A/N: I had said that this chapter would have the verdict, but it got too long, so it had to be split. At least, I am able to present the final breakdown of this story to the audience. Enjoy, my readers!

After opening her eyes, Juniper could feel the eyes of the court on her. This conclusion that I've arrived at… do I share it with the court?

"Well, defense? The court can move onto the verdict right now," The Judge said. "And it will undoubtedly be a Not Guilty verdict."

"Remember what I told you before, Miss Woods," Edgeworth said, his gaze burning into her. "Your duty is to advocate for your client, and you have done so. You do not have to humor the nonsense coming out of Mrs. Newman's mouth."

It's true, I can walk away from this with Bailey's innocence proven. And yet… Juniper looked at Mrs. Newman at the other side of the courtroom. I want to know why Mrs. Newman set all this up. And I want to know why Detective Smokes decided to take his own life.

"The defense also has a basic question," Juniper finally said. "Why did Tony Smokes decide to commit suicide?"

"I do not believe that question has ever been deliberated!" The Judge exclaimed. "Because the crime we've been discussing is the stabbing of his body."

"When it happened has been made more than clear," Mrs. Newman said. "I believe Prosecutor Gavin gave testimony to this effect."

"It happened early in the morning, before anyone else showed up," Klavier said, his expression grim. "Yet what does this have to do with-?"

"OBJECTION!" Edgeworth shook his head. "The purpose of this trial was to find the culprit responsible for stabbing Detective Smokes' body. All other matters are irrelevant."

At that moment, Juniper arrived at an unshakable conclusion: He knows. The Chief Prosecutor knows full well why the victim killed himself.

"What's the harm in answering this question?" Mrs. Newman asked, gazing at Edgeworth. "If the defendant is being found innocent regardless, further deliberation shouldn't change anything."

"The prosecution's assertion is factually correct…" The Judge said thoughtfully. "And I do not feel it would be right to end this trial without learning why the victim died."

"Your Honor, I must protest this," Edgeworth said indignantly. "Mrs. Newman is making a mockery of the court!"

"However, it is also true that the prosecution's credibility has been damaged by previous revelations," The Judge continued. "So I turn to the defense. Is there any evidence that can shed light on these questions?"

This is the turning point. I need to see if my theory is correct. "No, the defense does not have the evidence on hand. However, I suspect that the answers we seek are connected to the victim's mail."

"It seems so obvious in hindsight. One of Detective Smokes' final actions was to take his mail to his room," Klavier said. "Is the defense's theory that one letter in that pile compelled him to end it all?"

"There's only one way to know for sure," Juniper said. "And that's to review the mail the victim received on the day that he died."

"Defense, what are you hoping to accomplish?" Edgeworth asked, glaring at Juniper. "You've won. There is nothing for you to gain by continuing this!"

"Why are you insistent that the trial end?" Juniper asked, suspicion seeping into her tone. "As Mrs. Newman said, there's no harm in pursuing this line of questioning."

"And why on earth are you listening to Mrs. Newman? She stabbed the victim's body, and almost convicted Bailey on a false charge," Edgeworth pointed out. "I offer this counterargument- nothing good can come from letting her dictate matters."

I can't deny what the Chief Prosecutor is saying. There is every reason to disregard what Mrs. Newman is saying, after all that she's done. And yet… Constance Courte suspected that the trial might go in this direction. She told me 'the person that stabbed the body' and the 'true killer' are different people.

"Mrs. Newman will rightfully pay for her crimes. But I want to find the truth behind why the victim died. And if there was another person responsible for this, by driving him to suicide…" Juniper slammed her palms on her bench. "I will expose them, here and now!"

The Judge's eyes widened. "It sounds like the defense already has a suspect in mind. Are you going to name them to the court?"

Once I speak this name, there will be no going back. "There is one person, tied with every matter discussed in this trial and who currently seems to be shutting down all discussion on this topic. I don't want to suspect them, of course. But I need to hear from them why they want to end this trial so badly. Well… Chief Prosecutor?"

