Ace Attorney: Secrets Beneath Secrets

Turnabout Wilds, Part 9 (Lily)

People in the courtroom began to buzz. I smirked. Something told me that this accusation wasn't so insane after all.

"Great going! I think that we've found the killer this time!" Chrysalis smiled from beside me.

I nodded. "I agree. And better yet, we have evidence to prove it."

"Order in the court!" the judge shouted, banging his gavel down on the bench in front of him. "Ms. Shield! What is your basis for accusing this witness of murder?!"

I nodded again. "Yes, My Lord. And I believe that I have decisive evidence of this being the case."

"What are you waiting for?!" Prosecutor Moody shouted. "Just present your stupid evidence already!"

"My evidence isn't actually a piece of evidence, but rather a motive that would make sense for this witness," I said.

"How is that decisive?! All you're doing is spouting out baseless conjecture!" Prosecutor Moody roared. Words cannot describe how angry she was acting.

"This witness as well as the defendant were competing for a promotion that paid more at the zoo," I began. "The victim ended up getting the job. Wouldn't that be motive for murder on the part of this witness? Especially if this witness was struggling financially."

Mr. Lion began hissing. The sound reminded me of an angry cat. "Wow, he sounds like a cat who's food got taken away," I commented to Chrysalis, who was laughing.

"Don't you see it?! The pun! His last name is Lion because of the fact that he looks and sounds like a cat!" Chrysalis exclaimed, still laughing. "Author senpais told me so!"

"Who are...?" I started, prompting Chrysalis to explain. When she just continued to giggle (so much you'd think she was insane or had a problem), I shook my head. "Never mind."

"What proof do you have to back this up!?" Prosecutor Moody yelled. "If you have none, I'm afraid that your words will have no basis, therefore no power!"

The judge nodded, his expression grave. "I'm afraid that Prosecutor Moody is right. If you don't have any evidence, I'm afraid I'll have to end this line of questioning."

"No pressure at all," I muttered sarcastically.

"Not at all," Chrysalis sighed, shaking her head. But she perked up rather quickly, a smirk on her lips. "Because I have a little present for you~!"

"What is it?" I asked, clearly confused.

Chrysalis handed me a piece of paper. It looked like a bank document. "I got it this morning during my investigation. It'll no doubt hammer the last nail into this guy's coffin."

I read the header. "'Lion, Shiram.'" I went a little further down the page, ignoring the pointless numbers. "'In debt!'" I grinned. "Great going, Chrys!"

Chrysalis smiled. "Thanks, Lil."

"If you two are done with your pointless chatter, the evidence, Ms. Shield!" Prosecutor Moody demanded.

The judge nodded. "What sort of evidence do you have to prove this all true?"

"TAKE THAT!"

I presented the bank documents. "These are bank documents involving the witness. Proof that our motive for murder holds water! If you read the documents, they say that the witness is in debt! If he was in line to get a promotion but didn't, his financial state could put him at risk! So he killed the person who got the promotion as revenge!"

The people in the court began to gossip. Chrysalis shot me a thumbs up. "I'd like to see the prosecution take that down!"

Prosecutor Moody looked at a loss for words. I smirked. For once, we didn't get jinxed. Something new happens every day, I guess.

I looked at Mr. Lion. His hissing was getting louder and louder by the second. I bet that he knew that he was defeated. That makes my job ten times easier.

"Order!" the judge roared. I'm pretty sure we can all figure out what he was doing with his gavel by now. "Mr. Lion! What do you think of this development?!"

Mr. Lion stopped hissing and reared his head backwards. He began roaring. The sound was similar to a lion's roar. ...Okay, what Chrysalis said about puns earlier is starting to make sense. Mr. Lion began curling his fingers around some unseen object. His nails began to look like claws. Mr. Lion's screaming just got louder and louder as his hair spiked up so that it looked like a lion's mane. Again, his name makes so much more sense now.

"Fine!" Mr. Lion shouted. "I killed her! And I used Sean's bow to frame him for the murder! But that stupid reporter saw me! I thought it was all going perfectly, but that stupid reporter saw me! I thought that Cana would be suspected, but then that ultra annoying green haired detective had to investigate further! Who would have thought that somebody completely unrelated to this case would end up defeating me in the end!?"

"'Green haired detective?'" I asked. Prosecutor Moody was staring daggers into Mr. Lion before shifting her eyes to Chrysalis and myself.

"I don't know her name! But she's right over there at the defense bench!" Mr. Lion pointed to Chrysalis, anger etched onto his face. "I'm sure that she's the one who found me out! That little girl!"

"Chrysalis!? What is he talking about?!" I asked, facing her with a flip of my hair.

Chrysalis shook her head, eyes forced closed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But-" I began to retort.

"I said I didn't want to talk about it!!" she roared. The pain emanating from her was so strong....

But a little something spoke louder than that.

And that something was called 'Black Psyche-Locks.'

They had made their way over the top of the red locks and their chains. I stepped back, surprised.

"Ms. Starr! What is the witness speaking about!?" the judge cut in, expression grave and solemn.

"She'll talk if she wants to! Leave the subject alone!" Prosecutor Moody interrupted.

"Thank gosh," Chrysalis muttered. She walked past me silently. "Sorry. I have to go."

Even if the culprit had confessed, it seemed like there was a bit more to this case than I expected.

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Next part is the end of the case woo.

I don't think I had anything to say here...oh well.

Peace out from me!

-Digital