Chapter Text
March 24, 2022 10:21 am
Gavin and Co. Law Offices
Kristoph Gavin’s Office
The office was surprisingly quiet for a Tuesday morning, Kristoph noted as he put down his pen onto the papers he was working on. He could hear Andrea, his receptionist, dutifully typing just outside the door but other than that it was still. The school kids had long passed on their way to school and the other business associates in the building settled into their offices for the morning. His eyes drifted to the clock on the wall mentally calculating the time difference between LA and...where was Klavier now? Kristoph sighed. Klavier's tour had him flittering to a different country almost every other day making it hard to keep up with his location. The boy was going to burn himself out before too long going at this pace.
His thoughts about his wayward brother were interrupted by his desk phone ringing. He reached over and pulled the phone to his ear.
"Yes, Andrea?" Kristoph greeted.
"Sir, there's a...Dr. Thera Pyst on the phone for you." Andrea relayed. Kristoph narrowed his eyes.
"Connect her through." Kristoph said and leaned back in his chair waiting for the call to connect.
Thera had been a classmate of Kristoph in college. She wanted to be an adolescent therapist and had ended up being stationed as a school therapist in one of the public high schools. It had been some time since he spoke to her but something told him this wasn't a social call.
"Kristoph?" A voice broke through his thoughts.
"Thera, it's been a while. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?" Kristoph said pleasantly. Thera chuckled before sighing.
"There you go being all charming. Unfortunately, this isn't a pleasant call. I have to ask a legal favor." She started.
Kristoph straightened in his chair. "Oh. Well, of course, what do you need?"
Another sigh. "One of my students was arrested from the school this morning."
"Oh dear, my apologies. For what reason?" Kristoph knew it was possible she didn't have a clue but tried anyway.
"They wouldn't tell me anything. He was in math class and they took him out, cuffs and all. A loud spectacle despite the fact that he wasn’t even resisting arrest. Kids were flying out of class into the hallway, and the teachers were no better…I've been trying to do damage control for the last two hours. Unsuccessfully…you know how teenagers and people who work with teenagers are, y'know?" Kristoph didn't. His only insight to the world of teens was his younger brother, who was not currently on this continent. Thera continued, "So I decided to put my efforts elsewhere, like trying to find someone to help him. You were my first thought. So...will you help him?"
Kristoph took a moment to think. His own caseload was light recently with his junior partners taking most of the smaller cases for experience, so he would be available to take the case. On the other hand, he had nothing to virtually go on here, only the pleading of an overworked glorified babysitter whose job was to work with troubled teens.
"Kristoph, he didn't do this." Thera added when he didn't say anything for a bit. "I will admit, he is working through a lot, and he...expresses himself in not so healthy ways, but he's never done anything criminal. He wouldn't do this."
"Thera...that's not much to go on." Kristoph admitted, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Thera sighed. "Will you just meet him? Talk with him. I won't blame you for not taking this case but, if anyone could help him...it’s you…"
They were silent for a little time. Kristoph sighed. "I suppose gathering more information from the source is what's needed here. Fine, Thera. I'll look into this and see what I can do. Even if I don't end up taking the case, I could pass it onto someone that may be able to handle it." Kristoph said. Thera let out a breath.
"Thank you Kristoph, I do appreciate it. Please give me a call later with your decision." She said.
"I will. Have a good rest of your afternoon." Kristoph said. Thera wished him the same before hanging up. Kristoph rubbed his temple as he put the phone back on the receiver. Might as well get himself ready to go. He grabbed a legal pad and his pen before slipping on his jacket.
"I'll be following up on a defense request for the afternoon. If anything pressing comes in, forward to my cell. Other than that, leave a message." He said to Andrea as he passed.
"And if Klavier calls?" Andrea locked eyes with him. Kristoph took a moment to think about it.
"Forward it. He doesn’t call for pleasantries as it is." Kristoph instructed. Andrea nodded and turned back to the computer as he left the office.
March 24 11:01 am
Detention Center
Kristoph’s drive to the detention center was in relative silence, most of it spent wondering what he was going to be walking into with this case. A teen being arrested? An unfortunate reality that was more prevalent than people thought. There were lawyers that specifically dealt with juvenile cases in family court. Kristoph was not one of them. He didn't have the patience to try and comfort an angry child. It was one of the reasons his and Klavier's relationship was rocky at the moment.
He stepped into the building and presented his ID and badge number to gain entry when he encountered his first problem.
He didn't know who he was coming to see.
"Mr. Gavin?" The officer at the desk repeated after Kristoph hadn't answered the question. Thankfully he was saved from his faux-pas by a loud screech from the meeting room. The door opened and revealed a red-faced Prosecutor Winston Payne glaring into the room.
"You, infuriating boy, have disrespected me for the last time. I will take great pride in watching your guilt be proven tomorrow!" Kristoph held a finger to his ear in the hopes it drowned out the ringing through the hall.
"Bye Mr. Prosecutor!" A gravely but oddly high-pitched voice called out as Payne stomped down the hall towards where Kristoph was standing.
"Gavin! Let me guess, you're here to defend that little urchin?!" Payne fumed. Kristoph fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"Is that the teen taken in from school this morning?" He asked.
Payne smirked, "Yes it is. Apollo Justice."
"What an odd name for a boy." Kristoph thought but silently thanked Payne for supplying the name of the kid. "I'm here to see him," he turned to the guard who jotted that down. "Excuse me, prosecutor." Kristoph went to start down the hall.
"Too bad he's guilty. Your first loss, Gavin?" Payne taunted.
Kristoph turned back, pushing his glasses up so they glinted in the light before saying, "We'll see." He turned into the room, closing the door before hearing Payne's comeback. He remained facing the door taking a breath to steel off the headache that began to form from the short interaction.
"Oh, Holy Mother, now what?" Kristoph heard the words muttered from behind the glass. He turned to face his potential client. His eyes took in the sight before him.
He had no preconceived ideas what a child with a name like Apollo Justice would look like, especially because Kristoph heard the name only a minute prior to meeting him, but if he had to put a face to the name, the boy sitting before him wouldn't have been what he thought.
Apollo was small, Kristoph could tell the boy was shorter in height than the average teen even sitting down despite the two large spikes adorning the top of his head. Kristoph noted the rest of his hair was covered by a black beanie. He had broad shoulders swallowed up by a sea of black. His arms were folded against his chest, covered by a combination of white and black striped fingerless arm coverings and fishnet stockings which were kept in place by being hung on his thumb and pinky. His chipped black nails curved against his arms, like he was protecting himself rather than just simply being defiant.
Kristoph looked up into glaring brown eyes outlined in black eyeliner and eyeshadow.
"So who are you now? The unlucky sap come to plead my case? I guess you have a better dress sense than the prosecutor, so kudos to you." Apollo bit out drawing Kristoph to notice the matte black lips and the glinting hoop looped through the lower right of his bottom lip.
"That remains to be seen." Kristoph said back, taking a seat and taking the legal pad out. When he looked up again, Apollo had unfolded his arms, letting them hang at his sides, scrunching up his pierced nose.
