July 6
?
"Edgeworth, your sister's here to see you again," the guard said as he approached Edgeworth's cell.
Edgeworth smiled. The eight magic words that always made Edgeworth's day despite his horrible situation. He may be in prison to be punished for the sins he had committed, but seeing his beloved sister always gave him an escape from his despair. Stepping out of his cell, Edgeworth allowed the guard to cuff him before making his way to the visitors' area, where Franziska greeted him with a sly smirk on her face.
"Good evening, Franziska," Edgeworth said. "I take it you're in a better mood compared to the last time I saw you."
"You have no idea, little brother," Franziska said, her grin growing wider as she stood up from her chair and leaned closer to Edgeworth, almost pressing her face against the glass. "After going through that humiliating display, I have finally gotten back in action. I'm working on my current case against Ms. Violet Shade, with that wretch Iris Hawthorne playing defense. She thinks she could prove that Ms. Violet Shade didn't murder Will Powers, but the truth will be clear once I step into the courtroom!"
Edgeworth didn't reply, but the visible frown he made was noticed by Franziska.
Franziska coughed, sitting back down. She had forgotten that her little brother was a fan of Will Powers, considering the man's involvement in his two favorite shows. "Sorry about that..." she said in a quieter tone.
"No, no, it's alright, I already about Powers' death from the TV you gave me," he said. "Just go on, I don't mind."
"Well...alright then," Franziska said. "I've managed to gain as much evidence as I can, and I've prevented Iris Hawthorne from gaining access to the crime scene. She'll be utterly defenseless once tomorrow's trial starts! And I will prove to her and the rest of the world that my first loss was merely a fluke and that Prosecutor Franziska von Karma reigns-"
"Wait, you prevented her from getting into the crime scene?" Edgeworth asked, leaning forward. "Isn't that a little extreme, Franziska?"
Franziska scoffed. "Of course not! It's merely a necessary step to ensure I reclaim my perfect record! As well as to make Ms. Iris Hawthorne pay for crossing a member of the von Karma family!"
"..."
"...perfect record..." Edgeworth mumbled, his head dropping down as those two words repeated in his head over and over.
Franziska frowned, she knew that look on his face. He was in that depressed trance again. "Edgeworth?" she said, knocking on the glass in an attempt to get his attention
"...perfect record..." that was the thing he and his adopted family strived to maintain. A record that proved he never lost, that showed that every single man and woman he prosecuted was guilty of the crimes they committed.
"Miles, hey," Franziska said, knocking on the glass harder. "Snap out of it!"
Were they all truly guilty, though? His mentor and adoptive father Manfred taught him that everyone was guilty of something, that even if they didn't commit the crime they were accused of, they must've done something to truly deserve imprisonment. He had begun to doubt that line of thinking when it came to the people he had sentenced to prison ever since he himself got arrested. However, one thing's for sure was that Manfred's words applied directly to him. He didn't murder Robert Hammond that faithful day but certainly deserved prison for what he did in the past. Yes, this was the punishment he-
"MILES!" Franziska roared out, slamming her fists against the glass, startling Edgeworth out of his depressed state. "You scared me for a moment there..."
"S-sorry..." Miles whispered.
"Are...are you really okay?" Franziska asked. "You've been...spacing out ever since you got here..."
"...I'm fine," he said. "Just continue with what you were saying."
Franziska hesitated, but she knew if she pressed further, Edgeworth would just further deny it. "Alright..." she took a deep breath and raised her voice higher in an attempt to lighten this somber mood. "I've gathered more than enough evidence to prove Ms. Shade's guilt. I even have a photo of Ms. Shade caught in the act! And even if Ms. Iris Hawthorne finds a way around it..."
She paused for dramatic effect before flashing a devilish smirk to her little brother. "I have a little surprise that no one will see coming..."
. . .
July 7, 10:00 AM
District Court~ Courtroom No. 4
"The court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Violet Shade," the Judge said. "Is the prosecution ready?"
"More than ready, Your Honor," von Karma declared, whipping her desk before striking a pose. "Let's get to it!"
