Tales of Law and Love

by General Luigi

When Miles's engagement to Lana is broken off after the SL-9 Incident, he takes it upon himself to learn why. In their quest to get back together, both Miles and Lana find themselves discovering who they are and what they stand for.

22. Part I, Chapter 21: Following Orders

Chapter 21—Following Orders

February 22, 2017 and February 23, 2017

Miles walked into the Detention Center. He managed to carve his face in stone as he approached the guard. The guard saluted.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Edgeworth, sir, but I've been told not to let visitors in, sir!" he said.

"By who?" Miles asked. "I'd think it's fairly important that the prosecutor get information from the defendant."

"The Chief Prosecutor told me to keep visitors out, sir!"

"I need to speak with the defendant. This case is under a great deal of scrutiny; it's critical that the right verdict be given."

"But, sir—"

"I'd suggest you allow me to speak with Ms. Skye. As things stand, she does not have the authority to interfere with your salary. I do, however. You can be certain that your salary will drop lower than that of Detective Gumshoe if you give me any trouble."

The guard gulped. "Y-yessir." He opened the door.

"I thought I said I wanted no visitors," Lana's voice said from in the visiting room. She had her back to the visitors' half of the room.

"Not even me?" Miles replied.

There was no response. Miles walked in and seated himself across from Lana.

"What happened?" Miles asked.

"I killed Detective Goodman."

"Do you expect me to believe that, Lana? My love for you isn't the only thing telling me there's more to this than meets the eye."

"There's nothing more to this case. I stabbed Bruce Goodman in the Prosecutor's Office parking lot and left the body in your car to frame you. I was caught, and so I'm here instead of you."

"Liar. Do you forget how much we've been through? You would never kill someone, let alone frame me for it."

"Well, I did, so you're wrong."

Miles closed his eyes.

"Why don't you trust me?" Miles asked. "That armor of yours doesn't hide the white wings under it… not from me."

Lana turned around to face Miles.

"I trust you, Miles. However, the truth is that I killed Goodman. As the killer, I must accept my punishment."

Miles said nothing.

It must be him…

"You'd accept death just to protect Ema?"

"I never said Ema had anything to do with this."

"The fact that you're in this mess tells all, Lana. As things stand, you have no motive. I can only think of two possibilities. The first is that you're innocent, but you're taking the fall anyway because your blackmailer ordered it. The other possibility is that your blackmailer ordered you to kill Goodman. Either way, your blackmailer is a criminal and must be punished for it."

"My blackmailer is not involved. I stabbed Goodman. I don't need a reason."

"I don't believe that for a second. What's going on, Lana? I want answers!"

"I gave you the answer! Just leave it at that!"

Miles gritted his teeth. "So you're going to keep silent? So be it. There's another way for me to get the truth out of you."

"What are you going to do? Blackmail me?"

"I took this case specifically because I need to know the answer… and because I love you. I'm not letting you go to prison unless I know for certain that you're guilty."

"I am. And you're right. I had a motive. My blackmailer ordered me to stab Goodman. But for my sake, to honor my memory… Please don't hunt him down."

"No," Miles said.

"What?"

"If what you're saying is true, then your blackmailer is also guilty. Even if you're going to die for your involvement in this, I am going to drag that demon down with you. He deprived me your hand in marriage, and he will ultimately deprive you of your life. I will not let such actions go unpunished, no matter what you say."

Lana was silent for a moment. She turned around and faced away from Miles.

"Very well," she said. "You know what you must do. Prove me guilty; for killing a fellow human being, I deserve to die."

"I'll see you in court, my love," Miles said as he got up and left. Lana did not respond.

If this is the case, you will be found guilty, Lana. But what if it isn't? Even if you're willing to die to protect Ema, I will not allow you to if you're innocent. If you're innocent, I will make sure you're acquitted. And your blackmailer… Regardless of your role in this case, I will have my revenge on him. For myself, for you, and for Ema, I will make sure your blackmailer suffers for his actions.

---

Miles returned to the Prosecutor's Office, determined to find the truth. He had an enemy, and he would not rest until that enemy was defeated. Jake Marshall had been put in charge of the investigation. He and his subordinates were mostly just lazing around. Angel Starr was also there, selling lunches again. She noticed Miles and changed her scowl into a "May I take your order?" smile.

"Can I interest you in General Tso's Trilobite lunch set?" she asked, taking out a lunchbox.

"I prefer meat that died after the dinosaurs were extinct," Miles replied. He walked over to the elevators and rode one up to the twelfth floor. His office was not too far from the elevator. He heard voices from inside.

I could have sworn I locked the door…

He saw a familiar cheap blue suit and spiky hair standing part-way in the doorway: Wright.

"Look, look!" a young feminine voice chirped from inside the office. "There's a trophy or something here! It takes real nerve to display stuff like this. Whoever's office this is, he must be a real stuck-up jerk!"

"Mr. Phoenix Wright…" Miles greeted. "You never tire of prying into other people's business, do you?" Wright turned and saw Miles, who walked into his office. The girl with Wright looked around sixteen. She had a lab coat on.

I know I've seen that girl before…

"Long time, no see, Edgeworth," Wright said.

"Huh?" the girl yelped. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! M-M-Mr. Edgeworth!"

I thought I knew her from somewhere.

"You know him from somewhere?" Wright asked the girl.

"O-of course!" the girl replied. "I'm his biggest fan! My sister introduced us once, and…"

Her sister? Wait… Ema?

"Well?" Miles cut in. "What brings you here?" He smirked, glaring at the girl, slightly amused. "I'll warn you… I've been known to be a real stuck-up jerk…"

"N-no!" the girl stuttered. "Did I…? No! It was just, Mr. Wright here, he…"

"Hey!" Wright snapped. "Don't blame me!"

"W-we're just here to investigate a murder case!" the girl continued.

"Murder…?" Miles asked. Just my luck…

"A body was found in this nasty, bright red sports car in the parking lot…"

"Hmm? That would be my car. What of it?"

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaa!? Y-y-y-your car!?"

My ears…

"So, the body was found in your car?" Wright asked.

"Go ahead, say it, Wright," Miles said. "You think I did it, don't you? After you went through all that trouble to help me last year, no less."

"N-no, we don't think you did it!" the girl stammered. "I mean, it was my sister who stabbed him… Uh, wait, no, she didn't do that! I mean…"

Oh, dear…

"Wait…" Miles said. "So you're the Chief Prosecutor's little sister, then?"

"Y-yes, sir!" she chirped. "Ema Skye! It, uh…" She paused. "It's nice to meet you again!"

The image of Ema during SL-9 returned to Miles in full.

"Ah, now I remember," Miles commented. "You've… really grown." He looked to Wright. "I'll admit, it was a surprise to me, too. To think that my own car would become the scene of a murder. More surprising still… Now I'm forced to prove my superior's guilt." In front of Ema, no less…

"I can understand…" Wright agreed. "W-wait!… What did you say!?"

"Lana Skye is the Chief Prosecutor… the top prosecutor in the district. She can't prosecute herself, so I'll be the prosecutor at the trial tomorrow."

"You!?" Ema almost cried. She looked down at the floor. "Mr. Edgeworth…"

Best to keep my feelings for Lana out of this, or these two won't let me hear the end of it.

Wright reached into his coat pocket and took out a picture of Lana.

"Chief Prosecutor Skye?" Miles replied. You could have just asked instead of bothering with a picture, Wright… "Yes… We first worked together on a case two years ago. It was my first big case."

"That's right, I remember," Ema added, still downcast.

"Since then, I always felt that she was looking out for me… It appears I was mistaken."

"M-mistaken!? Why? I mean, I know she's not the warmest person… But I'm sure she felt some responsibility for you!"

"Then… why? Why did she stab someone in the trunk of my car? Not only that… She stabbed him with my knife."

"Wha… Whaaaaaat!?" Ema screamed. "Mr. Edgeworth! Your knife was the murder weapon!?"

"To be specific, it was the knife kept in the toolbox in the trunk of my car."

How could she have even known the knife was there? It's not as if I showed it to her…

"Um… Edgeworth?" Wright asked.

"What?" Miles replied.

"Are you sure you didn't do it?"

Miles said nothing, but he glared at Wright, whose face shifted into a stupid grin.

"You have a strange sense of humor, Mr. Wright!" Ema scolded.

"To be honest…" Miles continued. "It's a bit of a miracle I'm still here at all."

"What do you mean?" Wright asked, his grin gone.

"Rumors. You've heard the rumors about me, haven't you?"

Wright's eyes closed briefly.

"Thanks to you," Miles continued, "my innocence was established in the trial at the end of last year. However, there are some who say I'm the one responsible for the current incident." Though I would never sit by and let Lana die for a crime I committed…

"Wh-what?" Wright yelped. "That's crazy!"

"Hmph. Some people need very little excuse to think ill of others. It's a fact of life. Impossible to stop."

"But…" Ema whimpered.

"Some of them even go so far as to present me with toys like this…" Miles added, indicating the King of Prosecutors trophy he had received on the day of the crime. "They think it's funny."

Wright looked at the trophy.

"I've been wondering…" he commented, "what the heck is this?"

"It has a big 'K' on it," Ema said.

"King of Prosecutors," Miles mumbled.

"Huh?" Wright asked. "What's that?"

"It's the 'King of Prosecutors' trophy."

"K-K-K…" Ema stammered. "'King of Prosecutors'!?"

"It's a great honor. They send that shield to the best prosecutor each year." He noticed a smirk crossing Wright's face. "What! So?"

"So that 'K'… that's…" Wright trailed off.

"'K' stands for 'King'?" Ema finished.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Miles snapped. "I didn't design the thing!"

"'King of Prosecutors'… Kind of like 'Employee of the Month,' only better!"

"So, in other words," Wright said with a grin, "you were the best of the best this year, huh?"

"You can take that foolish grin elsewhere, Wright," Miles replied. "I lost a day of work to receive that travesty." If I hadn't been there, I could have stopped this disaster from even happening…

"Huh?" Ema chirped. "Why's that?"

