A/N: This is it, everyone- the end of Turnabout Starlet. I'm giving you all an extra long chapter, which me and my team made sure was the highest quality possible. So finally unravel this case alongside Hugh and Juniper. Enjoy, my fair readers!
February 25, 2029
District Courthouse, Courtroom #5
12:00 p.m.
"If I may, people of the court!" Mr. Iscariot declared. "There have been twists and turns in this madcap performance, but in the end we're right back to where we started."
"What do you mean by that, Mr. Iscariot?" The Judge asked.
"The prosecution suggests that Mr. Scene died during the rehearsal. The defense suggests that Mr. Scene died in the dressing room. Either way," Mr. Iscariot jumped up and landed with his arms spread out. "The only person that could have killed him is Miss Moon."
"OBJECTION! The defense would like to suggest another possibility. If we could recall the footage, while the camera was pointed at the ceiling," Hugh said. "There was the sound of a someone wearing heels walking onto the set."
"Yes, I do remember what sounded like heels," The Judge said, closing his eyes. "Who are you saying they belong to?"
"Why, none other than the only person to speak during the footage- Director Shine!" Hugh exclaimed.
"OBJECTION!"
Robin lifted her right hand, and loudly slammed it onto the bench. "Hugh, you shouldn't push your unsubstantiated theory onto the court."
"Wh-what about my theory is unsubstantiated, Prosecutor Newman?" Hugh asked, feeling cold sweat run down his face.
"It wasn't just the sound of heels that we heard in the footage- we heard a second set of footsteps," Robin said. "And yes, we heard Director Shine speak. But that does not mean it was her that walked onto the set before."
"Then what are you saying, Prosecutor Newman?" The Judge asked.
"Simply put, anyone could have entered the movie set while the camera was filming the ceiling," Robin said, studying a file she had set up on her easel. "And we did hear something that sounded like the victim being stabbed."
"No, Robin isn't going to suggest what I think she is, is she?" Juniper said, her eyes wide.
Robin slammed her right hand onto the bench again. "The Prosecution has maintained that the defendant stabbed the victim again when she returned to the movie set, and Mr. Strong testified he walked in afterwards. These are the sounds captured by the footage!"
"She diiiiiiiIIIIIIIID!" Hugh screamed, staggering back with his glasses landing upside down on her face.
"Annnd cut!" Director Shine, snapping shut her clapperboard with a grin on her face. "I do believe that's a wrap for the defense."
"Still, we don't know for sure what occurred in the footage, and we won't know for sure until Detective Skye returns with the results of the analysis," The Judge said.
"Then if I must, I will provide the fatal blow to the defense's case," Director Shine said, flipping back her hair. "I believe it was requested that I testify earlier? Then I will testify!"
-Witness Testimony-
The sounds in the footage
"As the director responsible for the rehearsal, I agree with the prosecution,"
Director Shine said. "It was Miss Moon that stabbed Mr. Scene in the back."
"You cannot say for sure that Director Shine's voice and the footsteps are the same,"
Mr. Iscariot added. "It is more likely that they belonged to Miss Moon."
"I was picking up the camera when I spoke. There's nothing suspicious about that,"
Director Shine said, cocking her hat to one side. "But you know what is suspicious?"
"The fact that Miss Moon stabbed Mr. Scene during the rehearsal," Mr. Iscariot said, sorrowfully putting a hand over his face. "So it makes sense that what we hear is her stabbing him again."
"And if the murder happened in Miss Moon's dressing room, then that means no one else could have done it but her," Director Shine said.
End Testimony
"I believe t-h-i-s outlines the defendant's guilt pretty clearly," Robin said, her finger bouncing with each spelt letter. "Is there any room for doubt?"
"OBJECTION! Don't declare your victory before I've done my cross-examination," Hugh said, pointing at Robin. "I don't believe we have all the facts yet!"
"It seems like Director Shine predicted that it would come to this and prepared her testimony accordingly," Juniper said, nervously twiddling her fingers. "It's likely she'll expect you to go on the offensive."
"I don't know about you, but I refuse to play by whatever script Director Shine has cooked up," Hugh said, putting his glasses back on correctly. "So we're going to flip this situation back on her!"
Mr. Iscariot's first statement caught Hugh's attention. "HOLD IT! So then, are you saying that Director Shine was in the studio at the same time that Miss Moon entered?"
"Perchance, is there a reason you bring this query before me?" Mr. Iscariot asked.
"For starters, I'm wondering how you know about what Director Shine did on the day of the crime," Hugh said, rubbing his chin.
"I told Mr. Iscariot myself, of course," Director Shine suddenly said, standing in front of Mr. Iscariot. "When I realized that Miss Moon murdered Mr. Scene, I talked with Mr. Iscariot about what I captured in the footage."
"Was that all that you wanted to know, defense?" The Judge asked.