"Hmph." Apollo grunted looking off to the side letting Kristoph see the various piercings along Apollo's right ear.
"I'm surprised you still have all those. Usually metal items are taken upon booking." Kristoph said conversationally as he began to write.
"Tch. I've been here since I was arrested. They've been trying to process my paperwork for hours." Apollo grumbled.
"Hmm. And other than the police and the prosecutor, no one else has been to see you? Your parents?"
Apollo was silent for a moment before saying, "For someone sent to defend me, you sure know nothing about your client." He sneered, leaning forward with a mean smirk.
Kristoph just waited and continued to write. It's what worked for Klavier when he was upset, which it didn't take a genius to figure out that is what Apollo was. Underneath that hard, sarcastic exterior was a scared child; patience was required.
Apollo glanced again off to the side. "My 'parents'," he said as he curled his fingers in stiff air quotes, "are the reason I'm here."
"What is your charge?" Kristoph tried a different line of questioning.
"Grand larceny," Apollo spit. "Accused of stealing my own money."
"And a lot of it for it to be charged as grand larceny." Kristoph added. Apollo growled.
"6,342 dollars." He said through his teeth.
Kristoph raised a brow. "Certainly a large sum of money." He jotted that detail down.
"It's all mine! I earned it!" Apollo shouted. Kristoph's pen scratched off the line as he jolted. For a small kid he had a rather large voice.
"I never implied anything otherwise, Mr. Justice, now keep your voice down, I'm right here." Kristoph said firmly, looking up at the boy. Apollo flinched back and slumped in the chair. "Now, can you tell me what happened that led you to being arrested?" Kristoph asked.
Apollo smirked. "I don't think you have that much time, counselor, for me to trudge through 17 years of trauma."
Kristoph just nudged his glasses up and wrote that Apollo was indeed 17 years old. When he looked up again he saw Apollo's nose was scrunched up again. “I certainly don’t need that long of an account. Just the last few hours would be sufficient.” Kristoph retorted. Apollo frowned and crossed his arms again though this time Kristoph saw a small glint of light before Apollo closed off his chest.
“Hmph.” Apollo huffed. “Nothing happened. No one believes me anyway. What’s the point?” Apollo grumbled.
“I-” Kristoph began before a cold chuckle stopped him.
“No, you don’t. No one believes foster kids. Nice try.” Apollo was smirking at him. Kristoph fell silent as he took in Apollo’s haughty face. Just words weren’t going to be enough here. “I need evidence to prove to him that I believe him.” Kristoph thought and started to gather his things.
“As much as I have enjoyed your little…tantrum, Mr. Justice, I believe that this is where I take my leave.” He said standing. He glanced over at Apollo, his mouth dropped slightly, his pierced, forked eyebrow quirked up.
“That’s it?” Apollo asked incredulously. “That’s all? You have nothing else to say? Heh. Didn’t figure you would be one to give up so easily on your client, counselor.” He goaded. Kristoph smirked and pushed his glasses up.
“I think you’re mistaken, Mr. Justice. I wasn’t here to start defending you, I was here to gauge if this case was worth my time. I did say, ‘that remains to be seen’ when you asked if I was the, what was it? ‘Unlucky sap come to plead your case’?” Kristoph quoted, causing Apollo to jerk back again in the chair. “I never once confirmed that I was the defense attorney taking your case. Words have meaning, Mr. Justice.” Kristoph slid his legal pad back into his briefcase.
Apollo’s brown eyes widened and it looked like a hint of fear bled into them. “...I see.”
Kristoph tutted. “Since you have given me nothing to work with and your little games are as entertaining to me as supervising my brother’s band practices, by which I mean not entertaining at all, I am seeking to find my answers elsewhere. Do try to behave before I come back.”
This clearly shocked Apollo since the boy leaned forward with narrowed eyes. “You mean…you’re coming back?” He asked cautiously.
Kristoph sighed. “Against my better judgment, yes. You deserve to at least be told whether or not your fate lies in my capable hands.” Apollo’s face pinched up and reddened.
“Oh fuck off!” Apollo spat and closed himself off by folding his arms and hunching himself down, his head tilted down, effectively indicating that the conversation was over. Kristoph took this as the perfect time to exit the room. He closed the door and turned to leave when he forced himself to stop short, lest he run into the other person in the hallway.
“Detective Gumshoe.” Kristoph sighed and spared a glance over to the scruffy detective who, at the very least, had the sense to seem guilty for almost running him over.
“Oh, hi, Mr. Gavin, sir!” Gumshoe greeted, scratching at his neck sheepishly. Kristoph just raised his eyebrows in response. “Are you finished talking with the suspect?”
“Yes, I believe I have what I need for right now. If you’re going to speak to him, be forewarned, he doesn’t seem to want to cooperate.”
“Yeah, we’ve been trying to talk to him for the last three hours. Sent in five different people to talk to him, but the kid’s a tough nut to crack. He made one of the other detectives cry before Prosecutor Payne came in.” Gumshoe admitted.
“And now it is your turn?” Kristoph asked. Gumshoe nodded. “Hmm, I see, well I wish you luck in your endeavor, Detective.” Kristoph said and then passed by him to leave the detention center and back to his car, thinking about his next stop.
He obviously would have to go to the scene of the crime but he had no idea where Apollo lived and he was too proud to go back and demand it of the child, not that the little urchin would part with that information. He decided then to see if he could get that information from the source of this headache. He started his car and began his drive to Cristóbal Aguilar High School, where Thera worked.
March 24
Cristóbal Aguilar High School
As is typical in Los Angeles, the short drive took entirely too long despite it not even being the end of the school day or work day. Kristoph sighed as he finally found a parking spot and walked toward the school. After presenting his ID and Badge as well as walking through a few metal detectors, he was finally escorted by a security guard toward the counselor’s office. The guard left him to his devices as he went to deal with a few errant eyes peering at the attorney from around the corner. “Charming.” Kristoph thought as he knocked on the door. A moment later, a haggard-looking woman opened the door, her brown hair falling from the bun on her head.
“Kristoph Gavin!” The woman gasped, pulling him by his arm into the office, quickly closing the door and locking it. Kristoph had a moment of panic before two arms encircled his waist. “Dear God, I am so happy to see you.”
“Well, you would be the first.” Kristoph snarked. Thera released him and stepped back, pushing a strand of hair from her face, giving the attorney a sheepish smile.
“Sorry, it has been crazy here since this morning. I’ve been on phone call after phone call for hours with detectives, the prosecutor’s office and with Apollo’s social worker so I’m desperate for a little good news. Did you go see Apollo? How is he?” Thera asked in quick succession before covering a hand over her mouth, grinning sheepishly. “Oh where are my manners, please sit. Do you want a coffee or something?” Thera offered, spinning around and frantically trying to locate something, though Kristoph couldn’t give a guess as to what.
“I’m fine for now, and, yes, I did go to see Apollo. He’s…quite an individual.” Kristoph settled on. Thera let out a huffing laugh.
“You can say it, he’s a pain in the neck.”
