'Well, Mrs. Ortega, you have certainly had yourself quite an ordeal.'
'I have,' Lucy admitted. 'And I don't know what I would have done if Deputy Long hadn't been willing to listen, then help. And if dear Maria had not also agreed to testify.'
'Yes,' the judge said, eyes turning to Maria. 'And now, let me hear your testimony. Deputy Longarm, you will be the witness, and your own sworn testimony will most likely be required at some future date in my court.'
'Or a deposition.'
'Yes,' the judge said. 'That would probably suffice.'
Benton turned his kindly gaze on Maria and handed her a bible to place her hand upon. 'I must place you under oath to tell nothing but the truth, so help you God.'
Maria stared at the bible. Her hand began to shake violently, and it was an effort for her to place it on the bible. Longarm was shocked by the inner struggle he was witnessing in Maria.
'Now, do you swear to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?' the judge asked softly.
Maria's lips formed a word, but it came out so softly that it could not be heard.
'Please,' Judge Benton said, 'you must speak up.'
'Si!'
'Very good,' Benton said. 'Now, calmly and completely, please start at the beginning and tell me exactly what you saw when Don Luis was shot.'
Maria took a deep, calming breath. 'I was in the bedroom when I heard the senora and Don Luis. They were angry.'
'Having an argument?'
'Si.' Maria retracted her hand from the bible.
'Go on,' the judge instructed.
'I waited in the bedroom, but there was nothing left to do so I went into the hallway.'
'And where,' the judge asked, 'were the senora and Don Luis when you saw them arguing?'
'In the big room.' Maria's trembling intensified.
'But you could not see them?'
'Oh, yes, I could see them as I passed.'
'And when,' Judge Benton said, 'exactly, did you see the cook--what was his name?'
'Miguel,' Maria stammered. 'Miguel Rivera.'
'Yes.' Benton chose his words carefully. 'And did you actually see Senor Rivera shoot Don Luis?'
Maria tried to speak, but was unsuccessful.
'Please,' the judge said. 'You mustn't be so upset. There is no danger. I only seek to know the truth. Did you actually see Senor Rivera shoot Don Luis? And remember, Maria, you are under oath.'
A loud gasp escaped from Maria's throat and she cried out as if in torment, then collapsed on the floor, weeping piteously.
Lucy dropped down to comfort her, but Longarm remained frozen in his seat, eyes locked with those of Judge Benton.
'Deputy, I'm afraid that there is more to this than meets the eye,' he said.
'You think that she is lying.' It wasn't a question because Longarm knew that Maria was lying.
'I'm sure of it,' the judge said. 'This young lady is very religious. She cannot, in good conscience, go through with whatever it is she is supposed to tell us. We need to find out the truth.'
Longarm took a deep breath. Maybe, he thought, Lucy really was guilty of murdering her husband and she had put poor Maria up to lying for her.
'Maria,' Longarm said, easing Lucy aside and pulling the girl back to her chair. 'The judge and I do not think that you are telling us the truth. You must tell us what you really saw.'
It took several minutes for the Mexican maid to calm herself, but when she did, Maria seemed far more composed. She placed her hand firmly on the bible, looked directly into Longarm's and then the judge's eyes, and said, 'I will tell you the truth. I will tell you who really killed Don Luis.'
Lucy's hands went to her lips and she looked stunned as she took her seat again and stared at Maria before whispering, 'Are you saying that Miguel Rivera did not really kill my husband that night?'
Maria nodded.
'Then who!'
Maria's chin lifted. She placed her hand squarely on top of the bible and said, 'It was... it was Senor Brodie.'
'No!' Lucy exclaimed, coming to her feet. 'That... that cannot be!'
'It is true, senora. I swear on this holy bible that I tell the truth to you now.'
Lucy collapsed back in her chair, her face mirroring disbelief. 'But why would Hal kill my husband? And why
