Long chapter alert as this is the bulk of all of Angel Starr's testimony, so enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this.
DM77's Ace Attorney Chapter 45
Professional Witness Pt2
Things were tough in court, J just managed to find a way to break through Verosika's well put together testimony but now the succubus was going to testify again, J had to be ready to look for holes in it or this case is over.
Verosika then testifies on the subject of her deduction saying "Sae Niijima intended to murder Detective Saihara! That's why she called the victim all the way to the Prosecutor's Office. I'm sure the Chief Prosecutor had a grudge against the victim. Nothing else could drive that human machine to plunge the knife in again and again…"
"The victim was summoned from the Police Department to the Prosecutor's Office…" Maccadam said thinking "It does sound a lot like premeditation, doesn't it?!"
"So, if I ordered a pizza, does that mean I'm planning to kill the delivery boy?" Makoto asked thinking.
"In any case, the defence may now cross-examine the witness." Maccadam said.
J nods and first presses the second statement saying "Hold it! You have no proof that Miss. Niijima called him there!"
"You have no proof that she didn't!" Verosika fires back.
"Hmm…Mr. Deamonne, thoughts?" Maccadam asked.
"There is no record of a call made on the defendant, Miss. Sae Niijima's phone." Hunter said reading from a report.
"She might have written him a letter!" Verosika said smiling.
'Come on! You could have tried 'public phone' first, at least!' J thinks sweat dropping.
"In any case, the victim came to the Prosecutor's Office, where he was murdered." Hunter said.
"I'm sure he had a reason to be there." Maccadam said nodding.
J then looks at the last statement and sees an obvious contradiction and presses it saying "Hold it! A 'human machine'?! That's a contradiction!"
"Objection!" Hunter said and sighs shaking his head and said "Please…Can't you find fault with something of substance, Miss. J?"
"Note to self: Mr. Deamonne's sighs smell like citrus fruit." Makoto said writing in her note pad.
"Ummm…You say 'again and again'…how many times did she stab her exactly?" J asked.
"We often say 'chop into a thousand pieces,' but we don't actually mean 1,000 pieces." Verosika explained and then glares at J "What difference does it make if the deed is done?!"
'How come she's getting mad at me?!' J thought sweating.
"Let's just say she stabbed him several times and leave it at that." Maccadam suggested.
'Leave it at that?! This is a murder case, people!' J thinks.
"Miss J, you should speak up if you have an objection, you know!" Makoto told her.
J then decides to point out the contradiction by getting the piece of evidence ready the Autopsy Report and said on the final statement "Objection! You say she stabbed him again and again…But you couldn't have witnessed that!"
"Are you testing me…? Then I'll test you!" Verosika said smirking and holds out a lunchbox full of green moss saying "With my Moss Surprise!"
"I'm afraid the moss is growing under our feet as we wait, Miss. Mayday." Hunter points out. This earned a glare from Verosika.
"W-what do you mean?" Maccadam asked.
"I shouldn't have to explain this…But take a look." Hunter said and brings up the Autopsy Report on the screens "The autopsy report states that death was due to a lost of blood…from one stab wound."
"Ah hah! You're right!" Maccadam said seeing it "Good show, Mr. Deamonne!"
"What a hunk! He's my hero, really." Makoto said smiling.
'What about my objection? No one noticed?' J thinks in disbelief as Hunter said what she was going to say.
"Well, witness?" Maccadam asked Verosika.
Verosika smiles and holds out a lunchbox with rice, ketchup and a fork saying, "You got the Crime Scene Set, right?"
"Uh…. oh, thanks." Maccadam said taken aback.
"I always believed that one one could ever mistake ketchup for blood…" Verosika explained "But now, I realize that such mistakes are possible."
"So…You're saying you mistook something…for blood?" Hunter asked.
"When she lifted her knife, I thought I saw blood at her breast…" Verosika said "Splattered blood from her victim! That's why I thought she must have stabbed him at least twice."
Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "Then tell what you saw that you thought was blood! Testify!"
Angel nods and replaces her last statement saying "Her red muffler looked like blood to me…That's who ghastly the whole scene was."
J confused presses this statement said "Hold it! Her red muffler?"
"Yes, like a scarf." Verosika said nodding "It's hard to notice unless you're looking but the Chief Prosecutor always wears one around her neck. So, she can be easily anged at a moment's notice, I suppose…"
'She's right…' J thinks and recalls seeing one around Sae's neck tugged under her jacket. 'Miss Niijima was wearing a red scarf…wasn't she?' She then said "But wait…Isn't it odd that you mistook that for splattered blood?" Verosika remains silent.
