A/N: I don't ownzors squat.

Booyah! Sorry for the wait!

This chapter's been extremely awkward for me to write! Afterall, it's novelized. Not visually too. Any flaws to the trial sequence I write, please just tell me so I can fix it.

And remember! If you've caught onto something in my story, I strictly advise you to keep your hunches to yourselves. I won't be responsible for accidentally mangling one of you readers to death. :)

Otherwise, please have some respect for people who just want to make up a good story in order to thrill the good readers. Thank you!

-x-s-x-

Chapter 2

Court Record

Evidence:

Attorney's badge

My attorney's badge. Important to my line of work.

Magatama

Imbued with spiritual power. It pulses with a soft light.

Autopsy report

Date of death: 7/24. Traces of coal found in the victim's mouth, died between 2 - 3 AM.

Coal

Leftover charcoal from the fireplace of Jeremy Barbers' study.

Crime Photo

Photo of the crime scene. Shows the victim.

Button

Found in the victim's study. Appears to be belonging to the defendant.

Cuckoo Clock

A clock in the study. Runs on a one-day movement. Plays for at least one minute during full hours and half-hours.

Profiles:

Jeremy Barbers

Age: 35

Gender: Male

The victim. A politician and a landowner who recently acquired a great amount of wealth.

Remi Barbers

Age: 8

Gender: Male

Son of Jeremy Barbers. A witness to the alleged murder of his father. Is highly allergic to sunlight. Diagnosed with photodermatitis.

Matilda Barbers

Age: 31

Gender: Female

Wife of the victim. A kind and reserved woman of reticent sincerity.

Detective Gumshoe

Age: 33

Gender: Male

Homicide detective at the local precinct. In charge of the initial investigation.

Gimlet Limegarn

Age: 19

Gender: Female

A maid to the Barbers. A suspect to the murder.

Iris

Age: 26

Gender: Female

An elementary school teacher at Ford Elementary and is a tutor to the witness. We have a history together...

July 25, 9:42 AM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 6

(When the worst part's over…whenever that may be…I gotta go into the attack without mercy.)

(Just charge the prosecution head-on without blinking.)

(…Yup. I'm totally ready to do this.)

"Mr. Wright."

"GCK!" Phoenix flinched at being addressed so suddenly by his client, obviously ruining his deep concentration on the pep talk he had going in his head for a while now. "Y-yes?"

Gimlet paused to roll her eyes to the side out of anxiety before asking, "Who's um, the prosecutor?"

"Huh?"

(…Actually, I really don't know.)

He'd never know what crazy meat the prosecutors' office brought up, though. May it be greenhorn, resident lawyer or an outspoken megalomaniac out to get the world, Phoenix didn't care.

"I just know…I'll be surprised in the courtroom later." he decided to answer.

It was the maid's turn to flinch. "What? But you can't be serious! How about the importance of preparation? I mean, what if the prosecutor for my case is so…so…" she fought for the words and eventually came up with, "…………mean…?"

(Scary, inhibited, asinine, egocentric, or all of the above. Please choose one.)

"Don't get so antsy!" Phoenix chided her. "It doesn't matter what type of prosecutor shows up once the trial starts. They all share one common trait: to be ruthless."

Gimlet sighed in surrender. "…I'm sorry. I'm just nervous, that's all."

He shook his head at her. "Don't be. I'm taking this trial on to set you free, after all."

"I know…!" she nodded, looking a little surer of herself. "I'm counting on you to help me, Mr. Wright."

"Thanks!"

One of the double doors opened just then, and in walked a certain school teacher, apprehension plainly on her face. "Feenie?"

He gave a start at her. "Iris! What are you doing here?"

She ambled on over to the pair. "Why that's…I wanted to stand with you at the defendant's bench, like I told you yesterday."

"Ohh…that…" Phoenix suddenly remembered. "Well…if you really want to. It's okay, Iris. I really could use the moral support."

