Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: The Frigid Melody

The Colour Out of Snow pt. 3

The judge slammed his 'gavel' on his lectern, eliciting a skull-piercing tap.

"Court will now reconvene," he declared.

Phoenix shoved both of his hands into his pockets so that nobody could see him clenching his fists in frustration.

"You're unbelievable, Trucy," he hissed. "I can't believe you would suggest something like..."

It was difficult to find ways to phrase his frustration that wouldn't upset her.

"...like tha- how could you?!" he managed.

"Daddy, it's just a last resort, okay?" Trucy replied. "If everything goes well, we won't have to do it!"

Phoenix swallowed hard and tried to put her proposal out of his mind. The last thing he wanted was to go through... that again, but he couldn't argue. He couldn't think of an alternative.

If he lost this trial and the Professor got convicted...

"...this had better go well," he said under his breath, and tried to ignore Luke's eyes powering into the side of his head.

Trucy gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and Phoenix's heart dropped in the knowledge that by the time this fiasco was over, she was probably going to be even more disappointed in him than she already was.

"Ms Skellig," said the judge, "is your witness prepared to testify?"

"She is, Uncle Angus," Michaela replied, "but I must remind the court that as a woman recently widowed, she will require a degree more care and thoughtfulness than the defence may be accustomed to treating witnesses with."

She turned her seemingly blind gaze to Phoenix, who had a feeling that in spite of her eyes still apparently being closed, she was giving him a very dirty look.

"I must therefore ask the court to show her a certain degree of consideration," she continued, "and not ask any untoward questions that may cause her unnecessary distress."

She wasn't blind, was she? Even blind people didn't just walk around with their eyes closed all the time, and she always turned in the direction of whoever she was talking to...

"Of course, my dear," said the judge, and he too gave Phoenix a look so pointed it almost scratched him. "Does the defence have any response?"

Phoenix shrugged.

"Whatever," he responded.

He didn't see, but he had a feeling Luke was rolling his eyes.

The judge, meanwhile, looked around the makeshift courtroom in bafflement.

"...and it would seem that is all he has to say on the matter," Michaela spoke up. "Very well, then; the prosecution hereby calls Mrs Nosetta Oldfart to the witness stand."

Phoenix looked down again as his daughter tugged on his sleeve.

"You aren't going to be mean to her, are you, Daddy?" she whispered.

Phoenix gave another shrug.

"Depends on if she's guilty or not," he pointed out. "With how she behaved yesterday, I'm interested to know how her husband's death might have affected her."

He gave the visibly annoyed Luke a frown.

"Don't expect me to go easy on her if it's made her even worse," he said.

Luke's jaw fell in shock.

"Mr Wright, you..." he whispered, unable to finish his sentence due to the level of his disgust.