“Not my exact choice of words, but good enough.” Kristoph thought. Thera sighed and sat down heavily.
“Believe me, I know.” Thera continued. “I’ve been working with him for years. I know it is hard to believe, but we’ve worked our way from using our words instead of our fists as a form of communication.” Thera said smiling, sitting across Kristoph at her desk.
Kristoph waited for a moment before saying, “You are serious?” He asked. She nodded. “That tiny thing? Punching people?”
“Yes, he packs quite a punch for such a small guy. His tongue packs just as much as a punch. But we’ve made progress.” Thera remarked with a grin. Kristoph sighed.
“That’s not reassuring at all.” Kristoph shot back. Thera’s grin fell off her face.
“Kristoph, he is a good kid. He’s just…been through a lot. It took years for me to get a little glimpse of what’s gone on but…he’s hurting. I can’t give you anything too detailed, right to privacy…well you’re an attorney, you know about that, but, he needs someone in his corner. I can only do so much for him but when you’re asked so specifically about his behaviors…I feel like I’m going to do more harm to his character than good…” Thera sighed and tapped her fingers against the desk.
“I am going to assume the prosecutor is asking for a character statement from you.” Kristoph said. Thera nodded.
“Yep. Unpleasant little man. I wish I could go tomorrow and just watch you eviscerate him…verbally of course.” She clarifies before sighing. “He wants to paint Apollo as a destructive deviant, a sociopath, which is far from what he is. He’s a troublemaker, he likes to play pranks, yes, but he isn’t destructive, he doesn’t want to watch the world burn for kicks and giggles. He’s lashing out because he’s frustrated, he’s stuck and he has worked hard to try and mediate his anger. All for naught if he’s convicted.” Thera sighed again and Kristoph saw the tears forming in her eyes.
“Can you tell me more about Apollo, whatever you can?” Kristoph pressed, pulling out his notepad from his briefcase. Thera nodded and pulled out a file thicker than some of the more complicated records Kristoph has in the office. He must’ve made some sort of face because Thera giggled as she opened the folder.
“It looks like a lot but most of this is superficial infractions like he was walking down the hall on the wrong side…he’s…made a few teachers dislike him, not that I condone taking out their frustrations on him by sending him to me for silly things like having his shoe untied.”
Kristoph raised his eyebrow, “They send him to you for that?” He asked.
“Some teachers send him to get him out of the class preemptively, before he does something. His economics teacher is a dear example of that. Thankfully, Apollo is pretty good at teaching himself most subjects, so his grades aren’t impacted by the disruption. His weakness is mathematics but his best friend Clay excels in math so he’s able to help him.” Thera said with a smile. Kristoph jotted a few things down on his notepad.
“Wouldn’t these infractions impact his chances for college acceptance and recommendations?” He asked. Thera sighed.
“Well, that’s where I currently am with Apollo. He has no interest in going to college.” She said.
“Because he isn’t able to handle it?” Kristoph asked. It seemed inconsistent with what Thera was saying about Apollo’s aptitude.
Thera sighed again, she seemed to do that a lot when talking about Apollo. “I haven’t been able to get a straight answer from him on that so I can’t give you one, I’m sorry.” She said, Kristoph nodded.
“Of course, I did say whatever you can tell me.” He repeated. Thera nodded before flipping to a page in the file in front of her.
“Let me start at the beginning, that way I can give you what I can." She offered an began to read. "Apollo is a foster child, he has been in the system since he was nine years old. We have no information about where he was prior to that, and he won’t say. There are no records of him anywhere in the State of California. His main goal is to be emancipated from the system as soon as he can and live on his own, or at the very least, probably live with Clay Terran, his best friend. He is exceptionally bright, high grades across the board, has the potential to be valedictorian, or did before this…incident. He has always been a bit of a loner, to my knowledge he has no other friends besides Clay, or at least none that he has spoken about.” Thera turned a few pages. “He’s been with the Oft family for about six months. He’s complained about them often to me, one of the things he’s most open about when talking about his life, but nothing that his social worker thought was enough to move him out. She also figures that since he is 17 and his birthday is in the fall, he can wait it out until he turns 18.”
“Has there been trouble with this current family?” Kristoph asked, continuing to quickly write whatever information he thinks is relevant onto the page. Thera shrugged.
“Compared to some of the other families, no. Apollo says there’s some privacy issues, like they want access to his room sometimes to make sure he isn’t doing drugs or drinking. They want access to his phone to see who he is texting. I think these are problems because it is an invasion of his privacy and all Apollo wants is to be trusted, but, as I said, his social worker doesn’t think it is that big of a deal.” Thera’s green eyes rolled as she flipped to something else in the file. “Apollo said that his foster father is a gambler and goes through money like water, but it is a hush topic. He thinks his foster mother is a ‘glorified Stepford wife’ and often sides with her husband, having ‘no original thought of her own,’. They have no biological children and Apollo is the only other person living in the house.”
“That’s why he’s the main suspect,” Kristoph noted. Thera nodded. “Anything else of note you think I should know?”
“Apollo is very perceptive. He notices things, small things, normally overlooked by others. He also has little impulse control. Part of what gets him into trouble is pointing out those little things in a not so nice way.” Thera said, glancing off to the side to think through her wording.
Kristoph nodded, quickly reminded of Klavier, and it scares him how similar this kid is to his brother. He wrote down a few more things before asking, “What time did he come in today?”
“Apollo? Well, he hadn’t gotten the opportunity to come see me this morning, his economics class is at 10:40 today. However,” She trailed off turning to her monitor on the desk. “I can see what time his ID was scanned this morning…” She clicked around the screen a couple of times. “Ah, yes, he came in at 7:30 this morning. His usual time.” She confirmed looking over at him. He nodded and jotted that information down.
“What time does school start?” Kristoph followed up.
“First period begins at 8:30.”
“Then he was here rather early.” Kristoph noted as he wrote down her answer. Thera nodded.
“Yes, he’s usually here at 7:30. He studies in the library until he meets up with Clay. But Clay was not here today, so he probably just stayed in the library until he went to class, where he was immediately arrested.” Thera explained. Kristoph nodded, jotting that information down.
“The IDs. Students have to swipe in and out?” He asked, not looking up from his note taking.
“Just in. But they have to swipe in every time they come into the building. There’s only one place to swipe.” Thera clarified.
“So he couldn’t have left and come back.” Kristoph muttered as he scribbled. “I think that’s all I need for now, other than the address of the Oft residence.”
“You’re investing a lot of energy for someone who is still trying to figure out if he’s taking the case or not.” Thera quipped. Kristoph frowned at her.
“Your little…Apollo,” He quickly redirected his words, “is stubborn and won’t say anything, so I need evidence for him. He’s pretty sure no one can help him.” He added. Thera teared up and looked away from Kristoph.
“And I am now yet another adult who failed him…” She whispered. Kristoph pursed his lips, unsure what to say to her. She sighed. “Here is the address, you didn’t get it from me.” She handed him a slip of paper. He nodded and took it, putting it in his pocket.
“Thank you, Thera.” He said, turning with his briefcase to the door. Thera stood and walked to the door with him.