"I had to go to the Police Department ceremony to receive that broken shield."

"The Police Department?" Wright echoed.

"Yes. Right next to the Police Station downtown. You've been there, correct?"

"Where Detective Gumshoe works? Yeah."

"Um, I was wondering something about your shield…" Ema cut in. "Why is it broken?"

"What does it matter?" Miles replied. "I've got more important things to worry about."

"Oh. Right…"

"Yesterday was a very busy day for the Prosecutor's Office."

"Maybe… we should ask him more about yesterday?"

"Could you tell me more about yesterday… the day of the murder?" Wright asked.

"Yesterday was the annual cleaning day at the Prosecutor's Office," Miles said.

"Cleaning day?" Ema repeated.

"Working with the Police Department, we sort and file all evidence for solved cases. We call it 'evidence transferal.'"

"Wiping your hands of old cases, in other words."

"Oh, and another thing… A ceremony was held at the Police Department. There's an annual review and awards for outstanding police officers and prosecutors."

"And that's when you got the shield?" Wright asked.

"I was at the police department yesterday afternoon… I got back here at 5:12."

"That's… very precise."

"People like myself and Mr. Edgeworth pride ourselves on our precision, Mr. Wright," Ema said.

"No, I place little faith in my memory," Miles said. If only because of how much pain its deceptions have caused me. "The only thing I trust is solid evidence," he continued, taking out the parking stub from yesterday. "This is the parking stub from the underground lot."

"So the murder happened right after you got back," Ema confirmed.

"What, Wright?" Miles asked, noticing his suspicious gaze. "I'd appreciate it if you'd direct that suspicious glare elsewhere."

"Um…!" a voice blathered. A patrolman burst in through the doors. "Excuse me! But is Mr. Edgeworth, uh… anywhere on the premises?"

"I'm Edgeworth," Miles said to the patrolman. "What is it?"

"I'm here, sir, at the request of the Chief, sir! I've got your report, sir!"

"Report? What? Did you find new evidence in the case against Chief Prosecutor Skye!?" Miles was glaring at the patrolman. Maybe there's something that proves Lana's innocence…

"Er… Skye, sir?" the patrolman replied, confused. He then saluted. "No, sir! No name of that kind, sir! Not in this report, sir!"

WHAT!? Then why are you wasting my time!?

"Mr. Edgeworth's lid isn't on very tight, is it?" Ema commented.

"I made a clear request to the Police Department, did I not?" Miles exploded. "I need to focus on the trial tomorrow, so don't bring me anything unrelated!"

"Sir!" the patrolman yelped. "But, but sir! I'm just following orders, sir! They told me to bring this to you! I wasn't aware of the peculiars of your arrangement with us, sir—"

"Give me your name!"

"U-uh, yes… yes, sir! M-M-Meekins, sir. Officer Meekins!"

"Right. Officer Meekins? Take your report and leave. And good luck with that raise next month."

"B-but, sir, I d-didn't know!" Meekins whimpered. Meekins left, crestfallen.

"Wright," Miles said.

"Y-yes, sir!?" Wright replied, caught off-guard by the shift of focus.

"As you can see, I'm busy. You may leave now."

"L-let's do what he says, Mr. Wright!" Ema agreed.

"The victim was a detective from the same department as that patrolman just now. Go down to the Police Department. You can ask more there."

"U-uh… Thanks," Wright said, leaving. Ema followed.

Wright… So you're defending Lana? Good; I know I can trust you. After what you did for me last year, I know that if Lana's innocent, you'll prove it. If she's guilty, I will prove it, but not before I know the truth.

---

Wright took his position at the defense bench. Ema took the same position as Maya. Miles found that his eyes were often moving in Lana's direction. She had her usual expression on her face—none. Judge Clous banged his gavel.

"The court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Lana Skye," he said.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Wright said.

"The prosecution has been ready for a while, Your Honor," Miles said.

And so it begins. Wright, I entrust Lana's fate to you. If she's innocent, prove it.

"I hope personal feelings will not be a part of the proceedings today, Mr. Wright," Miles said, partially to himself and partially to Wright. "I will choose the path I think is right, regardless of what those around me might say. The judgment to be made here is in our hands, not those of anyone else."

"Very well, Mr. Edgeworth, your opening statement please," the judge said.

Flush it out, Miles. Lana's no longer anyone important; she's just the defendant.

"Chief Prosecutor Lana Skye has committed an unpardonable crime. Not only this, but she was rash enough to commit it in the Prosecutor's Office lot!"

"Wow…" Ema commented. "He's much more forceful in person. I suddenly feel like confessing to everything!"

"However," Miles continued, "she will now pay for her rashness with her life. There was a witness to her crime… A 'professional' witness!"

The judge banged his gavel.

"Well then, call your first witness, Mr. Edgeworth!" he said.

"The prosecution calls its first witness, Ms. Angel Starr, to the stand."

Starr took the stand. She had a full basket of lunchboxes hanging on her right arm.

"Hmm?" the judge chirped. "Haven't I seen you somewhere…?"

Starr took a lunchbox out of her basket. "You ordered the Caviar Lunch, right?" she said.

"Ho ho! Caviar! I've never eaten caviar before!"

Great…

"Ah, and for you…" Starr added, taking out another lunchbox, "I have a Fiesta Bowl."

"Uh… thanks," Wright said, sweating.

"Will the witness state her name and profession?" Miles requested, hoping to restore order.

"Ah, and you, sir…" Starr said. "Did you order 'The Fingerprint' lunchbox?"

"It is too early for lunch. Your name and profession, please."

Starr was silent for a moment. "Well, Your Honor? How does it taste?"

"So this is why everyone raves about caviar!" the judge commented. "It's so tasty it hurts! I always thought caviar would taste like pickled tapioca."

I guess I can't rely on the judge here…

Miles slammed his desk. "Name," he barked. "Profession. Now."

"Me?" Starr replied. "The name is Angel Starr. Don't go forgetting it."

I would definitely like to…

"I find myself running Lunchland these days," she continued. "Is… that what you wanted me to say, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Very well, witness," Miles replied. "Please describe the incident to us."

"The prosecution will wait!" the judge interrupted. "I'm not finished eating…"

Innocent or guilty, this is one case I will soon want to forget…

The judge swallowed. "Mmmm…" he mumbled. "Very well, Mr. Edgeworth. As you know, we usually call on the police to provide a description of the crime…"

"Your Honor," Starr replied, "as Mr. Edgeworth has said to the court… I am a… 'professional.'"

"Uh… Huh? What exactly does that mean?"

"Until two years ago," Miles said, reading a file on Starr's time as a detective, "Ms. Angel Starr was a special investigator with the police. She was a first-rate homicide detective." And a first-rate flirt…

"Wh-whaaaat!?" Ema almost screamed. "Ms. Starr was a detective!?"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-hah!" the judge bellowed, remembering. "I-I know who you are!! Cough-up…!?"

"Cough-up Queen Angel Starr, Your Honor," Starr said. "Long time no see."

The judge whacked his gavel.

"V-v-very well! Y-you may continue with the description, Ms. Starr!"

"If I might have the court's attention over here…" Ms. Starr said, indicating a map of the crime scene Miles had given her. "The parking lot at the Prosecutor's Office is divided into two blocks. A Block is for the Prosecutor's Office personnel. B Block is for visitors and clients… A chain divider separates the two blocks."

"I suppose that's to keep visitors from taking up prosecutor's spaces, yes."

"The crime took place by a car in the back of A Block, in the car's trunk. The killer stabbed the victim with a knife and went to drive the body out. Unfortunately for her there was a witness, and an arrest was made on the spot."

"And who was this valiant 'witness'…?"

"Why, it was me, Your Honor."

"Witness, did you see the very moment of the crime?"

"Of course, Your Honor. Immediately after that, I apprehended the Chief Prosecutor."

"Hmm… It seems rather cut and dry, doesn't it? Well, Mr. Wright?"

"Uh… I can't agree on principle, Your Honor," Wright said, sweating.

"It seems that some poor losers are unwilling to accept the truth, Your Honor," Starr said. "Shall I proceed to crush what little hope they have remaining?"

"If you can…" the judge said. "Then give them your worst, Ms. Starr!"

Poor Wright…

"Somehow, I always knew a day like this would come," Starr said. "I was on my way to deliver a lunchbox to my boyfriend…"

Which one?

"When I sensed something…" Starr continued, "perhaps it was my finely-honed detective instincts working. Then, through a wire fence, I saw the Chief Prosecutor standing next to a garish car."

Garish!? My car's beautiful!

"The chief prosecutor was holding a knife in her right hand… Then, she thrust the pointy tip of the knife into Detective Goodman's chest!"

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "Bringing a lunchbox to your boyfriend? How touching!"

"Hmph," Miles huffed. "As you can see… There is no room for doubt."

At least, with her testimony as is…

"The key 'point' of your testimony seems to be nothing other than the point of the knife which you saw being stabbed into Detective Goodman!" the judge said.

"So…" Starr teased, "how does it feel to be so utterly crushed?"

"I… I'm still thinking about that," Wright replied, sweating.

"I-it's merely a flesh wound, Mr. Wright!" Ema encouraged.

"Very well, Mr. Wright," the judge said. "You may cross-examine the witness."

"Somehow, I always knew a day like this would come," Starr repeated.

"Hold it!" Wright shouted. "How did you know!?"

"I respect the prosecutors' basic abhorrence of crime. Yet their methods are ugly and twisted. Twisted methods will always lead to tragedy."

Miles took a bow. "The lunchlady's uninformed opinion is duly noted," he said.

"Given that they are used to erasing inconvenient evidence at their whim…" She tossed her head and stared at Wright. "Killing off a detective that knew too much is merely an extension of that."

Defense attorneys make plenty of personal attacks on me, but this is the first time a witness has done it…

"Ms. Starr…" Ema cut in, "do you have something personal against prosecutors?"

