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Phoenix Wright: Adept AttorneyTopic%20Title

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Welcome to Phoenix Wright, Adept Attorney. This multichapter fic retells the first game, swapping roles and plot elements around and leading to a very different story. Can Phoenix Wright and his partner April May solve four challenging cases, and face off against an enemy they never imagined?

A chapter will be posted every few weeks.

Contents
Case 1: The Captured Turnabout { jump to: Trial }

{ more to come! }

Last edited by EuphrosyneUnlimited on Tue Jan 14, 2014 7:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
Case 1: The Captured TurnaboutTopic%20Title

Turnabout Procrastinator

Gender: None specified

Rank: Suspect

Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2014 5:56 am

Posts: 2

Advisory: I highly recommend having played the first game before reading this story.

Phoenix Wright, Adept Attorney
Case 1: The Captured Turnabout


Drops of blood, falling from a dented locket held in a gloved hand.

"...*gasp*...*gasp*..."

A dead man sprawled on the floor, blood seeping from where he was stabbed.

"Dammit! Why me? I can't get caught! Not like this!"

A woman, wearing purple, standing above the dead body.

"I-I've gotta find someone
to pin this on..."

An idea.

"Someone like... her!"

A flash of memory. A woman, leaving an apartment.

"I'll make it look like
SHE did it!"



~ September 2, 9:47 AM ~ District Court ~ Defendant Lobby No. 2 ~


Phoenix Wright, rookie defense attorney, stepped into the defendant lobby. A shiny new attorney's badge gleamed on his lapel, and his blue suit and spiky hair were perfectly in order. His briefcase held the file for the case he would try (and nothing else). Looking around the lobby, he spotted his boss's distinctive pink suit a little ways away.

"Wright!" said Redd White, good-hearted lawyer-in-chief of the Blue and Co. Law Offices. He waved one arm at Phoenix, gesturing for him to come closer."Oh, h-hiya, Chief," Phoenix said, walking over to where White was standing."I'm enthusified we both made it on time," White said. "And I'm inspired by your decisivosity in choosing a client! Few lawyers choose to tackle a murder trial from the beginning."

Phoenix nodded, a bit embarrassed at the high praise. His boss was prone to making up new words relatively often. You got used to it. "Thanks," he said to Redd White. "I kinda chose this client because I owe her a favor."
"A favor?" White asked, confused. "You're familiar with the defendant of this case from elsewhere?"
"Yes, actually," Phoenix said. "I kind of owe my current job to her. She's one of the reasons I became an attorney."
"Ah, I see! I wasn't aware of that," White said, smiling.
"I want to help her out any way I can!" Phoenix said. "I... I owe her a lot."

As White and Wright spoke, a yell at the other end of the lobby sent both looking off in that direction.
"How coulda it've ended like this? I loved my Franky!" screamed the woman, her green jacket and red, bushy hair neatly clashing.
White looked at Phoenix. "By any chance, is that your client causing such a ruckusness over there?" Phoenix made a face. "Yeah... that's her."
"I can't go on without him! Y'all hear me? I wanna..." (sobbing)
"She sounds quite distraught," White observed. Phoenix made the face again. "Yeah."
That was when the woman noticed Phoenix.

"Nick!" she yelled, running over to him.
"Hey," said Phoenix, bracing himself. "Hey, Lotta."
"Things don't make no sense anymore with him gone..." Lotta said. "I swear, maybe I should just end it all here!"
"What?" said Phoenix, moving back a step. "What's the matter, Lotta?"
Lotta sighed. A tear ran down her cheek, leaving its trail among those that had come just a short time ago.
"I... it's just... look at me, Nick," she said. "Ever since Frank died, I've been sadder'n a dog at a funeral." Her voice started to get louder again. "Why'd it have to end so bad? Who took my man away from me, Nick? Tell me who done it and when I find them I'll...!"
Lotta trailed off again, voice lost in further tears.

Phoenix decided not to mention to Lotta that the newspapers were saying that she was responsible for the death of her boyfriend. It wouldn't do to upset Lotta any more―and he needed to read the case notes one last time. The trial would begin soon, whether or not he was ready.

My name is Phoenix Wright. Here's the story: My first case is a fairly simple one. A young man was killed in his apartment. The woman they arrested was the unlucky girl dating him: Lotta Hart... my best friend since grade school. We've always said about her―well, she's got a Lotta heart, but not a Lotta sense. And it's true! Over the 23 years I've known her, she has a knack for getting herself in trouble. That said, it's usually not her fault. She's just always in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I know better than anyone, she's a good person at heart. That, and I owe her one. Which is why I took the case―to clear her name.

And that's just what I'm going to do!



