"Now then, witness," Manfred said, crossing his arms, "please state your name and occupation..."
"Oh, Wendy Oldbag, dearie. I'm a security guard at the Gatewater Hotel," Oldbag said, blushing as she smiled at Manfred. "My, my, I didn't know a handsome fellow such as yourself would be prosecuting. Say, are you single by any chance?"
Maya cringed, while Iris groaned, banging her head on her desk even more. Why did Oldbag have to be involved? Just...why!?
"We have no time for such nonsense, witness," Manfred said, a slight twitch in his brow.
"Oh, call me Wendy-"
"No! You will only say what you need to say!" Manfred exclaimed, slamming his fist against his fist, startling Oldbag. "Is that clear?!"
"Y-yes, sir!" Oldbag yelped, now standing up straight and beginning her testimony. "Okay, so today, I'm going to tell you anything and everything! Even things that don't have to do with that terrible crime."
Manfred grumbled at this but continued. "You were on security detail at the hotel on the night of the murder, correct?"
Oldbag nodded before blushing again. "It was a great job being able to see my dearie, Juan! It was almost too much for my little heart to handle!
The Judge blinked, baffled. "You mean you were a fan of the victim?"
Oldbag huffed, giving the Judge a nasty look. "Look, everyone is crazy over that Engarde, saying he's cute in a fresh way, or something. But not me! I wouldn't say anything so silly. After all, I have no interest in a little child like him. I'm only interested in a real man: Juan Corrida!"
Um...aren't they both the same age...? Iris thought, giving Oldbag an annoyed glance.
Oldbag then cleared her throat. "Anyway, as I was saying, I was pacing in front of his room that night."
"Very well," Manfred said. "Describe to the court what you witnessed the night of the murder."
TESTIMONY
"Anyway, after the ceremony, I went to pace around in the hallway in front of his room."
"There was something I was interested in finding out, you know..."
"Well, since I was on the job, I made sure to keep a good eye out the whole time."
"That's when someone showed up! It was a man coming out of poor Juan's room."
"It was Engarde. Matt Engarde. He was trying to sneak his way out of Juan's room!"
Judge hummed in thought. "So Mr. Engarde came out from the victim's room..."
"See! It has to be him! He's the murderer!" Oldbag exclaimed overdramatically, much to Iris' and Manfred's irritation.
"I see. Well, Ms. Hawthorne," the Judge said, glancing at the rookie attorney. "You may begin your cross-examination."
CROSS-EXAMINATION
"Anyway, after the ceremony, I went to pace around in the hallway in front of his room."
"There was something I was interested in finding out, you know..."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "Something you were interested in? And just what was that?"
"It's not some little thing I can just go around telling everyone, you know," Oldbag huffed. "It's top-secret, between me and Juan."
The Judge then glanced at Manfred. "Mr. von Karma. What is this thing she was interested in...?"
"I have no idea," Manfred said with a snarl. "Not that I care anyways unless it has something to do with the case. In that regard, you can append it to your testimony."
Iris sighed. It looks like we shouldn't force it right now...
"Hmm...and did the witness stay in the vicinity of the victim's door the entire time?" the Judge asked.
"Well, since I was on the job, I made sure to keep a good eye out the whole time."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "Would you tell us the number of people who went in and out of Mr. Corrida's room?"
"I have no idea!" Oldbag shouted, glaring at Iris. "I wasn't born so I could count things for those who didn't pay attention in class! That's why ever since I turned 20, I quit keeping track of how old I really am!"
The Judge hummed. "Yes, well, that would explain why your age was not recorded in the report."
"In any case..." Manfred paused. "The witness then saw someone, correct?"
"That's when someone showed up! It was a man coming out of poor Juan's room."
"It was Engarde. Matt Engarde. He was trying to sneak his way out of Juan's room!"
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "You saw my client!? Are you sure about that!?"
Oldbag nodded, grinning smugly. "Yessey!"
"Really?" Iris pressed, leaning closer.
"Annoying brat!" Oldbag huffed. "When I say I saw someone, I saw that person!"
