"Um...Prosecutor von Karma," Iris said, trying to keep her fear of the man hidden. "I admire you taking over for your daughter, but is it really a good choice to take over her case so suddenly?"
"Th-The defense does raise a g-good point..." the Judge stammered out.
"I have looked this case over and have memorized every detail," von Karma said with a cold glare, sending a shiver down Iris' spine. He then set his hateful gaze at the Judge, who cowered behind his desk. "Would you honestly believe I would stand here, were I not completely prepared, fool?"
The Judge trembled, clutching his gavel for comfort. "O-Of course! My apologies!"
What a pushover! Iris and Maya shouted in their minds, both blanched in bewilderment at what they had witnessed.
"Ms. Iris Hawthorne..." the old prosecutor said, causing Iris to jump. "I've been curious as to how someone so insignificant as yourself managed to best my daughter court."
Iris stayed silent, unsure of how to respond.
"As such, I wish to see just how you operate in the courtroom," he added. "I've trained my daughter to be the best of the best. So I hope for your sake that you give this trial your all, Ms. Iris Hawthorne..."
Iris trembled as fear began to take hold of her, but she knew she had to stay strong for Pearl. So instead of showing her fear, she just glared back at von Karma, as if daring him to do his worst.
"N-Now, if it's alright..." the Judge said slowly to not incur Manfred's wrath. "Your opening statement if you please...?"
"There is nothing to say but the absolute truth," Manfred said. "Matt Engarde is guilty of the death of the victim, Juan Corrida, and it will be the prosecution who will prove it. As such, the prosecution calls its first witness to the stand."
Here we go... Iris thought with dread as Detective Gumshoe stepped onto the stand. While he did look nervous and scared of Manfred, he looked...surprisingly depressed, his frown and sullen expression visible.
"Witness, your name and occupation," Manfred ordered.
"My name's Dick Gumshoe, sir," Gumshoe mumbled glumly. "I'm a detective down at the precinct... for now."
"For now...?" the Judge asked.
"After this trial's over... I'm supposed to turn in my badge, sir," Gumshoe sighed in defeat.
Iris frowned, eyeing Gumshoe sympathetically.
Manfred slammed his fist against the desk. "The prosecution does not need a depressed witness. Lift your head, face forward, and testify to the court!"
"Y-Yes, sir!" Gumshoe shouted, suddenly standing up straight.
"Get ready, Iris," Maya said in nervous anticipation. "This is going to be a very rough fight."
"Yeah...it would have to be with Manfred as an opponent..." Iris said to herself, sweat dripping down her brow.
TESTIMONY
"This murder happened after the Hero of Heroes award ceremony, sir."
"The victim, Juan Corrida, was found dead in his hotel room."
"After looking into the cause of death, we believe he was definitely murdered, sir."
"At first, we thought there was something suspicious about the empty guitar case."
"However, we later found out that the guitar case had nothing to do with the murder."
"Hmm... After the award ceremony ended, the victim was alone in his room?" the Judge asked Detective Gumshoe.
Gumshoe nodded. "Yes, sir! Both the victim and defendant went alone to their rooms, sir."
"I see. Ms. Hawthorne, you may begin your cross-examination."
CROSS-EXAMINATION
"The murder happened after the Hero of Heroes award ceremony, sir."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "Would you please give us a brief timeline of what happened after the ceremony?"
"OK, pal. The ceremony started at 6 PM. It ended around 8 PM..." Gumshoe paused to thinking. "...and then there was a short break. A special post-ceremony show was supposed to start in the lobby 30 minutes later."
"And that's when the victim's body was found, correct?" Iris pressed.
"Which is to say, the murder occurred during that thirty-minute break period," Manfred added, crossing his arms, with one hand clutching his shoulder.
The Judge hummed in thought. "Please continue with your testimony, Detective."
"The victim, Juan Corrida, was found dead in his hotel room."
"After looking into the cause of death, we believe he was definitely murdered, sir."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "The cause of death... Wasn't that because Mr. Corrida was stabbed in the chest...?
