Chapter 13—Turnabout
September 9, 2016
Chief Gant had called Miles from the Public Prosecutor's Office. The charges against Maya Fey were being dropped—the real killer was Wright. In addition, the other witness intended to testify. Why Miss May had lied about the killer's identity was a mystery, but it changed nothing. As a prosecutor, it was Miles's job to prove the defendant guilty.
His witness for the day was sitting in one of the armchairs in the Prosecution Lobby. Redd White: the man who was blackmailing Lana. To win the case, Miles had to work with him. This was going to be hell, using a criminal to convict another criminal.
"Let it go, Mr. Edgeworth," Lana said. "Even if you don't trust this witness, he is innocent as far as this case goes."
"You there!" White said. "The beautacious lady who just spoke! I assure you, the work I do is abso-posi-lutely honest!"
"The only work you will do today is testify," Miles said. "Anything else is irrelevant to the case."
"I'll be watching from the gallery," Lana said, taking her leave. Not wanting to have to spend more time with White than was necessary, Miles got up and left, too. He figured it was only fitting to pay the defendant a visit.
"Well… I guess this is it!" Miles heard the previous defendant say to Wright as he approached the Defendant Lobby. What was she doing here?
"Yeah," Wright replied. "One way or another, this case gets decided today."
"Aaa!" Maya screamed, noticing Miles entering. "Ph-Phoenix! Look!"
Wright had a look of surprise on his face.
"I received a call from the public prosecutor's office yesterday," Miles said. "He told me that whatever Mr. White says today, it will be the 'absolute truth.'" Even if everything he says outside of court is an absolute lie, he added mentally. "No matter how you try to attack his testimony, if I raise an objection, I have it on good faith that the judge will listen to me."
"So…" Wright started, "you're saying I'm going to be guilty. End of story?"
Miles didn't respond for a moment. "I will do anything to get my verdict, Mr. Wright. Anything."
"Why…" Maya asked, now quite angry. "Why!? How can you torment an innocent person like this!?"
Innocent? The department had good reason to suspect Wright.
"'Innocent'…?" Miles repeated. "How can we know that? The guilty will always lie, to avoid being found out. There's no way to tell who is guilty and who is innocent! All that I can hope to do is get every defendant declared 'guilty'! So I make that my policy."
"Edgeworth…" Wright said. "You've changed."
Change is necessary, Wright. I couldn't lie to myself after my father died.
"Hmm?" Maya chirped. "Phoenix! You know him!?"
"Don't expect any special treatment, Phoenix Wright," Miles said. He then left for the courtroom. Justice cares nothing about friendship. I will prove that to you in court today.
The judge silenced the gallery at precisely 10:00.
"The court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Phoenix Wright," he said.
"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," Miles said.
"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Wright said. Maya was also behind the defense's desk for some reason.
So you're defending yourself? That won't save you, and neither will a "spirit medium."
"Mr. Wright…" the judge said. "Are you sure you're up to doing this?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Wright said with a nod. "I will be defending myself."
"Understood. Very well. Mr. Edgeworth, your opening statement, please."
"As the details of the event are already quite clear to the court," Miles started, "today we will hear the testimony of another witness to the defendant's crime."
"I see. The prosecution may call its witness."
Wright grasped his chin, thinking. He probably thought White had a hold on the judge, too. He then slammed his desk.
"Mr. Edgeworth, you owe an explanation to the court!" Wright demanded. "Why didn't this witness testify in the trial against Maya Fey!?"
"Hmph," Miles laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "I'm ever so sorry! Mr. White is a busy man, and besides, at the time, I thought that Ms. May's opinion was all that would be needed. Again, my sincerest apologies to the court."
"Excellent, Mr. Edgeworth," the judge commented. "I appreciate your demeanor."
Miles took a bow. Wright started sweating.
"I would like to call Mr. Redd White to the stand!" Miles said, straightening up.
White took the stand.
"Please state your full name," Miles said.
"You wish to know the title of my personage?" White asked, his voice booming almost as loudly as Grossberg's. He showed off the many rings on his fingers, grinning.
Is it any wonder prosecutors have a reputation for bitterness when they have to deal with these characters?
"Er… your name?" Miles insisted.