Hmm...what do I do? Iris wondered, rubbing her chin. If she says she saw Mr. Engarde, I can't ask for details on that person's face, since she'll just say it's his. And if to see what he was holding is irrelevant. So...
"Please tell the court about the man's clothes in more detail!" Iris ordered.
Oldbag scoffed. "What a troublesome man you are. Really, as if something like that matters."
"But it does," Iris insisted. "We need further clarification, Oldbag. Just tell us what it is."
Oldbag then began to sweat nervously, trying to think. "Um...now what was it...?" she then snapped her fingers. "Oh, yes, it was that thing."
Iris raised a brow. "What thing?"
"That gaudy thing he's always wearing. That racing jacket," Oldbag said, pointing at Engarde, specifically his jacket.
Ah, he was wearing that at the detention center too, Iris thought.
Oldbag huffed. "That thing's meant for nothing but seducing women out of their pantaloons! Hmph! Men!"
Iris' groaned in annoyance at that.
"So, Ms. Hawthorne..." the Judge said. "Was this testimony just now important or relevant in any way?"
Iris paused to think before nodding. "I find it very important, your Honor."
"OBJECTION!" Manfred shouted. "Then perhaps you would like to point out what part of that testimony was important!
"Don't you see it, Mr. von Karma?!" Iris snapped before turning to the Judge. "Your Honor! I request what the witness said about the jacket be appended to her testimony."
Judge stroked his beard. "Hmm... I don't quite see where you're going with this, but alright. Witness, please..."
Oldbag shrugged. "Ah well, I don't like to badmouth anyone without reason, but if I must..."
"He was wearing his flashy racing jacket. Honestly, it's all just for show."
Iris smirked. Got you!
"OBJECTION!" Iris shouted, startling Oldbag. "Ms. Oldbag, do you know what this is?
Oldbag's eyes narrowed as she leaned closer to Iris, then smiled. "Aaaah! It's button number 2 on the Jammin' Ninja's costume!"
Iris blinked in surprise. Now I KNOW she's an obsessed fan, she thought. She identified it in a single glance!
"Give it here! Give it here!" Oldbag shouted. "If you don't give it to me, I'll punish you with this!"
She then pulled out her toy raygun and pointed it at Iris, pulling the trigger.
*rata-tat-tat-tat-tat...*
Iris' face blanched. Wow...she really is a die-hard fan to want a button covered in blood...
The rookie lawyer then cleared her throat and began to explain. "This button was discovered on Mr. Engarde's body during a full body search."
Oldbag smiled, jabbing her finger at Engarde accusingly. "See! See! This button proves beyond a shadow of a doubt it was that rascal Engarde!"
"It was caught up in the pleats of his Nickel Samurai hakama pants," Iris continued.
"See! See! And Engarde is the Nickel Samurai-!"
"However!" Iris snapped. "Just now, didn't you say that the defendant... Matt Engarde was wearing his usual racing jacket!?
Oldbag paused as her face paled in horror as to what she just said. She remained completely silent for a few seconds before bowing to the court.
"I'm so sorry!" she said before turning to Iris with a glare. "Sorry that you judge people based on what they wear! If I wore the trendiest dress, then maybe you'd think I was the most gorgeous woman ever! But instead, I have to put up with wearing this ridiculous-looking outfit! You'd agree this outfit is hideous, right? I've got a tape recorder stuck on my chest!"
Oldbag then hit the tape recorder on her chest to show a point, emitting an audible bang. "Lemme tell you, it's HEAVY! So heavy, I wish we would have switched to CDs ages ago! But I'm keeping that dream alive for all those kids out there, I work hard with a smile on my face, don't you understand!? Now, take a look in the mirror. Your clothes are about as interesting as a documentary on curling! You should take a tip or ten from that prosecutor over there. Now HE'S got style!
The old crone then pointed her toy gun at Iris again and fired, much to the latter's annoyance.
*rata-tat-tat-tat-tat...*
"Now hold your tongue still there for one second!" the Judge shouted. "So what you saw in actuality, was not Mr. Engarde, the man... but Mr. Engarde, the Nickel Samurai!?"
