Mia was filing some papers, something that usually fell on her seeing how Diego's ideas of paperwork included more origami swans than filing cabinets (not to mention he tended to leave coffee stains all over the papers). It was then that detective Dick Gumshoe barged in the Armando & Fey Law Office, frantically yelling: "Miss Fey! It's Maggey!"

"Is she in trouble?" It was a safe guess. Maggey Byrde was a very kind and gentle person, but she also had the worst of luck. Mia had become vaguely acquainted with her when Maggey had been working as a police officer, and last year had defended her in a case where she had been accused of murdering her boyfriend, another police officer. She had gotten fired after that, and although Mia had offered to represent her if she decided to sue the department for wrongful dismissal, Maggey had opted not to, claiming she didn't want to cause any more trouble.

In Mia's estimation, she was too kind-hearted for her own good.

Gumshoe nodded, confirming Mia's fears. "Yep. She is accused of murder."

"Again? Who?"

"Some guy she doesn't even know. I don't actually know any details, you need to come by the department, I'll be there."

Mia had wished she'd never have to see Maggey on that side of the glass in the detention center ever again. She just hoped this would be the last time.

"Mia! Will you defend me? Again?"

"I will." Whatever it was that had happened, Mia was certain Maggey was just a victim of circumstances. "Why don't you begin by telling me who the victim was."

"I don't even remember his name. I'm currently working as a waitress in this small French restaurant, the Trés Bien. The victim was a customer who was poisoned, he drank from the cup I brought him, and died."

"Were there any witnesses?"

Maggey nodded. "There was another customer. And another man, sitting right across him! I saw him putting something in the victim's cup!"

This was important. "What can you tell me about that man?"

"Hm, I didn't really pay much attention to him… I do remember his hair, though. It was weird and spiky. Yeah, he had a black hair that pointed backwards in spikes. At the time I thought it was just how people in the music industry looked like."

"Music industry? Why would you think that?"

"I wonder why?" Maggey thought. "Ah, yes, it was because I heard them talking about some rap-artist."

"Can you remember who?"

"MC Hammer? No, not that, but something similar… Sorry, I can't remember exactly."

When Mia stepped in the Criminal Affairs Department, she was immediately greeted by Detective Gumshoe. "Miss Fey! How was she? Have you already found the real killer? Who was it?"

"Easy, detective. I am not a miracle worker. I have taken the case, but even I can't find the real killer this fast-"

"You will, though. I got faith in you! You always find the real murderer, and you're less of a jerk about it than Armando."

Diego does have the tendency to rub it in if the police department has made a mistake. Not that they don't deserve it. Most of the time. Out loud, Mia said: "Don't worry, Detective Gumshoe, I believe in her innocence. You were still her boss when she was in the force, right?"

"Yes!" There was a definite tinge of color on his cheeks when he hurried to add: "A boss, and that's all!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! Oh yeah, there's some good news I have about the case!"

Mia lifted an eyebrow at the sudden change in topic, but decided not to tease Gumshoe further. It wasn't like his and Maggey's relationship was any of her business.

"Mr. Krapp will be the prosecutor for this case!"

"And this is good news?" Mia supposed he meant the prosecutor was still a beginner, although according to what Diego had told her, he was good.

However, it seemed Gumshoe's optimism had different reasoning behind it. "Of course! Mr. Krapp is a nice person!"

"Really? You know him?"

"Well," Gumshoe scratched the back of his head. "Not really know, but he is nice. Not stuck up like most prosecutors. He even invited me for drinks, to talk about the working relationship between the police department and the prosecutor's office."

"So, he was interested in having a good relationship with the police? What did you talk about?"

"Hm, mostly my work. Old times. How I had worked with the prosecutors in the past. Some of your old cases. He was real interested in the case with Damon Gant and how you and Armando got him!"

"Hopefully you didn't exaggerate."

"Of course not! You were great in that case, exposing the Chief Prosecutor and the stuff that went on in the Prosecutor's Office."

Mia smiled wistfully. "I doubt a lot of your superiors see it that way. It caused a lot of trouble for both the police and the Prosecutor's Office."

That case had been difficult for Mia, for personal reasons. After all, the Chief Prosecutor, Lana Skye, was an old friend of hers, and defending her against murder charges had been tough. In the end, she had been declared innocent, but the truth about her relationship with the Police Chief Gant, how she had been blackmailed by him, had caused her to lose her job, and currently she was in prison.

