Ace Attorney: Hope for a Brighter Future Chapter 7: Episode 2, Day 2, Trial 1, a phoenix wright: ace attorney fanfic

A/N: I finished this part faster than I was expecting, but don't hope for the same speed when I write the other parts. I hope you guys like the new characters introduced in this part, as well as the first of the group of prosecutors involved in this story. Please remember to read, review, favorite, and follow.

Mentioned Canon Characters:

Phoenix Wright/Ryuuichi Naruhodou

Athena Cykes/Kizuki Kokone

Disclaimer: I do not own Ace Attorney/Gyakuten Saiban.

Episode 2: Trust in a New Turnabout

Day 2, Trial, Part 1: Life's a Game

May 1, 2082. 9:45. Courthouse, Defendant Waiting Lobby No. 4.

The night came and went, and before I knew it, the day of the trial had come. After leaving Tomoko at the Detention Center, I went back to the office and had a quick dinner while going over my case notes. That dragged on into the night, and I ended up having to sleep at the office. The Professor and Hinata were a little worried that I might have a concussion, but I went to sleep and woke up just fine. Though I actually didn't get that much sleep. Just about three hours at the most. I was pretty exhausted. 'This will be the second night in a row that I've hardly gotten any sleep. Well unless you count me being unconscious after I was attacked. I wouldn't necessarily qualify that as a good night's sleep though,' I thought to myself. 'But I can't let that get me down. I can rest after Kurosaki-san is free.'

Speaking of which, Tomoko suddenly appeared before me. She actually appeared quite well-rested. "Good morning. Geez, you look like death."

"How nice of you to say. How come you look so well-rested? You spent the night in jail."

"I was actually coming off a string of all-nighters. That and the emotional overhaul I've gotten from this case so far, made me pretty exhausted after you left. I went straight to sleep. The guard actually had to force me awake this morning."

I sweatdropped. "I'm glad you're so care-free this morning, it's not like your life hangs in the balance or anything."

"Are you saying you want me to act all worried?"

"Well…no, I'm just saying that you should be mindful of your circumstances."

Tomoko frowned. "Trust me, I haven't forgotten anything. I know how serious this all is. I'm on trial for my best friend's murder. I'm taking this very seriously."

"..." I can be such an idiot sometimes. Of course she was just trying to put on a brave face. "I'm sorry. I should have been more understanding. You're doing your best in just standing here and keeping your composure."

"..." Tomoko was silent. She seemed so fragile. It almost looked like she could burst into tears at any moment. It was really hard to believe that the girl that was standing in front of me was the same snarky and standoffish private eye I had met just one month ago.

"Don't worry, we're going to get through this together. Remember, no matter how bad it gets in there, I won't stop fighting. I'm not going to let you take the fall for a crime that you didn't commit, and I'm not going to let your friend go unavenged. I'll clear your name and find the person who's truly responsible. I promise."

Tomoko started to smile again. "Thank you, Kibou."

"I told you already, you don't have to keep thanking me."

"I know, but I just can't stop. No one besides Tsu-chan has ever supported me like this."

I smiled and then checked the time. The trial would be starting in just a few minutes. It was time to head in. "Then allow me to show you that I'm worthy of the trust you're placing in me. Are you ready?"

Tomoko nodded. "..."

Then we walked into the courtroom together, prepared to face whatever battles laid ahead of us.

May 1, 2082. 10:00. Courthouse, Courtroom No. 4.

The gallery was stirring with endless chatter. Then the Judge banged his gavel and everything went silent. The trial had officially begun. "Court is now in session for the trial of Tomoko Kurosaki." The Judge seemed surprised by the name. "Hmm, Tomoko Kurosaki? The name sounds very familiar." Then he looked over at Tomoko. "And the defendant looks very familiar as well."

"Umm, Your Honor, if I may?" I asked. "My client was involved in another case a month ago. The murder and arson at Yumei University."

"Come to think of it…" The Judge nodded. "Yes, that's exactly where I know her from. So she was involved with that case you say? Then she must be charged for that crime as well."

"...!" I gasped. "No, no, no! Your Honor, I don't mean that she was involved like she did it, I mean she was involved with the investigation and trial. She was one of the witnesses, remember?"

"...! Oh yes, that's right. My mistake. Yes, the killer's name was Hacker if I recall."

I sweatdropped. 'Nope. That's not right either, but I'm just going to quit while I'm ahead.'

"And who are you again, young man?" the Judge asked me.

"Me? I was the defense attorney in that trial, remember?"

"..." The Judge shook his head. "No, I can't say I do. I remember the defendant was a dear old friend of mine but I don't recall who his attorney was. So that was you then?"

"Yes, Your Honor. I'm Kibou Hanamura, and I'm representing Kurosaki-san today."

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you, Hanamura-san," the Judge replied.

I sweatdropped again. 'It's not our first time meeting, but whatever.'

Then I heard an obnoxious-sounding cackle. I looked across the room and saw that the cackle came from the mouth of the person behind the prosecutor's desk. He was a lanky man of average height with cream-colored hair that was very unruly and hazel-colored eyes with odd red irises. His eyes seemed almost like crosshairs for a gun. He had very pale skin and a nasty-looking grin that made him seem both dangerous and annoying. He wore a very shiny silver-colored suit, black dress shoes, and a tie that was covered in decals of little 8-bit game characters. "You get the same judge back to back and he doesn't even remember you? Talk about no staying power. You're the competish for this round?" He cackled again. "Seriously? Which lame-brained producer decided to have an exhibition match between the reigning champ and some no-name noob right out of the gate? This is going to be so one-sided, I almost don't want to play."

The Judge was still confused. "Umm, don't take this the wrong way, young man, but who are you again? I don't seem to recall you either."

The cocky man sighed in exasperation. "Clean out your ears, Gramps, cause I'm only going to say this once. I'm Keima Mushou: ESports Champ, Beater Extraordinaire, Gaming Wiz, Prodigy Prosecutor. Introduction over. You want any more info, read my blog."

The Judge didn't seem to like Prosecutor Mushou's attitude. "I will ask for you to be a bit more courteous, young man. As a prosecutor, you should know how to act and carry yourself in a court of law."

Mushou scoffed. "I'll take it under advisement." Then he looked back at me. "Hanamura, right?"

"That's me," I replied.

"Even if you're a noob, I'll give you this. Challenging the champ is not something to be taken lightly. You've got balls. But unfortunately for you, I'm not in the habit of showing mercy to my competish, no matter who they are. I hope you're prepared for a bloodbath." He seemed so confident and yet the things he was saying were so ridiculous.

I sweatdropped. "Uh-huh. Cool. Looking forward to it." I didn't know how to react. 'Is this guy for real?' My first impression of Prosecutor Mushou? The word "weird" didn't even do him justice. 'Is this how 'pro gamers' really act or is it just him?'

Mushou scoffed again. "What's with that reaction? Lame. Super lame. At least try to act intimidated. I'm planning to stream this after all." Then he pulled out a pair of black and green gloves and put them on, and then he strapped a futuristic-looking HMD computer to his head and powered it on. The HMD computer wasn't totally unknown to me as I've seen techy people use them before, but I couldn't help but think they were dangerously close to ripping off similar devices from an old anime about dragons, balls, and the letter Z. Soon the HMD started flashing blue and green, and then Mushou waved his hand and a series of holographic screens were projected in front of him.

