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Apollo isn't exactly thrilled to be dragged to one of Klavier's concerts, but things really heat up when a staff member ends up dead. But how do you defend a client who doesn't even speak your language? Date: July 7-10th,
2025 Day 1 The case opens at a The Gavinners concert at Sunshine Coliseum, which Apollo and Trucy are attending thanks to a pair of special tickets Klavier got for them. Though Apollo isn't a rock fan, he has to admit it's pretty cool. Klavier meets them back stage and is all smiles. He's especially excited because the second part of the show will feature him and a guest singer that has been recently touring all over the world: Lamiroir, the so-called "Siren of the Ballad." Klavier heard her sing when he was overseas and invited her to join him in a duet. Before they're due to go on, Apollo and Trucy get to meet her, along with her manager (a tall man with a beard named Romein LeTouse) and her pianist (the blind, 14 year old Machi Tobaye). Lamiroir and Machi are both from a small country known as the Republic of Borginia, and need Romein to translate for them. Klavier gives Apollo and Trucy a copy of the lyrics to the song they're going to perform together, and they all go back to the concert hall for the rest of the show. The concert features Lamiroir singing, while Klavier plays the guitar next to her. Both of them are lifted up on a moving stage, and once they reach the top, Klavier pulls off Lamiroir's cloak. She disappears, and her cloak floats across the audience to a pedestal, where she reappears. Just as Lamiroir gets to the lyrics "burning on in my heart, fire," Klavier guitar bursts into flames, and he has to beat it out on stage. Once the show is over, Apollo and Trucy duck back stage again, and find a rather pissed Klavier. Apparently the burning guitar wasn't part of the show (though most of the audience didn't seem to realize). Though Klavier is glad to hear no one thought too much of it, he continues to complain that he's had an awful day - first his motorcycle wouldn't start, then his guitar case broke, and now the guitar itself is burnt and ruined. But there's still one act of the show left, for the full band. Apollo decides he's had enough of the noise and stays behind as Klavier and Trucy go back up for the final show. Meanwhile, Apollo hunts around backstage, and runs into Ema. Apparently Klavier called her up before the show to report something had been stolen, so she's been snooping around for him (and isn't happy about it, either). Just as she's busy pelting Apollo with snacks they discover a small earpiece in the hallway, and as they consider where it came from they hear gunshots coming from one of the dressing rooms. They run into Lamiroir's room and discover Romein stretched out on the floor, bleeding from a gunshot wound in his shoulder. Ema runs outside to call for backup and help, leaving Apollo to look after the scene. Romein is still barely alive, and manages to tell Apollo to "ask the witness - the siren." Apollo hears a door close, and shouts "Who's there!?" but when he looks up the room's still empty. By the time Ema shows up, Romein is dead. The concert is halted and the audience cleared. When Klavier returns he's accompanied by a man with a black and white pompadour whom Klavier refers to as "Daryan." He leaves fairly quickly to continue the investigation, while Klavier gives Apollo permission to stay on the scene - along with strict orders not to discuss the case with anyone. After he and Trucy go through some police questioning, Trucy insists that they stay to help with the investigation, even though they have no client, as no one's even been arrested yet. Apollo wonders if she really understands what a lawyer's job is...? But since he's the only one who heard Romein's last words, he feels somewhat obligated. At the scene, Ema explains that the murder weapon (left at the scene) is a .45 caliber handgun - a pretty hefty weapon that only those well versed in firearms could use properly. The shot that killed Romein went through his left shoulder and impacted the wall near the door, along with another bullet that must have missed him. There's a small green pendant on the floor that Apollo takes into evidence. The room has no other doors, but there is a ladder set against the wall right over an air vent. There's also a window near the body, but it's too small for anyone to climb through. Upon investigating the body itself, they find a set of keys on a heart shaped key holder clutched in Romein's fist, along with some bloody smears. Ema is puzzled by the case. Not only does the size of the gun make it a little much for shooting someone in such a small room, but this is the first time Romein has been in the country, so there can't be too many people who would want him dead. Even more mysterious, she and Apollo heard the gunshots, and entered the room almost immediately afterwards - where did the killer go? Ema has to leave again, and she asks Apollo and Trucy to stay at the scene to make sure no one tries to come in, but they decide they'd