on them just by thinking of them, and she knows they won't send her up for thinking people to death, Plain frustrating." He had made a sauce that he was smearing all over two large trout.
"You want some peanuts, chips, cheese? Anything?"
"I'm fine. Speaking of research, what are you up to with the open books in every room? And the computer. My God, you've entered the twentieth century!"
"Ah," he said in satisfaction.
"My life's work. Finally.
Been waiting twenty years, collecting material all that time, and now I'm at it. A collection of great cross-examinations in two volumes. Historical stuff in one, modern in a second.
Problem is too much material. But great stuff.
Great!" He wiped his hands.
"Wait a minute. I'll show you some printouts."
He hurried from the kitchen and returned swiftly with pages of fan fold paper not trimmed yet, not torn apart.
"This one's a beauty. Geiger, Stan Geiger, back in Ohio, before your time. In the fifties and sixties. Very fine. Just read that."
"Wouldn't it help if I knew something about who did what to whom?"
"No. No. Just read it. You'll catch on quick enough."
He was chuckling as he returned to his fish.
She read the page he had indicated:
Q. Weren't you afraid, knowing a burglar was in the room, knowing there was a chance that he was armed?
A. Yes, of course.
Q. So you hid in the closet. Wise course. You didn't have a gun, did you? No weapon of any sort?
A. No, nothing. If I had, then I would have faced him.
Q. I see. Please, just tell us once more exactly what happened.
A. As I said already--several times, in fact--I fell asleep in the armchair, and it grew dark. I woke up when I heard the window opening, and I slipped into the closet because I knew I couldn't get to the door without being seen.
Q. Thank you. Very concise.
In her father's scrawling writing was a note to reproduce the layout of the room.
Q. And there was a light at that end of the room, although the side you were in was in deep shadows, is that right?
A. As I have said several times, I was in virtual darkness at that end of the room. There was a dim light on the chest of drawers on the other side. In order to leave, I would have had to pass it. I could see him plainly in that light.
Q. Yes. I can see that it is a straight line from the closet to the safe. A good view of anyone opening the safe.
Yes. But I wonder why he didn't notice the light in the closet. Did he seem aware of the closet light, react to it in any way?
A. There wasn't any closet light. He never got a glimpse of me.
Q. Then you must have had the door closed all the way. Is that how it was?
A. No. As I have said, I left the door open an inch or so. I wanted to get a look at him if I could.
In her father's writing was another note: summarize the house ad, the builder's name, etc." etc. Reproduce the ad.
Q. So, you admit you bought the house only a few months before the robbery, that you bought it from Smithson and Son, Builders, and that this advertisement is a fair representation of the house.
A. Yes, but what possible diiference-Q. Please, sir. Let me continue. You see, in this ad it states quite clearly that every closet has an automatic light that comes on when the door is open. You can see the source of my bewilderment, I trust.
Her father was watching her closely as she finished the cross-examination.
"Neat," she said.
"Good job."
"Oh, I think so. Of course, he stole his own jewelry for the insurance. But Geiger noticed that ad and made follow-up inquiries. He called the builder, the servants,
"You want some peanuts, chips, cheese? Anything?"
"I'm fine. Speaking of research, what are you up to with the open books in every room? And the computer. My God, you've entered the twentieth century!"
"Ah," he said in satisfaction.
"My life's work. Finally.
Been waiting twenty years, collecting material all that time, and now I'm at it. A collection of great cross-examinations in two volumes. Historical stuff in one, modern in a second.
Problem is too much material. But great stuff.
Great!" He wiped his hands.
"Wait a minute. I'll show you some printouts."
He hurried from the kitchen and returned swiftly with pages of fan fold paper not trimmed yet, not torn apart.
"This one's a beauty. Geiger, Stan Geiger, back in Ohio, before your time. In the fifties and sixties. Very fine. Just read that."
"Wouldn't it help if I knew something about who did what to whom?"
"No. No. Just read it. You'll catch on quick enough."
He was chuckling as he returned to his fish.
She read the page he had indicated:
Q. Weren't you afraid, knowing a burglar was in the room, knowing there was a chance that he was armed?
A. Yes, of course.
Q. So you hid in the closet. Wise course. You didn't have a gun, did you? No weapon of any sort?
A. No, nothing. If I had, then I would have faced him.
Q. I see. Please, just tell us once more exactly what happened.
A. As I said already--several times, in fact--I fell asleep in the armchair, and it grew dark. I woke up when I heard the window opening, and I slipped into the closet because I knew I couldn't get to the door without being seen.
Q. Thank you. Very concise.
In her father's scrawling writing was a note to reproduce the layout of the room.
Q. And there was a light at that end of the room, although the side you were in was in deep shadows, is that right?
A. As I have said several times, I was in virtual darkness at that end of the room. There was a dim light on the chest of drawers on the other side. In order to leave, I would have had to pass it. I could see him plainly in that light.
Q. Yes. I can see that it is a straight line from the closet to the safe. A good view of anyone opening the safe.
Yes. But I wonder why he didn't notice the light in the closet. Did he seem aware of the closet light, react to it in any way?
A. There wasn't any closet light. He never got a glimpse of me.
Q. Then you must have had the door closed all the way. Is that how it was?
A. No. As I have said, I left the door open an inch or so. I wanted to get a look at him if I could.
In her father's writing was another note: summarize the house ad, the builder's name, etc." etc. Reproduce the ad.
Q. So, you admit you bought the house only a few months before the robbery, that you bought it from Smithson and Son, Builders, and that this advertisement is a fair representation of the house.
A. Yes, but what possible diiference-Q. Please, sir. Let me continue. You see, in this ad it states quite clearly that every closet has an automatic light that comes on when the door is open. You can see the source of my bewilderment, I trust.
Her father was watching her closely as she finished the cross-examination.
"Neat," she said.
"Good job."
"Oh, I think so. Of course, he stole his own jewelry for the insurance. But Geiger noticed that ad and made follow-up inquiries. He called the builder, the servants,
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