"...!" That move caught me by surprise. "I didn't know HMD computers could do that!"

"Oh? So you're familiar with this gizmo? You're right, normal ones can't. This is a specially modded version that one of my investors whipped up for me. With it I can game and stream wherever I am, and recently I've started using it to prosecute cases."

"...! Egads! Is this some sort of witchcraft!" the Judge exclaimed.

I sweatdropped again. 'Witchcraft? This isn't Labyrinthia, Your Honor. Witches don't exist in Japan.' Then I thought about it for a second. 'Though I guess technically they didn't exist there either.'

"Relax. In my world, this is a pretty normal tool. Loads of people use them," said Mushou.

"Still though," the Judge replied. "Even if it's science and not magic, I'm not sure how I feel about it being used in the courtroom."

Mushou scoffed again. "Well too bad, Gramps. I've already gotten permission from the Prosecutor's Office. The use of devices like mine is perfectly okay in a court of law. They cited an example about how the courts allowed some attorney chick a couple of decades ago to use a device she created for therapeutic purposes. Ergo mine is allowed too."

"Hmm? Did that really happen?" the Judge asked.

'Actually it did. He's talking about Naruhoudou-san's second apprentice, Kizuki Kokone. But there's no way I'm getting in the middle of this,' I thought to myself.

The Judge sighed. "Well if the Prosecutor's Office already signed off on it, I guess it's okay. But do warn me in the future when you make things appear out of thin air again. Surprises are not a good thing for someone my age."

'Then why are you still on the bench?! Kooky things have happened in this courthouse for decades!' We hadn't even gotten to the first testimony yet, and I already wanted to go home. The Judge and Prosecutor Mushou were just too much.

Profiles Updated: 裁判官 (Saibankan/Judge) and 無尽桂馬 (Mushou Keima).

"I think we should go ahead and get started without further delay. Is the Prosecution ready?" the Judge asked.

"Ready to win," Mushou replied in a cocky tone.

"And the Defense?" the Judge asked.

"The Defense is ready, Your Honor," I replied.

"Very well, then Mushou-san, would you please give your opening statement of the case at hand?" the Judge asked Mushou.

"With pleasure." Mushou smirked and then began to summarize the case. He actually sounded serious. "It all began roughly two years ago. The defendant, Tomoko Kurosaki, was a courageous member of our city's illustrious police force. However, due to an incident that occurred because unauthorized actions perpetrated by the defendant, she was forced to resign in disgrace. The victim of this case, Detective Tsukasa Kikumori, was at that time friends with the victim. But after the defendant caused this incident, the victim reported her to her superiors. Her testimony was in fact one of the major reasons why the defendant was forced to resign. Naturally, she held a grudge over this whole incident." While Mushou presented his argument, he used his holographic projector screens to show images of Tomoko and Detective Kikumori. Then he waved his hands and the screens began to float around the courtroom, showing off the images to the Judge and the gallery.

"During these past two years, the victim garnered quite a decorated reputation in Criminal Affairs and then Internal Affairs. Meanwhile, the defendant had to scrape by as a meager, struggling private investigator. A few weeks ago the victim contacted the defendant, and they had been in steady contact since then. On the night of the crime, the victim asked the defendant to meet her at her apartment late at night." A picture of the empty glasses appeared on one of the screens. "At first the victim treated the defendant with hospitality. They even shared a drink together before her demise. But soon an argument broke out. The bitterness and jealousy had grown too much for the defendant to bear and she decided to finally act upon her desire for revenge. They fought and then seizing the opportunity, the defendant procured the victim's service pistol and attacked her before shooting her dead. She was arrested at the scene of the crime shortly thereafter. And there we have it, the Prosecution's opening move." The last images shown on the screens were a picture of a pistol and a picture of a deceased Detective Kikumori.

"My, my, what a very detailed opening statement. Excellent use of visual aids as well. It was so easy to understand that even I could follow along with no problem," the Judge replied.

I sweatdropped again. 'You're the Judge! You're supposed to be able to follow along with a case no matter what!' Then I inwardly groaned. 'This isn't good though. Mushou looks completely different in the Judge's eyes now. If he takes this argument at face value, we're finished. Of course Kurosaki-san looks guilty outside of context. I need to make sure all the details of the crime and Kurosaki-san and the victim's relationship are brought to light.'

"As a matter of fact, I think I'm ready to give my verdict," said the Judge.

"...!" I gasped. Then I went on the offensive. "OBJ…!"

"OBJECTION!" Mushou suddenly shouted. "I'm glad you liked my opening move so much, Gramps. But the game hasn't even started yet. This isn't the one-shot insta-kill that I want. Hanamura has to at least have the opportunity to put up a fight. So let's save the verdict for until after the first witness spawns, m'kay?"

"...! Are you helping me?" I asked Mushou.

"Nah, don't get the wrong idea. A game that lasts only one minute after you start it isn't fun at all. I want to play this game for all that it's worth. So I really hope you give me a good match, got it noobie?" Mushou replied in his cocky tone.

I gave him a defiant look. "Got it. I hope I can meet your lofty expectations."

"My expectations aren't lofty at all. I already know how this is going to end. Replaying games can be fun too, even if you already know the ending. I just want to have as much fun as possible," Mushou replied.

The Judge frowned. "Aww, and here I was all ready to give my verdict. It was a good one too."

I sweatdropped again. 'I already know how this ends too, and that verdict was definitely not good for Kurosaki-san. I have to keep this trial going as long as possible until I clear her name and find out the truth.'

"Very well then. Mushou-san, please call your first witness to the stand," said the Judge.

"Alrighty then. The Prosecution calls Detective Isuke Tatsuki to the stand. I hope you're ready for a critical encounter, Hanamura," Mushou replied.

A few minutes later, Detective Tatsuki appeared on the witness stand. The lanky, shaggy detective was once again reading a light novel. This one appeared to be from a different series though. 'Huh, I guess he already finished the latest volume of NEET Detective,' I thought to myself.

"Witness, please state your name and occupation for the record," Mushou commanded.

"..." Tatsuki didn't reply. He simply flipped another page in the light novel he was reading.

"Witness?" Mushou called out.

"Hold on one second, I'm on the last page before the next chapter. And…" Tatsuki looked up from his light novel and then closed it. "...I'm finished. Okay, name and occupation, right? Isuke Tatsuki, homicide detective."

"..." Mushou seemed a little annoyed, but he pushed past it and continued talking. "The detective here was the second in command on this investigation. He's going to bring us all up to speed on what happened."

Tatsuki shrugged his shoulders. "More or less. But before I start, allow me to present these diagrams to the court." Tatsuki produced two diagrams from his person. "This first diagram shows the layout of the apartment complex. The crime occurred here, on the fourth floor. This next diagram shows the crime scene, the victim's apartment, as well as the other apartments surrounding it."

"I see, this helps a lot. The court shall gladly accept any visual aids as evidence," the Judge replied.

I sweatdropped again. 'I wonder if I drew a picture that showed Kurosaki-san leaving the apartment when the victim was still alive if he'll accept it as fact.'

Apartment Floor Plans added to the Court Record.