“Kristoph…” She started. Kristoph turned around and looked at her. She bit her lip. “Believe in him, please…show him that there are people that can care for him and his well being. Be the exception. I tried but…” She trailed off, bringing a hand to her eye and wiping a tear from her face.
“I will do my best. The evidence will reveal the truth of this case. If he is innocent, then I will find the evidence that proves it.” Kristoph promised. Thera smiled and wiped some more tears from her face.
“I knew I picked the right guy for the job. Good luck with the rest of your investigation, and if you need anything…”
“I’ll be sure to give you a call.” Kristoph said as he turned to leave the building. Leaving was less of a process than coming in. Basically one could leave through any door in the building that led outside. A quick glance showed Kristoph that there were cameras stationed on the outside doors, and, if they were in working order, would record any leaving or possible sneaking into the building. Kristoph made a mental note of that fact before pulling out his phone. Nothing from Andrea, thankfully, which meant all was well, but it also meant that Klavier, wherever he was, hadn’t called either. He pulled up his maps and plugged in the address for the Oft residence.
March 24
Oft Residence
The ride this time was not as long as he was going against traffic but Kristoph knew that the ride back to the Detention Center, which was the next move, was going to be hell. He stepped out of the car to the sight of detectives and police officers scattered about the scene, talking. He quickly found Detective Gumshoe standing and speaking to one of the officers off to the side of the house. He made his way over.
“Detective.” Kristoph said in a way of greeting.
“Mr. Gavin!” Gumshoe called, a wary grin on his face. “That client of yours is one tough cookie!” He remarked as the defense attorney came closer. It was more advantageous for Kristoph to keep the information that Apollo wasn’t technically his client rather than correct the man, or else he could tell Kristoph to leave the scene.
“Yes, I have come to find out that about him through talking to him myself.” Kristoph admitted. “This is his house then?”
“Well yeah, we aren’t just standing out here for nothing!” Gumshoe exclaimed. Kristoph just smiled; how Prosecutor Edgeworth worked with this man without killing him was just another mystery of the world. “We are just wrapping up our investigation here. And no asking any questions! We aren’t giving up our info for nothing this time!” He said, wagging his finger in Kristoph’s direction.
“Fair enough. I suppose I will just find this information for myself tomorrow anyway.” Kristoph said with a smile, folding his arms pleasantly in front of his chest. Gumshoe swelled with pride.
“Right! It is an airtight case though, no one else but the kid could have done it!” Gumshoe remarked, scratching his head. Kristoph nodded but said nothing else. “I mean, he was the only one in the house at the time of the crime, both parents had gone out for coffee early in the morning.” Gumshoe continued.
“Hmm” Kristoph hummed, still not saying anything. “This is just too easy.” Kristoph thought.
“Yea-heh.” Gumshoe scratched his chin. “The kid stole the money from the safe when he knew the parents were out and then went back to school.”
“Huh. Back to school eh?” Kristoph thought, committing that piece of evidence to memory for later.
Gumshoe laughed, “Like I said, airtight case. You won’t crack me tomorrow Mr. Gavin!” Gumshoe tapped his chest with a closed fist. “My testimony is fool-proof!”
“I look forward to hearing how fool-proof it is, Detective.” Kristoph said pleasantly. “And indeed, proving how foolish it is will be the highlight of my day.” Kristoph smirked before bidding farewell to the detective and taking a quick look through the house.
There was nothing much of note in the house. The safe was in a tall closet, one that he knew Apollo couldn’t have touched without the assistance of a ladder, which was not present at the scene. A quick thought of fingerprints crossed Kristoph’s mind, whether Payne would present that Apollo’s were on the safe, remained to be seen, though Kristoph noted there were no forensic investigators outside. That certainly wouldn’t help the case if Apollo’s fingerprints were present. Kristoph went to a small room off the left side of the room with the safe. It was a small bedroom, Apollo’s, if Kristoph had to guess. It was certainly tidy for a teenage boy’s room, he thought, comparing Klavier’s old room in the house to this one. Klavier was a whirlwind, leaving things behind wherever he went. Apollo’s desk was neat, everything seemingly in place. A few school books stacked with some…was that...manga? The bedsheets were made up nicely. Kristoph made a quick note of the neatness of Apollo’s room, in case the prosecution decided to make a point to say that Apollo was expecting to leave quickly or some other nonsensical point.
Kristoph found no other important things in the house and left to sit in traffic to go back to take another crack at Apollo Justice, this time armed with evidence.
March 24
Detention Center
Visitor’s Room
Apollo was sitting in the detention center meeting room with the same scowl as the first time Kristoph met him, this time, however, it seemed the fight was quickly wearing out the boy. His eyes looked heavy and the makeup around his eyes was smudging, as if Apollo had been rubbing at his eyes. The lipstick was fading in the corner by his piercing. Apollo glanced at him as he entered the room, his eyes widening in surprise but quickly going back into a narrowed glare as Kristoph sat in front of him once more, pulling out his legal pad.
“How are you doing?” Kristoph greeted. Apollo grunted but said nothing else. Kristoph nodded. “I can’t imagine it’s been easy for you having to try to talk to some of these people.” He continued. Apollo said nothing just kept his arms folded and glared at the table. “Well, since you finally seem to be in a position to listen, I will present what I think.” Kristoph flipped to his notes. Apollo straightened up a little bit and tried to peer at the small cursive and Kristoph saw the boy’s nose scrunch. “While you are, indeed, an immature little boy,” He started and had to hold back a laugh as he saw Apollo’s eyes threaten to bug out of his head, “I am quite sure you did not steal the money.”
Apollo gritted his teeth, "Are you making fun of me?" He grounded out.
"Absolutely not. I've gathered all the necessary evidence I needed to make my case for your innocence. The only thing I need is your side of the story to solidify my case." Kristoph explained. Apollo jerked back, his two spikes curving forward into his face.
Apollo muttered something that Kristoph couldn’t hear before rearing his body back up to glare at Kristoph. "You’re so sure that I’m innocent then, huh?" Apollo asked.
"I spoke to several people today. Your guidance counselor for one." Kristoph said.
Brown eyes roll back. "Of course. Dr. Pyst." Apollo muttered. "She's too concerned for me. I'm sorry you wasted your time."
Kristoph cocked his head. "What do you mean, Mr. Justice?"
"Well, isn't it obvious? It’s like I said before, the last time you were here, no one is going to believe me. I'm a 17-year-old foster kid. They never believe us. Dr. Pyst tries but...I'm guilty, no matter what the two of you do, no matter what ‘evidence’ you have." Apollo folded his arms again and slumped down. For the first time, Kristoph saw that Apollo was vulnerable.
“Well, forgive me for not taking the word of a 17-year-old as law then, but you are not guilty of this crime.” Kristoph scoffed.
“This’ll be good.” Apollo muttered. Kristoph narrowed his eyes but waited for the quip from the teen. “So what evidence do you have, counselor?” Apollo challenged, brown eyes sparkling defiantly.
“Your alibi.”
