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.

34. Part II, Chapter 8: Return of the Truth

Chapter 8—Return of the Truth

March 22, 2018

Out of concern for Franziska's mental well-being, Miles decided to visit the United States. As he expected, she greeted him coldly and acted as though she despised him. He knew better, though. In truth, she respected him, but her determination to surpass him made her act as though she viewed him as nothing more than a rival. After all they had been through together, it was foolish to think their bond was any weaker than it was when they were children. In a way, Franziska was closer to Miles than to Therese. Still, despite the closeness of their bond, Franziska, ever adamant about maintaining an air of invincibility, refused Miles's invitation to his wedding. Considering that she might have whipped someone at the ceremony, it might have been better that way.

He ran into Wright during the investigation of Franziska's newest case. He was holding a grudge against Miles, which could explain why he didn't respond to the invitation he sent his way. Franziska was going to be prosecuting Wright's client: Matt Engarde. Miles knew the type—determined to have the entire spotlight, throws anyone in his way into a scandal, treats women as if they're nothing more than points in a game, and sweeps all that under the rug while smiling innocently for the cameras. He had been caught this time, though; the investigation had little—if any—doubt that he had killed his rival, Juan Corrida. Though Franziska would probably win this case, her mission to defeat Wright in court was unhealthy, not to mention misguided. To start, she had become so obsessed with defeating him that, according to Gumshoe, she would willingly tamper with the evidence. More significant, though, was that Franziska had nothing to gain from a guilty verdict; Miles was through walking the path of a von Karma and saw nothing but shame in fighting so selfishly. Still, being the caring "brother" he was, he was on his way to the courthouse to give Franziska his support.

A gunshot rang out, followed by a scream, interrupting Miles's thoughts. He frantically searched for the source of the scream. His eyes suddenly stopped across the street. A young woman had collapsed to the ground, bleeding, a briefcase by her side. Other pedestrians gathered around slowly, all apparently too sure someone else would get help for her to help her on their own. Miles recognized her almost instantly.

"Franziska!" he cried as she struggled to her feet.

Miles wasted no time in running across the street. Someone honked at him for jaywalking, but he ignored it.

"Franziska! Stop!"

Franziska stopped momentarily and turned her head. She had been shot in the right shoulder and was bleeding profusely. She then turned back and continued on her way to the courthouse. Miles shoved his way through the crowd and grabbed her by the left wrist, not stopping to talk as he pulled her in the direction of the hospital.

"Ah!" Franziska yelped, struggling almost instantly. "What do you think you're doing!?" She probably would have whipped Miles, but with her right arm wounded and her left arm held tight, she couldn't. Her voice had more anger in it than that of a cat at the veterinarian's office.

"Taking you to the hospital," Miles replied in a commanding—though clearly worried—tone. As viciously as Franziska tried to wrest her wrist from Miles's grasp, she was unable to prevent herself from getting pulled toward the hospital.

"No! Let me go! I'm fine!"

"No, you're not! You've been shot, for the love of God! You're going to the hospital!"

"I can get by just fine, Miles Edgeworth! Let GO of my wrist!"

"I will not! Don't let your idea of family honor cost you your life! You're bleeding too much!"

"Let me GO!"

"I said no!"

"I'm not some little girl! Stop treating me like I don't know what's best for me!"

"I care about you too much to let you bleed to death when I can save you! You're going to the hospital, you're getting your wound tended to, and you're abandoning the case until you're better!"

"I'll never turn this case over! I'm fine!"

"Stop right there," Miles demanded, still in a commanding voice, but calmer. "You're not fooling me. You're absolutely terrified right now, and that's why I'm here to help. Do what's best for yourself and cooperate. You can whip me for this later."

The argument continued all the way to the emergency room, where two nurses had to literally tie Franziska to a gurney to get her to go with them to have the wound tended to. Miles gave one of the nurses Franziska's briefcase and whip, asking that they be given to her once the operation ended—although he removed the files on the case before handing the briefcase over.

Of all the absurd things to happen… getting shot on the way to court? Don't worry, Franziska… You're safe now, and I'll make sure your case is seen through to the end. With Franziska wounded, Miles decided that the case was best handled by him. He knew enough about the situation, and with Wright as the defense attorney, it seemed unlikely that anything would be overlooked.

There was still some time before the trial was to begin—Franziska no doubt wanted to be early so she could prepare her witnesses. This was convenient for Miles, because it gave him time to review Franziska's files, as well as get a sense of her plan for the trial.

---

Miles arrived in court just a few minutes after 10:00. He had received a phone call a few minutes earlier saying that Franziska's operation had begun without any complications. While reading Franziska's notes on Ms. Andrews on the way to court, he decided it would be wise to have her ready as a witness for the trial, and, as such, had an officer summon her—though she would not arrive until after the trial had gotten underway. In part, he looked forward to the trial; it was only fitting that Wright, the man who helped him see the error of his earlier methods, would be the one to face him in his first trial back in the United States.

The Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth of the past is long dead. Today, this court will see the man who has arisen in his place.

Miles walked to the courtroom the trial was scheduled to take place in. He could hear voices coming from inside—the doors were open for some reason.

"M-Ms. Von Karma!" Miles heard Wright's voice cry. "Is she alright!?"

"I don't have that answer!" the judge responded as Miles entered.

"She's alive and in stable condition," Miles said as he walked in. Wright and some woman clad so scantily Miles felt like accusing her of indecent exposure were standing behind the defense bench. Noah Clous was presiding over the case.

"That's good…" the judge said, relieved. "Phew." Miles noticed a look of shock on the judge's face as he noticed Miles. "Y-Y-You're…"

I guess Judge Clousless believed I really was dead…

"…Your Honor…" Miles said from near the witness stand, as serious as ever. "Due to the circumstances, Ms. Franziska von Karma can not appear in court today. I, Miles Edgeworth, will be taking her place. The prosecution is ready… naturally."

The gallery murmured as Miles walked to the prosecution bench.

"Ms. von Karma was shot in her right shoulder, and is currently undergoing surgery. Luckily, I have looked this case over and am familiar with the details. The prosecution seeks to prove the guilt of Mr. Matt Engarde."

"Th-The court acknowledges the prosecution," the judge managed to say, still looking as though he was talking to a ghost.

"…Wright," Miles called. "I finally found the answer I was struggling for on my long journey this past year." He did his "evil smile," knowing that finding the same path would be a painful transition for Wright. "By the time this case comes to an end, you too, will know the answer.

"Now then, the prosecution would like to call its first witness… Please bring Detective Gumshoe to the witness stand!"

Gumshoe entered a moment later, dragging his feet. Franziska had called for his dismissal the previous day, and the Chief had agreed to it. In truth, Gumshoe's incompetence had likely earned him three dismissals by that point.

"Witness, your name and occupation," Miles ordered calmly.

"My name's Dick Gumshoe, sir," the detective whimpered. "I'm a detective down at the precinct… for now."

"'For now'…?" the judge repeated.

"After this trial's over… I'm supposed to turn in my badge, sir."

There was a brief pause. I return after a year for this melodrama?

"The prosecution has no need for a depressed witness," Miles stated. He struck his desk. "Lift your head up and face forward like a proud officer, Detective Dick Gumshoe!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Gumshoe answered, revived.

"Now, let's have your testimony. If we want to explore the various facets of this case, we must start with that."

"Get ready, Phoenix," Wright's aide said. "This is going to be one very rough fight."

"Yeah…" Wright replied. "It would have to be with Edgeworth as my opponent."

Miles motioned for Gumshoe to begin his testimony.

"This murder happened after the Hero of Heroes award ceremony, sir," Gumshoe said. "The victim, Juan Corrida, was found dead in his hotel room. After looking into the cause of death, we believe he was definitely murdered, sir. At first, we thought there was something suspicious about the empty guitar case. However, we later found out that the guitar case had nothing to do with the murder."

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "After the award ceremony ended, the victim was alone in his room…?"

"Yes, sir! Both the victim and defendant went alone to their rooms, sir."

"I see. Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination."

Wright was handed the transcript.

"Would you please give us a brief timeline of what happened after the ceremony?" he asked.

"OK, pal," Gumshoe answered. "The ceremony started at 6 PM. It ended around 8 PM… and then there was a short break. A special post-ceremony show was supposed to start in the lobby 30 minutes later."

"And that's when the victim's body was found, correct?"

"Which is to say," Miles cut in, "the murder occurred during that thirty minute break period."

"Hmm…" the judge muttered. "Please continue with your testimony, Detective."

"The victim," Gumshoe said, "Juan Corrida, was found dead in his hotel room."

"Hold it!" Wright barked. "The person who discovered the victim's body was Adrian Andrews, correct?"

"…Yeah."

"Who is this 'Adrian Andrews' you're talking about?" the judge asked.

"She's the defendant, Matt Engarde's, manager. She's a really pretty lady… sir."

I suppose I can admit to agreeing with that…

"Ah, so she's a pretty lady…" the judge commented. "I wonder if she will grace us with her presence…"

"When the post-ceremony show was about to start, she went to get Mr. Engarde," Gumshoe continued. "After visiting his room, she next went to the victim's room to get him for the show, sir."

"I see… And that's when she found the victim's body…"

"After looking into the cause of death, we believe he was definitely murdered, sir."

"The cause of death…" Wright cut in. "Wasn't that because Mr. Corrida was stabbed in the chest…?"

"Only a careless amateur would believe something so brainless as that, pal," Gumshoe said, taking out a photograph.

That would explain why you believed it…

"Take a good, hard look at the crime photo," Gumshoe said. "Now, a real pro's attention would be drawn here, to this bandana."

"Mmm… 'Banana'…" the judge muttered, looking as though he couldn't wait for lunch.

"Um, his 'bandana', sir… That's the thing wrapped tightly around his neck, sir."

"Ah, yes, yes. I see. His banana-scented bandana."

You may see, though you clearly can't hear…

"Then, what about the knife…?" Wright asked.

"It seems to have been stuck in the victim's chest on purpose after his death," Gumshoe answered.

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "We have a crafty murderer on our hands here."

"At first, we thought there was something suspicious about the empty guitar case," Gumshoe continued.

"And why did you think that?" Wright asked.

"Because it was empty, pal. The Jammin' Ninja doesn't go anywhere without his bright red guitar. And we couldn't find it anywhere at the scene of the crime."

"Oh!" the judge chimed in. "Then how about this theory! A fan really wanted the guitar and did the crime to get it! How's that!?"

The defendant's Matt Engarde, not some obsessed fan.

"Um, we thought of that too… But…"

"But…?" Wright repeated.

"The only fingerprints on the guitar case were the victim's."

"Only the victim's huh…?"

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled, a bit disappointed. "I see. Ah, so much for my theory then…"

"However, we later found out that the guitar case had nothing to do with the murder," Gumshoe said.

"What convinced you it had nothing to do with the case?" Wright asked.

"The guitar wasn't at the Gatewater Hotel that night."

"Well then, where was it?" the judge asked.

"The bright red guitar was eventually found at the TV studio. The victim, Juan Corrida, had apparently only taken the case with him, sir."

"So you mean he forgot to put the guitar inside the case…?"

"Yes, sir. Even when he was onstage for the ceremony, he didn't have his guitar."

"So that guitar case was empty even before he got to the hotel…" Wright muttered.

"Yeah, that's right," Gumshoe replied. "So it really had nothing to do with the case after all."

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled.

"I believe that is enough," Miles said. "First, the victim was choked to death with his bandana. Then, after the victim was dead, the killer deliberately stabbed him with a knife."

"Hmm…"

"Which brings me to my next point. Why then, did the police arrest Matt Engarde…? Because there was reason enough to suspect him."

"Very well. Detective Gumshoe, please testify about this matter."

"Yes, sir! Matt Engarde and Juan Corrida were huge rivals with each other. They each thought the other guy was 'in his way'. That's motive enough in my book. As for evidence… There's the Jammin' Ninja's button. It was ripped off of the ninja costume and was found in Mr. Engarde's 'hakama'. The defendant's fingerprints were also all over the knife. The defendant bought the knife for the crime… Which makes this a premeditated murder!"

"Hmm… So the defendant's fingerprints were found on the knife used in the stabbing."

"It was sort of sticky on the handle, so the fingerprints came out pretty clearly, sir," Gumshoe said, holding a bag with the knife in it. "…And there's this button." He held up the button.

"That was found in the defendant's clothes, was it? Hmm… And is this button also covered in blood…?"

"Yes, and we know that the blood on it is the victim's blood, sir."

"What!?" Wright yelped.

Ah, how I've missed that cold sweat.

"All of this points very clearly to the defendant, doesn't it?" the judge asked.

"Yes, it most certainly does, Your Honor," Miles replied, taking a bow. "Ready to give in yet, Wright?"

"Hmph!" Wright countered. "I'll find the hole in your argument somehow!"

"You can press as hard as you'd like. Just hurry up with your usual pointless questions."

"Grrrrrrrrr…" He looked over the transcript. "Do you have any proof that button belonged to the victim?"

"Huh?" Gumshoe uttered. "I don't get you, pal."

"Oh," Wright mumbled, apparently having forgotten the intellect of this particular witness. "Umm, let me put it this way… I'm asking you if you have any evidence to back up your claim that, "this button was ripped off of the Jammin' Ninja's costume'."

"Huh? But can't you tell by just looking at it?"

Wright didn't respond.