"Now you may proceed with your testimony, Detective," the Judge replied.

WITNESS TESTIMONY

Case Summary

Statement 1: "Our theory of the case is basically this: murder for revenge," said Tatsuki.

Statement 2: "We confirmed that the victim and the defendant planned to meet up on the night of the crime. This meeting was out of the blue though as the victim messaged the defendant around 23:00 to come over at midnight."

Statement 3: "The defendant and the victim shared a drink before any blood was shed."

Statement 4: "At some point in the night, things became heated and an argument broke out between the two parties. Most likely the argument was over the grudge the defendant held."

Statement 5: "The argument turned physical, and in the heat of the moment, the defendant managed to grab ahold of the victim's service pistol."

Statement 6: "The defendant shot the victim once in the abdomen, and a few minutes later the victim died from blood loss."

Statement 7: "The defendant was arrested shortly thereafter by my senpai."

END OF TESTIMONY

"I see, so the murder was not actually planned. The defendant used a weapon of opportunity, in this case the victim's service pistol," said the Judge.

"Correctamundo, Gramps. The defendant raged out and gunned down the victim in cold blood. Tatsuki, evidence now" Mushou snapped his fingers at Tatsuki.

"If you want me to present what I have just tell me. Don't snap your fingers at me." Tatsuki produced a service pistol in an evidence bag from his person. "Here's the main attraction. A .10 caliber Met issued pistol. It's been confirmed via serial number that this is the victim's pistol."

"Serial number?" I replied in confusion.

"Oh you don't know? Well I can't fault you for that. Firearms are illegal to own for anyone who's not affiliated with law enforcement and some special cases. Tatsuki, go ahead and explain. Pay attention, noob," Mushou replied.

Tatsuki began to explain. "Basically for every gun created and purchased, the government requires that a serial number be printed on the frame or receiver of the gun. Using this serial number, you can identify who the gun belongs to really easily. There's other tests you can perform on a gun to verify who it belongs to, such as ballistic tests. But when we tried to run those we found that…"

"You can skip over that little detail for now. No reason for the Defense to know about the inner workings of the enemy," Mushou cut off Tatsuki. "The important thing is that we verified that this is the victim's service pistol and the murder weapon. Oh, and there was only one set of prints, besides the victim's, found on the pistol. They belonged to the defendant."

Kikumori's Pistol added to the Court Record.

"I also have the bullet that killed the victim with me. I doubt it will be of much use though." Tatsuki produced a small evidence bag from his person that contained a mangled piece of metal.

"That's a bullet?" I replied.

"It was completely warped when we retrieved it from the victim's body. Usually, when a bullet is this warped it means that it penetrated a foreign object before reaching its target but there was no evidence of that. It probably just fired and hit the victim at an odd angle. There was no way to test it for ballistic markings so it's pretty much just a useless hunk of metal," Tatsuki explained.

Bullet added to the Court Record.

"Finally, I have this. The forensics techs took a photo of the crime scene and the victim when they first arrived." The photo showed a bloody Detective Kikumori lying on the floor, with a clear gunshot wound in her abdomen. It also showed a little bit of the back of the apartment, including the sofa, the bookshelf, and the sliding glass door to the balcony.

Photo of the Murder added to the Court Record.

'There it is. Kurosaki-san's prints on that pistol all but prove that she pulled the trigger. The only way I'll be able to discredit them is if I prove someone put the pistol in her hand after they pulled the trigger. But I have way of identifying who did that yet. If I try to say that a third party did it right away, we'll run into a dead end for sure. The only thing I can do for now is cross-examine Detective Tatsuki and try to gather some more information. I think I saw a flaw in there. I just have to find it,' I thought to myself.

"The Defense may now cross-examine the witness," said the Judge.

CROSS-EXAMINATION

Case Summary

Statement 1: "Our theory of the case is basically this: murder for revenge," said Tatsuki.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "There is absolutely no evidence that supports this revenge theory."

"OBJECTION!" Mushou shouted. "There is already ample evidence that your client is the guilty party. Motive is subjective. We don't need to prove that her motive was revenge, we just have to provide evidence that she did it and a theory of one."

"...!" Then I started sweating bullets. "Oh, right. I thought I had something there. Please, continue."

Mushou cackled. "What a weak opening move. That slip-up would have cost you dearly in critical mode."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "How exactly did you confirm that the victim asked the defendant to meet her that late?"

"The victim texted the defendant on the night in question. We confirmed this when we collected the victim's personal smartphone. The time stamps for the messages were around 23:00," Tatsuki replied.

"I see. Why hasn't the smartphone been presented as evidence?" I replied.

"Unfortunately, the smartphone was pretty badly destroyed before we got our hands on it. It looked like somebody had stomped on it repeatedly. The contacts and text messages were pretty much all we could recover. I doubt it will be of much use."

"I see. Question withdrawn then."

Statement 3: "The defendant and the victim shared a drink before any blood was shed."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "You're referring to these glasses that were found in the victim's sink correct?" I held up a photo of the empty glasses.

"Let me do you one better," said Mushou. Then he changed the image being projected on his projector screens and showed another picture of the empty glasses.

'Show off,' I thought to myself.

Tatsuki nodded. "Yes, those ones. The victim and the defendant shared a drink before the crime."

"Please continue, Detective," said the Judge.

Statement 4: "At some point in the night, things became heated and an argument broke out between the two parties. Most likely the argument was over the grudge the defendant held."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "But you can't know what the argument was about, can you?"

"OBJECTION!" Mushou shouted. "Again, we don't need to know what it was about. We have evidence that it happened. Everything else is just a logical leap from the motive we've given. Stick to the facts, not speculation."

"Ugh," I grunted in defeat.

Statement 5: "The argument turned physical, and in the heat of the moment, the defendant managed to grab ahold of the victim's service pistol."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "If the argument got as heated as you say it did, surely someone would've heard it."

"Correct, in fact there are several witnesses who reported hearing a loud argument and a gunshot on the night in question. Unfortunately, we could only find one of them who would be helpful to the case. Congratulations, Hanamura, you've been given a handicap," Mushou replied.

'There's only one witness? That's a relief. But I wonder what they heard that was so special?' I thought to myself.

Statement 6: "The defendant shot the victim once in the abdomen, and a few minutes later the victim died from blood loss."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "You can't say for sure that my client is the one who shot the victim."

"OBJECTION!" Mushou shouted. "The pistol only has her fingerprints on it and she was the only one who was in the apartment at the time of the murder. Don't try to cheat me out of an easy win."

"..." I glared at Mushou. 'He's right though. I don't have anything that proves Kurosaki-san didn't shoot the victim…yet that is.'

Statement 7: "The defendant was arrested shortly thereafter by my senpai."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "You're referring to Detective Kyoushi Iro, correct?"

Tatsuki nodded. "Yep. He was in the area that night, and was the first on scene when the argument and gunshot was called in. He arrested the defendant on the spot when he saw the scene."

"Egads! Then why are we not hearing from Detective Iro in person, right now?" the Judge asked.

"Unfortunately, Gramps, the detective in question, is allergic to the courtroom, so he refused to testify unless absolutely necessary. But don't worry, if Hanamura puts up a good fight then I intend to use him as my trump card. You hear that, Hanamura? You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. This win is in the bag," Mushou boasted.