"Well, people often mistake my optics….For goggles." Maccadam said.
'A judge with goggles. That's why this place feels so much like kindergarten sometimes.' J thinks sweat dropping
"Actually…I do think I saw some traces of blood on her chest…" Verosika said thinking.
"However, the autopsy report is clear on this matter." Hunter said. "There was only one knife wound." Verosika remains quiet.
'Apperently, Miss. Mayday isn't entirely sure of her own testimony.' J thinks.
"Miss. J! This is our chance!" Makoto said.
"Chance for what, I wonder…?" J said and and checks her evidence and sees the Crime Photo and see the contradiction in that Sae wasn't wearing a scarf in it and gets it ready on the last statement and said "Objection! Miss. Mayday I demand and explanation…"
"Objection!" Hunter said and then adds smirking "The witness is clearly not suited for detective work."
"W-what?!" Verosika said annoyed.
"The suspect…was not wearing a scarf or muffler of any kind when she stabbed the victim." Hunter explained "And you've proved it yourself! With this photograph!" He brings up the Crime Photo on the screens.
"Huh? B-but that…That can't be!" Verosika said in shock wincing.
"Only a professional lunchlady could be so utterly clueless." Hunter said grinning. "Congratulations. Perhaps you've finally found your true calling in life."
"Hmm! Harsh words! But good!" Maccadam said nodding.
"In the end, Mr. Deamonne prevails!" Makoto said smiling.
'What was my objection, chopped liver?!' J said annoyed that Hunter again said what she was going to say.
"B-but it was there, a scarf, no, not that, but something red! Really!" Verosika said unnerved.
Hunter slams his hand down on the bench and said "Well now, where were we? The witness has given us an entertaining interlude, but back to business."
"Wh-what?!" Verosika said in shock.
Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "Very well, witness, continue your testimony. You saw the crime, and apprehended the suspect… Tell us about that."
Verosika composes and said "Very well. I do remember some things accurately, at least."
'Ultimately, we couldn't shake the most important part of her testimony.' J thinks.
"The most important part…?" Makoto asked.
"The part where you sister stabs the victim!" J told her and thinks. 'This next testimony might just be the moment of truth!'
Verosika then testifys on 'Apprehending the Suspect' saying "After the murder, the suspect attempted to run behind a partition off to her side. I quickly caught her explained her rights to her, and arrested her on the spot. Ah yes. When I arrested her, she mentioned the muffler!"
"That's what had me confused in my earlier testimony!" Verosika said finishing up "The chief prosecutor made to escape, but against Verosika Mayday, resistance is futile!"
"You are quite determined about this scarf, aren't you?" Maccadam said surprised.
"I strike like a snake and bite like a Serviper!" Verosika states. "That's me. Verosika Mayday."
"That wasn't a very good metaphor." J points out "First of all, a Serviper is a kind of snake Pokemon."
"Don't bother me with details, unless you want to get bitten!" Verosika said glaring at J.
"N-no thanks!" J said sweating.
"Not to self: Miss. J is weak against poisonous snake bites." Makoto said writing in her notepad.
"The chief prosecutor tried to resist, but her efforts were in vain." Verosika explained "She knocked my hands aside, kicked over an oil drum…"
"A-an oil drum?" J said sweating and thinks 'Hard to imagine…'
"Oh, she's beautiful, but deadly! A predator, this one! A leopard woman! Rowr!" Verosika said grinning.
"Very well, Miss. J. Your cross-examination if you will." Maccadam said.
J nods and begins pressing the second statement about how Verosika quickly caught Sae and said "Hold it! You say 'quickly'…were you close to the suspect?"
"As I just said!" Verosika said "I was only 30 feet away from her the whole time."
J thinks and decides to prose her on this and said "I'd like to see this on the floor plans, just to be safe." She brings up the floor plans on the screens. The Lunch Kingdom car was…"
"She was a 'visitor,' thus, she was parked in B Block." Hunter said pointing to it.
"So, you witnessed the murder from…here?" J said placing a green dot with a white W on the spot where Verosika would be.
"That would make it about 30 feet from the car, yes." Maccadam said nodding.
"Is that correct, Miss. Mayday?" J asked.
"Y-yes, that's right." Verosika said a bit nervous.
"But there was a chain link fence in front of you…?" Maccadam points out.
"I went over it, of course." Verosika said smiling.
"Amazing! The Cough-up Queen, lunch lady athlete, indeed." Maccadam said impressed.