"Well, yeah," Gumshoe admitted. "But they are wrong! And I'm sure most people see it that way. It's much better the truth got out, and we got rid of those corrupted prosecutors."

"And you believe Krapp is a good man?"

"Yeah. I do. Call it detective's instinct."

It's not like you ever suspected Manfred von Karma, and he was pulling all kinds of suspicious stunts under your nose for years. Mia mused. At any rate, I'm interested in facing this mysterious Mr. Krapp in court. I wonder if he carries a grudge related to what Diego and I did to the Prosecutor's Office… We made a lot of enemies with that.

"About this case, Detective, what can you tell me?"

Mia surveyed the restaurant with an experienced eye. It was a bit too pink for her taste, but she had to admit it at least followed the chosen theme with dedication.

Her thoughts were interrupted by what she only identified to be a man after a moments scrutiny.

"Welcome mademoiselle, are you 'ere for the position?"

"Position?"

"Ze waitress, my old one, she has gotten into some le trouble, unfortunately."

"Are you already giving up on her?"

"Non, non, but one must be prepared for ze worst. So the Mademoiselle is 'ere to eat? I recommend our lunch special."

When was the last time Diego and I ate out? We used to do that kind of thing often. These days, we usually just eat at home, when we aren't too busy with a case and just get some Chinese takeout we eat in the car on a way to yet another crime-scene.

The food looked good, the presentation was spot-on, but unfortunately the taste was nowhere near that.

At least Diego's cooking is better, even if he has the tendency to use a lot of weird spices and if his dishes are way too often 'experimental'. Not to mention that I always have to clean up the mess afterwards.

"Actually, I am Maggey Byrde's defense attorney." Mia pushed away her half-eaten dish.

"Oh, ze poor girl. You do your best for her, oui?"

"Oui. But first, I want to ask you some questions."

"It waz le horrible, mademoiselle! When it all 'appened, z'ere were just two customers in my restaurant. Ze poor victim, and Monsieur Kudo."

"What about the other witness?"

"Ze other witness?"

"Wasn't there a man sitting with the victim?"

"Non. 'e waz alone."

"You are certain?"

"Oui!"

Mia wasn't sure if he was lying, but he was definitely hiding something. I better talk to this other witness.

"Where can I find this Mr. Kudo?"

She found the other witness behind the restaurant, in a park feeding, or rather abusing, pigeons.

He was evasive at first, but Mia was used to dealing with witnesses.

But to Mia's dismay, his recollection of the events was the same as the owner's.

"How about the other man? The one sitting across the victim?"

"What man? I saw no man, apart from the boy that dropped dead."

"Really? You wouldn't lie to me, right?"

"No!" He blushed, the rest of his face almost the color of his nose. "I wouldn't lie to you."

I don't think he is lying. What does this mean? I guess I have no choice but to get the truth out of him and Armstrong tomorrow in court.

Krapp certainly fit to Diego's description. White spiky hair, and an odd futuristic visor on his face. Mia also noted he was wearing a bright red tie that clashed horribly with his electric blue suit.

But why was the man giving her this uneasy feeling? She knew him from somewhere… But how?

He seemed to return her stare, and nodded, in what seemed like recognition.

Someone from law school? I think he is about my age, but it's difficult to tell. I wonder if that is his natural hair-color. It almost feels like I have met someone very similar before, his brother, or father maybe? No matter, I need to focus on this case now.

Mia did her best to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach.

"Your honor, this is a very simple case. There is a witness who saw everything, and the defendant has an opportunity and a motive." The Prosecutor began.

"It sounds convincing, Mr. Krapp." The Judge nodded.

Don't make up your mind yet! Mia silently pleaded.

"The prosecution will call the first witness."

This witness turned out to be glum-looking Gumshoe.

"I'm Dick Gumshoe, a homicide detective!" He blurted out before the prosecution managed to even ask.

"Very well. Detective Gumshoe, would you tell us the main facts about the case?"

"Yes, Sir!" Suddenly Gumshoe seemed to lose his nerve. "It-it looks kinda bad. But I'm sure she didn't do it!"

"Um, detective?"

"Yes?"

"Could you just give us the facts?"

"When the incident took place, the victim was alone at his table, sir. We understand that the guy, Glen Elg, was listening to the radio at the time. Traces of poison were found in his coffee cup. And what we found was potassium cyanide. That stuff really packs a punch! "

"There is one very big problem with this!" Mia exclaimed. It wasn't much, but she had to start unraveling the prosecution's case from somewhere. "Detective Gumshoe, you say the defendant didn't know the victim, right?"

