screen for drugs of abuse. This involves testing the urine for the presence of five drugs; cocaine, morphine, marijuana, amphetamine and PCP. Our results were all negative.'
Page studied his notes and conferred with Highsmith before turning the witness over to Betsy. She reread a portion of the autopsy report and frowned.
'Dr. Gregg, I'm confused by some remarks you made on page four of your report. Were the women raped?'
'That's hard to say. I found bruises and tears around the genitalia and rectum. Tearing that would indicate invasion by a foreign object.'
'Did you test for semen?'
'I did not find any traces of seminal fluid.'
'So you can't say conclusively that the women were raped?'
'I can only say there was penetration and violent injury. There was no evidence of male ejaculation.'
'Did you draw a conclusion concerning whether the women were murdered at the construction site?'
'I believe they were killed elsewhere.'
'Why?'
'There would have been a large amount of blood at the murder scene because of their massive cutting injuries. There were also organs removed from two of the women.'
'Would the rain obscure traces of their blood?'
'No. They were buried. The rain would have washed away the blood on the surface, but we should have found larger quantities the bodies in the graves.'
'So you believe the women were killed someplace else and transported to the site?'
Yes.
'If they were transported in the trunk of a BMW, could you erase all traces of blood from the trunk?'
'Objection,' Page said. 'Dr. Gregg is not qualified to answer that question. She is a medical doctor, not a forensic chemist.'
'I'll let her answer, if she can,' the judge ruled.
'I'm — afraid that's outside my area of expertise,' the doctor answered.
'The male was not disemboweled?'
'No.'
'Nothing further.'
Alan Page stood. He looked a little unsure of himself.
'Your Honor, I'm going to call myself Mr. Highsmith will examine.' as a witness.
'Objection, Your Honor. It's unethical for an attorney to testify as a witness in a case he's trying.'
'That might be true in a trial before a jury, Your Honor,' Page replied,
'but the court is not going to have any trouble deciding my credibility as a witness, if that comes into question, simply because I'm also arguing the State's position.'
Norwood looked troubled. 'This is unusual. Why do you have to testify?'
'what's he up to?' Darius whispered in Betsy's ear Betsy shook her head.
She was studying Page. He looked ill at ease and grim. Something was troubling the district attorney.
'Your Honor, I'm in possession of evidence you must hear if you are going to make a reasoned decision on the issue of bail. Unless I testify, you'll be without the most important evidence we have that Martin Darius is the man who killed Laura Farrar, Wendy Reiser and Victoria Miller.'
'I'm confused, Mr. Page,' Norwood said testily.
'How can you have this evidence? Were you an eyewitness?' Norwood shook his head. 'I don't get it.'
Page cleared his throat. 'Your Honor, there is a witness. Her name is Nancy Gordon.' Darius took a deep breath and leaned forward intently.
'Ten years ago, an identical series of murders occurred in Hunter's Point, New York. The day before we found the bodies, Detective Gordon told me about those murders and why she believed Martin Darius committed them.'
'Then call Detective Gordon,' Norwood said.
'I can't. She's missing and she may be dead. She checked into a motel room after leaving me. I called her several times starting around eight, eight-thirty, the next morning. I think something happened to her shortly after she checked in. It looks like she was unpacking when something interrupted her. All of her possessions were in the room, but she hasn't come back for them. I have a team of detectives looking for her, but we've had no luck so far.'
'Your Honor,' Betsy said, 'if Mr. Page is going to testify about this woman's statements to prove my client murdered some women ten years ago, it will be pure hearsay. I know the court is giving Mr. Page leeway, but Mr. Darius has state and federal constitutional rights to confront the witnesses against him.'
Norwood nodded. 'That's true, Mrs. Tannenbaum.
I'll tell you, Mr. Page, this bothers me. Isn't there another witness from Hunter's Point you can call who can testify about these other crimes?'
'Not on such short notice. I know the names of the other detectives who worked on the case, but they don't work for the Hunter's Point police anymore and I haven't traced them.'
Norwood leaned back and almost disappeared from view. Betsy was dying to know what the missing detective had told Page, but she had to keep the testimony out if it was the ammunition Page needed to keep Martin Darius in jail.
'It's eleven-fifteen, folks,'- Norwood said. 'We'll adjourn until one-thirty. I'll hear legal argument then.'
Norwood stood up and walked out of the courtroom.
Harvey Cobb rapped the gavel and everyone stood.
'Now I know why Page thinks I killed those women,' Darius whispered to Betsy. 'When can we talk?'
'I'll come up to the jail right now.'
Betsy turned to one of the guards. 'Can you put Mr. Darius in the interview room? I want to talk to him.'
'Sure, Mrs. Tannenbaum. We're gonna wait for the court to clear before taking him up. You can ride with us in the jail elevator if you want.'
'Thanks, I will.'
The guard handcuffed Darius. Betsy glanced toward the back of the courtroom. Lisa Darius was standing near the door, talking to Nora Sloane. Lisa glanced toward Betsy. Betsy smiled. Lisa did not smile back, but she did nod toward her. Betsy raised a hand to let Lisa know she would be right with her. Lisa said something to Sloane.
Sloane smiled and patted Lisa's shoulder, then left the courtroom.
'I'm going to talk to Lisa for a moment,' Betsy told Darius. Lisa was waiting just inside the door, looking nervously through the glass at the waiting reporters.
'That woman said she's working with you on an article for Pacific West,'
Lisa said.
'That's right. She's going to tag — along while I try Martin's case to see how I work.'
'she said she'd like to talk to me. What should I do?'
'Nora seems responsible, but you make up your own mind. How are you holding up?'
'This is terrible. The reporters won't leave me alone.
When I moved to Daddy's house I had to sneak out of the estate through the woods so they wouldn't know where I was going.'
'I'm sorry, Lisa. This isn't going to get any easier for YOU.'
Lisa hesitated, then she asked, will the judge let Mar-tin out on bail?'
'There's a good chance he'll have to. The State's evidence has been pretty weak, so far.'
Lisa looked worried.
'Is something troubling you?'
'No,' Lisa answered too quickly.
'if you know anything about this case, please tell me. I don't want any surprises.'
'It's the reporters, they've really gotten to me,' Lisa said, but Betsy knew she was lying.
'We're ready,' the guard told Betsy.
'I've got to talk to Martin. He wants you to visit him.'