"It would have taken her a little time to climb over the fence." Makoto points out thinking "So she couldn't have gotten to my sister THAT fast…"
'Yeah, that fence was about nine feet high, too.' J thinks recalling it. 'So how did Miss. Niijima not get away?' She then presses the third statement about Sae mentioning the muffler and said "Hold it! She mentioned the muffler? What exactly did she say?"
"If I remembered exactly, I would have told you in my testimony!" Verosika mentioned.
'Cheeky!' J thinks
"Anyway, all I heard her say was the word 'muffler.' Verosika explained.
"Just that one word?" Maccadam asked.
"So…what you heard wasn't the suspect talking to you, but to someone else?" Hunter asked.
"Yes. The chief prosecutor was talking on her phone!" Verosika said.
'Her phone? She can't mean…' J thinks and decides to ask further saying holding up the phone "By phone…do you mean this cell phone, discovered at the crime scene?"
"Yes, ultimately." Verosika said nodding.
"Ultimately?" Hunter asked.
"My memory…" Veorsika said and flips her hair to give her serious look and added "it's like a salmon, heading upstream, you see."
"N-no, the court doesn't see, Miss. Mayday." Maccadam said.
"The chief prosecutor first attempted to use the phone hanging on the wall." Verosika explained.
"On the wall?" Maccadam asked.
'That's right! Near the car…there was an emergency phone on the wall!' J thinks recalling it.
"Apparently, it was out of order." Verosika points out.
"And so, she used her cell phone?" Maccadam asked.
"Indeed, the emergency phone was out of order that day." Hunter said reading from a report.
"Hmmm. Good witnessing, witness!" Maccadam said.
'Good witnessing? What ever happened to good testifying?'
Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "You should of course add this to your testimony."
"The things I do to please this rookie defence attorney." Verosika said and the Court Record updates Sae's Cell Phone info and she adds to her testimony saying "I saw it all how she tried the phone on the wall but had to use her cell instead."
J presses it and said "Hold it! Um…do you think you could restate your testimony for the court?"
"Ah hah! I was going to ask the same thing!" Maccadam said.
"I'll only say this one time, so listen close, Rookies." Verosika said as we see on the Flook plans a K in a red circle move from the car to the telephone as she said "The chief prosecutor stabbed the victim and ran behind the partition. Then she picked up the emergency phone on the wall, but it was out of order."
The K moves away from the phone and Verosika added "So she pulled her own cell phone out of her pocket." We then see the green dot move over the fence and to close by "And during that time, you climbed over the chain link fence…" We then see a flashback of Verosika grabbing and twisting Sae's arm making her drop the phone as she says "Then, when I boldly grabbed her arm…The chief prosecutor hung up her phone!"
"And you saw her doing this?" J asked grinning.
Makoto looks at J's smile confuised and asked "What is it, Miss. J?"
J chuckles and prepares her evidence that contradicts this statement, the Floor plans and said "Objection! Miss. Mayday! I have to conclude that you have a personal grudge against Miss. Sae Niijima."
"Objection!" Hunter said and added "The witness is a former detective. Her testimony is unmarred by personal bias."
"Well, who would have thought you would be my knight in shining armour, prosecutor?" Verosika said and with a sly smirk said, "You who, together with the chief prosecutor, kicked me out two years ago!" Hunter remains quiet on this.
"Well, Miss. Mayday…" J said looking at her "This is a fatal contradiction with your testimony…How do you explain this?"
"Hmph! I don't know what you're talking about." Verosika said with a glare. "Mess with me…and I'll make you cough it ALL up!"
"Ahem. Let's look at the floor plans." J said bringing them back up on the screens "You said you witnessed the crime from this point" She points to the B Block area "However, if that's true…You couldn't possibly have seen Miss. Niijima making that phone call!" She shows the POV for Verosika will be blocked by the partition.
Verosika winces and gets unnerved at that.
"I believe you see what I'm getting at." J said grinning and explained "That emergency phone was on the back side of this partition." She slams her hands down on the bench "If, indeed, you were in B Block…You couldn't have seen it!"
"Whaaa…..WHAAAAAAAARGH!" Verosika screams out wincing as she was hit by this contradiction.
The members of the court chatter at this and Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "Order! Order! What is the meaning of this?"
"It's simple, Your Honor." J said smiling "She's not coughting up lunch…she's coughing up lies!"
"Grr!" Verosika said glaring.
"Objection!" Hunter called out and said "That's quite a claim, Miss. J…Perhaps you will allow me a question? Tells us exactly what lie this witness has told the court!"
'Here's where the counterattack begins! I can't afford to get this wrong!' J thinks "The witness lied about…Where she witnessed it." She then explained "Miss. Niijima tried to use the emergency phone…but it was out of order. What is significant about this fact? Nothing. Therefore, it would be pointless for Miss. Mayday to lie about it!"