"They're really the same if you think about it," Oldbag pointed out.
"Ms. Oldbag!" Iris shouted as if she was scolding a child. "This is a very important point we're talking about!"
To everyone's surprise, Manfred nodded in agreement. "I suppose it might be something worth thinking about."
"Witness, think carefully and try to remember as much as you can before you testify!" the Judge order.
Oldbag sighed. "Alright, if you insist..."
I should be the one sighing, not you! Iris thought hatefully before Oldbag continued her testimony.
TESTIMONY
"Engarde... Engarde... Yes, now I remember!"
"The Nickel Samurai, that's right, it was the Nickel Samurai that I saw!"
"Yes, it would have been convenient for him to wear his costume during the murder."
"He had to go to that post-ceremony stage show right after the crime, you know."
"So he must've worn that Nickel Samurai costume when he was stabbing poor Juan."
Iris sighed, massaging the temples of her forehead. "Of course...of course, you'd say he was inside that costume...!"
Honestly, this wasn't much of a problem as Iris already found in the testimony...she was just really annoyed at Oldbag at this point.
"What? Did you think there could've been someone else inside that costume?" Oldbag scoffed. "Don't be a bad little girl, thinking such rude things."
"But the possibility does exist..." Iris muttered in frustration, but Oldbag somehow heard her.
"Ah, young 'uns today. I told you, there is no way it was anyone else."
"H-How do you know that?" the Judge asked.
"Because I said so," Oldbag answered condescendingly. "And what I say is the truth."
"Just let me get to the cross-examination already..." Iris groaned.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
"Engarde... Engarde... Yes, now I remember!"
"The Nickel Samurai, that's right, it was the Nickel Samurai that I saw!"
"Yes, it would have been convenient for him to wear his costume during the murder."
"He had to go to that post-ceremony stage show right after the crime, you know."
"So he must've worn that Nickel Samurai costume when he was stabbing poor Juan."
"OBJECTION!" Iris shouted before picking up the knife. "You see this knife, Ms. Oldbag?"
"If you're trying to scare me with that, I'll have you know it won't work!" Oldbag accused, snarling at Iris, who sighed.
"hat's the knife that was used in the murder, correct?" the Judge asked, to which Iris nodded.
"Your Honor. Do you know why this piece of evidence is important to this case?" Iris asked him.
"You don't even have to ask," the Judge said. "It's because the defendant's fingerprints are on it."
Manfred blinked, figuring out where Iris was going with this. "...Is that what you're driving at...?"
Iris smiled. "That is exactly what I am driving at."
The Judge raised a brow, confused. "What are we driving at?" he asked. '"And whose car are we driving?"
"If Mr. Engarde was really in the Nickel Samurai costume at the time of the murder, then it's impossible for his fingerprints to have been left on this knife!" Iris pointed out, causing Oldbag to yelp in shock. "Actually, he would have wiped all previous fingerprints on this knife right off"!
"Oh, that's right!" the Judge said, his eyes widening in realization. "The Nickel Samurai wears gloves, doesn't he?"
"HOLD IT!" Oldbag shrieked, sweating profusely. "H-He probably took his gloves off before he began the stabbing!"
"OBJECTION! And why would he do something like that? To leave his prints on the murder weapon?" Iris countered, causing Oldbag to flinch. "There is no way he would do something like that!"
"OBJECTION!" Manfred suddenly shouted. "There is one possibility..."
Iris paused, clenching her fists as she listened to what the God of Prosecutors had to said
"The defendant went to the victim's room while in costume as the Nickel Samurai," Manfred explained. "At that time, the defendant held no intent to murder. He was probably just going to relax and talk with the victim about the stage show. Which is why he took his gloves off."
"But the murder still did take place...!" Iris pointed out with gritted teeth.
"Of course, it did. It well known that the defendant and the victim had bad blood between them," Manfred countered, to which Iris had to admit he had a point.
The Judge stroked his beard, humming in thought. "Hmm, yes...I have heard of that. Well, Ms. Hawthorne? What do you have to say about Mr. von Karma's theory?"