"Yes!" White replied. "That is what I said! Oh dear, do my locutions confuse?"
No, but your personality would confuse even Freud.
"Name!" Miles shouted, hitting his desk with his right hand.
"My name is Redd White," he replied. "But my friends call me Blanco Nino."
Niño Blanco que no habla Español…
"I am the CEO," White continued, "or to use a more common term, the President, of Bluecorp."
"Did you know the victim, Ms. Mia Fey?" Miles asked.
"That would be a negatory! No, I did not."
Apparently, not everything he says is the "absolute truth," Miles thought.
"You were at the Gatewater Hotel the night of the murder?"
"Correct."
"And you witnessed the murder from there?"
"Ahem. Why tell you what you already know?"
Because you're in a court with a slow judge.
"Very well, Mr. White," the judge said. "You may begin your testimony."
Wright started sweating as White laughed. White showed off his jewelry again.
"I hope you have made your peace with God, Mr. Lawyer!" White taunted.
Maya said something to Wright. Probably some form of encouragement. The gallery was silent.
"Let's see, it was about 9:00, I believe," White said, beginning his testimony. "I was quietly perusifying… er, that's 'reading' to you, some papers by the window. Then I heard a bedlam coming from outside! Surprised, I turned to look at the building across the way. It was then I saw him: a spiky-haired man attacking a woman with long hair! Needless to say that man was none other than you, Mr. Lawyer! I called Miss May over at once. She, too, was flabbergasted of course. The victim, she… she ran away, but you gave chase! Finally there was a terrible impaction! Then it was all over…"
"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "If things occurred as you testify, then I'm afraid the defendant is guilty. Very well, defendant… er, I mean, Mr. Wright. Your corss-examination…"
"Yes, Your Honor," Wright said. He looked over the testimony. "How do you know what time it was?" he asked White.
"Because I am always abso-posi-lutely perfect, you know?" White replied.
"No no no, you're not getting away with that!"
"You are so mistrusting, Mr. Lawyer! So… what was the proper term for 'secretary' again…? Anyway, Miss May ordered room service for 9:00. It happened soon after the room service arrived."
"True, the bellboy who brought the coffee saw Miss May." Wright banged on his desk. "But he testified that he did not see you at the time!"
"Ahem. This is your concern? Silly Lawyer! Miss May received the coffee outside the room! Of course he could not see me. He would need X-ray vision to pull off something like that!"
"Tell us, what were you doing at that time?" Miles asked.
"I was quietly perusifying… er, that's 'reading' to you, some papers by the window."
"Hold it!" Wright interrupted. "By window, you mean the one directly across from the Fey & Co. Law Office?"
"Correct! That is the only window, you see."
"And there you were reading… papers?"
"Correct! The Gatewater is a businessman's hotel, and I am a busy man who had business to do! Then I heard a bedlam coming from outside! Surprised, I turned to look at the building across the way. It was then I saw him: a spiky-haired man attacking a woman with long hair! Needless to say that man was none other than you, Mr. Lawyer! I called Miss May over at once. She, too, was flabbergasted of course. The victim, she… she ran away, but you gave chase!"
"Hold it!" Wright repeated. "Can you be a little more detailed about that? I think it's worth knowing exactly what happened."
"Of course!" White replied. "Comprende! I understand!"
Pero usted no comprende Español, Señor Blanco.
"The victim was attacked," White continued, "by you, and ran to the left. You gave chase, and struck her down!"
"Are you sure?" Miles asked. That contradicted May's testimony.
White allowed his jewelry to sparkle again. "As you know, I am always abso-posi-lutely perfect!"
An abso-posi-lutely perfect pain in the neck…
"Perhaps you could change your testimony to reflect this new detail," the judge said. Miles knew what was coming.
"The victim ran to the left, and you gave chase!" White said to Wright, repeating himself.
"Objection!" Wright yelled, pointing at White. "Wait right there! Mr. White, you've dug your own grave!"
"What is this!?" White asked, confused.
"You said the victim ran to the 'left.' But that directly contradicts Miss May's testimony! She clearly stated that the victim ran 'right'!"
"Oh hoh hoh," White guffawed. "It is simple. You have misheard her."