I growled. 'I really hate this guy.'

After hearing the testimony again, I collected my thoughts. 'Okay, it doesn't look like there's really any new information that I can glean from this. There has to be a flaw in there somewhere. I don't think Detective Tatsuki is intentionally lying, he's probably just holding back some facts because Mushou told him to. Which means I'm going to have to bring them out into the open.'

Statement 3: "The defendant and the victim shared a drink before any blood was shed."

Present Empty Glasses.

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "Detective Tatsuki, I'm surprised at you. Why are you withholding information from the court about these drinking glasses?" I asked.

"..." Tatsuki said nothing. His nose was buried in his light novel again. It appeared that at some point he had gone back to reading.

I sweatdropped. "Umm, Detective? Objection?"

"..." Tatsuki slowly looked up from his book. "Do you need something?"

"I'm objecting to the information in your testimony regarding the drinking glasses," I explained. "Remember, you told me yesterday that the forensic techs had already tested these glasses. There were no fingerprints or traces of DNA on either glass."

"...?" Tatsuki was confused at first, but then he said, "Oh, right." Then he closed his light novel and gave me his full attention again. "Yeah, I did say that, didn't I?"

I was a bit confused. 'That was a lame reaction.' Then I cleared my throat. "So it's true? You admit that you withheld this information?" I replied.

"I wouldn't say I withheld it. Prosecutor Mushou told me not to say anything about it if I wasn't specifically asked."

'I figured as much,' I thought to myself. "..." I silently glared at Mushou.

Mushou smiled at me with his nasty, shit-eating grin. "Can't blame a guy for trying, right? I told you that I'm a beater. If I see an advantage, I take it. Bravo for getting past my first line of defense."

'He's seriously treating this trial like it's all some sort of game!' I inwardly exclaimed.

"So wait, there weren't any fingerprints or DNA on either glass?" the Judge asked.

I shook my head. "No, Your Honor. So in other words, there's no proof that my client shared a drink with the victim before her death!"

END OF CROSS-EXAMINATION

Mushou clapped his hands. "Excellent work, Hanamura. You whittled away some on my case's HP for sure. But I'm sorry to say that it was at most just 2HP, and that's being generous."

"Huh?" I replied in confusion.

Mushou cackled again. "You don't get it? What exactly have you proven with that cross-examination?"

"What have I proven? I've proven that my client didn't…she didn't…" Then I realized what Mushou meant. "...! I umm…I've proven that…" I started sweating bullets. "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh, indeed. True there's no evidence that proves that the victim and the defendant shared a drink together, but I ask you this. Why does that matter at all? She still could've killed the victim. Heck, she even could've still had a drink with the victim. The reason there were no traces left behind on the glasses was because someone scrubbed them clean. So you want to know what you proved during that cross-examination?" Mushou made another image appear on his projector screens. This time it was a flashing, red zero. Then an 8-bit version of my face appeared on the screen, and a few moments later, four more faces appeared on the screen. "In fact, that whole cross-examination was so meaningless that I think you need to be taught a lesson." Mushou waved his hand again and then another hologram appeared. It was a large pixelated fireball. The fireball suddenly flew to me and then hit my head.

"...!" I doubled back in surprise. The fireball didn't hurt since it was just a hologram, but the shock of the whole experience remained.

Mushou smirked. "You lose a life." Then the row of five faces was reduced to four.

"I lost a life? What are you talking about?" I replied in confusion.

"Call it a mini-game. Every time you make a bone-headed move, I'm going to take one life away from you. Granted, you don't lose the trial if you lose all your lives, but if you do lose all your lives, I'm going to punish you."

"P-Punish how?"

"Oh, you don't want to find out. If I were you, I'd look for meaningful contradictions from now on, if there even are any," Mushou added with a cackle.

I inwardly groaned. 'I can't deny it, that was a really stupid contradiction. It doesn't mean anything at all.' I looked over at Tomoko. She was staring at me with nothing but pity in her eyes. 'Great cross-examination, Kibou. Now even your client is having second thoughts about your abilities.' I took a deep breath. 'But I can't let this get to me. This is far from over.'

"Alright, I think we've had enough fun with the good, bookworm detective. You're dismissed," said Mushou.

"Happy to be of service," Tatsuki replied in a deadpan tone. Then he stepped down from the witness stand and immediately went back to his light novel.

"Well that was most illuminating. I think we know the basics of this case fairly well now," said the Judge. "I believe you said that you also had another witness besides Detective Iro, correct Mushou-san?"

Mushou nodded. "That's right, Gramps. She's up next." He looked at me and grinned. "Ready for round two, Hanamura?"

I gave him a defiant look. "Yes, I am. I won't be falling for any more of your tricks."

"We'll see about that. The Prosecution calls the landlady of Sakuraba Apartment Complex to the stand," Mushou replied.

A few minutes later, a slightly curvy middle-aged woman appeared on the witness stand. She had short black hair that was tied back into a bun, honey-colored eyes, lightly freckled cheeks, and a cheery-looking expression. She was wearing a yellow shirt, a green bandana on her head, a pair of faded blue jeans, a pair of yellow tennis shoes, and a green apron. The woman was actually quite breath-taking in a way. She had sort of a natural beauty that could put most flashy women to shame. She smiled sweetly. "Good morning, everyone. How are you all today?"

"Oh my!" the Judge exclaimed. "W-Well, I'm quite good. I can't complain so far." He had a light blush on his cheeks.

I sweatdropped. 'Oh boy, looks like the Judge is smitten with this witness. That's not good for us.'

"Oh, is that so? That's great to hear." Then she looked over at Mushou. "Keima-kun, how are you doing today? Did you eat a proper breakfast before you left for work this morning? No more junk food I hope."

"U-Umm, yes ma'am. I made the time to actually sit down and eat something homemade," Mushou replied. It appeared that he was taken off guard by the witness's motherly questions.

Then the witness turned to me. She lightly gasped when she saw the bandages on my head. "Oh dear! Young man, are you feeling alright? Do you need to lie down? I can get you some refreshments to help you relax as well."

"Oh no, I-I'm fine," I replied in an embarrassed tone. "I suffered a nasty blow to the back of my head but I was at a clinic yesterday. They patched me up and told me that I would be fine with a little rest. Thank you for your concern though."

"I see. Well don't push yourself too hard, okay? It's fine to take breaks even while you're working," the witness replied. She seemed very concerned about me.

Mushou cleared his throat. "Ahem, if we can get back to the trial now, please?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt," the witness replied.

"N-No, it's fine. Let's just move on," Mushou replied. "Could you please state your name and occupation for the record?"

The witness nodded. "Of course. My name is Hahari Shinsetsu, and I'm the owner and landlady of the Sakuraba Apartment Complex. It's very nice to meet you all."

Profiles Updated: 親切母里 (Shinsetsu Hahari).

"The pleasure is all ours, Shinsetsu-san," the Judge replied, in an upbeat tone.

Hahari smiled. "Please, just call me Hahari-san. No one really uses my family name."

"Oh, I must not. It's not proper form for a man to refer to a lady in such a familiar way," the Judge replied.

"My, what nice manners. But please, I insist. Even all of my tenants call me by my given name," Hahari replied.