~ September 2, 10:00 AM ~ District Court ~ Courtroom No. 2 ~


The Judge banged his gavel to indicate the beginning of the trial, saying, "The court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Lotta Hart."
The man in the prosecutor's box was short, balding, and wearing a faded gray suit. Phoenix had read in the courtroom notice that his name was Winston Payne. "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," Payne said.

The Judge looked expectantly at Phoenix. There was nothing to do but follow Payne's lead. "The, er, defense is ready, Your Honor."
The expectant look changed to a quizzical one. "Mr. Wright?" the Judge asked. "This is your first trial, is it not?"
Phoenix tried, unsuccessfully, to keep his voice steady. "Y-yes, Your Honor. I'm, um, a little nervous."
The Judge looked sternly at Phoenix. "As a defense attorney, your conduct during this trial will decide the fate of your client. Murder is a serious charge. For your client's sake, I hope you can control your nerves."
Now Phoenix was even more nervous. "Thank… thank you, Your Honor," he finally said.

The Judge hesitated for a moment, thinking things over. Finally, he said, "Mr Wright, given the circumstances and your apparent state, I believe we should have a test to ascertain your readiness."
"Yes, Your Honor," Phoenix said, expending quite a lot of willpower to remain standing straight without his expression crumpling. "What do I need to do?"
"The test," said the Judge, "will consist of a few simple questions. Answer them clearly and concisely." He paused to clear his throat. "First, please state the name of the defendant in this case."

Phoenix fell silent. The defendant… he'd heard that one before, he was sure of it… it had something to do with who the important people of the case were… not the defense attorney, that was Phoenix himself. The one he was defending.
That was it.

"Lotta Hart, Your Honor," Phoenix said.
"Correct," replied the Judge. "Just keep your wits about you and you'll do fine. Now, for the second question. This is a murder trial. What is the name of the victim?"
Phoenix knew this one! He'd read the case report several times, cover to cover. It was… wait… what was it again? He couldn't be drawing a complete blank now! It had been something catchy. He thought it had started with 'Frank'… yeah, that was it. And the last name began with 'St'. Frank… st… Frank… st…

"The victim's name is Frankenstein, your honor."
In the viewing galleries, everyone cracked up. After banging his gavel for order, the Judge shook his head. "The person in question was a victim of murder, not ill-conceived naming, Mr. Wright."
Standing beside him, Redd White nudged Phoenix and whispered in his ear, "Wright, if you find yourself graspening for details, don't forget to check the Court Record. It's just to the left of where you stand. If you make this kind of mistake in the future, I suspect the Judge won't be so leniable."

"Again," said the Judge, watching Phoenix flip quickly through the case file, "what was the victim's name?"
Looking the Judge straight in the eye, Phoenix said, "Frank Stone, Your Honor."
"Correct." The Judge nodded. "Now, tell me. What was the cause of death? He died because he was...?"
Phoenix did know this one, not least because he had just reread the case file a few moments ago. "The victim was stabbed in the back, Your Honor," he said.
The Judge nodded once again, and prepared to bang his gavel to denote Phoenix's success before thinking better of it. "Correct," he said. "You've answered all my questions. I see no reason why we shouldn't proceed." The Judge gave Phoenix a small smile. "You seem much more relaxed, Mr. Wright. Good for you."

Phoenix decided not to mention that he had merely internalized his anxiety. The Judge's gaze turned to the prosecutor. "Now then! First, a question for the prosecution. Mr. Payne?"
"Yes, Your Honor?" Payne replied.
"As Mr. Wright has told us, the victim was stabbed in the back. With what was he stabbed?"
"The murder weapon was this locket." Payne held up a large, dented heart-shaped locket, now safely ensconced within a plastic EVIDENCE bag. "It was found lying on the floor, next to the victim."
"I see," said the Judge, motioning for Payne to put it on a small table halfway between the defense and prosecution benches. Either lawyer could walk to the table to look at the available evidence. "The court accepts it into evidence."

Redd White nudged Phoenix again. "It's never a terrible idea to examinate new evidence added during the trial. You'll almost certainly require it later."
The Judge, satisfied with the evidence, banged his gavel and looked at Winston Payne again. "Mr. Payne, the prosecution may call its first witness."
Payne nodded. "The prosecution calls the defendant, Ms. Hart, to the stand."
Phoenix whispered to White, "OK, what do I do now?"
"Listen to your client," White answered. "There could be some useful information in her verbiloquy. You'll gain a chance to respond to the prosecution later, so make sure you're ready. Oh... and hope your client doesn't say anything too damaging."
Phoenix mentally groaned. Lotta had a tendency to say all sorts of things when she was worked up, and she was worked up now. He'd just have to see what would happen.



