Ace Attorney Case Files: Turnabout Goodbyes (Part 2/3)

 Spoilers for the original Ace Attorney follow

Previously on Ace Attorney

In newbie defense attorney Phoenix Wright's fourth case, he ends up defending his old friend Miles Edgeworth against murder charges. This is no easy task, since witnesses saw Edgeworth shooting the victim, and Edgeworth's fingerprints were found on the murder weapon. Despite this, Phoenix manages to get through the first trial day thanks to Maya getting held in contempt of court, thus giving him an opportunity.

Investigation Day 2

Phoenix visits Maya at the detention center. She tells him that she'll be released after questioning, but someone needs to post bail for her.

Upon arriving in Gourd Lake and speaking to Gumshoe, Phoenix learns that the "someone" is Edgeworth, who was grateful for what she did, even if he had trouble showing that gratitude

After Maya's release, Phoenix and Maya talk to Lotta, with Phoenix still bitter over Lotta's testimony. Lotta claims to have information von Karma didn't want her to talk about but wants to exchange it for information on Gourdy.

Phoenix finds Larry selling hot dogs, with an inflatable Steel Samurai he got from his girlfriend Kiyance. They talk about the case and Maya brings up Edgeworth's fear of earthquakes. Larry's a bit surprised, since Edgeworth didn't seem to be scared of them in the past. According to Larry, he, Phoenix and Edgeworth were in the same class for a year, but Edgeworth transferred out around the time of DL-6.

Phoenix visits Gumshoe in the police station and asks for Gumshoe's help in finding Gourdy.  Gumshoe offers some of the tools, but the best choice is the metal detector. Using the metal detector, Phoenix finds a metal air tank.

Phoenix speaks with Larry and tells him that he knows the truth- a failed attempt to fill a Steel Samurai with air resulted in a loud bang and the tank and Samurai flying off into the lake. Phoenix realizes that this was what inspired the legend of "Gourdy," and tells Lotta that Gourdy doesn't exist. Lotta's disappointed but keeps her word and tells them about how the caretaker of the boat shack will testify tomorrow.

Phoenix and Maya visit the caretaker, an absent-minded old man who thinks Phoenix and Maya are his children and relies on his parrot Polly to remember things. Much to their surprise, the parrot says, "Don't forget DL-6!" making Phoenix and Maya wonder who the man really is.

Phoenix returns to Edgeworth and after providing proof that the caretaker might be connected to DL-6, gets permission to access the records room. The incident took place in the courthouse 15 years ago, and involved three people- Gregory Edgeworth, his son Miles and a bailiff named Yanni Yogi- being trapped in the elevator together during and earthquake and suffering from oxygen deprivation. Gregory was shot and killed, and Yogi was charged with the crime but acquitted. Phoenix takes the relevant files with him and prepares to face his "dad" in court.

Trial Day 2

The trial begins with von Karma predicting he'll secure a conviction in three minutes, then calling the caretaker to the stand. Phoenix insists that the caretaker provide his name, but von Karma refuses, saying that the man has forgotten his name but can remember the incident three days ago.

After the caretaker gives his testimony about when he heard the gunshot and saw Edgeworth walking by the shack, Phoenix demands his right to a cross-examination, resulting in von Karma raging that he failed to get the conviction in three minutes. It would be amusing if you could get yourself a Game Over in that time period, but such a thing is impossible.

Unfortunately for Phoenix, the cross-examination only makes Edgeworth seem even more suspicious. The judge declares a Guilty verdict, before announcing that the defendant will stand trial at a higher court on a later date- the standard Game Over procedure.

At that point, Larry arrives, insisting that something he heard in the testimony doesn't sit right with him, and demands to testify. Phoenix is worried that Larry could make things even worse, but Maya points out that Edgeworth was just declared Guilty, so it can't get any worse than this. The judge withdraws his verdict and allows a five-minute recess.

Edgeworth tries to downplay his nervousness, although Phoenix noticed he'd been "sweating bullets" before the verdict. That said, he does have cause for optimism. His mentor had only run perfect trials until now, and now that Larry has suddenly arrived, his careful preparation is thrown into disarray, giving the defense a chance.

Of course, while victory is still possible, it doesn't mean it's easy, since Larry's testimony is infuriatingly vague. However, Phoenix notices that Larry only heard one "bang," whereas Lotta claimed to have heard two. Unfortunately, Larry was listening to his radio at the time, and judging from what he heard on the radio, it was still Christmas Eve, some time before Lotta heard the shots. Phoenix proves that there was a shot before midnight by presenting one of Lotta's photos, which shows the lake without the boat at 11:50. The gun was fired three times- once at the shack before midnight and twice on the lake after midnight.

Phoenix then realizes the truth. The caretaker shot Hammond at 11:50, killing him, then lured Edgeworth to the boat. He then fired once to create a witness and fired a second time to make it seem as though Edgeworth shot him before jumping off the boat, leaving Edgeworth alone. Edgeworth admits to receiving a letter from Hammond calling him to the lake but refuses to say what it was. The bailiff then reveals that the caretaker has disappeared, clearly having anticipated that he's become a suspect. The court then goes into recess for the day while the police search for the caretaker and try to uncover his identity.

 

Edgeworth made it through another day, but neither he nor Phoenix are nearly as happy about it as Maya is. In Phoenix's case, he's not all that happy about having to rely on Larry again. In Edgeworth's case, he believes the case is just getting started, and that it's dredging up a recurring nightmare he's having, of a crime he says he's committed.

The Case Thus Far

The second day reveals a little more about the trial and ups the ante a bit. The conviction fake-out is a rather suspenseful moment that shows how the odds are stacked against Edgeworth, and provides an opportunity for Larry to be useful for once. Like in many three-day cases, the second day is when Phoenix actually manages to make some progress on solving the mystery, although cornering the suspect generally happens on the third day.

The third day is when everything really comes together and the true significance of the DL-6 incident is revealed, so stay tuned for my third part.