Glancing around the courtroom, I was surprised to spot True MacDonald, dressed in his Sunday finest, watching me proudly as if attending my graduation.

"Sir, would you state your name and current address for the record."

"Zachary Wallace. Prior to this trip, I was living in a motel in South Beach, Florida."

Max took over the questioning, and I stared at him, filled with a malice once reserved only for my father. "Dr. Wallace, where were you born?"

"Drumnadrochit."

"And how long did you reside in the Highlands?"

"Until I was nine."

"Why did you leave?"

"My parents divorced."

"The accused, Mr. Angus Wallace, being your father?"

"Biological father."

"What is your current occupation?"

"Technically, I'm unemployed."

"I, uh, see. And why is that?"

"Because I don't have a job, asshole."

The judge banged his gavel to stifle the laughter, much of it coming from True. "The witness will conduct himself properly or be held in contempt."

"Let me rephrase. What is your chosen occupation, Doctor? In what field did you earn your Ph.D.?"

"Marine sciences."

"And your present age?"

"I'll be twenty-six in two months."

"My lord, for the sake of time, I'm going to read the highlights of Dr. Wallace's credentials, just so the court understands why we've summoned this witness." Retreating to his table, Max removed several sheets from another manila folder and began reading aloud.

"Graduated with honors from Washington High School in New York… at the age of fifteen. Accepted an academic scholarship at Princeton, where he played football and graduated with honors while earning both a bachelor's and master's degree in marine biology. Received his doctoral degree from the University of California at San Diego… all this before the ripe old age of twenty-three. In the last four years, Dr. Wallace has authored three papers published in Nature and Science and has patented two underwater hydrophonic devices, including one that was used successfully six months ago to locate a giant squid, this in the waters of the Sargasso Sea. In 2003, Dr. Wallace was listed among the Top 100 scientific minds in the world and was on his way to earning a second doctorate from Florida Atlantic University while he taught courses and lectured. Am I leaving anything out, Dr. Wallace?"

"You forgot to mention I had a crush on my tenth-grade math teacher."

That one drew another stern look from the judge. "Last warning, Dr. Wallace. If you insist on making a mockery of my courtroom, you'll be doing it from a jail cell."

The ridiculousness of my predicament got to me then, and I started to snicker.

The judge banged his gavel and cited me for contempt.

Max jumped in before I could extend my jail sentence to two nights. "Our humblest apologies, my lord. As you can see, the witness is a bit unnerved at having to testify at his own father's murder trial."