A/N: This is the final chapter of The Blossoming Turnabout! The case will come to a close in the today's court session. How close were you to figuring out the case? What surprises are there in store? Read on to find out!
February 17, 2029
District Courthouse, Courtroom #2
12:30 p.m.
The people in the gallery talked amongst themselves, speculating as to what the contradictions in the prosecution's case could mean. The Judge had to slam his gavel down several times to get them to calm down.
"Order! Order in the court!" The Judge declared. "I am beginning to have serious doubts about the prosecution's case."
"Please, Your Honor, consider the facts!" Prosecutor Payne said, her makeup running due to sweat. "There is still no one else that could have committed this crime besides the defendant!"
"And yet, the prosecution has no decisive evidence, and the testimony that they've presented has not held up to scrutiny," Juniper said quietly, a hard look in her eyes. "As the defense, I believe there's enough reasonable dou-"
There was a loud slamming sound that reverberated throughout the courtroom. It came, of course, from Vernon Bolo slamming his briefcase on the stand, harder than he ever had before. He did not remove the briefcase, instead opening it a crack, reaching inside.
From the briefcase Vernon removed a peaked cap, which he placed in his head. Then he removed a pair of double-bar pins, pinning them to his lapels. "So, it's war you want, Attorney Woods," Vernon said as he close his briefcase.
"What do you mean by that, Mr. Bolo?" Juniper asked, noticing that he used her name for the first time.
"That's Captain Bolo to you!" Vernon shouted. "I did not serve my country for half my life to let some attorney disparage my honor!"
"No, that's not what I-"
Vernon slammed his fist on his briefcase. "Words are cheap, Attorney Woods. You claim my testimony is worthless? Then you'd best prepare your best weapon. Because this will be our final battle!"
"I suppose this means the witness wants to testify one last time?" The Judge asked, clearly at a complete loss.
Juniper, of course, had been thrown off at first by the sudden change in personality from Mr. Bolo. However, she found herself touching her right wrist again, feeling the bracelet she wore. The message the bailiff had passed along was that Juniper was close to solving the case. That meant there had to be a fact that they had yet to uncover- one that would change everything.
"If the witness wants to testify, I am prepared to cross examine him," Juniper said, after taking a deep breath.
"You say that now, defense. But once everything is cleared up, the defendant's guilt will finally be made clear!" Prosecutor Payne exclaimed.
"So this is the final testimony. Then that means it's the final one we need to break," Hugh said. "Mr. Bolo wants war? Then we'll give it to him."
-Testimony: Witnessing the Crime-
The only flaw you have found in my testimonies have been mix ups.
And for that, I do apologize. However, it does not change what I saw,
Which is the defendant firing a shot that killed Mr. Ratters.
I provided a detailed description of this crime as it happened.
So what if the defendant didn't see me? That just means Mr. Ratters blocked her view.
In other words, this proves I was standing outside the alley when I witnessed the crime!
-End Testimony-
"See, everything has finally been cleared up in this case," Prosecutor Payne said, reapplying her makeup.
"Objection! I'd like to cross examine the witness testimony first," Juniper said. "And prove my previous assertion."
"Keep in mind that this is the final testimony," The Judge said. "I am expecting you to present definitive evidence of a contradiction."
This is it. Once I find the flaw in this testimony, I will finally be able to prove Myriam's innocence.
The significant statement was the last one. So, after her experience with previous testimonies, Juniper pressed the statement. "Hold it! Mr. Bolo, I notice that you are a man of considerable size. Mr. Ratters, in contrast, is quite thin."
"That's Captain Bolo to you!" Vernon shouted. "And just what does that matter, Attorney Woods?"
"Is it really possible for Mr. Ratters to have blocked Myriam's view of you?" Juniper asked.
"That's your best weapon? That couldn't hurt a gnat," Mr. Bolo said. "Clearly, the defendant was so focused on the murder that she wasn't looking behind the victim."