"I felt that I had found my dream job when I became an investigator…" Starr said. "And if I hadn't been laid off by those prosecutors over there, I'd still be one."

"Laid off…?" Wright asked.

Come to think of it, why was she dismissed?

"To me, prosecutors are nothing more than worms," Starr said. "That said, I am a pro, as you know. My testimony is unbiased… and flawless."

She may not be, but her testimony seems that way.

"Very well," the judge said. "You may continue, Ms. Starr."

"I was on my way to deliver a lunchbox to my boyfriend… When I sensed something… perhaps it was my finely-honed detective instincts working. Then, through a wire fence, I saw the Chief Prosecutor standing next to a garish car."

"Hold it!" Wright barked. "By 'garish car,' you mean…"

"Mr. Edgeworth's car, yes."

"M-Mr. Edgeworth's!?" the judge confirmed.

"Incidentally, the knife with which the victim was stabbed was also Mr. Edgeworth's. Wasn't it?"

I can't say I care for your opinion of prosecutors, but you're right.

"Indeed, it was," Miles said.

The gallery started up, but didn't need a whack of the gavel to quiet down.

"Hmm!" the judge hummed. "What an odd case this is. And the person you saw… you are sure it was the defendant?"

"I saw her from no further than thirty feet away," Starr responded. "I am certain it was her."

"Let's just do what we can!" Ema said to Wright. "Even if we don't have any proof, we can always complain!"

Wright banged on his desk.

"Witness!" he called. "In your testimony, you clearly stated the following: Prosecutors are nothing more than worms. Ergo!" He pointed at Starr. "You are a biased witness!"

"You might want to keep those silly opinions to YOURSELF in the future, rookie," Starr replied.

"Huh? Rookie?"

"Unless you're willing to risk the consequences of doubting me? I'll fry you like a fritter! Crispy on the outside… chewy on the inside!!"

"That… That was inspiring!" the judge commented.

"I believe I've heard that tag line elsewhere…" Ema commented, writing it in her notebook, "you could cry plagiarism?"

"I may be relegated to the lowly post of lunchlady…" Starr continued. "But my instincts are honed!" She held out a photograph. Miles could recognize the face in it easily: Lana.

"A-a photograph!" the judge exclaimed. "You took this!?"

"The moment I witnessed the crime, my reflexes took over and snap! I took a picture! In fact…" She paused and took out a lunchbox. "One of my lunchboxes is rigged with a camera.

"Er… this is my first time seeing this photograph," Miles said.

"You think I'd show it to you, a prosecutor? Think again."

Do you really think I'd get rid of that photo just to save Lana? Miles took a closer look at the picture. Wait… Why isn't Lana wearing her scarf in this picture? I can't remember the last time I saw her without that radiant scarf…

"My boyfriend works in the photography division of Criminal Affairs," Starr continued.

"Well…" the judge said. "This is most certainly the defendant!"

"So, what was the defendant doing at the time?" Miles asked, hoping to return to the cross-examination.

"The chief prosecutor was holding a knife in her right hand…" Starr said.

"Objection!" Wright shouted. "And you witnessed this? You saw Ms. Skye stab the victim with the knife?"

"As I've already said, yes!" Starr took out another lunchbox. "I swear it on my finest 'Salmon Swirl' lunch!"

These lunches are getting very trite…

"Hmm!!" the judge mumbled, tempted. "I'm sure that is a fine lunch!"

"But… isn't that odd?" Wright asked. "Look at this photograph! This is the photograph you took of the very moment of the crime, is it not? Then why is Ms. Skye not holding a knife!?"

Because the knife is already in the victim, Wright. And here I was hoping you actually had something there…

"Ahem," the judge said after a pause. "Mr. Edgeworth, your thoughts?"

"Objection," Miles replied calmly.

"Let's be a little more careful with our evidence, shall we?" Wright requested, sweating.

"It is you that needs to be more careful, Mr. Wright!"

"What do you mean, Mr. Edgeworth?" the judge asked.

"This photograph was not taken the moment before the stabbing… This was taken the moment AFTER the stabbing!"

"Objection!" Wright shouted. "H-how can you tell that!?"

"Blood splatter," Starr replied.

"Huh?"

"See the dark crimson stain on the Chief Prosecutor's coat?"

I see a stain, but you can't know its color from a black-and-white picture…

"Ah…" the judge said, "yes, it's hard to tell, but this could be blood."

"Well, Mr. Wright?" Miles taunted. "I see no problem here. No problem… except you."

"Mr. Wright!" Ema scolded. "Are you going to just sit there and take that kind of abuse!?"

Wright slammed his desk. "Wait!" he barked. "That contradicts what the witness said in her testimony! Namely, that she took the picture the 'moment' she witnessed the crime!"

"Well, it seems I was slightly unclear," Starr said. She smiled flirtatiously. "My apologies."

There was a pause.

"Th-that's it!?" Wright snapped.

"If you run out of lunch, you order seconds," Starr stated. "Problem solved! If you don't like it, try ordering the jumbo-sized lunch from the get-go!"

"Good advice…" Ema commented. "I'm not sure I understood it, but… good advice."

"I didn't have time to stop her. Prosecutor Skye was cold, calculating, like a robot. She killed without pain or remorse! It was a premeditated murder!"

Objection!

"Objection!" Wright shouted. "P-premeditated!? How do you know!?"

"Look at the Chief Prosecutor's hands in that photograph," Miles said.

"Well…!" The judge commented. "Are those… gloves?"

"Surgical gloves made of thin rubber, most likely. Why would she have those on?"

"Uh…" Wright trailed off, knowing what was next.

Miles hit his desk. "If it was not premeditated, she would not be wearing those gloves!"

"Waaaaaargh!"

The gallery started up, silenced by the judge's gavel.

Though I can't help but wonder…

"These gloves do seem to tell a tale of premeditation!" the judge agreed.

"Premeditated murder… a serious offense," Starr said.

"Witness! Add this to your testimony!"

"The murder was planned!" Starr testified. "The rubber gloves prove it!"

"Objection!" Wright yelled. "Witness, do you know what this is?" He indicated Miles's knife.

"Are you trying to test me? I sell box lunches for a living, you know. That's a knife. THE knife. The knife that was in Mr. Edgeworth's trunk!"

"Indeed, it is my knife," Miles said.

The gallery started up.

"What's with this case!?" one voice demanded.

"The bloody murder weapon, a red car… all belonging to the prosecutor there!?" another said.

"The defendant is the chief prosecutor for the district, right?"

"Mommy, are prosecutors bad people?" a child's voice asked.

What are children doing at a murder trial?

Wright hit his desk.

"The defense has a request," he said. "We ask that the witness provide an ACCURATE testimony."

"What's that, Rookie?" Starr taunted.

"In your testimony… You stated that Lana Skye planned this murder. And that's why she was wearing those special gloves."

"Seems like a natural conclusion to me!" the judge said. "The gloves do indicate planning…"

"However! Why would she not also prepare the most important thing… the murder weapon!?"

"Oh," Starr growled.

"This knife just happened to be in the trunk of that car." Wright banged on his desk. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you're going to plan a murder, you don't forget the weapon!"

"Ugh… Woooooooorrrgh!"

The gallery started up. The judge banged his gavel.

"Order!" he barked. "Order! Order!"

The expression on Wright's face told Miles he was overplaying his little victory.

"Great show, Mr. Wright!" Ema chirped. "My sister's as good as free!"

Miles did his "evil smile."

"Wright," he said. "I believe the next lunch you'll be eating is… humble pie!"

"W-what!?" Wright stammered.

"I hope you weren't deluding yourself into thinking that the 'tide has turned.' Not over such a trifling detail!"

"B-but this shoots a hole in the whole premeditated theory!"

"Bah! The prosecution could care less if it was premeditated or not." Miles pointed at Starr. "The only one who seems to care is that lunchlady over there. The defendant, Lana Skye, murdered a detective with a knife. That is the only thing the prosecution need prove. Nothing else."

"Very good, Mr. Prosecutor…" Starr hissed. "I suppose you think you're clever now? But you know as well as I do that she planned on killing him! It was planned! If it wasn't why would she have been wearing…"

The judge's gavel cut her off.

"I believe I'd like to hear your testimony again," the judge said.

"Witness, please tell us only what you 'saw,' not what you 'thought,'" Miles said.

"How dare you!" Starr replied. "My powers of deduction are not to be underestimated!"

Well, there's plenty of room for overestimating.

"Lana Skye intended to murder Detective Goodman!" Starr testified. "That's why she called the victim all the way to the Prosecutor's Office. I'm sure the Chief Prosecutor had a grudge against the victim. Nothing else could drive that human machine to plunge the knife in again and again…"

"The victim was summoned from the Police Department to the Prosecutor's Office…" the judge said. "It does sound a lot like premeditation, doesn't it!?"

"So, if I order pizza, does that mean I'm planning to kill the delivery boy?" Ema commented.

"In any case, the defense may now cross-examine the witness."

Child's play…

"You say she stabbed him again and again…" Wright said. "but you couldn't have witnessed that!"

"Are you testing me…?" Starr teased. "Then I'll test you!" She took out a lunchbox. "With my Moss Surprise!!"

"I'm afraid the moss is growing under our feet as we wait, Ms. Starr," Miles said.

Starr glared at Miles.

"W-what do you mean?" the judge asked.

"I shouldn't have to explain this…" Miles paused to open up the autopsy report. "But, take a look. The autopsy report states that death was due to a loss of blood… from one stab wound."

"Ah hah! You're right! Good show, Mr. Edgeworth!"

"What a hunk!" Ema chirped. "He's my hero, really!"

Wright had an annoyed look on his face.

Sorry about stealing your spotlight there, Wright.

"Well, witness?" the judge asked.

Starr took out another lunchbox. "You got the Crime Scene Set, right?" she asked.

"Uh… oh, thanks."