Manfred chuckled arrogantly. "Only a careless fool would believe something so brainless as that. Take a good, hard look at the crime photo," he said, presenting said photo to court. "A real lawyer should take note of this bandana, here."
"Bandana?" Iris asked, tilting her head to the side as she studied the photo.
"Indeed, it is important as it's tightly wrapped around the victim's neck," von Karma condescendingly lectured Iris, earning an annoyed grunt from the rookie attorney.
"Then, what about the knife...?" Iris asked nervously.
"The culprit likely stuck it into the victim's chest on purpose after his death," Manfred said, causing discussion among the people in the gallery.
"Then have a crafty murderer on our hands here," the Judge remarked. Seeing that Manfred had the edge in this part, Iris just took the autopsy report from Gumshoe and continued to the rest of the cross-examination.
"At first, we thought there was something suspicious about the empty guitar case."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "Why did you think that?"
"Because it was empty, pal," Gumshoe said. "The Jammin' Ninja doesn't go anywhere without his bright red guitar. And we couldn't find it anywhere at the scene of the crime."
The Judge perked up. "Oh! Then how about this theory! A fan really wanted the guitar and did the crime to get it! How's that!?"
"Um, we thought of that too..." Gumshoe said. "But..."
Iris raised a brow. "But...?"
"The only fingerprints on the guitar case were the victim's."
Only the victim's, huh...? Iris thought, rubbing her chin.
"Hmm... I see," the Judge sighed, frowning. "So much for my theory then..."
"However, we later found out that the guitar case had nothing to do with the murder."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "What convinced you it had nothing to do with the case?
"The guitar wasn't at the Gatewater Hotel that night," Gumshoe said.
"Well then, where was it?" the Judge asked.
"The bright red guitar was eventually found at the TV studio," Gumshoe explained. "The victim, Juan Corrida, had apparently only taken the case with him, sir."
The Judge paused to think for a moment. "So you mean he forgot to put the guitar inside the case...?"
"Yes, sir. Even when he was on stage for the ceremony, he didn't have his guitar."
"So that guitar case was empty even before he got to the hotel..." Iris said, pondering for a moment.
Gumshoe nodded. "Yeah, that's right. So it really had nothing to do with the case after all."
Judge stroked his beard, humming in thought.
"That is enough," Manfred suddenly said stoically and professionally. "First, the victim was choked to death with his bandana. Then, after the victim was dead, the killer deliberately stabbed him with a knife."
The people in the gallery murmured to themselves, many of them agreeing with Manfred.
"Which brings me to my next point," he added. "Why then, did the police arrest Matt Engarde? Because there was reason enough to suspect him."
The Judge nodded. "Very well. Detective Gumshoe, please testify about this matter."
Iris gulped, not looking forward to what will happen next.
TESTIMONY
"Matt Engarde and Juan Corrida were huge rivals with each other."
"They each thought the other guy was 'in his way'. That's motive enough in my book."
"As for evidence... There's the Jammin' Ninja's button."
"It was ripped off of the ninja costume and was found in Mr. Engarde's 'hakama'."
"The defendant's fingerprints were also all over the knife."
"The defendant bought the knife for the crime... Which makes this a premeditated murder!"
"Hmm... So the defendant's fingerprints were found on the knife used in the stabbing," the Judge said.
"It was sort of sticky on the handle, so the fingerprints came out pretty clearly, sir," Gumshoe said.
"I see..." Iris rubbed her chin as she studied the knife.
"And there's this button," Gumshoe added.
"That was found in the defendant's clothes, was it?" the Judge asked, to which Gumshoe nodded. "Hmm...and is this button also covered in blood?"
"Yes, and we know that the blood on it is the victim's blood, sir."
"W-What!?" Iris exclaimed, taken aback as Gumshoe submitted the button to the court.
"All of this points very clearly to the defendant, doesn't it?" the Judge asked.