Iris paused to think, observing the knife as she wondered. Alright, so Mr. von Karma's theory goes is that when the defendant went to the victim's room, he had no intentions of killing him. What seems to be...wait!
"Your Honor, this theory contradicts something in an earlier testimony!" Iris declared, earning a bemused stare from Manfred
"What are you babbling about?" the God of Prosecutors asked in annoyance.
"Now, for argument's sake, let's suppose Mr. Engarde was the killer," Iris began. "If that's the case, I think the killer can't have gone to the victim's room without intent!"
Iris then took out the knife again and presented it to the court. "This knife. This was used by Mr. Engarde at dinner."
"Y-Yes, we did establish that," the Judge said.
"This means that if my client was, in fact, the killer..." Iris paused. "Then he brought this knife with him when he went to visit Mr. Corrida."
Manfred huffed. "I suppose..."
"However, you just said it yourself At that time, the defendant held no intent to murder," Iris interrupted, jabbing her finger at Manfred accusingly. "If that were true, then why would he bring a knife!? He wouldn't, would he!?"
Manfred didn't answer and just crossed his arms and closed his eyes, looking very annoyed. He opted not to answer and let Iris' words run their course until he can inevitably prove it wrong.
"This means, Mr. von Karma, your theory was flawed from supposition one!" Iris exclaimed, earning some gasps from the people in the gallery. "And one more thing! If the murderer was wearing the costume at the time of the murder...then there should be glove marks left on the knife! This means the defendant's fingerprints shouldn't be all over it like bees on a hive!'
Manfred remained silent, his scowl being his only response.
"And that brings me to my final point..." Iris paused to take a deep breath. "This knife was planted by the real killer to hide their identity and mislead us!"
Suddenly, the courtroom erupted into a fit of gasps and speculation, prompting the Judge to slam his gavel.
"O-Order! Order, I say! Order in the court!" the Judge shouted. "Was this knife really planted by the killer!? Why would the murderer do such a thing!?"
"To frame Mr. Engarde, of course!" Iris answered with a confident smirk.
Maya smiled, elated to see Iris getting her groove back in this case.
"OBJECTION!" Manfred shouted. "Ridiculous! You're clearly forcing your own interpretation of events! We need real facts, not speculation!"
"OBJECTION!" Iris shouted back. "Oh!? Then what were you doing before then!? I'm certain your theory doesn't have anything backing it up either! My theory, on the other hand, has weight as the witness saw the Nickel Samurai in costume. If that were true, then there shouldn't be a single fingerprint on this knife!"
Manfred clenched his teeth, seething in rage before slamming his fist on his desk. He then turned to glare at Oldbag, who felts chills down her spine as she gazed back into what seemed to be pure hate
"Witness, did you or did you not really see the Nickel Samurai?!" Manfred pressed. "Answer NOW!"
"W-Well, I..." Oldbag stammered, too frightened to speak coherently. "I-I guess at first I m-might have f-f-forgotten, but-"
"Are you saying you mixed up Mr. Engarde with the Nickel Samurai, his character on TV!?" Iris pressed, slamming her palms against her desk.
"But I mean, I can't really do anything about that!" Oldbag shrieked out. "Look, I was waiting around in front of their doors because, well...well, I wasn't waiting around for the Nickel Samurai, that's for sure!"
Iris sighed. "Then who were you waiting around for then?"
Oldbag huffed. "That's top-secret to anyone outside of security!"
"You were just waiting for the victim, Juan Corrida, weren't you, Oldbag?" Iris asked, narrowing her eyes.
Oldbag chuckled smugly, giving Iris a crooked grin. "The way you think, you are a sad amateur with a terrible case of near-sightedness."
Iris raised a brow at that and crossed her arms. "So you weren't waiting for Mr. Corrida? Hmm..."
Maya then nudged Iris. "Hey, Iris, maybe...maybe the old bag was waiting around for Adrian!" she whispered.
Iris blinked, looking unsure. It could be possible since Ms. Andrews is involved with that tabloid affair...might as well take the chance.