The silence that followed seemed to go on forever, as Juniper studied Edgeworth. Mrs. Newman had a smirk on her face, while everyone else had dawning shock on their face as they processed what they just heard.

"Did you really just accuse the Chief Prosecutor?" Robin asked with awe in her voice.

Edgeworth's expression remained impassive. "Miss Woods, explain yourself at once."

"I believe I made my position clear. I want to know why you're avoiding further deliberation," Juniper said, even as she felt her heart racing. "Especially when you started doing it once the victim's mail was brought up."

"I do not have to answer such a clearly ludicrous question," Edgeworth said, crossing his arms. "And I deny these allegations."

"Have you completely lost your mind, Juniper? Edgeworth would never do anything like that!" Ema cried out.

"Clearing this up would be as simple as checking the victim's mail," Juniper said. "Unless there's a reason that you don't want this to happen?"

Unexpectedly, Edgeworth smirked. "If it means that you will see reason, I don't see-"

"OBJECTION!" Klavier began snapping his fingers. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Das Chief. But there is a simpler way to settle this matter."

"You've always had a good head on your shoulders, Prosecutor Gavin. Very well, I leave this to you," Edgeworth said.

"I believe it was mentioned earlier that the victim's mail was already checked," Klavier said. "By none other than Fraulein Newman, as she is the lead prosecutor in the case. If there was a letter in there that incriminated the Chief Prosecutor, why would she not have submitted it?"

"Prosecutor Gavin is correct, I did personally review the victim's mail," Mrs. Newman said, sweat running down her face. "And we found no letter that incriminated the Chief Prosecutor."

Klavier put his hands on his hips. "And that's that. I believe that should clear up your concerns, Fraulein Woods."

"Thank you for your sensible words, Prosecutor Gavin," Edgeworth said, smiling at him. "Expect a raise when your next salary review comes up."

"It seems that the defense's accusation has fallen flat," The Judge said, his heavy gaze resting on Juniper. "I must assign a penalty for this."

"Wait, Your Honor! Before you give me a penalty, give me another chance!" That can't have been all there was to it. If the victim's mail was really unrelated, why didn't Edgeworth want it to be checked? "Let me review the court record."

"Very well. I will give you one more chance to substantiate your claim," The Judge said. "But if it fails to pan out again, I will assign a heavier penalty."

Let me continue my previous logic. The victim's mail did get checked. Yet, Edgeworth didn't want the court to look at it. Was Edgeworth expecting the mail to get moved? This sparked an idea in Juniper's mind. This might be like what happened to the handkerchief.

"TAKE THAT! I want the court to look at the bottom of the trash can," Juniper said. "There is a very odd outline there."

"As the expert in hiding things, I believe I see what Juniper is driving at," Myriam said, looking pleased with herself. "The outline at the bottom of the trash can is in a perfect rectangle. Do you think that one of the victim's letters was in there?"

Juniper nodded her head. "What was it we just heard? Detective Smokes took all his mail to his room. It all fits- he must have thrown one of the letters into the trash."

"So then that's why-!" Ema clapped her hand over her mouth. "Never mind! Ignore me!"

"Detective Skye, I believe you were warned about hiding things from the court," The Judge said sternly. "If you are found to be concealing evidence again…"

Ema didn't say anything, even as the fear was clear in her eyes.

Judging by Detective Skye's reaction, there's something in the evidence that will help prove that this letter exists. Juniper realized she knew what evidence she needed, because it had been discussed not too long ago.

"I believe what Detective Skye might have remembered about is the dirty handkerchief," Juniper explained. "There's a particular stain on it that doesn't seem random. It looks like part of the sun."

As soon as Klavier saw the handkerchief closely, his eyes narrowed. "I believe that is the seal of the prosecutor's office. It seems that Fraulein Woods mistook it for a sun because the prosecutor's badge is designed after it, and therefore so is the seal for our office."