"A-And the victim's blood is on it."

Wright hit his desk. "Anyone could have smeared that blood on there afterward."

"M-M-Mr. Edgeworth… Help me… sir!" Gumshoe whimpered.

I'm beginning to understand why you were fired.

"…Thread," Miles stated calmly.

"Huh?" Wright asked.

"The button was attached to the costume by thread, obviously. And that thread snapped when the button was torn off. If you match up the ends of the thread on the costume with the thread on the button, it's a perfect match."

"Yeah, that's it!" Gumshoe exclaimed. "They're a perfect match, pal!"

"Urk," Wright groaned, sinking into a cold sweat.

"That's Edgeworth for you," Wright's aide commented. "Never misses a beat."

Wright returned to looking over the transcript, then at the Court Record. After a moment, he struck his desk.

"Wait a second!" he yelled.

"Wh-What?" Gumshoe stammered.

"So the basis of your argument that this was a premeditated murder is simply that my client 'bought a knife beforehand'?"

"That's right, pal. The defendant…"

"Did not buy this knife," Wright interrupted.

"H-Huh!?"

"Take a good look at the handle of this knife, and you'll know what I'm talking about."

Gumshoe was given the knife to look at. "…Huh?"

"It has a 'Gatewater' seal set into the handle…" the judge commented, reading the Court Record.

"'Gatewater'…? I think I've heard that name somewhere before."

"That's the name of the hotel," Wright grumbled. "The Gatewater Hotel."

"…Uh oh."

Wright struck his desk. "The murder knife was actually property of the hotel!" He pointed at Gumshoe, who jumped a bit. "Which means this murder was not premeditated!"

The gallery started up. The judge banged his gavel.

"Yes, that is very true!" the judge agreed. "This is a very big…"

"Heh heh heh…" Miles chuckled. Pathetic…

"Wh-What is it, Mr. Edgeworth?" the judge asked.

"I'm sorry, but the defense is simply too careless."

"What!?" Wright barked. Miles did his "evil smile."

"I think whether the crime was premeditated or not… has already been determined."

"H-How so!?"

"I admit this knife is hotel property. There is no one currently on the police force that is dumb enough not to realize this."

"…But I didn't kn…" Gumshoe started, but stopped himself upon realizing he was no longer on the force. "Oh…" He whimpered.

"The question is…" Miles struck his desk. "Where did this knife come from?"

"Wh-Why that's obvious!" the judge answered. "It came from the victim, Mr. Corrida's room…"

"Sorry, Your Honor, but that is incorrect," Miles said with a confident shrug. "The victim ate a last meal before he was murdered. With that being the case…" He took out a photograph of the victim's room. "I would like to draw the court's attention to what is on top of the table." The judge was handed the photograph. He took a moment to make out the tiny detail Miles was referring to.

"There is a knife and fork on the table!" he exclaimed. He held up the murder weapon. "Then… Where in the world did this knife come from!?"

Miles smiled again. "If it pleases the court… I would like for us to recall the room of the defendant, Mr. Matt Engarde." He took out another photograph. "Especially what was on top of his table… There is something missing… Perhaps, it is a single knife? We investigated the leftover dishes for fingerprints, and while we were investigating, we came to the conclusion that Mr. Matt Engarde's knife was missing."

"Urk…" Wright groaned, hunched over.

"Mr. Engarde had gone to the victim's room with the knife he had used during dinner. Why would he carry a knife on a visit? To kill, of course. And with that, I believe the prosecution has proven…" He took a bow. "This was a premeditated murder."

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

"Amazing, Mr. Edgeworth," he said. "Absolutely brilliant. A brilliantly clear deduction."

"It seems like Edgeworth had this planned from the very beginning…" Wright's aide sighed.

The judge banged his gavel. "A murder weapon with fingerprints, and a button from the victim's costume. There is quite a sizable amount of evidence here."

"I can safely say that any further deliberation is a waste of Your Honor's time," Miles said. "Although… I wouldn't mind if the defense were to present evidence not yet shown to the court."

Though in the end, the verdict will still be the same…

"He means evidence that the court hasn't seen yet," Wright's aide explained. "In other words, new evidence."

"What does the defense have to say about this, Mr. Wright?" the judge asked.

"Um, well…" Wright stammered.

"Phoenix," the aide said. "The judge is favoring the prosecution right now. If we answer with something wrong here…" She let it trail off.

"Mr. Wright, do you have something important and necessary to present to this court?" the judge asked.

Wright struck his desk, trembling. "There's one…" he started, apparently trying to think as he went.

One what? One defense attorney stalling for time?

"One piece of evidence that catches my attention," Wright continued. "Something that this court has yet to see!"

"Mr. Wright," the judge said. "I will say this one more time. I do not feel this trial needs to continue at all. …However, I am giving you one chance… and only one."

"What the judge is saying, Wright," Miles said, "is don't try pulling one of your usual bluffs here."

"You may now present one, and only one piece of evidence. Now then, what is this important evidence that you must show to the court?"

"Take that!" Wright shouted, pulling a picture of a wine glass out of his files.

The wine glass… It is new evidence, but it's not important.

"This… is a wine glass, is it not?" the judge asked.

"Please look at the photo of the crime scene one more time!" Wright requested. "The scene is a mess because of the victim's struggle against his assailant. The vase was broken, his make-up is all over the floor… These were all things that were at one point, sitting on top of the dresser."

"Hmm… Well, yes, I see your point."

"However! This glass that is sitting on top of the dresser is mysteriously untouched. The only thing that had not fallen over along with everything else is this wine glass!" He pounded on his desk, then pointed at the judge. "This piece of evidence is more than strange enough to warrant further consideration!"

Everyone was silent. Is that all?

"W-Well?" Wright begged. "What do you all have to say…?"

"Ah, well, yes, it is a little peculiar…" the judge said.

"Y-Yes, isn't it!? I thought it was!"

"You can stop looking at me with those puppy dog eyes of yours now. Mr. Edgeworth?"

"What is it, Your Honor?" Miles replied.

"Your opinion…"

"…You don't need my opinion. Because there is no special meaning to that glass."

"…What!?" Wright yelped.

Miles shook his head in amusement at Wright's ignorance. "It's safe to say that the glass was set there after the crime took place. By the person who discovered the body, Adrian Andrews, for example. She could have easily been so shocked that she set the glass down without thinking."

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "That does sound very plausible. Mr. Wright?"

Wright thought for a moment. He appeared to realize Miles was right.

"You can't think like that, Phoenix," Wright's aide said.

"Mia…" he uttered, confused.

Must be a coincidence. Even Mia Fey wouldn't dress that lightly—not to mention she's dead.

"Right now," she continued, "you're hanging on by a very thin thread. Anything else you can grab onto right now is better than nothing!"

Wright struck his desk. "The defense would like to challenge the prosecution's theory," he said. "We would like to see something that proves it was Ms. Andrews who set the cup on the table!"

"Hmm…" the judge muttered. "You've turned the situation on its head yet again, as usual."

The only thing turned on its head was Wright as an infant.

"Mr. Edgeworth," the judge continued. "Do you have any proof to back up your claim?"

Wright looked confident that Miles had nothing.

"Unlike Mr. Wright," Miles said, "I never say anything unless I have the evidence to support it."

"Wh-What!?" Wright gasped. Miles did his "evil smile."

"You're not thinking hard enough today, Wright. Did you think this wine glass escaped my notice?"

"Th-Then…"

"Of course it has been thoroughly inspected… for fingerprints."

"Fingerprints…"

"There were only one set of fingerprints left on this wine glass."

"Only one?" the judge asked. "Well, whose were they!?"

"They were not the victim's nor the defendant's," Miles answered. "Rather, they were of one Adrian Andrews."

"WHAT!?" Wright howled.

"That is why I said that the person who had discovered the body had left it there." He took a bow. "Are we done here, Mr. Wright?"

Wright said nothing, but the sweat running down his face told all. He was kicking himself over falling into another trap.

"Ms. Andrews was probably holding the glass when she went to see Mr. Corrida," Miles continued. "But upon seeing his dead body, she was stunned, and set the glass down on the dresser."

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "What you just said makes a lot of sense."

"Tsk tsk tsk… Now do you see, Wright? You can't change any part of my scenario as it explains everything all too well."

"Grrr!" Wright growled.

"I've thought long and hard this past year about what it means to be a 'prosecutor'." He pointed a challenge at Wright. "And from here on out, I will show you the answer I have come to discover!"

"W-Wait a second…" the judge interrupted. "Mr. Edgeworth! I think the prosecution has provided enough evidence for me to enter my verdict…"

Miles shook his head. The whole truth has yet to make itself clear, Your Honor. There will be no verdict until it does. "Unfortunately," Miles said, "I can not allow you to pass judgment yet. The prosecution has yet another witness we would like the court to hear from."

"'Another witness'…?" Wright repeated.

"Yes. Bailiff! Please bring in the next witness!"

"What in the world is Mr. Edgeworth thinking?" Wright's aide muttered.

An elderly person in an outfit that looked like something out of a cheap space-themed movie approached the stand. She was wearing a tinted fishbowl over her head, making it impossible to see her face. According to the report, it was the annoying security guard from the Steel Samurai case.

"Now then, witness," Miles said, "please state your name and occupation…"

The witness didn't respond. Miles struck his desk.

"Witness! Your name and occupation, please!"

He was interrupted by the sound of a cheap toy ray gun firing.

"Uurrngh!" he roared, hunching over his desk.

"…Heh," the witness chuckled, taking off her helmet. "G.O.T.C.H.A!"

"Grrrrrrrrr…"

"Oh, Edgey-boy! It's been what, a year since we last met, hasn't it? You should be more happy to see me!"

If I weren't worried she'd refuse to testify if I did so, I'd tell her I'm engaged just to shut her up… "I saw the report with her testimony, but who knew that under that helmet… it was the wicked witch of the witness stand!?"

"I tell you, this time I know what I'm supposed to do! So today, I'm going to tell you anything and everything! Even things that don't have to do with that terrible crime."

"Ms… Witness…" the judge managed to say. "'That terrible crime' is all this court needs to know."

Oldbag "fired" her ray gun. That device is more annoying than the sound of Ema munching on that snack food she's been eating lately…

"Oof!" the judge blurted.

"Shush!" Oldbag demanded. "I'm talking to my dear Edgey-Wedgey right now! Don't interrupt us, gramps!"

"Yes, madam."

"No no no," Miles growled, "please, by all means interrupt her! Please!" He cleared his throat and straightened up. "Anyway, witness, your testimony please."

"It's true what they say that youth are hotheaded nowadays," Oldbag said, trying to flirt. "Not that I mind at all, Edgey. Now then, what should I start with…?"

"The witness was on security detail at the hotel on the night of the murder. Is this correct, Ms. Oldbag?"

"It was a great job being able to see my dearie Juan! It was almost too much for my little heart to handle!"

"You mean…" the judge trailed off. "You were a fan of the victim?"

"Look, everyone is crazy over that Engarde, saying he's cute in a fresh way, or something. But not me! I wouldn't say anything so silly. After all, I have no interest in a little child like him."

And yet you are infatuated with someone two months younger than him…

"I'm only interested in a real man: Juan Corrida!"

And because I'm only interested in a real lady, you'll only be dating me in your dreams.

"AAnnyywwaayy, aass II wwaass ssaayyiinngg, II wwaass ppaacciinngg iinn ffrroonntt ooff hhiiss rroomm tthhaatt nniigghhtt."

"Vveerryy wweellll," Miles replied, imitating Oldbag's intentionally slow speech. "Please tell the court what you witnessed the night of the murder."

"Leave it to me, Edgey-poo! Anyway, after the ceremony, I went to pace around in the hallway in front of his room. There was something I was interested in finding out, you know… Well, since I was on the job, I made sure to keep a good eye out the whole time. That's when someone showed up! It was a man coming out of poor Juan's room. It was Engarde. Matt Engarde. He was trying to sneak his way out of Juan's room!"

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "So Mr. Engarde came out from the victim's room…"

"See!" Oldbag squawked. "It has to be him! He's the murderer!"

I don't doubt that, but our proof still isn't decisive.

"I see," the judge said. "Well, Mr. Wright. You may begin your cross-examination."

"Ms. Oldbag," Wright started, "what was your post on that night?"

"The lobby," Oldbag replied. "I was supposed to help set up the stage for that trifling show. But I refused to help, I'll have you know. It was for that Lead-headed Samurai's show. Heh, I even took out a few of the nails."

In that case, maybe it's better that the show was cancelled…

"Besides," she continued, "that manager with the glasses seemed to be working hard at it without me. So I thought I'd take a break and spread my wings a little."

"And that's when you went to hang around the victim's door?"

"There was something I was interested in finding out, you know…"

"Something you were 'interested' in? And just what was that?"

"It's not some little thing I can just go around telling everyone, you know. It's top secret, between me and Juan. Ah, and Edgey, of course."

"Mr. Edgeworth," the judge cut in. "What is this thing she was 'interested' in…?"

Probably that fallacious article… "I have no idea," Miles said. "I despise gossip, Your Honor." He looked to the witness. "If this has something to do with the case, then you can append it to your testimony."

"It looks like we shouldn't force it right now," Mia said to Wright.

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "And did the witness stay in the vicinity of the victim's door the entire time?"

"Well," Oldbag replied, "since I was on the job, I made sure to keep a good eye out the whole time."