"Yes, it most certainly does, Your Honor," Manfred said, chuckling. "Ready to give in yet, Ms. Iris Hawthorne?"
Iris huffed. "I-I'l find the hole in your argument somehow!" she declared, but even she wasn't sure of that.
"You can press as hard as you'd like. Just hurry up with your pointless questions," Manfred said dismissively, earning another glare from Iris.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
"Matt Engarde and Juan Corrida were huge rivals with each other."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "But in terms of popularity, Mr. Engarde won, did he not?"
Gumshoe paused for a moment. "Yeah. But you know what's ironic, pal? Juan Corrida was always one step behind Mr. Engarde in everything. This year it seemed like he'd finally caught up, ready for the big, final showdown."
"But Mr. Corrida lost the Grand Prix in the end..." Iris added glumly.
The Judge shook his head. "That is too bad... He must have been pretty downhearted after losing."
Manfred made no response aside from an annoyed grunt towards Iris.
"They each thought the other guy was 'in his way'. That's motive enough in my book."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "Wait just one second here! Mr. Engarde was beating Mr. Corrida in the popularity polls!"
Gumshoe stuttered before pausing to think. "Well, yeah, I guess, but..."
"Which means that in the defendant's eyes, the victim was not a rival at all! Which means he had no motive to kill at all!" Iris declared, pointing at von Karma dramatically as if she had gotten him.
"Hmm...yes, I quite agree," the Judge said. "Well, Detective?"
"Um, it's not...well... I guess if you put it that way, then yeah, the defendant would've had no motive..."
"OBJECTION!"
Everyone shrieked and gasped as Manfred cried that word out in a dark, booming roar before slamming his fist against his desk. Detective. I'm beginning to see why my daughter fired you."
"Eh!? N-No! No, Mr. von Karma, sir! It's just-"
"I look forward to your pension negotiations."
Gumshoe's jaw dropped to the floor, his body trembling before he shouted to the heavens. "N-N-N-NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"I-I say! Mr. von Karma, that is very-!" the Judge began, only get caught by Manfred's intimidating scowl and glare. "-appropriate of you to react that way. Ms. Hawthorne, you'll have to be penalized for causing the witness distress!"
"W-Wait, WHAT!?" Iris shrieked, taken aback. "But...but...!"
"Noooo..." Gumshoe whimpered, tears coming down his face. "Not my poor pension too..."
"Detective, if you value your money, I suggest you proceed..." Manfred growled, clutching his shoulder again.
"As for evidence... There's the Jammin' Ninja's button."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "Do you have any proof that button belonged to the victim?"
Gumshoe raised a brow. "Huh? What do you mean, pal?"
"Oh. Umm, let me put it this way...I'm asking you if you have any evidence to back up your claim that, this button was ripped off of the Jammin' Ninja's costume."
"Huh? But can't you tell by just looking at it?"
Iris opened her mouth to answer but paused as she tried to think of one.
"A-And the victim's blood is on it," Gumshoe added.
"Anyone could have smeared that blood on there afterward."
Gumshoe looked confused, unsure of what to say to counter. Iris smiled as she noticed some of the people in the gallery began siding with her.
Alright! Things are starting to go my way. I just need to keep this further and-
"Thread."
With one word, Iris' hope in turning this case around shattered. "What?"
"The button was attached to the costume by a thread, obviously," Manfred explained. "And that thread snapped when the button was torn off. If you match up the ends of the thread on the costume with the thread on the button...it's a perfect match."
Gumshoe then took the button and checked it with the costume of the defendant. "Yeah, that's it! They're a perfect match, pal!"
Iris let out a pained groan, slamming her head against the desk in frustration.
"It was ripped off of the ninja costume and was found in Mr. Engarde's 'hakama'."
"The defendant's fingerprints were also all over the knife."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "How were the fingerprints arranged on the knife?"
"Huh? What do you mean, pal?" Gumshoe asked.