"I always believed that no one could ever mistake ketchup for blood… But now, I realize that such mistakes are possible."

"So…" Miles said. "You're saying you mistook something… for blood?"

"When she lifted her knife, I thought I saw blood at her breast… Splattered blood from her victim! That's why I thought she must have stabbed him at least twice."

The judge banged his gavel. "Then tell us what you saw that you thought was blood!" he ordered. "Testify!"

"Her red muffler looked like blood to me… that's how ghastly the whole scene was."

"Objection!" Wright shouted, hitting his desk. "Ms. Starr! I demand an explanation…"

"Objection!" Miles barked. "The witness is clearly not suited for detective work."

"W-what!?" Starr hissed.

"The suspect was not wearing a scarf or muffler of any kind when she stabbed the victim. And you've proved it yourself!" Miles indicated the photograph Starr had taken. "With this photograph!"

"Huh? B-but that… That can't be!"

"Only a true professional could be so clueless. I'm sure you'll make a good lunchlady, have no fear."

"Hmm!" the judge hummed. "Harsh words! But good!"

"In the end, Mr. Edgeworth prevails!" Ema commented.

Wright was sweating.

"What was my objection, chopped liver!?" You're not the only one who wants Lana to be innocent, Wright.

"B-but it was there," Starr stammered, "a scarf, no, not that, but something red! Really!"

Miles banged on his desk. "Well now, where were we?" he asked. "The witness has given us an entertaining interlude, now back to business."

"Wh-what!?"

The judge whacked his gavel.

"Very well, witness, continue your testimony," he said. "You saw the crime, and apprehended the suspect… Tell us about that."

Starr was glaring at Miles again.

Glare all you want; it won't change anything.

"Very well," Starr said after realizing Miles was unfazed. "I do remember some things accurately, at least."

Wright looked annoyed.

Calm down, Wright. It's not over yet.

"The most important part…?" Ema asked, reading Wright's thoughts.

"The part where your sister stabs the victim!"

"After the murder, the suspect attempted to run behind a partition off to her side," Starr said. "I quickly caught her, explained her rights to her, and arrested her on the spot. Ah yes. When I arrested her, she mentioned the muffler! That's what had me confused in my earlier testimony! The chief prosecutor made to escape, but against Angel Starr, resistance is futile!"

This "Angel" is proving to be more of a "Devil"…

"You are quite determined about this scarf, aren't you?" the judge commented.

"I strike like a snake and bite like a cobra! That's me. Angel Starr."

"That wasn't a very good metaphor," Wright said. "First of all, a cobra is a kind of snake."

"Don't bother with details, unless you want to get bitten!"

"N-no thanks!"

This is a murder trial; every detail matters, Starr. You should know that.

"Note to self:" Ema said, writing in her notebook. "Attorney Wright gets bitten by snake."

"The chief prosecutor tried to resist," Starr continued, "but her efforts were in vain. She knocked my hands aside, kicked over an oil drum…"

"O-oil drum?" Wright repeated, sweating.

"Oh, she's beautiful, but deadly! A predator, this one! A leopard woman! Rowr!"

Beautiful? Definitely. Predator? Not at all.

"Very well, Mr. Wright," the judge said. "Your cross-examination, if you will."

"So where is this 'partition' on the floor plans?" Wright asked.

"I'm sure she means this wall next to the car," Miles answered.

"She was obviously trying to hide herself," Starr said.

Considering that she's not even five-and-a-half feet in her heels, she could, theoretically, hide behind that.

"Quite a natural thing for a criminal to do!" Starr added.

"And what did you do then?" Miles asked.

"I quickly caught her, explained her rights to her, and arrested her on the spot."

"Hold it!" Wright interrupted. "You say 'quickly'… were you close to the suspect?"

"As I just said! I was only 30 feet away from her the whole time."

"I'd like to see this on the floor plans, just to be safe," Wright said, taking out a copy of the floor plans. "The Lunchland car was…"

"She was a 'visitor,'" Miles said, "thus, she was parked in B Block."

"So, you witnessed the murder from… here?" Wright pointed to an empty parking space.

"That would make it about 30 feet from the car, yes," the judge said.

"Is that correct, Ms. Starr?" Wright asked.

"Y-yes, that's right," Starr answered.

"But, there was a chain link fence in front of you…?" the judge added.

"I went over it, of course."

"Amazing!" the judge exclaimed. "The Cough-up Queen, lunchlady athlete, indeed."

"It would have taken her a little time to climb over the fence," Ema said. "So she couldn't have gotten to my sister THAT fast…"

Do your job, Wright.

"When I arrested her, she mentioned the muffler!" Starr said, restating her testimony.

"Hold it!" Wright yelled. "She mentioned the muffler? What exactly did she say?"

"If I remembered exactly, I would have told you in my testimony!"

Why would she be talking about her scarf anyway? I know she treasures it, but…

"Anyway," Starr continued, "all I heard her say was the word 'muffler.'"

"Just that one word?" the judge asked.

"So…" Miles cut in, "what you heard wasn't the suspect talking to you, but to someone else?"

"Yes," Starr replied. "The Chief Prosecutor was talking on her phone!"

"By phone…" Wright said, taking Lana's cell phone from his pocket, "do you mean this cell phone, discovered at the crime scene?"

"Yes, ultimately."

"Ultimately?" Miles asked.

"My memory… it's like a salmon, heading upstream, you see."

So it's focused on mating? Knowing you, that's no surprise.

"N-no, the court doesn't see, Ms. Starr," the judge answered.

"The chief prosecutor first attempted to use the phone hanging on the wall."

"On the wall?"

"Apparently, it was out of order."

"And so she used her cell phone?"

"Indeed, the emergency phone was out of order that day," Miles said.

"Hmm. Good witnessing, witness!" The judge banged his gavel. "You should of course add this to your testimony."

"The things I do to please this rookie defense attorney," Starr commented, feigning exasperation. "She gave up trying to use the phone on the wall and just used her cell phone!"

"Hold it!" Wright shouted. "Um… do you think you could restate your testimony for the court?"

"Ah hah!" the judge added. "I was going to ask the same thing!"

"I'll only say this one time, so listen close, Rookies," Starr said. "The Chief Prosecutor stabbed the victim, and ran behind the partition. Then she picked up the emergency phone on the wall, but it was out of order. So she pulled her own cell phone out of her pocket."

"And during that time, you climbed over the fence…"

"Then when I boldly grabbed her arm… The Chief Prosecutor hung up her phone!"

"And you saw her doing this?" Wright asked, a confident smile on his face.

"What is it, Mr. Wright?" Ema asked.

"Objection!" Wright shouted. He slammed his desk. "I have to conclude that you have a personal grudge against Ms. Lana Skye."

"Objection!" Miles shouted. "The witness is a former detective. Her testimony is unmarred by personal bias."

Except for her bias against prosecutors…

"Well, who would have thought you would be my knight in shining armor, prosecutor? You who, together with the Chief Prosecutor, kicked me out two years ago!"

I had no role in your dismissal, Starr.

"Well, Ms. Starr…" Wright continued. "This is a fatal contradiction with your testimony… How do you explain this?"

"Hmph! I don't know what you're talking about. Mess with me… and I'll make you cough it ALL up!"

"Ahem. Let's look at the floor plans. You said you witnessed the crime from this point. However, if that's true… You couldn't possibly have seen Ms. Skye making that phone call!"

Starr started sweating.

"I believe you see what I'm getting at," Wright continued. "That emergency phone was on the back side of this partition." He slammed his desk. "If, indeed, you were in B Block… You couldn't have seen it!"

"Wha… Waaaaaaaaaaarrrgh!" Starr screamed, dropping several lunchboxes in the process. The gallery started chatting.

"Order! Order!" the judge shouted, not bothering to bang his gavel. "What is the meaning of this?"

"It's simple, Your Honor," Wright said. "She's not coughing up lunch… she's coughing up lies!!"

"Grrr!" Starr growled.

"Objection!" Miles roared. "That's quite a claim, Mr. Wright… perhaps you will allow me a question? Tell us exactly what lie this witness has told the court!"

Hopefully, Wright's got proof that it was the stabbing.

"The witness lied about…" Wright trailed off. "She tried to use the emergency, phone… but it was out of order. What is significant about this fact? Nothing. It would be pointless for her to lie about it!"

"Pointless to lie…" the judge repeated. "I see!"

"The witness did actually see Ms. Skye use the emergency phone. In other words… Ms. Starr witnessed the crime from a different location!"

"Objection!" Miles yelled. "A different location!? Now that's a pointless lie if I ever heard one!"

"Objection!" Wright barked. "Before you call my lie pointless… at least let me tell it!"

The judge whacked his gavel. "Let me ask a question to our clever wordsmith, Mr. Wright," he said. "Just where was the witness when she saw the crime!?"

Wright banged on his desk. He then indicated the security room on the floor plans. "This is the only place where she could have been," he said.

"The security guard room?"

"Indeed, the security room in the underground parking lot is well positioned…" Miles stated. "It's built on the second level, so you can see the entire lot."

"Hmm… She would have been able to see the emergency phone from there. But why there? There are many other places where she could have seen the phone."

Wright shook his head. "Not in this case, Your Honor," he said. "The witness, not being part of the Prosecutor's Office, couldn't park in A Block. The only place where she could have seen the crime and the back of the partition is here. I remember in your testimony, you said… You brought a lunch to your 'boyfriend' in the security guard room, yes?" Wright hit his desk. "Well, Ms. Starr?"

"How many years have I been getting the better of men…" Starr replied to no one.

Way too many…

"To think that the tables could be turned…" she continued. "Today, a man has got the better of Angel Starr!"

The gallery started up, silenced by the judge's gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order! Witness! What have you done!? You used to be a detective! You should know better!"

"I'm not turning back," Starr insisted. "The guilty will be punished. And I'll do what I must to make sure justice prevails."

You sound just like von Karma… And to think, you despise us prosecutors!