"V-Very well, if you insist. It's very nice to make your acquaintance, Hahari-san. I'm the Judge," the Judge replied in a smitten tone.

Hahari lightly giggled. "The pleasure's all mine."

'What is up with this atmosphere?' I asked myself.

"Hanamura-san, don't be rude. Introduce yourself as well," the Judge ordered me.

'Seriously?' I sighed. "My name is Kibou Hanamura. It's nice to meet you Hahari-san."

"Kibou?" Hahari smiled. "What a lovely name. I can tell your parents put a lot of love into it."

"Th-Thank you," I replied. I could feel my cheeks starting to burn.

"Hahari-san," Mushou called out to Hahari. "As you already know, you're here today to testify about the events surrounding the murder of one of your tenants, Detective Tsukasa Kikumori."

Hahari seemed a little sad. "Oh, yes. Such a tragedy. Tsukasa-chan had her whole life ahead of her."

"Indeed. Now if you're up to it, can you tell the court exactly what you told me and the police yesterday? About what you heard and saw on the night in question?" Mushou replied.

'Wait. Heard and saw? Oh no, not good,' I thought to myself.

Hahari nodded. "If you think it will help, then yes I'd be more than happy to tell you what I know."

The Judge nodded. "Very well, then the court asks that the witness please testify about the night of the crime."

WITNESS TESTIMONY

What I Heard and Saw

Statement 1: Hahari put a finger to her right cheek as she thought about what to say. "It started off as a night like any other. The apartments are usually very quiet come nightfall, as many of our tenants are salarymen and women, and small families."

Statement 2: "It was shortly before midnight, I think. I got a call from one of my tenants on the upper floors that they were having trouble with their hot water heater. So I left my own apartment to check up on them."

Statement 3: "As I was leaving I ran into a young woman with an awful lot of black makeup on. I didn't recognize her at first, so I asked her who she was."

Statement 4: "It turns out that she was Tsukasa-chan's friend, and she was there to see her. I didn't think to question her, so I let her pass."

Statement 5: "I was gone for a little while before returning to my apartment. Then suddenly I heard a really loud noise coming from next door. The noise came from Tsukasa-chan's apartment." A look of shock had taken over her face.

Statement 6: "I immediately called the police, and a detective showed up a few minutes later."

Statement 7: "He told me that the young woman I saw had shot and killed Tsukasa-chan. Poor Tsukasa-chan." Now she seemed really sad.

END OF TESTIMONY

"And there you have it. Not only did the witness hear the gunshot that killed the victim, she also saw the defendant arrive at the apartment before the murder was committed," said Mushou.

The Judge nodded. "Yes, this all seems rather clear."

"..." I stayed silent and started to stroke my chin.

"What's wrong? Too overwhelmed to select 'Continue'?" Mushou asked me.

I shook my head. "No, it's not that." I stared at Hahari in confusion. 'Am I the only one who thought that her testimony was kind of vague? She says she saw Kurosaki-san arrive at the apartment, sure. But then she left the area and came back just in time to hear the gunshot?'

"Well, Hanamura-san? Do you still wish to proceed with your cross-examination?" the Judge asked.

I nodded. "Of course, Your Honor." I looked at Hahari again, and she smiled at me. 'I can't put my finger on exactly why, but I feel like she's holding something back.'

CROSS-EXAMINATION

What I Heard and Saw

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "I don't really know if this is relevant per se, but how many tenants do you actually have?"

"As far as most of the apartment complexes in Shibuya go, we're on the small side. We have six floors in total, but only about 20 apartments on each floor. Only about 65% of our apartments are taken though, so around a hundred tenants if I had to guess," Hahari replied.

"The victim lived on the fourth floor, correct?" I asked.

Hahari nodded. "That's right. Apt. 4-C. She actually lived two doors down from me in Apt. 4-A," Hahari replied.

"You live on the fourth floor as well?" I asked.

Hahari nodded again. "Yes, I was already a tenant before I bought the complex, so I just decided to stay in the same apartment instead of moving to another one on a lower floor."

"I see, please continue," I replied. 'I think it might be a good idea to make a note of Hahari-san's apartment as well.'

Apartment Floor Plans Updated.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "Is it not unusual for your tenants to call you that late at night?"

Hahari shook her head. "Oh no, not at all. Like I said before, our apartments cater to salarymen and women, so a lot of them keep odd hours. I've gotten in the habit of staying awake throughout the evening and night and then sleeping during the day so I'm on call whenever they might need me. And I'm not one to brag, but I've become somewhat of a handyman myself after helping so many tenants over the years. I can't tell you when the last time I've had to call on a repairman was."

"My, Hahari-san. You seem like a wonderful landlady. To tell you the truth, I'm quite envious of those tenants of yours," the Judge replied.

Hahari softly giggled. "You flatter me, Your Honor. But if you're interested, we still have spaces available. They're all reasonably priced as well."

"Oh, I couldn't. I'm a bit too old to move to a new place all on my own," the Judge replied.

"We also have movers on stand-by, and I always keep spare housing contracts and documentation on my person at all times. We could get you moved in by the end of the day with no problem," Hahari replied. She smiled and then produced a large stack of papers and a fountain pen from her person. She clicked the pen in anticipation.

I sweatdropped. 'She must be really desperate for new tenants.'

"H-Hahari-san? Your testimony, please?" Mushou called out to her.

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry," Hahari replied in an embarrassed tone.

Statement 3: "As I was leaving I ran into a young woman with an awful lot of black makeup on. I didn't recognize her at first, so I asked her who she was."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "And just who was this woman with the black makeup? She sounds awfully suspicious, skulking around at that time of night. She might be the killer."

"..." Hahari went silent. She gave me an awkward smile filled with pity.

"..." The Judge seemed confused.

"..." Mushou looked like he could barely contain his laughter.

"..." Tomoko silently covered her face with her hands.

"..." The gallery seemed unamused.

"...!" I gasped. Then I started sweating bullets. "Wait. Don't tell me. The woman you saw was my client?"

"..." Hahari nodded, while still flashing me that awkward smile.

"Question withdrawn," I replied in embarrassment.

Mushou shook his head. "That one was too bone-headed even for me. I'm letting you keep the life you would've lost just this once."

Statement 4: "It turns out that she was Tsukasa-chan's friend, and she was there to see her. I didn't think to question her, so I let her pass."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "Did you see my client actually go into the victim's apartment?"

Hahari shook her head. "We ran into each other just as she got off the elevator. I don't know if you know this, but there have been several break-ins at the complex and in the surrounding area. Since I didn't recognize her, I was worried she might be involved. But after I talked to a little bit, I thought she was harmless and let her go to Tsukasa-chan's apartment." She frowned and seemed distraught. "I guess she wasn't really harmless, was she?"

"Another question, if you mind? Did you see anyone but my client approach the victim's apartment that night? Before or after?" I asked.

"Hmm, Tsukasa-chan got back to her apartment around 18:00. I remember, because I greeted her when I saw her in the hallway. But other than the defendant and the detective who came afterwards, I didn't see anyone else. After I saw Tsukasa-chan, I was actually in my apartment until I got that call from my tenant," Hahari replied.

"How about surveillance?" I replied.