The Judge then turned to Iris. "Is the defense ready?"
"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Iris said with a nervous chuckle. No, no where are not...
She glanced at her client Violet Shade, who smiled and waved at her, as if to non-verbally say, I know you're worried, but it's fine. I believe in you.
Iris nodded back in response to Ms. Shade, then turned to her little sister Pearl, who gave her a confident nod. Iris took a deep breath. Despite the lack of evidence, she had to stay calm and remain coolheaded for Pearl and Ms. Shade.
I'll just have to find a way to turn this around, Iris thought. Like what Sir said...
"Alright then," the Judge said, turning to von Karma, "Ms. von Karma, your opening statement please."
"The prosecution will prove to the court that on July 4, actress Violet Shade murdered Will Powers, former actor, and director of the hit television series Crystal Crusader Rose. In ten minutes, Ms. Violet Shade will be declared guilty for her crimes!"
Iris rolled her eyes. "The set time thing again? Seriously? That didn't exactly work well the last you did that."
whp-CRACK!
"Yikes!" Iris shouted in fright but managed to dodge the whip on time. "Ha! Missed-!"
whp-CRACK!
"AAAaaaaAAAaghHh!"
"That Spirit Channeling case was a sham!" von Karma shouted. "I refuse to acknowledge its legitimacy! It did not count, you hear me!?"
whp-CRACK!
"AaAaaAcCccCk!"
"You have no chance of winning this case, Ms. Iris Hawthorne! Zero! Zilch! Nada! I won't lose this case, because it is not like a von Karma to lose anything!"
Iris opened her mouth to retort but stopped herself by biting her lip. "Let's just get this over with..."
"You may call your first witness, Ms. von Karma," the Judge said.
"Detective Dick Gumshoe, get over here!" von Karma shouted. "NOW!"
The Detective practically ran to the stand immediately upon von Karma's command, sweating profusely as he took a moment to breathe.
"Testify to the court what you had found out yesterday," von Karma demanded, brandishing her whip to Gumshoe. "NOW!"
"Y-yes, ma'am!" the detective shouted, standing up straight as he readied himself for his testimony.
TESTIMONY
"It was at 4:45 PM when one of the actors decided to show up at the Winter Cloud Building early for the rehearsal."
"It was then that actor noticed that the victim, Will Powers, was standing on top of the Winter Cloud Building."
"She wondered why he was there, but then suddenly, he was pushed out of the building and fell to his death."
"The Crystal Sword was found lodged in the victim's chest."
"Before the actor could call the police, she saw the defendant standing on top of the building."
"The police arrived at 5:00 PM and arrested the defendant, who still at the scene of the crime."
"Hmm...so the victim was pushed to his death when he was impaled by this...Crystal Sword?" the Judge asked.
Detective Gumshoe nodded. "Just like the Autopsy Report said," he said, pulling out his copy of the report from his trench coat.
"The Autopsy Report also states that the victim had many broken bones, Your Honor," Iris said. "However, while most of them were broken by the fall, it was found that the victim's cranium had been damaged before it."
"Then perhaps your shattered cranium had been caused by a struggle between the victim and the defendant," von Karma suggested with a smug smirk. Iris glared at the prosecutor in response, having caught on to her subtle insult.
"Hmm...very well," the Judge said before turning to Iris. "Ms. Hawthorne, you may begin your cross-examination."
"Yes, Your Honor," Iris said, composing herself for this moment. Here we go...
CROSS-EXAMINATION
"It was at 4:45 PM when one of the actors decided to show up at the Winter Cloud Building early for the rehearsal."
"It was then that actor noticed that the victim, Will Powers, was standing on top of the Winter Cloud Building."
"HOLD IT! Why was the victim on that building in the first place? Shouldn't he be downstairs to meet up with the actors?"
"That is a matter that we'll address later, Ms. Iris Hawthorne," von Karma said. "For now, just be a good little dog and wait for your inevitable defeat."
Iris grumbled in response, giving von Karma a dirty look, to which the latter responded with a smug grin.