"No, no it wasn't!" Hugh said, rubbing his neck. "If Director Shine and Miss Moon were both in the same room, there's a question that needs to be asked."
"...!" Director Shine nervously adjusted her hat, sweating again.
"If Miss Moon murdered Mr. Scene while the footage was rolling-" Hugh smirked smugly, then said, "Then Director Shine should have witnessed the moment of the murder!"
"Oh no!" Robin shouted, raising her hands defensively and now sweating.
"You- you ! Quel horrible délinquant !" Director Shine exclaimed, putting a hand on her hip. "Who is to say that I didn't witness the murder?"
"Because if you did, then why didn't you mention it at any point? Like, when you arrived in court yesterday to give the court the footage," Hugh pointed out. "It seems like your story just doesn't add up!"
"Sacrebleu!" Director Shine shouted, jumping back with her arms across her chest.
"OBJECTION! Unfortunately for the defense, he seems to have forgotten something," Robin said. "Hugh, do you even know for sure when the victim died?"
"...What do you mean by that, Prosecutor Newman?" Hugh asked.
"Your accusation hinges on one thing- for the murder to happen while the camera was still filming, which is exactly what the prosecution has maintained," Robin said. "But earlier, you asserted the murder happened earlier, in Miss Moon's dressing room. So which is it?"
"Which is it? The real time of the murder is…" Hugh didn't know how to answer that. As Mr. Iscariot said earlier, Miss Moon was still the primary suspect.
"You need to consider all the facts that we know so far," Juniper said, clutching her hands together. "It looks bad now, but we need to move forward."
Okay, when we consider all the evidence and testimony so far, I think I know the real time of death.
"The defense asserts that Mr. Scene died in Miss Moon's dressing room, before the rehearsal!" Hugh exclaimed.
"I was hoping you would say that," Robin said, grinning widely. "Because now I can finally answering a nagging mystery."
"Why does it matter if the victim died in the defendant's dressing room?" The Judge asked.
"If the victim wasn't killed during the rehearsal, it makes me wonder why he was found with the knife in his back," Robin said, curling a loose bang of hair with one of her fingers. "Why stab a dead body again?"
That's the same thing I've been wondering all this time. But what has Robin figured out?
"The answer is simple- Miss Moon stabbed Mr. Scene because she was trying to set up the scene so that someone else could be seen as the suspect. If Mr. Strong didn't walk in on her," Robin slammed her palm on her bench. "Then Miss Moon would have made it so that Mr. Scene laying on the set could have been killed by anyone!"
"Wh- Wha- WhhhhhHHHAAAAAAT?!" Hugh screamed, his glasses clattering to the floor. He bent down to pick them up and accidentally slammed his face onto the bench in the process.
There was an uproar in the court, the members in the gallery chatting as Hugh picked himself back up.
"This really looks to be the end…"
"It's obvious that only that actress could be the killer!"
"That attorney should probably give up."
"The defense is not done with the cross-examination!" Hugh shouted, putting his glasses back on with shaking hands.
"Order! Order!" The Judge declared, slamming his gavel down. The Judge turned towards Hugh. "Is there really a reason to continue the trial at this point?"
Because if the trial ends here, that would mean failing Miss Moon… failing Mr. Strong… letting down the trust that they placed in me. And I refuse to do that. I am not just any defense attorney, after all.
Hugh adjusted his glasses, then put on his most confident grin. "Because the defense has spotted the contradiction hiding in this testimony. And the defense will expose it right here, right now!"
Even when I have no clue what to do next, I will bluff. I refuse to stay down… I refuse to be anything but an exemplary attorney for my client!
"A contradiction that you will 'expose right here and now'? If you're that confident in y-o-u-r claim-"Robin gestured to the judge. "Then you'll only need one shot to convince the judge, right?"
"I agree. If the defense does not uncover any new information in this cross-examination, then I will pass my verdict," The Judge said sternly. "Is that clear?"
"It is clear, Your Honor." Hugh couldn't see any direct contradictions in the testimony, so Hugh knew he would have to press one of the statements. The question is, which statement?
"I think I know what Director Shine is doing. If our suspicions our correct, then she's trying to hide a certain truth from the court," Juniper said, turning towards Hugh. "So we need to bring that truth to light right now."
"A 'certain truth'? Then I think I know exactly how to proceed from here." Focusing on Director Shine, Hugh shouted, "HOLD IT! Tell me, why do you think Miss Moon stabbed Mr. Scene from the front during the rehearsal? You say it's suspicious, so why would she even invite such suspicion on herself in the first place?"
"It is very simple, attorney. Miss Moon wanted to depict the rehearsal stabbing as an accident, and set up the Mr. Scene's body like the prosecutor described earlier," Director Shine said. "But since she was caught by Mr. Strong, there's no other way that Mr. Scene could have been stabbed in the back."
"Your Honor! I would like Director Shine's last statement added to the testimony!" Hugh exclaimed.
