It was a hard thing to have worked honestly for so many years and now to be accused of being a rogue cop, someone who had tampered with evidence and perhaps worse. It was ironic, but now maybe I would have the opportunity to set the record straight, to clear my name.

Jules Halpern smiled cordially at me as I sat down in the witness stand. He established eye contact, quickly looked over at the jury, then turned back to me. His dark eyes radiated intelligence, and it seemed an incredible waste that he was working for Shafer.

“I want to start by saying that it is an honor to meet you, Detective Cross. For years I, like most of the jurors, I’m sure, have read in the Washington papers about the murder cases you have helped solve. We admire your past record.”

I nodded and even managed a grudging smile of my own. “Thank you. I hope you’ll admire my present and future record as well,” I said.

“Let’s hope so, Detective,” Halpern said. He moved on. We parried for half an hour or so before he asked, “You suffered a terrible personal tragedy a short time before the arrest of Colonel Shafer — could you tell us about it?”

I fought the urge to reach out and grab the polite-sounding, insidious little man by the neck. I leaned closer to the mike, struggled for control.

“Someone dear to me was kidnapped while we were in Bermuda on vacation. She’s still missing. I haven’t given up hope that she’ll be found. I pray every day that she’s still alive.”

Halpern clucked sympathetically. He was good, much like his client. “I really am sorry. Did the department give you adequate time off?”

“They were understanding and helpful,” I said, feeling my jaw stiffen with resentment. I hated that Halpern was using what had happened to Christine to unsettle me.

“Detective, were you officially back on active duty at the time of Detective Hampton’s murder?”

“Yes, I went back on full-time duty about a week before the murder.”

“Was it requested that you stay off active duty for a while longer?”

“It was left up to me. The chief of detectives did question my ability to resume my duties, but he made it my choice.”

Halpern nodded thoughtfully. “He felt your head might be elsewhere? Who could blame you if it was?”

“I was upset, I still am, but I’ve been able to work. It’s been good for me. The right thing to do.”

There were several more questions about my state of mind, and then Halpern asked, “When you found out that Detective Hampton had been murdered, how upset were you?”

“I did my job. It was a bad homicide scene.” Your client is a butcher. Do you really want to get him off? Do you realize what you’re doing?