Juniper shook her head. "But why wouldn't Myriam want to look behind the victim? If she brought the gun with her, then she was ready to murder. In that case, wouldn't she want to make sure there were no witnesses?"
This statement hit the mark, given how profusely Vernon began sweating. "Your client also committed a crime in broad daylight. She isn't exactly the brightest tool in the shed."
"Hey! You take that back!" Myriam shouted.
"OBJECTION! Defense, you've been trying to claim that the witness couldn't have seen the crime from the alley's entrance," Prosecutor Payne said. "Except there's a question that you've never bothered to answer."
"And what question would that be?" Juniper asked.
"If the witness wasn't at the alley entrance, then where was he?" Prosecutor Payne asked. "If you can't answer that much, then you can't claim that his testimony is false!"
That was a good point. Where could have Mr. Bolo have been to have witnessed the crime? Juniper looked over the evidence, to see if one of pieces she had could point to the answer.
Studying the crime scene photo, Juniper's eyes fell onto Myriam's box sitting on the ground. The reason she'd recognized the box as Myriam's was because of the eyeholes.
...Eyeholes that were gray.
Juniper looked up at Vernon Bolo still standing at the witness stand, then back down at the crime scene photo. At the gray eyeholes.
I can- I can feel it! A critical contradiction is here. One that will change everything about this case. And that feeling bubbled up inside Juniper's heart, making it's way up to her lips, bursting out in a loud-
"OBJECTION!"
Everyone else in the courtroom looked at Juniper in surprise. Even Juniper herself was surprised she had an "objection" like that in her. Now that she had raised it, however, there was nowhere to go but forward.
"So, you have some fight in you after all, Attorney Woods," Mr. Bolo said. "Go on, then. What's the weapon you've brought with you?"
"Prosecutor Payne, when was this crime scene photo taken?" Juniper asked.
"Immediately after the defendant was apprehended. But what does that have to do with anything?"
"Mr. Bolo claims that since Myriam didn't see him, that proves he was watching from behind the victim," Juniper said. "However, I have evidence that proves that the real reason Myriam didn't see him. It's because Mr. Bolo was actually hiding at the crime scene."
"What kind of lily liver do you take me for!" Mr. Bolo yelled, pointing furiously at Juniper.
"Where does the defense propose the witness was hiding? I warn the defense now: If you don't present a reasonable possibility, they will be greatly penalized," The Judge said.
The penalty didn't concern Juniper. After all, she knew exactly what she wanted to say. "Mr. Bolo was hiding inside the cardboard box you can see in this crime scene photo," Juniper said, observing Mr. Bolo carefully.
Vernon's response was to open his briefcase, the top half hiding his face from view. However, pit stains were forming on his suit. "That's a mighty poor excuse for a foxhole you claim I dug myself in. On what grounds do you base this on?"
"If you look carefully at the eyeholes of the box in this photo, you can see that they're gray," Juniper said. "The same shade of gray, in fact, as your suit, Mr. Bolo. So tell me- what were you doing inside that box?"
Mr. Bolo reared back, which caused his briefcase to close right on his fingers. Mr. Bolo quickly took them out, his face bright red.
"OBJECTION! Now you've gone too far, defense," Prosecutor Payne said, doubled over and sweating. "That's not proof of anything! Someone else could have put something gray inside the box!"
"Well, did the police find this gray object inside the box while at the crime scene?" Juniper asked, glaring at Stephanie.
"Well, no. In fact, the investigation completely ignored the cardboard- Ahhh!" Prosecutor Payne screamed, realizing too late what she was saying.
"The cardboard box does look large enough for the witness to fit in, if he was on his hands and knees," The Judge said, his eyes wide. "Did the witness see the cardboard box and get the urge to crawl inside it?"
"The witness isn't a small child, Your Honor," Hugh said.