rather do some more investigating on their own. As they step out into the hall they run into a tall man in a yellow magician's outfit (which looks like the one Trucy wears). He runs off before they can ask him anything. On stage, Klavier is arguing with Daryan, but this time it's not about the investigation: Klavier insists that someone in the band messed up at the end of one of the songs. Daryan claims it's no big deal and no one noticed. As it turns out, not only is Daryan Crescend the second guitarist in The Gavinners, he's also a detective. In fact, all five members in the band are related to law enforcement somehow. They've been playing together for nearly 7 years. Apollo tries to ask Klavier about the case, but he brushes him off - he doesn't know anything yet anyway, since investigating is up to the police, not the prosecutors. Instead he forces the dynamic duo to listen to the playback from their concert to try and pick out which instrument messed up the end of the song. Apollo and Trucy are taught how to use an audio mixer (yay minigame) and figure out it was Daryan the guitarist who got off the beat at the end. As Klavier lectures him some more, Apollo makes a note of how to use the mixer. It might be important later. Klavier continues on about his awful day, which began when his keys were stolen. That's why he couldn't start his motorcycle, and later, he couldn't unlock his guitar case, so he had to break it open. As he talks, Trucy gets a sudden flash of inspiration, and Apollo pulls out the copy of the lyrics Klavier gave them earlier. Every bad thing that's happened to Klavier so far is mentioned in the song: "Stole away the keys" = his heart shaped key ring was swiped. "Burning on in my heart" = his guitar burst into flames. "Like a bullet of love, fire, take my life away," = a murder has just occurred. Either Klavier sees the future or someone is imitating his lyrics. Apollo and Trucy head back for Klavier's dressing room, where Lamiroir was told to wait. On the way they run into the magician again, who disappears just as quickly. Trucy admits he's familiar, but she can't remember where she might have seen him. In Klavier's room, they find Lamiroir and Machi, but Machi is shy around strangers and leaves shortly afterwards. Lamiroir stays to talk with them, this time speaking English. Usually she lets her managers translate for her, because being foreign and exotic is part of her image. Though she used to live in the small nation of Borginia, she's not actually from there originally, like Machi is. She sang in a restaurant where Machi would accompany her on the piano. As he's an orphan, he lives with her now and they go everywhere together. As for Romein, he's only been her manager for the past three months. She doesn't know what country he's originally from, either, but he was the one that came up with the "Siren of the Ballads" title. Apollo asks if she may have witnessed the crime, as Romein suggested she did with his final breath. But then Lamiroir clams up. Since Apollo isn't part of the police she won't say anything more. But she does admit that the pendant he found at the scene belongs to her. Apollo and Trucy go back into the hall, and find Ema seriously pissed off. While she was gone, the body disappeared! Klavier's not too worried since the entire concert hall is guarded, and it's not like someone could take that big guy far. But Daryan's guitar is missing, too. Apollo and Trucy check the stage area, and climb up the moveable tower that Klavier and Lamiroir used for their show. They find the body there, with Daryan's guitar strapped to it, along with an unconscious Machi.
Day 2 The next morning, Klavier shows up at the Wright & Co. office to let them know Machi's been arrested for the murder. He's not happy about it after the show they did together, but he's the only one that could have done it. In any case, Machi is asking for Apollo to defend him. They go to the detention center, but it turns out that Lamiroir is in questioning over the case, so there's no one to translate for Machi. They have no choice but to wait for court.
Day 3 Court begins, and the Judge asks if they can move things along as quickly as possible, as he needs to take a visit to the hospital. Apparently, the Chief Justice is a good friend of his, and his son is ill. Everyone agrees to move quickly. Klavier sets up the case with help from Ema's testimony: Romein LeTouse, foreigner and Lamiroir's manager, was killed when he was shot through the left shoulder by a .45 caliber gun. The only way the killer could have escaped the room was through the vent in the ceiling, which not only is too small for anyone but a child to fit through, but it bears Machi's fingerprints. The case seems pretty tight, but Apollo objects, insisting there must have been one witness. Lamiroir is called to the stand. But Lamiroir is reluctant to testify, and Klavier himself admits she's not entirely credible. Her history is mysterious: she's missing most of her memory, has no knowledge of where she's originally from, and doesn't even know how it is that she can speak English. Lamiroir