“Huh?” Apollo’s head shot up, and something felt like it snapped inside Kristoph.
"Sit up." Kristoph commanded sharply and Apollo, surprisingly, immediately did so unfolding his arms. "You heard what I said, therefore your little 'huh' was a waste of words and time.'"
Apollo licked his lips, "How can you be sure…" He muttered looking down. Kristoph hummed.
"If you stop arguing and let me finish speaking then I can tell you." Kristoph picked his pen up again. Apollo leaned forward and laid his arms against the desk on his side of the glass to try and look at Kristoph’s writing. “Your card was swiped only once, to enter the building at 7:30 this morning. You did not leave the building, the cameras would have caught you. You did not sneak back into the school either because you have no friends other than Clay who could let you back in, and, again, the cameras would have caught you. The safe in your foster home is on a high shelf, one which you could not reach without a ladder and there was no ladder at the scene. I won’t even bother trying to point out the obvious point of your lack of knowledge of the code to the safe because the prosecution would just use your innate intelligence as a counter and somehow you figured it out, but…your alibi is pretty airtight, unless you are a magician.” Kristoph had finished by spitting the last word distastefully, the sting of an incident still fresh on his mind. He glanced up at Apollo who was blinking at him. Apollo’s mouth opened once, twice, trying to form words, a counterargument to go against Kristoph. The boy’s eyes dropped to his hands which were now underneath the table.
“You’re right…” An unusually small voice came from the boy. It seemed Apollo’s tough exterior was crumbling before Kristoph’s eyes. Apollo bit the corner of his lip where his piercing lay worriedly. “I…didn’t leave the school…at all. And I didn’t steal the money before I left either because…that’s why the safe is that high, I can’t reach it, and there is no ladder in the house since both of my foster parents are pretty tall…” Teary brown eyes looked up.
“So, am I to take it you will be straight with me now?” Kristoph asked. Apollo nodded, a few tears falling down his face. Kristoph smiled. “Good.” Kristoph dropped his eyes to his notepad to give Apollo a minute to compose himself.
"Um...I just realized I don't know your name…" Apollo said, pulling his left arm up to scratch at the back of his head. Kristoph looked up and saw the glinting of the light on Apollo's left wrist. His eyes focused onto a gold bracelet, the only spot of color found on the boy, one that looked vaguely familiar.
"Kristoph Gavin," he replied, eyes still locked on the bracelet, trying to wrack his brain as to why it was familiar to him. Apollo nodded and looked away, dropping his hand and breaking Kristoph's trance.
"Well, Mr. Gavin. I don't know how much help I'm gonna be, but...I'll answer your questions." Apollo sat slightly straighter in his chair, his hardened glare and stone face melting away leaving behind a small smile and a youthful glow.
"Hmm. That is a help, Mr. Justice, thank you." Kristoph nodded. "Now, I would like you to tell me your side of the story. Start from the beginning and leave nothing out."
Apollo nodded and began speaking. Kristoph listened and wrote as Apollo outlined the events of the last 24 hours adding in the context and backstory when Kristoph desired clarification. By the end of Apollo's story, this was what Kristoph learned:
Apollo had verified everything Thera and his investigation had told him already; Apollo was a frequent visitor to Dr. Pyst's office as he was a notorious troublemaker, a fact the prosecution will no doubt point out early and often in their argument. Apollo had been working towards full emancipation by the time he graduated high school. He had no plans for college for reasons he wouldn't disclose no matter how Kristoph pressed, Apollo citing it had absolutely nothing to do with the case at hand. Kristoph backed off after a particularly scathing comment from Apollo about Kristoph's hair. Apollo then confirmed more information about the details of the case. The night prior to his arrest, Apollo came home from a shift at his job as a barista to an ambush. His foster father, Rick Oft, had found the money Apollo had carefully hidden within objects in his room. He accused Apollo of stealing it, citing any money the state granted for Apollo's care was automatically to go to them. Apollo screamed back that it was rightfully earned through his jobs. Apollo had left, went to stay at his best friend’s empty house. Apollo had noted that Clay was not around this week, a detail that had come up previously in the investigation. Apollo had come home early in the morning to an empty house; a common occurrence Apollo said bitterly. He got his things and went to school and then was arrested during math class and here they were.
"That’s all I can give to you, Mr. Gavin…" Apollo said, sighing. Kristoph looked over at the clock noting his time was almost up.
"Apollo…there's only one thing that I need and that's evidence. Evidence is everything in court. The prosecutor needs to provide evidence of your guilt and I need to provide evidence of your innocence. I have the evidence I need to prove your innocence, so thank you for that. Now I have one thing to ask of you."
"Certainly, sir!" Apollo brightened, the beginnings of a smile etching across his face.
“You need to trust in yourself.” Kristoph said. Apollo’s smile dropped and his brow furrowed.
“I’m sorry? What?” Apollo asked, giving a strange look to the defense attorney.
“You heard me. I hate being asked for clarification on things I said plainly. You are worth far more to this world than just an angry 17-year-old foster child. You need to stop pitying yourself and channel your passion into something else. You want to be emancipated and viewed as an adult? Act like one. Tomorrow morning, when you are in court, you are to present yourself and your case clearly and directly, do you understand?” Kristoph asked, folding his arms. Apollo looked like he wanted to scream at Kristoph. His teeth were bared and his face was getting red. Kristoph just looked at the boy coolly, waiting out the boy patiently. He wasn’t the Coolest Defense Attorney in the West for nothing. Apollo took a few deep breaths and seemed to decide to cool his anger.
“I understand…sir…” Apollo muttered. Kristoph smirked.
“What was that Mr. Justice?” Kristoph asked. Apollo pursed his lips and locked eyes with the attorney, a spark of fire brewing in his brown eyes.
“I understand, sir.” Apollo repeated, clearly and directly, folding his arms again, the light of the room glinting across the metal.
Kristoph smiled. “Good. Try to get some rest, Mr. Justice. I need you at your best tomorrow.” Kristoph nodded towards the boy as the guards came to get him. For a split second, Kristoph saw the bravado fall and Apollo’s eyes widened in fear as he stood up. Kristoph stood and leaned forward. “Apollo, it will be alright.”
Apollo sent back a shaky smile, “I’ll be fine.” He muttered before turning to go. Kristoph waited until the door shut before he gathered his things to leave, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He sent a small prayer for the intercession of Dominic Savio, a lingering part of his Catholic upbringing coming forward unexpectedly. He hoped Apollo would be fine tonight.
March 24
U.S. Interstate
His drive home was uneventful as well, he stopped by the office to leave a few things behind, sign a few documents. Andrea had a list of things left for him as well, which he could attend to in the morning before the trial. His phone rang as he drove home. He quickly picked it up and put it on speaker.
“Gavin speaking.” He said as the phone connected.
“Always so formal, Kristoph, do you answer like this for your brother as well?” The voice on the other end said with a chuckle. Kristoph allowed himself an eye roll as he was alone in the car.
“Wright, to what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your voice this evening. I thought you had work tonight?” Kristoph said as he took a turn a little sharply. Oh well.
