A Victim for Six Years

Chapter four: The Ace Attorney, Giving Up?

"Please!!!" I begged Phoenix, following him around the room of Wright and Co. offices. "Please, Phoenix, defend Franziska!!! I'm begging you!!!!"

"Piper, even if I wasn't rivals with Franziska in court, how can you expect me to defend her? She's a prosecutor. She sends innocent people to jail. It's part of her job."

"But Phoenix!!!" I exclaim, racing in front of him as he started towards the door. "You defended my father, didn't you? Six years ago. I know you did!!! He was a prosecutor. What makes Franziska any different?"

"I had been friends with your father for quite some time when I defended him, Piper. I knew that he couldn't have done it."

"So, in other words, you think that Franziska is guilty? You think that she attempted to kill my father and me!!"

"Let's not accuse anyone of anything, Piper. Those words never escaped my mouth-"

"Then let me rephrase. You're not entirely sure that she's innocent. That's just a nicer way of saying that you think she's guilty, Phoenix. There is no in-between. You either think she's guilty, or you think she's innocent!!! It's as simple as that!!!"

"Piper-"

"So many people do that, Phoenix. They say someone's guilty just because they're not on good terms. I know that it would be hard for you to defend her, but every attorney she's called has refused. You may be her only chance."

"Yeah? And how are you so sure that your aunt is innocent, Piper? You know from your own father's case that the Von Karmas don't care who they have to hurt in order to-"

"That was Manfred Von Karma, Phoenix. Franziska's different, trust me."

"Keep saying that, Piper. It doesn't make it true. You said so yourself that the person who attacked you was a woman. And the judge in the court Franziska was prosecuting in said that she ran out of the courtroom around the time of the attack. How are you so sure that it wasn't Franziska?"

"Phoenix..." I begin. "I haven't told anyone yet. I didn't get the chance to. But I know that it's not Franziska that attacked us."

"And how are you so sure?"

"Because..." I begin, biting my lip so as not to let Phoenix see me cry as I remember the horrific scene. I touch the bandages on my shoulder, and finish with, "because she's the reason we're not both dead."

Now I've got Phoenix's attention. "What?" He asks, looking me square in the eye. "What do you mean?"

"She saved us." I say. "She attacked the other woman. Used her whip to smack the gun out of her hand. Kept her from grabbing it again."

"But if that's the truth," Phoenix began. "Then why were Franziska's fingerprints on the weapon?"

"This is gonna sound crazy," I say. "But when Franziska whipped the gun out of the woman's hand, the other woman grabbed ahold of the other end of the whip. You know that Franziska's right-handed. So she was using her right hand to use her whip. When the woman did eventually snatch the whip away, the whip sliding out of her hand caused her right glove to slip off, too. When she grabbed her whip again with her left hand, she crouched down and picked up the gun with her right hand, which no longer had a glove on it. She scared the other woman away by pointing the gun at her before putting it down." Phoenix looked baffled. "That's why Franziska's fingerprints are on the gun."

It was silent for a few moments before Phoenix spoke again. "So, what you're saying is, the real killer got away, and is probably still out there, plotting against you and your father?"

"I...hadn't thought about that, but I suppose so. Although, I think it's more against my father than it is against me. The woman only pointed her gun at me because I witnessed the shooting. Speaking of which..." I looked at Phoenix. "When should my father be let out?"

"Not for a while, I'm afraid." Phoenix said, shaking his head. "He's badly injured. He'll live, but the doctors don't know how long they'll have to keep him there."

I nod. "Phoenix?" I ask.

"Yeah?"

"You...you don't think that Franziska's gonna go to jail without a trial, do you?"

It was silent for a while, before Phoenix let out a sigh and said, "I feel like I'm gonna regret this, but..." he smiled at me. "Not if I have anything to say about it.

He started for the door, then turned around to face me. "Well? Are ya coming?"

"Where?"

"To visit your aunt, of course. Someone's gotta be the one to tell her that she now has a defense attorney."