“Let’s stick with what you were actually thinking at the time, shall we, and not any after-the-fact rationalizations you may have developed. So my question is: at the time you were investigating, before Ms. Goodwin was arrested, who did you think killed Lauren Wright?”

“We did not have a single suspect in mind.”

“Who was in the running, then?”

In law school they teach you that direct examination requires nonleading questions, which means that the answer is not implied by the question, whereas cross-examination is all leading questions, the kind that on television portrayals of trials are punctuated with the phrase “isn’t that correct?” But more experienced questioners know that if you can sprinkle your cross with open-ended queries, it’s far more persuasive to the jury. The best way to do that is precisely how LeMarcus is doing it now. Allow open-ended questions when you know that any answer helps the defense. It doesn’t matter if Gabriel mentions that they had a hundred suspects or only one, because Richard Trofino will surely be included.

By the look in his eyes, it appears that Gabriel knows where this is going. “With the understanding that it was still preliminary, we had focused on several suspects. The husband, of course, is always someone of interest—”

LeMarcus seizes on the opening. “Why was Mr. Trofino a person of interest?”

This time Ella comes to her feet. “Objection! Your Honor, the witness has not finished his answer.”

“Is that right, Lieutenant?” LeMarcus says apologetically. “Was there more you wanted to say?”

“Yes, thank you. You asked, I believe, who we initially considered as suspects in the preliminary phases of our investigation. I needed to add that we were also looking at prior cases Ms. Wright had been involved in prosecuting, with an eye toward possible revenge motives. But also, we had some evidence early on that she was having an affair. We didn’t know with whom, but a lover is always a prime person of interest.”

Gabriel has just testified that I was also a prime suspect from the get-go, just like Richard. The only difference was that he knew Richard’s name but didn’t yet know mine. But good cross-examiners, like champion boxers, know never to show when they’ve been hurt. As a result, LeMarcus plunges straight ahead as if Gabriel hadn’t laid a glove on him.

“I assume, given that Richard Trofino was a prime suspect from the start, that you questioned him right after the murder?” LeMarcus asks, ignoring the part of Gabriel’s answer referencing other suspects.

“Mr. Trofino was questioned by the officers at the scene. Later that morning, we tried to question him further, but he was in no condition for further interrogation.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“He got sick.”

“Sick? Like he had the flu?”

“No. He threw up.”