Klavier chuckled and wagged his finger. "Stare at that photo all you like, Herr Forehead. You can't scare it into giving you information." Apollo did not respond, so the prosecutor assumed he had entered a state of faux meditation for the benefit of the court. There were curt whispers in the gallery. The Judge rubbed his hairless scalp. Even Laminoir, who could not see what was going on, was fidgeting uncomfortably in her chair.

Finally, Klavier shrugged. "I've done the best favor a prosecuting attorney can offer, ja? I've been more than fair, wouldn't you agree?" He shook his head and made a half-turn. "Your Honor, I believe it's time to..."

"OBJECTION!"

Apollo slammed his fists on his stand. "Mr. Gavin, I'm sorry to say that you've overlooked a glaring flaw in your assessment!"

Klavier tossed his hair back and put his hands on his hips. "What angle are you aiming at us with, boy?"

Apollo shook his head. "The defense doesn't need an angle, prosecutor. I just need a straight path. If you will..." He picked up his copy of the photo. "Please take a look at the window." Klavier retrieved his own copy, as did the Judge. Apollo waved the scrap of printed paper in the air.

"If you look at the window, you will see that there is a round hole."

Klavier laughed. "Of course, Herr Forehead. Debris cares nothing for the destination."

"But what if the bullet wasn't made from the inside..." Apollo raised a finger. "...But outside?"

The gallery went silent. Apollo knew he was clutching at straws, but he did not see any path forward.

"Picture this, if you will." Apollo made a half-turn and walked to the front of his stand, arms extended and palms opened. "Our target is Daryan Crescend, and he has been marked for death. But his death has to be certain. He is lured to the hotel room of the killer's choice. There is a window, big enough for a clear shot when the time comes. But that is only Plan A. Plan B is luring another person-" Apollo waved his hand and pointed to Lamiroir, "-my client, to the room. Unbeknowst to her, she has unwittingly carried an explosive device with the expectation that it will be given to Mr. Crescend. His fate is sealed either way. He takes a bullet first, and a split-second later, the explosion."

Again, the room was deadly silent. It was the Judge who finally began to swing with his gavel, hesitated, then followed through.

"Mr. Justice...I must say, that is one of the wildest, fantastical defenses that I have heard in all my years of court duty."

Apollo said nothing. He could not will himself to look confident. He did not have the energy, even, to work himself into a panic. He stood still.

"And yet...I cannot deny the possibility of what you say."

"OBJECTION!"

Klavier Gavin slammed his fist down. His face was flushed. "Your Honor, you cannot possibly entertain such an outrageous story at face value! It...it is so unlikely for such a thing to have happened!"

"OBJECTION!"

Apollo shook his head. "But you cannot deny it is a possibility."

The gallery was at once shouting, booing, and shrieking all at once. The Judge slammed down his gavel again and again.

"Order! Order! I shall have order! Order!"

Gradually, the ear-splitting noise subsided, then disappeared. The Judge brought down his gavel for the last, decisive time.

"You had our curiosity, Mr. Justice, and now you have our attention. Questions remained."

By this time, Klavier had regained some of his composure. "Who was the 'real culprit,' in your opinion? How was this conspiracy arranged? How can you prove any of what you have said?"

Apollo swallowed hard. He struggled, suddenly, to find his voice. "It is my hope that we can investigate the buildings around the Gatewater hotel."

Klavier shook his head. "Don't you think we've humored him enough, Herr Forehead?" Gatewater Hotel is, may I remind you, part of the metropolis. You expect us to scope out vantage points and weigh them against one another on such short notice?"

Apollo did his best to keep his voice firm. "Am I to assume there are no aerial photos?"

Klavier tapped at his forehead. "The Gatewater Hotel's not that big of a landmark." He turned his head. "Your Honor, it's obvious that the defense doesn't have any real evidence on hand to support this fantasy!"

The Judge scratched his head. "Well..."

"OBJECTION!"

Apollo pointed. "Your Honor, we of the court have the responsibility to assess every possible element of a case! Especially when the defendant's life depends on it!"

"Well..." The Judge repeated himself, then began to fiddle with his gavel.

Klavier snapped his fingers. "The clock is ticking, Herr Forehead. Who do you have in your corner, not counting your client?"

Then the courtroom doors swung open. The Judge was aghast. "Bailiffs! Bai-who are you?"

"Come one and come all! Trucy Wright is here!"


Phoenix Wright sat back in his chair, teacup in hand. He finished the last of the brew in one gulp, allowing himself a contented smile. If all was going according to plan, and he was fairly sure it was, Trucy had reached the courthouse with the special piece of evidence in tow. Apollo would know what to do when it came to him.

Not only was the real criminal finished, but so many of his closest friends, too.

And to think all of the future was the result of the letter he had unexpectedly found on the foyer floor last week...

-A multi-chapter story; Chapter 19; story idea by CRed1988 and writing by Jerviss.