Mushou scoffed. "You really thought that we didn't already think of that? The complex's surveillance system has been down for about a week now. Why do you think the burglar hasn't been caught yet?"

Hahari puffed her cheeks. "The surveillance system is the only thing I can't fix on my own. The repair company is dragging its feet in getting the job done too. They're trying to sell me on a more expensive model insteading of fixing the old one. To make matters worse, the tenants are getting uneasy. Some of them have even started to say that they might move out if the problem isn't handled soon." She seemed both angry and upset. "And now there's been a murder at the complex too. It can't possibly get any worse."

"Geez, that sounds rough," I replied. 'She sounds a little bit more upset about the state of her apartment complex than anything else.'

"You understand my pain, Kibou-kun? You're such a kind young man." She pulled out a familiar stack of documents and a familiar fountain pen. "Say, you wouldn't by chance be in the market for a new apartment, would you?"

"Umm, sorry. I'm not looking for anything at the moment," I replied.

Hahari puffed up her cheeks again. "..." She seemed upset at my refusal.

I sweatdropped. 'This woman is pushy,' I thought to myself.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "You heard a loud noise coming from the victim's apartment?"

Hahari nodded. "Yes. It was a loud *bang*. It kind of reminded me of fireworks. But I doubted that anyone would set fireworks off inside their apartment, so I feared the worst and called the police."

Statement 6: "I immediately called the police, and a detective showed up a few minutes later."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "How long exactly would you say it took for the detective to show up?" I asked.

Hahari stuck her finger to her cheek again. "Umm, I'd say about four to five minutes," she replied.

"Th-That's pretty fast," I replied.

"As it's already been stated, Detective Iro was in the area at the time, to be precise around Sakuraba Apartment Complex. It wouldn't take that long to get to the fourth floor apartment if you took the elevator," Mushou replied. "Carry on, Hahari-san. What happened next?"

Statement 7: "He told me that the young woman I saw had shot and killed Tsukasa-chan. Poor Tsukasa-chan." Now she seemed really sad.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "What happened after that?"

"Nothing really of note. The police came in shortly after that and closed off the apartment," Hahari replied. Then she puffed up her cheeks again. "Their presence made a lot of my tenants uneasy though. Discretion is definitely not their strong suit."

"Allow me to apologize on behalf of those numbskulls at the Met, Hahari-san," Mushou replied. "You can assure your tenants that this whole incident will be wrapped up in a matter of hours."

'Don't count on it. That said, if I don't find anything in this testimony that stands out, we're finished,' I thought to myself.

"Well what do you think, Hanamura? Ready to throw in the towel? Or are you just a glutton for punishment?" Mushou asked.

"I'm not giving up," I replied.

Mushou sighed. "I expected you to say that. Very well, go through the testimony as many times as you want. It will not change a thing."

'Actually, it seems like you overlooked something yourself,' I thought to myself. Then I smirked. 'I wonder just how he'll react when I point this out.'

Present Apartment Floor Plans.

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "Hahari-san. Just to be clear, the apartment you live in is Apt. 4-A, correct? Two doors down from the victim's own apartment?"

"Yes, that's correct," Hahari replied.

"..." Mushou seemed unnerved. "What are you getting at?"

I crossed my arms and smiled smugly. "What I'm getting at is a contradiction within the victim's own statement. Hahari-san said in her own words that she, quote: 'heard a really loud noise coming from next door.'" Then I pulled out the Apartment Floor Plans that Detective Tatsuki had provided. "But according to the information that she provided, her apartment is in fact not next door to the victim's apartment. If that's not a contradiction, I don't know what is."

"...!" Hahari gasped and cupped her mouth in her hands.

"...! Wh-What? That's…" Mushou seemed at a loss for words as well.

"What's wrong, Mushou-san? No snarky comeback this time? Looks like I won this round," I replied.

END OF CROSS-EXAMINATION

The gallery started chattering amongst itself, until the Judge banged his gavel and silenced the courtroom. "Hold on just a moment. Hanamura-san just what is the meaning of this? Are you saying that the witness is lying?"

"I don't know exactly, Your Honor. But I feel like Hahari-san is being intentionally vague. I think we should hear more details from her about the night in question," I replied.

"OBJECTION!" Mushou shouted. "That's a waste of time. Clearly, the gunshot was so loud that she heard it from her apartment as well."

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "That doesn't explain why she claimed that she heard the gunshot coming from next door. If she was in her apartment at the time of the shooting, that would have been impossible."

"OBJECTION!" Mushou shouted. "It's simple. The witness got confused. There's nothing more to it."

"..." Hahari was quietly thinking about something. Then she spoke up. "Umm, excuse me? Is it okay if I testify again?"

"Huh? Hahari-san there's no need for you to…" Mushou was cut off by Hahari.

"No, this misunderstanding is my fault. Please allow me to explain," Hahari replied.

"V-Very well, if you would like to testify again, the court can't exactly stop you from doing so," the Judge replied. "Please explain the contradiction in your own words."

'Was it just confusion? Or was it something else? Either way, the only way to go is forward,' I thought to myself.

WITNESS TESTIMONY

My Confusion

Statement 1: "I misspoke when I said that I heard the loud noise coming from the next room over," said Hahari.

Statement 2: "I originally thought that the noise came from the apartment next to mine. But I found out later from the detective that the noise came from Apt. 4-C."

Statement 3: "After I heard the loud noise I called the police. I remember it was about half past midnight."

Statement 4: "I'm sorry for the confusion."

END OF TESTIMONY

"Well I think that explains everything then," said the Judge.

"If it's okay with the court, Your Honor, I'd still like to do my cross-examination," I replied.

"..." Mushou looked perplexed.

'Hmm, he seems kind of off now. Is there another contradiction he's worried that I might find?' I asked myself.

CROSS-EXAMINATION

My Confusion

Statement 1: "I misspoke when I said that I heard the loud noise coming from the next room over," said Hahari.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "How could you have mistaken the location of the noise?"

"Well, you see…" Hahari trailed off.

Statement 2: "I originally thought that the noise came from the apartment next to mine. But I found out later from the detective that the noise came from Apt. 4-C."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "So you saw the detective enter the apartment?"

Hahari nodded. "Yes, that's right. After I called the police, I waited outside of my apartment and he showed up a few minutes later. Then he arrested the girl I saw earlier that night and she came out of the apartment with him. I thought that the noise came from next door, but it apparently came from two doors down."

Statement 3: "After I heard the loud noise I called the police. I remember it was about half past midnight."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "So just to reiterate, you left your apartment a little before midnight and ran into my client. Then when you finished your errand on one of the upper floors, you came back to your apartment around half past midnight and then you heard the loud noise, which was the gunshot that killed the victim. Then you called the police right after that."

Hahari nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"..." I went silent and started stroking my chin. 'This all sounds kind of familiar.'

Statement 4: "I'm sorry for the confusion."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "Why were you so confused in the first place?"

"OBJECTION!" Mushou shouted. He smirked at me. "You seem to be awfully suspicious of the witness, Hanamura. Don't tell me. Are we about to hear a formal accusation from the Defense? Was the victim murdered by her landlady?"

'I know he's trying to goad me into looking stupid again, but should I consider Hahari-san as a suspect?' I asked myself.

MAKE A DECISION: Should you accuse Hahari of the crime?