"Thank you, Feenie." Iris smiled gratefully. "I'll be sure to do my best for the both of you."

Gimlet blinked. "Feenie? Ms. Iris…do you know Mr. Wright?"

"Why, yes. I do." she answered, quite fondly. "I've known him for quite some time now."

The younger woman stared long and hard, before cracking a small, slightly suggestive smile. "…………Heh."

Phoenix didn't like how she was eyeballing the two of them. "………Er………we did date, FYI. But that was a long time ago."

Gimlet made a sound halfway between shock and suppressed laughter. "Oh! Ahaha…sorry. I just thought you two did look kind of………………"

The attorney waited. "…?"

The teacher waited. "…?"

"…Nah, nevermind." she excused herself and turned the other way to avoid their gazes. "So! Um…it's almost time to head in, huh? Mr. Wright? Do we have this case in the bag?"

Phoenix gave the wall clock a glance before replying, "Truthfully, I think there's something missing during our investigation yesterday."

"Which is?" Iris looked questioning.

"Motive. For the real killer." he answered. "But it's not all. It'll have to be brought up eventually during the trial. I just think there's something else about this whole thing that…"

"That what, Feenie?"

(…That makes me think how "exciting" my ride from the starting point of this case is going to be… -gulp-)

(I've developed a sixth sense for looming disasters. How's that for productivity…?)

"Er, in any case!" Gimlet spoke up. "I bet there are hundreds of contradictions in Remi's testimony today!"

"What makes you think that, Gimlet?"

She paused. "…"

(Was I so obviously jittery that she just had to say that to ease me up…?)

(Well, it's now or never. Watch out. Here comes Wright!)

And somehow, self-portrayal of himself as Superman rushing in to save the day actually helped Phoenix's concerns.

-x-s-x-

July 25, 10:00 AM

District Court

Courtroom No. 4

On that warm summer day, the room packed full of people on the side benches buzzed about today's trial. It seemed louder than usual, too. Could it be centered on the politician Jeremy Barbers' death?

Like a referee presiding over the players, the Judge sat at his chair, wood gavel in his hand. On his left, the defense. On his right, the prosecution. And opposite the Judge's seat, taking up the center stage, would be the stand upon which the accused and the witnesses would, stand. But no one, at that moment, stood there.

The gavel came down upon its small podium, and the courtroom was immediately silenced.

"Court is now in session for the trial of the defendant, Gimlet Limegarn." the Judge declared.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor." Phoenix followed.

"The prosecution is ready, Herr Judge."

This was the first time the young attorney got a look at the prosecutor for the case, and…

(…Is this guy dressed for a trial or a concert at the Garden…?)

Hair bleached and clothed as ostentatiously as a rock star could, the prosecutor pushed up his shades and calmly eyed the defense's side. The Judge had to speak on behalf of those wondering…what the eff was this guy's glitch.

"Um…Mr. Gavin, was it?"

The addressee smiled, pearly whites and all. "Klavier Gavin. Born and raised in Germany. I believe you know my brother to be Kristoph Gavin, Herr Judge."

He even sounded like he was singing the words. No doubt about it, he was a rocker. Phoenix's eye twitched.

(Tell Bill Haley & his Comets I said hi…)

"Ah, yes! I do know Mr. Gavin…er…Mr. Gavin." The Judge faltered.

A snap of the fingers. "I also run a band back home. The Gavinners, have you heard of us? We've raised quite a reputation. Worldwide."

"Eh? Ah, no. I don't believe I have, I'm afraid."

Gavin just smiled placidly. "That's alright. And you, Herr Attorney, are…"

It took three seconds for Phoenix to realize to whom he was talking. "Oh! Um…Phoenix Wright."

"Ah, yes. The famous Turnabout Attorney."

He gave a start. "…! What? I didn't know I had a title now."

(And please don't tell me it was Count Dracula who spread it.)