"Then why would Mr. Bolo have hidden himself in the cardboard box?" Prosecutor Payne asked, a desperate edge to her voice.
As soon as the question was asked, the answer hit Juniper like a bolt of lightning. Suddenly, a lot of this case's strange aspects were starting to make sense.
"It's because Mr. Bolo is the real killer."
"Come again? I don't think I heard you correctly," The Judge said. At the witness stand, Vernon narrowed his eyes.
"For these gray spots in the box's eyeholes to exist in this photo, you must have still been hiding in the box when the police arrived," Juniper said, all her focus on Mr. Bolo. "Which means, you were actively hiding from the police even after Myriam was arrested."
"Let's suppose I was in that box. Even a hardened soldier like me can't help but avoid gunfire," Mr. Bolo said. "That doesn't mean I murdered anyone."
"In order to see the significance of this act, we have to look at this case as a whole first," Juniper said. "First, Mr. Bolo enters The Fried Slop, as testified by Vernon himself. Then Myriam and Mr. Ratters enter for their meeting."
"This is all information we've heard before," Prosecutor Payne said, recovering her bluster. "How does this explain anything?"
"Well, Myriam testified that she didn't see Mr. Bolo again after she first entered the restaurant. Then there's the contradiction of how Mr. Bolo knew what Mr. Ratters was doing from the front," Juniper continued. "And I finally realized how this could be after I learned that he was hiding in the box."
"Now I get it. Mr. Bolo lied about when he exited The Fried Slop, didn't he?" Hugh said thoughtfully.
Juniper nodded. "In reality, Mr. Bolo left first, probably while Myriam and Mr. Ratters were having their fake argument. He waited for Mr. Ratters to reach the alley first, then shot him dead."
"Which explains the detailed explanation of the victim's actions," Hugh said. "And as a former soldier, I imagine he has easy access to guns."
"More attacks on my honor! Is that all you have?" Mr. Bolo shouted, his bluster belied by the shakiness in his voice.
"At this point, Mr. Bolo threw the gun on the floor of the alley, then threw away the gloves he was wearing in the nearby dumpster, explaining the lack of fingerprints on the gun," Juniper said, refusing to let herself get interrupted. "And that's when Mr. Bolo hid himself in Myriam's box. Finally, Myriam showed up, to find Mr. Ratters dead."
"Which finally explains why everyone in The Fried Slop heard the gunshot when they did. This was followed by the police finding Myriam, and arresting her," Hugh said. "And with such a convenient suspect already there, the police overlooked the seemingly empty box."
"And once the police left, Vernon got out of the box, then went back to the restaurant," Juniper said, winding down the explanation. "Successfully completing the illusion of Myriam shooting the victim. This is what really happened the day of the crime!"
A silence fell upon the courtroom, as everyone processed the story. However, while Mr. Bolo was still sweating, he wasn't phased any further. "If you think I'm going to back down, you're sorely mistaken, Attorney Woods."
"Do you really have a rebuttal?" Juniper asked, twisting her pigtails. She did not like where this was going.
"Indeed I do! You've pointed out several times that this box has eye holes," Mr. Bolo said. "And it is through those eye holes that I really witnessed the crime."
Hugh slammed his fist down. "Now hold on! Are you really going to claim something that contradicts everything you've said up to this point?"
"It's because I suspected that reporting where I really was would get me in hot water," Mr. Bolo said. "After all, the defendant had just shot someone. If I made any noise, she would have shot me too!"
"See, you've been badgering a man whose life was in danger," Prosecutor Payne said. "But this perfectly explains how Mr. Bolo could have witnessed the crime without being seen!"
"NOOOOOO!" Juniper screamed, snapping her pigtails into her eyes again.
"It seems like everything has been cleared up," The Judge said. "Unless the defense has any final pieces of evidence to present?"
There was one last piece of evidence. It would have to be enough, because Juniper didn't know what else they had at this point. "Take that! At the crime scene, there was a rat pin the victim was wearing. The court will notice it's been smashed to pieces."