"By examining the fingerprints, you can determine how the defendant held the knife. For example, did he hold it normally, or overhand...?"
Gumshoe perked up at that and chuckled nervously. "Oh! Is that what you meant!? Well, we didn't actually think of that..."
Iris blinked before giving Gumshoe a baffled look. I can't believe the bumbling of this department...
"Were you actually paying attention to the testimony, Miss Iris Hawthorne?" Manfred said. "The defendant's fingerprints were "all over" the knife. There is no way to determine how the knife was held at the moment of the murder."
"Hmm...so is the defendant the owner of this knife, then?" the Judge asked.
"The defendant bought the knife for the crime... Which makes this a premeditated murder!"
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "There is no way this was a premeditated murder, even if he bought the knife!"
Gumshoe sighed. "Sorry, pal. This isn't just some pocket knife. It's not really useful for anything, and you can't just walk around with it either."
This isn't good, Iris thought reaching for the knife. If the prosecution can prove it was a premeditated murder, we're done for...
Iris observed the knife, looking at it carefully...and gasped.
"Did you find something, Iris?" Maya asked, but Iris didn't answer as she shouted...
"OBJECTION! Wait just a minute!"
"Wh-What?" Gumshoe stuttered.
"So the basis of your argument that this was a premeditated murder is simply that my client bought a knife beforehand?" Iris pressed, slamming the palms of her hands against her desk.
"That's right, pal. The defendant-"
"Did not buy this knife," Iris interrupted, causing Gumshoe to look at her questioningly. "Take a good look at the handle of this knife, and you'll know what I'm talking about."
Gumshoe did so...and still did not get it. "...Huh?"
"It has a 'Gatewater' seal set into the handle," the Judge pointed out.
Gumshoe raised a brow. "Gatewater? I think I've heard that name somewhere before."
"That's the name of the hotel," Iris paused to show a smirk. "The Gatewater Hotel."
Gumshoe took a few seconds to register it before his face paled in horror. "...Uh oh."
"The knife was actually property of the hotel!" Iris declared. "Which means this murder was not premeditated!"
Judge nodded. "Yes, that is very true! This is a-"
"Heh heh heh..." Manfred suddenly chuckled evilly, getting the attention of everyone in court.
"Wh-What is it, Mr. von Karma?" the Judge asked.
"Your inexperience has shown itself," Manfred remarked, shaking his head. "How utterly careless of you. I think whether the crime was premeditated or not... has already been determined."
Maya and Iris looked tense. "H-How so!?" Iris asked.
"The knife is indeed hotel property, I will give you that," Manfred said. "There is no one currently on the police force that is dumb enough not to realize this."
"...But I didn't know... Oh..." Gumshoe let out a sad whimper.
"The question is..." Manfred paused. "Where did this knife come from?"
"Wh-Why that's obvious!" the Judge said. "It came from the victim, Mr. Corrida's room..."
"Incorrect," Manfred said. "The victim ate a last meal before he was murdered. With that being the case, I would like to draw the court's attention to what is on top of the table."
An image of Juan Corrida's hotel room was then shown to the court. The Judge narrowed his eyes, looking carefully, before gasping.
"There is a knife and a fork on the table!" he exclaimed. "Then...where in the world did this knife come from!?"
Manfred smirked. "If it pleases the court, I would like for us to recall the room of the defendant, Mr. Matt Engarde. Especially what was on top of his table."
An image of Matt Engarde's hotel room was shown to the court. Iris leaned closer to observe it, and her face blanched in horror as she took a step back, almost on the verge of fainting.
"Something is missing..." Manfred said, his smug smirk still present. "Perhaps, it is a single knife? We investigated the leftover dishes for fingerprints, and while we were investigating, we concluded that Mr. Matt Engarde's knife was missing."
Iris let out a worried whimper while Maya was standing at her spot, just as stressed as her cousin.
"Mr. Engarde had gone to the victim's room with the knife he had used during dinner," Manfred began to explain. "Why would he carry a knife on a visit? To kill, of course. And with that, I believe the prosecution has proven...this was a premeditated murder."