"Well, I do prefer to just call you Herr Wright. Shall we proceed with the trial, now?"

The Judge agreed with a nod. "Very well. Mr. Gavin, would you care to give us the outline of the case?"

He nodded, chin-length hair following the movement. "Certainly, Herr Judge. On the night of July 24th, victim Jeremy Barbers was murdered in his own study between 2 to 3 a.m.. The witness was the first to stumble upon the body that morning. His own son, Remi Barbers. The murder weapon happened to be the coal from the victim's fireplace. He was forced to swallow it and choked, resulting in his own death. According to the investigation, there were no other fingerprints on the scene apart from the victim's and the defendant's. This gives us clear reason to suspect the defendant of being responsible for the murder. That is all."

The Judge, having listened as intently as he could, contemplated. "Hmm…I see. Very well. You may call your first witness, Mr. Gavin."

"First, I would like to call Herr Detective to the stand."

A moment later, the shabby detective stood at the witness stand.

"Please give us your name and occupation." said Klavier.

"Um, my name's Dick Gumshoe. And I'm the detective in charge of the investigation, sir." he answered.

"I'd like you to give the state of the murder scene in further detail, before we proceed to the witness' testimony."

"Actually, we almost missed it, but thanks to the forensics team, they spotted something sort of out of place with the scenario, but it does kinda fit."

Phoenix's eyes sharpened. "…What?"

(Could they be talking about the button…?)

Gumshoe continued. "The reason why we didn't see it was because the curtains hid it."

"And that means…" Klavier inserted.

"Well, blood's as red as the curtains, sir. So you can't blame me." Gumshoe chuckled.

HOLD IT!

Phoenix slammed his palms on the bench. "B-Blood?"

"That's right, pal!" the detective answered with triumphant glee. "I bet you didn't see it too, did you? There were bloodstains on the curtains in Mr. Barbers' study!"

"W-WHAT?"

For a moment, Phoenix's brain blew a fuse.

"Feenie…!"

"…!"

He jumped three feet into the air, completely forgetting that Iris was right there next to him. That jolt at least, snapped him back into focus on the case.

"…Right!" he slammed the bench again. "The victim was never reported for any wounds! There's no way the blood is his--"

OBJECTION!

"Indeed." Klavier responded. "The blood doesn't belong to the victim. And they've already run an analysis to prove that."

"Here's something else to grab you though, pal. We wouldn't have found the blood if it weren't for it." Gumshoe went on. "We gave the victim another thorough inspection, then we saw it: the same blood on the victim's hands!"

"WHAAAAT?" Phoenix balked at the comeback.

The onlookers began to buzz again.

(Uggghhh…not five minutes into the trial and already the court's a disaster…)

Iris tugged at the sleeve of his jacket fearfully. "Feenie, could we have missed something?"

"I don't think so…!"

(I just can't believe that blood showed up on the crime scene!)

The clamor in the courtroom continued until the Judge ended it all with his gavel.

"Does the blood belong to the defendant?" he demanded. "That's what's important!"

"Unfortunately, Herr Judge, no." Klavier answered. "The tests were negative."

Phoenix stopped to think.

(Negative, eh…? Then we really shouldn't have to keep pressing Gimlet as the supposed killer. That blood…it could very well be the actual murderer's!)

So why were they still looking insistent on pinning the blame on her?

It was only then that he noticed Klavier was staring his way. "…I know what you're thinking, Herr Wright. You want to know why the defendant still stands as the murderer."

"…! Do you have decisive evidence against her?" Phoenix dared himself to ask.

The young prosecutor shook his head slowly. "…Not quite. The blood has yet to make some headway playing its part in this trial. For now, wait and see."

"…"

(I don't know…but I'm getting a nasty feeling that this is going to be bad…)

He wanted this to be a clean trial…but Phoenix wasn't going to get his wish granted. He watched as Klavier casually pushed his shades up the bridge of his nose again.

"Herr Judge. I would like to call upon our witness; the victim's son."

