Part 44: Case 4 - Turnabout Goodbyes - Trial (Day 2) - Part 4

Case 4 - Turnabout Goodbyes
Trial (Day 2) - Part 4











: Then what manner of person are you!?
: I'm not sure I'm high-falutin' enough to be called a "manner" of anything.





: An "investigative photographer"?
: Yep. You get your photo, and sell it to the press. It's that kind of business.
: Hey, I was taking pictures at my sister's graduation last year...
: N' guess what!
: Umm... what?
: There was a yoofoh just a' hanging in the sky!
: A "yoofoh"...?
: You know, an "Unidentified Flying Object"? A yoofoh! That's when I had sort of a revelation.
: I knew I should become an investigative photographer!
: I... I see. (Kind of a shaky basis for a career...)





: Is "Gourdy" really all that newsworthy?
: Heck yeah! They even had him up on the TV!
: (I'm not sure that appearing on the local news "rumor of the month" show qualifies. Last month's show was "Bigfoot Sighted on Acorn Hill," I believe.)
: Hey! They also had a picture of him in the newspaper! For real!
: Mr. Wright. This is one fight I do not believe you can win.
: Let's keep moving, shall we?
: Yes, Your Honor.





: That's why you put the automatic sensor on your camera?
: Yep. Borrowed it from a friend at a university. It analyzes every sound it picks up, and when it gets a "bang!" ...
: It snaps a shot.
: Yep.
: So, how many pictures has it taken so far?
: The only time the camera triggered was that night.
: (Hmm...)





: I think it's time you told us why you felt you had to hide your true purpose at the lake.
: Heck, if word got out what I was up to, the lake'd be swarmin' with competitors!
: Competitors...?
: Yeah! Second-rate shutterbugs trying to steal my scoop!
: Ah... Is that the only reason you were hiding the truth?
: W-well, actually...



: Mr. Wright! I'll not have you asking questions with no relevance to this case!!!
: (Whatever you say, von Karma. I know you told her to keep quiet.)





: Exactly what sort of sound was it?
: Well, I never heard one before so I can't say for sure... but it sounded like a gunshot.
: It was a lot sharper a sound than I would have expected.
: (Hmm...)





: There wasn't "much else to look at"?
: Yep.
: (I dunno. If she heard a bang... and she thought Gourdy was out there...)
: (I kind of doubt she'd waste any time looking at a boat.)
: What? What did I do now? What're you giving me that look for?
: (Definitely suspicious... Maybe it's time for some evidence...)
: Witness! Continue.
: Hold your hushpuppies, pops, I'm getting there.





: Was there nothing on the lake but the boat at that time?
: Huh? Wait, so you're thinking maybe he was shot from some other place? I don't think so, nope.
: The lake was smooth as glass, and nobody was on the shore, neither.
: (Hmm...)
: (I'd better find some sort of contradiction in this testimony...)
: (I won't be able to beat von Karma any other way... There has to be something!)

And we loop. Can you spot it?













: Ms. Hart!
: Were you REALLY looking at that boat!?
: W-what's with you!? Course I was looking at it! It was the only thing out there! Any normal person'd be looking at it!
: I agree, any normal person would.





: But you are far from normal!
: Wh-what!? Y'all wanna step over here and say that!?
: You were camping at the lake to take a picture of Gourdy!



: Thank about it-- What would you do if you heard a loud noise?
: You'd be scanning the lake for any sign of Gourdy, that's what! You wouldn't give the boat a second thought!







: Order! Continue, Mr. Wright!
: You testified that you were watching the boat through binoculars! However, you wouldn't need binoculars to watch that boat!
: You needed them to search for Gourdy... and that's what you were doing!



: ...
: ...



: Well!?
: Hmph... Well, now that y'all mention it...



: I mean, Gourdy might be out there, n' all...
: M-Ms. Hart! A-are you saying that you were NOT watching the boat, then?
: ...
: S-sorry, y'all. I wasn't fibbing, really.
: I was, just... I thought y'know, I could be witness to a murder n' all! I kinda got excited.
: I was sure I was watching that boat... till now.
: ...
: This... this is totally uncalled for--
: B-but hey!



: Hmm...
: Still, we can't see who is shooting who in this.
: Right! Right!
: That's why I took this photo n'...





: Witness... That's enough.
: You've had a long day. Shut your pie-hole.
: Sh-shut my what!?
: (What was she going to say? She took the photo... and what? Wait a second...)



: But you really can't tell from the photo who is shooting.



: She said "it'll drop the quality a mite, but should let us see who's who!"





: (Why won't von Karma let her show it?)



: (I bet that enlarged photo shows something bad for von Karma! This is my chance! If I'm wrong, though, it'll mean prison for Edgeworth... or worse.)





: (If this is a trap...)
: (I'd better hold back and see how things go. But... if I wait now, the cross-examination will be over!)



A second chance to back out is because the game really wants you to know you're being an idiot.



: This hereby ends the cross-examination of Ms. Lotta Hart.
: And none to soon. That was a flagrant waste of my time.
: Mr. von Karma, do you have anything to add?



: I stated everything I needed to when this trial began. Decisive evidence. A decisive witness. What else could possibly be required?
: Nothing, of course.
: (Oh no! I should have pressed further!)