Phoenix Wright, the Turnabout Terror as he was known before his disbarment, was a peculiar man, Kristoph had learned. The two had been in the same circles for a while, but didn’t really know each other until the events leading up to the other’s disbarment. Kristoph had been fired by his client who then hired Phoenix the day before the trial started. Kristoph had found the transfer strange and told Klavier, the prosecutor for the case, to be on alert during the trial the next day. Klavier, heeding his brother’s advice for once, had figured out that Phoenix presented forged evidence, for which Phoenix had been disbarred. Kristoph had gone immediately to confront the other attorney to which Phoenix had said he had no idea it was forged. Kristoph, having no other evidence to go with, reluctantly believed the man, much to Klavier’s chagrin. Kristoph then voted against the disbarment by the Bar, and was currently helping the man look into the case deeper. They hadn’t really found anything new in two years.
Phoenix’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, “Oh I do,” he started and then Kristoph could hear the scratching of his nails against that ridiculous beanie he wore. “I just wanted to see what you were up to. Any new cases you need a fresh eye on?” He asked.
“I am just coming home from the office. I do have a new case, pretty straightforward. Kid was accused of stealing a large sum of money but he absolutely could not do it. Payne is prosecuting it tomorrow. The hardest part was talking to the kid.” Kristoph turned onto another street, thankful it was a light pattern of traffic, for once.
“Was he a charmer?” Phoenix chuckled.
“I hope that was sarcastic, Wright.” Kristoph gritted.
“It was.”
“He was an…asshole for lack of a better word.” Kristoph admitted. Phoenix’s loud laugh filled the car.
“Ooh he must’ve been for you to use a curse!”
“If you’re just going to make fun of me, then I will hang up.” Kristoph threatened.
“Okay, okay…” Phoenix relented and then sighed. “I miss having difficult clients sometimes.”
Kristoph didn’t know what to say to that. Phoenix thankfully quickly changed the subject after that, not returning to the case he was working on again. The rest of the drive was filled with the anecdotes about Trucy, Phoenix’s adopted daughter. They talked for a few more minutes before Kristoph turned into the driveway and parked. He hung up the phone after saying goodbye and walked up the stairs into the hallway. He had just latched the door when he heard the clicking of nails against the floor.
“Vongole, halt!” He commanded. He heard a thump behind him and he turned around to spy on his precious dog, Vongole. Her tail was thumping against the floor and her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she waited for Kristoph to let her out of her stance. Kristoph put his jacket up on the hook and his briefcase next to the rack before turning again to the patiently waiting dog.
“Vongole, kommen.” He said. Vongole stood and ran towards Kristoph’s legs winding her body around each one, panting happily. Kristoph afforded a small smile and a few pats before beginning his routine for the night.
After both he and Vongole were fed, she walked and played with a little the two retired to the sitting room. Kristoph sat at the Grand Piano in the room and played a little bit while Vongole napped on her pillow. Playing the piano allowed Kristoph to stop the thoughts in his head for a while since all of his focus had to be on the keys, the form of his fingers, and remembering the music rather than on his errant thoughts of Apollo and his feelings regarding the case, both the one at hand and Phoenix’s. He played for a bit longer before another sound brought him out of his thoughts. His phone. Kristoph stopped and stood to grab it from where it was charging on the side table of the study.
Schnecke- the caller ID flashed. He picked it up.
“Hallo, Klavier.” Kristoph greeted. He heard a small sigh on the other line. “What were you hoping I wouldn’t pick up?” He teased as he sat in the lounge chair.
“Nein, I knew you would, I’m just…a little tired. It was a good show, three encores, but it takes a lot out of you.” Klavier responded. Kristoph hummed.
“Where are you now? It must be late then,” Kristoph’s eyes drifted to the grandfather clock in the corner. A little past 9.
“We’re in Prague today. Hitting the road tomorrow toward Vienna.” Klavier said, “Well, more like later today, but, semantics.” Klavier chuckled.
A quick calculation, “It’s 6 am in Prague, schnecke. Do you mean to tell me you have been awake all night?” Kristoph asked.
“I took a nap like an hour ago.” Klavier argued.
Kristoph sighed, “Klavier…”
“Nein, nein, none of that. I am 19-years-old.” Kristoph could see the pout forming on Klavier’s face.
“I understand that, Klavier, but even 19-year-olds can have issues due to sleep deprivation.” Kristoph pointed out.
“Ugh! I don’t call you for you to needle me about my lifestyle choices, Kristoph!” Klavier whined.
“I know that, you can’t fault me for worrying about you, Klavier.” Kristoph muttered. Klavier sighed.
“I know. I’m just cranky, I’m sorry for taking it out on you, Kris. I'll yell at Daryan later to make up for it, ja?” Klavier said and Kristoph could see his brother’s bright smile in his mind.
“It’ll help.” Kristoph said knowing that it would get a chuckle from Klavier. “Are you too tired to hear about your favorite dog?”
“Of course not, what did Clams do now?” Klavier asked brightly.
“Must you call her that?” Kristoph groaned.
“It is her name in English.” Klavier protested. Kristoph rolled his eyes.
“You don’t see me referring to you by Piano, your chosen name in English, or Konrad, which is your given name, so I don’t see why you have to refer to my dog as Clams.” Kristoph argued, knowing full well it would go nowhere. Klavier chucked but allowed Kristoph to talk for a bit about Vongole and the little things that had been happening. He purposefully left out anything about Phoenix and his current case, that would make Klavier testy. The conversation wrapped up quickly when Klavier yawned for the fourth time in a minute.
“Go get some sleep, schnecke.” Kristoph commanded. He could feel the eye roll from across the line.
“Fine, Naseweiß ,” Klavier grumbled.
“I am your older brother, Klavier.” Kristoph smirked.
“Doesn’t mean you have to be a know-it-all, Kris.” Klavier muttered, his breathing starting to even out. Kristoph’s smirk evened out to a fond smile.
“Make sure you hang up the phone, Klavier,” Kristoph prompted his brother. Klavier sighed.
“Ja, good night, Kris. Love you.”
“I love you too. Have a good day, Klavier.” Kristoph said before hanging up with a sigh. That boy was going to give him a heart attack. Kristoph quickly finished his night routine and settled down to sleep.
March 25, 9:35 AM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 2
Kristoph sat on the couch in the defendant lobby looking over his notes and other papers he brought with him to the courthouse that morning. He was waiting for when Apollo would be brought in. He stifled a yawn behind his hand before pushing up his glasses and continuing to read. He didn’t get the best sleep last night, his thoughts bouncing between his young client, whether he was okay, and his brother currently in Europe, and if he was okay. He heard the large doors open and the guards bringing in Apollo who looked much smaller this morning. Kristoph stood and walked over to the boy who quickly shook off the hands of the guards and stopped in front of Kristoph, allowing a full glance at the boy now that he was not behind a glass and table.
Apollo really was quite tiny, if Kristoph had to guess, the boy was only 5 feet tall, without the spikes which now were slightly drooping. His makeup was really smudged around his eyes and his lipstick was faded in the middle of his lips, especially around his piercing. The skin around his piercing was also red, like he had been pulling at it.