As Lotta took the stand, Mr. Payne stood a bit straighter. He cleared his throat. "Ms. Hart. Is it not true that the victim had recently dumped you?"
"Hey, watch who yer insultin'!" Lotta replied, face matching her irate tone. "We were great together! Just like those two in the movie, ya know! Romeo and Juliet!"
Phoenix decided not to mention what had happened to Romeo and Juliet at the end of the play. It wouldn't help any.
"And listen up: I wasn't dumped!" Lotta said. "Frank was just really busy, is all. Too busy to see me. Or even grab the phone when I tried ta call him."

Payne smirked a bit. It wasn't pretty. "Ms. Hart, what you describe is generally what we mean by 'dumped.' In fact, he had completely abandoned you… and was seeing other women!"
A shocked buzz in the courtroom! It died down before the Judge had to bang his gavel.
"The victim, Frank Stone, had just returned from overseas– where he had seen one of his other girlfriends– the day before the murder!"

Lotta's reaction didn't help her case any.
"Now hang on just a minute. Whadda y'all mean, 'one of his other girlfriends'? Yer making things up faster than a politician on campaign!"
Payne smirked again. Phoenix shifted his gaze so he was looking at the evidence table. "Your Honor," Payne said, "the victim's passport." He held up an ordinary-looking passport tagged with an EVIDENCE label. "According to it, he was in Rome until the day before he died."
The Judge accepted the passport from Payne, looked it over, and nodded. "Hmm..." he said. "Indeed, he appears to have returned the day before the murder."
"But... but..." Lotta spluttered.

"The victim was a male model, and was apparently quite popular with members of the opposite sex," Payne explained. "It appears he had several mistresses in different cities around the world."
"Now you wait just a―" Lotta said. Smiling, Winston Payne cut her off.
"We can clearly see what type of man this Mr. Stone was. Tell me, Ms. Hart. What do you think of him now?"
At this point, White nudged Phoenix again. "Wright," he said. "Are you sure want her to answer that one?"
Phoenix was sure that he didn't. Lotta was 'fired up', to use her own phrase, and it wouldn't look good if she shot her mouth off against the murder victim.
"My client had no idea the victim was seeing other women!" Phoenix yelled, banging the table. "That question is irrelevant to this case!"
Payne grunted, looking almost like he had just taken a punch. Lotta wasn't pleased.
"Nick! Whadda ya mean, 'irrelevant'? That cheatin' slimeball... if I do get a guilty verdict, and if I die... I'm gonna find my Franky in the afterlife and he is not going to like it!"

sWatching from his bench, the Judge banged his gavel for silence. "Let's continue with the trial, shall we?"
Payne nodded, explaining to the Judge, "I believe the accused's motive is clear to everyone."
The Judge nodded in reply. "Yes, quite so."
Phoenix looked at White, mildly crestfallen. Hopefully, things wouldn't keep going the way they were going.
"Next question!" Payne said. "You want to the victim's apartment on the day of the murder, did you not?"
Suddenly, Lotta looked like she had swallowed something bitter.
"Well, did you, or did you not?" Payne pressed.
"Not tellin'," Lotta said, looking irate. Phoenix groaned. She'd gone there. If she hadn't, she wouldn't be beating around the bush like this. For a second, the thought of letting Lotta clam up about it entered his head, but if she did, it'd probably be even more damaging later. Through glaring and what body language he could muster, Phoenix tried to communicate the following:
TELL THE TRUTH


"Ms. Hart―" Winston Payne began, but Lotta cut him off.
"Oh… all right. I went there."
Sensation in the courtroom! The Judge banged his gavel and called for order.

Looking at Lotta, he asked, "You went there, and…"
Lotta's irate streak resurfaced. "Why are y'all looking at me like that! When I went there, he wasn't home."
:objection:
It was Winston Payne. He was smirking again. "Your Honor," he said, grinning broadly, "the defendant is lying."
"Lying?" asked the Judge.
"The prosecution would like to call a witness who can prove Ms. Hart is lying!"
"Well, that simplifies matters," the Judge said. "Who is your witness?"
"The woman who found the victim's body, Your Honor. And just before making this gruesome discovery… she saw the defendant fleeing the scene of the crime!"

There was a small uproar. It only died after the Judge banged his gavel."Order! Order in the court!" the Judge repeated. "Mr. Payne, the prosecution may call its witness."Payne nodded. "Bring Ms. Cindy Sahwit to the stand!"



Payne's witness proved to be a brown-haired woman wearing a cheap purple business suit. As she took the stand, Payne explained, "On the day of the murder, my witness was selling magazine subscriptions at the victim's building."

"Magazines, yes," the woman said, smiling an ingratiating smile.
After looking at the new witness, the Judge nodded, saying "Ms. Sahwit, you may proceed with your testimony. Please tell the court what you saw on the day of the murder."
Cindy Sahwit stood up a bit straighter, then testified.