"It seems as if the defense is helping the prosecution build their case. But if that's what the defense wants, then the witness will amend their testimony," The Judge said.
"I appreciate the help, by the w-a-y!" Robin added cheerfully.
"Does… does Robin not know about the piece of evidence we were investigating yesterday?" Juniper asked. "Detective Skye must have told her."
"We're going to find out in a second here… OBJECTION!"
Once he had the court's attention, Hugh said, "Director Shine, you just said that there is no other way that Mr. Scene could have been stabbed. But there is a piece of evidence that not only contradicts that, but proves that Mr. Scene was stabbed another way."
"If you had such evidence, why didn't you show it earlier?" Yet even as she asked this, Director Shine was sweating again.
"Because now, I have a better idea of how this evidence fits into the case," Hugh took out a file, opening it with his right hand. "The court will remember the movie set that's been central to this entire case. As it turns out, it was hiding a trap on the day of the murder."
"A trap? What does the defense mean by that?" The Judge asked.
"Investigating this movie set revealed that it was rigged with a knife attached to a spring," Hugh explained. "If we watch the footage, we will see a point where Miss Moon stomps on the ground. There is a switch there that triggers the spring in the movie set, and stabs the knife into the victim!"
"Yes, Detective Skye gave me the report about this rigged movie set as well," Robin said. "And I agree- Miss Moon used this trap to secretly stab Mr. Scene in the back during the rehearsal."
"...Wait, wait, that's not at all what I meant!" Hugh shouted.
"Then what did you mean, attorney? Because I can only imagine that Miss Moon stepped on that switch intentionally," Director Shine said, sneering at Hugh.
"No, there's another explanation for this movie set trap," Hugh said, cocking his head smugly.
"Oh? If you have another explanation, then present the evidence that proves that explanation!" Robin demanded.
Finally… a certain aspect of the case makes complete sense. I don't know how I didn't see it before. But now I will show the court this truth!
"TAKE THAT! During yesterday's trial, Miss Moon revealed something interesting." Hugh presented Miss Moon's copy of the movie script. "That before the day of the murder, Director Shine changed the movie script."
"No! Don't you dare suggest what I think you're going to suggest!" Director Shine yelled, her face red.
Hugh slammed his palm on his bench. "We must consider that Director Shine changed the script specifically to make Miss Moon step on the switch on that set. In fact-"
Hugh pointed at Director Shine and shouted, "We must consider the possibility that Director Shine rigged the movie set with the knife trap in the first place!"
"How dare you!" Director Shine screamed, her hat flying off her head, revealing her hair in utter disarray.
"EEEEEEK!" Robin yelled, swooning dramatically before collapsing onto the floor.
"Defense, are you formally accusing Glinda Shine?" The Judge asked. "Are you accusing this witness of murder?"
"Are we accusing Director Shine as the real culprit?" Juniper asked, rubbing her right wrist. "Because Miss Moon has suspected her from the beginning."
It's true, Director Shine has been pretty suspicious since the beginning of this case. So then… why can't I formally accuse her? Why does something still feel off?
"To reach the climax of this performance, and yet still be so in the dark. Attorney, I weep for you!" Mr. Iscariot suddenly said, indeed weeping dramatically.
"What do you mean by that, Mr. Iscariot?" Hugh asked.
"It is your theory that Mr. Scene was murdered in Miss Moon's dressing room," Mr. Iscariot said, tugging on his beard. "So then, can you prove that anyone besides Miss Moon was even in her dressing room?"
"Ah!" Hugh exclaimed, breaking out into a cold sweat.
Robin, who had picked herself back up, shook her head. "I won't let you change your theory now! The murder happened in the dressing room- and there is testimony that proves that neither of these witnesses could have been inside that room!"
"I wasn't expecting this… but I can't think of any other way for this case to make sense," Hugh said, rubbing his chin. "Did my logic go astray somewhere?"
"No, everything we've proven so far seems to make sense," Juniper said, playing with the brim of her hat. "So the facts must be conflicting somewhere else."
"Your Honor, if we're going to testify about what happened on the day of the murder, may I testify as well?"
Miss Moon walked onto the witness stand as she said this, standing to the other side of Director Shine.
"What could you possibly have to say this late into the t-r-i-a-l?" Robin asked, wagging her finger at this Moon. "You testified plenty yesterday."
Hugh quickly said, "There is no reason to not hear Miss Moon's testimony. The focus point is Miss Moon's dressing room. So isn't it only fair to hear from the owner of the room?"
"The defense's point is acknowledged. This court will allow this the defendant to testify," The Judge said.
"I'm confident that the court will see the truth after this testimony. So bring it on!" Robin exclaimed.
-Witness Testimony-
Everyone's alibis
"Being in charge of filming the rehearsal, of course I wasn't in Miss Moon's dressing room," Director Shine said, snapping her clapperboard closed. "Being the high caliber actor that he was, Mr. Scene arrived at the studio first."
