AFTER A BRIEF RECESS, DIANA IS CALLED UP AGAIN, SEATED, and reminded that she’s under oath. She looks wiped out, but I notice a glint in her eye. A small hint of steel that suggests she will not be defeated.

Rising from his chair, DeFiore buttons his jacket. “Ms. Holly, for the record, I represent the Defendant, Billy Quinn.” He steps forward. “May I ask you a few simple questions?”

“Yes,” she tells DeFiore quietly. “You may.”

“Thank you.” His voice, by contrast, is booming, and echoes off the high ceilings. “For the record, are you aware who my client is?”

When Diana’s eyes shift to Billy, DeFiore offers her a sympathetic smile. He has to tread lightly. Before the trial began, he explained that cross-examining a victim of sexual assault is a minefield. If he goes too far—too many intrusive questions, for instance, or too harsh a tone—the jury will side with Diana. Same if he doesn’t go far enough; her story will stand uncontested. He has to find inconsistencies in Diana’s story without calling her a liar; it means attacking her claims without attacking her.

The mood in the courtroom is tense. Stripped bare by Diana’s testimony, we’re raw and jittery. We sense drama afoot the way a dog’s panting portends a brewing storm. Recognizing this, DeFiore is tentative. His movements are languid. He smooths his hair. Removes his glasses. Then he begins. “Ms. Holly, earlier, you said that when you became aware of my client’s alleged porn addiction, it bothered you. Is this true?”

“Yes.”

“You also testified that porn permeated your relationship. That it was unbearable when my client’s compulsion interfered with his ability to perform. Is this also correct?”

“Yes. It was unbearable to be with a man who needed porn to . . . uh . . . function, basically.”

“Ms. Holly, are you against porn in general? Meaning, do you have a general objection to people watching pornography?”

“No, I’m not generally against porn.”

“And, in fact, you watched porn with Billy, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t watch porn before I met Billy, but yes, we did watch it together once in a while.”

“And did you enjoy it?”

“Objection!” Anderson calls out. “Relevance?”

“Sorry,” DeFiore says. “I’ll rephrase. You enjoyed seeing Billy happy, right?”

Diana looks at her hands. “Yes.”

“In fact, you and Billy watched porn at your suggestion, correct? For instance, when you realized he enjoyed porn, and, more to the point, porn enabled him to perform, wasn’t it your idea, not his, to position the computer next to the bed?”

“I wanted to be a supportive . . . I don’t know . . . partner . . .”

“Ms. Holly, please answer with a yes or no, and then you can explain. Again, wasn’t it your idea to position the computer on the desk?”

“Yes, it was my idea.”

“Would you say that porn enhanced your sex life?”

“Yes, sometimes.”