isn't even her real name. She testifies that she didn't see anything, and didn't go back to her room after her performance. No one would explain to her just what happened. Apollo presents the broach. Klavier himself admits Lamiroir was wearing it during the show, but if she never went back to her room, how did it end up in the dressing room? She admits that she started to go in, but then she heard a voice that frightened her back out again (Apollo shouting "who's there!?" in fact. All that objection practice has made his voice rather scary). As she continues her testimony, Apollo's Perceive catches her gulping through the part of it where she mentions "I don't know why he was shot." He objects, saying Limiroir already testified that the police didn't give her any details about the case, so how did she know Romein was shot? She tries to cover her mistake by saying she saw the bullet holes in the wall, but Apollo points out it would have been impossible given the floor plan of the room. Lamiroir amends her testimony again, saying that she instead saw the murder through the small window at the back of the room. She insists that it wasn't Machi who shot Romein, but a young adult male. She even heard the man speaking with Romein before the shots were fired. Klavier is all over that - the window at the scene was thick glass, and was discovered tightly shut at the time of the murder. There's no way she could have heard two men talking through it, especially over the sound of the concert. More importantly, a "young adult male" wouldn't be able to escape the room through the air duct, as it's too small for anyone but a child. Lamiroir is dismissed from the witness stand, since her testimony is full of holes, most likely because she has plenty of reason to want to lie for Machi. Ema retakes the stand to testify about the theft of the body after its initial discovery. She outlines the theory Apollo and Klavier considered the day before, that whoever committed the crime was following Klavier's lyrics. Klavier goads Ema into actually singing part of the song during her testimony. She also adds that Machi is blind, which is why he probably missed Romein with the first shot. It was a big man in a small room - the fact that the killer missed at all must mean he was blind. Apollo objects, saying that that's not the only reason someone could miss. It was a large, unwieldy gun, after all - only someone skilled with firearms would be able to fire it without dislocating their shoulder, let alone hit someone. Klavier agrees, and then thanks Apollo for proving the point even further. After all, Machi is a small boy and unfamiliar with guns, too. Apollo tries a new angle: if Machi is blind, how did he know where to set up the ladder to escape the room? But Klavier has an answer for that, too: the staff was doing some maintenance in the duct earlier that day, and left the ladder in place. Machi would have known there was an escape route there. Apollo's got one more idea, but Klavier is still grinning at him as if he already knows what's going to happen. He has no choice but to keep going, and presents the crime scene photo. Near Romein's hand is a bloody smear, as if he had written something that was later scrubbed out. It's possible that he wrote the name of his attacker. If the killer were blind, he wouldn't know to scrub out the bloody letters. Klavier finally tips his hand. He asks Ema, just what is it that makes her think Machi is blind anyway? Supposedly it's common knowledge, and obvious to anyone who watches Lamiroir and Machi perform: they're always walking hand in hand, and she even leads him out on stage. However, according to Machi's records back in Borginia (which Klavier had the forethought to check) he's not blind at all. It's all an act. Ema is pissed that Klavier neglected to share that bit of information with her, as it makes her look rather foolish on the stand. But as Apollo considers (with some more goading from Klavier) he comes to realize: there must be a reason why Machi would pretend to be blind on stage. His conclusion shocks the court. It's not Machi that's blind - it's Lamiroir. Machi has been leading her. So Machi can see, which means he could have seen the blood letters and been the one to wipe them away. Ema has an idea to try her luminol on the carpet swatch they collected of it. With Apollo's help they uncover where the blood has sunken in deepest, revealing: IPXX314206. Klavier recognizes it as the identification number for a member of Interpol, the international police. It's possible that someone involved in the case is actually a secret agent! He calls Daryan up and asks him to run the number through Interpol to find out who it belongs to. Meanwhile, Lamiroir is called back up. She admits that she is blind, but that she really did hear a young man speaking just after the gunshots were fired. If she could hear that person again, she would be able to identify him. Apollo doesn't understand why Romein would have asked him to "ask the witness" if he knew that Lamiroir was blind. But again Klavier steps up, suggesting that maybe