Phoenix's POV:
November 6, 11:51 AM
District Court
Defense Lobby No. 3
"That was a close one. I think if you didn't bring up the symbols, I would've been declared guilty." Luiska said with a sigh of relief.
"It's not over yet, though. I'll go back to see if I can find something to prove your innocence." I state.
"Oui! Thank you so much for your help Mr. Wright." Luiska says with what sounds like fake happiness. Maybe I'm imagining things...
"No problem. See you tomorrow!"
After that farewell, I decided to talk to Larry some more. I need to find him first though... after lunch.
I'll take my bike this time.
November 6, 2:06 PM
Headquarters of Shipping Inc.
Arriving at the crime scene once more, I started looking around for some more clues. Larry should probably still be working here, so I hope I bump into him as well.
Walking around, I see that just like Gumshoe said, there wasn't much security except for the guards.
"Nick!" I turn around just in time to receive a hug from Larry.
"Larry! I see you're still at work here." I detach from the hug and take notice of his uniform.
"Yeah, since there's no boss right now, I can't get fired." He grins at me. I really don't think that's something he should be smiling about...
"Okay Larry. I need to ask you some more questions about the murder two days ago." I state.
"Why? I'm pretty sure I've told you everything I know already."
"I just need to know if you saw anyone else enter the office."
"Nope. Other than the shiny guy and the cute girl, no one else entered the office."
"Are you positive?"
"Absolutely!"
"And you never saw the girl again after that."
"Yep. It was weird, man, like she just disappeared into thin air. Then I saw Mr. Godlard stabbed and so I was focused on calling the police."
"Well okay then." Seems like this is a dead end. And there aren't any notes falling from the sky to help either. "I gotta go Larry, see if I can find another lead. See ya!" I say, turning around to leave.
"Okay, bye Nick!" Larry calls after me.
As I head back to my office, I ponder about how to prove my client is innocent.
I have to find a way to prove that the assassin was there. If they were, then that means that Luiska can't be the main suspect. But how do I prove that? There aren't any security tapes or cameras in his office, and you can't trace footsteps...
Maybe I just need to turn my thinking around... maybe I should try to find out who the assassin is...
There were only three people in the victim's office during the murder, only two of them were from France, and only one left without a trace.
...I think I've found a clue...
November 6, 5:48 PM
Wright and Co. Law Offices
"Hey Nick!" Maya's voice caused me to jolt up from where I was dozing off on my desk.
"M-Maya?" I ask, somewhat startled by the sudden noise.
"The one and only. How was court?" She asked, sitting down at the couch.
"Uh, good-"
"Have you proven our client innocent yet?" She cuts me off.
"No, but I think I've found out who really was the murderer."
"Really!?"
"Yeah. At the scene, the window was broken in, and was shaped in the calling card of a famous assassin from France. I'm positive they did it." I inform Maya of what I've discovered.
"An assassin? Cool! Who's the assassin?" She's interested in it at least.
"Well... I don't know for sure yet-"
"You don't know!?"
"Well, their stage name is Le Tuer à Froid, but I have an idea on who they could be. I think the assassin is Luiska's secretary, Ms. Enigma."
"Do you have proof?"
"During the murder, three people were at Mr. Godlard's office, Luiska, Ms. Enigma, and the security guard, Larry. According to Larry, Ms. Enigma disappeared without a trace and Luiska was seen leaving in the car. Ms. Enigma is also from France, like the assassin, making her the prime candidate to be an assassin."
"You really think it's her?" Maya questions curiously.
"Yeah."
"Okay then."
November 7, 9:00 AM
District Court
Courtroom No. 2
"This court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Luiska Wrema."
"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Edgeworth answers across me, just like last time.
"The defense is ready, Your Honor." I say when Edgeworth finishes.
"Very well. The prosecution's opening statement."
"Yesterday, the defense made a valid point about the window being broken. While something was thrown at it and shards of glass were found outside, the shards of glass show that the window was broken into. Upon further investigation, the prosecution has discovered small shards of glass in the defendant's hat, evidencing that he could've broken through the window." What!? He just changed his whole story!
"Objection! If the defendant was in the victim's office, why would he go and break in through the window?" I interrupt.
"As the defendant said himself, 'assassins do things in particular manners.'" Edgeworth replies smugly. I growl to myself.
"Did Edgeworth make that up?" Maya asks.
"Yesterday he said that Luiska killed Mr. Godlard when he was in the office. Now he's suggesting Luiska is the assassin and broke through the window." I answer.
"The prosecution has also found a new witness to the murder. I call Ms. Enigma to take the stand." Edgeworth declares before I can object again.
The woman I had spoken to yesterday entered, but something was wrong with her appearance. The former deep blue eyes were now an ice periwinkle and the whitish tops on her hair were more faded. The hair swept over her right eye formerly were now brushed away and only a few strands dropped over her left eye.
"What's wrong Nick?" Maya asks, probably seeing my shocked expression.
"She... she looks like a completely different person!" I exclaim, still baffled.
"What do you mean?"
"Before she had deep blue eyes, not ice blue, and her hair is also different." I explain.