“Are you alright this morning?” Kristoph asked. Apollo jumped at the voice but offered a small smile quickly looking up at Kristoph.
“I’m fine, just didn’t sleep. I...can’t sleep in new places.” Apollo said, his voice surprisingly small and quiet. He was taking short quick breaths and staring at a spot on the floor intensely.
“I would like to bring you to sit down. Is that okay, or would you rather walk yourself?” Kristoph asked. Apollo looked up again at him, this time with a confused look in his eyes.
“I’d like to walk by myself, thanks.” Apollo muttered as the two walked to the bench Kristoph had been sitting on before Apollo’s arrival. Apollo sat first.
“Did you eat?” Kristoph asked. Apollo jerked his head no. Kristoph nodded and then left the room, going to the vending machine and paying for a pack of Swiss Rolls. Not the most wholesome breakfast, but it would do in a pinch. He walked back into the lobby and sat next to Apollo, handing the boy the package. Apollo looked at it warily.
“What is this?” He asked, not moving to take the package.
Kristoph sighed, “They’re Swiss Rolls. Chocolate. I should have asked if you were allergic to anything before going to the vending machines.” Kristoph noted. Apollo nodded and took them, gently opening the package and pulling one out, eyeing it carefully before pulling off a small piece. He put it into his mouth and chewed slowly. Apollo must have decided that it was good because in just a blink he devoured the first one and was going to pull out the second. “Slow down,” Kristoph said, putting a hand over the package to stop Apollo. Apollo glared at him while he was chewing but did and said nothing else. Once Kristoph deemed that enough time had passed, he lifted his hand and let Apollo take the other one, which was just as quickly devoured.
“Thank you, sir…” Apollo muttered.
“A little better? You were breathing a bit shallowly back there.” Kristoph said.
“I guess I’m just nervous.” Apollo admitted. He twisted the plastic in his hands bringing Kristoph’s attention back to the bracelet adorned on the boy’s left wrist. He continued to eye it as he brought a finger to gently touch against the metal. Apollo quickly looked at the movement but didn’t stop him.
“It's beautiful. Where did you get this?” Kristoph asked, looking at the boy. Apollo scrunched his nose, something Kristoph noticed the teen did when the conversation started to drift to something he wasn’t comfortable speaking about.
“It belonged to my mom…I’ve had it since I was a baby…” Apollo offered vaguely. Kristoph nodded, not pressing. As he observed the design, he could swear he saw this exact bracelet before. It was frustrating that he couldn’t recall any details of why it was familiar to him. Apollo looked away and at the floor again before Kristoph pulled his hand away and grabbed some papers to give his hands something to do. Before long, the bailiff called the two into the courtroom. Kristoph gathered his notes and stood up.
“Ready, Mr. Justice?” Kristoph asked.
Apollo stood up, head down. “I guess…”
“Remember what I said yesterday?” Kristoph prompted, hooking his index finger under the boy’s chin to bring his head up. Apollo looked at him and nodded.
“Trust myself. Speak clearly and directly.” Apollo repeated.
“Well, look at that, you did listen." Kristoph praised with a teasing tone. Apollo scrunched his nose as his cheeks turned pink. It seemed he wasn't used to being praised. "Now you need to believe it.” Kristoph said, turning and walking into the courtroom. He could hear the boy muttering, “I’m Apollo Justice and I’m fine” three times before he came in behind him and stood at the defendant’s chair.
March 25, 10:00 AM
District Court
Courtroom No. 4
The whispers of the galley were especially irritating today, Kristoph noted as he stood behind the defense bench, arms crossed. He could see the points towards Apollo, the boy stared straight ahead looking toward the empty seat where the judge would be sitting shortly. If the whispering was bothering the teen, he was doing a good job of not showing it. Kristoph’s eyes flicked over toward the prosecution bench where Winston Payne was smirking. Kristoph held back his eye roll as the bailiff stepped into the center of the room.
“All rise!” He commanded. Apollo shot straight up from his chair to stand. The judge stepped up to the platform and was seated. The bailiff prompted the rest of the courtroom to sit and then gestured specifically for Apollo to move forward. Apollo stepped forward to the railing with all the grace of a baby giselle and let his hands rest on the wood below him.
“Court is now in session for the trial of Apollo Justice…what an interesting name…” The judge noted.
“The prosecution is ready, Your Honor.” Payne squeaked. Kristoph watched Apollo’s eyes narrow at the man. He chuckled.
“Well, here we go. You could try to look less tense, Justice.” Kristoph teased the boy with a smile. Apollo’s nose scrunched and he looked towards the ground. “The defense is ready, Your Honor.” Kristoph confirmed, looking at the judge.
The judge then locked eyes with Apollo. “Such a shame defendant, you’re so young.” The man frowned as the boy looked away. “Prosecutor Payne, your opening statement.” The judge looked over at Payne, who was still smirking.
“Thank you, Your Honor. The defendant, Apollo Justice, is accused of stealing 6,342 dollars from his foster parents yesterday morning. We have the record here of when the safe was opened, thanks to Mr. Rick Oft, the defendant’s foster father. Yesterday morning, the safe was opened at 7:48 a.m. The school where the defendant goes is a 10 minute walk from the Oft residence. He had plenty of time to slip in and out before going off to school that morning.”
“Hmm, I just wonder what motive he has for this, Mr. Payne.” The judge prompted. Payne took a quick glance at the papers on his desk.
“According to both his school counselor and his social worker, the defendant was working towards emancipation from the foster care system. The money he stole would have been a good cushion to start.” Payne said. Apollo growled from where he was standing.
“That seems like a reasonable motive, eh? However, I need to have more decisive evidence aboot the crime. I think we should call upon the detective in charge then-”
“Your Honor, I actually want to call the defendant himself to the stand.” Payne interrupted. Apollo looked over at Kristoph whose reaction to this was a quirked eyebrow but internally he was trying to figure out Payne’s line of thought for bringing Apollo up rather than Gumshoe.
“This is highly unusual, Prosecutor Payne.” The judge noted.
“The defendant can give us more insight into his motive for the crime.” Payne explained, looking at Apollo with a devious smirk. Apollo started to glare at the prosecutor.
“Ah, so that’s his game.” Kristoph thought. “He’s going to taint Apollo’s character to further his case before giving Gumshoe the floor.”
“Sir?” Apollo whispered, looking over at Kristoph now, allowing the fear to bleed into his features. Kristoph smiled.
“Well, this is certainly a twist of events, hmm?” Kristoph said lightly. Apollo bent down and his spikes drooped in front of his face. His teeth were teasing his lip piercing. “Just tell the truth, let me take care of the rest.” Kristoph instructed as the judge called him forward.
“Your name and occupation, defendant,” Payne asked. Apollo glared only a little before taking a breath.
“Apollo Justice, I’m a high school student.” Apollo responded.
“And you are a good student, you would say?” Payne asked.
“I am.” Apollo said, crossing his arms and smirking. “I am technically in line to be valedictorian, if it weren’t a popularity contest.” Apollo rolled his eyes.
