LeMarcus closes by asking for permission to have Richard’s height measured. It’s a risky gambit, as anyone who saw the prosecution ask O. J. Simpson to try on the bloody glove knows.

“Five foot eight, and maybe a quarter inch,” the court officer says.

As the court officer is walking away, Richard says, “I know it’s my fault. I know it.”

It’s an obvious tactic. I can tell from LeMarcus’s expression that he knows it too.

“Mr. Trofino,” LeMarcus says, “there was no question pending, but if I heard you correctly, you just confessed to murdering your wife, is that right?”

“Objection,” Ella says.

She sounds hesitant. I suspect she doesn’t know where this is going either.

“Sounded like a confession to me,” LeMarcus says.

“If I may, Your Honor?” Richard asks, looking up at Judge Gold.

“It’s not my decision, Mr. Trofino,” Judge Gold says. “Mr. Burrows, still your witness.”

“I have no more questions,” LeMarcus says.

“I have some redirect,” Ella says.

The party offering the witness always gets a chance to clean up the testimony after cross-examination. In this case, I have no doubt that Ella will go where LeMarcus was too afraid to tread.

“Make it quick, Ms. Broden,” Judge Gold replies.

“It will be. In fact, I just have one question. Mr. Trofino, please explain to the jury why you just said that it was your fault.”

“I didn’t kill my wife. I swear that I didn’t. But I see now that when I told Ms. Goodwin at her office that we were having dinner that evening with you, Ms. Broden, Ms. Goodwin must have thought that Lauren was going to replace her with you. By committing this murder, Ms. Goodwin must have hoped that she’d not only avoid getting fired, but that she’d get a promotion to Lauren’s job—which is exactly the way it initially turned out, and it would have stayed that way if she hadn’t been arrested.”

LeMarcus is shouting “Objection! Move to strike!” over Richard’s answer, but the jury’s already heard it. That kind of testimony can’t be unheard. Richard Trofino has just given the jury the previously elusive why.

Usually, the prosecutor gets the last word. There is no second cross. But that’s a matter of the court’s discretion. Judge Gold recognizes the importance of what’s just occurred. Although it’s cold comfort, he allows LeMarcus to question Richard again, on this one point.

LeMarcus doesn’t say anything at first. Someone who didn’t know him might think he was formulating his question in his head. I’ve seen the routine enough to know he’s just being dramatic.

“Is that it, Mr. Trofino?” he finally says.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question,” Richard replies.