His Honor blinked. "Eh? Ah, certainly. …"

"…Herr Judge?" Klavier questioned upon seeing the old man's brow furrow deeply, making the age lines even more pronounced on his face.

"The son as the witness to the murder of his own father…" he shook his head in remorse. "I never thought a case like this would be presented in my court…"

(Remi…)

He looked over to his right, where Remi's tutor stood watching the witness stand with apprehension, and he knew his worrying couldn't amount to her deepest concerns.

The Judge finally tapped his gavel. "Very well. The court calls witness Remi Barbers to the stand."

Five minutes later, Klavier addressed the witness stand. "Witness, name and occupation if you please."

Coughs rattled the receiver before a tiny, meek voice spoke into it. "…Remi Barbers. Um, I'm…my father's son…"

"W-WAIT JUST A MINUTE HERE!" The Judge's booming exclamation turned everyone's heads to him, his beady eyes fixed on the witness. "Witness! It isn't proper for you to be semi-present in my courtroom! Come to the stand and make your physical presence known!"

The handheld transmitter sat innocently on the bench of the witness stand. Phoenix could hardly believe that this was the second time they had someone testify using an electronic communicator.

(We should try it in outer space sometime to see if the reception still knocks…)

"My apologies, Herr Judge. I've forgotten to say…" Klavier butt in, "…that the witness has a terrible allergy to sunlight, and thus couldn't be allowed to leave the safety of his mansion. So we decided to let him speak using one transmitter, while the other one sits here with us."

Beside him, Phoenix heard Iris draw a relieved sigh.

"…I…see. Very well then…" the Judge decided to let the matter slide. "Witness, please testify to the events of that night."

"…Yes, Your Honorary." came the boy's quiet reply.

His Honor stared. "Ho-Honorary…?"

WITNESS TESTIMONY

--The night Father died--

"…I was up sometime after midnight. Our maid Gimlet came in my room to give my medicine. It was later after, I heard a loud noise from outside my room. I went to look…and I found my father…on the floor…"

END

The Judge thought deeply. "Hmmm…"

"From what we have heard, I gather the victim died some minutes before the witness entered the study." Klavier offered.

"Yes, we may establish that." said the older man. "Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination."

"Right away, Your Honor."

CROSS EXAMINATION

"…I was up sometime after midnight."

Phoenix led off. "What were you doing up at that time, Remi?"

"I always wake up at 12:30. I get my medicine from Gimlet at one. It's also the time when the cuckoo clock is the loudest for me…"

"The…cuckoo clock?" he pondered.

"Uh-huh…the one in Father's study. It's really really loud. Even if both the doors are closed."

"Which doors?"

"My bedroom door, and the study door."

"Hmm…"

Klavier spoke up. "Shall we carry on then? You mentioned the defendant earlier?"

"Um…yes…"

"Our maid Gimlet came in my room to give my medicine."

"And this was around 1 a.m., am I correct?" Phoenix clarified.

"Yup. She always comes a half hour after I wake up." Remi answered quietly through the transmitter. "She came on the second bell."

"Bell…?"

"The um, time that the cuckoo clock struck."

(Hmm…don't see any problems here…but…)

"So how long was your maid in the room for?" Phoenix asked.

Remi seemed to be thinking hard; he took a few seconds before answering, "…T…ten minutes, maybe."

"And there was nothing strange about the way she acted?" the defense insisted.

"…Um…"

OBJECTION!

Klavier slowly shook his head. "Please be as so kind as to not badger the witness, Herr Wright. Surely you're not attempting to formulate a possible alibi for your client, are you?"

Phoenix shot him a piercing look. "…!"

"I would like for the witness to continue with the testimony. And ignore Herr Porcupinehead's absurd statements from here on."

"Um…okay." Remi answered, though it was hard to tell if he actually took the prosecutor's advice. All the same…

(…Urgh…you sure know how to rub off kids the wrong way, you Sting clone…)

"It was later after, I heard a loud noise from outside my room."