"No matter how much time passes, the story remains the same- I happened to spot the Mr. Scene carrying a bouquet of flowers," Mr. Iscariot said, showing off her star belt. "And he went into Miss Moon's dressing room."
"I must apologize. I arrived to the rehearsal late," Miss Moon said, clutching her pearl necklace. "And I made everyone wait for me. That must be how Mr. Scene arrived at the movie set before me."
"And before any other accusations are thrown by the defense, Mr. Strong arrived right behind Miss Moon," Director Shine added. "So that leaves only one possible culprit."
End Testimony
As soon as the testimony finished, Detective Skye entered the courtroom. "Your Honor, the analysis of the footage is complete!"
"What are the results of the analysis?" The Judge asked.
"The voice in the footage definitely belongs Glinda Shine," Detective Skye said, a satisfied expression on her face. "As for footsteps, one set appeared to belong to a male, and the other belonged to a female."
Rehearsal Video updated in the Court Record
"Thank you for your help, Detective Skye!" Robin exclaimed cheerfully. "You can go. And if we meet up after the trial, I'll buy you a bag of Snackoos!"
"I'll definitely hold you to that, Prosecutor Newman," Ema said, before she exited the courtroom again.
So Director Shine definitely picked up her camera. But with the camera filming the ceiling, it will be hard to prove anything else.
"Everyone has given their testimony on what they did before the murder," Robin said, lacing her fingers behind their back. "Now it's a matter of which of them is telling the truth."
"Obviously, I'm telling the truth," Director Shine said smugly. "Otherwise, why would-"
Robin slammed her hand onto her bench. "Let's wait until after the cross-examination before we make claims like that."
Director Shine's eyes widened. "Wait, what are you saying?"
"That after some of the stunts you pulled earlier, you'd better be telling the truth this time," Robin said, her smile now with a dangerous edge. "To answer your question, that's why I called you to testify- so that I can make sure what you say is honest."
"Because in the end, that's what's important," Juniper said softly. "All three of us need to reach for the truth of this case!"
"Robin has done her duty- to establish everything that points to Miss Moon's guilt." Hugh adjusted his glasses, smirking. "So now it's time for me to do my job- to knock down her assertions until Miss Moon's innocence is proven beyond a doubt!"
"HOLD IT! Director Shine, are you saying that Mr. Scene arrived before anyone else did?" Hugh asked. "Because I imagine access into the studio building is restricted."
"Fortunately, I arrived not long after Mr. Scene, so he wasn't waiting outside for too long," Director Shine said. "Once I let him in, he went straight to his dressing room, and I went to go set up my camera."
"That's something we didn't know before. What do you make of it?" Juniper asked Hugh.
"Director Shine offering this information freely indicates she doesn't see it as a danger to herself," Hugh answered. "Still, we're at least making headway into this case."
Next up was Mr. Iscariot's testimony. "HOLD IT! Indeed, you did say previously that you spotted Mr. Scene going into Miss Moon's dressing room," Hugh said.
"Wait, Mr. Scene… went into my dressing room? Why?" Miss Moon asked suddenly.
"I can only imagine that he wished to give those flowers to you. And yet, you repaid him by betrayal!" Mr. Iscariot exclaimed.
"But- I didn't even know that Mr. Scene brought flowers for me," Miss Moon said, her eyes watering. "To think that he had such a gift for me…"
"To clarify this point, the prosecution did establish that the flowers in question disappeared after the murder," Robin added. "And given that Miss Moon arrived at the scene last, her testimony can be taken as credible."
"This is all stuff we know is true… but we told this to Miss Moon yesterday. So what's she doing right now?" Hugh wondered to himself. Miss Moon's testimony was next, so he didn't hesitate to press it.
"HOLD IT! You were late to the rehearsal? What do you mean by that, Miss Moon?" Hugh asked.
"Just that, Mr. O'Conner. I arrived at the studio last, with Mr. Strong following behind me," Miss Moon said. "And Mr. Scene was already on set, so I felt quite embarrassed."
"Really?"
Upon hearing this, Hugh looked around, to see Director Shine looking curiously at Miss Moon.
"HANG ON! Director Shine, could I have your attention?"
"Oh! What is it, Mr. O'Conner?" Director Shine asked.
"Something seemed to come to mind when you heard Miss Moon's words. Could you tell me what it is?" Even Hugh was curious about Miss Moon's testimony.
"La raison for that is because Miss Moon wasn't late for the rehearsal. She was right on time," Director Shine said, flipping her hair. "As I testified, Mr. Scene arrived before the rehearsal started."
"I was right on time? It reassures me to hear that. Still, I feel bad for keeping everyone waiting for me," Miss Moon said, her eyes watering again.
"Non non, you didn't do that. If I remember correctly, you arrived on set already in your costume," Director Shine said, patting Miss Moon on the shoulder. "So we could start the shoot right away."