"Then that means that this handkerchief touched something with the prosecutor's office seal at one point!" Robin yelled, her fists shaking. "And that left an imprint!"

"There is only one possibility that makes sense: Detective Smokes threw both a letter and the handkerchief in the trash can, shortly before dying," Juniper said. "That explains both the rectangle outline at the bottom of the trash can and the prosecutor's office seal being on the handkerchief."

"Did you know about this, Detective Skye?" The Judge asked, looking at Ema with a stormy expression.

"OBJECTION!" Edgeworth wagged his finger at the Judge. "Do not get carried away, Your Honor. There is a perfectly legitimate reason why Detective Skye held her tongue."

"I would love to hear an explanation for this, Chief Prosecutor," The Judge said, even as his glare didn't lessen. "Because this is otherwise looking very bad for Detective Skye."

"It's a very simple point- we'll assume for the sake of argument that the victim did have a letter from the prosecutor's office in his possession. What proof is there that the letter is why the victim decided to take his own life?"

"I believe the defense just explained it," Mrs. Newman said tersely. "That letter was in the trash can along with the handkerchief. If the letter was stained, it must have been thrown away before Tony ate the chocolate."

Edgeworth tapped his forehead. "Ah, but you have no way of proving who sent the letter, or what it contained. So your claim that I am the 'true killer' does not hold up to scrutiny. It also means that Detective Skye was correct in not mentioning this."

"Thank you, Mr. Edegworth," Ema said, smiling gratefully at him. "Yes, I did see the seal on the handkerchief. But that by itself doesn't prove anything."

Mrs. Newman reared back, clutching her arms to her chest. "No! Not when I'm so close!"

"I won't lie, I am relieved that there seems to be no basis to these allegations," The Judge admitted. "Is the defense finally satisfied?"

With a simple line of logic, Edgeworth managed to take suspicion off himself and Detective Skye. This is what makes him one of the greatest prosecutors in the history of our state. Juniper had to take several deep breaths to calm herself down. "I am not entirely satisfied, Your Honor. It has been established the prosecutor's office sent a letter to the victim, but it seems to have gone missing. Does that not concern you?"

"However, we do not know who sent the letter. This matter can be investigated, but it would best be saved for after the trial," The Judge said. "So that we may move onto the verdict."

I can't let that happen… not when I still have these doubts in me. This isn't about Mrs. Newman, or even about Professor Courte anymore. Juniper's eyes filled with determination. I want to seize the truth with my own hands!

"What if there was a way to prove who sent the letter?" Juniper asked.

"If such evidence exists, please present it."

So that's why Mrs. Newman began the trial with the testimony she did. It's all starting to fall into place. "TAKE THAT! The main point of contention in this trial has been the case file that was in Detective Smokes' possession before his death."

"Yes, I believe that was presented as the defendant's motive to attack the victim," The Judge said. "But now we know this was not the case."

Juniper recalled the beginning of the trial day. "However, this may also be relevant to our current question: 'who would want to contact Detective Smokes'. I believe the Chief Prosecutor is one such person."

Edgeworth's entire body stiffened, and his eyes narrowed. "I cannot believe I need to say this, but I remind the defense that I physically visited the manor. Why would I send him a letter?"

That's a good question. But I can't let myself get stopped here- I need to think this through. "You seem to think that you'd only need to contact the victim once. But if I remember the previous testimony, you've been trying to get in contact with Detective Smokes for months now."

"It's the reason that I returned from Khura'in. Tony got in contact with me, telling me that Edgeworth was looking into him," Mrs. Newman said. "And the Chief Prosecutor didn't stop trying, right up until the day that Tony died."

"I knew that Das Chief wanted to learn about the case file, but I didn't know that he's been investigating it for so long," Klavier said, sounding surprised. "It was even what he was discussing with Herr Smokes the day of the crime."