"Oh?" Wright asked. "Then would you tell us the number of people who went in and out of Mr. Corrida's room?"

"I have no idea! I wasn't born so I could count things for those who didn't pay attention in class! That's why ever since I turned 20, I quit keeping track of how old I really am!"

"…Yes, well, that would explain why your age was not recorded in the report," the judge commented.

Technically, her age is known, though the nitwit who typed up the report must have forgotten to add it.

"In any case…" Miles said. "The witness then saw someone, correct?"

"That's when someone showed up!" Oldbag agreed. "It was a man coming out of poor Juan's room."

Wright struck his desk. "Who in the world was that!?" he asked.

Who do you think?

"I'm not allowed to say!" Oldbage replied.

What do you mean "not allowed to say!?" You just testified earlier that it was Engarde!

"This sort of information has to be carefully guarded from the masses, sonny," she continued. "The man that came out of Juan's room…" She paused. "It was…" She paused again, more hesitance in her voice. "He was…"

"Yes…?" the judge asked, apparently not recalling the testimony. "He was…?"

"…Ah! I'm too scared! I can't say his name out loud!"

Perhaps I should have taken Franziska's whip with me…

"Well, I guess I can tell you, since he was such a bad boy anyway," Oldbag continued. "It was Engarde. Matt Engarde. He was trying to sneak his way out of Juan's room!"

"Hold it!" Wright yelled. "You saw my client!? Are you sure about that!?"

"Yessey!"

"Really?"

"Annoying brat! When I say I saw someone, I saw that person!"

I suppose that works just as well as objecting to badgering…

"Please tell the court about the man's clothes in more detail!" Wright demanded.

"What a troublesome man you are," Oldbag replied. "Really, as if something like that matters."

"But it does," Wright muttered.

Thinking back… I'll let this go.

"Um… Now what was it… Oh, yes, it was that thing," Oldbag said, trying to remember.

"What thing?" Wright asked.

"That gaudy thing he's always wearing. That racing jacket. That thing's meant for nothing but seducing women out of their pantaloons! Hmph! Men!!"

Great… Her memory's mistaken. Knowing Wright, he'll ask for it to be added to the testimony, then object if he sees the problem.

"Um, right…" Wright commented.

"So, Mr. Wright," the judge called. "Was this testimony just now important or relevant in any way?"

"Hmm…" He pounded on his desk. "Of course it was important, Your Honor!"

"Objection!" Miles shouted. "Then perhaps you would like to point out what part of that testimony was important!"

"Don't you see it, Edgeworth?" Wright taunted.

I do, but the question is do you?

"Your Honor!" Wright shouted, pointing. "I request what the witness said about the jacket be appended to her testimony."

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "I don't quite see where you're going with this, but alright. Witness, please…"

"Ah well," Oldbag sighed, "I don't like to bad-mouth anyone without reason, but if I must… He was wearing his flashy racing jacket. Honestly, it's all just for show."

"Objection!" Wright yelled, pointing at the witness. "Ms. Oldbag…"

"What!?" she snapped. "Don't say my name for no reason!"

"Do you know what this is?" Wright asked, indicating the button.

"Aaaah! It's button number 2 on the Jammin' Ninja's costume!"

Sad…

"Give it here!" she yammered. "Give it here! If you don't give it to me, I'll punish you with this!" She fired her ray gun.

"This button was discovered on Mr. Engarde's body during a full body search," Wright said.

"See! See! This button proves beyond a shadow of a doubt it was that rascal Engarde!"

"It was caught up in the pleats of his Nickel Samurai hakama pants."

"See! See! And Engarde is the Nickel Samurai!"

Wright hit his desk. "…Witness! Now, it may just be me, and I do have an active imagination, but just now, didn't you say that the defendant… Matt Engarde was wearing his 'usual racing jacket'!?"

Oldbag didn't respond for a moment.

"…Ah…" she finally said. "I'm so sorry." She paused. "Sorry that you judge people based on what they wear!" she snapped. "If I wore the trendiest dress, then maybe you'd think I was the most gorgeous woman ever! But instead, I have to put up with wearing this ridiculous-looking outfit. You'd agree this outfit is hideous, right? I've got a tape recorder stuck on my chest! Lemme tell you, it's HEAVY! So heavy, I wish we would have switched to CDs ages ago! But I'm keeping that dream alive for all those kids out there, I work hard with a smile on my face, don't you understand!? Now, take a look in the mirror. Your clothes are about as interesting as a documentary on curling! You should take a tip or ten from Edgey-poo. Now HE'S got style!"

She fired her gun.

The judge banged his gavel. "Now hold your tongue still there for one second!" he commanded. "So what you saw in actuality, was not Mr. Engarde, the man… but Mr. Engarde, the Nickel Samurai!?"

"But when you think about it…" Oldbag started, cut off by the gallery's chatter. The judge banged his gavel. "They're really one and the same anyway…"

Wright pounded on his desk. "Ms Oldbag!" he yelled. "This is a very important point we're talking about!"

"Edgey-poo! Do you think so too?"

This is too familiar for comfort… "Well," Miles replied, "it might be something worth thinking about."

"Just say, 'It's important' and agree with me for a change!" Wright complained. The judge pounded his gavel.

"Witness!" he called. "Think carefully and try to remember as much as you can before you testify!"

Oldbag sighed. "Alright, if you insist."

It's the court that should be sighing, not you.

"Engarde… Engarde… Yes, now I remember! The Nickel Samurai, that's right, it was the Nickel Samurai that I saw! Yes, it would have been convenient for him to wear his costume during the murder. He had to go to that post-ceremony stage show right after the crime, you know. So he must've worn that Nickel Samurai costume when he was stabbing poor Juan."

Oldbag stopped, having nothing more to add for the time being. Wright was in his usual position—slumped over, his teeth gritted, and a cold sweat running down his face.

"I… I knew it…" Wright murmured. He then pounded on his desk. "I knew you'd say he was inside that costume!"

"What?" Oldbag replied. "Do you think there could've been someone else inside that costume? Don't be a bad little boy, thinking such rude things."

"But… But the possibility does exist!"

"Ah, young'uns today. I told you, there is no way it was anyone else."

"H-How do you know that?" the judge asked.

"Because… I said so. And what I say is the truth."

How my father was able to deal with cross-examining people like this is beyond me…

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

Wright looked over the transcript. "Be a little more careful with your testimony, please!" he shouted at Oldbag. "Not too long ago, you said he was wearing his 'racing jacket,' and now he's not!?"

"'Not too long ago'…?" Oldbag replied. "Then let me ask you this! When you were itty-bitty, what was your grand dream?"

How is this relevant?

"…Huh?"

"What did you want to be when you grew up, whippersnapper!?"

"My dream, huh…? Well, I… uh, wanted to be Judge Wackner, hero of the Public's Court. So what!?"

If it weren't for Oldbag being here, I'd laugh.

"See!" Oldbag snapped. "And look at where you are now! You're not Judge Wackner, are you!? Are you!?"

"Well…"

"'What I said earlier…' Who puts any weight into things like that!?"

With the exception of you, I can't name anyone who doesn't.

"The 'now' is everything! I can't be held responsible for the 'past'!"

What are you, a politician trying to deny involvement in a scandal?

"All that matters is that man was inside that costume. Isn't that enough!?"

Annoyed, Wright looked over the testimony again.

"Please take a look at this," he said, indicating the knife.

"Yeah, so, it's a knife," Oldbag responded. "Big deal. If you're trying to scare me with that, I'll have you know it won't work!"

"No no, that's not my intention at all…"

"That's the knife that was used in the murder, correct?" the judge asked.

"Your Honor. Do you remember why this piece of evidence is important to this case?"

"You don't even have to ask. It's because the defendant's fingerprints are on it."

Right. The Nickel Samurai wears gloves. That will be a pain to explain away…

"Is that what you're driving at…?" Miles asked.

"That is exactly what I am driving at."

"What are we driving at?" the judge demanded. "And whose car are we driving?"

I almost missed his misinterpretations… Almost.

"If Mr. Engarde was really in the Nickel Samurai costume at the time of the murder," Wright explained, pausing to hit his desk, "then it's impossible for his fingerprints to have been left on this knife! Actually, he would have wiped all previous fingerprints on this knife right off!"

The gallery started up. The judge banged his gavel.

"Oh, that's right!" he exclaimed. "The Nickel Samurai wears gloves, doesn't he?"

"Objection!" Miles shouted, striking his desk. "He probably took his gloves off before he began the stabbing!"

"Objection!" Wright countered. "And why would he do something like that? To leave his prints on the murder weapon?" He beat his desk. "There is no way he would do something like that!"

"However, there is one possibility!"

"Then let's hear your 'possibility'!"

"It's very simple. The defendant went to the victim's room while in costume as the Nickel Samurai. At that time, the defendant held no intent to murder. He was probably just going to relax and talk with the victim about the stage show." He hit his desk. "Which is why he took his gloves off!"

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "But the murder still did take place…"

"It's well known that the defendant and the victim had bad blood between them," Miles continued.

"Hmm, yes…" the judge agreed. "I have heard of that… Well, Mr. Wright? What do you have to say about Mr. Edgeworth's theory…?"

Wright took a moment, but pounded on his desk moments later. "This theory contradicts something in an earlier testimony!" he shouted.

"Wh-What are you babbling about…?" Miles asked.

"Now, for argument's sake, let's suppose Mr. Engarde was the killer. If that's the case, I think it's impossible for the killer to have gone to the victim's room without intent!" He indicated the knife. "This knife. This was used by Mr. Engarde at dinner."

"Y-Yes, we did establish that," the judge said.

"Which means that if my client was, in fact, the killer… Then he brought this knife with him when he went to visit Mr. Corrida."

"I suppose…" Miles agreed.

"However, you just said it yourself. 'At that time, the defendant held no intent to murder.'" Wright struck his desk. "If that were true, then why would he bring a knife!? He wouldn't, would he!?"

"Hmm…" I can't believe I missed something so obvious…

Wright hit his desk again. "Which means, Mr. Edgeworth, your theory was flawed from supposition one!"

The gallery began chattering.

"And one more thing!" Wright added over the chatter. "If the murderer was wearing the costume at the time of the murder… Then there should be glove marks left on the knife!" He hit his desk yet again. "Which means the defendant's fingerprints shouldn't be all over it like bees on a hive!"

Wait… Thinking about it, why should—

"And that brings me to my final point…" Wright continued, interrupting Miles's thoughts. "This knife was planted by the real killer to hide their identity and mislead us!"

The gallery by now was yammering loudly enough to make the judge bang his gavel.

"O-Order!" he yelled. "Order, I say! Order in the court!!" He indicated the knife. "Was this knife really planted by the killer!? Why would the murderer do such a thing!?"

Technically, the knife says nothing about the killer, since Corrida was stabbed after—

"It's to frame my client, Mr. Engarde, of course!" Wright responded to the judge's question.

"To frame…"

"Objection!" Miles interrupted, beating his desk. "A-Aren't you forcing the interpretation just a little too hard on this one!?"

"Objection!" Wright shouted back, hitting his desk harder. "But we just established that the witness saw the 'Nickel Samurai' in costume, and if that were true, then there shouldn't be a single fingerprint on this knife!"

"Grrrrrrrrr!" Miles growled. I thought it was important, but it's just a triviality that gave the defense an opening… And it's all thanks to this blasted witness! "Witneeeeeesssssss!!" It's amazing that no one's killed her for being such a nuisance…

"…Looks like I've made your life a tiny bit more difficult, huh Edgey…?" Oldbag teased.

"Gnnnnngh…" Maybe it's better that Franziska's not prosecuting. She might accidentally kill the witness by whipping her too much…

"Witness, did you or did you not really see the Nickel Samurai?" the judge asked, his tone of voice making it clear he was getting annoyed, too.

"Well," Oldbag answered," I guess at first I might have forgotten, but…"

"Are you saying you mixed up Mr. Engarde with the Nickel Samurai, his character on TV!?" Wright asked.

"But I mean, I can't really do anything about that!" Oldbag snapped. "Look, I was waiting around in front of their doors because, well… Well, I wasn't waiting around for the Nickel Samurai, that's for sure!"

Wright looked surprised.

It goes without saying that she wasn't waiting for Engarde.

"Alright then…" Wright said. "Who were you waiting around for then?"

Oldbag was silent for a moment.

Come now, it's not exactly nuclear chemistry.

"Hmph!" Oldbag grunted. "That's top secret to anyone outside of security!"

"I have a feeling that you were waiting for Mr. Juan Corrida," the judge said. "Am I correct, witness?"

"Ha ha ha. The way you think, you are a sad amateur with a terrible case of near-sightedness."

"Amateur…? Me…? What am I an amateur of…?"

It appears Franziska was right on the dot here. I just wish I had arrived early enough to discuss with Ms. Andrews what she saw. Franziska's notes were somewhat ambiguous…

"Maybe… Phoenix!" Mia whispered. "Maybe the old bag was waiting around for 'that' person!"

Wright paused to take in the hint. "Ms. Oldbag," he called, digging through his files to get a photograph. "You were waiting for this person to come out of the victim's room, weren't you?"

You could just say her name rather than waste your time on a picture. Then again, you did that a year ago, too, if I recall correctly. Anything to get a chance to present something, am I right? Miles opened up his binder and flipped to the evidence section.

"Take that!" Wright yelled, taking out Ms. Andrews's photo.

