17 Chapter 17 - Whad he had on Mr.Palton

But I have another card up my sleeve.

"Don't go putting your gloat-mode on so fast Mr.Payaya.There is another person left actually."

"W-hat?"

"That's right."

Then I turned to Mr.Palton who is now drowning in sweat and said

"It's time you tell the truth Mr.Palton"

"I........I.........h-he.........bla-black....mai led................me."

He was trembling so much that he couldn't get words out.

"If you don't then I will. The defense's establishment of another witness being at the crime scene is sound and logic Your Honor. Sadly, it wasn't Mr.Hugh Palton but someone else.He is just covering for that person."

"Who is that someone else Mr.Morals?"

"The answer is in your hands Your Honor."

I said that pointing my finger at the newspaper.

"If I could just have your attention back on the earlier photo of the newspaper Your Honor."

He took a look at the newspaper again.

"Who was standing with Miss Love?"

"Mr.Palton"

Don't be so clueless Your Honor.

"NO Your Honor.The other side."

"OH! It was.......a young, fine, handsome man."

"And that young, fine man is known as MR.EDWARD ACKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I omitted "handsome" on purpose.

At once, eyes were all over Edward.

The Judge looked at Edwardwho is sitting in the audience seat, turned to me and said

"Mr.Morals did you realize the magnitude of the accusation you just made? Just because Mr.Acker was wearing shoes in the photo and we found shoe prints at the crime scene, that doesn't necessarily mean they are the same pair of shoes.We will first have to analyze the prints. If it goes wrong and they are not a match, you could get sued for libel.So I am asking you one last time before you make this critical accusation.Are YOU SURE?"

Oh...I am sure. I am freaking sure.

"Yes your Honor. I am totally sure. In fact we don't have to wait for the analysis result, I can prove it. I can prove that those shoeprints were from Mr.Acker right now in this courtroom."

"YOU CANNN!!!?????"

"Yes I can."

Then I turned to Mr.Palton whose face has turned all yellow.

"Mr.Palton"

"Y-Y-Yes."

"Listen to me carefully.Giving false testimony is conseidered a crime. And I know what Edward has on you."

"Y-You do?"

"Yes.Devvy also told me that.If you keep complying with his blackmail, not only your secret will be exposed by me but also you will be charged for falsely testifying in court. Unless you don't want it revealed here in courtroom, in public, I suggest you come clean about that night right now. I am guessing you wouldn't want it out in the public.Would you? So make a choice Mr.Palton."

He is totally panicking, not sure what to choose.

A few months ago, Devvy and I accidentally found out that Mr.Palton was stealing money from the company. And she must have told Edward abouth that.He is using that to blackmail him now.If that gets out, Mr.Palton will be in big trouble.He will be expelled from the director board and have to deal with his family.

Essentially, he is not the owner of Atalantic Star Agency.The company is under his wife's possession whose father is a first-class, top-notch businessman. He endowed that Agency to his beloved daughter as their wedding gift. So, Mr.Palton is juse a figure-head.He doesn't have the full authorithy.

"....OK...I've made a choice.I may have dirty secrets of my own but I am not a criminal.So I will tell you the truth."

He seemed to realize which is at stake.

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WITNESS TESTIMONY 2 - HUGH PALTON (I WAS BLACKMAILED!!)

"As Endy said earlier I was never near the crime scene. I lied because I was being blackmailed by Edward overthere. That night, after he and Devvy faught, Edgeworth was a mess.Yes it's true. Devvy broke up with him.Obviously he didn't take it very well and I stayed behind to comfort him. He was devasted, crying a lot and got drunk, real drunk I mean.

Drunk to a point that he couldn't walk but staggered. He lost senses and told me to take him to Devvy's place.I tried to cool him down but he was unreasonable.So I did.I dropped him off at Devvy's condo.

That's the closet I'd been to the scene.I didn't even get off my car.I didn't know what happen after that and honestly I still don't know.I am here because the next morning after the last trial, he called me and threatened me to testify in his place.He told me that if I didn't do what he asked he would reveal...that secret...apparently you also knew.”

Then he turned to the prosecution and said.

“I am sorry I lied to you Mr.Payaya.I had no choice.I finally agreed to do this because Edward kept saying to me that he didn't kill Devvy.But frankly,I am not sure what to believe now.

The receipt was there because I gave it to him.He didn't know the access code to her apartment so I wrote it down on the back of that piece of paper.

Due to Devvy's likeliness of forgetting things,

a few people from production team gets to keep her passwords too in case of emergency.But he wasn't one of those few people.He didn't know her passcode.Because of ruthless paparazzi lurking around the corner, we’ve forbidded both of them to have a date at each other's place.

That's everything I know.It is the truth."

He finished there.

"Thank you Mr.Palton for being turthful with us.Your Honor...."

"I know Mr.Morals.You don't have to tell me that. The court demands Mr.Edward Acker to testify about his presence at the crime scene."

Edgeworth stood up and came down to the witness's stand.

To my surpries, he is....stable.

Let's see who is more attractive in the courtroom buddy.

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