Case 3 - Turnabout Samurai
Trial (Day 4) - Part 2
: B-but, that IS the murder weapon!
: Not so fast.
: But, someone fixed the spear.
: She fixed it with duct tape!
: Now tell me, how is it possible…
: for someone to stab a man who is wearing a thick costume with this!? Through the chest!
: O-order! Order!
: Mr. Wright! What are you driving at!? Think about what you’re–
: Silence!
: I’m the one testifying here and I will be heard!
: Mmmph…!
: Are you quite sane? Are you even aware of what you’re saying? If the Samurai Spear was not the murder weapon, then pray tell what was!?
: How was Hammer killed?
: Of course I can’t.
: “O-of course”!?
: Can the antics, Wright!
: I have to agree, Mr. Wright. At least pretend that you think you might know!
: (Urk. Note to self: think before speaking.)
: (Tough crowd…)
: Well, Mr. Wright? Can you tell us what weapon was used to kill Mr. Hammer?
: Would I make a claim like that if I couldn’t tell you what the weapon was?
: I’m afraid your confidence can sometimes be unfounded, Mr. Wright…
Can you guess?
: O-order! Order! If I cannot have order this trial will be suspended!
: Mr. Wright! What is this all about!?
: This photograph is from five years ago. There was an unfortunate accident at Global Studios.
: Not a word of this was leaked to the outside. It was a close-kept secret at the studios.
: What does this have to do with the current case!?
: Mr. Edgeworth…
: You still can’t see it?
: Are you saying…!?
: Yes.
: Mr. Wright! Continue!
: It’s 2:30 PM on the day of the murder!
: Then she did it! She pushed Mr. Hammer off the stairs onto the fence!
: Though whether she did it on purpose or by accident, I cannot say.
: I-in other words… th-the victim, Mr. Hammer… He died in the same way that he caused another man to die…
: Precisely. Ironic, isn’t it?
: … Hoh hoh. Very creative, Mr. Wright.
: I could use a man like you on my script writing staff.
: You deny that what I say is true?
: … Mr. Wright.
: Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Hammer died at the trailer as you say.
: And in the Evil Magistrate’s costume, no less. Are you then claiming that I carried the body to Studio One…
: And returned to the trailer, all in the space of a 15 minute break? How could I have disposed of the body?
: …
: The break in the meeting at the trailer lasted 15 minutes, from 2:30 to 2:45. Could Jack Hammer have been pushed off the stairs to his death… then carried to Studio One and placed inside his costume?
: There wasn’t enough time.
: Hmm… indeed.
: You’d be surprised! I bet she could do it!
: When people think their life depends on it, they can do amazing things!
: Mr. Wright, this is not an episode of “That’s Incredible.”
: If you claim she did everything in 15 minutes…
: (Let me guess: “Show Me Proof!”)
: Correct! Show me proof!
: (How am I supposed to do that…?)
: Then I won’t have you making unsubstantiated claims!
: (… Wait a second, how does he know what I’m thinking!?)
: Hah!
: I need only look at the cold sweat running down your face to know what you’re thinking!
: Mr. Wright. Perhaps you’d like to reconsider your claim?
: Well, Mr. Wright? How could she have dealt with the body?
: 15 minutes is kind of a short amount of time…
: You see? Even I cannot do the impossible. Therefore, Mr. Wright.
: I didn’t do it. Agreed?
: Not agreed!
: ?
The other possible correct answer drops us off right here.
: What if she had another way to carry the body,
: other than with her own hands?
: For instance?
: Actually, for that matter, there was no need for her to do the deed in 15 minutes!
: And there was a way for you to carry that body.
: I-interesting! Let’s hear it then.
: Mr. Wright?
This shouldn’t be hard.
: Ms. Vasquez. You carried the body to Studio One.
: Recall your testimony…
: There was to be a rehearsal afterwards, so we went to Studio One. I was fatigued, so I had Sal take me. There was a van there, right? I had Sal drive me.
: You used the van to carry the body to Studio One!
: Then, before everyone else got there, you put the body into the Magistrate costume!