"Who is this person…?" the judge asked.

"This is Adrian Andrews, Mr. Engarde's manager," Wright replied.

"B-But why would the defendant's manager be in the victim's room…?"

"It seems that this is the latest rumor in circulation, Your Honor," Miles stated, taking out a tabloid article. The bailiff handed it to the judge, who looked over it intently after reading a bit.

"…Hmm… Oh… This is… Well, this is… Hmm, hmm… Hah, I see…"

I never would have expected the judge to be interested in celebrity gossip… Political scandals, definitely, but not celebrities…

"Then this manager with the initials A. A.…" the judge said, pausing his "examination" of the article. "Are you saying it's…?"

"Adrian Andrews," Miles finished. "Without a doubt, the witness thought so as well."

I'm not surprised by Ms. Oldbag's interest in celebrity gossip, though.

"…Hmph," Oldbag grunted. "Looks like you found me out. Well, that's fine. I can throw away this whole sworn to confidentiality stuff."

"W-Witness…?" the judge stammered. "What in the world are you…"

"Watch out, Phoenix," Mia said. "I've got a bad feeling about this… A very bad feeling."

"I got some information…" Oldbag said, her tone of voice indicating she was going to enjoy teasing the court with said information. "Some very secret information from a certain source. So that's why I was doing my own little investigation… In secret, of course."

"B-But what for…?" the judge asked.

"Oh, just for myself… Personal reasons and all that."

The judge was silent.

I guess Ms. Andrews's testimony will have to wait until after this fly is swatted. Hopefully, she'll land soon.

"Well, Mr. Edgeworth," the judge finally said. "How will you proceed from here?"

"I really don't want to do this," Miles answered, "however I cannot simply let this point slide."

"I see. Very well then. Witness, please testify about this 'secret information'."

"Get ready," Oldbag said. She then started firing her ray gun. "This is going to take the wind out of you young'uns!"

I've learned that my mentor killed my father. I assure you, whatever you have to say is nothing in comparison, no matter how shocking.

"That Engarde is one evil, evil man!" Oldbag spouted. "He thought he could ruin poor Juan by causing a huge scandal! So to do that, he sent his own manager to get in close with Juan! I cannot condone such dirty tricks! So I took action! …Oh, and this is top secret, you got that!? Nobody else but you and me know yet, OK?"

"The defendant sent his manager…?" the judge exclaimed. "What a distasteful topic for this court!"

"What!?" Oldbag snapped. "Nobody's above gossip! And isn't there a saying!? 'The truth is never pleasant.'"

It's certainly more pleasant than you are.

"Mr. Edgeworth," the judge called. "What about this Adrian Andrews person…?"

"We have looked into the matter," Miles replied, "and found that the 'truth' the article proposes is, in fact, baseless gossip."

"Hmm… But should this be true… Then this proves that the defendant did bear ill-will towards the victim. Now then, Mr. Wright. You may cross-examine the witness."

"Be careful," Mia warned Wright. "The old bag seems rather excited right now."

"That's right!" Oldbag yelled. "Engarde is nothing but your average foul-blooded youth!"

Ironic that someone who despises young people so much tends to get infatuated with young men on a regular basis.

Wright examined the testimony. He read over it a few times, no doubt answering some of the questions for himself. He then put the testimony down.

"Wait!" he yelled out of the blue.

"What!? Oldbag demanded. "I'm a busy woman! Tea time with the kids is over!"

"Secret information that no one else knows yet…" He paused to bang on his desk. "If that's true, then how do you know this 'secret information'!?"

"Huh!? Well… That's… because I'm a pro… Yes, that's it…"

Only Gumshoe would be stupid enough to buy that… and possibly Larry…

Wright didn't respond, just glaring at the witness.

"I-It's a secret!" Oldbag snapped. "Even if you drill a hole into my brain, you'll never find out!"

Wright paused, thinking. "So no one else is supposed to know this 'secret information', correct? If that's true, then why do you know it, Ms. Oldbag…?"

I know that look. He's going to present evidence.

"Wh-Wh-Why are you looking at me like that…?" Oldbag stuttered. "Stop that!"

"Witness!" Wright barked, pointing at the old crone. "I'm sad to say it, but this is how you found out this secret, isn't it!?" He took out a file and started flicking it. "The 'investigative photographer', Lotta Hart…"

"Oh yes…" the judge recalled. "I remember that mischievous girl."

…Right. The girl who photographed Yogi framing me…

"She reported that she had lost a certain note she had written to herself," Wright continued.

"She reported such a thing…?" the judge asked.

"On that piece of paper, she had written some of her outrageo… er, impressions about the relationship between the victim and Ms. Andrews."

"Wh-What!?" Oldbag exploded. "Outrageous ideas, you say!?"

"No no no, I said impressions," Wright responded, trying to cover his mistake.

"Then… Then…!" She took a piece of paper out from behind the "machine" on the front of her uniform. "Then everything written on this piece of paper is completely meaningless!"

"Ah! That's it! That's the note!"

"Ah! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! Noooo! You see, this is some-thing completely different! This is my top secret list of groceries to buyyyyyyy!!"

It was clear from the expressions on the faces of the gallery that no one believed her.

"Hmm, then you are the one who took Ms. Hart's note?" the judge asked.

"I'm a huuuuuuuge fan of Juan's, that's why! That infamous, puffy-haired whippersnapper… She's working with that evil Engarde! She said so herself! 'En garde! I'm his sidekick!' She was so happy, smiling like a silly duck. I was only checking what she had written!"

The courtroom, again, was silent.

…I'm so worried about what she'll start raving about next that I don't want to speak…

"Edgey-poo!" Oldbag sputtered upon realizing she was on the spot. "You believe me, don't you!?"

"Nngh…" Miles grunted as he hunched forward over his desk. Like nitrogen triiodide, the slightest touch sets her off…

"I was only trying to help out like the angel I am!"

The only angel you could be is Lucifer…

"It's only one little piece of paper!" Oldbag continued. "I've never taken anything else before!"

"You really should come with a supply of cheese to match your vintage whine."

"Well, it was only a piece of paper," the judge admitted. "I suppose we can overlook this just this once."

How did we even get to this point? Is it even relevant? Oldbag was waiting for evidence of a scandal. What matters is that—

Wright hit his desk, interrupting Miles's thoughts.

"Witness!" he yelled. "You said that the only thing you stole was that note. Is this correct?"

"S-S-Stole!?" Oldbag hissed. "Why don't you listen more carefully, you annoying brat!? I saved this piece of paper from the terrible, lonely trash can! That's all!"

"You're lying, dammit! And I can prove it!!"

"Are you putting my credibility under scrutiny again!?"

Are you even credible to begin with!?

"Ms. Oldbag!" Wright called. "I don't believe that the note is the only thing you stole that night!" He pounded on his desk. "Ms. Oldbag! That note was with a camera, inside its case, wasn't it?"

"A camera…?" the judge asked.

"Yesterday, Lotta Hart was raising a huge stink over her camera. She kept saying something like, 'My sweetie $1,600 camera disappeared on me!'"

"Why… Why… Witness!!"

"What is it, gramps?" Oldbag asked.

Wright hit his desk again. "If you have the note," he explained, "then it is only logical that you have the camera too!"

"Grr… Looks like you found me out again, sonny…" She took out an expensive-looking camera. "Is this the camera you're looking for?"

Forget getting her to leave me alone… It's tempting to tell her I'm engaged just to see her suffer…

Miles noticed Wright didn't look any happier about the mischievous old fly.

"Ah, that's…!" Wright trailed off.

"What!?" Oldbag snapped. "Even though I look like this, I'm still a person, you know! I still eat meals like you, I fall in love… and 'borrow' things from people!"

"Um…" the judge mumbled. "I think your definition of 'borrow' is a bit off…"

"I saw that woman's business card and that's when I noticed it said, 'Slimebag Celebrity Photographer Extraordinaire'! Well, when I saw that, I had to know what sort of pictures she had taken! I'm a professional security guard! It's my business to know these things!"

You sure don't act professional…

The judge banged his gavel in response to the gallery's noise.

"Bailiff!" he called. "Check this camera's photos. Hurry! We must examine them at once!"

The bailiff took the camera off to have the photographs printed out.

---

After a brief wait, Miles was handed the printed photographs. He flipped through them, many of them black-and-white photos of the various stars that were at the show.

Hard to believe such an expensive camera doesn't produce color photos…

He stopped at one of them. It was of what appeared to be the Nickel Samurai leaving the victim's room.

Funny… I could have sworn the defendant was taller than this. I'm sure Wright will bring that up…

Miles continued going through them. After reaching the end, he put the irrelevant photos aside, leaving only the Nickel Samurai picture.

"Well, Mr. Edgeworth…" the judge said. "What do we have?"

"There is only one photo that seems to be relevant to this case," Miles said, holding the photo.

"Please present it to the court!" the judge demanded. Miles handed the photo to the bailiff, who handed it over to the judge. "Th-This is… This is the Nickel Samurai!"

"See, I told you!" Oldbag yowled. "That's the guy I saw!"

"This proves that the witness was not lying earlier about this matter."

"Wh-What does all this mean, Mr. Edgeworth!?" the judge asked.

"This photo by itself does not prove that the person in it is the defendant," Miles admitted, holding the photograph. "However! In his own confession, Mr. Engarde clearly stated that…" He paused to hit his desk. "At the time of the murder, he was still in his Nickel Samurai costume!" The bailiff took the photo and placed it among the rest of the evidence.

"If that is the case, then… this Nickel Samurai is…"

Miles did his "evil smile." "The defendant," he finished.

The gallery started up. The judge whacked his gavel. "How did it come to this…?" he sighed. "I think this brings us to the end. We have examined every piece of evidence thoroughly. Final comments, Mr. Wright? The court will consider them before we close. Do you agree that this photo is decisive evidence against your client?"

Wright paused, clearly thinking. It was obvious that he was trying to find a problem. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

"This photo that Lotta took…" he said. "There's…"

"something strange with it."

Wright pounded on his desk. "There's… There's something strange with this photo!"

"I knew this was coming, Wright," Miles said, doing his "evil smile."

"Your thoughts, Mr. Edgeworth?" the judge asked.

"I think we can all agree there is nothing strange with this photo. There is no way for the defense to debunk this photo, even with a bunker buster."

"'Debunk with a bunker buster'!? Is that what you're planning to do, Mr. Wright!?"

Wright paused, then struck his desk. "Um, anyway, please look at the photo one more time!"

"If you really believe you can honestly find something wrong with this photo," the judge started, "then you should only need one chance, correct…?"

"Um… Well…"

I knew it. You're just stalling until you actually find a problem.

Wright looked intensely at the photo. The judge banged his gavel after a moment.

"Now then, let's hear your objection," he said. "What about this photo is 'strange'…?"

Wright apparently saw the problem, because he seemed to regain all his gusto and pointed at the Nickel Samurai's ankles in the picture.

"I would like to direct the court's attention to this one area right here!"

"Wh-What are you pointing to?" the judge asked, trying to see. "His ankles…?"

"If you could see this person's ankle, that would be one thing… However you can't."

"A-And…? What does that mean…?"

"The 'Nickel Samurai' in this photo could not have been Mr. Engarde!"

"What is the meaning of this!?"

"Objection!" Miles shouted, hitting his desk. "I wonder if you would care to elaborate… With actual facts, that is."

"Let's take a look at the Nickel Samurai's poster," Wright began, taking out a promotional poster. "Please pay particular attention to the area around the bottom of the hakama."

"His… His socks…" the judge commented. "You can see his socks…"

Wright nodded. "Exactly! However, in this photo… the Nickel Samurai is clearly holding up his hakama just to walk!"

And I think I can see what your conclusion is.

Wright pounded on his desk. "There is only one explanation for this!" he almost shouted. "The person inside this costume is clearly much shorter than the defendant!"

The gallery began yammering. The judge silenced them with three whacks of his gavel.

At last we arrive at the real fight… You've done well, Wright, but this is far from over.

"That's curious…" Mia commented.

"Huh?" Wright yapped. "What is?"

"Edgeworth is unusually calm today…"

"That's true…"

Catching on, are we?

"He's just letting the trial run itself; as if he's only along for the ride," Mia continued.

"'Along for the ride'…? What do you mean by that?"

"I can only think that perhaps he doesn't feel under attack at all…"

The judge banged his gavel.

"Mr. Edgeworth!" he called. "Where does this leave us!?"

At a clear problem—one that will be solved today.

"If the person in this photo is not Matt Engarde… then everything the prosecution has tried to prove has become meaningless!"

The gallery started up.

Ha. I had forgotten how it felt to have the entire court's eyes on me…

"Hmm…" Miles sighed. "I thought it would come to this."

"WHAT!?" Wright yelped.

"Wright. I have something I want to ask you. I think you have proven that the person inside this costume is not Matt Engarde. In that case… who IS this a photo of…?"

Though I'm sure you already have an answer for us.

"Don't stress out over this, Phoenix," Mia said. "It's very simple." She turned to face Miles, who ignored her stare. "What you should be focused on is Edgeworth's attitude, don't you think?"

Wright followed Mia's gaze.

Well?

"Mr. Wright," the judge called. "Let's hear your thoughts. Who is the person in this photograph…?"

"Take that!" Wright yelled, holding Ms. Andrews's photograph.

Is it that hard to say a name, Wright?

