Disclaimer: Ace Attorney belongs to Capcom, not me :(

Chapter 19

Date: 18th June 2026, 12:15

Location: Courtroom 4, California

"No. Nooooooooo!" Alita screamed. She then slowly removed her scarf. Emma smirked.

"…I knew it." Apollo said. "So I was right, wasn't I, Ms Alita Tiala!" On Alita's neck was a red mark.

"Your neck… That isn't what I think it is!?" The Judge asked. Apollo banged his fists against the desk and spoke.

"Something did happen that night at the Meraktis Clinic! You needed to get that chart back, no matter what it took. Even if you had to steal your fiancée's pistol to do it!"

"B-But wait!" The Judge said. "Looking at this lamp and the witness's neck, it looks like the very opposite happened!" Emma nodded her head.

"The victim in the clinic that night, was this this witness!" She said. Apollo then stepped in.

"Specifically…" He narrowed his eyes slightly at Alita. "…you tried to threaten Dr. Meraktis and he attacked you! That's what happened that night at the Meraktis Clinic!"

"Urk…!" Alita started to sweat again. "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek…" Emma saw the cracked psyche lock shatter. One more… She thought, narrowing her eyes unconsciously as she fiddled with her magatama. The gallery went into uproar once more and the Judge banged his gavel.

"Order! Order! Order!" He shouted. "Will someone please tell me what really happened!?"

"I told you the truth already!" Alita exclaimed. "I went to the clinic that night to warn Dr. Meraktis!"

"What happened next?" Apollo asked.

"He jumped at me, and knocked me to the floor!" She said. ""Then, he took that cord…Pal Meraktis was serious. Deadly serious. He really tried to strangle me." She looked down. "I… I must have blacked out."

"So… you were the victim!" The Judge exclaimed. Klavier then spoke up.

"And the red splotch on the cord… was your lipstick." Alita nodded.

"I… I didn't want to remember that night. That's why I didn't bring it up." She looked up. "There… Are you happy now?" Emma frowned slightly. "I was out cold, almost killed! And you claim I then snuck into that noodle stand…But how could I!?" Apollo flinched.

"Aaaaaack!" Emma just blinked and cocked her head to the side. She opened her mouth to speak but the Judge spoke up first.

"Well, one thing is clear. We now know what really happened at the Meraktis Clinic. And it would seem that our victim was not entirely without blame himself!" Alita put on an innocent look.

"I… I'm sorry. I get so nervous just thinking of it, it's hard to breathe." She stood up straight. "I've told you everything. Can I go home now?"

"Hmm…" The Judge said. "You bear some responsibility for the events that day, true. Yet, if you were also a victim, this court would owe you some sympathy." He looked over to the defense. "…Well, Mr Justice? I believe this clears up the remaining questions for Ms. Tiala." Emma looked over at Apollo, who looked very lost. I'd better step in. She thought. Hopefully he will catch on… The Judge continued to talk. "Very well! This finishes the cross-examination of this…" Emma banged her hands against the desk.

"OBJECTION!" She shouted. "So Pak Meraktis choked Alita Tiala…" Emma crossed her arms and tapped her right forefinger on her upper left arm. "She fell unconscious so there was no possible way for her to sneak into the noodle stand." Emma leant forward and smirked. "But no-where in the trial today did we suggest she SNUCK into the noodle stand." Emma shook her head as she stood up. "Let's look at it from a different perspective." She put her left hand on her hip and her right hand on her cheek, tapping it with her forefinger. "So there was Dr. Meraktis, in his office with Ms. Tiala on the floor unconscious." Emma raised an eyebrow. "But what if he thought she was not unconscious, in fact what if he thought he killed her?" Klavier smiled.

"Ach, I see where you are going with this Ms. Wright." He smiled. Emma just smirked. Then Alita spoke.

"…You really want to blame me for this murder, don't you?" She asked before looking over at Klavier. "You, too 'Prosecutor' Gavin." Klavier just smirked.

"Me? Fräulein, I only wish to know the truth." Emma nodded before speaking.

"Let's go over what we know." She held up her left hand and counted off the different points on her fingers. "On the day of the murder, Wocky saw his check-up report from which he learned that the bullet was still inside him. So, he took a pistol from the family stash, with the intent to give Dr. Meraktis some of 'his own medicine'" Apollo then spoke.