Accuse Hahari

Back off

Pick Option Two.

I shook my head. "No, the Defense does not consider the witness to be a viable suspect at this time."

"Smart move. I guess even you're capable of making those every once in a while, Hanamura," Mushou replied.

'Something tells me that I should focus on another part of her testimony,' I thought to myself.

"Hanamura-san, if there's nothing of note in this new testimony, perhaps we should move on?" said the Judge.

"Just a little more time, Your Honor. I think I spotted a flaw in the testimony," I replied.

"Very well, but be quick about it. Otherwise, I'll have to penalize you for wasting our time," the Judge replied in a stern tone.

'Make or break time,' I thought to myself.

Statement 3: "After I heard the loud noise I called the police. I remember it was about half past midnight."

Present Autopsy Report.

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "Well, it's official. I'm even more confused now than I was at the start of this testimony."

"What are you blabbering about now?" Mushou asked.

"What I'm blabbering about is the fact that this witness seems to have a head full of air," I replied.

"...!" Hahari gasped and cupped her mouth. Then she puffed up her cheeks and glared at me. "Kibou-kun, that's so mean. Is this how you treat all women?"

I shook my head. "I mean no offense, Hahari-san. I'm just saying that you keep saying things in your testimony that don't make any sense. The newest dilemma I have is with the time that you heard the gunshot."

"The time?" Hahari repeated in confusion.

"What's wrong with the time?" the Judge, confused as well, asked.

"According to the witness, she heard the gunshot at around half past midnight and then immediately called the police," I replied.

Hahari nodded. "Yes, that's right. I remember the time because I saw it on my phone when I made the call."

"But therein lies the problem. It's plain as day if you consult the autopsy report," I replied. I pulled out the autopsy report and showed it to the court.

"The autopsy report? What about it?" Mushou asked. Then he pulled up a scanned image of the autopsy report on one of his holographic projector screens. "...? …! Wh-What the…?!"

I smirked. "It looks like you see the point I'm trying to make. According to the autopsy report, the victim died at approximately midnight. That's a full half-hour before the witness heard the gunshot!"

Hahari cupped her hands over her mouth again. "What?!"

END OF CROSS-EXAMINATION

The gallery erupted in even louder chatter. The Judge had to bang his gavel a few times to quiet everyone. "Order! Order!" When everything was quiet again, he turned to me. "Hanamura-san, what is the meaning of this? Is the witness lying after all?"

"I don't think so, no. At least not intentionally," I replied. "I think it might be better to say that she's mistaken about a few things."

"Mistaken?" the Judge repeated.

"OBJECTION!" Mushou shouted. "So what if the time is wrong?! The witness still heard the gunshot! She's just confused about the time!"

"Confused?" Hahari repeated.

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "I said she was mistaken, not confused! There's a difference!"

"What exactly do you mean, Hanamura-san? Please enlighten the court," the Judge asked.

"It's simple to grasp if you go through everything that happened. Hahari-san was in her apartment just before midnight, when she received a complaint from one of her tenants on the upper floors. She went to check on the tenant and ran into my client just as she was getting off the elevator. They talked for a little bit, due to Hahari-san's concerns about the burglar. Then they parted ways and Hahari-san left the fourth floor. She came back half an hour later and then heard the gunshot from her apartment and then called the police. Then Detective Iro showed up just a few minutes later and arrested my client. Hahari-san's testimony directly contradicts the victim's time of death," I explained.

"Is it possible that the culprit shot the victim once to kill her and then shot her corpse later as some kind of dramatic overkill?" the Judge replied.

I shook my head. "No, that can't be true either. The autopsy report clearly states that the victim was only shot once through the abdomen. The only other wound that the victim sustained was a blow to the back of her head. Besides, there's another piece of evidence that contradicts that theory."

"Another piece of evidence? What is it?" the Judge asked.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT EVIDENCE: What other piece of evidence contradicts the Judge's theory?

Kibou's Attorney Badge – My attorney badge. Proof that I can practice law and defend the innocent in the courtroom. It took me a while to actually get this.

Ouroboros Investigations Business Card – A business card for Tomoko Kurosaki's P.I. agency. It lists the address and phone number of the agency.

Ouroboros Investigations Office Key – The key to Tomoko's P.I. agency.

Tomoko's Checkered Past – Before Tomoko was a private investigator, she was a rookie police officer at the Tokyo Met. The victim was her best friend and graduated alongside her. Detective Iro graduated with them as well. After making threats to the perpetrator of a heinous crime, Tomoko was forced to resign. The victim did not support her and turned her in, and Tomoko has held a grudge ever since.

Autopsy Report – The victim of this case, Detective Tsukasa Kikumori's autopsy report.

Victim: 聞守拍 (Kikumori Tsukasa)

Estimated Time of Death: Around 00:00

Cause of Death: Single gunshot wound to the abdomen. The victim bled out in minutes. In addition, a large bruise was found on the back of the victim's head.

Signs of a Struggle – The victim clearly struggled with her killer, judging by the state of the crime scene.

Empty Glasses – Two empty glasses were found in the victim's sink. No usable prints or DNA were on either glass. Tomoko swears she didn't drink from either glass. Could the victim have had some other company over the night she died?

Cheeky Chiaki Chewing Gum Box – Found in the victim's kitchen. When first bought, it contains 32 pieces of odd multi-flavored chewing gum, but it appears a few pieces are missing. According to Tomoko, Cheeky Chiaki is a very niche candy company known for having extremely odd flavored chewing gum. It can only be specially ordered on their website and cannot be found in stores anymore. It was her and the victim's favorite gum brand. She gave it to her as a present.

Laptop – A laptop that belonged to the victim. It was found in the victim's bedroom. A YooToob video of a live cam show for a popular V-Toober was left open. The cam show was streaming on the night the victim died.

Kikumori's Safe – A safe that belonged to the victim. It was found open in the victim's closet. No fingerprints besides the victim's were found, but there are signs that someone used fingerprint powder on the buttons.

Missing ID – A Tokyo Met Police ID card. Allows access to areas of the Met open to detectives. Apparently the victim's ID was not found on her person or in her apartment. A lost item report says that she lost it the day before her murder.

Missing Pillow – There was only a single pillow on the victim's sofa. If there was another one, why is it missing?

Tomoko's Safe – It was broken into the night of the murder. After I opened it, an assailant knocked me out and stole the contents. No fingerprints were found on it besides mine and Tomoko's.

Chewed Gum – A piece of pre-chewed gum that was found on the floor of Tomoko's office. It smells like cinnamon.

Gojyuu Cold Case – The murder case file was found on the victim's desk. Apparently, she was investigating the case. The case involves the murder of an up and coming prosecutor who was killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong last December. Could there be more to it?

Kikumori's Secrets – The victim has a younger sister that was the victim of a heinous crime several years ago. Tomoko was forced to resign because of the fallout.

Corruption Case – The victim was leading a top secret investigation into the Tokyo Met and the Tokyo Prosecutor's Office and their involvement with a secret organization called JUDGMENT. Apparently, only she, Tomoko, Gojyuu, and Chief Prosecutor Ichiyanagi knew about it.

Sticky Note – A note discarded in the victim's wastebasket. It says: Tell Ichi, that Tomo and I moved it all for safe keeping.