There was a moment of silence before the Judge and some of the people in the gallery clapped for Manfred.
"Amazing, Mr. von Karma," the Judge said. "Absolutely brilliant. A brilliantly clear deduction."
"Wow, this guy is intense..." Maya whispered. "This guy knows how to set up one heck of a trap..."
And I just fell into it...! Iris let out a soft groan before lightly slamming her head against her desk.
"A murder weapon with fingerprints, and a button from the victim's costume. There is quite a sizable amount of evidence here," the Judge said.
"I can safely say that any further deliberation is a waste of Your Honor's time," Manfred said. "You may now pronounce the verdict!"
"H-HOLD IT!" Iris cried out. "Y-You can't end the trial just yet! There's still one more piece of evidence we haven't presented yet!"
Manfred raised a brow, unamused. "Oh, is there? Or are you just bluffing?"
"I-uh...um..."
"Ms. Hawthorne, do you have something important and necessary to present to this court?" the Judge pressed. "Is there any new evidence that hasn't been shown in the court?"
New evidence...?! Iris breathed heavily, her eyes darting around as she tried to think of something fast. "There's one piece of evidence that catches my attention. Something that this court has yet to see!"
"Ms. Hawthorne," the Judge began, "I will say this one more time. I do not feel this trial needs to continue at all. ... However, I am giving you one chance... and only one."
Iris gulped. If I mess this up, Pearl will be doomed!
"You may now present one, and only one piece of evidence," the Judge said. "Now then, what is this important evidence that you must show to the court?"
C'mon, c'mon, Iris! Iris thought, frantically searching through her documents. There has to be something! Anything!?
"H-Hey, Iris," Maya suddenly said, making the rookie lawyer turn to her. "I don't know if this will help, but...maybe this can help?"
Maya then presented the photo of Juan Corrida's body, her thumb pointing at the direction of the wine glass. Iris raised a brow at what Maya was pointing at, only for her to suddenly realize what she meant.
"Thank you, Mystic Maya..." Iris whispered before turning back to the court. "TAKE THAT! Here's the evidence I was referring to!"
Presenting the evidence to the court, Iris was met with a skeptical glance from the Judge.
"This... is a wine glass, is it not?" he asked.
"Please look at the photo of the crime scene one more time!" Iris said, presenting the crime scene photo to the court. "The scene is a mess because the victim struggled against his assailant. The vase was broken, his makeup is all over the floor...these were all things that were at one point, sitting on top of the dresser."
Judge hummed in thought. "Well, yes, I see your point."
"However!" Iris added. "This glass that is sitting on top of the dresser is mysteriously untouched. The only thing that had not fallen over along with everything else is this wine glass! This piece of evidence is more than strange enough to warrant further consideration!"
Maya, The Judge, Manfred, and the rest of the court just stared at Iris as if she had gone mad. Iris couldn't help but chuckle nervously from the stares.
"W-Well? What do you all have to say...?"
"Hmm...well, yes, it is a little peculiar..." the Judge said uncertainly.
Iris grinned like a madwoman, staring at the judge with wide eyes. "Y-Yes, isn't it!? I thought it was!"
"You can stop looking at me with those puppy dog eyes of yours now," the Judge remarked, shuddering in discomfort. "Mr. von Karma?"
"What is it, Your Honor?" Manfred asked.
"Your opinion..."
"You don't need it..." Manfred said. "Because there is no special meaning to that glass."
"...What!?" Iris and Maya shrieked.
"It's safe to say that the glass was set there after the crime took place," Manfred explained. "By the person who discovered the body, Adrian Andrews, for example. She could have easily been so shocked that she set the glass down without thinking."
"Hmm... That does sound very plausible. Ms. Hawthorne?" the Judge asked, but Iris was busy pondering.
Could Ms. Andrews really have set that glass down without thinking?