"Um, Mr. Wright?" Ema asked. "Doesn't this strike you as odd? Why did Ms. Starr lie? It doesn't make sense!"

"Huh?" Wright replied, confused.

"She could have just said she saw the crime from the security guard station. It wouldn't change anything!"

"Exactly!" Miles agreed. "This photograph tells all! It was the defendant who stabbed the victim!" Miles banged on his desk. "That truth still stands!"

As much as I hate to admit it…

"Objection!" Wright responded. "It 'still stands'? I disagree, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Wh-what!?"

"If a witness is found to be lying, they're guilty of perjury. She knows this."

And come to think of it, if that perjury resulted in Lana's wrongful execution, then that witness would be sentenced to death!

"She wouldn't risk that without a good reason!" Wright continued.

The judge banged his gavel. "So, tell us what her reason was, Mr. Wright!" he demanded.

"Huh? M-me?"

"Who else!?"

"Mr. Wright!" Ema called. "Let's review what we know!"

Wright looked over the floor plans, thinking.

What does it change? If she's willing to risk her own life, it must affect something!

Wright hit his desk. "It changes the distance between her and the scene of the crime!" he shouted.

"Objection!" Miles yelled. "My condolences, Mr. Wright… But one look at the floor plans and it's quite clear. The distance between the scene of the crime and the guard station is 30 feet. I don't see how that would change what she would see."

"Objection!" Wright countered. "What she saw is not in question here. What matters is the time it would take her to reach the scene of the crime!"

Of course! How could I have been so stupid!?

"Ms. Starr!" Wright called. "You witnessed the crime from the security guard station! Now, how long did it take you to go from there… to the scene of the crime, where you arrested Ms. Skye!?"

Starr said nothing.

"Well, witness?" the judge requested.

"You…" Starr said.

"Y-yes…?" Wright replied. Starr took out a lunchbox.

"You ordered the Squid Wheels, right? I was bringing a PB&J lunch with fresh boysenberry jam to my boyfriend."

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "Boysenberry for the boyfriend!"

"He wasn't in the station, so I waited. I witnessed the crime from the glass-walled station… and before I knew what I was doing, I found myself running towards the scene. But… the door was locked. I couldn't open it. That's why I had to go through the visitor's parking in B Block."

"That's quite a detour."

"It probably took me at least five minutes to get to the scene of the crime."

"F-f-f-five minutes!?"

The gallery got noisier.

"Hmm…" the judge muttered. "This changes things considerably!"

"But, it was that woman over there in the defendant's chair who stabbed him! I know it! I have photographic evidence!"

All that photo shows is a beautiful lady opening the trunk of my car.

"I swear it…" Starr continued. "I swear it on my finest plastic spork!"

"You have a point," the judge said. "And the spork is a wonderful invention."

Starr took out a lunchbox. "Would you like another Caviar Lunch…?"

"Absolutely!"

Bribing the judge with more fish eggs!? Despicable!

"Mr. Wright!" Ema begged. "You have to do something!"

"Objection!" Wright shouted. He banged on his desk. "Five minutes between the witnessing of the murder and the arrest! Think about it! You could make pasta in that amount of time! If you like it al dente!"

Please, Wright, no more food references.

"I've got lunchboxes that tie pasta into knots, Rookie!" Starr said, holding out a lunchbox. Wright shook his head.

"A five minute 'blank'… Isn't that strange!?"

"Strange…?" Miles repeated.

That's an understatement, Wright.

"If you were a criminal…" Wright trailed off. "What would you do with five minutes, Your Honor?"

"Well, um… I guess I'd flee the scene," the judge replied. "Hey! D-don't get the wrong idea! I didn't kill anyone…"

Wright hit his desk, then pointed at the judge. "But you have the instincts of a killer! You would run! But this time was different! Ms. Skye dawdled at the scene of the crime… she even had her picture taken! No true criminal would act this way! It's inconceivable!"

"Y-yeeeaaargh!" Starr screamed.

The gallery reached a volume that demanded the judge's gavel.

"Well then," the judge said. "It seems we've come to the end of this testimony. She has a grudge against the defendant, and there is a blank in her testimony. Mr. Edgeworth, is the next witness ready to go?"

"Unfortunately… I appear to have overestimated this witness on account of her professional history…" Miles said, pointing at Starr.

"We did it!" Ema chirped. "We screwed that can shut, Mr. Wright!"

The judge banged his gavel and shook his head. "I'm afraid that the Cough-up Queen has been dethroned," he said. "And with that, court is adjourned!"

"Hold it!" Starr yelled. She took out a lunchbox. "Mr. Edgeworth, you ordered the Squid Wheels, right?"

The only mollusks I like to eat are snails, Ms. Starr.

"I prefer to not take the defense team's leftovers," Miles said. "Anything else to say?"

"I… might be able to save you," Starr said.

Save me? The one who needs saving is Lana.

"I have decisive evidence," she continued.

"Wh-what was that!?" the judge blathered. "My apologies, but we have no further questions to ask of you, Ms. Starr."

"Ah…" She took out a larger lunchbox. "Is this your jumbo lunchbox?"

"Whoo hoo! A triple-decker!" He whacked his gavel. "Out of deference to the witness's determination, I'll allow one more testimony! Let's hear about this decisive evidence."

Judge Clous, you are pathetic.

"Like the Lunchland motto says, you won't be disappointed!" Starr replied. "I should have mentioned those five minutes when I wasn't looking at the crime scene. And now, to the matter of the victim's shoe… Did I not bring this up…? Two types of blood were found on this shoe! One was of course the victim's. And the other was…! The defendant, Ms. Lana Skye's blood! This shoe proves it! It's flawless, decisive evidence!"

"Wh-what!?" the judge barked after Starr was silent. Starr pulled another lunchbox out of her basket.

"Try Lunchland, for all your lunch and decisive evidence needs!"

The gallery began chattering.

"Objection!" Miles shouted. "Witness, what's the meaning of this? Why is this the first time I've heard of this evidence?"

"Simple," Starr replied. "As I've already said… I don't trust you with evidence, Mr. Edgeworth! That's why I took the liberty of investigating this myself."

I don't manipulate evidence, Ms. Starr.

"And… you had blood tests performed?"

"Didn't I mention? I have three boyfriends in forensics."

Miles pounded on his desk. "In any case, Your Honor, I can't accept this as evidence!"

"What…?"

"You should know the two rules of evidence law, Ms. Starr! Rule 1: no evidence shall be shown without the approval of the Police Department! In other words, this shoe is illegal evidence! At least, for the time being!"

"I-is that right, Mr. Wright!?" Ema asked.

"It seems so," Wright responded. "Edgeworth sure is celebrating."

"Not so fast, Mr. Edgeworth," Starr said.

Will you stop at nothing to make Lana look like a killer?

"Don't forget… I used to be a detective!" she continued. "As I mentioned previously… This shoe has already been tested by a member of the forensics department!" She took out a file. "As you can see, it was approved by the Police Department as of… today. Even the general public can produce official evidence, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Nuh… Ungh!" Miles growled, slumped over his desk.

Witch!

"I-is that right, Mr. Wright?" Ema asked again.

"It seems so," Wright replied. "Edgeworth is looking pretty sullen."

"You could at least study some evidence law! Really!"

The judge banged his gavel. "The prosecution's complaints notwithstanding…" he said. "It appears that this evidence satisfies the first rule of evidence law. Well… It seems you have yet another count against you, witness."

"Anything to ensure that the guilty are properly judged," Starr said.

Are you sure your last name isn't von Karma!?

"Very well, Mr. Wright," the judge said, "you may cross-examine the witness."

"Why did you lie about those five minutes?" Wright asked.

"I guess you could say, I just wanted people to look at the results." Starr replied.

"The… results?"

"How many times do I have to say this? I saw the Chief Prosecutor stab the victim before my very own eyes! Compared to that… A five-minute 'blank' means nothing!"

"Then why didn't you just tell the truth?" Miles cut in.

"Don't make me laugh! We're dealing with the most untrustworthy of the vile lot known as prosecutors! Falsified evidence, arranged testimonies, erasing and manipulating evidence… When you fight monsters, you need to use every trick in the book!"

And that would make the fighter a monster, too.

"False testimony is the most despicable crime of all, Ms. Starr," the judge said.

Especially if it could get an innocent person executed.

"Let's just get this over with," he continued.

"And now, to the matter of the victim's shoe…" Starr said. "Did I not bring this up…? Two types of blood were found on this shoe! One was of course the victim's. And the other was…! The defendant, Ms. Lana Skye's blood! This shoe proves it! It's flawless, decisive evidence!"

"Hold it!" Wright shouted. Starr took out a lunchbox.

"You ordered the peppered fish guts, right?" she asked.

Offal isn't exactly popular in this country, Ms. Starr.

"Some like it hot, Mr. Wright," Starr said. "Some, like your client. She's in enough hot water to make a whole batch of soup."

"Mr. Wright!" Ema called. "Do you or don't you have a problem with this shoe!?"

"A problem…?" Wright replied. "If I'm not imagining things… I'd say there is one critical problem with this evidence… A clear contradiction!"

"That gleam in your eyes…" Starr commented. "You're still young, Rookie. I'd give you a peppered fish gut now, but you couldn't take the heat, could you!"

The judge banged his gavel. "Let's hear what Mr. Wright has to say!" he said. "What is contradictory about the victim's shoe? Show us the problem with the evidence!"

Wright was handed the shoe. He pointed to some blood on the sole. "I wonder if you noticed…" he said, "there's blood on the bottom of this shoe!"

"Don't mess with me, Rookie…" Starr said. "Or it'll be your blood on the bottom of my shoe!"

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "Indeed, there is quite a bit of blood on the bottom of the shoe."

"It makes sense," Miles said. "The victim was stabbed with a knife!" He banged on his desk. "What could possibly be contradictory about blood on the bottom of his shoe!?"

Wright pounded on his desk. "The problem lies… in the footprint," he replied.

"The… footprint?" Starr asked.