:testimony:

"I was going door-to-door, selling magazine subscriptions. Suddenly, I saw a woman fleeing an apartment.
I thought she must have been in a hurry, because she left the door half-open behind her. Thinking it strange, I looked inside the apartment.
When I looked inside, I saw a man, with a bloody wound... not moving... dead! I quailed in fright!
With the body there, I found myself unable to go inside. I thought to call the police immediately! However, the phone in his apartment wasn't working. I went to a nearby park, and used a public phone instead. It was 4:00 when I called.
The woman who ran was, without a doubt, the defendant sitting right over there."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a pause as Sahwit finished her testimony. The Judge chose this moment to ask a question.
"Incidentally, why wasn't the phone in the victim's apartment working?" he asked.
"Your Honor, at the time of the murder, the building had experienced a power outage," Winston Payne said, placing a memo from the electrical company on the evidence table.
"I thought phones continued to work during power outages," the Judge mused.
Payne nodded. "Yes, Your Honor," he said. "However, some cordless phones will not function normally. The phone Ms. Sahwit used was one of these."
The Judge nodded in understanding. "Now, Mr. Wright," he said, "you may begin your cross-examination."
Phoenix had no idea what to do. "Er... y-yes, Your Honor." He turned to Redd White and whispered, "What do I do now?"
Redd White whispered back, "Why, expose the falsities in the witness's testimony, of course!"
"Wait, you mean she lied?" Phoenix whispered back.
White sighed. "Phoenix. Your client is innocent, correct? Then, the witness must have made things up. Now, it's your turn. You can request the witness to repeat her testimony. Then, if you come to a part that seems fishy, ask about it."
"And that's it?" Phoenix said.
"No. For most things, a witness will most likely have a justificable answer. But, if something a witness says contradicts with a morsel of evidence—" he waved one hand at the Evidence table— "present it to them, and let them explain that!"
"Mr. Wright?" the Judge said. "Whenever you're ready."

Feeling like he had no idea what he was doing, Phoenix asked Cindy Sahwit, "All right, could you please repeat your testimony?"
Cindy complied. When she got to "…However, the phone in his apartment wasn't working," Phoenix held up a hand to stop her, saying, "Hold it." He had spotted his first contradiction.
"Ms. Sahwit, you said you couldn't go inside the apartment, but now you just said you tried to use the apartment's phone. How is that possible?"
Sahwit looked flustered. "Oh… oh, that? I can explain that. There was a cordless phone on a shelf inside the door! I reached inside and tried using that to call, but…"
"…the phone wasn't working," finished Winston Payne. "What happened after that?"
At this point, Redd White nudged Phoenix again. "You're doing great!" he said. "If you see anything that piques your curiosity in a testimony, don't be hesitive to ask."

Phoenix felt a bit more confident now, and some new questions came to mind. After making Sahwit repeat herself again, he said, "Could you be sure the man was dead?"
Sahwit paused for a second, then answered, "W-Well, no, I guess I wasn't. But, he wasn't moving and there was blood all over."
Unproductive, but worth a shot. Next, he tried, "Ms. Sahwit, you say it was 4:00 PM when you called the police. How did you know the time?"
Sahwit replied, "There was a clock near the public phone I used. I remembered the time exactly."
Phoenix checked the police report. Sure enough, the time of death was listed as close to 4:00 PM. For a few seconds, he racked his brain for a new question. Finally, he remembered something Sahwit had said towards the beginning.
"Ms. Sahwit. Could you repeat the part of your testimony up until you discovered the body?"
Sahwit complied.
"I was going door-to-door, selling magazine subscriptions. Suddenly, I saw a woman fleeing an apartment.
I thought she must have been in a hurry, because she left the door half-open behind her. Thinking it strange, I looked inside the apartment."
Phoenix held up his hand. "Hold it," he said. "What gave you the idea to do that?"
"Well, the door was half-open, you see," Sahwit said. "And with the terrible yell I'd heard from behind it, anyone would come running!"

Phoenix blinked. A yell? Sahwit hadn't mentioned a yell in her earlier testimony. "Ms. Sahwit, explain the circumstances surrounding this yell."
"Well," Sahwit said, "When I saw the woman fleeing the apartment, the thing that drew my gaze there was a loud yell from inside. Afterwards, this woman came out."
"Go on," Phoenix said.
Sahwit continued. "She seemed suspicious to me. Like she was mad, and yet frightened at the same time. Just like... a criminal fleeing the scene of the crime!"
A buzz of talk slid through the courtroom. Resisting the urge to place his face in his hands, Phoenix said, "The defense requests that the witness refrain from conjecture."
Payne shrugged. "Of course," he said. "All she means is that the woman she saw looked suspicious."