"Pointless to lie…I see!" Maccadam said nodding.
"But say the witness did actually see Miss. Niijima using the emergency phone." J continues "It would mean…Miss Mayday witnessed the crime from a different location!"
"Objection!" Hunter said and added "A different location?! Now that's a pointless lie if I ever heard one!"
"Objections!" J said and told him "Before you call my lie pointless…at least let me tell it!"
Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "Let me ask a question to our clever wordsmith, Miss. J. Just where was the witness when she saw the crime?!"
'All the testimony we've heard until now points in one direction…' J thinks and said "The place where Miss. Mayday witnessed this crime was…. here!" She said and points on the floor plans to the Security room "Take that! This is the only place where she could have been."
"The security guard room?" Maccadam said surprised.
"Indeed, the security room in the underground parking lot is well positioned…" Hunter said nodding in agreement with this theory "It's built on the second floor, so you can see the entire lot."
"Hmm…She would have been able to see the emergency phone from there." Maccadam said thinking. "But why there? There are many other places where she could have seen the phone."
J shakes her head and said "Not in this case, Your Honor. The witness, not being part of the Prosecutor's Office, couldn't park in A Block." She places the W dot on the Security room and showing't is POV "The only place where she could have seen the crime and the back of the partition is here. I remember in your testimony you said…" She begins to read it out "You brought a lunch to your 'boyfriend' in the security guard room, yes?" She slams her hands down and looks at Verosika "Well, Miss. Mayday?"
Verosika growls in a low voice and said "How many years have I been getting the better of men or artificial beings…? To think that the tables could be turned…" She smiles "Today, an artificial being has got the better of Verosika Mayday!"
The made the members of the court chatter in surprise, Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "Order! Order! Witness!" he looks at Verosika "What have you done?! You used to be a detective! You should know better!"
"I'm not turning back." Verosika states "The guilty will be punished. And I'll do what I must to make sure justice prevails."
'The guilty…is she talking about Miss. Niijima…?' J thinks
"Um, Miss. J? Doesn't this strike you as odd?" Makoto said to her thinking "Why did Miss. Mayday lie? It doesn't make sense!"
"Huh?" J said.
"She could have just said she saw the crime from the security guard station." Makoto explained. "It wouldn't change anything!"
"Exactly!" Hunter said nodding and shows the Crime Photo. "This photograph tells all! It was the defendant who stabbed the victim!" He slams his gloved hand on the bench "That truth still stands!"
"Objection!" J calls out and said smiling "It 'still stands'? I disagree, Mr. Deamonne."
"Wh-what?!" Hunter said taken aback.
"If a witness is found to be lying, they're guilty of perjury. She knows this." J explained and points at Verosika "She wouldn't risk that without a good reason!"
Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "So, tell us what her reason was, Miss. J!"
J was stunned and said "Huh? M-me?"
"Who else?!" Maccadam said to her.
"Miss. J! Let's review what we know!" Makoto said and J nods.
'Miss. Mayday witnessed the crime from the security guard station…' J thinks visualizing it "But she lied and said she saw it from B Block…It must make a vital difference…but what? What would change…?" She then realizes and said "It changes the distance between her and the scene of the crime!"
"Objection!" Hunter called out and said "My condolences, Miss. J…But one look at the floor plans and it's quite clear. The distance between the scene of the crime and the guard station is 30 feet." She grins "I don't see how that would change what she could see."
"Objection!" J said and added "What she saw is not in question here." She then grins "What matters is the time it would take her to reach the scene of the crime!" Hunter was surprised at that "Miss. Mayday! You witnessed the crime from the security guard station! Now, how long did it take you to go from there…" She looks serious and points at her "to the scene of the crime, where you arrested Miss. Niijima?!"
Verosika remains quiet and Maccadam looks series and asked "Well, witness?"
"You…" Verosika said looking at J with a blank stare.
"Y-yes…?" J said a bit nervous.
Verosika pulls out a lunchbox full of rice and tentacle looking wheels and said "You ordered the Squid Wheels, right?"
'The quality of my lunches has gone from low to inedible.' J thinks sweat dropping.
"I was bringing a PB&J lunch with fresh boysenberry jam to my boyfriend." Verosika said smiling.
"Hmm…Boysenberry for the boyfriend!" Maccadam said thinking.
"He wasn't in the station, so I waited." Verosika explained "I witnessed the crim from the glass-walled station…" We see on the floor plans the W move to the staircase to the emergency exit door as she continues "and before I knew what I was doing, I found myself running towards the scene. But…the door was locked. I couldn't open it."
