Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Part #22 - Episode 2, Trial: Innocent Liar

Part 22: Episode 2, Trial: Innocent Liar

Part 22: Episode 2, Trial: Innocent Liar

Brace yourself, here comes the poor, innocent Miss April May!

Quiet, you were practically drooling over her at the hotel yourself.

Fun fact: There is a sprite for Phoenix that doesn't actually get used in the game; I'm told it was intended for this scene, before the game was redone to have Phoenix meeting Miss May at the hotel. What was the sprite, you ask?

Not a great sign for our ability to cross-examine this witness....

Music: Happy People

....What.

That animation alone is enough to get the crowd buzzing again. From behind, Miss May's pose here looks like she's flashing the judge. Which she might as well have been.

You tell 'em, judge.

Yeah, the wink was the problem.

Good thing these aren't really jury trials, we'd be screwed. Here I just have to hope the judge isn't swayed by her act.

(This is not good...)

Asshat is the only one not moved by the witness's display.

I checked in right after lunch.

And this hotel is directly across from the Fey & Co. Law Offices?

Mmm... that's right, big boy.

Music: Silence

Music: Questioning - Moderato

The one attacking her was the mousey girl sitting in the defendant's chair!

Then the woman, like, dodged to one side and ran away!

She kinda... slumped.

Hmm. That's it? For the first time in this game, I don't really know what to do.

Music: Silence

Stop saying what I say, game.

I swear to god, if you bow again, I'll...do nothing because I have no agency here.

I see. It is a remarkably solid testimony.

W-wait, Your Honor!

Yes, Mr. Wright?

Why would we need to do that, the judge is already bamboozled. :rolleyes:

Oh just let me do my job. I'm sure we'll figure something out.

What's it to you, pal!?

You must know her techniques well.

That's the first crack we've seen in Edgeworth's calm smugness so far.

Just go do your pointing thing and let's get this pink fraud.

Fuck yes we're doing it.

(If only because I have a feeling Edgeworth doesn't want me to!)

(She has to have some weakness!)

quote:

Just for fun, what if we declined our cross-examination?

No... you're right. I guess there wouldn't be much point.

Heh heh heh. I'm glad you saw the error of your ways so soon!

Your Honor.

The prosecution rests its case!

Yeah, he took another bow at us. Fair, since we basically gave up.

(Wh-what? That's it!?)

Very well.

W-wait! Hold on!

Yes, Mr. Wright? Changed your mind? Will you cross-examine the witness?

Yes yes yes!

(I'd better, or I'll lose on the spot!)

I should pick the joke options more often, they've been funnier lately!

I'm not really sure what to do here so it's a good time to break for some thread input. On the other hand this update is still pretty short. Let's see if pressing on everything gives us any hints.

It was, like, 9:00 at night. I looked out the window, y'know!

Huh? "Why"? Like, why what?

Why did you look out the window? Were you expecting to see something?

Oh, well, um... gee!

I sort of, y'know.

Do those things have a motor in them or something? Anyway your distraction isn't going to work lady!

I had a feeling!

Yeah, let's get her!

Surely, you must have had a reason to look out your window at that time of night!

Crazy eyes are back! This lady's story is paper thin and pressing on the very first statement already reveals that she has nothing to back up what she's saying.

Unfortunately we are facing a competent prosecutor this time.

More finger-waggling at us.

B-badgering?

You insist on needling her with these trivial questions.

I really don't think it should be allowed.

Badgering is a legitimate objection. However the witness was clearly dodging the question.

Edgeworth's act isn't meant for the judge, though. He's playing to the crowd.

They've totally bought into Miss May's act, and are about to start throwing things at us.

Music: Silence

Order!

The judge is mostly not a fan of the crowd getting too rowdy. We don't actually lose any health sections here, however.

Music: Questioning - Moderato

quote:

If we don't continue with the press, we get a much shorter cut as we back off:

(If I go to deep, I might not come back out alive... I'll back off for now.)

We end up seamlessly transitioning to the next line of testimony as normal.

And then, oooh! I saw a woman with long hair being attacked!

(Your... thing?)

The one attacking her was the mousey girl sitting in the defendant's chair!

How do you know she was the defendant?

Huh? Well... y'know!

Again with the lack of detail when pressed for more information on her testimony.

Look... I-I just know, okay?

If it's so bulletproof, then why do I have an option to keep digging away at it, huh? That option bit us last time, though; let's just keep going for now.

(And everyone in the court keeps siding with her.)

(I'd better not press too hard on this one.)

Then the woman, like, dodged to one side and ran away!

Well... the attack!

We're going to have to force her to get more specific at some point if we want to find a contradiction.

But that girl, she caught up to her and... and... She hit her!

Huh? Well, I... gee!

And, and secondly, she was... she was small.

Again with the small physique thing.

We're given two options again. We're at the last line of testimony, so I guess we should question it this time.

quote:

If we let it slide, we get the same dialogue as the last time Miss May brought up the "physique" of who she says she saw, with one additional line at the end:

(Maybe I should listen to the testimony again.)

We're then brought back to the same line of testimony; a hint to keep going on it this time.

quote:

If we run out of testimony without pressing enough, we loop back to the beginning again with these lines:

(Hmm... that's it?)

(Nothing really jumps out as a contradiction...)

(There's got to be something in there somewhere!)

(Maybe I'd better just press her on the facts a bit!)

Another hint to press a little harder!

Music: Silence

We get this same scene for questioning her testimony on either time she mentions Maya's "physique".

W-what!?

Not sure there's a material difference in these two options, but she's definitely lying.

quote:

Indeed, just that one line changes with the other option:

Did you really see the defendant at all?

Urp!

The crowd reacts rather quickly on that one.

Okay, sure, just accusing the witness of lying is bad form. Let's see if we can back it up.

Okay...

If you had really witnessed my client, Maya Fey...

Uhh, maybe? It was night, maybe it was dark? Is this where the broken light stand comes in?

Music: Telling the Truth

...!

Maya's going to throw something at him again. Maybe a brick this time.

The testimony is bogus!

Well, I think we've unlocked the second testimony sequence at least. I'm not sure this line of questioning will really go anywhere, but maybe Miss May will slip up while providing more details.