"A-Adrian Andrews…?" the judge stammered.

"If you want to know who that Nickel Samurai is, it is none other than this woman!"

"And why would you say it would be Ms. Andrews!?" Miles demanded. "What in the world points you to her?"

"For starters, she's short. And, she can freely move in and out of Mr. Engarde's room. Finally, she had dinner with Mr. Engarde that night."

"And how does that all add up?" the judge asked.

"It means that it makes it very easy for her to get a certain item. …A certain knife with Mr. Engarde's fingerprints all over it!"

"The knife that was used as a murder weapon!"

"Why don't you just say what it is you want, Wright?" Miles asked, impatient.

Wright pounded on his desk.

"The defense motions to indict Ms. Adrian Andrews in the murder of Juan Corrida! It was Ms. Andrews who tried to frame the defendant for the crime!"

The gallery began murmuring, not stopping until the judge banged his gavel.

"Order! Order!! ORDER!!" he bellowed. "It looks like this trial has hit a most unexpected development! Mr. Edgeworth!"

"Yes, Your Honor?" Miles answered.

"This court is issuing a subpoena for Ms. Adrian Andrews! A verdict cannot be passed without first hearing her testimony!"

And now the real fight begins. I suppose I should be glad the person on this case before me was Franziska; someone like Payne probably wouldn't have seen this coming.

"This… is kind of bad for us," Mia said.

"Huh?" Wright murmured. "What do you mean?"

"If Adrian Andrews is summoned to court as a witness… It means that the trial will go on for another day."

"One more day…? Ack!!"

Why on earth is an extension a problem? Not that it matters; Ms. Andrews is ready to be summoned any time.

The judge banged his gavel. "Now then," he said, "we shall set Ms. Andrews' testimony for tomorrow…" He banged his gavel again. "Now then…"

"Objection!" Wright interrupted, slamming his desk. "Please, Your Honor! Continue the trial! You must pass a verdict today!"

He must have a flight leaving tomorrow or something. Poor fellow.

"I can't do that," the judge replied. "We cannot hear Ms. Andrews' testimony if she is not—"

"Hold it!" Miles interrupted. All eyes were on him. "I abhor wasting such valuable time…"

"E-Edgeworth?" Wright yowled, confused.

"Your Honor," Miles called to the judge. "I request that you please continue with today's trial."

"B-But…" the judge stuttered. "We cannot continue due to this unexpected development!"

"Tsk, tsk. 'Unexpected' development? I think you underestimate me, Your Honor."

"And what do you mean by that…?"

"That Mr. Wright would slave his way to subpoenaing Ms. Adrian Andrews is all happening according to plan… Even if Wright was a bit slow to catch on…"

"Wh-Wh-Wh…" Wright stammered, a cold sweat flowing down his face. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?"

The gallery, just as surprised as Wright, started chattering. The judge, the look on his face indicating that he, too, was surprised, banged his gavel.

"What is the meaning of your statement, Mr. Edgeworth!?" the judge asked.

"Ms. Adrian Andrews is currently waiting in the prosecution lobby…" Miles replied. He shook his head in amusement and shrugged. "She is the next witness."

"Somehow, I knew there was no way Edgeworth would overlook Ms. Andrews…" Mia commented. "Looks like this battle is far from over."

"Exactly," Miles responded, taking a bow.

The judge banged his gavel. "Very well," he said. "We will call the next witness. However… Before we proceed, we shall take a 10 minute recess. Please prepare your witness in that time, Mr. Edgeworth."

I had no intent to do anything else, considering that I have yet to even speak to her.

"The court will now take a 10 minute recess," the judge announced, subsequently banging his gavel.

---

"Edgey-poo!" Oldbag called as Miles walked toward the prosecution lobby. Miles sighed in annoyance as he heard the sound of her running to catch up to him. "I was so worried about you! I had heard from that pretentious young upstart with the whip that you were dead! Do you have any idea what it's like to lose someone you love? Why, I still remember when my big sister bought the farm. She was always fawning over this guy she'd never get, and let me tell you, I always told her she wasn't going to get him, but of course she—"

"Ms. Oldbag," Miles interrupted. "You're no longer needed."

"Oh, but I wanted to see you teach that spiky-headed whippersnapper and that immodest girl next to him a—"

"You are free to watch from the gallery if you're that insistent, but I have a witness to prepare and would rather not have any distractions."

"Don't worry about that silly manager girl; she's smart enough to—"

"Please leave me."

"Never! You're mine for—"

"Could you please escort this woman out of this area?" Miles asked the officer near the lobby entrance.

"Yes, sir," the officer replied, saluting. Oldbag complained and struggled, but Miles didn't listen to her rant as he entered. As he expected, Ms. Andrews was waiting in the prosecution lobby.

"Sorry about the noise," Miles said. "You must be Ms. Andrews."

"I am," the woman replied. "May I have your name?"

"Miles Edgeworth. I took over prosecuting after Ms. von Karma was prevented from showing up."

"Is she going to be okay? I heard she was shot…"

"The last time I heard from the hospital, she was in no danger, though her shoulder will likely hurt for at least a few days. Moving on… I need to know more about your involvement in what happened."

"My… involvement?"

"Ms. von Karma left some interesting notes on what you've said. I'd like to confirm what happened."

"…Very well. I entered Juan's room after checking on Matt and saw him dead. I was so shocked that I felt faint, so I poured myself some juice that was sitting on the table."

"…And that's all?" Miles asked after Ms. Andrews fell silent.

"That's all."

Why am I reminded of when Lana tried to convince me she had killed Goodman? I suppose Franziska didn't leave anything in her notes hinting to anything else, but considering the trail of evidence and testimony we've followed up to this woman, her involvement can't just be a dead end… I suppose we'll find the hidden path behind the brush when court reconvenes. I suppose if the necessity arises, I can use her little secret to force the truth out of her, though I'd rather not cause her more stress than necessary.

"Hmph," Miles chuckled. "Your attitude reminds me of the way my fiancée was a few years ago. Back then, she had quite the secret to guard. I should hope that's not the reason behind your behavior."

"What are you trying to imply, Mr. Edgeson?" Ms. Andrews asked.

"Edgeworth," Miles corrected. "And I am warning you that the defense is not to be underestimated; though he usually makes claims first and presents the evidence to support it later, he's no idiot. I have yet to see a lie get past him in court. And I won't tolerate any lies, either. If you have told me only the truth and left nothing out, I am sorry for treating you like this, but know that if you have been lying or intend to lie on the stand, or if you are withholding something important from the court, Wright and I will stop at nothing to find the truth you are keeping from us."

"Mr. Edgeworth, you're needed in court," the bailiff called.

Perfect timing. "Shall we?" Miles asked Ms. Andrews as he walked toward the door.

---

The judge banged his gavel, calling court back into session.

"Court will now reconvene," he announced. "Now then, Mr. Edgeworth, if you please."

"The prosecution calls the witness subpoenaed by this court," Miles stated. "Ms. Adrian Andrews, the person who discovered the crime in Mr. Juan Corrida's room!"

Ms. Andrews was escorted to the stand. She was fidgeting with what looked a gift card from some local knickknack shop.

"What is your occupation?" Miles asked.

"I am the manager of the defendant in this case, Mr. Matt Engarde," Ms. Andrews answered.

"I see," the judge said. "Now then…"

"Before we begin, Your Honor," Ms. Andrews interrupted, "I have one request."

"Uh, yes, sure. What is it?"

"I'm sure everyone in this room is wondering the same thing, and would love to find out more about my relationship with the victim. After all, it was the topic of a certain weekly 'magazine' recently…"

"Ah, no, I have no idea what you mean. I've never even heard of 'Gossip Land'…"

If the judge was ever a witness, he'd do all of the defense's work on his own…

"Anyway, I was wondering if you could please tell us about your relation to the victim," Miles requested.

"Yes, I was seeing Mr. Corrida," Ms. Andrews replied. "I was also aware of the rivalry that existed between Matt and Juan… But this was a private matter between Juan and myself."

Likely about Ms. Inpax, but that's a story for another testimony.

"Hmm, so it was a 'fry 'n bait' matter…" the judge commented. "Or was that 'bait 'n fry'? Reminds me of fishing…"

"But I…" Ms. Andrews cut in. "But I didn't kill him."

"No one has accused you of that," Miles assured her.

"I've got a feeling someone will soon…"

Wright, from the look on his face, knew she was referring to him.

"I think we all understand your relationship with the victim now, Ms. Andrews," the judge said with a nod.

"Very well then," Miles added. "Witness, please testify to the court about what happened when you discovered the murder that had taken place."

Ms. Andrews waited until she was sure everyone was paying attention, all the while fidgeting with her card.

"It was time for the show to start," she began, "so I went to get Matt from his room. After that, I went to Juan's room. And there was his dead body. I… I was in shock… What I saw was, naturally, the exact same scene as in the crime scene photo. I felt as though I was about to faint, so I poured myself a glass of juice."

"You poured yourself a glass of juice…?" the judge asked after he was sure Ms. Andrews was done testifying.

"Yes. Sadly, I didn't remember not to touch things at the scene of a crime… And I disturbed the crime scene by moving this one thing…"

"And that is when the fingerprints on the wine glass were made, Your Honor," Miles stated.

"I see," the judge commented. "Well, Mr. Wright, you may cross-examine the witness."

"Phoenix," Mia called to Wright before he could start. "She is one cool and collected customer, and she has the brains to match."

"Yes…" Wright agreed. "I know."

"In order to catch a person like her, you have to avoid head-on confrontations. You should disrupt her pace."

"Disrupt her pace…?"

"She's the type of woman who is easily thrown off by things inconsistent with her thinking so you have to attack when she least expects it. The instant you let up on your offense is the instant this trial is over. Understand?"

It's funny how much she behaves like Mia Fey. Maybe that's why Wright hired her…

Wright looked over the testimony. "You were 'in shock'…?" he asked the witness.

"What?" Ms. Andrews half-laughed. "Was I not supposed to be?"

"Anyone randomly stumbling upon a dead body would be in shock," Miles stated. "And you can't seriously expect that a young beauty like her would not be shocked."

That came out wrong… Why do I feel as if Lana's the one on the stand? I suppose this witness does bear some similarities to her… The attitude, the secret, the intelligence…

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "I see…"

"What I saw was, naturally, the exact same scene as in the crime scene photo," Ms. Andrews said. "I felt as though I was about to faint, so I poured myself a glass of juice."

"Hold it!" Wright demanded. "Juice…?"

"Yes, there was a bottle of tomato juice on the table, so I helped myself."

"But you didn't drink any of it, did you?"

"Huh?"

"There were no lip marks on this wine glass to suggest anyone drank from it."

"I… I wasn't feeling terribly great, so I set the glass down. Without drinking it…"

Something smells, and I'm pretty sure it's not the Butz.

"Ms. Andrews," Wright continued, "I would like to confirm with you one more time. When you discovered the dead body of Juan Corrida, you were in great shock. And that's when you poured yourself the glass of juice, correct?"

"And what of it…?" Ms. Andrews asked. "My mind really was a complete blank at the time."

"Your mind was a complete blank? I didn't think that was possible for you."

"Aren't you rude today? I was so dazed that I made one careless mistake… That one thing…"

"What 'one thing'?"

"Um, never mind. It's no big deal."

Right, and that photo Lana took of Neil Marshall was no big deal, either. If Wright doesn't press her on this, I will.

Wright, right on cue, hit his desk.

"Ms. Andrews!" he barked. "I'm convinced that as you said, you made a 'mistake' at the scene of the crime."

Ms. Andrews didn't respond.

"What I really want to know is what this 'mistake' was," Wright continued, pointing at the witness.

"Hmm, actually…" Miles trailed off. "So would I…"

"I…" Ms. Andrews stuttered. "I'm sorry… It's just… It's kind of… embarrassing… When I… When I set the glass down on the dresser… I accidentally… knocked the flower vase over…"

The gallery started murmuring. The judge responded with a whack of his gavel.

"F-Flower vase…?" the judge confirmed. "Are you talking about the one on the floor in the crime scene photo…?" He took out a copy of the photo. "This mess of glass shards!?"

"It was originally on top of the dresser…" Ms. Andrews admitted, "but when I bumped into it with my elbow, it fell… onto the guitar case."

Miles struck his desk. "Wh-Why did you withhold such an important piece of information!?" he demanded.

"I'm sorry… I thought that since the crime scene was already in disarray, that people would simply assume the vase was just another part of the mess."

The judge banged his gavel.

"It seems like yet another fact has come to light here," he stated. "Please add this and anything else you have to reveal to your testimony."

"I'm sorry…" Ms. Andrews stammered. "But… I have nothing more to add… I didn't touch anything else."

For someone with nothing more to add, you sure sound nervous. …No matter; I'm sure Wright will catch on.

"I was the one who knocked the flower vase over," Ms. Andrews testified, "where it fell onto the guitar case."

"Objection!" Wright yelled. "You testified that you knocked the flower vase over. Is this correct?"

"Yes."

"And are you sure it fell onto the guitar case?"

"I-Is there some problem with what I said…?"

"It's not 'some' problem, it's a 'major' problem. It's true that the top of the guitar case was wet with water. However, that's exactly what's so strange! Ms. Andrews! You testified that the vase fell onto the guitar case! However!" Wright paused to hit his desk. "If that was true, the case should have gotten wet on the inside, not the outside!"