"Ms. Oldbag," Iris said. "You were waiting for Ms. Adrian Andrews to come out of the victim's room, weren't you?"
The Judge raised a brow. "Adrian Andrews?"
"The defendant's manager?" Manfred scoffed. "Are you trying to imply that she's connected to this case?"
"She IS connected to this case, Mr. von Karma," Iris said before mentally adding, By way of possibly being aligned with my sister's kidnappers...
"But why would the defendant's manager be in the victim's room?" the Judge asked.
"Clearly this is the defense trying to use that silly rumor that's in circulation right now, your Honor," Manfred said with a scoff.
The Judge's face flushed red. "Hmm...oh...this is...well, this is...hmm, hmm...hah, I see..."
So the Judge is into gossip too. Who knew? Iris thought in mild amusement.
"Then this manager with the initials A. A...are you saying it's...?" the Judge asked.
"Adrian Andrews," Iris said. "Without a doubt, your Honor."
"Looks like you found me out," Oldbag huffed. "Well, that's fine. I can throw away this whole sworn to confidentiality stuff."
The Judge blinked, tilting his head in confusion. "W-witness...? What in the world are you...?"
Oldbag chuckled before explaining. "I got some information. Some very secret information from a certain source. So that's why I was doing my own little investigation. In secret, of course."
"B-But what for...?" the Judge asked.
"Oh, just for myself...personal reasons and all that," Oldbag answered dismissively, earning a glare from Iris and Maya.
The Judge then glanced at Manfred, unsure of how to respond. "Well, Mr. von Karma. How will you proceed from here?"
"I honestly see this as a waste of time..." Manfred said with a huff. "However, we must make sure no stone is unturned in this case."
"I see. Very well then," the Judge nodded then turned to Oldbag. "Witness, please testify about this secret information."
Oldbag then turned to glare at Iris and Maya, cackling evilly. "Get ready!" she declared. "This is going to take the wind out of you young 'uns!"
"Oh, just get it over with!" Iris snapped back.
TESTIMONY
"That Engarde is one evil, evil man!"
"He thought he could ruin poor Juan by causing a huge scandal!"
"So to do that, he sent his own manager to get in close with Juan!"
"I cannot condone such dirty tricks! So I took action!"
"...Oh, and this is top secret, you got that!? Nobody else but you and me know yet, OK?"
"The defendant sent his manager?!" the Judge gasped in outrage. "What a distasteful topic for this court!"
"What!? Nobody's above gossip!" Oldbag shouted. "And isn't there a saying!? The truth is never pleasant."
Iris rolled her eyes. Yeah, and you're nothing but a sweetheart...
"Mr. von Karma. What about this Adrian Andrews person?" the Judge asked the God of Prosecutors.
"We have looked into this matter, and found that the truth the article proposes is, in fact, baseless gossip," Manfred answered with a huff.
The Judge stroked his beard in thought. "Hmm... But should this be true...then this proves that the defendant did bear ill will towards the victim."
So this means I have to smash this rumor once and for all, Iris thought, smirking as she already found the hole in Oldbag's testimony.
"Now then..." the Judge then turned to Iris. "Ms. Hawthorne, you may cross-examine the witness."
"Engarde is nothing but your average foul-blooded youth!" Oldbag shouted. "There's nothing you can do now to disprove that!"
The old woman then flinched as Iris' cold, almost sadistic, smirk was not the response she had hoped to see.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
"That Engarde is one evil, evil man!"
"He thought he could ruin poor Juan by causing a huge scandal!"
"So to do that, he sent his own manager to get in close with Juan!"
"I cannot condone such dirty tricks! So I took action!"
"...Oh, and this is top secret, you got that!? Nobody else but you and me know yet, OK?"
"OBJECTION!" Iris shouted. "If this information is so top secret, how come you know it, hm?"
Oldbag's face paled, her eyes darting around as she tried to come up with an excuse. "Well...that's... because I'm a pro...yes, that's it..." she said, chuckling nervously.
Iris gave a face that said, 'do you really think I'd believe that?', promoting the old woman to snarl at her.
