‘Yes, the defendant’s husband, Jay Ferris, published a column in the Duluth News-Tribune last July about a prescription drug addict named Holly. The column threatened public exposure of this information.’

‘If Mr. Ferris had exposed his wife’s addiction and criminal behavior, would there have been consequences for the defendant?’ Dan asked.

At that question, Archie Gale intervened. ‘Objection. This calls for a conclusion outside the witness’s expertise.’

‘Sustained,’ Judge Edblad ruled.

Dan wasn’t deterred. ‘Has the evidence you uncovered regarding the defendant’s abuse of prescription pain medications now become public?’ he asked.

‘Yes.’

‘And to your knowledge, have there been consequences to the defendant in relation to her behavior?’ Dan asked.

Stride nodded. ‘Yes, according to a statement by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice last month, she has voluntarily surrendered her medical license.’

He stared at Janine Snow as he said this, and so did the jury. For the first time he could remember, he saw genuine emotion in her face. It was as if her world had already crumbled around her, and nothing else in the courtroom mattered. A tear slipped from one blue eye, and a moment later, she was crying silently.

*

Gale began to question Stride.

‘Lieutenant, you did not recover the murder weapon in this case, is that right? It is still missing?’

‘Yes, that’s right.’

‘Did any of Dr. Snow’s neighbors report seeing her leave the house between 9:45 p.m. and the arrival of the police an hour later?’

‘No.’

‘Did you find evidence suggesting that Mr. Ferris’s Hummer had been driven between 9:45 p.m. and the arrival of the police an hour later?’

‘I’m not sure what evidence would be available to confirm that,’ Stride said.

‘Well, did you check the hood of the Hummer?’

‘Yes, I did.’

‘Was the engine warm?’

‘No,’ Stride admitted. He added quickly: ‘However, this was almost an hour after I arrived on the scene. The temperatures were below zero.’

‘Lieutenant, did your department receive a report about an unidentified Toyota Rav4 parked near Dr. Snow’s house on the evening of the murder?’

‘We received a report from a teenage driver who thought he remembered passing a Rav4 parked on West 8th Street that evening. The teenager later acknowledged using marijuana that night, so we considered his recollections to be suspect.’

‘Did the driver say he saw the Rav parked there after ten o’clock?’

‘He thought so, but he didn’t check the clock.’

‘Is the corner of West 8th and Skyline within a couple hundred yards of Dr. Snow’s house?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did you talk to residents on 8th Street?’

‘Yes, we did.’

‘Did any of those residents own a Rav4 or have visitors who owned a Rav4?’

‘No.’

‘Were you able to identify who owned this Rav4?’

‘No.’

‘Thank you, Lieutenant. You testified that you were unable to locate a revolver allegedly owned by Jay Ferris, is that right?’

‘Yes.’