The gallery began chattering, cut off when the judge banged his gavel.

"Th-That's very true!" the judge agreed.

"Furthermore," Wright added, "there is one other strange thing about this guitar case."

"And wh-what is that?"

"Let's take another look at the crime scene photo. The remains of the vase are scattered on the floor."

"And what is wrong with that?"

"If the guitar case was open when the vase fell…" Wright pounded on his desk, then pointed at Ms. Andrews. "The glass shards should be INSIDE, not outside the case!"

"Ah!" Ms. Andrews gasped.

"Objection!" Miles barked. "What is your point, Wright!? That the case was closed at the time the vase was knocked over? Is that all!?"

"Objection!" Wright responded. "No. Think back to what Ms. Andrews testified to! She said that other than the vase, she didn't touch anything else!"

"Nngh…" In other words, you think she opened the guitar case.

"Yes, that's right…" the judge said. "She did implicitly say she didn't touch the guitar case!"

"Objection!" Miles yelled. "But… But this whole matter with the guitar case is a dead end! The bright red guitar was found at the studio! It has no bearing on this case at all!"

"…That may very well be," Wright admitted, "however…" He trailed off.

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "It seems that there is no deeper meaning to the guitar case. Well, Mr. Wright? Do you think we need to hear more details about the guitar case?"

"The empty guitar case…" Wright struck his desk. "I believe this is a crucial piece of the puzzle!"

"Heh!" Miles chuckled. "I can't believe ANYONE would reach for straws like this! But it is you…"

The judge banged his gavel. "Alright," he said. "I'll follow along… For now. Ms. Andrews, please testify to the court about the guitar case."

"Yes, Your Honor," Ms. Andrews replied. "I don't remember too clearly because I was a bit dazed. I suppose I must have opened the guitar case… after I knocked the vase over. It's not a big deal though, right? The case was empty after all. As for why I opened the case… Even I don't know."

"Hmm… It looks like this really wasn't a very important point."

"This wastefulness is such a familiar feeling by now that it's almost… comforting," Miles commented.

"Um, anyway, I'll just go ahead and start the cross-examination…" Wright said.

"Hmph. Using 'anyway' to change the topic; a convenient escape for a weak man."

Wright looked over the testimony, carefully examining it.

"There is no way you were the one who opened the guitar case," Wright finally said.

"Why would you say that!?" Ms. Andrews demanded.

"It's elementary, my dear." Wright paused and pounded on his desk. "Because the only fingerprints on this guitar case are those of the victim!"

"Ah!"

The gallery started up.

"What is it, Ms. Andrews?" the judge asked. Miles noticed that the witness looked as though she had suddenly recalled something.

"…You shouldn't assume that I must have left prints just because I touched the case," she said to Wright.

"What do you mean?" Wright asked.

"What if I were to tell you that I was wearing gloves at the time?"

"Gloves…" the judge echoed. "But why would you be wearing gloves at the time?"

"It was the night of the award ceremony. So of course I dressed up for the occasion. Yes, now I remember… I'm almost sure I was wearing a pair of thin gloves."

"Hmm… I see… Well, Mr. Wright. It seems the witness was wearing gloves at the scene of the crime."

"You were wearing gloves…?" Wright asked. "Isn't that a little strange?"

"Why is that strange!?" Ms. Andrews almost snapped. "Do you have something that would prove I was not wearing gloves at the time…?"

"I have your proof right here." He indicated the wine glass. "This wine glass."

"The wine glass?"

"You left your fingerprints very clearly on this wine glass."

"Ah…"

Indeed, she wouldn't even be here had it not been for that glass.

"Even if you took your gloves off when you poured yourself this glass of juice," Wright continued, "wouldn't you think it was just a little strange…" He paused to hit his desk. "That you put your gloves back on, just to open the guitar case!?"

"Ugn!" Ms. Andrews cried. The gallery stared yammering, though the judge quieted them down with three whacks of his gavel.

"Order! Order! Order!!" he bellowed.

"Looks like you hit the nail on the head this time," Mia said to Wright.

"What do you mean?" Wright asked, looking confused.

"I believe that guitar case plays a very important role here."

"But it's just an empty case…"

"I wonder if it really was empty though…"

"B-But the guitar… The bright red guitar was at the studio!"

"Phoenix, drop all of your presumption. What was in the guitar case was not the bright red guitar."

I hope he's not going to try to say a bright yellow guitar was in the case…

The judge banged his gavel, cutting them off.

"Hmm, I admit it would be unnatural for someone to do that," he said. "So the witness was not wearing gloves, despite the fact that on the case…"

"Objection!" Miles interrupted. "Your Honor, this is obviously the defense's usual misdirection tactic at work. Steer the court towards an unrelated topic, and lull us all into his misguided…"

"Objection!" Wright snapped, cutting Miles off and striking his desk. "No, Your Honor! Please recall that Ms. Andrews had testified that the vase 'fell onto the guitar case'! Which means that the case was closed when the crime took place! However, it is wide open in this photo of the crime scene!" He indicated the photo and struck his desk again. "I am sure this guitar case has some relation to the murder!"

"Objection! If you are so sure, Wright, then I'm sure you can somehow substantiate your outrageous claim, correct!?" Miles pounded on his desk. "Please, enlighten us as to why that guitar case has anything at all to do with this murder!"

"Uh…"

As usual, you make the claim first and find the proof later.

"Can you do that, Mr. Wright!?" the judge asked.

"Um, well… Let's suppose for a second… That the bright red guitar was not the only thing that could have been in the case…"

"The bright red guitar not being the only thing…? Y-You don't mean to suggest that a bright BLACK guitar was inside the—"

"Objection!" Miles cut in, striking his desk. "So, you intend to push your theory that the case was not empty!? Is that it, Wright!?"

"I wouldn't say something I didn't intend to prove!" Wright replied.

"Deflate that head of yours! You haven't proven a thing yet! Now then, let's have it. What was inside this case at the time of the murder!?"

"Take that!" Wright took out his copy of Hart's photo.

"Th-This is…" the judge stammered. "This is a photograph…!"

"Yes, but what is important is what is in that picture, Your Honor."

"I-In the picture…?"

"It doesn't take a genius to see what I mean! What I am proposing is…" He paused to hit his desk. "Inside the guitar case was the Nickel Samurai! The hero's very own costume!"

"Wh-What!?" Miles howled. The gallery's murmurs implied they were just as surprised. The judge banged his gavel to restore order.

"M-Mr. Wright!" he called. "Explain yourself!"

"Wright!" Miles barked. "Are you saying that the witness opened the guitar case to take out a costume!? What insane point would there be to doing something like that!?"

"That insane point would be to wear the costume, of course," Wright answered. "Ms. Andrews put it on to hide her identity so she could make her escape. After all, you couldn't let anyone see you leave, could you, Ms. Andrews?"

"I-I refuse to accept your theory!" Miles pounded on his desk. "Do you have anything to support such a preposterous idea!?"

"Just outside the door was an investigative photographer who was starving for a big scoop. And in the end, she managed to get this shot, correct?"

"You… You mean this photo!?" the judge asked, indicating Hart's photograph.

The gallery murmured, silenced by the judge's gavel.

"Order!" he barked. "Ordeeeer! It looks like we've wandered into quite another mess again, haven't we…?"

Mia muttered something to Wright, but Miles didn't hear her, nor did he hear Wright's response.

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "So the real murderer was hiding inside a costume…"

"Objection!" Miles shouted. "W-Wait one second, Your Honor! The Nickel Samurai's costume would have been Mr. Matt Engarde's!" He struck his desk. "Why would something of the defendant's be in the victim's room!? And inside the guitar case, of all places!?"

"Hmm, true… That is a little baffling… Mr. Wright, the court would like to hear your thoughts. What was this Nickel Samurai costume doing inside the guitar case…?"

"Mr. Engarde did not take his costume off during the break period…" Wright said. "In that case, the costume we are talking about was a spare one."

"What…?" Miles managed to say.

Just give it up, Wright. Your theory makes no sense!

"Then…" the judge began, "are you saying that on the night of the murder… there were TWO Nickel Samurai costumes at the Gatewater Hotel!?"

"Yes, that is what I am saying," Wright replied with a nod.

"And how do you explain the costume that was inside the guitar case…?"

Miles hit his desk. "It would mean that the victim himself had planned to bring this spare to the ceremony!"

The gallery started expressing their confusion.

"But…" the judge stammered. "But why!? The victim, Mr. Corrida, was the Jammin' Ninja. Why would he secretly bring the Nickel Samurai's spare costume with him…? What could be the reason behind such a peculiar act?"

Peculiar? Try unreal! I can't see any reason for this!

"…Ah, so that's what he intended…" Wright said.

"Objection!" Miles yelled. "Wh-What are you mumbling to yourself about now!? Have you just been rambling all this time without any sense of inner monologue!?"

"Huh!? N-No, I just…"

"Mr. Wright, please explain yourself!" the judge ordered. "Why do you think the victim had the Nickel Samurai's spare costume!?"

"Phoenix…" Mia said. "Are you sure you can explain this one? Think carefully before you answer… And then answer with gusto! I believe in you!"

"Alright," Wright said. "This is what I think. The reason the victim brought the Nickel Samurai's spare costume to the hotel was…" He took out some sort of slip of paper. "Take that!"

"What is this…?" the judge asked.

"On the night of the murder, after the stage show, the Nickel Samurai was going to hold a special press conference."

"A press conference…?"

"Yes, the Nickel Samurai was supposed to confess something at this conference."

"I heard about this as well," Miles commented. "For once, you're not making something up, Wright."

"But what struck me as strange was that Mr. Engarde himself said he had no idea he was supposed to be holding a press conference that night."

"But how can that be!?" the judge asked.

"The way I see it, that can mean only one thing: The conference was set up…" He paused to hit his desk. "by none other than the victim, Mr. Juan Corrrida himself!"

"Th-The victim?"

"Yes. The spare Nickel Samurai costume was prepared for that very conference! Mr. Corrida was going to hold the press conference as the 'Nickel Samurai'!"

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

"He was going to dress up as the Nickel Samurai and hold a conference!?" the judge asked, dumbstruck. "But why would the victim do such a thing!?"

"That's something I don't quite know yet," Wright admitted, "however… What I am concerned with right now is what he intended to reveal at that conference."

"The Nickel Samurai was going to 'confess' something," Miles said. "And by 'confess', I'd wager he was going to reveal something about 'himself'."

"Which means that Juan Corrida, posing as the Nickel Samurai," Wright hit his desk. "was going to speak about Matt Engarde!"

"Yes, I guess that is what it would mean…" the judge agreed.

"But, if that's the case…" Miles started, "that's not a 'confession'! That's 'public disclosure'!"

The gallery was clearly quite confused at this point. However, a single "Hmph" from Ms. Andrews quieted them down more effectively than the judge's gavel.

"M-Ms. Andrews…?" the judge called.

"I can see why you are pros at what you do," she said.

"Pardon me?"

"Yes, just as you say, the press conference was set up by Juan."

What!?

The gallery started up again.

"Ms. Andrews!" the judge barked. "Please offer us an explanation for this!"

"I was the one he asked to help set it up," she explained. "And the person who prepared the second costume for him… That was also me."

"You…!?"

"Juan had bet everything on the Jammin' Ninja this year. And if he lost the Grand Prix… He was going to make sure Matt was going down with him. That's what he thought anyway."

"He was going to ruin him, huh…?"

"It looked like somehow, Juan had in his hands a secret so powerful… that it would destroy Matt's acting career had it been revealed!"

"What!?" Wright yelped, followed by general confusion in the gallery and three whacks of the judge's gavel.

"And do you know what this 'secret' of Mr. Engarde's is, Ms. Andrews…?"

"That's something only Juan knew," she said after a pause. "I… I don't know what it is."

Though you sound as if you have a hunch.

"Ah…" the judge said. "I see."

"I… I've probably been coming off quite suspicious to everyone, but that's to be expected. I've been trying to protect Matt, after all…"

"P-Protect Mr. Engarde!?" Wright stammered.

The judge banged his gavel.

"And yet again another strange bit of truth comes to light it seems…" he commented. "Ms. Andrews, if you could, please tell us the truth about your behavior!"

"Yes, Your Honor," she said. "I understand. From the moment I saw the crime scene, I had a feeling that Matt was the murderer. Matt had to kill Juan no matter what. And he didn't have an alibi for what he was doing at the time of the murder. My thoughts were confirmed by the evidence, of course; the button and the knife… But I'm Matt's manager… So I felt that I had to protect him…"

"Protect him?" Considering your scheme with Mr. Corrida, you protected him about as well as Wu Sangui protected Ming China.

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled. "This does account for everything…"

"Well…" Ms. Andrews said, "I am the logical type."

"We're finally seeing her true self," Mia stated. "She is more nervous than a scared rabbit."

"If there are no objections," the judge announced, "I feel that I can pass a verdict based on this testimony. Now then, Mr. Wright, if you please."

Wright looked over the testimony. After a moment, he hit his desk.

"You can hardly call the knife 'decisive evidence'!" he insisted. "The fingerprints on the knife could very well be a clever camouflage!"

"Then… What about the button?" Ms. Andrews asked.

"The button…?"

"It's clear from the crime scene that the victim and the murderer fought. And during the fight, the killer ripped the button from the Jammin' Ninja's costume."

"You're talking about this button, correct?" the judge asked, indicating the bloody button.