"Does that mean there is something significant about this rat pin?" The Judge asked.
"There is. Because this pin is actually a hidden camera," Juniper said. "It is the defense's position that Mr. Bolo is the one that smashed the pin, in case Mr. Ratters took photo of him."
"Ku ku ku ku. I was wondering where the defense was going with this," Prosecutor Payne said. "Next you're going to ask if any photos can be retrieved from the pin, right?"
"How did you know I was going to ask that, Prosecutor Payne?" Juniper asked.
"That's because I, Stephanie Payne, personally investigated the camera in the pin," Prosecutor Payne said smugly. "And it's been smashed beyond repair. It is impossible to retrieve any photos from it!"
"But still! The fact that the camera was smashed- !"
"OBJECTION! Means nothing. The defendant could have smashed it as well," Prosecutor Payne said.
"We seem to have reached an impasse, then. However, the defendant does have a motive to kill the victim," The Judge said. "No motive has been established for Mr. Bolo."
"There's enough doubt that our client could have commited the crime," Hugh said quickly. "So a guilty verdict would be premature!"
"You just don't know when to quit. The defendant is the only one that could have shot the victim," Mr. Bolo said. "In other words, you've lost this battle!"
While all of this was happening, Juniper was quickly getting her thoughts in order. There was still something nagging at her. The smallest doubt that they still hadn't resolved this case in full. The only thing left to do- was review the case one final time.
Mr. Bolo is the real killer. However, he is not the only person in this case that tried to manipulate people's perceptions. Mr. Ratters also tried to put on a facade to fool everyone. What is it that Mr. Ratters does best?
Wear ugly clothes
Deceive people
Find good restaurants
That's it! Mr. Ratters specializes in making people see what they want to see. The fake argument he had Myriam put on proves this. So, would a man like this really rely on such a conspicuous camera like the rat pin?
No, he wouldn't
Yes, he would
No, Mr. Ratters wouldn't rely on something so obvious to take pictures with. And according to Myriam, Mr. Ratters prides himself in taking photos from every angle. So it's possible that the rat pin camera was a decoy. Then that would mean Mr. Ratters:
Does not plan well
Really likes rats
Has more than one hidden camera
Mr. Ratters is a famous informant in the underworld. And he knew there was a chance he would die that day. Which could only mean that on the day of the crime-
Mr. Ratters had a second hidden camera on his person
That's it! Mr. Ratters foresaw that he might die- and so he might have left behind a final clue that would point straight to his killer!
"You Honor, there might still be a true final piece of evidence that has been hidden from us!" Juniper exclaimed.
"A 'true' final piece of evidence? Who are you claiming hid this final piece of evidence?" The Judge asked.
"None other than Mr. Ratters himself," Juniper said, presenting Myriam's testimony. "I realized how odd it was for Mr. Ratters to use such an obvious camera, as an informant. And according to Myriam, he always takes his photos from every angle."
"The defendant's remarks are meaningless! The victim's camera has clearly been smashed," Prosecutor Payne said. "So, it won't be taking photos from any angle."
"And that's exactly what Mr. Ratters wanted us to believe," Juniper said. "He wanted us to pay attention to the rat pin camera, so that no one would find his second camera."
"His second camera?" The Judge repeated.
Juniper nodded. "Yes. The real hidden camera that he took photos with!"
In the defendant's chair, a smile spread on Myriam's face. "Conan Ratters, you sly man. You were holding out on me, sss sss sss." Meanwhile, Mr. Bolo was suddenly hiding his face behind his briefcase again.
"OBJECTION! Even if such a camera existed, where would it be hidden?" Prosecutor Payne asked.
"To answer that question, we need to think back to earlier testimony," Juniper said. "To be more precise, to Mr. Bolo's description of the victim's actions. I believe Mr. Ratters was adjusting the buttons on his shirt."
