Chance Fortuna, a man accused of murdering Phoenix Wright

September 6, 9:01 AM

Detention Center

Holding Cell

This has to be a mistake. I didn't do it. Those thoughts kept swimming in your head, over and over, burning in your mind. I didn't kill this man, I am innocent. You wanted to believe that that scruffy-looking cop would find proof that you were not the murderer, but you had been here for almost 12 hours, and from what you've heard, the police didn't spend that much time investigating before handing out the case to a prosecutor, and once that happened, the suspect was as good as sentenced.

You took a deep breath and grabbed your good luck charm, trying to calm down. I haven't been sentenced yet, I'll be able to prove my innocence at my trial, or even before. After all, I'm sure the prosecutor will be a reasonable person, and they'll see that it's just bad luck that the guy died where I was making my delivery. Playing with your coin always calmed you down and made you feel like you were not alone, like you had someone looking out for you. You didn't know where that old coin came from, but it had been in your family for as long as you could remember... which admittedly was only 25 years, but your father told you that it was at least five generations when he gave it to you on your 18th birthday.

Guard:

"Hey, you. Someone came to visit you."

You jumped in surprise and instinctively tried to hide your coin in your pocket. After all, you were supposed to hand over all of your personal belongings as evidence, surely the guard would...

Do nothing. He didn't react at your very suspicious actions, and only glowered.

Guard:

"Hurry up, I don't have all day."

As you followed the guard, your hand still in your pocket, you noticed something. The coin seemed to be warmer.

---

September 6, 9:07 AM

Detention Center

Visitor's Room

The someone who came to visit you turned out to be two someones, two women to be precise. The first one was older, with long straight brown hair and brown eyes, with a small beauty mark on her chin, wearing a black suit and crop top, a tan scarf and a comma-shaped lavender pendant. She also had the biggest breasts you'd ever seen in your life.

The second woman was younger and much less well-endowed, with long black hair in a topknot and black eyes, wearing a purple kimono and a necklace with four big pearls and a pendant similar to the first woman's, except this one was golden. She strangely seemed kinda familiar.

Older Woman:

"Mr. Fortunate, I presume?"

Chance:

"It's Fortuna, actually. And you?"

The older woman was looking at you with a stern gaze.

Older Woman:

"My name is Mia Fey, and I was the victim's partner."

Ah. Well, this was awkward.

Chance:

"Listen, I swear I didn't..."

Mia interrupted you, her face carefully neutral.

Mia:

"I would like to ask you a few questions, if that's not a bother."

Chance:

"I-I mean, sure, ask away."

Mia:

"Firstly, did you kill Phoenix Wright?"

Chance:

"No, I swear I didn't! I mean, I didn't even know the man, I'm just the pizza delivery guy, I had no reason to kill him."

The younger woman turned to Ms. Fey and whispered to her. At least, you think it was supposed to be a whisper, she was very loud.

Younger Woman:

"You see, Sis, I told you that guy was innocent. I mean, look at his noodly arms, he couldn't even bash a fly's head in."

Well, that wasn't really incorrect, you didn't have much time to go to the gym, but that was still rude. I mean, I could bash at least a mouse's head in, maybe a rabbit's on a good day. Not that you were going to say that out loud, you were in deep enough shit without needing to incriminate yourself further.

Mia:

"Most criminals don't look like Steel Samurai villains, Maya, and you'd be surprised at how easy it is to **** someone, even if you're not in shape."

Okay, that's starting to get hurtful. I mean, I guess she thinks I killed her boyfriend, but...

Mia:

"Besides, I can think of one possible motive. Tell me, Mr. Fortunate, do you know who Redd White is?"

Chance:

"...I think he's the CEO of that detective agency company, they have a really ugly ad that faces my apartment window. Why, do you think he could find who did it?"

Ms. Fey's expression curdled at the idea.

Mia:

"Not really, no. So you've never met the guy? Or one of his associates? They didn't offer you a job?"

Chance:

"No, I told you, I deliver pizzas! I don't have any other job. I... Wait, you think HE did it?"