Apollo didn't hear the entirety of the message. A few moments before his death Romein said, "Can't see." Apollo thought he was talking about himself, but in reality, he was talking about Lamiroir. As they consider this, Daryan returns to tell the court his results. It turns out that the ID number belongs to Romein himself, and that he is actually an investigator for the international police. The murder weapon is also registered to him. Klavier thanks Daryan for a job well done, but before he can leave the stand Lamiroir jumps up, and declares that Daryan's voice is the one she heard before the shooting. This time, even Klavier is shocked. Court is adjourned for the day. Apollo and Trucy return to the office and reflect on the new mysteries. He asks Trucy about Phoenix, but neither of them have seen him recently. Apparently he's on a "secret mission." The pair head to the detention center, where they meet up with Machi. It's pointless to talk to him since he can't speak English, but while they try to anyway Apollo's bracelet has a reaction. They decide to come back when they have some more evidence. Stopping by the office again, they're interrupted by a man's laughter, and in pops the yellow-clad magician. Trucy finally gets a good look at him, and recognizes him as Valant Gramarye, a famous magician. Apollo recognizes him from a show he used to watch when he was a kid. Apparently Valant used to be part of the famous Troupe Gramarye , which was begun 20 years ago by Magnifi Gramarye, along with Trucy's REAL father, Zak. The reason Valant came, though, wasn't just to reminisce - he wanted to deliver some evidence to Machi's lawyer: a tape of the second part of the concert. Valant was hired to help set up the "illusion" of Lamiroir teleporting from one side the of the coliseum to the next. He can't admit to Apollo how the trick was done, since the secret of his magic is his livelihood. Apollo and Trucy head for the coliseum, where they meet with Lamiroir. She insists that her testimony is the truth, and that she never forgets a voice. As for the truth about Romein, she thinks maybe he was investigating her. After all, she has traveled all over the world. While they talk, Apollo notices the earphone on the floor in the hallway again that he and Ema never had the chance to investigate. He takes it into evidence this time. They move to the stage, and run into Valant again, who suggests they check the piano. Inside they find a small device with a red switch. Apollo takes it, too. At the crime scene, Ema is still in a huff over Klavier making her look bad in court. She's not in a sharing mood, but she does show them a small device she found under the sofa. It appears to have an antennae on it for receiving short range signals. Getting an idea, Apollo tries the switch they found in the piano, and the device suddenly emits a burst of fire that startles the two girls. As they investigate further, Ema supposes the remote-device combo won't work unless they're within 300 feet of each other, due to the weak signal. She even marks the area on a map of the coliseum. Before they leave, Ema suggests they go talk to Klavier, who should be back at his office. On the way out, they run into Daryan. He's pretty ticked off about being taken off the case, thanks to Lamiroir's testimony, and is especially mad at Klavier (they're supposed to be friends, after all). They reach Klavier's office, but are made to wait for a while as he finishes up a phone conversation. They overhear him talking about knowing what it was Romein was after, and also spot a strange, small plastic clump on the desk labeled "sample", along with Klavier's burnt out guitar nearby. Klavier gets off the phone, and they chat about the case. He's not happy about having to take Daryan off the investigation, since he specializes in international cases, and he could have been a strong asset. Apollo admits to having overheard the call, and Klavier explains that the little plastic thingy is what Romein was investigating: something called the Borginian Cocoon, but who knows what it is or what it does. He kept a small plastic sample among his things. Klavier goes on to explain how he met Lamiroir in Borginia, and was so impressed with her music they decided to write a song together. She even had a Borginian guitar shipped overseas to him, specially sealed. And now it's ruined. Once they figured out that the guitar was part of the case he had it examined, and found a small incendiary device inside which works with a remote. Apollo volunteers the one Ema found at the scene earlier, along with the remote. The devices must all be connected. Klavier is surprised at first, and confesses that this is the first time that a defense attorney has gone out of its way to share information with him, a prosecutor. Apollo thinks it's only fair, since Klavier showed him the guitar, and the cocoon, among other things. Klavier explains that because investigating murders itself is so complicated, he tries to keep his personal feelings simple. "I just want the truth," he says. Apollo and Trucy return to the coliseum, where Ema is