cool, too…" She shrugged. "I thought it was cool how you two were fighting it out in the courtroom, all over me!" She hugged her chest, and Phoenix laughed again. Maya sighed, still smiling as she asked, "So, what happens with me?" She looked up pleadingly. "Do I get to go home now?"

Phoenix's heart dropped slightly. "Well, no. Not yet." He grimaced when Maya's face fell. "I still haven't proven you guilty, only that there might be someone else involved." He led Maya over to the couch, sitting with her and looking her in the eye. "All I've done is bought us some time. With it, I'll find the real killer of your sister." He smiled. "I got a great lead today in the trial. Already, people aren't believing that you did it." Phoenix stroked his chin. "That man with Miss May. He's the key to all this, I know it."

Maya looked up in thought as well. "I wonder who he is…" She paused in thought before looking at Phoenix again. "Hey, what happens with Miss May now?"

Phoenix smiled. "I heard they arrested her. I'm guessing she's learning that her charms won't work everywhere." He sighed. "She's probably at the detention center. I may have to go down there later and ask her more questions… Not that she'll be thrilled to answer them," he said aside to himself. He looked back at Maya. "Anyway, this case is far from closed. But," he said, holding up a finger, "I'll get to the bottom of it. You watch."

"Do you think this mystery man is the one who…" She stopped, unable to say it out loud, but Phoenix knew what she was saying.

"Maybe so," he said with a shrug. "Don't worry. I'll find him by tomorrow." Phoenix looked up to see two police officers walking up. "Well, I hate to say this, but you're needed at the detention center. And I have work to do."

Maya smiled, seemingly unfazed by the handcuffs. "Good luck! Find out everything!" she said.

Phoenix smiled at her, watching as the policemen escorted her out of the door and into the squad car. Even as they drove away, his determination was renewed.

He had to get her out of that detention center!

. . . . .