"I think not. Look at the floor plans…" Wright took out the diagram of the crime scene and pointed to the killer's location. "The killer was here." He then pointed to where Mia had been found. "And the victim, here. If the victim ran to the left, as you claim she did, she would have been running directly away from the door! She would have been running into a dead end! Don't you find that odd?"
White placed his fists on the stand. He then crossed his arms, thinking. "Very strange…" he uttered. "I did see her run to the left… I did."
Maya said something to Wright.
"True…" Miles heard Wright say in response.
"Mr. Wright?" the judge asked.
"Yes, Your Honor?"
"Miss May says 'right,' and Mr. White says 'left.' Can you explain this contradiction to the court?"
"Both witnesses are telling the truth."
Miles shrugged and shook his head.
"Hah!" he scoffed. "I doubt it! Er, rather, that does not clear up the contradiction!"
"There is one scenario that would explain their conflicting accounts," Wright said.
"What!?" Miles demanded. Wright slammed on his desk, then pointed at White.
"Obviously, the witness was not viewing the crime from the hotel!"
The gallery began murmuring. The judge quieted them down.
"Mr. Wright!" he exclaimed. "What do you mean?"
"Yes, what do you mean, he was not 'viewing the crime from the hotel'!?" Miles demanded. He pounded on his desk. "If he was not in the hotel, where could he have been!?"
"In the law offices of Fey & Co., of course!" Wright responded.
The gallery, now quite noisy again, grew silent with three whacks of the judge's gavel.
"More specifically, he was standing here!" Wright pointed to the killer's location. "This is where he was!" he yelled, slamming his desk. "Look! When the victim ran for the door, if he was watching from this point, to him it would appear that she ran to the 'left.'"
Miles hit his desk. "Please!" he barked. "This is no time for jokes in ill taste! That is where the killer was standing!"
The judge silenced the gallery. "Order!" he shouted. "I will have order! Anyone disturbing the order of this courtroom will be held in contempt! Mr. Wright! What are you suggesting!?"
"R-r-rapscallion!!" White stuttered at Wright.
"Objection!" Miles shouted. "The postulations of the defense are a distortion of the truth, Your Honor!"
"Indeed," the judge said. "They do seem a bit far-fetched…"
White laughed. "You provide us with so much entertainment, Mr. Lawyer!" he said. "The hilarity of the moment made me remember something… It appears I have been unclear, and for this, I apologize. Mr. Your Honor… Might I be allowed to testify once more?"
"Very well, let's hear your revised testimony," the judge said with a nod.
"Miss May's testimony was correct… as was mine! When you assaulted the girl, she first ran to the left. And then you hit her, savagely! That is what I saw. Next, with the last of her strength, she ran to the right. You chased her, and delivered the final blow. That is what Miss May saw. You see? You hit her twice! Don't you remember, Mr. Lawyer?"
"Hmm… that does seem to make sense," the judge said. "Will you be cross-examining the witness's testimony?"
"You bet I will!" Wright almost shouted. "I mean, yes, Your Honor."
Wright was handed the testimony to look over. Almost instantly, he took the autopsy report out of a folder. Miles knew where this was going.
"Mr. White!" Wright called. The victim died from a 'single' blow!"
White looked shocked. Understandable, considering that he could not have possibly seen the whole murder.
"What do you have to say to that?"
"Er… Erp!" White yelped.
Wright banged on his desk. "Mr. White. Wasn't it you who told this court you were 'abso-posi-lutely perfect'?"
"Mmph. I will refrain from using this phrase from now on."
"Your Honor, if you could ask the witness for a new testimony…"
"Objection!" Miles interrupted. "The witness is obviously confused, Your Honor! I would like to request a ten minute break!" Perhaps they could figure out what exactly happened during that break.
"Yes… yes, quite," the judge uttered.
"Objection!" Wright yelled. "The witness is confused because he's lying! I emphatically request that there be no break, Your Honor!"
The gallery was jeering—partially at Miles, partially at the judge. The judge banged his gavel.
"Very well," he said. "If the witness would care to revise his testimony… Mr. White?"