looking for Lamiroir. No one can find her. They go to check the stage, and find all the lights out. Once the lights are back on, Apollo notices a large contrabass case in the corner that used to be open, and investigates. Inside is Lamiroir, unconscious! Lamiroir is rushed to the hospital, and Apollo tries to comfort Trucy as she cries. When they visit her later in the Hickfield Clinic she explains that someone attacked her. Whoever it was snuck up and struck her in the forehead, but she doesn't know who, because the person never spoke. She managed to stagger to the stage, where the lights had been turned off. Being blind, the darkness meant nothing to her, but it stalled her attacker long enough for her to hide in the case. She fell unconscious, and if not for Apollo and Trucy showing up, she might have suffocated inside. Apollo wonders if it could have been Daryan... They ask if Lamiroir knows anything about the Borginian Cocoon. She recognizes the name as being very famous in the country, but she can't remember exactly what it does. But she does know that taking one out of the country is an executable offense. Since Lamiroir is mostly recovered they take her with them to the detention center to ask Machi. Machi cringes at the first mention of the cocoon. Through Lamiroir he explains that the cocoon is meant to be used to create a special medication for the treatment of Incuritis, a lethal disease. It's a hot commodity on the black market and outlawed by international law to transport over borders (hence Romein's investigation). In Borginia, someone caught trying to smuggle it out of the country could be sentenced to death. Machi grows more agitated as they continue, saying, "I can't go home. I can't go back." But before Apollo can get Machi to admit to anything more, Daryan shows up and declares that visitation hours are over, kicking them out.
Day 4 In the Defense Lobby, Valant shows up. He plans to watch, and he warns Apollo that there is some great magic involved in the case. Not that he'll explain any better than that. Just as Apollo's about to head to the courtroom, the bailiff tells him that court's been postponed a half hour. The Attorney General's son has taken a turn for worst, and the Judge is still visiting with them. The bailiff even gives them a copy of the morning paper with the story that the Chief Justice's son is sick with Incuritis. When court finally begins, Klavier recaps for them the situation. Even though Lamiroir places Daryan at the scene of the crime while it was being committed, it's simply impossible, as he was on stage during the entirety of the third act. She's mistaken or a liar, and either way Daryan can't be guilty. The Judge thinks it's about time for the verdict. Apollo objects, and insists they listen to Machi's testimony. Lamiroir can translate, and Klavier (who speaks a bit of the language himself) promises to catch her if she lies. Machi takes the stand, and claims he has proof of his innocence: he doesn't understand English. Since Klavier's song lyrics were in English, there's no way he could conduct a murder according to lyrics he couldn't have understood. Lamiroir admits she never explained the full extent of the lyrics to him. Apollo still has to cross examine, though, and his Perceive System catches Machi glancing to Lamiroir as she translates part of his answer - right on the word "English". Apollo suggests that Machi can read English after all. But Lamiroir insists that's not true. Machi merely understands the word "English" itself. Another point is raised. If Machi doesn't understand English, how did he even know that lyrics had anything to do with the murder? No one has explained the full crime to him, so the only way he would know is if he heard and understood the testimony given in court. Machi claims, again through Lamiroir, that she is the one who told him. But the Minuku System catches Lamiroir this time, as she knows that this is a lie. She never explained the problem of the lyrics to Machi. Machi breaks down, admitting he can understand a little English. But he insists he didn't shoot anyone. He entered the dressing room during the third act, but by then Romein had already been shot. He heard a sound like gunshots and panicked, leaving the room through the air duck in the ceiling. He knew that it connected to the stage, having heard from Valant. He was just worried about getting away, and that's why his fingerprints are on the ceiling. After a short break Lamiroir is called back to the stand, since her testimony is the only major evidence they have. She claims to have remembered something about the voices she heard: the stranger (Daryan) said, "It's over. Hurry up and press the switch." She was in a hurry so that's all she heard. Apollo feels everything coming together. He presents the switch they discovered in the piano. It connects to the incendiary devices they discovered at the scene and in Klavier's guitar. In fact, there's a high likelihood that "press the switch" was an order to set Klavier's guitar on fire. He was able to communicate with his accomplice on stage using the earpiece