“So you are an intelligent young man.” Payne concluded. Apollo nodded. “Right, but that isn’t enough for you, is it?” Apollo bit his lip. Kristoph’s fingers tightened against his arm, knowing where this was going.
“What do you mean by that, Prosecutor?” The judge quipped.
Payne chuckled, “Our dear little defendant here has quite the penchant for getting into trouble. According to the school counselor, Ms. Thera Pyst-”
“Doctor.” Apollo snapped at him. “She’s a doctor.” Apollo glowered at Payne who was still smirking.
“My mistake, Doctor Thera Pyst. According to her, the defendant is a constant feature in her office, for one infraction or another. To date you have served five in school suspensions and have been given detention 1,487 times in your school career. Is this an accurate statement, Mr. Justice-”
“Objection, we are here to discuss the actions of the case, not bring up irrelevant ones.” Kristoph said, putting a hand onto the bench delicately.
“Objection, I am establishing precedent for the case at hand Mr. Gavin.” Payne shot back. The judge shook his head.
“Quickly establish it, Prosecutor, there is an important hockey game at 1 p.m. that I have quite a stake on.” The judge said. Kristoph closed his eyes and sighed.
“Well, if that doesn’t give me a time limit.” He thought, glancing at Apollo. He could see the boy’s shoulders rising and falling quickly in time with his short breaths as he twisted the bracelet on his arm. “You’re fine, Apollo,” He heard the boy mutter.
“Still, I must protest. The boy’s juvenile record is not under scrutiny here. His connection to the crime needs to be established. We are here to argue that.” Kristoph retorted. The judge nodded.
“Noted, Mr. Gavin. Mr. Payne, please continue with asking the defendant relevant information pertaining to the crime.” The judge advised the prosecutor.
The smirk fell from Payne’s face. He cleared his throat. “Hmm, well then. Defendant, please give testimony regarding your view of the events on the day of the crime.”
Apollo stole a glance at Kristoph, who nodded minutely, before looking back at the judge to begin his testimony.
Witness Testimony
-- My Side of the Story --
Apollo took a breath before beginning, “I came back to the house at 11 p.m. the night before. I had just finished a shift at Coffee and Me, the late night cafe where I work, to find both Rick and Alleta waiting for me in the living room. Which was odd because usually Rick is off throwing money at some stripper or another-”
“Apollo.” Kristoph quietly interrupted. Apollo pursed his lips and nodded.
“Right, no slander, got it. Usually both of them are not up at this time. Rick had a large bag in front of him and began to yell at me about how selfish I was for keeping my own money hidden from them.” Apollo crossed his arms and glowered up to the rafters. Kristoph followed his line of sight and deduced that the couple sitting right in the front above the prosecution was Rick and Aletta. Apollo continued, “After a while of us going back and forth, I stormed out and went to my friend Clay’s house. I stayed there all night and went back to the house in the morning to get my school bag. That was around 7 am, no one was home. I grabbed my stuff and went to school at 7:30 and studied in the library. I went to class at 8:30, where I was arrested.” Apollo concluded.
“A very well crafted story.” Payne said. Apollo crossed his arms. “Well done indeed. How much of that was crafted for you by your attorney?” Payne asked.
“I don’t believe I like what you’re implying, Mr. Payne.” Kristoph said coldly.
Apollo slammed his fists against the railing. “What I said was the truth.” Apollo retorted, glaring at the prosecutor.
“That remains to be seen, defendant.” The judge said. “Your cross-examination then, Mr. Gavin.”
Kristoph nodded and looked down at his notes and other papers. Apollo was innocent, a glaringly obvious fact overlooked by the prosecution was the key. Maybe they wouldn’t have to listen to Gumshoe prattle on after all. Pity. Kristoph was quite looking forward to it. He came to stand in front of Apollo who was biting his lip again.
“Just tell the truth Apollo.” He reminded the boy, gently smiling, “My job is to prove your innocence.” Apollo nodded and began again.
Cross-examination
-- My Side of the Story –
“I came back to the house at 11 p.m. the night before. I had just finished a shift at Coffee and Me, the late night cafe where I work, to find both Rick and Alleta waiting for me in the living room…Usually both of them are not up at this time. Rick had a large bag in front of him and began to yell at me about how selfish I was for keeping my own money hidden from them.”
“Hold it!” Kristoph said. “Your own money. Can you explain a little more about that to the court?”
Apollo nodded. “I've been doing odd jobs since I was 14, so that I can live on my own when I turn 18. I…can’t have a bank account of my own,” An interesting phrase, but not relevant, so Kristoph kept his pressing of that statement for later, when he and boy were alone, “so I would hide money in different parts of my room, in books, under my mattress, things like that, to keep it safe.”
“So no one could find it and steal it from you?” Kristoph inquired. Apollo nodded. “How much had you accumulated?” Kristoph asked.
“6,342 dollars.” Apollo answered. Kristoph nodded.
“Continue."
“After a while of us going back and forth, I stormed out and went to my friend Clay’s house. I stayed there all night and went back to the house in the morning to get my school bag. That was around 7 am, no one was home.”
“Hold it! What do you mean by that?”
“Rick and Alletta usually go out in the morning. For a run and then to a diner for coffee” Apollo rolled his eyes and scowled. “So I knew they wouldn’t be there when I grabbed my stuff and went to school at 7:30 and studied in the library. I went to class at 8:30, where I was arrested.”
“To make it clear, you were in the library from 7:30 until 8:30. You went nowhere else?” Kristoph asked.
Apollo shook his head. “No, I was there the whole time. My best friend Clay wasn’t in school yesterday, he’s going on college tours with his dad. So there was no reason for me to leave.”
“Thank you Apollo. Your honor, the defense would like to present the following evidence.” Kristoph pulled out the ID swipe log from Thera. “This is a copy of the swipes for Mr. Justice’s ID from yesterday. As you can see, he only swiped it once, at 7:30 a.m. when he came into the school. If a student should leave the building for any reason, they must swipe in at the same, and only entrance, to the building.”
“Objection!” Payne screeched. “Anyone could leave the building from any exit and have someone sneak them back in.”
“Objection!” Kristoph retorted. “There are cameras stationed in every exit. Therefore, if my client decided to leave and try to sneak in, there would be a record of it on the cameras. There is no video record of my client leaving the building or reentering it, unless the prosecution would care to bring it forward now?” Kristoph challenged, leaving Payne to sputter uselessly from his bench. “Maybe if you had done a more thorough investigation, Prosecutor, you could have spared yourself this embarrassment.” Apollo chuckled from the witness stand at Kristoph’s comment.
“Well, the court accepts the defense’s evidence. Prosecutor Payne, do you have any other evidence that ties the defendant to the crime?”
Payne was sweating bullets. “No…Your Honor.”
The judge nodded. “Seeing as there is no definitive evidence, and a lack of a witness to the crime, I find the defendant, Apollo Justice.”
NOT GUILTY
“Court is adjourned.” The judge called out around the streaming curtain of confetti.
And with a final bang of his gavel, the trial ended.