"Note that the bottom of the victim's shoe is covered in blood. Then… isn't it strange? Why weren't any bloody footprints found by the scene of the crime!?"

"Ah hah!" the judge exclaimed.

"As you can see… There were no traces of any such footprints at the scene of the crime! That contradicts your claim about this shoe!"

"Objection!" Miles barked. He slammed his desk. "This picture only shows part of the floor, so there could have been bloody footprints."

"Objection!" Wright yelled. "If there were bloody prints they would have been found. We checked the scene and found nothing of the sort!"

The gallery started up. The judge banged his gavel and managed to get things silent again with three shouts of "Order!"

"Well, witness!?" the judge demanded.

"What!?" Starr snapped. "Huh? I, uh…"

"Great going, Mr. Wright!" Ema cheered. "But… It's true that the lack of a footprint is a contradiction… But then we have to ask why there wasn't a footprint!"

"Oh!"

"That's true!" the judge agreed. "There has to be a reason why there wasn't a footprint!"

"Think, Mr. Wright, think!" Ema begged.

So how is this possible? If Goodman was stabbed in the parking lot, his shoe must have left a print. Lana couldn't have just wiped up the blood. There must have been some other way…

"Hey, I don't know why it's not there," Wright said. "I'm just good at finding contradictions."

"What!?"

"Hold it!" Miles shouted. He did his "evil smile." "I see… Now I get it! Our witness is more devious that I gave her credit for! We were hoodwinked to the very end! But she slipped! There is one vital hint to the truth in her testimony…"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" the judge asked.

Miles took out the transcript of one of Starr's earlier testimonies. "Think back to when she told us about apprehending the suspect… 'The Chief Prosecutor tried to resist, but her efforts were in vain. She knocked my hands aside, kicked over an oil drum… Oh, she's beautiful, but deadly! A predator, this one! A leopard woman! Rowr!' I thought that was a strange thing for the normally cool-headed chief to do. Now, witness. Allow me to ask a very simple question. This 'oil drum'… was it empty?"

If you lie, you'll regret it.

"Oh, that, hmm?" Starr replied. "I'm not sure I like your attitude, Mr. Edgeworth. Though apparently you're not the slowest conveyor belt in the lunchbox factory."

"Witness!" the judge interrupted. "W-well? Was the oil drum empty…?"

"The oil drum kicked over by the Chief Prosecutor… was brimming with water."

"W-water?" Wright asked.

"Still don't get it, Mr. Wright?" Miles taunted. "Do you want to know the reason she knocked it over? The REAL reason?"

I just find it hard to believe she's actually guilty…

"Aaaa haaaaah!" the judge exclaimed. "You don't mean…!"

"Yes," Miles said, "the suspect knocked over that oil drum for one reason and one reason alone!" He pounded on his desk. "To erase the blood stains that would become evidence against her!"

"Whaaaaaaaaargh!" Wright howled. The gallery started chattering. The judge whacked his gavel.

"That ties things up quite nicely!" the judge said. "The blood stains left on the victim's shoes tie her quite clearly to this murder! Then, after the deed was done, she knocked over the oil drum to erase the telltale signs!"

"Why, that's a prosecutor's specialty… erasing evidence!" Starr added.

I just wish it wasn't you, Lana. …Still, I'm a prosecutor. If you're guilty, it's my duty to prove it. Justice comes before love…

"So my sister's blood on the shoe…" Ema sighed. "That's when it happened?"

"Well… I see no reason to prolong this trial," the judge said.

"M-Mr. Wright! Do something! Please!"

I hope you'll forgive me, Lana…

"W-what!?" Wright yelped. "What can I do? Your sister has confessed to the crime, and she tried to conceal it!"

"B-but…"

Miles hit his desk. "Enough," he said. This has to end now, before I get second thoughts… "There is no need for further debate. The verdict, Your Honor!"

"Very well…" the judge agreed.

"But Angel Starr is on the prosecution's side!" Ema cried. "She could have been lying about the water!"

We'll need proof, Ema. I'm sorry.

The judge banged his gavel.

"This court finds the defendant, Ms. Lana Skye…"

"Hold it!" Starr interrupted. "Little girl… What did you just say?"

"Huh…" Ema asked. "M-me?"

"Did you say that I, Angel Starr… was on the prosecution's side?"

"W-well, yeah, you are! You're saying my sister hid evidence by erasing the bloody footprints!"

Must you torment me like this!?

"Well," Starr said. She tossed her head. "I thought you'd had your fill, but here you are, demanding a second helping! Another lunchbox… A lunchbox called 'evidence'!"

I don't need to see any more! Just let me suffer as is!

"W-wait…" the judge said. Witness, don't tell me you have something else?"

"Objection!" Miles roared. "You've reached your verdict, Your Honor! Any further comments will be held in contempt of court!"

"Your threats don't scare the Cough-up Queen!" Starr hissed. She held up a photograph. "Look at this!!"

"A photograph…?" the judge asked.

"I had this just in case anyone had the gall to suggest that the white shoe didn't belong to the victim!"

"Hmm… I see no room for error in this evidence."

"M-Mr. Wright, wait!" Ema pleaded. "Look at the asphalt in this photo!"

"Hey!" Wright exclaimed. "It's clearly wet!"

The judge whacked his gavel. "Erasing the last traces of doubt from the court's mind," he said. "Immediately after the murder, the crime scene was washed with water!"

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Wright," Ema almost sobbed. "I guess I… I couldn't help after all."

Ema… I wish you didn't have to see this…

Wright's eyes closed.

So that's it. She really is guilty… Lana…

All of a sudden, Wright's eyes jerked open. The judge banged his gavel.

"Very well!" he said. "This time I'd like to declare a verdict for good!"

"Objection!" Wright shouted. "Your Honor, wait!"

Arrgh! Wright, must you keep up this death sentence of a trial!?

"What is it with you people!? Can't I hand down my verdicts in peace anymore!? Whatever it is, can it wait?"

"N-no it can't. Then it will be too late! Look at this photograph, the last one submitted… This trial isn't over… until we give each piece of evidence proper consideration!"

"So, Wright…" Miles growled. "Are you saying there's a problem with this latest piece of evidence?"

"Yeah!" Wright said. "Yeah, there's a problem!"

I know that tone of voice. You're bluffing.

The judge banged his gavel. "I suppose since we've come this far," he said, "we should give every claim a fair shake. Very well, Mr. Wright. Show the court the problem in this photograph!"

Wright looked at the photograph. He then pounded on his desk.

So you do have something… It better be important…

"The problem in this photograph… is here!" Wright shouted, indicating Miles's car's muffler.

"What's this…?" Miles asked as he was handed the photo. "There's something poking out of the car's muffler!"

"Wait just a moment, Mr. Edgeworth!" the judge interrupted.

"Your Honor?"

"You just said 'muffler'… However I see no trace of a muffler or scarf of any kind in this photograph!"

The other type of muffler, Judge Clousless.

"A muffler is also a part on a car or motorcycle, Your Honor," Miles explained. "Just think of it as… part of the exhaust system. A pipe…"

"I see!" the judge replied. "And… I see! What's that suspicious-looking cloth sticking out of the car's muffler?"

"Hmph! So what if there is something sticking out of the muffler!" Starr snapped. "What does that have to do with this case? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"

It has plenty to do with this case. That cloth was put in the muffler after the murder, making it relevant!

"Objection!" Wright barked. "Sorry, Ms. Starr… But it's not going to be that easy! In fact, you've already told us why this is important to the case… You said as much in your testimony!!"

"Wh-what!?" Starr hissed.

What are you driving at, Wright? Basic logic proves the cloth's relevance!

The judge banged his gavel. "Let's hear what Mr. Wright has on his mind!" he said. "Tell us why you think this piece of cloth in the muffler is related to this case."

Wright banged on his desk. "Ms. Starr!" he shouted. "Recall your testimony for the court… 'Ah yes. When I arrested her, she mentioned the muffler! That's what had me confused in my earlier testimony!'"

"Muffler!" Starr repeated. "Argh! Yeearrrrgh!"

"Could it be that the 'muffler' you heard mentioned… Was actually this exhaust pipe!?" He hit his desk. "If so! That means this piece of cloth is vital evidence!"

"Oh… Whoooooooooooooooooooooooragh!"

"Well…" the judge said. "It seems we will have to suspend the proceedings."

"Sus… Suspend!?"

"I find myself wondering about that piece of cloth. If we leave any question unanswered here we do a disservice to the law! Have the car at the crime scene inspected at once, and bring me that cloth! The verdict will wait until after we've seen all the evidence. Agreed…?"

This could be decisive… Maybe Lana is innocent… And I was going to demand a premature verdict…

"I suppose so," Miles said.

The judge banged his gavel. "The court will adjourn for a thirty minute recess! It's lunchtime after all!"

You can't be serious…

---

I can't believe I deluded myself into believing that the case was so simple… There are so many problems… The knife… The photo… And that cloth… And Lana's confession… Thinking about it, it still makes no sense. If her blackmailer had ordered the murder, then Lana would have been prepared. There's something else going on here, and I need to find out what.

"How'd it go, sir?" Gumshoe's voice asked.

"No verdict yet," Miles said, turning to face Gumshoe. A young woman in a police uniform was standing next to him. She looked familiar for some reason.

"Really? I thought Ms. Starr's testimony was… well… decisive."

"She lied on the stand; a capital offense if Lana is wrongfully executed as a result."

"Capital, sir?" the officer asked.

"Perjury that contributes to a person's death is a crime subject to capital punishment in this state. And to think that witch thought ill of my methods… Trying to get someone convicted simply because of a personal grudge… Absolutely despicable."

"What are you going to do, sir?" Gumshoe asked.

"Continue, of course. I took this case because I wanted to be sure Lana got the right verdict."

"Sir, why are you referring to the Chief Prosecutor by her first name?" the officer asked.

"Because I love her," Miles replied.

And speaking of love, I just remembered who you are.