It then shows the W move going the long way and heading to the exit to the B Block as Verosika added "That's why I had to go through the visitor's parking in B Block."
"That's quite a detour." Maccadam notes.
"It probably took me at least five minutes to get to the scene of the crime." Verosika said smiling.
"F-f-f-five minutes?!" Maccadam asked shocked. This made everyone chatter at what could have happened in this time. "Hmm… This changes things considerably!"
"But it was that woman over there in the defendant's chair who stabbed him!" Verosika said with a serious look and pointing to Sae and shows the Crime Photo "I knew it! I have photographic evidence!" She looks serious adding "I swear it…I swear it on my finest plastic spork!"
"You have a point." Maccadam said thinking "And the spork is a wonderful Earth invention."
Verosika smiles and holds out another of that Energon caviar lunchbox she gave him at the start asking "Would you like another Energon Caviar Lunch…?"
Absolutely!" Maccadam said excited and has the Balief Purge Trooper bring it to him.
'Uh oh…' J thinks sweat dropping.
"Miss. J! You have to do something!" Makoto told her.
J thinks and decides to Raise an objection and said "Objection! Five minutes between the witnessing of the murder and the arrest! Think about it! You could make pasta in that amount of time! If you like it al dente!"
Verosika holds out a sealed lunchbox and said "I've got lunchboxes that tie pasta into knots, Rookie!"
J shakes her head and says, "A five minute 'blank'…Isn't that strange?!"
"Strange…?" Hunter asked.
"If you were a criminal… What would you do with five minutes, Your Honor?" J asked Maccadam.
"Well, um…I guess I'd flee the scene." Maccadam said thinking then optics widen "Hey! D-don't get the wrong idea! I didn't kill anyone…"
J slams her hands down on the bench and said "But you have the instincts of a killer! You would run! But this time was different!" She points at Verosika who winces and sweats "Miss. Niijima dawdled at the scene of the crime…she even had her picture taken! No true criminal would act this way! It's inconceivable!"
"Y-yeeeergh!" Verosika screams out and the members of the court speaks up in shock in this discussing it.
Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "Well then. It seems we've come to the end of this testimony. The witness has a grudge against the defendant, and a blank in her testimony." Verosika was shocked at at that as she sweats. "Mr. Deamonne, is the next witness ready to go?"
"Unfortunately…I appear to have overestimated this witness on account of her professional history…" Hunter states.
"We did it!" Makoto said smiling "We screwed that can shut, Miss. J!"
'Th-that was too close!' J thinks sighing in relief.
Maccadam bangs his gavel and shaking his head said "I'm afraid that the Cough-up Queen has been dethroned. And with that, court is adjourned!"
"Hold it!" A voice calls out and it was revealed to be Verosika who holds out the squid wheels lunchbox to Hunter and said "Mr. Deamonne, you ordered the Squid Wheels, right?"
'That's the one she tried to foist off on me!' J thinks sweating
"I prefer to not take the defence team's leftovers." Hunter told her "Anything else to say?"
"I…might be able to save you." Verosika said smiling and gets a serious look "I have decisive evidence."
"Wh-what was that?!" Maccadam said shocked.
'Is this another one of her trick lunchboxes?!' J thinks concerned.
"My apologies, but we have no further questions to ask of you, Miss. Mayday." Maccadam told her.
"Ah…" Verosika said smiling and hands her three lunchboxes tied together "Is this your jumbo lunchbox?"
"Whoo hoo! A triple-decker!" Maccadam said excited as he accepts them and bangs his gavel "Out of deference to the witness's determination, I'll allow one more testimony! Let's hear about this decisive evidence."
"Like the Lunch Kingdom motto says, you won't be disappointed!" Verosika said smiling.
'What's she going to pull out of her lunchbox this time?!' J thinks.
Verosika begins to testify 'Decisive Evidence' saying "I should have mentioned those five minutes when I wasn't looking at the crime scene. And now, to the matter of the victim's shoe…Did I not bring this up…?" She holds up a clear back with mens shoes. "Two types of blood were found on this shoe! One was of course the victim's. And the other blood type…. matched that of the defendant, Miss. Sae Niijima!" She said finishes up "This shoe proves it! It's flawless decisive evidence!"
"Wh-what?! There was blood found on that shoe?!" Maccadam asked shocked.
Verosika hands out a lunchbox and said smiling "Try Lunch Kingdom, for all your lunch and decisive evidence needs!" This made the members of court murmur and chatter.
"Objection!" Hunter said quietening everyone and said "Witness, what's the meaning of this? Why is this the first time I've heard of this evidence?"
