Having established this critical fact, Shad shifts gears and begins questioning Melba about Dad’s health, particularly his psoriatic arthritis and how it has affected his hand function. In this matter Melba is fairly truthful, if more general than Shad would like, but in the end she admits that for the past year Dad has been getting Drew Elliott to perform all prostate exams required in the office, because he can no longer use his fingers effectively enough to do them himself. She probably knows that if she is evasive about this, Shad could simply call Drew to the stand. Also, like me, Melba knows that Shad has spent the past three months trolling among Dad’s patients for whatever negative information he can find, and she wouldn’t want to open the door to putting any of them on the stand.

About the time I expect Shad to release Melba, he begins probing potentially more vulnerable spots. Melba admits that she knew Dad was treating Viola during the last weeks of her life, but denies knowing that any sort of assisted-suicide pact existed between them. She claims she didn’t know that Dad and Viola had been lovers in the past and says it wouldn’t have mattered to her if she had.

At 1:32 p.m. Rusty sends two text messages saying that Shad has decided to gamble that Melba might be shocked or shamed into saying something incriminating about Dad.

Shad ques: Did Dr. Cage ever behave improperly towards u in sexual way? Pls remember u r under oath. Answer: No. Never. Shad looks smug, like Melba’s lying, but female jury members glaring at him.

Ques: Do you believe Dr. Cage ever helped any patient to die? Ans: I don’t know about anything like that. But I think a lot of doctors around here have done it. In some cases, it’s the only decent thing.

Melba’s courageous assertion gives me a guarded feeling of hope. By bringing Melba Price onto the stand, Shad has given Quentin a golden opportunity to allow a highly credible witness to say wonderful things about Dad. And Melba is clearly ready and willing to do all she can for him, which might be a lot. If she speaks with the full force of her character, she could look those women on the jury in the eye and convince at least one of them that her employer would kill himself before he would harm a patient under his care.

But the next message that comes through sends me into shock.

1:34 p.m. Shad looked worried when he tendered Melba, but he shouldn’t have. Leonardo’s reply? No questions, Your Honor.

“Oh my God,” I murmur. “Oh, no.”

“What is it, Daddy?” Annie asks from in front of the television. “Did Mr. Quentin do more bad stuff?”

I sigh so heavily that I feel dizzy, the way I do when I stand up too suddenly.