"Wait a second! Are you sure about that, Director Shine?" Hugh asked, slamming his palm onto the bench.
"Y-yes, I am. Why do you ask?" Director Shine said, putting a hand on her hip.
"Because that would mean that on the day of the crime, Miss Moon never entered her own dressing room." Hugh pointed out.
A silence fell over the room as the Judge, Robin, and Mr. Iscariot and Director Shine at the witness stand absorbed what Hugh just said. Then a grin spread on Miss Moon's face, and she took a bow.
"Thank you, thank you! I hope you enjoyed my character of 'helpless damsel'." Miss Moon said.
"So y-you tricked me! You awful snake!" Director Shine screamed, clenching her fists.
"So this must be what Miss Moon was talking about before the trial started!" Juniper said, her mouth open in shock.
"Her and Mr. Strong must have set up this little performance to draw that information from Director Shine," Hugh said, smiling to himself. "Miss Moon is truly a talented actress."
The Judge was also in shock. "Then that means the defendant is…"
"OBJECTION!"
Robin shook her head, then grinned audaciously. "It does not mean the defendant is innocent, not yet. After all, Hugh is nowhere near close to clearing up this case!"
"You will specify your assertions, Prosecutor Newman." The Judge said, turning his heavy gaze towards her.
"That is quite the clever trick that Miss Moon pulled off. However, even if Miss Moon didn't enter her dressing room when she arrived, there's a question that the defense never answered," Robin said. "Earlier, Your Honor asked Hugh if Director Shine was the culprit. And Hugh never answered!"
Hugh rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the band he wore there. "Leave it to you to spot that… Robin," Hugh said, grinning nervously.
Robin gripped her own band on her arm. "Even if we're friends… no, because we're friends, I'm not going to let you get away without being able to defend your case! So tell the court- if you insist that Miss Moon is innocent, can you prove her words as the truth? Can you prove who really killed Mr. Scene?"
"This is it, Hugh. The final question that we need to answer," Juniper said, touching her band on her wrist. "But we've come this far. So I'm confident we'll all reach the truth, together!"
Yes, it's true that I didn't answer earlier. But once I go back and review everything in this case, then I will finally unveil the last of this grand deception!
Pushing his glasses up his nose, Hugh closed his eyes and laid out the facts of the case in his head.
This entire case has been filled with tricks and misdirection. So I need to start with a basic fact. Of all the suspects in this case besides Miss Moon, who has the most motive to kill Enuno Scene?
Glinda Shine
Emmett Strong
Icarus Iscariot
Mr. Iscariot is in fact the only other person to even show a motive. Killing Mr. Scene would mean Mr. Iscariot would become the new male lead of the movie. And earlier, we learned that Mr. Iscariot knew that Mr. Scene was attacked with Miss Moon's award despite having no good reason to know that.
That's a good start, so let's move on to another aspect of this case. The centerpiece of this case is the movie set of the cliffside made to frame Miss Moon. Who is the one responsible for that trap?
Glinda Shine
Emmett Strong
Icarus Iscariot
Director Shine definitely seems to be the one that's most actively responsible for framing Miss Moon. The footage that she submitted proves this more than anything. Yet, I still feel like I'm no closer to figuring out who the real murderer is.
Maybe I should consider the state of the crime scene. What is a clue there that can help me figure out the culprit's identity?
The state of Miss Moon's costumes
The two spots of blood in the dressing room
The award found in the dressing room
I do remember Detective Skye talking about blood being found in two places. If Mr. Scene was standing between the two spots of blood, that means he might have been hit on the head, then stabbed in the back at roughly the same time.
Wait, Mr. Scene was hit and stabbed… at the same time? That's it! Everything finally makes sense! The culprit responsible for Mr. Scene's death is…
Glinda Shine
Icarus Iscariot
Both of them
The reason this crime is so complicated is because it was meant to frame one person. However, this crime is in fact impossible for one person to commit. The ones responsible knew this, and so tried to hide this fact. Which means-
Glinda Shine and Icarus Iscariot are both the true culprits
Mr. Iscariot had the motive, Director Shine had the means. So they worked together to murder Mr. Scene and frame Miss Moon, so they could both get what they wanted in one fell swoop!
Hugh opened his eyes, and smirked. "So that's it. The question of 'who is the culprit' was wrong this entire time."
"So then, is the defense saying that Mr. Scene killed himself?" The Judge asked, his eyes wide.
Hugh shook his head. "No, that is not what the defense is saying. The fact is, there is a lot about this case that doesn't make sense to have been committed by one person. So let's consider this perspective- that this crime was committed by two people."
"Two people? So is this supposed to be your answer about who the murderer is?" Robin asked.
"As a matter of fact, it is. Because the true murderers of Mr. Scene are-" Hugh slammed his hand on the bench. "Are both Director Shine and Mr. Iscariot!"
"Y-You-You're accusing uuuuUUUUSSSS?!" Director Shine and Mr. Iscariot screamed at the same time.