"You are… Maggey Byrde, correct?" Miles asked the officer.

"Y-yes sir! But how did you know who I am, sir?"

"Detective Gumshoe mentioned you a few times. You work under him, right?"

"Yes, sir! It's an honor to work under him, sir!"

"So, Mr. Edgeworth, what now?" Gumshoe asked.

"Hope that something critical is unveiled when the recess is over," Miles said. "Hopefully, something that will prove Lana innocent."

"Don't think you'll be having that luck, pardner," a voice said. Marshall, obviously.

"How did the investigation go?" Miles asked.

"We ain't found much, but the chief said he's coming with important news and evidence. Hate to tell you this, boy, but it looks like your lady's gonna be found guilty."

"Only if I truly believe she's guilty. As the prosecutor, I need to make sure there is no doubt about Lana's guilt."

"Heh. You know, you're a real prince when it comes to that gal. Makes me really see why she likes you. Keep your eye out for rattlers; there's a whole bunch of 'em on this trail."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"By the way, someone from the Bar Association told me to warn you not to conceal evidence. Next time they catch you with a gun hidden in your boot, you're getting called out."

What!? Concealing evidence!?

"Please leave me, Marshall. I need some time alone. You too, Gumshoe and Byrde."

Miles collapsed onto the sofa and placed his forehead in his hands.

This… this is unacceptable! In this case!? I would never manipulate the evidence!

---

The recess wasn't enough time for Miles to get his wits about him. Gumshoe had to lead Miles into the courtroom by his hand. After the judge had entered, he banged his gavel.

"I'd… like to… resume…?"

I can't believe this… Who's concealing the evidence!?

"Is something wrong, Mr. Edgeworth?" the judge asked. "Your face is blue, your lips are purple, you're sweating bullets… That furrowed brow, those grinding teeth, those watery eyes… What's more your eyes are unfocused, you're doubled over, your back is bent…"

Miles slammed his desk. "It… can't… be!!" he managed to say, bending back over. "This… can't… happen!"

"I wonder what happened to Mr. Edgeworth?" Ema wondered. The judge banged his gavel.

"Well then, I believe it is time we continued on with this trial," the judge said. "During our recess I had requested that the prosecution conduct an investigation…"

"Th-this is unacceptable!" Miles exploded.

"Hmm… It seems our prosecutor is quite beside himself."

"Ah, er, excuse me," a voice said. "Knock knock?"

"Who's there?" the judge asked.

Gant walked up to the stand.

"Hey!" Ema commented. "The temperature rose 5.7 degrees when that man came in!"

"Ah, it's you…" the judge said.

Gant waited until he was sure all eyes were on him.

"Oh!" he chirped. "Oh, heh heh. Sorry I'm late, Udgey! The roads were packed. It's just me! Long time no see, eh, Udgey? How ya been? Swim much these days!"

"Ah! Hello, hello. No, I've been so busy…"

"Busy! Busy-smizzy, Udgey, my boy! You have to make time to relax!"

"Y-yes, indeed."

"Udgey… seems to be his nickname for the judge…?" Ema asked, confused.

"I'm afraid you're right," Wright said. "Very afraid." He turned to Gant. "Um… sorry, but… who are you?"

"Ah hah!" Gant exclaimed. "So you're Wrighto! The attorney! I've heard good things about you, son!"

"Eh? Uh, th-thanks…?"

"So sorry about our little Worthy giving you all that trouble, eh? You know, we should all go swimming together sometime! Jolly!"

"Little… Little Worthy…?"

"Mr. Wright!" the judge barked. "You don't know the district Chief of Police!?"

"Chuh….?" Wright stammered. "Chief of Police…!?"

"He's the top-ranking police officer in the entire district!"

Gant waited for absolute silence in the courtroom.

"Name's Gant, Damon Gant," he said. "Pleased to meet you, everyone!"

"So, uh, to what do we owe this honor today?" the judge asked. "It's been over… two years since you last came to this courtroom, hasn't it?"

"Well, it's Worthy, here. Look at the poor fellow! I just thought I'd help out… by bringing this." He held up Lana's scarf.

No… that… That's Lana's…

"Hey!" Wright exclaimed. "Th-that's…!"

"My sister's muffler!" Ema finished.

"But to think it was stuffed into that exhaust pipe…" Gant said.

Why would Lana do that?

"On little Worthy's car, no less!" he continued. He unfolded the scarf and took out what looked like a switchblade knife. "It's really quite embarrassing, even for us."

No… Is that…?

"Wh-what's this!?" the judge asked, noticing the knife.

"It's what you'd call a switchblade knife," Gant answered. "Quite perplexing, this."

The gallery started up.

"Objection!" Miles shouted, hitting his desk. "Chief! What kind of outfit are you running!?"

"M-Mr. Edgeworth!" the judge gasped.

"How could they miss such a vital piece of evidence!? If your investigators are this lax, how do you expect us to do our job?"

"N-now wait just a minute, Worthy!" Gant requested.

Miles banged on his desk.

"I've no desire to hear your excuses!" he barked.

"I'm telling you to wait!" Gant said. He paused. "Or didn't you hear me?"

What have you got up your sleeve, Gant? Are you going to try to pin this mistake on me?

Gant took out a file. "Have a look at this document," he said, "where it says 'person in charge of investigation'… There's no mistaking that signature… Miles Edgeworth?"

"Th-that's no fair!" Miles stammered. "The day of the crime, I-I had…"

"Your head in the clouds because you got that award! I know how you feel…"

No, I was busy picking up that stupid screwdriver for you!

"But you're the person in charge," Gant continued. "I'll expect a written apology."

"What?" Miles demanded. "Are you serious!?"

"Don't be too upset, we'll find a way to clean up this mess… that you made."

That I made!?

"This is the first time I've seen Mr. Edgeworth at a loss for words…" Ema commented.

The judge banged his gavel.

"This kind of major blunder is unlike you Mr. Edgeworth," he said.

"Gah…!" Miles hissed.

"The court accepts this new evidence. But, I'd like to ask the defense a favor first."

"Y-yes?" Wright asked.

"Just to be sure… I'd like to take a look at the blade of this knife."

"The b-blade, Your Honor? Well, I don't see why not…"

"Could you open it up for me, I wonder?"

"Yes, well. I think all you have to do is push that switch, and…"

"If I cut my finger Mr. Wright, I wouldn't be able to pound my gavel anymore."

You've got to be kidding me…

"Come on!" Ema snapped. "Just hurry up and open it!"

The bailiff handed Wright the knife. Wright pressed the switch. A blade with the tip broken off popped out.

"Waaaah!" Ema screamed. "D-don't scare me like that!"

"I'm the one who's scared!" Wright replied.

"Look at this knife blade… the tip is broken off.

The tip… No! Not that knife! Miles gritted his teeth. That cursed thing is the blade that started it all… Lana wouldn't be in this mess were it not for that knife!

The whole disaster came back to haunt Miles. Neil Marshall's death, Miles's brief engagement to Lana, the return of the ring to his possession, the mysterious dismissal of Angel Starr and demotion of Jake Marshall, Ema crying on the stand, and Lana building a wall around herself. Though the case ended in a guilty verdict, by the time it had been formally finished, Miles felt as though his heart had been ripped out.

"This does not excuse the actions of the Police Department!" Miles shouted, returning to the present. "I would like to hear an explanation from the Chief of Police himself!"

The judge pounded his gavel.

"I'm terribly sorry," he said, "but could I ask you to testify for us? About the split between the prosecutors and the police… and this knife."

"Sure!" Gant said, clapping his hands and smiling jollily. "Not a problem, not even a little one! Really!" He paused, waiting for everyone's attention to be on him. "This knife is special… but I can't say how here. Unless there's evidence to prove a connection between this knife and Goodman… That was a bad day for the Department. We weren't in any shape to do an investigation. A detective was killed at the Police Department, see… what a mess! The time of the crime? 5:15. Scary coincidence, eh? It's not officially linked to this here case, so I can't talk much about it."

"There…" the judge stammered. "There was a murder at the Police Department!? A detective!?"

"That's hush-hush information, Udgey! We haven't exactly announced it yet."

"Objection!" Miles shouted. "W-wait a second! You said '5:15'…" He pounded on his desk. "That's the exact time that Detective Goodman was killed at the Prosecutor's Office!"

The gallery started up, silenced by three whacks of the judge's gavel and three cries of "Order!"

"Anyway," Gant continued, "we at the Department were all a-flustered, as you might well assume. We're in the middle of a top-secret investigation. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"I think we understand the Police Department's situation…" the judge agreed. "Well, Mr. Wright?"

"The chances of that are really slim," Ema said, referring to the simultaneous murders. "Scientifically speaking, of course."

"I'd… like to exercise my right to cross-examine the witness," Wright said.

"Very well…" the judge said with a nod, "however! Keep your questions focused on the case at hand!"

Wright was handed the testimony. He looked over it. He then looked at a piece of paper that he took out of his coat pocket.

"Objection!" he yelled, pointing at Gant. "Wait a second!"

"Ah, at last!" Gant exclaimed, clapping. "An honest to goodness 'objection'!"

"This knife… This has to have something to do with Detective Goodman!"

"What do you mean!?" the judge demanded.

"Ah hah!" Gant laughed. "An honest-to-goodness what do you mean from the judge! This is great!"

"Look at the tag on this knife!" Wright requested. "It reads 'SL-9 2'…"

It IS that cursed knife! SL-9…

"And this is important… why?" the judge asked.

"Over here we also have…" Wright said, holding the piece of paper from a moment ago. "A memo that was on the body of the victim!" The judge was handed the memo.

"Hmm… what's this? 6 minus 7S… 12/2…?"

Wright shook his head. "Your Honor… It's upside-down."

"Upside…?"

"The printed name on the memo makes it look like it's right-side up… But turn it around and what do you get!?"

"Ah… Ah haaaaah!" the judge exclaimed, doing just that.