"And Ms. Tiala heard about this from Wocky. So she went to the Meraktis Clinic ahead of him, in order to get rid of the chart with her signature." Emma nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. But then…" She looked over at Alita. "Something happened." Alita just huffed.

"…Sounds like you've figured it all out. But remember, I was the victim! I was out cold." Emma nodded.

"Yes, you were." She leant forward, hands on her hips. "Which brings me back to my first point, what if Dr. Meraktis thought he killed you?" Emma stood up and smirked before crossing her arms once again. "From the state of the clinic and the scene of the park, it's pretty obvious what the doctor did next." Emma looked over at Apollo and raised an eyebrow. "Well? Care to continue?" Apollo frowned in concentration.

"Well, Mr Justice? What did Dr. Meraktis do!?" The Judge asked. Apollo then widened his eyes in realisation and looked at Emma before looking over at the hologram of the scene, specifically the noodle stand. Emma looked in the same direction and smiled. She turned back to Apollo and nodded her head. He then presented the noodle bowl.

"TAKE THAT!" Apollo shouted. "A large quantity of bowls were found in the clinic's lobby. Bowls that belonged inside a certain noodle stand. I think it's pretty obvious what he did next." Apollo banged his fists against the desk. "He stole the noodle stand and brought it to the clinic! However, the question still remains, why did he remove the bowls?" Emma then spoke up.

"Because he wanted to put something in the stand, in their place…" Emma leant forward again. "Or someone…" The Judge gasped.

"Ah… Wait, you don't mean…" Apollo nodded and banged his fists on the desk again.

"Dr. Meraktis replaced those bowls…" He pointed at Alita. "With your 'corpse', Ms. Tiala!" Alita flinched.

"M-My 'corpse'?" She asked nervously.

"Dr. Meraktis panicked. He thought he'd killed you…" Emma then spoke.

"His next move would be to dispose of the body!"

"Th-That's crazy talk! You're all crazy!" Alita said.

"OBJECTION!" Apollo interrupted. "Then let's think about it… logically. The doctor had a place to dispose of you in mind… But on the way there, who should he run into but the defendant, Wocky Kitaki!"

"OBJECTION!" Klavier shouted. "… I question your 'logic'." The Judge looked at him, surprised.

"What's this, Prosecutor Gavin?"

"The park is a dead end. Why would he head in that direction to begin with?" Alita then spoke.

"That's right! He had no reason to go there! Oh, now I get it! It was a trick! That spoiled brat made him do it! He made the doctor steal the stand! Emma could here desperation leaking through her voice and the final psyche lock cracked.

"OBJECTION!" Apollo shouted. "Tell me… Why would someone go to a 'dead end'?" Apollo crossed his arms and Emma saw his eyes light up in triumph. "…Unless the park was his destination!" Alita gasped and started to sweat.

"Wh-What…?" The Judge banged his gavel.

"Apparently, the defense has an idea. Tell us where Dr. Meraktis was heading with the stand!" He pointed at the hologram. "If you could, show use on the hologram please." Emma fiddled with the device so it showed a map of the crime scene. "To where exactly was the victim dragging that stand?" Apollo looked at Emma to get her attention before glancing at the river on the hologram. Emma smiled and highlighted it.

"TAKE THAT!" Apollo shouted. The Judge's eyes widened in shock.

"There? That's a… a river!" Apollo nodded.

"Yes, Your Honour. I scarcely need to explain why."

"…A perfect place to dispose of a body." Klavier inputted.

"H-He was going to throw me into a river!?" Alita was in some state of shock.

"He didn't have many other options, Fräulein." Alita was silent so Apollo bashed his fists before speaking.

"I believe this clears up all of the remaining questions. The victim pulling the stand, and the defendant before him. And inside the stand, you, Ms. Alita Tiala."

"Urk…" Alita squeaked.

"And then, the denouement. Wesley Stickler, of panty-snatching fame, walks up. Seeing the two men, he shouts! In that instant…" Emma played a simulation of the shooting using the hologram, showing a figure inside the noodle stand. Alita then spoke.

"So… I shot him?"

"You were the only one who could have stolen Wocky's pistol." Apollo pointed at Alita. "It had to be you!" Emma relaxed slightly and smiled proudly. You've got it. She thought. But there's still something missing from that explanation…

[To be continued]

Happy New Year everyone! Please review with your thoughts! Court ends next chapter.