Ace Attorney: Web of Mistrust

Turnabout Mansion, Part 10 (Lily) FINAL

"TAKE THAT!"

"Your motive for committing the crime can be found in these papers," I said, presenting the stack of files about the trials of Bal Gam. "You were the defense attorney for both cases. The victim was the prosecutor both times, as well. Both times, she won. Not only had she defeated you, but she got your brother sent off to prison. He broke out the first time, but wasn't as lucky the second time. Unless I have made an incorrect assumption along the way, this could easily be a motive for murder, and a rather strong one, too."

Mr. Gam returned to gripping the witness stand in his anger. He was still breathing heavily, his anger obviously increasing with every breath. "You...! Shield...!" He yanked the top bar off of the witness stand (or what remained of it, rather) and began shredding it. He didn't at all care that people were watching his every move interrogatively.

Mr. Gam proceeded to rip the other bars of the stand out of the ground relentlessly. He shredded them without pause as well. Wood had piled up in a small hill around his feet, surrounding him from the ankle down, by the time he was done. Mr. Gam's breath was still as heavy as ever, and as far as I could tell, he had no intentions on slowing his breathing anytime soon.

"F-fine! You caught me!" he roared. The anger in his voice was more than a little clear, and I don't even have emotion detecting abilities like Niamh does. "I killed her! And for the exact reason that you say! That woman got my brother arrested! She deserved to die, so I merely carried out the universe's wishes!"

"So you were the one who ran by yesterday's witness with the bloody knife?" Chrysalis questioned, her pointer finger up against her forehead as she thought.

Mr. Gam shook his head violently. "That was not me! I was approached by another person, who said that they could help me out of my little 'situation!'"

"Who was it?!" Yuri demanded. Judging by the glares of My Lord and Prosecutor Moody, the same thing was on their minds.

"Somebody who called themselves... I forget." Mr. Gam went back to his insane laughter festival, just as he had before declaring that I hadn't determined a motive (he had been making early assumptions, really). "I can't believe you all actually thought I would tell you who helped me! But that was the one who the witness from yesterday saw!"

"Who would have the motivation to do that, though?" Yuri muttered. I shrugged in reply. Chrysalis was still lost in thought. She hadn't even noticed that Yuri and I had spoken.

Bailiffs swarmed Mr. Gam, carting him away. The last words I heard him yell were, "I guess I'll be joining you and the blackened, brother!"

The judge hit the bench before him with his gavel. "This court is ready to pronounce its verdict!"

"Is the court going to announce a verdict with its magical mouth?" Yuri whispered to me sarcastically. I laughed at her joke. His Honor sure had implied that.

"This court hereby finds the defendant, Niamh Tenniswood, not guilty! Court is adjourned!" the judge announced, bringing the gavel down once again.

At time time, I expected the case to be put away, but since when has something like that ever happened?

//November 3, 2029. Defendant Lobby No. 4, 1:01 PM//

I ran up to Niamh with a huge smile on my lips once we were in the defendant lobby. "We did it! Niamh got a not guilty verdict all thanks to us and our awesome!" Yuri exclaimed, a cocky grin on her lips.

"You were just co-counsel! I did all the heavy lifting!" I told her, nudging the (barely) shorter girl with my shoulder.

"Thanks again for everything you did in there," Niamh smiled, bowing her head slightly in the direction of Yuri and I.

"It was nothing! No big deal! You didn't do it, so we just had to put the real criminal in their place!" Yuri smiled. I had a feeling that her cheeks, as well as mine, would ache by the time we left the courthouse from smiling so much.

Usually, Chrysalis would have a snarky comment about how 'this ship is canon,' but she was silent. I turned to face her. She hadn't really spoken since Mr. Gam was arrested.

"You okay?" I asked her, cocking my head to one side slightly.

"Huh?" Chrysalis snapped out of her daydream at hearing my voice. "Oh, yeah. I'm just thinking about who would have the motive to run by Estella with that knife. I also think I have a tiny theory on how Niamh's prints got on the murder weapon in the first place."

"Really?!" Yuri gasped, her bow bouncing slightly as she did so.

"Yeah. I think that hooded person wasn't the killer, but rather, one of Mr. Gam's accomplices. Probably the one he mentioned during the trial. I guess that after the crime was committed, they showed themselves to Mr. Gam and said that they could help him out of the mess he was in. This person then switched the murder weapon, which was covered in blood, with one that had Niamh's prints on it, most likely from dinner or something similar. But Estella saw them as they did so."

"That is a logical conclusion," I agreed.

"But who other than Mr. Gam would have the motive to frame me? As far as the discord behind his voice goes, it appears that he doesn't even know the name of his accomplice. This mystery person helped him out, sure, but why?" Niamh cut in.

"That is one question I haven't figured out an answer to. Sorry," Chrysalis told her sheepishly.

"Don't worry over it. I'm sure that we'll figure it out eventually. As of now, I suggest that we go celebrate our victory in court." Niamh smiled gently and gestured for Yuri, Chrysalis, and I to follow her out of the courthouse.

I didn't hesitate for even a second before chasing after the strawberry blonde.

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Expect spam in the next five minutes. I pre-typed the next two chapters, so...

I said what I had to say in the last author's note, so I won't bore you further here.

-Digital