"Simple. As I've already said…" Verosika said smiling and said "I don't trust you with evidence, Mr. Deamonne! That's why I took the liberty of investigating this myself."
"And…you had blood tests performed?" Hunter asked her.
"Didn't I mention?" Verosika asked and added "I have three boyfriends in forensics"
Hunter bangs his hand on the bench and said "In any case, Your Honor, I can't accept this as evidence!"
"What…?" Verosika asked with a glare.
"You must know the two rules of evidence law!" Hunter told her. "Rule 1: No evidence shall be shown without the approval of the Police Trooper Department! In other words, this show is illegal evidence! At least, for the time being!
"I-is that right, Miss. J?!" Makoto asked him.
"It seems so." J said looking at Hunter smiling "Hunter sure is celebrating."
"Not so fast, Mr. Deamonne." Verosika said smiling surprising "Don't forget…I used to be a detective! As I mentioned previously… This shoe has already been tested by a member of the forensics department!" She holds up a brown envelope "As you see, it was approved by the Police Trooper Department as of…today. Even the general public can produce official evidence, Mr. Deamonne."
"Nuh…Ungh!" Hunter winces as he hunches over his bench annoyed.
"I-is that right, Miss. J?!" Makoto asked her.
"It seems so." J said looking at Hunter "Hunter is looking pretty sullen."
"You could at least study some evidence law! Really!" Makoto told her.
Maccadam bang his gavel and said "The prosecution's complaints notwithstanding…It appears that this evidence satisfies the first rule of evidence law. However,…It seems you have yet another count against you, witness."
"Anything to ensure that the guilty are properly judged." Verosika said smiling. Victim's Shoe was added to the Court Record system.
"Very well, Miss. J, you may cross-examine the witness!" Maccadam said nodding.
J nods and before anything checks the shoe in the Court Record though Scientific invetigaiton and looks at the blood spots on top.
"This blood…It's my sister's right?" Makoto asked.
"It appears so." J said nodding and thinks 'Sae's right hand was bandaged when I saw her in jail. She must have cut herself at the time of the crime…'
"Poor sis…" Makoto said looking down. J then rotates the shoe and sees something at the bottom of the shoe, more blood there "AAAH! There's blood here too!"
"On the sole of the shoe? It's got to be the victim's." J said thinking. "He must have stepped in a puddle of his own blood."
"All this blood…It's horrible!" Makoto said looking down.
'Hmm…This blood might be an important clue…' J thinks and then presses the first statement asking "Why did you lie about those five minutes?"
"I guess you could say, I just wanted people to look at the results." Verosika said.
"The…results?" J asked confused.
"How many times do I have to say this?" Verosika said and states "I saw the chief prosecutor stave the victim before my very own eyes! Compared to that…A fice minute 'blank means nothing!"
"Then why didn't you just tell the truth?" Hunter asked her.
"Don't make me laugh!" Verosika said chuckling "We're dealing with the most untrustworthy of the vile lot known as prosecutors! Falsified evidence, arranged testimonies, erasing and manipulating evidence…When you fight monsters, you need to use every trick in the book!"
'This when the suspect is admitting she did it?' J thinks sweat dropping.
"But false testimony is the most despicable crime of all, Miss. Mayday" Maccadam said "Let's just get this over with."
J preses the second statement saying "Hold it! And you found this shoe at the scene of the crime?"
"I detained the chief prosecutor and notified the Police Trooper Department…" Verosika explained "I wanted to make myself useful while I was waiting for the police to arrive."
"So, like an ill-trained Growlithe, you snuck off with a shoe!" Hunter said.
"I was afraid someone would erase the chief prosecutor's crime." Verosika said. "This shoe was my secret weapon if that should happen. See this fashionable basket I have here…? It carries more than lunchboxes, everyone!"
'I'm happy for you and your lunchbox bad, really.' J thinks sweating.
"In any case, you removed valuable evidence from the scene of the crime." Maccadam told her.
J then presses the third statement saying "Hold it! So you brought it to the forensics department?"
"If you're going to submit something as evidence in court, you need it approved." Verosika explained. "To do that, evidence must be analysed by a forensics expert."
'And she got away with her little coup because she used to be a detective…' J thinks
"The shoe does appear to have bloodstains on it." Maccadam notes looking at the shoe.
"Well the man WAS stabbed, after all." Verosika states
"And the blood belonged to the victim, Detective Saihara?" J asked.
"As I said, there were two types of blood found on the shoe." Verosika said smiling.
J then presses the fourth statement saying "Hold it! You can't say for sure the blood belonged to the defendant with a blood test!"