"Ms. Sahwit," Phoenix said, "please ignore the woman for the time being and concentrate on the loud noise. Describe what you heard."
"It was a noise like a whoop, or a screech, or a yell," Sahwit explained. "I'm certain it came from the man as he was murdered!"
Redd White, who had been reading through the case file, nudged Phoenix again. "Wright. I think our witness has made a slip." He handed the file over to Phoenix. "You should be able to present proof that her veracitation is doubtful."
Wright flipped through the file. Found dead, sharp object, likely died instantly, time of death 4:00 PM, murder weapon locket...
Ah.

:objection: Phoenix yelled, startling Payne and Sahwit. Sahwit jumped, slightly.
"You heard a yell from the victim as he died. You're sure of that?"
"Yes," Cindy Sahwit replied. "I heard a scream, for certain."
Phoenix smiled. "Frankly, I find that hard to believe! Your statement directly contradicts the autopsy report. The report notes the victim died instantly." He looked at Ms. Sahwit. "There was no way you could have heard a yell, or anything else, from the victim as he died! How do you explain that?"
Sahwit stood straighter in shock, tugged a bit at the collar of her business suit, and stammered, "Oh, I see. Oh, er..."

:objection: Payne shouted, jumping into the discussion. "This is trivial! Who knows what the witness heard!"
The Judge looked at Payne and shook his head. "Considering that the noise was what brought her to the scene in the first place, we should pay attention to this information." He shifted his gaze to Cindy Sahwit. "Ms. Sahwit, why were you so certain that the noise was made by the victim?"
Sahwit was playing with her suit collar again. "I... er... well, I... say, that's a really good question!" she said.
In the defense's box, White turned to Phoenix, smiling. "Good job, Phoenix. If something is contradictive, all you have to do is point it out. Where there's one lie, there are bound to be more, so keep at it!"
On the stand, Sahwit said, "Wait! I remember now!"
The Judge nodded. "Would you care to give your testimony again?" he asked.
Cindy Sahwit, now smiling once more, did so.

:testimony:

"You see, before I found the body, I heard the yell, but I heard more when I found it.
The yell was part of a program on the television! I had mistaken the television for the sound of the murder... but it brought me to the door, to see the real thing. That's why I thought the victim had yelled.
Terribly sorry about the misunderstanding..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Judge listened politely, then said, "Hmm... I see. You heard a yell on television, which attracted your interest. Mr. Wright, you may cross-examine the witness."
And this time, Phoenix knew what to do.
"Ms. Sahwit, how did you know the television made the yell?"
"I heard the yell, came to the door, and looked in. I saw the body immediately! Then, in shock, I looked up, and saw the television, which was on."
"And that's why you thought the victim had yelled."
"Yes, that would explain why I thought it!" Sahwit confirmed.
Phoenix paused, to think. There had to be a contradiction here somewhere. And then he realized... the answer was right in front of him.

:objection: he yelled, pointing at Sahwit. "Hold it right there. The prosecution has said there was a power outage at the time of the discovery—" he grabbed the memo from the electric company from the evidence table— "and this record proves it!"
"Gah!" Sahwit said, to herself.
Phoenix said, "You couldn't have heard a television at all!"
Sahwit started fidgeting. "I... well... urk!"
The Judge nodded. "The defense has a point," he said, looking at the witness stand. "Do you have an explanation for this, Ms. Sahwit?"
"No, I... I find it quite puzzling myself! Quite!"
Dead silence. For a second Cindy Sahwit's face flashed a grimace. Then,
"Ah!" she said. "W-wait! I remember now!"
"Ms. Sahwit?" the Judge said. "The court would prefer to hear an accurate testimony from the very beginning. These constant corrections are harming your credibility." He paused to glance at Cindy, whose nervousness was now obvious to all. "That, and you seem rather... distraught."
"M-my apologies, Your Honor!" Sahwit stammered out. "It... er, it must have been the shock of finding the body!"
"Very well, Ms. Sahwit," the Judge said. "Let's hear your testimony once more, please."

:testimony:

"I did hear the time, I swear… but it wasn't from the TV! There was a tape recorder or something in the apartment, wasn't there?
Yeah, the murder weapon! The killer used it to stab the victim! That must have been what I heard."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You heard a recorded voice? I suppose a small recorder could run on batteries…" the Judge said. "The defense may cross-examine the witness."
Phoenix didn't need an invitation this time. The contradiction was large and glaring.
:objection: "Wait just a moment! The murder weapon wasn't a tape recorder! It was this locket!" He held up the bagged locket for Sahwit to see. "Now how is this supposed to make noise?"
"Wha—?" Sahwit said. She was starting to glare at Phoenix. "Y-you with your 'objections,' and your 'evidence'… Just who do you think you are?"
"Please answer the question, Ms. Sahwit," Phoenix said.
Sahwit gulped and pointed at the locket. "Hey, I… I saw it there! That's a recorder!"
At this point, Winston Payne spoke. "Your Honor! If I may…"
"Yes, Mr. Payne?" the Judge said.
"As the witness stated, this locket does contain a small digital recorder. It can be used to send an auditory message to someone, as a present. As it doesn't look like a recorder, I submitted it as a locket. My apologies."
"I see," said the Judge. "So the murder weapon was a recorder after all." He looked at the defense's bench. "Well, Mr. Wright? It appears that the witness's testimony was correct. This is indeed a recorder. Do you have any problems with her testimony now?"

