42
Dirkson came out firing right after the noon recess. The morning had been a disaster for him-Winslow had scored points and swung the sympathy of the jury-but now it was his moment to shine. There was no way Winslow could know the surprises Dirkson had in store for him. It was time to let him have it with both barrels.
Dirkson called Lieutenant Farron. He felt better just seeing him take the stand. After the bad impression made by the evasive Reginald Steele, Lieutenant Farron seemed to exude confidence.
“Now, Lieutenant Farron,” Dirkson said. “Are you acquainted with the defendant, Sheila Benton?”
“I am.”
“When did you first meet her?”
“On June sixth of this year.”
“The day before the murder?”
“That is correct.”
“Would you explain the circumstances of that meeting?”
“Yes. Miss Benton called the police and then came to the station. She first talked to Sergeant Stams, who brought her to my office.”
“And what did she want?”
“She claimed that she had received an anonymous letter and an anonymous phone call.”
“And did she show you the anonymous letter?”
“Yes, sir. She gave it to me.”
“And could you describe the letter?”
“It consisted of words cut from a newspaper and pasted on a sheet of paper to form a message.”
“And do you recall the message?”
“Yes, sir. It said: ‘I know all about you.’”
“I hand you a letter and ask you if you have ever seen it before.”
Lieutenant Farron took the letter and looked it over. “Yes, sir. That is the letter I referred to. The one the defendant gave me.”
Dirkson took the letter back from Farron. “I ask that this letter be marked for identification as People’s Exhibit number three.”
“No objection.”
“So ordered.”
Dirkson handed the letter to the clerk and turned back to Farron. “Now then, Lieutenant. Did you examine the envelope in which the letter was received?”
Steve straightened in his chair. A warning light had come on. The envelope. Sheila hadn’t mentioned the envelope, and he hadn’t even asked.
“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Farron said.
“Can you describe the envelope?”
“It was addressed to the defendant. The address had been typed. There was no return address.”
“But the address of the defendant had been typed on a typewriter?”
“Yes, sir.”
Steve leaned over to Sheila. “Is that true?” he whispered. “Was the envelope typed?”
“Yes,” she whispered back. “Why? What’s the matter? Does it make a difference?”
“We’ll talk about it later. Right now, just keep smiling and don’t let the jury see it makes any difference.”
Steve kept smiling, but his world was collapsing. Does it make a difference? Well, just a little, he thought ironically. He knew typing was as distinctive as handwriting. Which meant they could prove which typewriter had typed the envelope. Which meant they could tie the letter to Greely.
Dirkson had walked to the prosecution table and picked up an envelope. He crossed back to the witness.
“I hand you an envelope and ask you if you have ever seen it before.”
“Yes, sir. That’s the envelope the defendant gave me. The one she said the letter came in.”
“How do you identify it?”
“By my initials, which I marked on it at the time.”
“I ask that the envelope be marked for identification as People’s Exhibit number four.”
“No objection.”
“So ordered.”
“Now then, Lieutenant. Did you make a search of the decedent’s apartment?”
“Yes, sir. I did.”
“Did you find anything that you considered significant?”
“Yes, sir. I found a Smith-Corona portable typewriter.”
Dirkson produced a typewriter from a bag on the prosecution table. “Is this the typewriter to which you now refer?”
“Yes, sir. It is.”
“I ask that the typewriter be marked for identification as People’s Exhibit-uh, what are we up to now? — number five.”
“No objection.”
“So ordered.”
Dirkson watched while the clerk marked the typewriter for identification. He looked over at the defense table. Winslow was still sitting calmly, with that maddening smile on his face. All right, damn him, Dirkson thought. Time to turn the tables on him. Let’s let him get angry. Let’s let him start objecting. Let’s wipe that smug smile off his face.
“Now then, Lieutenant,” Dirkson said. “Did you make any tests to determine whether the envelope, People’s Exhibit number four had been typed on the typewriter, People’s Exhibit number five?”
Farron was surprised by the question. Dirkson hadn’t intended to ask him that. It had been understood that the handwriting expert was going to give that testimony.
“I did,” Farron said.
“And had the envelope been typed on that machine?”
“It had.”
Judge Crandell frowned, and looked at Steve Winslow. Steve just sat smiling. He might not even have heard the question. Judge Crandell leaned forward.
“One moment here,” Crandall said. “Would the court reporter read back that last question and answer?”
The court reporter looked at the tape. “Question: ‘And had the envelope been typed on that machine?’ Answer: ‘It had.’”
Judge Crandell looked expectantly at Steve, who said nothing.
Crandell cleared his throat. “I do not wish to presume upon the responsibilities of the defense counsel, but in order to keep the record straight, I must point out that that last question clearly calls for a conclusion on the part of the witness for which no proper foundation has been laid. Lieutenant Farron is a police officer, but he has not been qualified as a handwriting expert.”
Steve smiled. “I think the point is well taken, Your Honor.”
Judge Crandell stared at him.
“In that case, Your Honor,” Dirkson said, “I ask that the witness be temporarily withdrawn so that Stanley Forrester, an eminent handwriting expert, can take the stand.”
“There’s no need for that,” Steve said casually. “I will stipulate that Mr. Forrester would testify that the envelope, People’s Exhibit number four, was typed on the typewriter, People’s Exhibit number five.”
Judge Crandell looked at him incredulously. “Mr. Winslow, how can you possibly make such a stipulation? The prosecution hasn’t even stated what it expects to prove by this witness.”
“Why else would they call him, Your Honor?” Steve said. “I think it’s perfectly clear to everyone that the envelope was typed on the machine. I’ll stipulate that it was.”
Judge Crandell was annoyed by his attitude. “Well, I don’t intend to have the matter disposed of in this