"Huh. It sounds like a spirit channeling." Maya says thoughtfully.
"You think she's channeling a spirit!?"
"She could be."
"Please state your name and occupation for the court." Edgeworth says aloud.
"I am Amela Enigma and my current job is Mr. Wrema's secretary and assistant." The woman states.
"Could you tell the court what you were doing on November 4th, from 4:30 to 6:30?" Edgeworth asks.
"Of course!" Uh-oh, that tone didn't sound good. It's too sugary sweet. "I drove Mr. Wrema to Mr. Godlard's office, we arrived at 4:49. We both entered the building, Mr. Wrema went with Mr. Godlard and I went to explore. At 5:40, I was walking towards the room where my boss and Mr. Godlard were talking when Mr. Wrema stormed out of the room in anger, muttering about how Mr. Godlard disrespected him. The door was locked, so I forced it open and stabbed Mr. Godlard in the chest." She finished with a smile.
"Hold it! That wasn't what you told me!" Edgeworth yelled.
"You didn't say anything about that either to me!" I add.
"I don't remember talking to either of you before." Amela frowned at me slightly.
"You mean to tell this court that you were the one who killed the victim!?" The judge says in shock.
"Yes."
"Objection! I don't believe that at all. Why would you kill the victim? You have no motive and a killer rarely confesses to murder." I exclaim.
"As I've said, Mr. Godlard disrespected Mr. Wrema. That cannot be tolerated." She says, eerily calm.
"It seems we've found the killer meaning that the defendant is innocent." The judge states.
Something tells me that's not right. She can't be the killer...
"I haven't cross examined the witness yet." I say.
"Very well, get on with it then." The judge sighs.
"Nick, she's already confessed to the crime, which means our client is innocent." Maya says.
"That's just the thing, I don't think she did it." I respond. "There's something wrong."
"Alright, what do you think?"
"The letter I got said that Luiska is guilty of a greater crime, but not of murder. Amela is telling a completely different story than one she told me, and Edgeworth apparently, and she looks completely different too. I think she's being forced to agree that she killed someone." I explain, watching Amela closely.
"I think you're right. Luiska's smiling far too smug at this revelation." Maya says and I look up to see that he is smiling smugly.
'When times seem the most desperate is when we laugh.'
"Ms. Enigma, if you forced the door open, why was the window broken?" I ask.
"Simple, after the murder, I walked out and broke the window in then, before calling the police." She answers sweetly.
"When I spoke to you earlier, your eyes were deep blue. Why are they ice blue now?" I decide to ask.
"My... eyes? Well, it's probably just the lighting." She answers.
I... guess that's a plausible excuse.
"Earlier, you said you don't remember talking to me or Mr. Edgeworth. I clearly remember talking to you, so why don't you remember talking to me?"
"I'm the assistant to the CEO of one of the largest companies in France. I'm very busy, so sorry if I don't remember a simple visit from you." She snapped back.
"You don't remember someone talking to you about a murder that your boss was arrested for? I find that hard to believe."
"Well I- that is to say... er..." She fumbled for a response, but came up with nothing.
"Mr. Wright, I don't see how this is important." The judge says.
"Y-Yeah! So what if I don't remember talking to you? It's not important." Amela states.
"On the contrary, if you don't remember talking to Wright even though he has spoken to you, that would suggest you aren't the real Amela Enigma." Edgeworth states.
"What? Of course I'm the real Amela Enigma, I have my passport photo to prove it and everything." Amela states, pulling out a small booklet with her picture in it. "See, exactly the same."
"Then explain the deep blue eyes. A simple change of 'lighting' couldn't have possibly altered their appearance that much." Edgeworth asks. It seems like he's helping like last time too.
"I have no clue what you both are going on about with this pointless questioning. I am guilty of murdering Mr. Godlard, so declare me guilty already!" Amela says in annoyance.
"What about the knife?" I ask in desperation.
"What about it?" She questions.
"The knife had the defendant's fingerprints on it. If you were the one who killed the victim, why doesn't it have your fingerprints?"
"Well- uh..." I saw her glance to the side where Luiska was sitting briefly. He seemed to do some kind of hand signals. "I used gloves of course. I picked up one of the knives from the apartment we're staying at, I didn't know that Mr. Wrema had used it before." Amela said in a monotonous tone, like a robot...
She seems to get her words if what to say from Luiska, but how can I show it?
...
I grit my teeth as I rack my mind for anything to use.
"If the defense has nothing more to ask, I suppose we can say that this is a closed case." The judge says, banging the gavel once. No! I just have to find one more thing, one thing to tie it all together!
I rack my brain for something, anything to ask. No luck. I look up and see that Edgeworth seems to be glaring through Amela, also at a loss.
The judge bangs the gavel. "I declare the defendant not guil-"
"OBJECTION!" A heavily accented voice cries out.
"What? Who said that?" The judge asked, confused.
I looked around to see who spoke, but saw no one.
"Moi." A person dropped from the ceiling, landing with perfect ease in the center of the courtroom and taking a bow. "Bonjour, mesdemoiselles et messieurs!"
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Word Count: 2036