Wright thought things over. If the murder weapon was capable of recording, then that made sense... unfortunately, it wouldn't help his case. "I guess not," Phoenix said. "There was a recording device on the scene, so, no problem..."
Beside Phoenix, Redd White groaned. "Wright," he whispered to Phoenix, "you've overlooked something."
"Really?" Wright whispered back. "What?"
"Does that locket look like a recorder to you?"
"Well, no..." Phoenix said.
"Then why has the witness statified that she knew it was? I thought she never entered the apartment! She said so in her testimony!"
At that point, Phoenix saw what had just happened. He waved frantically at the Judge.
"Is something the matter? Does the defense have anything to add?" the Judge asked.

"Yes... yes I do!" Phoenix said. "The only way Ms. Sahwit could have known the locket made the noise is if she was at the scene of the crime when it did so. But the witness has testified she never entered the apartment! Clearly, a contradiction!"
"Hmm... indeed!" the Judge said, eyes closed in thought.
Phoenix continued. "The witness knew it was a recorder, because she's lying!" He pointed at Sahwit. "You were inside the apartment on the day of the murder!"
Sahwit looked taken aback. "Really? Prove it! You can't, because I never went in there."
Phoenix gathered his breath for a dramatic conclusion. "I'll do better that that!" he bellowed, pounding the table for emphasis. "I'll prove you were the one who killed him!"
Phoenix pointed directly at Sahwit. "You stabbed him with the locket, and the shock of the blow triggered it to play! That was the yell you heard!"

The courtroom spiraled into an uproar, and the Judge had to pound his gavel several times. "Order in the court!" he said. Once there was quiet, he said, "Intriguing. Please continue, Mr. Wright."
"Yes, Your Honor," Phoenix said, turning his attention back to Cindy Sahwit. "Ms. Sahwit. The sound must have left quite an impression on you. Understandable, since the murder weapon spoke just as you stabbed the victim! No wonder you were so certain about the yell!"
:objection: Winston Payne yelled, wincing painfully. "W-w-what's the meaning of all this? This is all baseless conjecture!"
"Baseless?" asked Phoenix, staring determinedly at the prosecutor's table. "Just look at the witness's face!"
Cindy Sahwit's face, normally quite ordinary-looking, had twisted into a snarl. "Nngh... grrr…" she said.
"Would the witness care to elaborate?" asked the Judge. "Did you stab the victim with the locket?"
Sahwit mumbled incoherently, then finally spoke. "I…. I…!" she said. "That… that day… I… I never! Look, I… the locket… I saw, no! I mean, I heard… heard… nggggg!"
And then Cindy Sahwit exploded, reflexively grabbing at her head and ripping off— a wig?— revealing close-cropped blond hair. "GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she yelled, flinging the hairpiece at Phoenix. "Shutupshutupshutup! I hate you!" she shouted, mouth fixed in a snarl, suit in disarray. "I-it was her, I tell you! I saw her! S-she killed him and she should burn! Burn! Give her death!"

Whatever else you could say about Cindy Sahwit, she was a good shot. As the Judge banged his gavel for order through the courtroom clamor, Phoenix carefully detached Cindy's wig from his face.
Meanwhile, Payne was speaking frantically to the Judge. "Your Honor, a-a moment please!" he said. "There isn't a shred of evidence supporting the defense's claims!"
The Judge thought for a moment, then looked at Phoenix, saying, "Mr. Wright!"
"Your Honor?"
"You claim the sound the witness heard came from the locket," the Judge said. "Do you have any evidence?"
Evidence. The fundamental pillar supporting the way to the truth— at least, in a court of law. Sooner or later, most court cases came down to a question of evidence. The time was now.
Taking a deep breath, Phoenix said, "Yes, Your Honor." From across the aisle, Winston Payne shot him a funny look.
"The sound Ms. Sahwit heard was definitely this locket," Phoenix said. "All we need to do to prove it is play the message in the locket now, here in this court. Your Honor, may I have the locket?" After the Judge nodded, Phoenix picked up the locket, removing it from its bag. Opening it, he located a 'play' button inside it. "I ask the court to listen very carefully," he said.
Phoenix pressed the button.