"I-It's a secret!" she shouted. "Even if you drill a hole into my brain, you'll never find out!"
"Ms. Oldbag, you're wasting the court's time," Iris said, crossing her arms. "If you don't tell us how you know about this right now, I'll make sure you never go home again."
"H-Hey!" Oldbag shouted in offense, turning to the prosecution. "A-aren't you gonna do something!? She's harassing me!"
"No, you're the one wasting time prolonging this nonsense," Manfred said, glaring at Oldbag with narrow eyes. "As much as I hate to admit it, the defense has a point. How did you find out about this secret exactly? I was never told that you knew of it..."
"Oh...um...?"
"Still denying it, Ms. Oldbag," Iris said almost mockingly. "Luckily, you don't need to speak up. I already know the answer."
She then turned to the Judge. "Your Honor, you remember my first client Ini Miney?"
"Ah, yes, a lovely girl," the Judge said, "if not a tad dim."
"During my investigation, she came to me saying she had lost her camera case," Iris explained. "Inside it was her camera, as well as a certain note she had written to herself."
The Judge raised a brow. "She reported such a thing...?"
Iris nodded and continued. "On that piece of paper, she had written down some of her outrageous... er, impressions about the relationship between the victim and Ms. Andrews."
Oldbag gasped. "Wh-What!? Outrageous ideas, you say!?"
"No, no, no, I said impressions," Iris answered with a condescending smirk, feeling a sense of pleasure at seeing Oldbag stress out.
"Then...then...!" Oldbag trembled, slowly taking out and looking at a piece of paper. "Then everything written on this piece of paper is completely meaningless!"
Iris blinked. "Wait...that's the note!"
"Ah! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Oldbag screamed. "Noooo! You see, this is something completely different! This is my top-secret list of groceries to buyyyyyyy!"
"HOLD IT!" Manfred shouted. "Witness, why do you have such a note!? Furthermore, why didn't you tell me of it!?"
"I'm a huuuuuuuge fan of Juan's, that's why!" Oldbag hissed, glaring at everyone in the court. "That infamous, puffy-haired whippersnapper... She's working with that evil Engarde! She said so herself! 'En garde! I'm his sidekick!'! She was so happy, smiling like a silly duck. I was only checking what she had written!"
Iris, Maya, the Judge, Manfred, and the rest of the court all went silent upon trying to process Oldbag's tirade.
"What foolish nonsense..." Manfred grumbled, crossing his arms.
"I was only trying to help out like the angel I am!" Oldbag insisted. "It's only one little piece of paper! I've never taken anything else before!"
"You really should come with a supply of cheese to match your vintage whine," Iris remarked dryly, smirking when Oldbag turned to glare at her for it.
"Well, it was only a piece of paper," the Judge said. "I suppose we can overlook this just this once."
"Oh, no, no, no, we can't overlook this," Iris said with a humorless chuckle. "That's not isn't the only thing she's stolen!"
"S-S-Stole!? Why don't you listen more carefully, you annoying brat!?" Oldbag shouted. "I saved this piece of paper from the terrible, lonely trash can! That's all!"
"You're lying, dammit!" Iris exclaimed, slamming her palms against her desk. "I know that because Ms. Miney also lost her camera, which is contained in a camera case that had that very note you're holding!"
Oldbag shrieked, but Iris continued.
"That camera is something she needs for her job!" Iris shouted, furious that Oldbag had taken her friend's property. "Give it back, she's been searching the entire Gatewater Hotel for it!"
"Witness!" the Judge said in a scolding tone. "Why?!"
"Grr...!" Oldbag gritted her teeth before huffing out, "Fine...Is this the camera you're looking for?"
Iris gasped as Oldbag took out Ini's camera and showed it to the court.
"You horrible, conniving bitch!" Iris shouted angrily at Oldbag.
"What!? I'm still a person, you know!" Oldbag shouted indignantly. "I still eat meals like you, I fall in love... and borrow things from people!"
"Um... I think your definition of borrow is a little off..." the Judge said.