"I finally figured it out when I considered the state of the dressing room," Hugh explained. "For the two spots of blood to end up in such close proximity, then Mr. Scene must have sustained those injuries at almost the same time. This is improbable for one person. However, it's much simpler for one person to hit Mr. Scene with Miss Moon's award to disorient him, then another to stab him in the back to kill him."
"OBJECTION! Sure, it's improbable for one person to both hit Mr. Scene and then stab him, but it's still possible! We need stronger proof if the court is going to accept this theory!" Robin exclaimed, pointing at Hugh.
"Now that we've established the possibility, maybe the evidence we have will take on a new meaning," Juniper said to Hugh. "So study the Court Record carefully!"
Proof that two people committed this crime? Then we must consider that the culprits worked together the entire crime. The evidence that reveals this is…
"TAKE THAT! Something we established in the previous trial is that the reason that the victim didn't leave a trail of blood is because he was carried while wearing his thief costume," Hugh said, reading the related file. "And I'd like to bring the court's attention to a specific aspect of this. The inside of the costume is soaked with blood."
"Yes, you pointed this out to prove that Mr. Scene wasn't murdered at the movie set," Robin said impatiently. "But what does this have to do with who was in the dressing room?"
"Consider where the blood was. It was all pooled, for lack of a better way to describe it, in the back area of the costume where Mr. Scene was stabbed," Hugh explained. "Now tell me- can one person carry Mr. Scene in such a way to replicate this?"
"Ah! So that's what you're driving at!" Robin exclaimed, sweating heavily.
Hugh nodded. "The two culprits probably carried out Mr. Scene together, with one of them carrying him by the wrists and the other by his ankles. That's how all the blood got to be collected in the back of the costume."
"And yet, there is still not proof that I was ever in that room!" Director Shine shouted.
"But there is proof that one of you was in the room," Hugh said, presenting Miss Moon's award. "I believe earlier we learned that Mr. Iscariot knew details about this statuette that he shouldn't."
"That does not make me a murderer! It just makes me… observant!" Mr. Iscariot said, tugging his beard nervously.
"OBJECTION! We're getting off track here," Robin said, wagging her finger at Hugh. "I believe the defense indicted both Director Shine and Mr. Iscariot of this murder. So is there proof that both of them specifically were involved in this crime?"
This isn't good. I barely have proof of Mr. Iscariot being in the room. Where do I find proof that they were both in the dressing room to murder Mr. Scene?
"It's not surprising that Robin would ask you to prove something so difficult. Then again you did indict both of them at once," Juniper said. "So what could prove that they worked together?"
"'Prove that they worked together?' Thank you, Juniper. I was thinking about it the wrong way," Hugh said. "Now I know how I'm going to turn this case around."
"Well, defense? We've never had an attorney indict two witnesses at once. So please present the evidence that will prove that both of these witnesses plotted to kill the victim!" The Judge demanded.
Even now, I don't have direct evidence. But if I present a certain piece of evidence carefully, then I should be able to pull this off!
"TAKE THAT! I would like to the court to look at this piece of evidence."
"That is… that is a bluebell flower," The Judge said. "Does the defense plan to give that to someone?"
Hugh shook his head. "No, I don't. Because this flower was already intended for someone. The court will recall that Mr. Scene was spotted with a bouquet of these flowers."
"Yes, and they went missing after the murder. But… no! Noooo waaaay!" Robin exclaimed rearing back.
"I believe the prosecution knows where this flower came from," Hugh said, smirking smugly. "And that- proves once and for all that Director Shine and Mr. Iscariot are the true murderers!"
"Wh-what are you talking about? Wh-where did you even find that flower in the first place?" Director Shine asked, tugging at her neckline as she sweated profusely.
"This flower was found inside the rigged movie set," Hugh said. "This naturally raises many questions, but let's focus on one- when could this flower have been dropped into the set?"
"That question barely deserves an answer! It could have been anytime Mr. Scene was-"
Before Mr. Iscariot could finish, Director Shine smacked him over the head again, her eyes darting back and forth.
The Judge banged his gavel down. "What did I say about violence in the courtroom, witness!"
"Yes, Mr. Scene could have been near the set multiple times," Hugh said, adjusting his glasses. "But there is only once chance when this flower could have fallen into the movie set!"
"Interesting. And this one chance will somehow prove your entire case? Go right ahead, tell the court this one chance!" Robin demanded.
Now Hugh knew what he needed to say. "When Miss Moon arrived on the set, it was already finished. Which means that it was being built as Mr. Scene was being murdered," Hugh explained. "As for the reason why- you only have to look at the movie set itself."
Miss Moon, who was still at the witness stand, gasped. "Do you mean, those protrusions that were used to prop up Mr. Scene's corpse?"
"Exactly. The culprits must have carried Mr. Scene to the incomplete set because they were close to completing their preparations for the fake movie set," Hugh said. "They needed to make sure no one would doubt Mr. Scene was still alive."