"Wait, so that's why- aaaarrrrggghh!" Mr. Bolo screamed, as he slammed his fingers in his briefcase again.
"Exactly. It is the defense's position that in that moment, Mr. Ratters was taking a picture of his murderer," Juniper said. "So, I request that the buttons on Mr. Ratters' shirt be checked right now!"
"OBJECTION! The defense has clearly invented this camera out of thin air!" Prosecutor Payne yelled.
The Judge shook his head. "Objection overruled. The defense has presented the possibility that this evidence exists. And it is the court's responsibility to examine every last piece of evidence!"
"No no no no no!" Prosecutor Payne shouted in rapid succession.
"Bailiff! Have the buttons checked on the victim's shirt checked at once!" The Judge ordered.
When the bailiff returned twenty minutes later, Juniper noticed it was the female one that had confronted her earlier. "Your Honor, the final possessions of the victim have been combed over," The bailiff said.
"What are the results of the investigation?" The Judge asked.
The bailiff's mouth quirked upwards the smallest amount. "It seems I have underestimated the defense. Inside the top button of the shirt is a hidden camera. The frozen moments of time it captured have been extracted. I present them to the court, so do with them what you will."
She underestimated me? What's that supposed to mean? However, the bailiff exited as soon as she placed the photos on the Judge's bench.
The photos themselves were incredibly large, presumably so that they could been seen by everyone in the court. The Judge perused them, and upon seeing one his eyes widened. He raised the photo, and turned it around so that the rest of the court could see it:
The photo was of Mr. Bolo wielding the murder weapon, a furious look on his face. The flash at the end of the muzzle indicated it had just been fired.
"In my profession, they say a picture's worth a thousand words," Myriam said, still smiling widely.
"And this picture speaks a single undeniable truth. Vernon Bolo-" Juniper drew her arm back, pointed at Mr. Bolo, and shouted, "You are Mr. Ratters' killer!"
Vernon grabbed his briefcase, a vein popping in his forehead and his entire face beet red. He slammed down the briefcase, again, again, again, and again, until the briefcase finally popped open on the witness stand.
"So that's your final conclusion. Well, there's only one honorable action I can take in this situation."
From inside the briefcase, a small flagpole suddenly popped up. Then a white flag slowly rose to the top of the flagpole, unfurling once it reached top and waving for all to see. Face still beet red, Vernon Bolo stood ramrod straight and saluted. "Consider this my surrender! Well fought, Attorney Woods."
"So are you ready to tell us what really happened, Mr. Bolo?" Juniper asked, after she recovered from witnessing whatever just happened.
"If those are your terms, I will abide by them. Prosecutor Payne is the one that brought up I was previously a soldier," Mr. Bolo said. "What she didn't know are the circumstances of my departure."
"Then I suppose that's related to your motive for murdering Mr. Ratters," Hugh said.
"That would be correct. As a Captain, I was in charge of a squad of fellow soldiers," Vernon explained. "And as part of an exercise, I scaled the side of a cliff to show them true grit, and an eager young cadet climbed after me. However, before I could stop him, he slipped- and he fell to his death."
"Oh no! That's so tragic," Juniper exclaimed. "But what does this have to do with Mr. Ratters?"
"And why is this the first time I'm hearing any of this? Your official records state you were honorably discharged!" Prosecutor Payne shouted.
"Both those questions have the same answer. The cadet's death was officially listed as 'by combat,'" Mr. Bolo continued. "And I was honorably discharged, in exchange for me and my squad being sworn to secrecy."
"Now I'm starting to get the picture. Mr. Ratters learned about this coverup, didn't he?" Juniper said. "Who did he get this information from?"
Mr. Bolo slammed his fist down, some of his anger returning. "That bottom feeder met one of my squadmates at a bar and liquored him up until he spilled everything! And Mr. Ratters was going ruin me by exposing what happened to the public."