"You claim to know something about blood tests, Rookie?" Verosika asked smiling.
"Huh…" J said confused.
"Well, speak up!" Verosika told her looking serious.
"Uh, well…Blood comes in four types…A, B, O, and AB…" J said thinking. "However! You can't tell from a blood test whether a murder was committed…in cold blood!"
Everyone remains quiet until Maccadam said "That's just a figure of speech, Miss. J."
"Actually, we can differentiate between millions of types with all the blood tests out there." Makot brings up. "Which means that we can more or less narrow any sample of blood down to just one person! Or so I hear."
"Th-that's pretty specific…" J said sweat dropping.
"If I had a little more time, I would have gotten DNA test results…" Verosika said holding up the blood test results "But they said there's very little doubt it could be anoyone's but Miss. Sae Niijima's."
"Hmm…So the suspect's blood was found on the victim's shoe…" Maccadam said thinking.
"That ties her directly to the death of Detective Saihara!" Hunter states.
'I was afraid he was going to say that…' J thinks she then presses the last statement saying "Hold it!" But thinks 'I can't let this evidence go through without a fight!'
Verosika holds out a lunch box with what looked like fish on rice and said "You ordered the Peppered Fish Guts, right?" J was surprised "Some like it hot, Miss. J. Some, like your client. She's in enough hot water to make a whole vat of soup." The succubus taunts.
"Miss. J!" Makoto said "Do you or don't you have a problem with this shoe?!
"A problem…?" J said and thinks and realizes there is a problem and said "If I'm not imagining things…I'd say there is one critical problem with this evidence…A clear contradiction!"
"That gleam in your LED eyes…You're still young, Rookie." Verosika said smiling and hands out the lunchbox from before "I'd give you a Peppered Fish Gut now, but you couldn't take the heat, could you!"
Maccadam bangs his gavel "Let's here what Miss. J has to say!" He looks at J. "What is contradictory about the victim's shoe? Show us the problem with the evidence."
"Take that!" J said as he points to the problem, the blood on the sole of the shoe. "I wonder if you noticed…there's blood on the bottom of this shoe!"
"Don't mess with me, Rookie…" Verosika said with a stern smiling look "Or it'll be your blood on the bottom of my shoe!"
"Hmmm…Indeed, there is quite a bit of blood on the bottom of the shoe." Maccadam said looking at it.
"It makes sense. The victim was stabbed with a knife!" Hunter notes thinking and slams his hand on the bench "What could possibly be contradictory about blood on the bottom of his shoe?!"
"Take that!" J said bringing up the Crime Photo and said "The problem lies….in the footprint."
"The…footprint?" Verosika asked confused.
"Noe that the bottom of the victim's shoe is covered in blood." J explained "Then…isn't it strange? Why weren't any blood footprints found by the scene of the crime?!"
"Ah hah!" Maccadam said in realization.
"As you can see…" J said bringing up the Crime Photo on the screens "There were no traces of any such footbrints at the scene of the crime! That contradicts your claim about this shoe!"
"Objection!" Hunter said and added "This picture only shows part of the floor, so there could have been bloody footprints."
"Objection!" J said and shoots back "Then where are they, Mr. Deamonne? Because…We checked the scene and found nothing of the sort!"
The made the members of the court talk in surprise and Maccadam bangs his gavel repeatedly and said "Order! Order! Order!" He looks at Verosika "Well, witness?!"
"What?! Huh? I, uh…" Verosika said sweating concerned and not sure what to say.
"Great going, Miss. J!" Makoto said smiling but then thinks "But…It's true that the lack of a footprint is a contradiction…But then we have to ask why there wasn't a footprint!"
"Oh!" J said getting it.
"That's true!" Maccadam said in agreement with what Makoto said, "There has to be a reason why there wasn't a footprint!"
"Think, Miss. J, think!" Makoto said to her.
J thinks then said "Hey, I don't know why it's not there. I'm just good at finding contradictions."
"What?!" Makoto said shocked.
"Hold it!" Hunter said and smiles as he tuts and said grinning "I see…Now I get it!"
'Get what?!' J thinks looking at him.
"Our witness is more devious than I gave her credit for!" Hunter states "We were hoodwinked to the very end! But she slipped! There is one vital hint to the truth in her testimony…" Verosika look concerned and confused.
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Maccadam asked her.
"Think back to when she told us about apprehending the suspect…" Hunter began to explain.
A flashback of Verosika says "The chief prosecutor tried to resist, but her efforts were in vain. She knocked my hands aside, kicked over an oil drum…Oh, she's beautiful, but deadly! A predator, this one! A leopard woman! Rowr!"