Absolutely nothing happened.

On the witness stand, Cindy Sahwit began to laugh. "Ha! Hah hah!" she said. "You forgot one thing! How do you know the locket was working on the day of the murder? If you can't prove that, you don't have a case!"
Phoenix's feelings of elation fell short and faded away. He was sure the locket was working on the day of the murder... but how could he prove it?
Upon the bench, the Judge read Phoenix's grimace. "Mr. Wright?" he said. "It seems you lack the critical evidence to support your claim. This means I cannot let you indict the witness."
Taken aback, Phoenix said, "Yes, Your Honor," without thinking.
"This ends the cross-examination of Cindy Sahwit," the Judge continued.
"I come all the way down here to testify, and look what happens!" Ms. Sahwit ranted. "They treat me like a criminal! A criminal! You lawyers are all slime!"
Phoenix slumped in his seat. I'm sorry, Lotta... he thought. I failed you. And there's nothing I can do about it now...

Suddenly, from beside Phoenix came the deep voice of Redd White. "Not so fast, Ms. Sahwit!" White said, gesturing for Cindy to remain where she was. He turned to Phoenix. "It's not time to give up yet. You can still be successful!"
"But, Chief, it's over," Phoenix said. "I can't prove the locket was working the day of the murder. No one can!"
"Well, yes," Redd White said. "But that's only a setback. Think outside the box!" He paused for breath. "The question to ask is not, was the locket activable at the time. Nor is it, how can I present a proof that it worked. The question to ask is, why is it not working now?"
Phoenix looked at the locket in his hand, slightly crumpled from when it had been used as a weapon. It looked normal— a picture of Lotta Hart inside— except for two small buttons, play and record, and a tiny green light. Phoenix tried pressing 'play' again. He thought he saw the green light flicker, just a hair. Now why...

And then what had happened came to Phoenix in a brilliant fiery flash. He knew why the locket wasn't working now. And it could turn the case around, if he was lucky. He just had to hope he had guessed right, and the thing wasn't damaged beyond repair.
"Your Honor!" Phoenix called. "Wait! I think I can prove it!"
"Well, Mr. Wright?" the Judge asked. "You say the locket was working on the day of the murder... have you found evidence to support this claim?"
"Of course," Phoenix said, holding up the locket. "It is this locket, in and of itself!"
"Mr. Wright—" the Judge began, but Phoenix pressed ahead.
"Your Honor," he said. "This locket has lost power. All it needs now is a new battery. I request that the court provide a battery for this locket, for only then will the truth be revealed!"
The Judge waffled between nodding and shaking his head for a few moments, then gave his assent. "Very well. The bailiff will obtain a new battery for the locket."

After a few minutes, a battery of the appropriate size was found, and inserted into the heart-shaped device. Phoenix pressed play and the locket responded, Lotta Hart's voice filling the courtroom loud and clear.

"WHOOOOOOOP! I love you, Franky!"

"You see?" said Phoenix. "That was the yell Ms. Sahwit heard. When she stabbed the victim with the locket, she caused it to—"
Suddenly, the heart-shaped recorder started to make noise again. But it wasn't Lotta Hart's voice this time. This time, it was the unmistakable midtones of the witness... Cindy Sahwit.

"...*gasp*...*gasp*..."
"Dammit! Why me? I can't get caught! Not like this!"
"I-I've gotta find someone to pin this on..."
"Someone like... her! I'll make it look like SHE did it!"

Sheer pandemonium.

The courtroom was in tumult, with loud yelling from the viewing gallery, Winston Payne trying to talk his way out of the situation, Sahwit insisting she was innocent, the Judge banging his gavel fruitlessly for order.. and above it all, Phoenix Wright at his loudest, telling Cindy Sahwit his version of events:
"When you stabbed Frank Stone, the impact caused the locket to play, causing the yell you heard! However, it also started it recording! When you spoke to yourself, your comments were caught on tape! You were captured in the act, before you ever realized it! Is that proof enough for you, Ms. Sahwit— or should I say... Ms. Did It?"
Beyond that, there was only the noise of the crowd, the banging of the Judge's gavel, and the bailiff fulfilling his duty to take the true killer away.



Once order had been restored, the Judge spoke to all. "Well..." he said, "this case has certainly turned out differently than we all expected." He looked at Phoenix. "Mr. Wright?"
"Yes, Your Honor."
"I have to say, I'm impressed," the Judge said. "I don't think I've ever seen someone complete a defense so quickly... and find the true culprit at the same time!"
"Thank you, Your Honor," Phoenix said.
The Judge placed one hand on his gavel. "At this point, this is only a formality, but: This court finds the defendant, Ms. Lotta Hart..."