"O… okay…" White managed to say. "Umm, well, see—I looked at the other window when I heard that thing fall. Then, the next moment, I saw Miss Mia run to the left! The killer, you, attacked her… but she dodged. Umm… and then… She turned, and ran for the door! Then you did her in with a single blow! Thwap!"
Why must you lie, White? Just say you didn't see everything that happened! You couldn't have seen everything!
"Hmm," the judge muttered. "'Thwap' indeed. Very well, you may begin the cross-examination."
"Mr. Your Honor…" White pleaded. "My stomach, you see, it is hurting…"
"Deal with it," Wright said, shaking his head. "This is almost over." He was handed the testimony to look over. "Hold it! You heard 'that thing fall'? What exactly was 'that thing'?"
"Huh? Oh… oh, that? Umm… the glass light stand!"
"Phoenix!" Miles heard Maya say. She said something else, but he couldn't make it out.
"Mr. White," Wright pressed.
"Huh?" White asked. "W-what?"
"You're saying you saw the glass light stand?"
"Y-yes."
"Then change your testimony to reflect that!"
"S-sorry. My bad…"
"The witness will revise his testimony," the judge said.
"Okay okay. Of course," White replied. "A light stand was lying on the floor when I looked."
"Objection!" Wright shouted. "Mr. White. It was impossible for you to have seen the light stand!"
"Whaaaat!?"
"The stand broke into pieces when it fell!"
"Ooof!"
"Just by seeing the broken pieces you would have no idea it was a light stand! So tell me, exactly when was it that you saw the stand?" He slammed his desk, then pointed at White. "Answer the question!"
"I-isn't it obvious?" White stuttered after a pause. "I saw the stand before it fell over!"
"So… you saw the stand before the victim was attacked, then?"
"C-correct! That would be no problemo, right?"
I'm really getting sick of this man's fake Spanish… It's like hearing Franziska always calling people by their full names…
Wright shook his head. "There's a big problemo, er, I mean problem here," he said.
"What problem is this?" White countered.
"Mr. White, let me make sure I have this straight… You saw the glass light stand through the window, from the hotel, before the incident occurred?"
"Correct! That is so! It's conclusive, definitive, undeniable… unimpeachable!"
Wright hit his desk. "No, it's impossible! You couldn't have seen the stand!"
The judge silenced the gallery with a single bang of his gavel. "What?" he asked. "Why couldn't he? You have proof?"
"I sure do, Your Honor! A person in the hotel could not have seen the stand before it fell over! Look at this!" He took out the crime scene floor plans.
"These are the floor plans to the scene of the murder, yes?"
"Correct, Your Honor. Now, look… If you were to look through the window at the office… This is the area you would be able to see! Here!" He indicated an area that excluded the stand. "Well…? Note that the stand is not within the visible area! Well, Mr. White!" He pounded on his desk. "What do you have to say to that!?"
"Er… erp!" White yelped. "Ri… dicu… losity…"
There's got to be something I've overlooked… White saw the stand, so how could he have done it without killing Mia?
"Mr. White. If you were in the Gatewater hotel as you claim, you could not have seen the stand before it fell over! In fact, you wouldn't have been able to see it after it fell, either! There's no way you could have recognized the broken shards as a glass light stand! So, when did you see the stand, Mr. White?" Wright banged on his desk. "It must have been the moment that it fell! And the only place you could have seen that from… is inside the Fey Law Offices! In other words, you were at the scene of the crime, when the murder took place!"
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!" White screamed. He let his forehead drop to the top of the stand and touch it. The gallery was in an uproar. The judge eventually banged his gavel to restore order.
"Mr.… White?" the judge asked quietly. White didn't respond.
"Mr. White," Wright said. Again, no response.
Think about the evidence. The phone, the stand, the weapon, the wiretap… Wait! The wiretap! If White entered the office to install the wiretap, he would have seen the stand!
"You did it, didn't you?"
"Mr. Your Honor," White said. "I… I… Miss Mia…"
"Objection!" Miles interrupted.
Truly heinous, Wright. Pressing an innocent man until he confesses to avoid your torment… Unforgivable.
"That's far enough, Phoenix Wright!" Miles barked, smiling arrogantly.
"W-what!?" Phoenix screeched with a powerful jerk. He then slumped into his usual sweating.
