October 17th, 9:45 AM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 1
"It's... not... working..." Matty grunted, his entire face contorted as he struggled to concentrate. His as of yet unsuccessful efforts at channeling his brother's spirit, (an idea that had occurred to him during the drive to the courthouse) had consumed the fifteen minutes that he and Phoenix had spent in the defendant lobby thus far. Phoenix was watching him, her mind struggling between impatience and sympathy.
Half of her mind rationalized his plan; Micah would certainly have a greater chance of assisting her against the odds they were facing, but at the same time, she wondered if lacking Matty's own assistance might damage her composure. The latter seemed to be a particularly significant danger at the moment, as she kept catching herself hoping that he would give up the channeling attempt, if only so she would be able to feel the calming sense of balance that their interactions produced.
She was on the verge of cracking and interrupting Matty herself when the doors banged open. Wanda Powers stood in the doorway, looking nervous beyond compare and perhaps a mite embarrassed that her entrance had been so loud. The noise seemed to have greatly surprised Matty, as he gave a large jolt and lost his balance. Were they not in such a tense situation, Phoenix would have laughed at his overreaction, but she instead approached the doors to speak with her client.
"Hello, Ms. Powers." she said, trying her best to look composed.
Powers, who was making no such effort, gave a rushed greeting and hastily moved to one of the benches.
"Did you go to the studio?" she asked after sitting down.
"We did." Phoenix said.
Matty had gotten off the floor, and he came over to the bench as well. "It wasn't a very useful visit, though." he added, dusting off his robes.
"So, you couldn't find anything, then?"
"I'm afraid not," Phoenix said, "but don't worry. There's bound to be something we can use in the prosecution's case."
Matty recognized her tone; Phoenix wasn't even remotely confident in their chances, but she could hardly tell their client that.
Powers looked down at the floor in thought. "Be blunt with me, Ms. Wright." she said after a pause. "How doomed am I?"
"Er..." Phoenix hadn't been expecting this kind of reaction.
There was a pause.
"Uh... Dead samurai walking." Matty offered.
There was a longer pause.
(... Why did I let him answer?)
"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Matty." Phoenix groaned. She turned to Powers. "I'm sorry, Ms. Powers. I didn't want to be as, er... direct as Matty was, but he's right. We're basically flying blind going into this trial."
"No, it's fine, Ms. Wright." Powers attempted a smile, "I'd rather hear that than go in there with the wrong impression."
The doors opened again. "Ms. Wright, it's time for you and your client to enter the courtroom." said a grim-faced guard from the entrance.
October 17th, 10:00 AM
District Court
Courtroom No. 4
The gallery was nearly deafening. Reporters of every kind lined the seats, all discussing the rumours surrounding the case. The courthouse's regulations strictly prohibited recording devices, and as such, the many news staff were forced to limit themselves to taking pages worth of notes to prepare their reports.
The judge struck his gavel several times, but the noise was easily drowned out by the ongoing cacophony of voices. Phoenix watched as the judge gave orders to the bailiff, who scurried off into one of the courtroom's back doors. Seconds later, he returned carrying a microphone and hauling a speaker. He set the speaker down and held the mic up to the judge. This time, when he struck his gavel, the sound was clearly audible.
"-ahem- Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Wanda Powers." he said with a hint of impatience once the gallery quieted down. Phoenix heard Matty stifling a laugh next to her.
"The prosecution, as ever, is ready, Your Honour." Edgeworth said.
"As is the defense, Your Honour." Phoenix said briskly.
(I can't show a single sign of weakness, or Edgeworth is gonna have us pinned down in minutes.)
"Very well. Ms. Edgeworth, you may give the court your opening statement."
"The prosecution intends to show the court that at approximately 8:15 on the night of October 15th, the defendant, Ms. Wanda Powers, killed her fellow actress Janine Hammer, in the latter's personal trailer at Global Studios. As will be demonstrated by the evidence, it is impossible for anyone else to have committed this crime." Edgeworth said. Her tone was one of calm but severe determination. As she finished her statement, her eyes locked with Phoenix's in an expressionless stare.