"The real question is how you knew that Mr. Ratters was going to be at The Fried Slop that day," Hugh said. "Since you prepared a gun and everything."
"A week before the crime, I received an anonymous letter," Mr. Bolo said. "It told me that Mr. Ratters was going to meet with a reporter at The Fried Slop, to tell her about the cadet's death so that it could be published in a major newspaper."
This statement immediately struck Juniper as strange. What Mr. Ratters planned to do with the info about Mr. Bolo, they would never know. However… "Mr. Bolo, whoever told you that was lying to you."
"Lying? How do you figure that, Attorney Woods?" Mr. Bolo said.
"Mr. Ratters contacted Myriam for an entirely different reason. It had nothing to do with you," Juniper said.
"I've never even heard of you until today, Kahk Kahk. So I had no reason to ask Mr. Ratters about you," Myriam added, from the defendant's chair.
"So you're saying someone played me like a fiddle? Then you must find whoever did this, Attorney Woods! Consider this a final request from this old soldier!" Mr. Bolo said.
"Mr. Bolo, your crime is unforgivable. However, just as unforgivable is whoever manipulated you for their own goals," Juniper said. "I will bring them to justice."
"Then as they often say in the army: Give them hell, Attorney Woods!" Mr. Bolo shouted.
"As for my crime, there's not much else to tell. I brought the murder weapon with me the day of the crime, as well as a pair of gloves. The crime happened much as you deduced. Once I killed Mr. Ratters, I smashed the rat pin camera, threw the gun on the ground, threw away the gloves in the nearby dumpster, and hid in the defendant's box, which I saw her place in the alley ahead of time. This is how I planned to get that reporter to take the fall, so that my secret would stay safe."
"However, none of that matters anymore. It is time for this soldier to be permanently discharged."
Those words were followed by a silence in the courtroom, as Vernon Bolo removed his peaked hat and bowed his head.
"It seems as if we have reached the final truth of this trial," The Judge said. "Prosecutor Payne, you will issue an arrest warrant for Vernon Bolo."
"Right away, Your Honor," Prosecutor Payne said, still sweating. "No no no no…"
"This incident started with a tragic accident," The Judge said, talking over the prosecutor's mutterings. "However, because there were those that tried to obscure the truth, another life was lost. Defendant, are you not a reporter?"
"Currently, I am freelance, sss sss sss. However, I don't plan to stay that way forever!" Myriam exclaimed, standing at the witness stand. "This incident reminded me that I have to throw a light on people that think they can pin their mistakes on innocent people. As soon as I finish a very important job, of course."
You really have changed, Myriam. Juniper thought to herself, smiling proudly.
"You did it, Juniper. Myriam's going to be declared innocent," Hugh said, smiling himself. "Enjoy your hard earned victory, because you've earned it."
"Then without further delay-"
"NOOOOOOO!" Prosecutor Payne screamed. "I- I can't believe I lost to this whelp of an attorney on her first case! I have shamed the name of Payne!" The constant sweating finally washed off all her makeup, which revealed-
"Prosecutor Payne! You look really pretty without your makeup," Juniper said, surprised by how smooth and delicate her face looked for a woman in her thirties.
"What's that supposed to mean, defense?" Stephanie asked, caught off guard by the sudden compliment.
"Thinking back, you did provide information that I could have never gotten by myself, like Mr. Bolo's background," Juniper said. "So maybe instead of focusing so much on being Winston Payne's daughter, you could try and become a great prosecutor in your own right. And you could start by not hiding your face behind so much makeup."
While her eyes were still obscured behind her glasses, for a split second Stephanie's expression looked genuinely touched. Then she hid behind her usual sneer. "Hmph. I don't need you to tell me to become a great prosecutor, Miss Woods. But I'll consider your other suggestion. Makeup's always been too expensive anyways."