"Mr. White…" Miles started. White didn't respond. "I think the time has come. Shouldn't you confess your crime now, hmm?"
"W… what?" White asked. He apparently thought being innocent of murder excused his tapping of the victim's phone.
"I said, you should confess your crime," Miles repeated, pointing at White. "Ergo, confess that you placed the wiretap!" He smiled evilly.
"The w-wiretap!?" Wright repeated, sweating bullets.
"What's Edgeworth going on about?" Miles heard a voice in the gallery ask.
"Beats me. What does the—"
At that moment, the judge stopped the conversations.
"Order!" he bellowed. "Order! Mr. Edgeworth! Explain to the court what you mean by this!"
"Distinguished members of the court," Miles started, "Mr. White is slightly confused. Allow me to explain." Wright was sweating enough to turn his suit a slightly darker shade. "As you know, Mr. White is the CEO of Bluecorp. He ordered his secretary, Miss April May, to tap the law offices of Ms. Fey."
"What does that have to do…?"
"Your Honor," Miles cut him off. "The question is: when was the wiretap placed in the office, and by who?"
"No!" Wright begged. "You wouldn't!"
I don't know if it's the truth, Wright, but I know I won't let you pin your guilt on someone else—even if you were once my friend. It is my duty to prove criminals like you guilty.
"Mr. White. In order to place the wiretap, you entered Ms. Fey's office. Am I correct…?"
White seemed to realize what Miles meant by "confess your crime."
"C-correct!" White exclaimed, suddenly full of himself again. "You are most correct, Miles!"
You are not worthy of calling me by my first name, White.
"Give me a break!" Wright screamed.
"Yes…" White continued, "in order to place the wiretap, I breached the Fey & Co. Law offices! That is when I saw that accursed light stand!"
The judge silenced the gallery with his gavel.
"Now I'm confused," the judge said. "Please explain to the court what all this means, Mr. Edgeworth!"
"Gladly, Your Honor," Miles said. It appears I was correct… "Mr. Phoenix Wright has made his position quite clear. He has determined that Mr. White knew the glass stand was in the office. He has shown that there was only one time Mr. White could have seen the stand: At the very moment of the murder! Thus, Mr. Wright would like you to believe that Mr. White was the murderer!"
"I see," the judge said.
"However!" Miles continued. "It is a fact that Mr. White had been to that office well before the murder took place! He went to place the wiretap! He could have seen the glass light stand then." Miles pounded his desk like a timpani. "Ergo, Mr. Phoenix Wright's theory is revealed for the baseless conjecture it is!"
The gallery started up again, stopping at the sound of the judge's gavel.
"Mr. White!" the judge called. "You will testify to the court about this wiretap!"
White showed off his jewelry. "Ahem. Leave it to me!"
Wright was sweating enough to leave a fragrant puddle at his feet.
"It was the beginning of September… the week before the murder," White said. "I had entered the Fey & Co. Law offices. Of course, I had done so to place the wiretap. That is when I saw this glass light stand."
"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "So, you saw the stand before the night of the incident… And this is how you were able to identify what had fallen over. By the sound?"
"Correct! That is right."
"I see. Very well Mr. Wright, you may cross-examine."
Maya said something to Wright. Wright was handed the testimony to look over and soak in his sweat. He looked over it frantically.
"D-do you have proof?" he asked, bluffing.
"Objection!" Miles shouted. "Miss April May knew the details of Ms. Fey's phone conversation! This proves that the wiretap was placed before the murder!"
"Huh… right." Wright paused and wiped some of the sweat from his forehead. "Was it really you that went into the office? Or was is Miss May?"
"Objection!" Miles yelled. "Unidentified fingerprints several days old were found in the Fey & Co. Law offices. Those were obviously Mr. White's."
Wright grasped his chin, probably thinking something along the lines of "And if I know Edgeworth, he's already run a check on those prints…"
Miles took a bow. "Now, Mr. White," he said. "Tell us why you went to the Fey & Co. Law Offices."
"Of course, I had done so to place the wiretap," White replied.
"Hold it!" Wright interrupted. "Why did you tap Mia's phone!?"
"Objection!" Miles interrupted. "This has no bearing on the current case, Your Honor."