"I see. You may call upon your first witness."
Edgeworth instantly returned her focus to the court at large. "First, I will call a familiar face, Detective Gumshoe, to the stand."
Detective Gumshoe pushed through the side door and casually strolled toward the stand. She momentarily gave Phoenix and Matty a friendly smile before facing Edgeworth, presumably to do the same thing.
"Please state your full name and occupation."
"Debra Gumshoe, homicide detective." she said evenly.
"Detective, describe this case briefly, if you would."
"Right." she flipped through her records book and stopped at a page with a map printed on it. "This is a map of the Global Studios lot. On the side, here, we have the employee area. The trailers belonging to the actors are all parked there. The defendant's is right next to the victim's. During the course of the day on the 15th, the studio crew was working through a series of practices for various action scenes. The last one was in the evening, at around 7. They had a meal, and everyone left for the day. That is, everyone but the defendant and victim. Reportedly, they both returned to their trailers for their own reasons. The security guard working at the time was sent to check on them before finishing his shift, at about 8:25. That was when he found the victim, who was dead in her trailer, and the defendant, who was asleep in hers. The police were called, and the investigation team located the murder weapon, the Samurai Spear prop, lying on the floor of the victim's trailer."
During the explanation, Phoenix had taken down a small list of notes, most about the specific times mentioned.
"This is the most recent autopsy report for the victim." Gumshoe added, taking a stack of thin folders from under her book. The bailiff brought a copy to the defense bench.
"What's it say, Boss?" Matty asked.
"Let's see... time of death is 8:15 PM, cause of death was blood loss from a stab wound to the chest, victim reportedly went into shock immediately upon injury, but took a few minutes to actually die."
"Yikes..."
"Now, as the detective mentioned, a security guard was the first to discover the victim's body. I would like to call this guard to the stand." Edgeworth said.
(You're kidding...)
"This is gonna hurt, isn't it?" Matty groaned.
"Well, maybe it's not-"
The side door opened again and Oldbag slouched in, his moustache quivering as he took small glances around the room.
"Shoot me..." Matty said, rubbing his face wearily.
Oldbag took the stand, staring around the room with a frown. His dark glasses kept his eyes out of sight, but if the rest of his expression was any indication, he wasn't happy to be there.
"Witness, please state your-"
"So, it's you again, is it?" Oldbag snapped at Phoenix, completely ignoring Edgeworth. Phoenix didn't answer.
"Witness, your name and occupation, please."
"Just a minute! You just stay behind your little desk until I've had my say!" Oldbag shot back.
The judge shook his head. "Witness, it would be best for you to-"
"DON'T PATRONIZE ME, YOU SMARMY GOAT!" Oldbag exploded, sending his moustache fluttering at its length. "IT'S MY TAXES THAT PAY YER SALARY, AND-" he broke off, as usual, into a coughing fit.
"Er... Bailiff, would you bring the witness a lozenge or something of that-" the judge began when there was a lull in the volume of Oldbag's coughs.
"I DON'T -HACK- NEED YER DRUGS-! THAT'S -HACK- THE PROBLEM WITH YOU YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY, THROWING TAX MONEY INTO WORTHLESS-" Oldbag's voice was blocked out by his coughs again.
"Is this man... your only witness, Ms. Edgeworth?" the judge asked at another gap in the noise.
"The police informed me that, most regrettably, he is, Your Honour." Edgeworth answered, her elbow resting on the bench and her hand massaging her forehead.
Phoenix, meanwhile, could only manage, (He's calling the judge "young"?)
After a prolonged bout of wheezing, Oldbag finally stopped, leaning against the stand for support.
"Now..." Edgeworth growled, having already thrown all composure out the window, "Your name and occupation, witness."
"Name's... gah... Weston Oldbag..." he cleared his throat loudly and stood upright, "Security guard for Global Studios."
"You were patrolling the studio on the day of the murder, correct?" the judge asked cautiously.
"That's right."
"Then, would you please describe for us the events surrounding your discovery of the crime?" he asked. Rather than saying anything to Phoenix, he only gave her a nod, most likely hoping to keep Oldbag's attention away from her for a bit longer.
