like that. We wash our hands between each step in the analysis. We wear gloves when we handle everything.”
“You wash your hands between every step?” she asked.
“That’s right.”
“You always wear gloves?”
“When we’re handling evidence, yes.”
She looked down at her notes, and he could tell she was winding up for a curveball.
“Mr. Black, do you recall what you were doing on the morning of April twelfth of last year?”
Here it came. “No, I don’t recall.”
“Do you recall conducting a tour of the ballistics lab with staffers from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, as well as an assistant from the DA’s office?”
Scott’s gaze narrowed. “I remember that, yes.”
“Do you recall meeting my assistant here, Mr. Koenig? Mr. Koenig, could you stand up, please?”
“Your Honor, I object. What is the relevance of this to the matter at hand?”
“Your Honor, if you will indulge me a moment, I’m confident the relevance will become clear.”
“You may proceed.”
The guy stood up, and Scott recognized him as the rookie attorney who had come through the lab that day with a law-enforcement tour. Evidently, he’d already gone over to the dark side.
“I recognize him, yes.”
“And do you recall giving a demonstration that morning, Mr. Black, in which you fired three separate weapons into the tank you mentioned previously?”
“I do.”
She consulted her notes. “You handled a Glock nineteen, a Beretta nine-millimeter, and a Smith and Wesson thirty-eight that morning, is that correct?”
“I’ll have to take your word for it.” Scott braced himself as the curveball flew right at his head.
“And do you recall whether or not you were wearing gloves?”
“No.”
“No, you weren’t wearing any gloves, or no, you don’t recall?”
“No, I wasn’t wearing any.”
“No gloves?” She turned to the jury. “But didn’t you just tell us that you always wear gloves in the lab? That it’s an important procedure you follow to prevent contamination?”
Scott glanced at the jury. He looked at Rae. She was still making eye contact with the jurors, driving the point home.
She turned to look at him, and he caught the glint of triumph in her eyes. “Mr. Black? Would you care to change your testimony?”
“No.”
She addressed the judge. “In that case, Your Honor, I have no further questions for this witness.”
The judge looked at the prosecutor, who was staring glumly in Scott’s direction. “Would you care to redirect?”
“No, Your Honor.”
The prosecutor knew when to cut his losses. Scott gritted his teeth as Rae collected her papers, and the judge dismissed everyone for the midday break.
Scott left the courtroom and entered the throng of courthouse staffers rushing out to lunch.
“Hey, wait up.”
He headed for the drinking fountain.
“Scott.”
He turned around. Rae fought the flow of people like a salmon swimming upstream. She stopped in front of him and straightened the hem of her jacket.
“You need something?”
“I just wanted to say thank you. For your time today.” She squared her shoulders. “And I hope you understand that wasn’t personal in there.”
“Hey, no worries, Rae. Whatever you need to do to get your man off.”
Her cheeks flushed, and he could tell she didn’t appreciate the innuendo, especially coming from him.
“My client is entitled to—”
“Your client’s a dirtbag, and this is the second time I’ve been called to testify against him in three years.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him. “You know, Scott, you really . . .” She shook her head.
“I really what?”
She huffed out a breath as his phone vibrated again. “Forget it.”
“I will.” He took the phone from his pocket as she turned on her heel and walked away.
“Scott, it’s Maddie.”
He watched Rae disappear into the courtroom andfelt a twinge of disappointment because she never finished her sentence.
“Are
“You wash your hands between every step?” she asked.
“That’s right.”
“You always wear gloves?”
“When we’re handling evidence, yes.”
She looked down at her notes, and he could tell she was winding up for a curveball.
“Mr. Black, do you recall what you were doing on the morning of April twelfth of last year?”
Here it came. “No, I don’t recall.”
“Do you recall conducting a tour of the ballistics lab with staffers from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, as well as an assistant from the DA’s office?”
Scott’s gaze narrowed. “I remember that, yes.”
“Do you recall meeting my assistant here, Mr. Koenig? Mr. Koenig, could you stand up, please?”
“Your Honor, I object. What is the relevance of this to the matter at hand?”
“Your Honor, if you will indulge me a moment, I’m confident the relevance will become clear.”
“You may proceed.”
The guy stood up, and Scott recognized him as the rookie attorney who had come through the lab that day with a law-enforcement tour. Evidently, he’d already gone over to the dark side.
“I recognize him, yes.”
“And do you recall giving a demonstration that morning, Mr. Black, in which you fired three separate weapons into the tank you mentioned previously?”
“I do.”
She consulted her notes. “You handled a Glock nineteen, a Beretta nine-millimeter, and a Smith and Wesson thirty-eight that morning, is that correct?”
“I’ll have to take your word for it.” Scott braced himself as the curveball flew right at his head.
“And do you recall whether or not you were wearing gloves?”
“No.”
“No, you weren’t wearing any gloves, or no, you don’t recall?”
“No, I wasn’t wearing any.”
“No gloves?” She turned to the jury. “But didn’t you just tell us that you always wear gloves in the lab? That it’s an important procedure you follow to prevent contamination?”
Scott glanced at the jury. He looked at Rae. She was still making eye contact with the jurors, driving the point home.
She turned to look at him, and he caught the glint of triumph in her eyes. “Mr. Black? Would you care to change your testimony?”
“No.”
She addressed the judge. “In that case, Your Honor, I have no further questions for this witness.”
The judge looked at the prosecutor, who was staring glumly in Scott’s direction. “Would you care to redirect?”
“No, Your Honor.”
The prosecutor knew when to cut his losses. Scott gritted his teeth as Rae collected her papers, and the judge dismissed everyone for the midday break.
Scott left the courtroom and entered the throng of courthouse staffers rushing out to lunch.
“Hey, wait up.”
He headed for the drinking fountain.
“Scott.”
He turned around. Rae fought the flow of people like a salmon swimming upstream. She stopped in front of him and straightened the hem of her jacket.
“You need something?”
“I just wanted to say thank you. For your time today.” She squared her shoulders. “And I hope you understand that wasn’t personal in there.”
“Hey, no worries, Rae. Whatever you need to do to get your man off.”
Her cheeks flushed, and he could tell she didn’t appreciate the innuendo, especially coming from him.
“My client is entitled to—”
“Your client’s a dirtbag, and this is the second time I’ve been called to testify against him in three years.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him. “You know, Scott, you really . . .” She shook her head.
“I really what?”
She huffed out a breath as his phone vibrated again. “Forget it.”
“I will.” He took the phone from his pocket as she turned on her heel and walked away.
“Scott, it’s Maddie.”
He watched Rae disappear into the courtroom andfelt a twinge of disappointment because she never finished her sentence.
“Are
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