Morix: Web of Mistrust

Turnabout Deception, Part 4

"I think I know what question you're talking about," Chrysalis murmured. "If somebody snuck into the building, then there's one thing that would undoubtedly change. The atmosphere of the area would undergo a small shift if another person entered the building, and it's that atmospheric change that will prove whether or not he left at the time of the crime."

"Exactly," I nodded. "It's crucial that we find the truth here. Polly will undoubtedly be able to supply us with an answer. I hope that everyone understands what we're going at here. I'm praying that Polly will catch onto it rather quickly, though if she doesn't, that's understandable. After all, she has been through a lot, and I doubt that her mind is in a suitable condition at the moment."

Anton returned soon afterwards, and Polly shuffled up to the witness stand. Anton was hesitant to let her go, but he walked back to the prosecution bench soon afterwards, sadness on his face that he was unable to stay with Polly. I felt a small pang of pity for him, and I made a mental note to check up on him as soon as this trial came to an end. I doubted the case was doing any favors to his mental state. 

Polly leaned forward on the witness stand, placing her head in one hand. A sigh left her lips, and she closed her eyes. Somehow, she seemed even more disheveled than before, and I got the feeling that we caught her in the middle of a nap. She had been told to rest up, and she couldn't exactly object given her condition. Polly was as stubborn as it got, but she still knew when not to go up against the instructions of others, and this was one time where she was happy to listen to what her superiors had to say. 

"What do you need?" Polly asked, frustration dripping from her voice. She opened her eyes a crack and looked over at where I was standing next to Chrysalis. I got the feeling she was less mad at us and more angry at the situation, so I didn't mind the grim expression that she was giving the two of us. "I was told that somebody wanted to ask me a question, but I never got specifics on what that question is about. Would anybody mind filling me in on what I missed?" 

"I have one important question for you regarding the time of the crime," I answered. "The attack took place yesterday, quite clearly in May. It would be natural to smell flowers and pollen when one stepped outside, yes?"

"Yeah. That's what it smelled like when I first got there. Why do you ask?" Polly questioned with a small frown. 

"Before we move on, I must question you on the temperature when you arrived at the house as well. How would you say it compared to the temperature inside of the building?" I asked, trying to remain as calm as possible despite my plans very clearly coming together. 

"Um... It was warm outside. It was cooler inside of the building since it was on the humid side," Polly answered. "I don't understand what you're trying to say by asking all these questions though. Are you trying to say that the outside has something to do with this case?"

I nodded. "Your Honor, under these circumstances, if someone opened a window, wouldn't you be able to tell that there was an intrusion from the outside? It would be clear based on the smell and the temperature compared to what can be found outdoors. If a fourth person really did sneak into the building as Mr. Lent claimed, then it would be clear as day that they had crept inside because of the shift in smell and temperature," I remarked. 

"I have minor allergies to pollen. When a window gets opened and I can smell it, I instantly feel the effects. The smell is rather strong, and if the room that the crime took place in was directly connected to a window, then it would be rather easy to tell," Chrysalis commented. "So, I think what we're trying to get to is this one key question..."

"Did you smell pollen or feel a rise in temperature at the time of the attack?" I questioned. 

Polly shook her head. "No. It smelled like the inside of the house at the time, and the temperature remained cooler than it was outdoors," she answered. "It didn't get warmer by any significant margin while I was there."