"So then you're saying that the flower fell into the set as the culprits set up Mr. Scene's corpse," Robin said, putting her hands over her mouth and her eyes filled with shock. "And the culprits took the rest of the flowers and threw them away?"
"Yes, and this is what proves who the real culprits are. After all, there is only one more question you need to ask- who was in the movie studio while Mr. Scene still had his flowers with him?"
At this point, Director Shine and Mr. Iscariot were both looking around desperately and Miss Moon had left the witness stand. Hugh knew it was time to finish them off.
"Glinda Shine, Icarus Iscariot. I do believe-" Hugh drew his left arm back, pointed at his prey, and shouted, "That's a wrap for your joint murder scheme!"
Even as he was still sweating, Mr. Iscariot cleared his breath. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury-"
Director Shine smacked him over the head again. "There isn't a jury in here! Can't you even get that much right, you hack of an actor?"
Mr. Iscariot's eyes narrowed as he glared at Director Shine. "I am not a hack of an actor. You-!" Mr. Iscariot suddenly slapped Director Shine across the face. "Are a hack of a director!"
"You dare lay a hand on me, you rude man! I'm going to-" Director Shine yanked at Mr. Iscariot's beard.
"I'm done taking orders from you! You miserable wretch-!" Mr. Iscariot pulled on Director Shine's hair.
The two of them continued to fight on the witness stand, until they briefly separated, with Director Shine grabbing her clapper board while Mr. Iscariot took one of his pauldrons off his shoulder.
Director Shine and Mr. Iscariot lifted their respective weapons high, before bringing it down to each other's heads- and the moment after they smacked each other, they slumped onto their knees, before their heads collided with each other.
"Bailiff! Get these two away from each other!" The Judge demanded.
"So, are you ready the confess about this plan that the two of you made together?" Hugh asked.
Director Shine and Mr. Iscariot, who were now standing as far from each other on the witness stand as possible, glared at each other for a moment. Then Director Shine said, "If you must know, the person that wanted to murder Mr. Scene was Mr. Iscariot."
"Can you truly shame a man for succumbing to temptation? For letting his ambition get away with him?" Mr. Iscariot asked, his shoulders slumped. "One day, the devil in me whispered in my ear, telling me to wait in Mr. Scene's room for him with a knife."
"However, I walked in on Mr. Iscariot's pathetic plan because I wanted to talk to him about the upcoming rehearsal," Director Shine said, definitely glaring at Hugh. "And it was then that a brilliant plan occurred to me. I convinced Mr. Iscariot that I could help him murder Mr. Scene, if he helped me with something I wanted."
"That was framing Miss Moon, right? That's what I don't understand," Juniper said, her eyes hard. "Why did you go to so much effort to frame Miss Moon?"
"I never wanted Miss Moon cast into the movie in the first place. You wouldn't understand," Director Shine said, turning her nose up at Juniper. "Just look at her! You try to put someone like Miss Moon front and center, and you'd be laughed out of the room."
"Except as it turns out, Miss Moon made the fool out of b-o-t-h of you!" Robin exclaimed, her playful mannerisms belied by the anger in her tone.
"Is there a reason that you made such a complicated murder plan? Aside from covering for yourselves, that is." Hugh said.
"It was a performance that we put on for everyone!" Mr. Iscariot exclaimed. "The performance of how Miss Moon snapped, and murdered her co-lead."
"And Mr. Iscariot was meant to be the lead in this plan. He would bravely expose Miss Moon, and be the hero to the masses!" Director Shine sighed. "As it turns out, however, he ended up being thoroughly unreliable. I did my best to keep him from ruining everything."
"On the day of the rehearsal, Director Shine and I entered Miss Moon's room, and waited. As soon as Mr. Scene entered Miss Moon's room…" Mr. Iscariot sorrowfully covered his eyes. "Director Shine struck him over the head with Miss Moon's award! And while he was reeling, I snuck up behind him, and snuffed his life with my blade."
"You did a good job figuring out what we did from there, Mr. O'Conner," Director Shine said. "We carried Mr. Scene to the movie set, and we set up the movie set to prop him up. After that, I cleaned the murder weapon and swapped it with Miss Moon's prop knife."
"And likewise, the attorney was correct in his theory about why we rigged the movie set," Mr. Iscariot said. "It was the finishing touch on our macabre creation- staining the set with red. However, we only had a limited time before Miss Moon was to enter the studio. So in our rush, it looks like we missed that one flower…"
"So in fact, this does look like it's a wrap for me. But I will bow out with my dignity still intact," Director Shine said. Director Shine blew kisses into the courtroom. "So farewell, everyone. The curtain is closing for me, permanently."
"...It looks like we've reached the conclusion of this perplexing case," The Judge said, his eyes closed. "To think that there would be such a twist waiting at the end of it. Prosecutor Newman, you will issue an arrest warrant for our witnesses."
