The Innocent Woman

Well, big fucking deal. You deceived me about everything else.”

When Amy started to flare up, Steve put up his hand. “But let’s not get into that now. The point is, we’re going back into court and I don’t need any more body blows. I gotta cross-examine this guy, and if there’s anything he’s gonna throw in my face, I need to know it now.”

Amy shook her head. “There’s nothing.”

“No murder weapon with your fingerprints on it you conveniently neglected to mention?”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Yes, you would,” Steve said. “If you didn’t, I’m very glad. But don’t try to tell me you wouldn’t.”

Amy glared at him.

“Good,” Steve said. “At least I have you attention. Do you understand if the cops can connect the murder weapon with you, the ball game is over?”

“What murder weapon?”

“The one they can’t find. The one that wasn’t there when they found the body. The one that wasn’t there when I found the body. The one you claim wasn’t there when you found the body.”

“It wasn’t.”

“I’m glad to hear it. But we only have your word for that, and we know how good that’s been.”

“Damn it-”

“You pissed off?”

“You’re damn right.”

“Feel frustrated, helpless as hell?”

“What do you think?”

“Good. Then you see the problem. You’re the little girl who cried wolf. You’ve told so many lies, it’s very frustrating when nobody believes you anymore.”

“I didn’t find the gun.”

“That may be true. I hope it is.”

“It’s true.”

“Oh yeah?” Steve said. He exhaled. “Then I hope it’s enough.”

38

When court reconvened, officer Hanson resumed the stand. “Now, then,” Dirkson said. “With regard to the message we just heard-the one you found on the defendant’s answering machine-you say you found this message when you searched her apartment?”

“That’s right.”

“I believe you stated that the light on the answering machine was on but not blinking? Is that right?”

“Yes, it is.”

“And what did that indicate with regard to the function of the machine?”

“That there had been no messages since the machine had been set.”

“And how do you account for the message we just heard?”

“As I said before, that was an old message.”

“Old?”

Officer Hanson held up his hand. “Now, don’t get me wrong. It could have been a very recent message. All I mean is, it was a message that was made prior to the time the machine had been set.”

“Let me be sure I understand this,” Dirkson said. “When that message came in and was recorded, what would have happened to the red light on the machine?”

“It would have begun blinking. To indicate there was a message on the machine.”

“I see. And what would cause it to stop blinking?”

“It would stop blinking when the message was played. The way the machine works is, you see the light blinking and you know you have a message. You press play to listen to that message. When the message is finished playing, the red light remains on but steady, indicating the answering machine is once again ready to record. If it is left that way it will record the next incoming message over the previous message. As I said before.”

“What if you wanted to save that message?”

“There is a button marked save on the machine. If you press that button after listening to the message, the red light will begin blinking again to indicate there is a message, and that message will be saved. If another call should come in, it will be recorded after that message. The machine would then blink twice to indicate there were two messages.”

“I see. And since the light was steady, what did that indicate?”

“That the message had been listened to but not saved.”

Since that was the very point on which Steve Winslow’s earlier objection had been sustained, Dirkson could not resist a triumphant grin. “Now that’s the point I’d like to bring out, officer,” he said. “There’s no doubt then that this message had been listened to?”

Officer Hanson shook his head. “None at all. If the light were blinking, there would be room for doubt. In that case, either the message hadn’t been listened to, or it had been listened to and saved. But if the light is steady, there’s only one way that could have happened. And that’s if the message had been played back.”

Dirkson nodded his approval. “Thank you. That’s all.”

Steve Winslow got to his feet. He smiled. “Officer Hanson, believe you mentioned this was the first micro- cassette you ever marked with your initials?”

Hanson grinned. “That is correct.”

“But you seem to know an awful lot about answering machines I was wondering-what exactly is the basis for your experience?”

Hanson smiled and cocked his head. “I’m married.”

This drew a laugh. The spectators in the courtroom were enjoying Officer Hanson. Even some of the jurors smiled.

“I see,” Steve said. “You mean your wife has an answering machine?”

“That she does.”

“Oh? Would that be identical to the one owned by the defendant?”

“No, it would not. In fact, I don’t think they’re even the same brand. But the operation is certainly similar. I’m familiar with mine, I had no problem operating the one belonging to the defendant.”

Steve frowned. “I’m not quite, clear about your testimony. Perhaps you could help me out. When you referred to the working of the defendant’s answering machine-were you describing how hers works, or were you referring to the one owned by your wife?”

“I was describing the one owned by the defendant.”

“Based on what, if you’re not familiar with the machine?”

“Based on what I personally observed,” Officer Hanson said. “As I’ve testified, I found the machine with the red light on, steady and unblinking. I pressed the play button and heard the message you just heard in court. When the message had finished playing, I pressed the button on the answering machine marked save. The red light on the answering machine began blinking, indicating there was a message. That’s how I know how the machine functions. It happens to be identical to how my wife’s answering machine functions, but I’m not going by that. I’m going by my own personal observation.”

“I see,” Steve said. “And didn’t you also say that if you saved the message, if another message came in, it would be recorded after the message you had saved, and the machine would then blink twice?”

“That’s right.”

“Did you perform that experiment with the defendant’s machine?”

“Ah…” Hanson cleared his throat. “Actually, I didn’t. The micro-cassette was an important piece of evidence. I didn’t want anything to happen to it. After I played it back, I removed it from the machine.”