all the staff and band members carry. Whoever controlled the device even had to have been on stage the moment it was set off: it only has a 30 feet range, and since Klavier and his guitar were 15 feet up in the air at the time of the fire, there's no where else it could have been. The murder didn't happen during the third part of the show after all. It happened during the second part, just before the guitar was lit up. Right when Daryan had no alibi. Klavier objects. They know the order of the events because they fit his song lyrics, and Romein's murder was supposed to happen AFTER the guitar. But Apollo turns it around on him: why would a killer follow a set of lyrics anyway? The lyrics are a red herring meant to confuse the timing of the events, and everyone fell for it. The killer didn't want anyone to know that the murder took place in the second act. Klavier objects again. The only proof they have is Lamiroir's testimony, and there's still no way she could have heard Daryan through the closed window, let alone on stage. But Apollo has the answer again: she didn't hear it from the window, but the air duct. Like Machi said, the air duct runs under the stage. Lamiroir won't explain why she was running around in the air duct, but Apollo shows the tape Valant gave them of the performance. It clearly shows that Lamiroir was not visible for a while, as she was vanishing between two points on the stage. In fact, she moved through the duct to get from one end of the coliseum to the other, all during the second act of the show, right when the murder took place! Klavier is finally taken down a peg. However, the Judge (of all people) discovers a contradiction. In the video, Lamiroir is only missing for about 20 seconds, but it would have taken longer than that for Lamiroir to navigate the duct, and there's no way she could have heard everything she claims she did. Lamiroir admits it took her two minutes to make the trip. So why the discrepancy? The Judge is very anxious to learn the secret of the trick and demands Apollo figure it out for him. Apollo reviews the tape, and presents Lamiroir's broach. She started the show with it on, but by the time she reaches the other end of her trip through the duct, she doesn't have it. He unravels Valant's trick: they used a double. There were TWO Lamiroir's on stage that night, and the one that was lifted up 15 feet on the moving stage was not the real one. But the music never stops. If Lamiroir was running around below, how could she still be singing? Klavier insists that all his concerts are 100% live, no pre-recordings, and Lamiroir confirms that she was singing the entire time. Her voice was carried to the speakers through her own earpiece. And even though she would have been right over their heads, Romein and the killer wouldn't have known she was there, as there's a speaker in the green room. They would have assumed her voice was just carrying through that. And there's more proof! Lamiroir remembers that when she heard the gunshot, she was surprised and skipped some of the lyrics. By reviewing the tape yet again, they notice it's true. She was supposed to sing "Pleasure" twice, but she only says it once. Apollo is proud of himself for having unraveled the timeline, but Klavier objects. He reminds Apollo that the court still has not seen any conclusive evidence, other than the testimony of a woman with motivation to lie. But there's still one more person they can call, and before that the Judge calls a recess. In the lobby, Phoenix shows up. Apollo's surprised to hear that he's been following the case after all. Phoenix tells him that because their justice system is set up the way it is, he'll have a hard time catching Daryan, if that's who he's after. Apollo will have to use "unordinary means". He also warns Apollo not to depend on Lamiroir's testimony too much, because if she's lying his entire case will be over in a second. He also gives to Apollo a piece of evidence, care of Detective Skye: a few small gunpowder firecrackers she found near where the incendiary device in the dressing room had been. Wishing Apollo good luck, he disappears again to continue his "secret mission." Back in court, Daryan is called to the stand. He's still pretty mad at Klavier for making him do this, and accuses him of believing a liar like Lamiroir just because she's blind. Klavier tells him that's going too far, and to get on with it. Daryan testifies that Lamiroir's testimony is all false. She couldn't have recognized his voice because they've never even spoken to each other. As for the missing "Pleasure" in the lyrics, maybe she just screwed up. Klavier takes special offense to that on behalf of a fellow artists. Daryan continues. One of their own detectives even heard the gunshots during the third act, which contradicts Lamiroir's testimony. But Apollo shows off the firecrackers from Ema, insisting those second set of gunshots might have been faked. Daryan laughs him off: how could he set off fake gunshots from on stage, when he had no chance of knowing if anyone would hear it? Klavier presents Romein's earpiece, which