“Ladies and gentlemen, in this trial, the State will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, Cole Wright, did in fact threaten Suzanne Bonanno prior to her disappearance, that he had the means and opportunity to harm her, that a personal item belonging to him was found at her burial site, and that he was the last person to see her alive.”

Bastinelli clicks the controller again. The image of Suzanne slowly fades to black. I can almost feel a sad collective sigh in the room.

“This crime occurred seventeen years ago last June. Seventeen years is a long time, ladies and gentlemen. Memories can get fuzzy. Evidence can be lost or overlooked. This case won’t be as simple or as clear-cut as what you see on CSI and Law and Order. But trust me when I say this—the State has a strong case for Cole Wright’s guilt. We have witness testimony, physical evidence, and visual evidence that will prove Mr. Wright’s responsibility for her death.

“We will produce witnesses who will testify that they heard Cole Wright threaten to strangle Suzanne Bonanno. The State’s medical examiner will testify that Suzanne Bonanno in fact was murdered by manual strangulation.”

At the defense table, Cole Wright has his head bent over a legal pad. I’d give anything to see his face right now, but all I can see is his lawyer’s. Tess Hardy’s expression is relaxed and neutral. Not giving anything away.

“Now, do we have a confession from Mr. Wright?” says Bastinelli. “We do not. Do we have a photograph of him committing the crime? No. The defense will argue that the evidence against Mr. Wright is circumstantial, as if that somehow means that it’s weak or not credible.

“The truth is, ladies and gentlemen, criminal investigations are not as neat and perfect as they are on TV. And it is also true that most criminal convictions are obtained through circumstantial evidence alone. It is enough. It is more than enough.”

Bastinelli walks back to the lectern. He clicks the controller again. The screen lights up with a new picture of Suzanne. This one shows her sitting on a couch in gray sweats and a black T-shirt, head back, laughing. She looks innocent and vulnerable. And so very, very young. Bastinelli is going for emotion, and I think it’s working.

“After a thoughtful and careful review of the evidence we present, you will, I believe, deliver a verdict of guilty against Cole Wright to bring a measure of peace and closure to Suzanne Bonanno’s family and to show that equal justice under the law is still alive and strong here in the Granite State.”

If I were allowed to applaud, I would.