"When he wrote this note, he was holding the paper upside down!"

"SL-9… That's the same thing that is written on the knife's tag!"

The gallery was in an uproar. The judge pounded his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order!" He looked at Gant. "Well, Chief?"

"Ah well," Gant said after a moment. "I guess the cat's out of the bag… You win, Wrighto!"

"I… win?" Wright asked, confused. "Ah…"

You knew the knife was connected!?

"This knife was evidence in a case," Gant said. "It was stolen from the Department's evidence room. That was a bad day for the Department. We weren't in any shape to do an investigation. A detective was killed at the Police Department, see… what a mess!"

"Hold it!" Wright shouted. "On the same day that a detective was killed in the Prosecutor's parking lot… Another detective… was killed at the Police Department!?"

"That's a fact. Surprising, isn't it, Udgey?"

"I'm at a loss for words," the judge responded.

"And the perpetrator?" Miles asked. "Do you have a suspect?"

"Well, there was a suspect," Gant replied. "Just arrested 'em, in fact. But… there's still a lot of unanswered questions. Maybe you could help, Wright!"

"I suppose I could help… if you help me by giving me data on your case?"

"Oooh, good one! This kid's sharp! Okay, here's the deal. I'll tell you one thing and one thing only…"

"So, tell me… where was the victim found?"

Gant was silent for a moment. "Well, I can't speak on where the corpse was found. But I can say the crime took place in the evidence room at the Police Department."

What!? But that's where that knife was taken from!

"The evidence room…" Ema said. "Didn't he mention that in his testimony just now?" Wright smiled. "You seem happy, Mr. Wright!"

"Happy?" Wright repeated. "We just got handed our ticket to go to town on this case!"

"It's not officially linked to this here case," Gant said, "so I can't talk much about it."

"Hold it!" Wright barked, banging on his desk. "Chief… The defense's position is simply this: The connection between these two cases has already been proven!"

"Heh, you don't say? Well, out with it Wrighto! What's your connection?"

"Yes, out with it, Mr. Wright," the judge echoed.

"The connection is a place, mentioned in the testimony we just heard," Wright explained. "The knife found in the lot was stolen… from the Police Department's evidence room."

"Not to mention the victim had written down the numbers on the knife's evidence tag," Miles added.

"And we also know that the detective murdered at the Police Department was killed in that very same evidence room!"

"Indeed…" the judge said with a nod. "There do seem to be too many connections for it to be a coincidence."

Gant was quiet for a while. After a moment, he finally spoke.

"You two make a good pair," he said. "It took my men two days to find out what you deduced right here."

Miles pounded on his desk. "Chief!" he shouted. "I request that you release your information on the victim at the Police Department!"

"See, that's the tricky part. It hasn't been announced yet, and all…"

"Can we get the information… unofficially?" Wright asked, an ignorant grin on his face.

"Hmmmmm…" He paused for a moment. "Sure! Why not? It's unofficial, after all."

Amazing…

"Who would have guessed?" Ema commented.

"I'll cooperate," Gant continued, "but I can't reveal the name of the victim at the Department, okay?"

"If you're going to tell us a little, why not tell us everything?" Wright asked.

"Ah, well, case information is sticky stuff. You have to do everything properly."

"Okay… How about you tell me the victim's ID number?"

"Hmm? Sure, why not. It's not like you'll be able to tell who it is from that!"

"Of course not," Wright agreed. "You won't tell me their name, after all."

"We keep a tight lid on ID numbers, so don't go getting your hopes up. The number is… 5842189."

"Well!" the judge exclaimed. "That's quite… long!"

"And we have to remember these! It drives me nuts!"

"8… 2… I can't do it."

I hope his memory wasn't always this pitiful…

The judge banged his gavel.

"Well, Mr. Wright?" he asked. "Does this tell you anything?"

Wright hit his desk. "Actually, it does, Your Honor," he replied. "It does…! I think!"

"Meaning?"

What's going on in that head of yours, Wright?

The judge whacked his gavel. "Well, let's hear what the defense has to say," he said. "You say the ID number of the detective who was murdered at the Police Department tells you something? What does it tell you!?"

Wright slammed his desk.

"Witness!" he yelled. He was silent.

Everyone waited for Wright to continue.

"What is it, Mr. Wright!?" the judge demanded, taking the words right our of Miles's mouth. "You're grinning like a schoolgirl on prom night!"

"No, I…" Wright trailed off, "it's just, I got confused…"

"And this is news?" Miles joked.

"Huh?"

"Just come out with both guns blazing… like you always do."

"Actually, I happen to have a police ID number here."

"Oh hoh!" the judge exclaimed. "Is it yours?"

"N-no, Your Honor. I'm a defense attorney… remember? This is the ID number of our victim, Detective Goodman."

"Shame on you, Wrighto!" Gant teased, clapping his hands. "Personnel IDs are top secret!"

"Detective Goodman's ID number is… '5842189.'"

And you're telling us this… why?

"And…?" the judge asked. "This means… what, exactly?"

"Huh?" Wright replied.

Wait a minute…

"Wait…" the judge said. "That ID number we heard from the Chief earlier… That started with '82…' Hmm. I've forgotten."

What a surprise.

"The number the Chief of Police gave us was… 5842189."

"Objection!" Miles roared. "W-wait a second, Wright! What does this…?"

"Mean? That's what I want to know! The two ID numbers are identical! In other words… The detective killed in the Police Department's evidence room was Bruce Goodman!" He hit his desk. "What does our witness think about that!?"

"Oh! Ho ho ho, sharp as a tack Wrighto!" Gant cheered. "Sharp as a tack!"

"B-but wait!" the judge cut in. "Detective Goodman is OUR victim! He was killed at 5:15 in the underground parking lot!"

Wright slammed his desk.

"Yet," he said, "a Detective Bruce Goodman was also killed at the Police Department… In the evidence room… at the exact same time!"

"Objection!" Miles shouted, striking his desk. "Th-that's impossible! So, what we're saying is… The same person was killed at the same time!? And in a completely different location!?"

The gallery was in an uproar. The judge pounded his gavel.

"Order!" he cried. "Order! Order!" He looked at Gant. "Chief! What does this mean!?"

"Objection!" Miles yelled. "No… what I want to know is… why didn't I hear about this!? Yes, it's top-secret, fine! But I'm the prosecutor in charge of the case!!"

"Now, just wait a second, Worthy," Gant said. "No need to get all flustered."

Flustered!? An innocent lady may have been convicted!

Miles hit his desk. "Your Honor!" he barked. "The Police Department has made a grave error in this case…"

"Wait," Gant said. "I said 'wait.' Or didn't you hear me?"

What now!?

"The oversight… the grave error…?" he continued. "Mr. Edgeworth… They're yours."

"Wh-what!? How… how dare…"

"We informed you yesterday. I believe it was our Officer Meekins who brought you the news?"

"O-officer… Meekins?"

"Mr. Wright!" Ema called. "Where have we heard that name before? Wait… Ah hah!"

Meekins… That bumbling fool who said the file was irrelevant!?

"You don't mean… him!?" Miles growled, slumped over his desk.

"According to Meekins, you didn't accept the report? Hard to believe."

"B-but your officer, he told me!" Miles straightened up. "He said that report had nothing to do with the Lana Skye incident!"

"Detective Bruce Goodman murdered in the Police Department evidence room… Mr. Edgeworth. The victim's name is written right on the top of the report."

"Gaaaaaaah!" Miles screamed. "Wh-why didn't your officer tell me!?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure if that officer was capable of making the connection…" Ema commented. "He did seem… challenged."

"In any case, this is a serious error," Gant said, "a gross negligence of duty on your part, Worthy."

"Objection!" Miles howled. "B-but, sir!! You could have submitted that report this morning to the court, as evidence! Then, I…" Miles couldn't finish the sentence. What was there to say?

"No such luck this time, Worthy… or should I say, un-Worthy?"

"What!?"

"Now what was the second rule of evidence law, hmm?"

"Well, Mr. Wright?" Ema asked.

"Huh?" Wright yelped. "Oh, well, it's, uh…"

"Rule 2:" Miles said. "New evidence may only be submitted if it concerns the case on trial. And how is this relevant!?"

"Normally, you submit a list of evidence to be used in court before the trial," Gant said, messing with his hair. "This report wasn't on that list…"

"So…" the judge said. "What does this mean?"

"I couldn't submit this evidence until a connection was proven in court."

Arrgh!! I… I can't believe I was so stupid!! I was so focused on the case before me that I didn't consider the possibility of a connection…

"The connection was just proven by Wrighto over here," Gant continued. "Good job, Wrighto, my boy!"

"Huh?" Wright chirped. "Uh… I… I was just doing my job."

"No…" Miles sobbed. "Nooooooooooooooo!!"

The gallery started up. After a moment, they calmed down on their own.

"It seems… we have come to the end of this trial," the judge said.

"You are becoming a thorn in my side, Worthy…" Gant said. "There've been rumors… After all, you were in the defendant's chair just last year…!"

"I apologize for this terrible lack of due diligence on my part…" Miles said, struggling to calm down.

"M-Mr. Edgeworth!" the judge exclaimed.

"Please… Just give me one day. I'll get to the bottom of what happened… If it's the last thing I do!"

"You'd better get results this time," Gant pressed. "Really."

"I'm sorry!" Miles wailed, as much to Lana as the court. "I'm so sorry!"

"Poor Mr. Edgeworth…" Ema sighed.

The judge banged his gavel and shook his head.

"I don't think there's ever been an error this serious in the history of this court," he said. "We will grant one further day as the prosecution has requested. Will this be sufficient, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Yes, Your Honor," Miles replied. "Thank you."

"Whatever your punishment for this is, for your sake I hope it's not… decisive." He pounded his gavel again. "Very well! Court is adjourned!"

This still makes no sense. Unless everything Starr said and presented was false, there's still that scene in the parking lot to take into account. But now we've got the evidence room murder, too. What the hell is going on with this case!?