"Bluecorp is a detective agency of sorts," White explained. "We have a responsibility to protect client confidentiality!"
Wright looked at the testimony again. There was only one part that had not been pressed. "Why did you notice something as innocuous as a light stand!?" he asked, grasping his sweat-caked chin.
"The light stand was made entirely out of glass," White responded. "It was quite stylish, so I guess it made a lasting impression on me. Such a beautacious thing deserves attention, does it not? That is all."
Wright had his hands on his desk. He appeared to be shaking a little.
"Was it really you that went into the office?" he asked White. "Or was it Miss May?"
"Objection!" Miles shouted. He could have sworn Wright had asked that question already. "Unidentified fingerprints several days old were found in the Fey & Co. Law Offices," he repeated. "Those were obviously Mr. White's. Now, Mr. White. Tell us why you went to the Fey & Co. Law Offices."
"Of course, I had done so to place the wiretap," White said.
"Why did you tap Mia's phone!?" Wright badgered.
"Objection!" Miles yelled. "This has no bearing on the current case, Your Honor."
"Bluecorp is a detective agency of sorts," White said. "We have a responsibility to protect client confidentiality!"
Wright's face was sparkling from all the sweat. Miles tapped his forehead, doing his "evil smile" again.
"Tsk tsk," he chuckled. "I'm afraid that's as far as you go, Mr. Wright. The time has come for you to admit your defeat! You fought… honorably." He took a bow.
"Mr. Wright?" the judge asked. "Are you giving up?"
"Y-yes, Your Honor," Wright said.
"Phoenix!" a voice called. Miles looked to the source. Sometime during the trial, Maya must have switched positions with one of her fellow frauds. "Phoenix! Over here!" Maya's replacement said to Wright. Wright tapped on his chin, thinking. He then looked over to the "spirit medium." "Never give up, Phoenix!"
Wright muttered something and then fainted.
Miles returned to the Prosecution Lobby. No verdict had been given yet—the judge wanted to wait until Wright regained consciousness.
"You did splendiferously!" White said.
"It's my job," Miles said.
Neither one said anything else. Miles thought he heard Wright yell "Gak!" at some point while they waited for court to reconvene.
About ten minutes passed before court reconvened.
"The court will now reconvene for the trial of Mr. Phoenix Wright," the judge said with a whack of his gavel. "Is the defendant… rather, are you alright, Mr. Wright?"
"Yes," Wright said with his left hand behind his head. "Sorry, Your Honor. I'm fine now."
"Then, let's start where we left off."
Miles smiled. "Your Honor," he said. "There is nothing to go back to! The cross-examination of Mr. White is finished! All that is required now is for you to pass judgment on the defendant Phoenix Wright!"
"Hmm…"
Wright pounded on his desk. "Your Honor!" he called. "Please, give me one more chance. I promise you, this is the last time I'll ask you!"
"Hmm… But, as Mr. Edgeworth has noted, the trial is more or less finished."
"Mr. Edgeworth, do you have an opinion on this matter?"
Miles took a bow. "I say… let us give Mr. Phoenix Wright his 'last chance.'"
"Very well!" the judge said. "You may begin your cross-examination."
"Look closely at this," Wright said, taking out the "message from the victim" that he probably wrote. "See the word 'Maya' written in blood…?"
Miles shrugged and shook his head. "Bwah hah!" he guffawed. "You're grasping!"
Wright slammed his desk. "I think not. Look at the other side of the receipt."
"Th-the other side?"
"Your Honor. Would you tell the court what is written on the other side of that receipt?" The bailiff handed the receipt to the judge.
"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "Well! A 'glass light stand'! And the date of purchase… Why, that's the day before the murder!" the judge continued. Miles jerked back. How was that possible?
"You see!" Wright exclaimed. "Mr. White. When you allegedly entered Fey & Co. Law Offices at the beginning of September… The stand could not have been there!"
"Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!?" White screamed. His head was on the stand.
"Well, Mr. White? Can't get out of this one, can you?"
"No… It's impossachievable…"
"Well, Your Honor. I understand there must be quite a bit of PRESSURE on you." He hit his desk. "But I think you'll agree you can't judge me 'guilty' under these circumstances."
