Dahlia Fey: Ace Attorney- Turnabout Weird

by AceFangirl

This is an AU fiction created by supersexyghotmew95. She was having difficulties posting it, so I'll be doing it in her stead. But this her fanfic, not mine. A bit of a disclaimer there. Now, imagine what would happen if Dahlia Hawthorne were raised at Kurain Village and became a defense attorney like Mia. it would go something like this. Rated T for the same reasons the game is.

45. Turnabout Perfection-Chapter 10

In the courtroom, everyone was back where they had been before.

The judge pounded his gavel. "Has the prosecution, er, prepared the witness?"

"Yes Your Honor," Lana said, not sounding very happy about it.

Polly stood on a perch behind the witness stand, preening herself.

"Well, let's hear witness' testimony then," the judge said.

Polly looked around, cocking her head this way and that.

"Witness, you need to testify," the judge said.

Polly said nothing.

"Let me try, Your Honor," Dahlia said. "Hey, Polly!"

Testimony

Hello! Hello! Squawk!

"Is that it?" the judge said.

Polly preened herself.

"Why did I agree to this?" Lana said.

"Hey, wait until I cross-examine her before saying stuff like that," Dahlia said.

"Well then Ms. Hawthorne, you may begin your cross-examination," the judge said.

Cross-Examination

Hello! Hello! Squawk!

"Hold it!" Dahlia said. "Polly, where was your owner the night of the murder?"

"Hello!" Polly said.

"H-hello," Dahlia said, feeling deflated.

"What were you expecting her to say?" Phoenix said.

"I don't know, thought I'd ask," Dahlia said.

Larry held his head in his hands, looking ready to cry.

"What was that thing Kay said to Polly?" Phoenix said. "She got her to say DL-6, what was it Kay said?"

Dahlia smirked. "Let's ask Polly."

"You're enjoying this, huh?" Phoenix said.

"Hey Polly?" Dahlia said. "I need you to refresh my memory on something I've forgotten."

"Squawk!" Polly said. "Don't forget DL-6!"

"DL-6?" Lana gasped.

Larry went pale, and his mouth hung open in shock.

"You too?" Phoenix said. "Dahlia, will you let me read that case file already so I can be on the same page as everyone?"

Without shifting her gaze, Dahlia handed her assistant the DL-6 case file. "DL-6 is the file code given to a very tragic murder. A young girl was shot in an elevator."

Larry looked down, remorse written clearly on his face.

"There were 2 other people in the elevator," Dahlia said. "Larry Butz, still a young child himself, and a man named Yanni Yogi. Yogi was the suspect, but due to lack of evidence he was found innocent thanks to his defense attorney Manfred Von Karma."

"Larry, you were put of this DL-6 stuff?" Phoenix said.

"Uh, must be a different Larry Butz," Larry said, not making eye contact.

"Really, there's another Larry Butz out there?" Dahlia said.

"I don't remember," Larry said.

"You remembered yesterday"," Dahlia said.

"D'oh!" Larry said.

"Where are you going with this?" Lana said.

"It's my belief that there is an aspect of this case that has yet to be investigated," Dahlia said. "DL-6!"

The crowd gossiped about the latest development among themselves. The judge silenced them with his gavel.

"Ms. Hawthorne, think about what you're saying," Lana said. "If the murder of Manfred Von Karma has to do with DL-6, doesn't that mean the defendant has the perfect motive?"

"What?" Dahlia said.

"You're basing this claim on the bird knowing about DL-6," Lana said. "But that has nothing to with the case at hand. However, the link between the victim and the defendant is undeniable."

"Objection!" Dahlia said. "How can you say the parrot's words are irrelevant? I'd say the connection rather obvious!"

"Then where did the bird learn to say DL-6?" Lana said. "I can't imagine it picked up on the phrase from the defendant or the victim, ergo I find it irrelevant."

"It's anything but irrelevant!" Dahlia said.

"In that case answer my question," Lana said. "Where did the bird learn that phrase?"

"There's really only one way Polly could have learned to say DL-6. The same way she learned to say everything else she knows," Dahlia said. "Her owner, the boat shop caretaker!"

"Why would the caretaker know about that case?" Lana said.

"Well, let's think about it logically for a minute," Dahlia said.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" Phoenix said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dahlia said."Umm, just... asking," Phoenix said.

"As I was saying," Dahlia said. "It would make sense that the caretaker would teach his beloved parrot that phrase because it was important to him, right? So then he must have been involved in DL-6 in some way."

"How then?" Lana said.

Dahlia mulled it over. Looking through the file, there are three males closely tied to DL-6. Manfred von Karma, who's dead. Larry Butz, who's sitting right there. And... Dahlia's eyes widened with realization. "There's only one person it could be!"

"Tell us already," Lana said.

"The suspect, who disappeared from society many years ago, Yanni Yogi!" Dahlia said.

The crowd began to murmur, only to be silenced by the judge.

"Ms. Hawthorne is this true?" the judge said.

"I can think of no other explanation," Dahlia said.

"But the caretaker has lost all memory of his earlier life," Lana said.

"That's easy to fake," Dahlia said. "At least, until you get caught in the act!"

Lana bit her nail.

"Your Honor!" Dahlia said. "I think we need to hear more from the previous witness!"

"But can you prove it's him?" Lana said with a tone if desperation.

"Well let's see what he has to say," Dahlia said.

"Hmm," the judge said. "I'd say given the circumstances we should hear this witness once more. Bailiff, bring in the boat shop caretaker."

Everyone in the courtroom waited for the bailiff to return with the mysterious caretaker. Then minutes went by, and still no one came back.

Eventually, the bailiff came back.

"Finally," Dahlia grumbled. Then she perked her head up. "Uh, where's the witness?"

"That's a good question," the bailiff said. "We're searching for him right now."

"You mean the witness is gone?" the judge exclaimed.

Lana bit her thumb. "How can this be?"

"We've looked all over the courtroom, and we're checking out Gourd Lake as we speak, but he's nowhere to be found," the bailiff said.

"Just when we had a lead," Phoenix said.

"We must find the witness immediately!" Lana said.

"Indeed," the judge said. "This shall be top priority. We will postpone the trial until the witness has been found. Are there any objections?"

"No Your Honor," Lana said.

Dahlia was silent for a moment. Then she said with an even tone, "No Your Honor."

"Very well then," the judge said, and slammed his gavel.

That was easy. Dahlia observed Lana from the other side of the courtroom. Why is she so keen on finding Yanni Yogi?

Back in the defendant's lobby, Dahlia and Phoenix were having one last conversation before he was escorted back to the detention center.

"I told you not to bring up DL-6," Larry said.

"I didn't," Dahlia said. "Polly did."

"Oh, you weren't planning on it?" Larry said.

"You have to tell us what happened," Phoenix said. "I'm sorry to bring back something like this, but it could be vital to figuring out what happened and getting you an acquittal."

"You've got the file," Larry said, looking at the floor.

"DL-6 means something to all of us Butz," Dahlia said. "We need you to cooperate."

"What does DL-6 have to do with you two?" Larry said.

"Maybe if you got my name right finally you'd figure it out," Dahlia grumbled.

"DL-6 is what I've been searching for," Phoenix said. "So I could help you, and pay you back."

"You keep saying that," Larry said. "What did I do? Why do you want to help me so much?"

"I guess I can't blame you for forgetting, it was a long time ago," Phoenix said. "Still, I'll always remember what you and Miles did for me. You guys saved me."

"Detective Edgeworth and I… saved you?" Larry said. "What are you talking about?"

Phoenix smiled. "The first time I was put on trial."