"If the Chief Prosecutor has been trying to get in contact with Detective Smokes for so long, then it's not unreasonable to think that he sent a letter in one of those attempts," Juniper said, wrapping up her point. "Of course, the best way to clear this up is if the Chief Prosecutor tells us himself what the truth is."

Edgeworth didn't say anything, pushing his glasses up his nose. After a stretch of silence, he finally said, "You're letting your imagination get away with you, Miss Woods. After all, you have yet to decisively prove that this letter even exists."

"That's because someone moved the letter!" Robin pointed out. "But we have proof that it was in the trash can of the victim's room!"

"But if you don't have the letter itself, then it's meaningless," Edgeworth said. "Anyone can speculate anything about its contents and sender, after all."

"So all we need to do is find the letter in question," Hugh said thoughtfully. "That will solve this case once and for all."

"The manor has been checked over with a fine-tooth comb," Myriam said. "And even Mrs. Newman admits it wasn't with the rest of the victim's mail! So where else could it be at this point?"

"Even with my knowledge as the manor's maid, I can't offer further insight either," Bailey said in a regretful tone. "I didn't get a chance to check Tony's mail that day, and it does seem as if everywhere has been checked."

Bailey is right. Everywhere has been checked, with a few places being checked more than... wait a second. Myriam doesn't seem to have realized it, but she has the answer to our question. "Myriam, do you remember what you saw near the end of yesterday? While you were hiding in the trash room."

"Ah, that! Detective Skye entered the room, looking for something," Myriam said, smiling smugly. "She found it, before giving it to the Chief Prosecutor."

"Wait, so that cardboard box was you?!" Ema cried out with clear panic in her voice.

"The item was rather thin and long, about the size of the detective's palm," Myriam continued. "I believe Juniper's theory is that this item is none other than the letter that we're looking for."

The Judge slammed his gavel on his bench. "Pardon me if I missed something. But the argument up until now is that the letter was in the victim's trash can. How was it moved to the trash room on the other side of the manor?"

The Judge has a point. We need to lay out these events in full. "It can only have been Mrs. Newman. Since we established that she took the dirty handkerchief, she must have taken the letter at the same time. So, Mrs. Newman? Why did you put the letter in the trash room?"

Mrs. Newman drummed the fingers of her right hand against her bench. "So you figured it out, Junie. Yes, I did move the letter along with the handkerchief. And to answer the other question that you must have, it was sent by the Chief Prosecutor."

"What?!" Juniper smacked her palms against her bench. "Why didn't you mention this in the first place?!"

The courtroom erupted in a commotion, forcing the Judge to quell them. "Prosecutor Newman, you are already in trouble for creating a fake murder. And now it's been revealed that you tampered with the scene further?"

"I understand your anger, Your Honor, but I did it with a clear purpose," Mrs. Newman said. "And to explain that purpose, I ask a question: why did the Chief Prosecutor not mention he took the letter from the trash room?"

Edgeworth visibly reacted to this, doubling over and resting his arm on the witness stand. "For you to take things this far. You will truly stop at nothing to destroy everything!"

"Why aren't you answering the question?" Juniper asked. "All of this could be cleared up if you present the letter. It would even sink Mrs. Newman further on charges of concealing evidence."

"The reason is simple. The court began to inquire about Tony's mail to find the reason he took his own life. If the Chief Prosecutor had one of Tony's letters in his possession and never submitted it to court, there can only be one reason: because the letter proves that he's the true killer." Mrs. Newman pointed at Edgeworth. "Well? Do you have any counter arguments?"

"Why are you so sure that I have the letter on my person?" Edgeworth asked, standing up straight again. "Miss Scuttlebutt's testimony does not specify what Detective Skye gave me."

At this point, Juniper expected Ema to chime in again, but the detective was silent. Ema was staring at the ground, nervously clutching the straps of her carrier bag.

"Then all you have to do is submit to a body search," Mrs. Newman said. "Surely there's no reason why you should refuse?"