: Hold on, Wright!
: Don’t forget, it was Sal Manella that drove the van!
: Of course he wasn’t!
: Hah!
: So, without Mr. Manella noticing anything, she put the body in the van… Then managed to put the body into the costume…?
: Are you seriously suggesting that is possible!?
: …
: Of course I’m not serious.
: Ha… hah!?
: I was kidding. To, er, lighten up the proceedings.
: Li…light…
: Lighten!? Y-you can’t lighten up a murder!
: Mr. Wright. The court requests you refrain from making claims in jest.
: Y-yes, Your Honor.
And this leaves us where the correct option starts.
: Of course, Sal Manella has to have been a conspirator! The body had to be placed in the van, and put into the costume. There’s no way Ms. Vasquez could have done that alone!
: They had to… because it was covered in Mr. Hammer’s blood!
: Well, Ms. Vasquez!
: Shall I continue?
: …
: No need. You’re smarter than you look, Mr. Wright. Hmph.
: I lose. You win. It… was fun.
: (I… win!?)
: Umm…
: So… what happens next?
: ?
: Don’t “?” me! Don’t you have anything to say!?
: What would you like me to say?
: Huh? “I lost”? Something like that!
: I just said that.
: W-wait, so you mean…
: Dee Vasquez! So, it was you? You killed Jack Hammer!
: Who can say?
: Huh?
: Are you sure I did? Mr. Wright… We just engaged in a battle of wits. And the result of that battle? You proved the possibility that I murdered Hammer.
: R-right!
: But… that is only a possibility. Proof is another thing altogether.
: You lack decisive proof, Mr. Wright.
: Order!
: Mr. Edgeworth, your thoughts?
: Umm… uhh… mmmph. O-of course, it’s as the witness says!
: … Certainly, it does seem very likely she did it… but, uh, there’s no proof!
: (…! Edgeworth isn’t sure!)
: … Well? I came here as a witness today. If you’ve no more questions, I’ll be leaving.
[i](Click here for video, courtesy of Xander77, of the canon path. It’s worth watching.)[/i]
: Ms. Vasquez! You did it!
: … That wasn’t a question.
: …
: Um, did you do it?
: No.
: Mr. Wright.
: Y-yes, Your Honor?
: I’m not sure that question helped this court get any closer to a verdict.
: (Urk! What do I do now!?)
: I… I’d like you to testify again!
: Testify… again?
: Know when to give up, Mr. Wright. Think about it. Even if I were to testify again, what’s the point? I can only say what I said before. The truth, Mr. Wright. I’ve already said all there is to say.
: What would happen if I said it again?
: Uh…
: You’d ask the same questions, get the same answers. A waste of time.
And we leave where we’d end up on the next, canonical path.
: …
: Yes, Mr. Wright?
: I was hoping I’d come up with a question while pounding on my desk. I didn’t.
: … You have my sympathies.
Convergence.
: (Damn… damn! To come so far, only to fail…)
: As it seems there are no further questions…
: I would like to end the cross-examination of the witness, Ms. Vasquez.
: …
: Yes, Mr. Edgeworth?
: I was hoping to come up with a question while I was objecting, Your Honor… I didn’t.
: I see… Very well.
: Your Honor!
: I request that the witness testify again!
: You are the prosecutor, are you not? Why are you badgering me? I’m your witness!
: I… I just want to hear your testimony again.
: Does this make any sense to you, Your Honor?
: I don’t see that we have anything to gain by repeating the last several minutes.
: Mr. Edgeworth… I, too, see little point in making Ms. Vasquez repeat herself.
: What exactly did you want her to testify about?
: Mmmph! Well, yes, um… … Indeed! Verily, I say… Ergo!
: I want to hear about what happened… after they found the body!
: After they found the body…?
: Very well. The witness will testify to the court concerned this matter.
: Hmph.
: Why did Edgeworth…?
: Who knows? He probably realized she did it, too.
: But… but! Wasn’t he the one that said he always gets a guilty verdict…?
: After all that…
: i[/i]
Next time: Testimony…???