"No, she didn't."

"OBJECTION!" Prosecution interjected. "She didn't have to know him, her whole motive was based on the fact he happened to be carrying a lottery ticket worth a fortune. Lottery ticket that was found on the defendant's person, I might add! She merely saw an opportunity to get rich, and took it!"

Mia smiled, flicking her hair, trying not to show her shock. The ticket had been found on Maggey? This was bad. But the prosecutior had at least given her something to work with. "And here the prosecution has vocalized my biggest concern with this logic. Tell me, Mr. Krapp, where is potassium cyanide used?"

"Huh? I don't know. Some industrial stuff?"

"Exactly. It's not something you'd just find lying around a French restaurant!"

"The owner of the restaurant is an aroma therapist, though. When I went over to investigate, he tried pushing some foul-smelling liquid on me." Krapp argued.

"You're saying he puts deadly poison in them?"

"Who knows? Or maybe she was planning it!"

"OBJECTION!"

Everyone turned to the detective who had voiced this objection.

"Uh, I'd like to point out the victim only found out he had the winning ticket a few minutes before he died."

Mia flinched as the prosecutor hit his table in clear anger. "Then maybe she carried poison like that with her! You never know with women like that-"

He was interrupted by a baffled Gumshoe. "Mr. Krapp! Are you trying to make her the bad guy!?"

"Eh? Th-that's my job. " Krapp shook his head. "If she is indeed guilty, I'll see to it she gets what's coming for her. I have no sympathy for poisoners." He gestured towards the defense. "And, in the unlikely case of her being innocent, surely the famous Miss Fey can get to the truth?"

"Yeah, sure!" Gumshoe's expression brightened at that, but Mia wasn't all that certain it was meant as a compliment. Something about the way he said it was almost venomous.

I am getting a very bad feeling about this.

"Now, if the defense has no further questions, I'd like to finish this by calling the eye-witness to the stand."

The witness turned out to be Victor Kudo. Mia supposed the prosecutor thought he was more reliable than the owner of the restaurant.

If I can discredit his testimony somehow, he will probably get Armstrong to testify. Now I just need to focus on not letting the prosecution get a verdict before I can counter-attack.

"The young man was sitting alone, reading the sports paper. The serving girl brought him a javaccino... But she put something in it! There's no question about it! She very conspicuously put some white powder in there! The man took one sip of it, looked like he was in terrible pain, and then collapsed. That's the serving girl, right there in the defendant's chair. I remember her well!"

"Mr. Kudo, are you certain you saw her?"

"Of course! There was a ribbon in her hair, and her apron's straps were loose."

Mia tried to think of a way to poke holes in this testimony. "How was she?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, did she seem nervous? Like something was out of the ordinary? What was her expression like? Anything?"

"I suppose she was acting normally?"

For the first time in his testimony, he seemed uncertain.

Here's your chance, Mia! Time to strike for the weak point!

"So there wasn't anything out of the ordinary in the way she was acting?"

"OBJECTION! What's important is that he saw her slip something in the coffee!"

"I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Krapp," the judge noted.

"Your honor, this is of the utmost importance!" Mia pleaded.

No way I'm giving up now!

"I'm not convinced the witness actually saw the defendant! Mr. Kudo, I believe you saw someone, but all you can tell us about her was her outfit, because that's what you were looking at!"

"Wh-what are you implying?"

Mia smiled reassuringly, softening her tone. "Well, you are an embroiderer by trade, correct? It's only natural you'd pay attention to people's clothing."

Kudo was visibly relieved. "Yes. It's all professional interest, that's all."

"Nevertheless, you identified the woman based on her outfit. But a person can change her clothes. I bet if it was me wearing that uniform, that would be all you'd see. In fact, it could be our dear Mr. Krapp, and you'd probably not notice!"

"OBJECTION! There was only one waiter in the restaurant! Even if he didn't see her face, she must have been the defendant!"

I'm not too sure. The plan for getting out of this started to formulate in Mia's mind. He basically admitted the witness only saw the uniform, I can use this later. For now, I need to get his attention away from the identity of this woman and get more information for my counter-attack.

"Witness, what was the victim doing before the poisoning? Did he speak to anyone, for example?"

Kudo nodded. "Yes. Or rather, he was talking to himself! He was listening to his wireless, and all of a sudden, sat up, and yelled 'I won!"