As we return to the present Hunter continued "I thought that was a strange thing for the normally cool-headed chief to do."
'No kidding!' J thinks.
"Now, witness. Allow me to ask a very simple question." Hunter said looking at Verosika he asked grinning "This 'oil drum…was it empty?"
"Oh, that, hmm?" Verosika said composing "I'm not sure I like your attitude, Mr. Deamonne. Though apparently, you're not the slowest conveyor belt in the lunchbox factory."
"Witness! W-well? Was the oil drum empty…?" Maccadam asked her.
"The oil drum kicked over by the chief prosecutor…was brimming with water." Verosika told them.
"W-water?" J said and thought 'What does that mean?'
"Still don't get it, Miss. J?" Hunter asked smirked. "Do you want to know the reason she knocked it over? The REAL reason?"
"Aaaa haaaaaah! You don't mean…!" Maccadam said realizing it.
"Yes, the suspect knocked over that oil drum for one reason and one reason alone!" Hunter said and slams his hand on his bench as he finishes up by saying "To erase the blood stains that would become evidence against her!"
"Corporate layoffs!" J calls out in shock as the members of the court also in shock talk amongst themselves.
Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "That ties things up quite nicely! The blood stains left on the victim's shoes tie her quite clearly to this murder! Then, after the deed was done, she knocked over the oil drum to erase the telltale signs!"
"Why that's a prosecutor's specialty…erasing evidence!" Verosika said smiling.
'That reminds me…Miss. Niijima's right hand was hurt…' J thinks recalling it 'Didn't she say she'd cut herself when she stabbed him…?'
"So that's when…my sister's blood got on the shoe…?" Makoto asked.
"Well…I see no reason to prolong this trial." Maccadam states.
"M-Miss. J! Do something! Please!" Makoto begged the drone.
"W-what?! What can I do?" J said unsure what to do. "Your sister has confessed to the crime, and she tried to conceal it!"
"B-but…" Makoto said trying to think.
Hunter slams his gloved hand on the bench and said "Enough. There is no need for further debate. The verdict, Your Honor!"
"Very well…" Maccadam said nodding.
"But Verosika Mayday is on the prosecution's side!" Makoto told J. "She could have been lying about the water!"
Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "This court finds the defendant, Miss Sae Niijima…"
"Holkd it!" A voice said revealed to be Verosika, she looks at Makoto with an annoyed smile "Little girl…What did you just say?"
"Huh…? M-me?" Makoto said a bit nervous.
"Did you just say that I, Verosika Mayday…was on the prosecution's side?" Verosika asked her.
"W-well, yeah, you are!" Makoto told her. "You're saying my sister hid evidence by erasing the blood footprints!"
"Well." Verosika said and gives her annoyed serious look before saying, "I thought you'd had your fill, but here you are, demanding a second helping!" She holds out a lunchbox containing some brown and yellow food with a red spot saying, "Another lunchbox…A lunchbox called 'evidence'!"
"W-wait…Witness, don't tell me you have something else?" Maccadam asked surprised.
"Objection!" Hunter said and added annoyed "The time for deliberation is past. Any further comments, and you will be held in contempt of court!"
"Your threats don't scare the Cough-up Queen!" Verosika told him and pulls out another photo "Look at this!"
The photo appears on the screen and it shows the body of Shuichi Saihara in the trunk of the car and the ground clearly showed to have water on it.
"A photograph…?" Maccadam said.
"I had it just in case anyone had the gall to suggest…" Verosika said smiling but then turns serious "that the white shoe didn't belong to the victim!"
"Hmm…I see no room for error in this evidence." Maccadam said looking at the photo.
"M-Miss. J, wait!" Makoto said "Look at the asphalt in this photo!"
"Hey! It's clearly wet!" J said shocked.
Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "Erasing the last trace of doubt from the court's mind. Immediately after the murder, the crime scene was washed with water!"
"I-I'm sorry, Miss. J." Makoto said feeling guilty "I guess I…I couldn't help after all."
'It's not your fault…I knew I couldn't win this case from the beginning.' J thinks sighing 'And…it seems this is what your sister wanted anyway!' She closes her eyes 'I'm sorry, Terra…'
J then hears the voice of Terra in her head say "J….wet or not…Don't be so quick to throw in the towel…" J's eyes open wide in shock at that. "Get yourself up off the asphalt…take another good look…Don't give up…Not until the bitter end."
'This is the last piece of evidence…' J thinks. No matter what she had to give it one last shot.
Well we're close to to the end of day 1, last show J better make it count.
Please Read, Review and Suggest.