"That button was found in the pleats of Matt's hakama, isn't that correct? I would think that makes it very decisive evidence."

"Urk," Wright squeaked.

"Looks like you were out-foxed again, Mr. Wright," the judge said.

"A-Anyway! The knife doesn't prove a thing! Please fix your testimony!"

"I can't stand the sight of a man who can't gracefully accept his defeat," Ms. Andrews taunted.

Get used to it, Ms. Andrews; Wright clings to his case like a barnacle to the hull of a ship.

The judge banged his gavel.

"Ms. Andrews," he began, "for Mr. Wright's sake, please add this information to your testimony."

"That button was torn off of Juan during his fight with Matt," Ms. Andrews testified.

"Objection!" Wright shouted. He took out the autopsy report and started flicking it with his hand. "This is the victim's autopsy report. It clearly states that the cause of death was 'strangulation by a scarf'."

"S… Strangulation…"

"The knife stab to the victim was done after the victim had already died."

"A-And what does that mean?" the judge asked.

"Let's examine the evidence," Wright said. "This button has the victim's blood on it. Which would mean that it was ripped off of the costume… when?"

"After the knife was stabbed into the victim…" Miles answered.

"Exactly! Which means…" He paused and struck his desk. "It is impossible that this button was torn off during the victim's final struggle, because the victim was strangled to death in that fight!"

"Ah…" Ms. Andrews grunted.

"That's right, Ms. Andrews. There is no way this button was ripped off during the struggle." He hit his desk, then pointed at the witness. "This button was consciously pulled off of the victim's already dead body!"

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

"Order! Order!" the judge roared. "Wh-What is the meaning—"

"Objection!" Miles interrupted. "What is the meaning of this, Wright!? So what if the button was torn off the body after the victim had already died? What does that change!?"

"Let me ask you one simple question, Mr. Edgeworth," Wright replied. "Why was the button torn off? What purpose did that serve?"

"What 'purpose'…?"

"We now know this button was not torn off during the fight. So the murderer took the time and effort to purposely rip this from the victim's body. That would mean that the murderer had something in mind, wouldn't it?"

Ah… That does make sense… No killer would consciously put incriminating evidence on his person.

"Mr. Wright!" the judge called. "Does this mean… Does this mean you know what the murderer wanted to do with this button!? What was it!?"

Wright banged on his desk. "There is only one logical reason for doing something like that," he said. "It was to pin the crime on Mr. Engarde!"

Here it comes…

"There is no way anyone would put a bloodied button in their own pants!" Wright continued, pausing to hit his desk. "That's right! Mr. Engarde was set up! By the real killer, of course!"

The gallery began murmuring. The judge banged his gavel.

"And…" the judge said. "The real murder is…?"

"Murderer," not "murder," Your Honor.

"Well, Mr. Wright!?" the judge demanded. "Who in the world is the real killer then!?"

I think it's fairly obvious who he intends to accuse.

"The real killer," Wright began, "the person who planned to frame Mr. Engarde is…" He pounded on his desk for emphasis. "Ms. Adrian Andrews! I choose you!"

Why did I suddenly picture an old Pokémon episode?

"You are Mr. Corrida's killer!" Wright accused.

"Wh-What!?" Ms. Andrews yelped.

The gallery was quickly in an uproar, though the judge managed to quiet them down with a few whacks of his gavel.

"Order! Order! Order!!" he yelled. "Mr. Wright! This is a very grave matter! Do you have any evidence that supports your charge…?"

"'Any evidence'…?" Wright echoed. He struck his desk. "ALL of the evidence points to Ms. Andrews!"

"Wh…" Ms. Andrews stuttered. "How preposterous! You can't stick any of that on me!"

"I can't, can I? Would you care to test me?"

"Then… Then what about this knife!?"

"The knife was used to stab the victim after he had already been strangled to death. It was used to throw suspicion onto Mr. Engarde, naturally. A knife covered in the defendant's fingerprints could only be taken from his room. And the only one who had dinner with him, and knew which knife to take, was you."

"Tsk! …Th-Then! What… What about the button that was found in Matt's hakama!?"

"This button was removed from the victim's body after he had already died. The only people who could've done so were the person who found his body or the killer. However, if Mr. Engarde was the real killer," Wright paused and hit his desk. "there is no way he would have put such incriminating evidence in his own hakama!"

"Ughn…"

"The only person who could have put this button into Mr. Engarde's hakama, is the person who went to wake him from his nap… which is you, yet again, Ms. Andrews."to

"I… I see…" the judge managed to say. "What about the empty guitar case…?"

Wright struck his desk. "That is also another piece of evidence that incriminates Ms. Andrews. That costume was used to hide the real killer's identity as they fled the crime scene. Now, who could have known that there was such a costume inside the guitar case…? It could only have been the person who prepared the costume for the victim." He hit his desk again. "And that person is… you, Ms. Adrian Andrews!"

"N… No…" Ms. Andrews whimpered. "I…"

"Objection!" Miles shouted, striking his desk. "But Ms. Andrews' fingerprints were nowhere to be found on the guitar case! And it was you who proved that she was not wearing gloves at the time!"

"…Th-That's right!" the judge realized. Wright shook his head.

"That's because she did not intend on leaving any prints," Wright explained. "If anyone had found out that she had touched the case, they would have asked her why. So to avoid leaving any prints, she used a towel or something else to open it." He pounded on his desk. "But! The glass of tomato juice is a different story! Ms. Andrews purposefully left her fingerprints on the glass to show that yes, indeed, she was the classic 'dazed discoverer' of a dead body!"

"Aaaaaah!" Ms. Andrews screamed.

"And to top it all off," Wright continued, indicating Hart's photo, "there is this photo! A photo of the killer as they exited the scene of the crime. No reasonable person on Earth can believe this Nickel Samurai is Mr. Engarde! He would be much too short for his own costume if it was him."

Classic Wright… Finding the smallest thing to hold on to and building a case off of it. Still, that ability came in handy in Lana's trial… and mine…

"Speaking of how tall people are…" Wright added, "Ms. Andrews, you're also kind of short in stature, are you not?"

"P-Please…" she stuttered. "Stop…"

Wright slammed on his desk. "Well, how about it, Ms. Andrews!?" he demanded.

"Um…"

...Almost every time Wright cross-examines someone, they become the bad guy.

"Ms. Andrews…?" the judge called.

"…I…" she barely managed to say. "I… I refuse… to testify."

"What was that…?" Wright asked.

"Th-There's a law… It says I can't be forced to testify about something… if it can incriminate me!"

The gallery started up.

The Fifth Amendment… It's been years since I've seen someone use it…

"Well, yes…" the judge acknowledged. "You are absolutely correct, Ms. Andrews. The law does provide us with a way to avoid self-incrimination… by allowing a witness to not testify if the testimony can cause damage to themselves."

"WHAT!?" Wright yelped.

And so ends Wright's attack. He always gets held here.

"You did a good job proving everything up to this point, Phoenix," Mia said. "But there is still one thing you haven't done."

"Something I haven't done…?"

"Heh heh heh," Miles chuckled, doing his "evil smile." "What's wrong, Wright? Are you finished already? Run out of evidence?"

"What is so humorous, Mr. Edgeworth!?" the judge asked.

"I'm sure you realize this as well, Your Honor… But, everything the good lawyer here has proven up to this point is meaningless."

"Wh-What!?" Wright stammered.

"Everything you have proven is circumstantial."

"Circumstantial…?"

"Yes, circumstantial. You have yet to provide a single piece of definitive proof." Miles paused and struck his desk. "Proof that Ms. Andrews, did in fact, harbor a wish to murder Mr. Corrida!"

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

"M-Ms. Andrews!" the judge called. "You… Did you want to kill Mr. Corrida…?"

"I believe this may lead to me incriminating myself," she answered, "so I will abstain from answering."

"But Ms. Andrews… If you do that, it would be the same as admitting your guilt, don't you think…?"

"Maybe so, or maybe not. There is nothing to prove it either way. Besides, you don't even know what crime I would be 'guilty' of due to my silence."

"M-Mia!" Wright begged. "What should we do…?"

"Somehow," she replied, "we've landed in the worst possible situation."

The judge banged his gavel.

"I think we have reached a certain conclusion at this point in time," he said. "Ms. Adrian Andrews has refused to testify. And the defense's theory that she is the actual murderer… has not been fully substantiated with solid definitive proof."

"But!" Wright cried. "That's not true!"

"In this situation, there is only one thing this court can do. And that is to declare a recess."

"R-Recess…!?"

"I request that both the prosecution and the defense look further into this matter. And at tomorrow's trial…"

"Hold it!" Wright screamed, hitting his desk. "Please wait, Your Honor! Th… That's not necessary! The trial… Please continue the trial!"

"What are you sweating for…?" Miles asked. "Your client is getting one more day to live, isn't he?"

"That… That's not it! This isn't about that." He struck his desk, then pointed at Miles. "Edgeworth! I know you know who the real killer is! Please… Let the trial continue! If I don't get the verdict, then Maya…"

Maya? Come to think of it, why isn't she here? And what connection could she—

The judge banged his gavel, disrupting Miles's thoughts. "But it's impossible to continue as long as the witness refuses to testify," he said. Now then, this court is…"

"Objection!" Miles shouted. "It is not impossible for this trial to continue."

This feels way too much like Lana's trial…

"Mr. Edgeworth!" the judge gasped. "Wh-What are you…"

"It's true Ms. Andrews holds the right against self-incrimination; however, if the topic of conversation were something unrelated to whatever she may be guilty of, the she has no right to withhold testimony!"

"Y-Yes, that is very true, but…"

"Actually, there is one little thing that I'm curious about. Ms. Andrews."

She didn't respond.

"When you found the victim's dead body," Miles continued, "you poured yourself a glass of juice."

"Y-Yes…" she admitted. "And…?"

"I can't help but think how unnatural that is. Usually when one finds a body, they are shaken up, not stirring a glass of juice."

"So my actions were 'unusual'? But I've already…"

"Before you speak, I want to state that if you have a reason behind your actions, I would like you to testify to that effect."

"Testify…!?"

Miles struck his desk. "Your Honor!" he called. "I would like to request that the witness testify again as to what happened when she first discovered the victim's body! Whatever we find out in this testimony should in no way implicate the witness."

The gallery made it quite clear that they were confused.

"Hmm…" the judge mumbled.

"I don't know what it is about Edgeworth today," Mia commented, "but I can't get a good read off of him. Is he friend or foe? I just don't know…"

The judge banged his gavel. "The court acknowledges the prosecution's request," he said. "Ms. Andrews, if you please."

All eyes were on the witness as she collected herself.

"That glass of juice…" she stated, "I didn't really pour it for myself. I was surprised when I walked into the room and saw it in that messy state. And Juan… He was sitting slumped over and tired-looking in the corner. When I saw him sitting like that, the thought that he was dead didn't cross my mind. To be honest, I thought he had just fainted or something. So I went to pour him some juice. When I realized that he was dead… That's when I knocked the flower vase over."

"Hmm…" the judge murmured. "So you poured that glass of juice for the victim. Why didn't you say so in your earlier testimony?"

"…I didn't think I needed to include something so trivial."

Mia whispered something to Wright, to which he said something back.

"Now then, Mr. Wright," the judge said. "You may begin your cross-examination."

Wright read the testimony, then opened up his files, taking out a photo.

"So you honestly didn't think he was dead when you found him?" he asked Ms. Andrews.

"No, not at all…" she answered.

"Even though this is what you saw when you discovered the body?" Wright appeared to be holding the crime scene photo.

"…Ah!"

"Wh-What is the meaning of this!?" the judge demanded.

"Isn't it obvious, Your Honor?" Wright asked. "There is a knife sticking straight out of Mr. Corrida's chest! Anyone who saw this scene would have immediately though that here was a dead man!"

"Ah…" Ms. Andrews stammered. "Um… That's… Well, you see…"

"I doubt a single person in the world would mistake this for someone who fainted, and then so nonchalantly go pour something to drink!"

"Y-Your point is…?" the judge asked.

"Ms. Andrews! Your testimony just now… It was all one giant lie!"

"Ungh!" she grunted.

"And your lie has proven one thing very clearly. That you are the real killer!"

"…!"

Damn it… I should have known Wright would find something… But still… He hasn't proven his case just yet…

"It looks like the defense has somehow brought the ugly truth to light," the judge commented after a pause. "The defendant, Mr. Matt Engarde, is not guilty after all…"

"That…" Ms. Andrews struggled to say. "But that's impossible! You're wrong…"

"M-Ms. Andrews! Try to have some composure!"

"It… It wasn't me… It wasn't me, I tell you! It was Matt! I swear it! He's the one who killed Juan!"

"But you were the one who refused to testify!" Wright protested. "And your reason for not doing so was that you 'might' end up incriminating yourself!"

"Th-That's because…"

"Ms. Andrews," the judge said, "I will give you one last chance. What exactly are you hiding that may 'incriminate' you?"

"…I… I… I refuse… to testify."

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

I warned you, Ms. Andrews. If you are withholding something important from the court, Wright and I will stop at nothing to find the truth you are keeping from us. And I'll make good on that warning before court is adjourned.

"Then there is no need for this court to continue any further," the judge announced. "Mr. Matt Engarde's innocence has been clearly demonstrated."

"What's wrong, Phoenix?" Mia asked.