"The defense would like to challenge the prosecution's theory," Iris said. "We would like to see something that proves it was Ms. Andrews who set the cup on the table!"
"Hmm... You've turned the situation on its head yet again, as usual," the Judge remarked before turning to the prosecution. "Mr. von Karma, do you have any proof to back up your claim?
Please don't let him have any! Iris thought fearfully, clenching her fists. Please don't...!
Manfred huffed. "Unlike you, Ms. Iris Hawthorne, I never say anything unless I have the evidence to support it."
"Wh-What!?"
"You're panicking and stressed. So desperate that you'll say anything if it will give you an edge against me," he said. "Did you think this wine glass escaped my notice? I already had it thoroughly inspected for fingerprints.
"F-Fingerprints...?" Iris repeated fearfully.
"There were only one set of fingerprints left on this wine glass," Manfred revealed.
"Only one? Well, whose were they!?" the Judge demanded.
"They were not the victim's nor the defendant's. Rather, they were of one the defendant's manager Adrian Andrews."
"WHAT!?" Iris and Maya exclaimed.
"That is why I said that the person who had discovered the body had left it there," he then turned to Iris with a condescending sneer. "Are we done here, Ms. Hawthorne?"
Iris gritted her teeth and clenched her fists tighter to the point her nails dug into her skin. I can't believe I fell into another trap!
"Ms. Adrian Andrews was probably holding the glass when she went to see Mr. Juan Corrida. But upon seeing his dead body, she was stunned and set the glass down on the dresser," Manfred concluded.
The Judge hummed in thought. "It does make a lot of sense."
Iris growled hatefully at Manfred, powerless to do anything.
"I believe the prosecution has provided more than enough evidence to enter a verdict, You Honor," Manfred said. "Let us waste no more time."
Iris' heart skipped a beat. But...but if we end this trial now, Pearl will be-!
The Judge nodded. "Yes, I think we've heard enough. The court finds the defendant, Matt Engarde-"
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted as loudly as she could, causing many to jump in surprise. "P-Please! This isn't over yet! W-We barely scratched the surface of this case! There are still more witnesses and evidence! You can't enter your verdict this soon!"
The Judge shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Hawthorne, but I'm afraid there's nothing left to-"
"So you persist to fight?" Manfred suddenly asked, getting Iris and the Judge to turn to him. "Despite all the odds going against you...despite the fact you've already lost...you persist in carrying on this charade!?"
Iris didn't respond, instead just glared at the veteran prosecutor.
Manfred huffed. "Very well then. Your Honor, the prosecution would like to present another witness to the court."
"B-But...Mr. von Karma! You've already proved that there's no way anyone else could've committed the-"
"Did I stutter?" Manfred snapped, his glare causing the Judge to cower behind his desk. He then turned to a nearby bailiff. "You! Bring in the next witness!"
"Yes, sir!" the bailiff shouted, saluting to Manfred before rushing out of the courtroom. Afterward, the entire courtroom became silent as everyone waited for the bailiff to return with the witness.
"D-Did that guy just helped you continue this trial...?" Maya whispered, uncertain.
"More like he prolonged my suffering..." Iris groaned, pressing the palms of her hands against her face to keep anyone from seeing her cry.
Court Record
Evidence:
1. Iris' Attorney Badge
2. Magatama
3. The Nickel Samurai
4. Press Conference Ticket
5. Radio Transceiver
6. Guidemap
7. Crime Photo
8. Guitar Case
9. Wine Glass
10. Autograph
11. Magazine Clipping
12. Suicide Report
13. Attempted Suicide Report
14. Autopsy Report
15. Knife
16. Button
Profiles:
1. Pearl Fey
2. Maya Fey
3. Viola Cadaverini
4. Ini Miney
5. Wendy Oldbag
6. Dick Gumshoe
7. Dahlia Hawthorne
8. De Killer
9. Matt Engarde
10. Juan Corrida
11. Adrian Andrews
12. Franziska von Karma
13. Celeste Inpax
14. Manfred von Karma