:not-guilty:


A small cheer came from the viewing gallery, along with a shower of confetti around Lotta (thrown by some big police detective in the stands). The Judge raised his gavel.
"And with that... the court is adjourned!" he said, bringing it down with a bang.
The trial was over.

As it turned out, Cindy Sahwit was a common burglar, and the wig was a disguise. She posed as a magazine saleswoman to check and see when people were out of the house. That day, when Lotta went to Frank's apartment, he wasn't home. After she left, Ms. Sahwit let herself in to rob the place!
Unfortunately, as she was searching for valuables, Frank Stone, the victim, returned. With no time to think, Ms. Sahwit grabbed the nearest sharp object she could find...

(Cindy Sahwit was sentenced to life in prison for the crime of 1st-degree murder.)

~ September 2, 1:32 PM ~ District Court ~ Defendant Lobby No. 2 ~


"Whew... I still can't believe we won," Phoenix said to himself as he stood in the lobby. His boss spread his arms wide, hailing him.
"Wright!" Redd White said. "Decisuous job in there! Congratulations!"
"Th-thanks, Chief," Phoenix said. "I owe it to you. You saved me."
"Not at all, not at all!" White said. "You did the meat of the work in there. It's been a while since I've seen a trial end so gloriably!"
Phoenix had seen Redd White happy before, but now, he looked positively elated. Hopefully, Lotta would be in a similar mood.

"How coulda it've ended like this..." said Lotta from off to the side. She wasn't yelling anymore, but she still looked pretty bummed out.
"Lotta?" Phoenix said. "You're... supposed to be happy! What's wrong now?"
"Well," Lotta said, "I know I got off and all, but... it won't change things. My Franky's dead and gone, and... things still don't make no sense without him..."
At this point, Redd White stepped into the conversation, clapping Lotta companionably on the shoulder. "Congratulations, Ms. Hair!" he said.
"Hair?" Lotta said, confused.
"Of course!" White said. "I can practically see the headlines now: Lotta Hair, Innocent!"
Lotta had cheered up just by being around Redd White. White was like that. "Why, thank you!" she said. "I guess I owe ya one. I won't forget this... ever!" She looked over at Phoenix, then back at Redd. "I know— let's celebrate! We could go to a fancy restaurant... my treat!"
"Alas, no, but thank you." White said, smiling. Phoenix courteously refrained from reminding Lotta who had done 'the meat of the work'.
After a second, Lotta fished around in her pockets, pulling out a very familiar-looking locket. "Okay, then take this! It's a thank-ya gift!" she said, handing it to Redd White. White looked at it, curiously.
"Is this not the evidence that..."
"I put the locket together for him!" Lotta said. "I made one for him, and one for me, and we each put in a message."
"Truly? You made this?" said Redd White. "Thank you. I'll keep it, as a remindance of the case."
Lotta, who had been bright and cheery around Redd White, now appeared to be sliding back into the dumps again. "Nick..." she said, "I still can't believe it, though... I loved Franky, and... I dunno... was he just playin' me? Or did I actually mean somethin' to him?"
Phoenix didn't know what to say... and he knew, somehow, he wouldn't be able to provide Lotta with an answer.

After a few seconds, Lotta straightened up. She smiled again, though it was a sad smile. "Don't y'all worry about me, Nick," she said. "I'll just... forget about my Franky soon enough. See ya later."
Lotta walked out of the courtroom, slowly. Redd White sighed a little, saying, "Another case resolved." He turned to glance at Phoenix. "There is a lesson to be found in her story," he said. "We... never truly know if our clients are guilty or innocent, just as your friend couldn't be sure if the victim was devotious to her. All we can do... is to believe in them." Phoenix watched, as Redd White said, musing, "And, if you must believe in them, you'll need to believe in yourself."

Redd White looked Phoenix straight in the eye, his incisive stare locking Wright in place. "Wright," he said. "Never forget what you believe in. That is the greatest advice I can offer you."
With his moral imparted, Redd White returned to his usual cheerful self. He clapped his hands, saying, "Now then! Our endeavorhood is fulfilled! Let us be off. Perhaps we should have lunch before we return to the office?"
"Yeah!" Phoenix said.
"Oh, and speaking of Ms. Hair..." Redd continued, "You were saying part of why you chose to become a lawyer was because of her."
"Er, yeah," Phoenix said. "Part, at least."
"I see..." Redd White said. "You'll have to describate what happened some time..."

And so, my first trial came to a close. When Lotta had cheered up, she gave me a hug and said, "Thanks, Nick... it's great bein' friends with ya!" That said, I get the feeling she's not going to pay me, unless you count the locket she gave Redd White.
And, I didn't know it then, but that locket was soon going to be right in the middle of another incident— and my promise to tell the chief about me and Lotta...

would be one promise I wouldn't be able to keep.



End Case 1: The Captured Turnabout
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