"Usually…" Wright trailed off. "Well, usually, the real killer confesses his or her guilt. And now that I think about it, this is the first time someone hasn't."

The judge banged his gavel. "Now then," he stated, "I would like to hand down my verdict for Mr. Matt Engarde." He paused for a moment.

"Objection!" Miles shouted. All eyes were instantly on him. "Your Honor. The prosecution feels that it would be premature to pass down a verdict at this time."

"Wh-What…?"

"The reason is quite simple." Miles paused and did his "evil smile." He knew Wright would writhe in agony before the trial ended. "This witness has yet to speak the absolute real truth."

The gallery started up, though the judge quickly banged his gavel to quiet them down.

"The 'absolute real truth'…?" he echoed. "What are you…?"

"Witness…" Miles called to Ms. Andrews. "Don't you understand yet?"

"…Huh?" she squeaked.

"I don't know who planted this silly idea in your head, but as long as you 'protect' yourself through your silence, Matt Engarde will go free. And in his place…" He paused and struck his desk. "YOU will become the guilty party!"

"…Th-That's… That's a lie! I… I don't believe you!"

"What…?" I sense Franziska's work here…

"I… I was told… If I spoke… If I spoke, then it would be all over… And Matt would never be declared guilty… I… I can't speak about it… I'm too scared…"

This reminds me so much of Lana's trial. If I didn't know better, I'd think it was Lana on the stand again, desperately trying to hide what she thought incriminated Ema…

"It's Franziska von Karma…" Mia said.

"Huh…?" Wright uttered.

"Ms. Andrews lives by gripping tightly onto the words of another. Because she doesn't have the strength to believe in herself."

"Th… Then, right now… Ms. Andrews is…"

"Yesterday, she was tossed a life-saver by Ms. Von Karma. 'Don't say a word, no matter what happens. If you do, Matt Engarde will be acquitted.' Ms. Andrews undyingly believes in those words right now, and is clinging onto them…"

That sounds exactly like something Franziska would do. Someday… she'll see the real purpose of the courts. Still, I'd better have a word with her once this is all over…

"It wasn't me!" Ms. Andrews insisted. "I'm begging you, please believe me! I didn't kill Juan! Help… Please… Someone… Help me…!"

I'll help you, but you probably won't think of it as "help"…

The judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Wright," he called.

"Y-Yes, Your Honor!" Wright answered.

"The court can't continue on like this, therefore I'd like to hear what you intend to do."

Or maybe Wright will save you…

"Wright!" Miles warned. "I suggest you think very carefully about this! Think about what this witness did, and what she did NOT do!" He struck his desk. "And think about who is the real mastermind behind this crime!"

Wright appeared to mull it over, but didn't look like he saw the truth yet. Miles struck his desk again.

"Come now!" he demanded. "What will you do!? What kind of man are you, Mr. Phoenix Wright!?"

That appeared to set him on the right track for the time being. Wright hit his desk.

"Ms. Andrews!" he called. "I would like to know what you are really hiding!"

"M-Mr. Wright!" the judge stammered. "Are you sure you know what you're doing!?"

"Sure, Mr. Engarde would get an acquittal," Wright continued to Ms. Andrews, "but in his place, you would be found guilty! Is this… Is this how you really want this trial to end!?"

"B-Be quiet…" Ms. Andrews whimpered. "How dare you!? You… You're trying to trick me!"

The judge banged his gavel. "That's enough!" he bellowed. "I commend you for trying, Mr. Edgeworth. However, it's clear that the defense's theory is the truth."

"…Y… You're wrong…" Ms. Andrews cried.

I guess it's up to me, then. Miles did his "evil smile".

"Such a shame…" he said with a sigh. "I had hoped things wouldn't come to this, however…"

"Wh-What is it, Mr. Edgeworth?" the judge asked.

"Ms. Andrews," Miles said to the witness. "Since you absolutely refuse to testify… It falls on my shoulders to disclose this to the court."

"…S… Stop…" she begged.

Not until we hear the truth.

"M-Mr. Edgeworth!?" the judge called.

Miles struck his desk. "This witness…" he announced. "How should I put this… She has an illness."

"What!?" Ms. Andrews yelped.

"And because of this illness, she has tried to commit suicide in the past."

"S-Stop… Please stop…!"

"No matter how much you want to hide it, it's no use. I have the evidence right here." He held up a report on Ms. Andrews's attempted suicide two years ago.

"Ah! Th-That's…!"

"What will you do now, witness?" Miles asked. "You know what I am about to do, don't you?" He pounded on his desk. "I will now reveal to the court, the true nature of the pitiful woman known as Adrian Andrews!"

"Please! Please STOP!! I beg you!! If people find out… If people find out… I… I'll…"

Fight it. Whether or not you'll be able to live with yourself after doing this to her isn't important right now; only the truth is.

Miles shrugged and shook his head. "If you're going to say you would 'choose death'," he said, "that is of no concern to me. However, before you die…" He struck his desk again. "I will pull the truth from your breathing lips! …No matter what I have to do."

I've fought against even Lana's wishes to reveal the truth. I will not turn back!

"So, will you tell the court yourself, or shall I?" Miles continued. "Either is fine with me."

Ms. Andrews didn't respond for a moment.

"…I…" she managed to say. "I'll talk. But please… Help me… N-Nothing matters anymore…"

You have my word that I'll find help for you.

"When I first saw him…" Ms. Andrews testified, "I really thought he had fainted. Honest. When I realized he was dead… That was when I formulated my plan. Once I made sure there was no one in the hallway, I made a dash back to Matt's room. And then… I stabbed Juan's dead body with the knife, and ripped off the button. Just when I finished and was returning to Matt's room… I had a bit of an inconvenience. And that's why… That's why I ended up using the Nickel Samurai costume."

"S-Stabbed the body!?" the judge asked after realizing Ms. Andrews was done testifying. "With the knife!? But why would you do that!?"

"Isn't it obvious? To pin the blame on a certain person… A certain cowardly man!"

"Wh… What do you mean by all of this…?"

"It might take this court a little while to understand," Miles explained, "but…" He paused, shook his head, and smiled. "This is the truth."

"The real killer is Matt!" Ms. Andrews insisted. "That scumbag of a man! I'll never forgive him! He's trying to escape his guilt again! Just like last time!"

"Last time"… As I thought. Mr. Engarde, it would appear, must have some connection to Ms. Inpax's suicide.

"So, Ms. Andrews stabbed the victim, Juan Corrida, in the chest with the knife," Miles said. "However, she didn't do it with murder in mind. She did it with the intent of framing Matt Engarde for the murder…" He struck his desk. "And this! This is her 'crime'!"

The gallery started murmuring. Miles overheard a few people suggesting that he was just buying time.

It's only natural for those familiar with my past self to suspect foul play… They, like Wright, will see that that Miles Edgeworth is dead.

"Mr. Wright," the judge called to a sweating Wright. "Please get over your shock and commence the cross-examination.

Wright looked over the testimony and hit his desk.

"But you could tell from the state the room was in," he insisted, "that there must have been a fight! Are you telling the truth when you say that you did not know he was dead?"

"He… had a scarf tied around his neck…" Ms. Andrews admitted. "But that scarf is a part of the Jammin' Ninja's costume… So… So I didn't think anything about it was strange… His head was also… tilted down a bit, so I couldn't see his face that well… That's why I thought I'd wake him up… and went to pour the juice… When I realized he was dead… That was when I formulated my plan."

"What is this 'plan' you had?"

"…I knew right away the murderer was Matt. I knew because Juan… He was going to expose Matt's weakest weakpoint to the world. So Matt did this to stop Juan, and silence him for good. That's when I thought, 'I should forge some evidence and pin this crime on Matt.'"

"So the forged pieces of evidence were the knife and the button…" Miles confirmed.

"The first thing that came to mind was to plant the knife," Ms. Andrews stated. "Once I made sure there was no one in the hallway, I made a dash back to Matt's room."

"That was so you could get the knife, correct?" Wright asked.

"The knife Matt used at dinner had his fingerprints all over it. I thought if I used that, then the police would certainly turn their eyes toward him. Matt was napping with his costume on at the time. I slipped in, took the knife, and returned to the scene of the crime. And then… I stabbed Juan's dead body with the knife, and ripped off the button."

"So you were the one to stab the victim with that knife."

"It gives me goosebumps to think about it now… What a horrible thing I did… But… At the time, I couldn't control my own body. It moved on its own. Then, when I stabbed Juan's dead body… I suddenly realized something. If I used the button somehow, I could make Matt look even more suspect."

"So you thought to rip one of the buttons off and then plant it in Mr. Engarde's hakama," Miles said.

"Yes… That's what I had planned to do. …But things never go that smoothly, do they? Just when I finished and was returning to Matt's room… I had a bit of an inconvenience."

"An 'inconvenience'…?" Wright asked.

"There was a woman with a camera at the ready, loitering in the hallway. There was also a woman with a ray gun at the ready pacing back and forth… I had already been caught and made into a big scoop for a certain weekly tabloid once, so I couldn't very well go out looking like myself and get caught again. And that's why… That's why I ended up using the Nickel Samurai costume."

"You were the one who prepared that costume, weren't you?"

"Yes. I took it from Global Studios… I also put it into Juan's guitar case the day before the award ceremony."

"You did this in preparation for the press conference, correct?" Miles asked.

"Yes, Juan wanted to wear that costume and hold a press conference in it. He was going to disclose Matt's big secret there."

"And what is this 'secret'…?" the judge asked.

"…That, I don't know," Ms. Andrews said after a pause. "Anyway, I thought that if I were to leave Juan's room in the Nickel Samurai costume… then people would think that Matt was the 'real' murderer. I was very careful not to leave any fingerprints when I opened the guitar case. I absolutely did not want anyone to know about the costume."

The judge banged his gavel.

"I think we've heard enough!" he said. "So, after that, you went back to Mr. Engarde's room and planted the button?"

"…Into Matt's hakama?" Ms. Andrews confirmed. "Yes. After that, I folded up the costume I was wearing and put it into a bag. Then I snuck it out of the hotel and got rid of it."

"M-My word… What does all this mean…?"

"…Mr. Edgeworth, is it?"

Miles didn't respond.

"The real criminal… is Matt Engarde!!" Ms. Andrews asserted. "Yesterday… That woman prosecutor sat me down for a talk…"

I thought so.

"She said that I should under no circumstances confess to what I had done. That if I just kept quiet, then Matt would be found guilty for sure… I… I had no choice but to believe in her words…"

The court was silent.

Hopefully, Franziska will be ready for visitors by the time court is adjourned, because she's going to get one, whether she wants one or not.

The judge banged his gavel, breaking the silence.

"What this witness has done is clearly unlawful," he said. "However… As long as her testimony stands, we can be certain she is not the real killer!"

Wright pounded on his desk. "W-Wait, Your Honor!" he begged. "The defense still…"

"Objection!" Miles interrupted. "Wright. It's pointless. At this point in time, it is not possible to indict Ms. Andrews on anything."

"Yes, exactly," the judge said with a nod. "There isn't a single piece of evidence that points to her as the murderer." The judge banged his gavel. "The cross-examination of this witness is over. And so is today's trial. You couldn't establish that the witness was the culprit. Please let it go, Mr. Wright!"

Wright banged on his desk again. "B-But!" he stammered. The judge shook his head.

"Mr. Edgeworth," he instructed, "please place Ms. Andrews under arrest for further questioning."

"Understood, Your Honor," Miles answered. "The prosecution will arrange for her detention immediately."

"That's all. Court is adjourned for today!" He banged his gavel and promptly left his seat. Wright seemed about to faint as his head sunk into his hands. Miles began to place his files away, then stopped for a moment.

Come to think of it… something's been bothering me.

"Witness…" Miles called to Ms. Andrews. "Would you mind if I asked you something?"

"What is it…?" she asked.

"Before you leave court today, I wondered if I might look at one thing. The card in your hand. It's had my interest for quite some time now. What exactly is it…?"

"Oh, this…?" She held out the card she had been fidgeting with. There was a pink conch shell design on it.

No…

"Mr. Wright also asked about this," she said. "Although I didn't remember at the time you asked me about it, Mr. Wright, I remembered just now. I found this in the room on that day."

"'The room'…?" Wright asked.

"'That day'…?" Miles added.

"Yes," Ms. Andrews replied. "I found this card when I discovered Juan's body."

WHAT!?

"It was lying there right next to him…" she continued.

It… It must be HIM!

"You found that card… next to the victim's body?" Wright asked.

"I suppose I must have unconsciously slipped it into my pocket…"

My first case back here since Lana's case… and HE's involved!

"…But it's not as if this card has any relevance to Juan's murder, right?" She began to walk away.

"Hold it!" Miles screamed, almost collapsing completely onto his desk. "Witness! That card… Give it to me! Hurry!"

Ms. Andrews, shocked, walked over, looking as though she expected Miles to attack her.

"E-Edgeworth…?" Wright called.

"Do you have any idea what you have stupidly, yet inadvertently done!?" Miles roared. He struck his desk as he was handed the card. "This… I can't believe you hid this from me all this time!

"I… I didn't mean to…" Ms. Andrews whimpered.

"Wh-What is this all about…?" Mia asked.

Shelly de Killer… I never imagined I'd see another one of his cards…

Miles placed the card in his coat pocket and hastily walked out of the courtroom. Franziska could wait; the investigation needed to be reorganized.