"... Alright. I arrived at work at 1 PM on the day of the murder. I was a bit late, but everyone was so busy that it didn't seem to matter. Those fool actresses were doing some sort of practice, and they didn't finish until about 7:30 that evening. Once they finished their staff meal, they were all finished for the day. I was signing everyone out of the studio afterward, but two people were missing."
"Ms. Hammer and Ms. Powers?" Phoenix inquired.
"Yes. The director told me that they were still in their trailers, so I went to check on them. My shift was over at 8:30, and I wasn't about to let those two talentless floozies cost me my-"
"Objection!" Phoenix shouted as Edgeworth buried her forehead in her hands again. "The witness is slandering my client, Your Honour!" (Gotta play for any advantage...)
"Hmm. It isn't strictly related to this case, but I'll sustain it. Witness, I will have to ask you to refrain from including personal bias in your account of the events." the judge said.
"Feh..." Oldbag muttered something under his breath and continued, "Fine. I left for the trailers at 8:20. I didn't hear anything from Hammer when I knocked, so I went into the trailer, and there she was, on the ground."
"Hold it!" Phoenix interrupted, "Did you... know that it was Ms. Hammer immediately?"
"... Boss, does that actually matter?" Matty asked quietly.
"Of course I did." snapped Oldbag. "She was still in that idiotic costume."
"That's... the Evil Magistrate costume, isn't it?" asked the judge.
"Yes, that affront to fashion. Although, I can't say I expect much better out of the studio's clothing department, given what's happened to standards,"
"Incoming rant..." Phoenix groaned.
This time, Oldbag erupted into a furious tirade about the apparent decline of costume quality in recent decades. To the great dismay of everyone else in the courtroom, he for once seemed unhindered by his recurring cough.
"AND ON TOP OF THAT, IT'S CARRIED OVER INTO BUSINESS, AS WELL! YOU ONLY NEED TO LOOK AS FAR AS THIS ROOM TO SEE THAT, WHAT WITH THE SHAMEFUL BUNCH OF RAGS THIS DEFENSE ATTORNEY IS WEARING,"
Phoenix didn't bother to object.
(It's not like anyone but Matty would hear me, anyway...)
"-DISGRACE TO EVERYTHING THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY ONCE STOOD FOR, NOT EVEN REMOTELY INTERESTED IN BEING MODERN, JUST THROWING ON WHATEVER'S THERE,"
Judging by how Edgeworth's expression was now completely obscured as she dug her face into her hands, she was deeply and rightly regretting having ever called Oldbag to the stand.
"-NOT LIKE THE PROSECUTOR THERE, MIND YOU, SHE CLEARLY UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S NORMAL IN TODAY'S SOCIETY-"
(Edgeworth, cravat and all, is "modern" to this guy!?)
Mercy finally came as the judge switched the bailiff's microphone back on and struck his gavel several times.
"Witness! If you cannot adhere to the behavioural standards of this courtroom, you will be removed and face charges!" he said firmly as Oldbag finally ceased his rant.
Oldbag considered this for a few seconds, looking as if he still had quite a bit more to say.
"Feh. Alright. Where were we?"
"You found the victim on the floor of her trailer." Edgeworth growled, well beyond the limits of her patience.
"Good girl. Now, I found Hammer there, and I thought to check on Powers as well. I couldn't just call the police until I knew the whole story. When I went to the other trailer, Powers was asleep on her couch. I didn't wake her up. Instead, I went back to the guard station to call the police."
Phoenix suspected that she wasn't the only one to sigh in relief as Oldbag finished his testimony without breaking off into another rant.
"Do you have any problems with this testimony, Ms. Wright?" the judge asked.
"Er... No, Your Honour." she said. (Things aren't looking too bad so far, actually.)
"Very well. Ms. Edgeworth, what more do you have for the court? We must accept that what this witness has told us is correct, but you have yet to conclusively tie the defendant to the murder."
"Of course, Your Honour." Edgeworth said, some of her usual composure returning. "The witness neglected to mention something rather vital in his testimony."