Kikumori's Lost Item Report – A half-written document found balled-up in the victim's wastebasket. It details that the victim lost her Police ID on 4/29.

Second Gunshot – According to Tomoko, a loud gunshot woke her up half an hour after the victim was already dead. But no other bullets or bullet holes were found at the scene and no one else reported a second gunshot.

Tomoko's Necklace – A graduation gift for Tomoko, given to her by the victim. She hasn't worn it since the day she was forced to resign from the Tokyo Met.

Apartment Floor Plans – Two plans that show the layout of the victim's apartment complex and the victim's own apartment. The victim lived on the fourth floor of the apartment building, in Apt. 4-C. The victim was found near the back of her apartment, lying on the floor in front of the balcony sliding door and to the left of her sofa. Multiple items were strewn around, showing a struggle. Hahari Shinsetsu, the victim's landlady, lives in Apt. 4-A.

Kikumori's Pistol – The murder weapon. A .10 caliber handgun that belonged to the victim. Fired one time recently. Bears prints from Tomoko's left hand.

Bullet – A bullet extracted from the victim's abdomen. Ballistic markings prove that it was fired from the victim's service weapon.

Photo of the Murder – A crime scene photo showing the state of the victim's body and the sofa behind her.

Present Kikumori's Pistol.

"TAKE THAT!" I shouted.

"The murder weapon?" the Judge replied.

I nodded. "According to the forensics unit at the Met, the pistol was only fired once. Therefore if there was a second gunshot, it could not have been fired by this pistol."

"If there was a second gunshot? What are you on about? There is absolutely zero chance of there being another gunshot. If there was one we would've heard about it. There's another explanation that's more easy to believe. The sound that Hahari-san heard wasn't a gunshot after all. It must have been something else that surprised her," Mushou replied.

"What are you on about?" I replied. "If it wasn't a gunshot that she heard then how do you explain the murder that we're trying to solve right now?"

"I'm not saying the murder never happened. I'm just saying that what Hahari-san heard was not the gunshot that killed the victim. It must have been another loud noise coming from Apt. 4-B. That would also explain why Hahari-san thought the noise was coming from next door," Mushou replied.

"I see, that makes sense," the Judge replied.

"Of course it does, Gramps. Because that's exactly what happened," Mushou replied.

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "But when Detective Iro showed up on the scene he found the victim and my client in Apt. 4-C. If the murder happened at midnight, why wasn't he there sooner?"

"There was only one gunshot reported that night, so obviously the defendant must have used a silencer or something to muffle the sound of the gunshot. She probably thought she got away with it too. It was only through misfortune that she was caught by another loud noise. Since the witness thought that she heard a gunshot, the detective had to do a wellness check at each of the apartments on that floor until he found the crime scene. Case closed," Mushou replied.

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "That theory of yours has a whole lot of loose ends. What was this other loud noise then if it wasn't a gunshot? Where's the silencer that my client used?"

"Easy enough. Hahari-san told me that the tenant in 4-B is a shut-in who plays a lot of video games. They were playing a game and triggered a loud sound effect. Probably a war game or something like that. I can think of quite a few off the top of my head that have realistic-sounding gunfire in them. As for the silencer, take a look at this." Mushou put another image up on his holographic projector screens. It was the photo of the crime scene that Detective Tatsuki had given us. Mushou zoomed in and showed the sofa. "There's only one pillow on the victim's sofa. Kind of weird don't you think?"

"...!" I was shocked. 'No way, he noticed it too?'

"Not most people know this, but a gunshot can be muffled by a lot of things. Thick fabric actually makes a great silencer if you know what you're doing. Heck even a pillow can be used as a silencer." Mushou crouched up under his bench and pulled out a large evidence bag that contained a familiar pillow. Only this pillow had a large hole in it, like it was pierced with something. "My apologies for not presenting this sooner. I didn't realize the significance of it until after the inconsistencies in Hahari-san's testimony were pointed out. This pillow was found discarded in the back alley behind the apartment complex. Fiber analysis was already conducted on it and it was revealed to be a match to the pillow on the victim's sofa. It's the missing part of the set. My new theory is that the defendant disposed of this pillow by chucking it from the balcony of the apartment. This was likely done to confuse the time of death, which is what just happened."

"I see, the court accepts this pillow as evidence," the Judge replied.

Missing Pillow Updated.

"So to summarize the Prosecution's new theory of the crime, what the witness heard at half past midnight was not in fact a gunshot, but some other loud noise. This might have even come from Apt. 4-B, the apartment that separates the witness's apartment from the victim's, thus explaining the witness's initial confusion. In reality, the gunshot that killed the victim occurred roughly a half hour earlier at midnight. The defendant argued with the victim and then attacked her. The blow the victim sustained likely incapacitated her, allowing the defendant to grab the victim's pistol and one of the pillows on the sofa and then fire off a muffled gunshot, which killed the victim in a matter of minutes. The warped bullet that was retrieved from the victim's abdomen supports the fact that a silencer was used. The defendant then proceeded to throw the pillow off the balcony where it landed in the alley behind the complex. This was all to confuse the time of death and not draw any witnesses to their crime," Mushou explained.

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "But if your theory is correct, then that means that my client stayed at the apartment for a little over a half hour after killing the victim. Why would she do that?"

"Hmm, come to think of it, that is rather odd. Wouldn't it be in a killer's best interest to flee a crime scene as quickly as possible before the police arrive?" the Judge asked.

Mushou chuckled. "Have you forgotten the state of the crime scene, Hanamura? The victim's safe was broken into, correct? Obviously the defendant perused the contents before Detective Iro caught her at the scene."

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "But my client didn't have anything on her besides the murder weapon when she was arrested. If she stole something from the safe, surely we would have found out about it by now."

"OBJECTION!" Mushou shouted. "Unfortunately, the victim died before we could find out the contents of the safe from her. The defendant could have very well taken something from the same and just destroyed it before being arrested. Or maybe what she was looking for wasn't in the safe at all. Either way, it doesn't matter."

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Mushou-san, but that doesn't make any sense. There's evidence that contradicts this theory of yours."

"Oh really? And what exactly is this evidence?" Mushou replied in a cocky tone.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT EVIDENCE: What piece of evidence contradicts Mushou's theory about the safe?

Kibou's Attorney Badge – My attorney badge. Proof that I can practice law and defend the innocent in the courtroom. It took me a while to actually get this.

Ouroboros Investigations Business Card – A business card for Tomoko Kurosaki's P.I. agency. It lists the address and phone number of the agency.

Ouroboros Investigations Office Key – The key to Tomoko's P.I. agency.

Autopsy Report – The victim of this case, Detective Tsukasa Kikumori's autopsy report.

Victim: 聞守拍 (Kikumori Tsukasa)

Estimated Time of Death: Around 00:00

Cause of Death: Single gunshot wound to the abdomen. The victim bled out in minutes. In addition, a large bruise was found on the back of the victim's head.

Signs of a Struggle – The victim clearly struggled with her killer, judging by the state of the crime scene.

Missing Pillow – There was only a single pillow on the victim's sofa. A second matching pillow was found in the alley behind the victim's apartment complex. It has a hole in it that shows that something pierced all the way through it. It was most likely used as a silencer.