: This court sees no reason to further prolong the trial. Nor is there any need for more time to decide the case against the defendant. This case is extremely clear. I see no room for misinterpretation of the facts.
: This court finds the defendant, Mr. Miles Edgeworth...



: The accused will surrender to the court immediately, to be held pending trial at a higher court within a month from today's date.
: That is all. The court is adjourned!



Game over! So...don't do that.





: Ms. Hart! Look at this photograph.



: Y-yeah! I did!
: Why has that enlargement not been presented to the court!?



: B-because it does not exist!
: What're y'all talking about!? You were the one who told me not to show it in court in the first place! You old fool!





: What's the meaning of this, Mr. von Karma!
: Er... erm...
: Ms. Hart!



: Show the photo to the court! Show us the enlargement!





: The prosecution objects to the submission of this evidence!
: Objection... denied.
: The witness will show the enlargement to the court.
: Here it is.



: It could be the defendant... or maybe it's not.
: Regardless, I'll accept this as evidence.





: Happy now, Mr. Wright?
: Hmm... (There has to be something!)
: You asked for the enlargement, you got the enlargement.



: And little good it has done any of us! That's why I requested she not show it!
: Hmm...
: I suppose this means that the cross-examination...
: Is over! Obviously!



: Then I would like to close the cross-examination of Ms. Lotta Hart.
: And none too soon. That was a flagrant waste of my time.
: Mr. von Karma, do you have anything to add?
: I stated everything I needed to when this trial began. Decisive evidence. A decisive witness.
: What else could possibly be required?



: Nothing, of course.
: Then, I believe it is time for me to declare my verdict.
: (Wait... it's not supposed to go like this!)







: (Uh oh... think of something! No good... I guess I'll just sit back and see how this turns out.)

And we go directly into the game over sequence again.





: W-wait!
: Your Honor, This evidence...

Yeah, they miscapitalize that.



: I believe we have spent enough time talking about evidence!
: Hmm... indeed.



: I see no point in retracing our steps.

Which leads us back to the choice.





: Your Honor!





: W-what might that be?





: Mr. Wright... You will show the court what you mean! What about this photo is "strange"?
: (Okay... here goes nothing!)



Can you spot it?













: Here, Your Honor!
: The shooter...?
: I'm not sure I understand. What about the shooter is strange?
: Look at the hand holding the pistol, Your Honor!
: The hand...?
: That hand directly contradicts another piece of evidence!



: Let me show you.





: The evidence is clear.



: However!
: The prints on the murder weapon were from Edgeworth's "right hand"!



: Ergo!









: Now that everyone in the courtroom has quieted down... I would like to reconvence this court of law!
: Mr. Wright.
: Yes, Your Honor.
: You have given us definitive proof today. We now know that it was not Mr. Edgeworth who fired the pistol that night.
: However...
: This leaves us with a rather large problem.





: Precisely!











: Who else but the witness, Ms. Lotta Hart!
: Wh-what!? Do you have proof of this!?



: (Proof-shmoof! Always with the proof! Oh... wait, I do need proof, don't I.)



: (Uh oh. The Judge is mad.)
: Let me ask again!



: (Wait, wait,--I can't do that. Sacrifice one friend to save another? What's the point!?)





: There is only one explanation remaining!



: The main who shot the victim was none other than... the victim himself!!!







: Order! Order!
: So... you are saying that the victim committed suicide?
: Yes, Your Honor. I can think of no other explanation.
: Hmm...
: Indeed, that does seem to be the only remaining option.



: I'm so very, very sorry, Mr. Wright.
: But suicide is out of the question.
: Wh-what!?
: An examination of the victim's wound reveals the distance at which he was shot.
: The... distance?
: The victim was clearly shot from further than a meter away!
: A meter! Th-that's three feet!



: There is no way it could have been suicide!





: Order! Order!
: Mr. von Karma! Are you sure of the accuracy of your data!?
: Of course! I had already considered the possibility of suicide, you see.



: Hmm...
: I see.



: Very well, allow me to state my opinion. Considering the situation, the shooter had to be the defendant, Mr. Edgeworth. However!
: The prints on the gun reveal that the shooter was not Mr. Edgeworth.
: This is a conundrum. Therefore, I would like to suspend proceedings for this trial for the day. The court orders the defense and the prosecution to further investigate this matter.
: Understood?
: Yes, Your Honor.
: ...
: That is all. The court is adjourned.







: Whew, that was a close one.



: Hey! Don't you have anything to say!?
: No. I have yet to be declared innocent, Wright.
: Well, yeah, but... What happened out there on that lake, anyway!? If he didn't commit suicide, then who...? The shooter was about a meter away, too!
: ... W-what? Don't give me that look! I did not kill him!
: I was just kidding around.
: Hmph.
: Look... I'm going to go check on Maya.
: Oh... Wright.
: What?
: Tell her something from me.
: What?
: ...
: ... Tell... Tell her to watch what she says in court.
: That's all.
: (Yeah, I'm sure she'll be happy to hear you say that, Edgeworth. Jerk!)



: I thought it might give me ammunition for the trial tomorrow. Of course she didn't see the shooter... So the only part of her testimony that stood was the "bang" she heard.





Next time: So, what the hell even happened?