"Ah! So that's why you mentioned that earlier," Juniper gasped out. "You told me that Edgeworth is still in his same clothes from yesterday. Which means he also has whatever he had on his person yesterday."

"I did not let the Chief Prosecutor leave my sight for a second. Everything I've done in this case has been for this moment. So once again, I ask that he submit to a body search." Mrs. Newman said, staring down Edgeworth. "Unless he'd like to admit to everything and save us the trouble."

Beads of sweat formed at Edgeworth's brow, and his entire body was rigid again. "...Very well. I acknowledge that Detective Skye gave me one of the victim's letters from the trash room."

"This… this is completely unprecedented!" The Judge cried out. "What on earth is going on in this trial?"

The commotion from the crowd was louder this time, forcing the Judge to slam his gavel on his bench repeatedly to quell them.

There's no doubt left in my mind. Mr. Edgeworth really is the true killer. Juniper felt as if the room was spinning. And this is what Mrs. Newman has been trying to prove it with this trial. But how is the Chief Prosecutor going to respond?

Edgeworth slammed his right hand on the witness bench. "However, I withheld the letter for a reason: it is forged evidence, made to smear my name."

"OBJECTION!" Mrs. Newman's icy aura flared strongly. "On what grounds do you claim that I forged the letter?"

Instead of answering Mrs. Newman, Edgeworth turned towards Juniper. "I believe you remember what I told you yesterday. That Mrs. Newman is attempting to get revenge on the legal system by driving this trial to an incorrect conclusion. This forged letter is her final gambit- to ruin my reputation, in the most public setting possible."

"I suppose… what you're saying does make sense logically…" Juniper admitted, feeling her conviction waver slightly. Mrs. Newman does have the motive to do what he describes.

"OBJECTION! Don't get led astray, Junie. Edgeworth's words sound logical, but it only serves to avoid the question at hand," Mrs. Newman said. "The final question of this trial- 'is the letter forged or the real deal'? What does the defense think?"

"OBJECTION!" Edgeworth smacked the witness bench again. "Do not listen, Miss Woods. Take the Not Guilty verdict you should have taken a long time ago."

I've come this far seeking the final truth of this case. So if I were to turn back now, I could never forgive myself. Out loud, Juniper said, "I also ask that you submit the letter to the court, Chief Prosecutor. If the letter truly is forged, we only need to see it."

"I see. Then if you insist on continuing to go along with Mrs. Newman's insane scheme…." An oppressive feeling emanated Mr. Edgeworth, and it seemed to fill the whole room. "I insist that you present evidence that the letter isn't forged, and thus fit to be presented in this court. And if you cannot present such proof… well, I can report your disgraceful behavior to the state bar. You will be permanently expelled from the legal system, of that I can assure you."

"Don't let these threats intimidate you," Mrs. Newman said, slamming her left palm on her bench. "You've been able to figure out everything up to this point. So I'm sure you can work out this final puzzle too."

There's no denying that the letter from the Chief Prosecutor exists, but he claims that it was forged by Mrs. Newman. She had possession of the letter from the moment she took it from the victim's room, so that's entirely possible. The question is, could anyone else have verified the letter since this?

Juniper hit upon it- the final solution of the trial, and also the riskiest thing that she could do given the situation. Juniper could feel fear stealing her words, and her legs started to go weak…

"Don't let the truth be lost to the shadows here, Juniper!" Myriam snapped, waving her fists. "Drag it out, like I drag out information!"

"You may be facing the Chief Prosecutor, but you'll be fine," Hugh said, showing off the Proof of Friendship on his neck. "You are the star attorney of my office, after all."

"You can do it, Juniper! You've been with me through the worst part of my life, and you've never given up on me!" Grinning, Robin showed the Proof of Friendship on her left arm. "So I'll never give up on you!"

"Our mother is surely watching over us, as you arrive at the end of the path that she walked," Bailey said, placing her hands over her heart. "Take that final step, and close this story."