There it was; a possible opening for the crucial details. Phoenix palmed the bench. "What sort of noise was this, Remi?"

"A-A noise like 'THUMP!'. It sounded like something heavy fell…"

Klavier snapped his fingers to draw some attention. "It was the sound of the victim's falling body as the defendant did away with him."

OBJECTION!

The attorney angrily aimed his pointer finger at the prosecution. "You're not qualified to make such an assumption, Mr. Gavin!"

Klavier's smile, along with his confidence, failed to waver. "…Forgive me?"

The Judge cleared his throat. "This sound…it must have made a certain impression on the witness, yes?"

"Um…I think so…" came Remi's meek reply.

"…" Going unnoticed by Phoenix, Iris seemed to be thinking seriously, because then she spoke, and clearly addressed, "Remi?"

"…!"

"What time was it that you found Mr. Barbers?"

"Iris!" Phoenix ogled at the woman beside him. It was almost unbecoming of her to speak up sometimes. And here she was. Asking his own question.

Meanwhile, the little boy had fallen silent at his tutor's query. "…"

The Judge, decidedly ignoring the fact that the defense attorney wasn't the one who directed the question, addressed the stand. "Witness? When did you stumble upon the body of your father? Do tell us, please."

"I…um…" Remi's voice seemed to be getting weaker, and Phoenix doubted it was the reception being the issue.

(Remi…what's wrong? Don't tell me that you're--)

"Remi, please!" Iris urged him from the defendant's bench, leaning forward with helpless unease as if to press the stand further with the gesture. "When was it?"

"Mmm…grgh…!"

The sound surprised them. Phoenix palmed the bench, worried suddenly. "R-Remi?"

He sounded like he was struggling with something. And on a burst of intuition, the attorney had a pretty good idea why Remi suddenly clammed up.

Unfortunately, someone upbeat and German beat him to the chase.

OBJECTION!

"…How noble of you, witness. I must say." Klavier fingered the strands of his hair and twirled them between his fingers, all the while talking with a straight face that made him almost unrecognizable. "A pity that you did not prepare yourself for such an inquiry, and formulated the appropriate time that of which would have made the defendant less suspicious."

"Ah!" Remi's cry of shock echoed in the silence of the courtroom. "N-n-no! Wait, I…!"

But the prosecutor didn't give him a chance and plunged on. "I would like for the court to be informed that the defendant was requested to bring up tea to the victim at precisely 2 a.m. that night."

"…Indeed. Your point, Mr. Gavin?" His Honor inquired.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he declared, "the prosecution would like to offer the time that the witness entered the murder scene."

OBJECTION!

Phoenix practically growled at the prosecutor on the other side. "The defense objects to Mr. Gavin's speculations!"

Unfortunately, the Judge couldn't think to rule guesses out, and he shook his head. "Objection overruled. Mr. Gavin?"

"Achtung!" Klavier exclaimed lightly, and stared at the transmitter on the witness stand. "The prosecution proposes that the time the witness, Remi Barbers, happened on the victim's body…" he swung his arm like a whip, and in a jamming pose, jabbed a finger at the stand. "was at 2 a.m.: the same time as the defendant murdering Jeremy Barbers!"

"Nooooo!" Remi cried out painfully.

-x-s-x-

A/N: …CLIFFHANGER!

Hah! Yes. That's right. Dear Klavvy leads the prosecution in this story, I finally decided. I realized the pain of making a new prosecutor and, it'll just come out not as good as the others, so I'm recycling. XD

Now, to clear up the question of whether or not he's OOC towards Feenie is, out of the question. The only reason why Klavvy was so stingy towards him on the Gramarye case was because of well………whispers from the evil elder brother, and that's just wrong…

I hope Iris came out in-character in this chapter. x.x If only she was able to appear in court on her own trial next to Feenie… -sob-

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