Apollo and Ema had been poking at right before the gunshots were heard. Since everyone in the staff wears one, Daryan would have heard them, and known that he had the opportunity to falsify some witnesses. Daryan calls him a traitor, but Klavier calmly replies, "there are no allies or enemies in court." As further proof, Apollo uses Klavier's audio mixer to isolate Lamiroir's voice during the second part of the show, and without the other instruments in the way a loud "bang" sound is clearly audible right where she claimed it was. Moreover, using the mixer again, Apollo points out the spot in the end of the third act where Daryan screwed up (as he and Klavier had argued over the other night). Could it be that Daryan's arm was hurt after using the heavy pistol in the murder earlier? Daryan says that's ridiculous, as he's a police officer, and well trained with weapons. But Klavier points out that the detectives are only issued .38 caliber pistols, not .45. It's a bigger difference than it seems. Daryan continues to argue that there's still no 100% proof he did anything. In fact, why would anyone from America want to kill Romein anyway? Apollo presents the Borginian Cocoon sample Klavier showed him, and explains that there'd be a high price waiting for any smuggler who got their hands on it. Daryan retorts that as a detective who specializes in international cases, he's very aware of the risks involved in dealing with the Cocoon. There's no way he could even find a buyer for it, Interpol is that serious about it. Apollo presents the newspaper report he got from the bailiff that morning before court: the son of the Head Justice himself was sick with Incuritis. As a member of law enforcement, Daryan would of course know that. Chances are they even have a deal made already. Daryan's starting to get nervous, but he's not giving up yet. Borginia is a very secluded country and they're especially particular about not letting their precious cocoons leave, so how did he get it out of the country? Remembering the office the day before, Apollo presents Klavier's specially imported guitar. It was shipped directly from Borginia to the prosecutor's office, and wasn't checked by customs. It also explains why Klavier's keys were stolen (Daryan needed to sneak the cocoon out of the case) and why the guitar was burned up later (to destroy evidence). Only a member of The Gavinners could have gotten that close to Klavier's guitar, even back stage. It had to have been Daryan. Daryan laughs Apollo off again. So he smuggled a priceless medicine out of a country he'd never been to, killed a man, set Klavier's guitar on fire, and then faked a set of gunshots later, all by himself? There still isn't a lick of concrete proof. Apollo has no choice but to present Machi as Daryan's accomplice. Having come from Borginia with Lamiroir, he would have had access to the guitar before she sent it. And since the remote controlled fire-starter that burnt Klavier's guitar had to have been used by someone on stage during the second act (the other part of Daryan's plan that would have required a second person), it had to have been Machi. Daryan still isn't convinced. Listening to the tape (AGAIN!!!) shows that Machi was playing the piano the entire time, which takes two hands, genius. Apollo suggests that maybe there was a phrase he could have played one handed, and his hunch is confirmed when Klavier admits something about the piano part sounds off. In the first part of the song there's a certain phrase that gets repeated, but it doesn't sound like it's supposed to the second time. In fact, it sounds simple enough to have been played with one hand! That must be when Daryan told him "press the switch" just like Lamiroir heard, and he set the guitar on fire. And yet, Daryan still won't give up. There's still no PROOF. Apollo asks for one final witness: Machi himself. Having participated in the smuggling and the covering up of the murder, Machi would be able to confirm all Apollo's theories. Daryan scoffs at him for incriminating his own client for a crime that would get him executed in his home country. Apollo admits he doesn't like it either, but smuggling isn't nearly as serious a crime in America as it is Borginia. He's defending Machi as a murder suspect, not a smuggler. Given his position, he HAS to confess! Confronted with the truth, Daryan flips out. He's taken from the stand, and Machi appears (for once, without his sunglasses). He admits that Apollo is telling the truth. He helped smuggle the cocoon because he desperately needed the money. But now he's ready to confess, and will accept his punishment. The Judge tells him that he'll have to stand trial again for his crimes, but for now, he is declared Not Guilty of killing Romein LeTouse. In the lobby, Lamiroir is upset about the outcome (Machi has been like a son to her), but she is still thankful to Apollo for all he's done. Phoenix shows back up and thanks Apollo as well, for making him realize that he'll "have to hurry and finish his secret mission." Whatever that means... |
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