"I saw that woman's business card and that's when I noticed it said, Slimebag Celebrity Photographer Extraordinaire!" Oldbag explained. "Well, when I saw that, I had to know what sort of pictures she had taken! I'm a professional security guard! It's my business to know these things!"
"Your Honor, I demand that I see the camera's photos for examination at once!" Manfred said.
The Judge nodded before ordering the nearest bailiff to forcibly snatch the camera out of Oldbag's hands.
. . .
After several minutes, Manfred had finished examining the camera's photos.
"There is only one photo that seems to be relevant to this case," Manfred said before showing the photo to the court. Everyone gasped as they saw the Nickel Samurai stepping out of Juan Corrida's room.
"Th-This is... This is the Nickel Samurai!" the Judge exclaimed.
"See, I told you! That's the guy I saw!" Oldbag shouted before childishly sticking her tongue out to Iris.
So Oldbag wasn't lying after all...!? Iris thought bitterly.
"This photo by itself does not prove that the person in it is the defendant," Manfred began. "However! In his own confession, Mr. Engarde clearly stated that at the time of the murder, he was still in his Nickel Samurai costume!"
"If that is the case, then...this Nickel Samurai is..." the Judge began slowly.
"The defendant," Manfred finished with a sinister smile on his face.
"How did it come to this...?" the Judge sighed. "I think this brings us to the end. We have examined every piece of evidence thoroughly. Final comments, Ms. Hawthorne? The court will consider them before we close. Do you agree that this photo is decisive evidence against your client?"
"I...I..." Iris paused to observe the photo, studying it carefully. If this photo really is decisive, then we're done for! But if I raise an objection here and blow it, then I would put Pearl's life in jeopardy. Come on, there has to be a mistake! Just what am I-!?
Iris' eyes then widened when she glanced down at the Nickel Samurai's ankles. That's it!
"I would like to direct the court's attention to this one area right here!" Iris shouted, pointing at the ankles. "If you could see this person's ankle, that would be one thing. However, you can't."
"A-And...?" the Judge asked, tilting his head. "What does that mean...?"
"The Nickel Samurai in this photo could not have been Mr. Engarde!"
"OBJECTION!" Manfred shouted. "I wonder if you would care to elaborate...with actual facts, that is."
Iris snarled at Manfred but continued to explain. "Let's take a look at the Nickel Samurai's poster."
The image of the Nickel Samurai in his signature pose was shown to the court.
"Please pay particular attention to the area around the bottom of the hakama."
The Judge leaned forward with narrowed eyes before gasping. "His...his socks...you can see his socks..."
"Exactly!" Iris said. "However, in this photo...the Nickel Samurai is clearly holding his hakama up just to walk! There is only one explanation for this! The person inside this costume is clearly much shorter than the defendant!"
Alright! I think I finally turned things around for myself this time! was what Iris thought happily until she saw the look on Manfred's face. It wasn't anger, confusion, irritation, or indifference...but instead, a small, cruel smirk that shook Iris' to her core.
"Hmm... I thought it would come to this," Manfred said, causing Iris and Maya to gasp in shock. "Ms. Iris Hawthorne. I have something I want to ask you. I think you have proven that the person inside this costume is not Matt Engarde. In that case...who IS this a photo of...?"
"W-who...!?" Iris repeated in a hushed tone, her breath starting to become heavy.
"Don't let this guy get to you, Iris!" Maya whispered. "You can figure this out easily!"
"We are waiting for your answer, Ms. Iris Hawthorne," Manfred pressed. "Who is the person in this photograph?"
Who it is? Iris thought, dreading her answer. I don't want to do this, but she's the only one who has connections to Pearl's kidnappers...but what would happen if I say her name and she really is the culprit? Will they kill Pearl if I do that?! And what if she's innocent? That would mean I'd be accusing someone for something they didn't do!
Manfred's glare at Iris intensified, causing the rookie lawyer to shudder. I have no choice...I have to do it!
"The person in the photo..." Iris paused. "...is Adrian Andrews!"
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
17. Ini's Camera
18. Ini's Photo
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