"That's probably how the defendant knew he had the winning ticket." Krapp remarked, presenting a flyer for a radio show called 'Millionaire radio'.

"And he died after that?"

"Right after that. Took one sip and fell down dead. Youngsters these days! Back when I was young I would have drank all of it before keeling over! But people these days don't value anything, and waste their food!"

Mia did some math. The timeline didn't add up. "You were the one who called the police, right?"

"Yes."

"However, according the police report, the emergency call was received at 2:25 PM."

"What are you getting at, Miss Fey?" The Judge asked.

Mia presented the flyer. "As you can see, the radio show is on the air from 1:30 to 1:40. You testified that Mr. Elg died right after hearing he had won. So why did it take you over 45 minutes to call help?"

"It didn't take that long! True, I had to run outside to find a public phone, but I have you know, I'm in great shape! I do aerobics every morning! It took me 5 minutes, at most!"

"This seems odd." The Judge remarked. "Could you testify about the victim and what he was doing in more detail?"

"He was another of those pesky young types, wearing a broken pair of spectacles. He had a newspaper in his right hand, and the noisy brat kept rustling its pages! The young man was listening to the wireless. I remember that well, even the ear he was wearing it, it was his left, and he kept fiddling with it. Then the serving girl in question brought over the javaccino. The little fidget picked up the cup with his free hand and took a sip."

"When you say 'spectacles', you mean that lens he had over his left eye?"

"Yes, knowing these young people, they were probably broken on purpose!"

"Why would anyone do that?" the Judge asked.

"Why do kids dirty and tear up their jeans? Fashion!"

The Judge tutted disapprovingly. "For the record, I'd like to note that my gavel is worn down because it's seen a lot of use. Not as a fashion statement."

No one was thinking that! Wait a second…

"Mr. Kudo, you said he was holding the paper in his right hand. Did he lift the cup with his left hand, then?"

"Yes."

Finally, an opening for the defense. "OBJECTION! Impossible. The fingerprints on the coffee-cup clearly show he used his right hand to do that!"

"It is odd. Mr. Krapp, do you have an explanation?"

"Your Honor! I think it's clear what has happened!" Mia announced. It seems farfetched, but it's the only possibility. I need to find a way to sell this idea to court so we at least get another day. "Think of what we know; Victor Kudo says he saw the victim sitting by himself, and yet this is in direct contradiction to what the defendant saw! But what if both of them are telling the truth?"

"I'm not following you." The Judge admitted.

"It's simple," Mia flicked her hair again, trying to appear more certain of what she was saying than how she felt. "Remember how Mr. Kudo told us Mr. Elg was listening to the radio half an hour after the program had ended? Those witnesses are talking about two different events."

"OBJECTION! Are you claiming there were two murders? If so, where is this imaginary other victim?"

"There was only one real murder. The one Ms Byrde saw! Remember, after that she fainted. Giving the real killer ample time to frame her by acting out finding he had won the ticket, and the murder when Mr. Kudo was watching. "

"OBJECTION! Mr. Kudo saw the defendant poisoning him!"

"What he saw was a woman in the waitress uniform. Not Maggey. We already established that."

"Miss Fey, can you actually prove any of this?"

Mia nodded. "Yes, I can."

"What?"

"I can provide evidence that proves the 'victim' Mr. Kudo saw was not Glen Elg. Look at this!" Mia presented the autopsy report. "This says the victim's left eardrum had been ruptured the day before. So he couldn't hear with that ear. How then," she pointed dramatically, "could he have been listening to radio with that ear like the witness claims?"

The prosecutor shook his head. "Left or right, it hardly matters! Remember, the witness is old, at his age left and right get confused all the ti-IIAAAAH!"

The Judge brought his gavel down. "Could the witness please stop pelting the prosecutor with bird-seeds?"

Kudo ignored him. "Disrespectful little punk! Don't think that dye-job is going to fool me! You're thousand years too early to doubt my memory!"

"My hair is not dyed! More to the point, getting left and right confused like that is natural, regardless of age-"

"OBJECTION!" Mia presented the floor plans. "Take a look at the layout of the restaurant. The person Mr. Kudo saw was sitting on the other side of the restaurant, so the witness only had a clear view of the left side of his face, making a mistake like that very unlikely."

"I knew you'd save me, my angel!" Kudo blushed.

"Order!" The Judge brought down his gavel. "I'm not sure I agree with the defense, but it's clear there are a lot of weird things about this case. I'm ordering both the defense and the prosecution to investigate this further."