"Very well," the judge said, still somewhat shocked. He banged his gavel. "Then, that is all for the trial of…"
"Objection!" Miles interrupted. "Not so fast, Phoenix Wright!"
"Eh?" Wright hunched over, sweating again. He most likely was thinking "No way can he worm his way out of this one!" Miles took a bow.
"There is a certain thread of logic to the defendant's claims." He hit his desk. "However! There is no concrete proof that Phoenix Wright is innocent! Ergo! I would like to request one more day before Phoenix Wright is granted his freedom. I need tome to make one more inquiry into this matter."
Specifically, why has White been lying so much when he's innocent? It's hurting the case!
"Hmm…!" the judge exclaimed. Wright slammed on his desk.
"Mr. White's guilt is obvious!" he yelled. "There is no need to prolong this trial any further!"
"Hmm. Well, Mr. Edgeworth?"
"If anyone is going to call Mr. White to trial, it would be me, the prosecution," Miles said. "I need a day to ascertain whether your claims have any basis in factual evidence!" If Wright is indeed innocent, I can ask for the charges to be dropped. No harm done to the innocent, and none to my record.
"Hmm," the judge mumbled. "I see. Objection denied!"
"Whaaaat!" Wright cried. The judge pounded his gavel.
"The completion of the trial of Mr. Phoenix Wright will be postponed until tomorrow."
"Mr. Your Honor!" White called. "May I go home?"
"Of course. Thank you for your time."
"The witness will stay!" Maya's replacement shouted. She then said something to Wright and handed him a piece of paper.
"Your Honor," Wright said. "If I may…?"
"You're quite persistent today, Mr. Wright!" the judge commented.
"I have something I would like to read to the court!" He started reading a list of names. Miles recognized many of them. They had all committed suicide; he had read some of the reports.
"S-s-stop!" White interrupted. "Desist! Halt! P-please, stop! Make him stop! How… how did you get that list!?"
"Mr. White," Wright's assistant said. "Admit your guilt, right here, right now. Or else this list will be released to the press!"
Blackmail!? They can't be serious! This is irrelevant to the case!
"I… I confess," White sobbed. "I confess. I… I did it. I hit her. I hit Miss Mia with 'The Thinker'!"
Miles almost fainted. He managed to hold himself up with his arms.
Impossible! Wright! You worm! Why did you have to get involved! You've ruined me!
"Case closed, Your Honor," the assistant said.
"Well, I see no reason to continue this trial," the judge said with a whack of his gavel. "Mr. Wright?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Wright said.
"You've done it again! That was quite a spirited defense!"
"Yes, Your Honor. I guess you could say that."
"Hmm. Well! This court finds the defense… Ahem! Rather, the defendant, Mr. Phoenix Wright… Not guilty."
Cheering rose from the gallery. Cheers for Miles's defeat. Cheers for his failure. Cheers for Wright winning through blackmail.
How can the judge give this verdict!? White was blackmailed into giving a false confession! The department was sure Wright was the killer!
"That is all," the judge said. "The court is adjourned!"
Miles read about White's trial a week later. "Guilty." Miles had prosecuted an innocent person—two innocent people. The department, the detectives, had betrayed his trust in them. He had always been so certain that they would arrest the right person. That was why he prosecuted, and if not for justice, then for his record. But that was gone.
To make things worse, Lana was the same even after the trial. White wasn't her blackmailer. Mia had died for nothing. She and Miles had pursued a false lead. His "father" and "little sister" would probably think of him as less than nothing. With Lana distancing herself from everyone, the only family Miles had left was the von Karmas, but they would not want him after what had happened.
Wright… Was this your revenge for my actions? For leaving without a word, letting myself be led around by a lie… Is this torment your punishment for me?
To Miles, the only thing worse than innocent people suffering was the knowledge that he was responsible. He had always believed his ruthless way of prosecuting was justified because he believed the defendants were always guilty. But now he had been cut down for his own stupidity. He hated Gumshoe's idiocy, he hated the department's ambiguity, he hated von Karma's teachings… But above all that, he hated himself for trusting all of them. He wanted to wake up and find it was all a dream, that by some miracle he had done nothing wrong. But the miracle never happened.