Everyone… thank you so much. If there's a reason I've made it so far, it's that I've had so much support. So I need to reach out a hand, to help someone in need right now.

"No, the defense does not have evidence that can prove whether the letter was forged or not," Juniper said. "After all, the letter hasn't been presented."

"That is no excuse. As an attorney, you should be ready to verify the evidence you intend to present," Edgeworth said, glaring at Juniper. "Any professional knows that."

As soon Edgeworth said those words, Juniper caught movement out of the corner of her eyes. Next to Edgeworth, Ema had her eyes closed as she clutched onto her carrier bag.

"HANG ON!" Juniper slammed her palms onto her bench. "Do you have something to add, Detective Skye?"

"OBJECTION! Do not attempt to distract the court from your failings!" Edgeworth snapped.

"This isn't a distraction, Chief Prosecutor. In fact, it's directly related to the matter at hand," Juniper said. "I believe earlier in the trial, she mentioned that she was in charge of verifying all the evidence."

This got a reaction out of Ema, raising her head with a look akin to deer in headlights.

"We also heard that Detective Skye was the first to take the letter from the trash room," Juniper continued. "And as such, she was in a position to verify if it was authentic or not."

"I believe it was also the Chief Prosecutor who stated that he has full confidence in the detective's findings," Mrs. Newman pointed out. "So if the letter needs to be verified, we can have her do it right here and now."

"Unless… you already did it?" Juniper asked, seeing how strange that Ema was acting. "You're a talented, deeply passionate forensic investigator. The first thing you would have done with new evidence is verify it."

At first, Ema remained frozen and silent. Then as her hands loosened their death grip on her carrier bag, Ema said, "It's like you said, Miss Woods. As soon as I found the letter, I checked it over for signs of forgery. As a forensic investigator, I can state with full confidence… that the letter and all writing inside are the real deal."

Edgeworth turned towards Ema with a shocked expression. "Detective Skye, why would you..?"

"OBJECTION! Now that we have confirmed that the letter is legitimate evidence, there is no more reason to keep it from the court!" Juniper exclaimed.

"You have no idea what you are asking for, defense." Edgeworth said, pinning Juniper with his fiercest glare. "It will bring untold damage to the legal system."

Juniper felt herself stagger back from the force of Edgeworth's glare, but held firm. "I know what I'm asking for, and that's to learn the truth behind Tony Smoke's death. So Chief Pro…no, Miles Edgeworth." Juniper stepped forward, drew her arm back, and pointed at Edgeworth before declaring: "You will submit the letter to the court right now!"

As murmurs rose up from the crowd in the gallery, Edgeworth said, "I don't have to submit to this demand. I'm leaving."

Edgeworth tried to walk off to his left, but found himself blocked by Robin, Hugh, and Myriam.

"Not so fast! You're not above the law!" Robin exclaimed.

Edgeworth tried to leave the other direction, but was blocked by Ema, Klavier, Mr. Newman, and Bailey.

"Please, Mr. Edgeworth. Submit the letter to the court." Ema said quietly.

At this point Edgeworth noticed the noise from the gallery, and the eyes of the people boring down on him. "Silence, all of you! You're letting your emotions blind you!"

When the hostile whispering didn't stop, Edgeworth slammed his right palm on the bench, only to find it made no noise. "Objection!" Edgeworth's voice died halfway through his shout.

"Hold it! Listen to me!" Nothing Edgeworth said seemed to do anything, so as a last resort he looked up at the Judge. "Your Honor, stop this nonsense!"

The Judge slowly shook his head, and raised his gavel.

"No, wait! Listen to reason! This letter cannot-!"

The Judge brought down the gavel, and the resounding force bore down on Edgeworth as well, until his legs gave out from under him and he fell to his hands and knees, his fists clenched in front of him.

A/N: Next chapter, the letter that is finally brought into the light of day, and the final loose ends of the trial are wrapped up. Then it will be the verdict, I can promise that. See you next time! Please review.