"Of course, Your Honor! They're already being processed." Robin said, her smile never wavering.
"And this was definitely an intense clash between the defense and the prosecution!" The Judge exclaimed. "But because of how fiercely you fought, it uncovered the deeply buried truth of this case."
"But of course, Your Honor. I always do my absolute for my clients." Hugh said, adjusting his glasses.
"And I want to personally make sure that there isn't a speck of doubt in any case!" Robin exclaimed, her voice booming across the courtroom.
"Then I feel as if I can pass a verdict I can believe in," The Judge said. "Will the defendant take the stand?"
Miss Moon took to the witness stand, smiling proudly.
"As it turns out, you really are quite the actress! So I'd be interested in seeing you in movies." The Judge said.
"If it pleases you, Your Honor, I will definitely give you my autograph, should we ever meet again." Miss Moon said, placing a hand on her chest.
"I will have to bring my gavel, then! But not before I use it to render your verdict. This court finds the defendant, Starlight Moon,"
NOT GUILTY
As confetti rained down from the ceiling, Hugh let himself soak in the warm feeling of a case fully solved, and across from him Robin was giving him one of her audacious grins. Miss Moon was standing proudly, and even Juniper was smiling in contentment.
"Court is adjourned!" The Judge slammed his gavel, bring the trial to a close.
February 25, 2029
District Courthouse, Courtroom #5
2:00 p.m.
"Congratulations on your Not Guilty verdict, Miss Moon!" Juniper exclaimed.
"Thank you, Miss Woods. Of course, I am eternally grateful to Mr. O'Conner for helping me in my time of need, and to you for aiding him." Miss Moon said.
"I just hope you didn't take Director Shine's last words to heart," Juniper said, grasping her hands nervously.
About how Miss Moon shouldn't be in the lead of anything. And I have a feeling I know why Director Shine said that.
Miss Moon bit her lip. "Before I became an actress, I was teased and mocked for how I looked. And yet…" Miss Moon stuck out her chest. "From the first time I stepped on stage in high school, I realized I could be proud of myself and what I can do! So I weather petty words like those, to shine brighter!"
"Heh. That is something admirable about you," Hugh said, chuckling. "I'll be proud to attend the debut of 'The Thrill of the Chase'."
"About that," Mr. Strong said, pulling his visor over his eyes. "With the director of the movie arrested and the male lead dead, I imagine the movie will likely be canceled."
"Oh… that's a shame…" Juniper said, pulling her own hat over her eyes. "I was looking forward to it."
"That reminds me- how did you even know about that movie, Juniper?" Hugh asked.
"When the movie was first announced, I felt as if it was a movie I really wanted to see," Juniper explained, still hiding her face. "But when we took on this case, I realized I had no one to watch the movie with. Still, I considered going to the movie alone."
"I did promise you and Mr. O'Conner VIP tickets to the premiere of my next movie," Miss Moon said. "Even if it's not to 'The Thrill of the Chase', I will keep my promise."
"Then in that case, could I ask you for a favor? I'd like more tickets," Juniper said, removing her hat from her eyesight. "I have many more friends I'd like to bring along."
"Ask for as many tickets as you like! It's the least I could do. Although first-" Miss Moon turned to Mr. Strong. "My manager needs to find me a new movie to act in."
"Are… are you sure, Miss Moon? After letting you down before?" Mr. Strong asked.
"My dream is to become an actress whose name is known across the stars. And of course in those stars will be your name, Emmett, known as the best manager!" Miss Moon exclaimed.
"If that is what you wish. I will stand by you for as long as you want me," Mr. Strong said. He turned his attention to Hugh and Juniper. "Of course, I have the both of you to thank for all that you've done. It is only fair that I pay you for your services."
Mr. Strong took out a checkbook and quickly scribbled on one of the checks, before handing it to Hugh.
"Your thanks are much appreciated, Mr. Strong. I am proud to do my…" Hugh's voice died away as his eyes fell onto the check.
Juniper looked at the check, and her mouth fell open. "That's… a lot… of zeroes."
And that's how this case of mystery and intrigue ended. From that day onward, Juniper and I continued to work cases together at my law office, and we faced off against Robin in our unending quest to always find the truth.
…
If it were only that simple. Because as promised, the next time we met Robin she told us the story of her case in Khura'in. Then some time after that, Juniper took on *that* case. An incident that would cause Juniper to question everything…
Episode 2, Turnabout Starlet: End.
A/N: With that, Episode 2 is finally over. How close were you to the truth? Were there any surprises? Let me know. Now, I am hard at work on Episode 3 even now. But I do want to ask- do you readers want to see Episode 3 first? Or do you want to see the Special Episode first- the case of Robin in Khura'in? To make up for the long absence, I leave this to you all. Either way, this story will escalate in the next year, and I plan to finish it by then too. See you next time! Please review.