(Damn... Though, somehow, that doesn't surprise me.)
"Please explain this, then, witn-... er, Ms. Edgeworth, rather."
"Certainly. During the initial investigation, the police searched the studio's security station for footage that might help clear up the more ambiguous details surrounding the moment of the murder. The search produced this photo." Edgeworth drew a photo from beneath her bench as she finished speaking.
Phoenix lurched; the photo clearly displayed a figure in the Steel Samurai costume exiting Hammer's trailer.
"As can be seen from the photo's timestamp," Edgeworth went on, "the person seen in the photo left the victim's trailer at roughly 8:21, which indicates that they were there precisely on time to commit the murder."
"Objection!" Phoenix cut in. "That photo only shows the costume! It doesn't prove them to be Ms. Powers!"
"Of course, Wright. I haven't suggested anything of the sort." Edgeworth replied, a hint of smugness lacing her tone.
"Then what's she so happy about?" Matty quietly asked.
"Alongside the photo, we discovered a few seconds of footage that capture the same few seconds from another camera's position."
A large display screen set in front of the gallery lit up, displaying the video feed. The camera was slowly rotating, and as Hammer's trailer came into view for a second time, the unknown person wearing the costume could be clearly seen exiting and walking away from the trailer.
"That still can't prove-"
"Objection!" Edgeworth shouted. "Please allow me to finish my explanation before throwing out accusations, Wright." she said in her best condescending tone. "Now, as can be seen from this footage, the costumed individual is walking with a noticeable limp."
(What's this got to do with anything...?)
"Witness, I believe you have an explanation for this, correct?" Edgeworth finished, turning to the witness stand, where Oldbag was impatiently drumming his fingers.
"That's right." he confirmed, straightening up.
"Explain this then, witness." the judge said.
"As I mentioned earlier, I had been signing the staff out of the studio after the final practice was over. I talked to the director, who told me that Powers and Hammer had gone off to their trailers instead of coming to the gate."
"Hold it, please!" Phoenix said rather cautiously, worried about setting off another rant. "When you say, 'the staff', who did that include on that day?"
"The actors, extras, assistants, director, and producer." Oldbag answered stiffly.
"Alright. Continue."
"What I forgot to mention earlier was that the director told me that Powers had been injured at some point during the practice. She- the director, I mean,- thought that was why Powers had gone to her trailer instead of the exit."
"And this injury, witness, was...?" Edgeworth asked, no longer making any effort to hide her smugness.
"A sprained ankle, according to the director."
"Of course it was..." Matty groaned.
"Can anyone else attest to this?" Phoenix asked, hiding her sudden panic. "The producer, maybe?"
"Not him, no. He wasn't there for the practice." Oldbag said.
Edgeworth shook her head with a brief laugh. "Wouldn't it be best to ask Ms. Powers herself, Wright?"
Phoenix turned desperately to Powers, who hung her head sadly.
"I, uh... I did, Ms. Wright." she said apologetically.
Phoenix groaned. "Well... Ms. Powers' trailer isn't in the footage! There's no proof that whoever's in that video went there afterward-!" she said shakily.
"Ms. Edgeworth?" the judge inquired.
"Alas, Wright is correct." Edgeworth said, narrowly avoiding a tension-killing pun. "I cannot prove that the killer retired to Ms. Powers' trailer following the murder, but I do not believe that will be necessary. Given that the culprit is clearly seen limping in the footage, it can be safely assumed that it is Ms. Wanda Powers. That is, unless, you can prove otherwise, Ms. Wright?"
A sweat was building on Phoenix's neck. (Dammit... I've got nothing...)
"There is one thing that bothers me, actually." the judge interjected. Edgeworth turned.
"And that is, Your Honour?"
"Where is that Steel Samurai costume now?"
Edgeworth seemed to freeze up for a moment. "I... er, actually..." she cleared her throat, "We couldn't find it, Your Honour."
"Hmm. I'm afraid I must dismiss your suggestion then, Ms. Edgeworth, as it is still possible that there may have been someone else present at the crime scene. As long as any doubt remains, we cannot accept Ms. Powers' guilt as the only possibility."