"It seems as though the defense and the prosecution have reached an understanding," The Judge said, looking a little annoyed. "And if there will be no more interruptions, I will now render my verdict."
"Ah! Sorry about that, Your Honor," Juniper said sheepishly.
"My apologies, Your Honor," Prosecutor Payne said.
"Then I will now pass my final judgement on this case. This court finds the defendant, Myriam Scuttlebutt…"
Not Guilty
The crowd in the gallery burst into cheering, as confetti rained down. Juniper allowed herself a relieved smile, while Hugh had his usual smirk on his face. Myriam smiled as well, twirling a pen between her fingers. At the other bench, Prosecutor Payne had a neutral expression on her face, although at least she wasn't sneering anymore.
"That will be all. Court is adjourned!" And with that, the Judge struck his gavel on the bench, signaling the trial's end.
February 17, 2029
District Courthouse, Defendant Lobby #4
1:30 p.m.
"I knew it was a good idea to hire you as my defense attorney! Thanks for bailing me out of that jam, Juniper," Myriam said.
"I'm glad I could prove your innocence, Myriam. Although I would have appreciated it if you had told me everything from the beginning," Juniper said.
"I apologized for that already!" Myriam shouted, flushing red from embarrassment.
"You did well in there, Juniper," Hugh said. "You did surprise me with your last comment towards the prosecutor, especially after all the trouble she gave us."
"It's because I said what Robin probably would have told her," Juniper said, which caught the immediate attention of her two friends. "If… If Robin were here, she and Prosecutor Payne would have been co-workers."
"It is easy to imagine Robin offering a compliment like that because she could," Hugh said, a melancholic look on his face.
"Hey! Don't ruin the celebratory mood," Myriam said. "Maybe we didn't expect it, but we finally got a lead!"
Juniper jumped at Myriam's words. She was right- they discovered that Mr. Ratters had uncovered info on their missing friend somehow, and someone else triggered this incident to silence him. Then there was the mysterious bailiff that seemed to know more than she let on. And the more Juniper thought about the bailiff, the more familiar she seemed…
"Well, since you helped me, Juniper," It's only right that I help you," Myriam said.
"You don't have to do anything, Myriam!" Juniper said quickly. "I did this because you're my friend. It's why I defended you for free."
"My pride as a reporter won't allow me to ignore someone as fishy as that bailiff, Kahk Kahk," Myriam said. "You were wondering about her too, right? Well, I will track down that bailiff so we can question her personally. Even if she flees to the ends of the earth, I will find her!"
"Looks like Myriam's not going to let anyone stop her," Hugh sighed.
"Then please be careful, Myriam. You don't want to catch the attention of whoever got Mr. Ratters killed," Juniper said, genuinely worried.
"If there's anything I'm best at, it's hiding my presence. I won't let them catch me," Myriam said.
Hugh adjusted his glasses. "Now that we have this lead, I'd say we have more of a reason to celebrate. Why don't we see if Athena is at the Wright Anything Agency and we can all celebrate Myriam's freedom together."
"Since I'm not going to be paying, I'm happy," Myriam said.
"It will be good to see Thena again. I want to tell her all about this trial," Juniper said. And now that they had a plan, the three friends exited the defendant lobby together.
That's the story of my very first case. I didn't know it at the time, of course- what following this one lead would put me through. If I had to do it all again, though, I would.
Because if there's anything that the cases that followed have taught me, it's how important it is to never give up. To remain firm in your convictions no matter the suffering that is thrown at you.
Because in the end, you will always find the truth you need the most. My name is Juniper Woods, and this is the story of my own journey, for my own personal truth.
Episode 1, The Blossoming Turnabout: End.
A/N: Now that this case is over, I thought it would be fair to let you know what is coming up next. Episode 2 is going to be called Turnabout Starlet. Now, preparation for this case is still ongoing, so it will be longer before it debuts. Rest assured, however, that I will deliver the best possible case to everyone! See you next time! Please review.