She frowned distastefully.

Mia:

"Unfortunately, he is too well-connected to be questioned without hard evidence. I have one final question: do you need a lawyer?"

That's when you noticed the small golden badge pinned on the lapel of the woman's blazer, the badge that identified her as a defense attorney.

Chance:

"I do, I guess, but... You don't think I did it anymore? I mean, I'm not saying I did, but I could've lied."

Ms. Fey smiled mysteriously and grabbed her pendant.

Mia:

"Oh, I have my ways of telling when someone is hiding things from me."

It might have been a trick of the light, but you could have sworn that the pendant was slightly glowing. Still, having a lawyer defending me would be great, but...

Chance:

"I don't really have the money to hire you, sorry."

Mia:

"I would take your case pro bono. If I represented you, I would be allowed to investigate. As I said, Phoenix was a junior partner at my firm and I want the scumbag that did this to pay."

Chance:

"Oh, then I guess you could represent me. Wait, when you said he was your partner, you meant..."

Ms. Fey started to blush brightly.

Mia:

"Oh, no, not like that. I liked him, but not in that way. He was just my mentee, nothing more."

Chance:

"So, does that mean you're single?"

Ms. Fey's stern gaze was back, but she seemed to hold back a chuckle.

Mia:

"I'm afraid I don't date my clients."

Yeah, that's fair. Maya didn't seem to have her sister's compunction, and was guffawing loudly. Ms. Fey let her calm down with a fond smile, before turning back to her no-nonsense self.

Mia:

"Alright. Now that's cleared, please tell me exactly what happened."

You took a deep breath and started to talk, while filling the paperwork.

Chance:

"Well, it was a little after 9 PM. I know that, because Mr. Wright ordered his pizza at 8:37 and I was starting to cut it a bit close for the half-hour delivery. Anyways, when I arrived at the law office, the door was unlocked and, like I said, I didn't have a lot of time left, so I went inside. The reception was empty, but there was light in the office, so that's where I went. The office was completely ransacked, so I didn't notice him immediately, but there was this spiky-haired guy in a blue suit, crumpled under the window, with a small statue next to him, caked in blood. I dropped the pizza and I went to the guy, to see if he needed help, but he was already dead. That's when I heard a scream. I looked through the window and I saw a woman in pink in the building across the street. So, I kinda panicked and started to run away, then I bumped into a weird-dressed girl in the reception..."

Maya:

"Hey! I'm not weird!"

So that's her I bumped into. I knew I saw her before.

Maya:

"I'm a spirit medium... in training. But still! My clothes aren't weird, every acolyte wears them."

Well, that was... unexpected, there weren't many spirit mediums in Los Angeles, at least not genuine ones. Still, that wasn't really important right now.

Chance:

"Right, sorry. So I bumped into a girl wearing a traditional spirit medium kimono in the reception, which isn't unusual in any way whatsoever, and I told her what I found. After that, I guess the pink woman had called the police, because a cop in a scruffy-looking green trench-coat came, interrogated me and Maya, then arrested me. And then, well I guess nothing happened until you came to visit me."

Mia:

"I see. This detective that arrested you, he wouldn't have called you 'Pal', by any chance?"

You blinked.

Chance:

"You know him?"

She nodded.

Mia:

"Detective Gumshoe. He's not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he's loyal to the prosecution."

Maya:

"Yeah, I guess he seemed a little... out there. He questioned me, but once I told him I was your sister and I came to celebrate my 18th birthday with you, he backed out."

Mia:

"Well, anyways, thank you for answering my questions, and..."

Guard:

"Alright, visit's over. The prosecutor just came in, it's time for an interrogation."

Mia:

"Right. Well, I'm going to investigate, good luck Mr. Fortunate."

As you went to leave, you stopped, remembering a weird detail.

Chance:

"One more thing, Ms. Fey. That woman in pink, the one that screamed..."

Mia:

"Yes?"

Chance:

"Well, from her position, she had no way of seeing Mr. Wright's body. So, how did she know he was dead?"