(Did... Did the judge just save us...?)
Edgeworth went on undeterred. "In that case, allow me to remove any remaining doubt from your mind. Would the witness please continue his testimony?"
Oldbag grunted. "And here I was thinking you wouldn't need me up here anymore..." he muttered, standing upright again. "Nobody but the staff I've told you about was in the studio that day. Everybody but Powers and Hammer signed out just after the practice. That leaves them as the only ones still running around the employee area at the end of the day. Powers doesn't have an alibi now, does she?"
"Boss?" Matty asked quietly. "Something's not adding up here. Literally, I mean."
Phoenix was still fairly panicked, but her thoughts were composed enough for Matty's comment to stir something up in her mind. (Maybe I can still turn this around...)
"Hold it!" she shouted. "Let me make sure I have this all straightened out. What you're suggesting, Edgeworth, is that the defendant killed the victim at around 8:15, left the trailer in costume a few minutes later, and was found by the witness in her own trailer just a few short minutes afterward. Is that right?"
"That is correct." Edgeworth said, staring suspiciously at her.
"Don't you think it seems a bit unlikely that she could have managed that?"
"To be honest, Ms. Wright, I do not." Edgeworth said.
"Let me clarify. You're suggesting that, in the space of no more than five minutes, the defendant left the victim's trailer, disposed of the Steel Samurai costume effectively enough that neither you nor the police were able to locate it, and then returned to her own trailer for a nap, which, might I add, is a completely illogical thing to do when trying to avoid suspicion in a murder?"
Edgeworth was silent for a few seconds. "Gah-!" she suddenly choked.
"Well, Edgeworth?" Phoenix added, reveling in her long-awaited advantage. Edgeworth said nothing, her mind working furiously but failing to compose a retort. The gallery erupted into chatter.
"Order! Order! This is an excellent point Ms. Wright brings up." the judge said. "Ms. Edgeworth, do you have any counterargument?"
"No, Your Honour." she growled.
"Witness?"
Oldbag only gave an irritated grunt.
"Hmm. As it stands, I cannot bring this trial to a close. I hereby suspend the trial's proceedings. Court will reconvene tomorrow. In the meantime, I would like the defense and the prosecution to thoroughly investigate this new ambiguity. Court is adjourned!"
Phoenix and Matty gave nearly synchronized sighs of relief as the judge struck his gavel.
October 17th, 11:28 AM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 1
"That was a million times closer than it needed to be." Matty said as he followed Phoenix into the lobby.
"You've got that right." Phoenix agreed. She turned to Powers, who walked in after Matty. "Alright. Tell me, Ms. Powers. Were you really in your trailer when the murder happened?"
"I really was, Ms. Wright, honest. I went straight there after the staff dinner. I was going to take a nap for an hour or two and sign out with the night guard. We didn't have anything scheduled for the day after, so I could afford to change my schedule a bit." Powers said earnestly.
"Then who was the Steel Samurai in the security footage?" Matty asked. "Any idea?"
"Not that I can think of." Powers said. "I didn't see what anyone else did after the meal, since I was the first to leave. My costume was in my trailer beforehand, though. Anyone could have walked in and taken it while I was sleeping."
"Hmm... Even then, they wouldn't have had more than a few minutes to get out of there after killing Ms. Hammer. We'll have to look into everyone that could possibly have made it there right after the dinner. Who was there for the meal?"
"It was... me, Janine, the director, the producer, and an assistant named... Pryce, I think." Powers recited.
"OK. We met Pryce during our search yesterday, but we haven't talked to the producer or the director yet." Phoenix said. "Can you give me their names?"
"Sure. The director's name is Salina Manella. She's... not my favourite person in the world. You'll see what I mean when you talk to her. The producer is Dai Vasquez. He doesn't hang around the studio as much as you'd think, but I'd expect that he'll be around today, what with the police questioning everyone."
"Alright. Thanks, Ms. Powers. We'd better get moving if we're gonna have any chance of staying ahead of Edgeworth."
I have no excuse for the lateness of this chapter.
I'm disappointed in me and I'll just get to work on the next one.