"She wondered why he was there, but then suddenly, he was pushed out of the building and fell to his death."
"HOLD IT! This actor you keep mentioning. Who is she and why wasn't she the first witness brought in if she had such an integral role in your investigation?"
"OBJECTION!" von Karma countered. "The actor who witnessed the murder will be called to the stand at another time. For now, we must focus on the other witnesses of this case."
Iris wanted to object, but couldn't find an appropriate counter to that.
"Hmm...I will allow this," the Judge said. "Detective, please continue."
"The Crystal Sword was found lodged in the victim's chest."
"HOLD IT! Did you really have to call the murder weapon the Crystal Sword? It seems like a pointless detail to add in the case."
whp-CRACK!
"AaaaAAaagH!"
"And it is even more pointless to make a fuss out of it!" von Karma retorted, putting her whip down before turning to Gumshoe.
"Hmm..." the Judge stroked his beard as he observed the Crystal Sword. "This sword is the murder weapon, eh? Then it is treated as evidence."
"Before the actor could call the police, she saw the defendant standing on top of the building."
"The police arrived at 5:00 PM and arrested the defendant, who still at the scene of the crime."
"HOLD IT! I have questions. First, what proof do you have that the person the witness saw was Ms. Shade? And second, if the culprit was her, why would she stay at-or return if her statement that she was just sleeping in her dressing room was true-the scene of the crime where she can easily be caught? It makes no sense!"
"OBJECTION! There are clear answers to that, Ms. Iris Hawthorne!" von Karma said. "First, I would like to present my first piece of evidence! Detective Gumshoe, show them the costume!"
Gumshoe nodded and quickly took out a Crystal Crusader Rose dress that resembled the one that Iris and Pearl had seen during their investigation yesterday. However, this dress was tattered and torn, with a few blotches of blood on the shoulder area. It also came with two interesting accessories, which were a silver opera mask and a long pink-haired wig.
"This costume was the one that Ms. Violet Shade wore during the arrest, as well as what she had worn during the time she had committed the murder," von Karma explained. "She had used it as a disguise to commit the foul deed and believed that she could use it to cover her tracks. That is why she was there at the scene of the crime because she thought she was safe as she had concealed her identity with this costume."
"OBJECTION!" Iris retorted. "That's still a risk. Shouldn't she have, at least, come to the rehearsal without her costume then? Since this witness of yours saw her."
"OBJECTION!" von Karma shouted. "She didn't think she was seen. The Winter Cloud Building is a very high structure. She simply thought that she couldn't have been seen due to the height of the building!"
The people in the Gallery began to discuss amongst themselves, prompting the Judge to pound his gavel.
"Order! Order! Order!" he shouted. "So the prosecution believes that Ms. Shade wore this dress as a disguise to conceal her identity during the time of the murder? While the defense believes otherwise?"
Both lawyers nodded in response.
"Hmm..." the Judge paused for a moment, stroking his beard. "The both of you have raised good points. The defendant returning to the scene of the crime wearing the very disguise she used to commit the murder is a foolish mistake indeed. However, I can understand the prosecution's claim that the defendant would think herself safe given the tower's height.
"Then I must ask, Ms. von Karma," he turned to the pompous prosecutor. "Can you provide proof that Ms. Shade did indeed wear this costume at the time of the murder?"
"Even better, Your Honor," von Karma said with a smirk. "I can show you evidence of the defendant going to the Winter Cloud Building, readying herself to commit the crime! The prosecution calls for the security lady at the Studio's guard station! Bring in Wendy Oldbag!"
Court Record:
Evidence:
1. Iris' Attorney Badge
2. Letter of Request
3. Security Cameras
4. Will Powers' Autopsy Report
5. Crystal Crusader Dress (Costume No. 1)
6. Key Card
7. Crystal Sword
8. Torn and Tattered Crystal Crusader Costume
Profiles:
1. Pearl Fey
2. Violet Shade
3. Franziska von Karma
4. Detective Gumshoe
5. Will Powers
6. Wendy Oldbag
7. Celeste L. Starr/Emerald Empress
8. Penny Nichols