AN INNOCENT MAN! This man, Gary Murphy, does not deserve to suffer as they have suffered.
Nathan now walked over to where Gary sat. Blond, athletic-looking Gary Murphy, who looked like a grown-up Boy Scout. 'This man is as good a man as you will find anywhere in this courtroom. I'll prove it to you, too.
'Gary Murphy is a good man. Remember that. There's another fact for you.
'It is one of two facts, just two, that I want you to remember. The other fact is that Gary Soneji is insane.
'Now, I must tell you, I am a little insane, too. Just a little. You've seen that already. Ms - Warner has drawn your attention to it. Well, Gary Soneii IS A HUNDRED TIMES MORE INSANE THAN I AM. Gary So@ji is the most insane person I've ever met. And I've met Soneji. You will, too.
'I promise you this. You will all meet Soneji, and once you have, you will not be able to convict Gary MurPhy. You will end up liking Gary Murphy, and rooting for him in his personal battle with Soneji. Gary Murphy cannot be convicted of murders and a kidnapping... that were committed by Gary Soneji....
Anthony Nathan now proceeded to call character witness after character witness. Surprisingly, they included staff members at Washington Day, as well as some students. They included neighbors of the Murphys from Delaware.
Nathan was always gentle with the witnesses, always articulate. They seemed to like Nathan and to trust him.
“Would you please state your name for everyone?”
“Dr. Nancy Temkin.”
“And your occupation, please.”
“I teach art at Washington Day School.”
“You knew Gary Soneji at the Day School?”
“Yes I did.”
“Was Mr. Soneji a good teacher during his time at Washington Day School? Did you ever observe anything that would make you think he wasn't a good teacher?”
“No, I did not. He was a very good teacher.”
“Why would you say that, Dr. Temkin?”
“Because he had a passion both for his subject matter and for communicating it to the students. He was a favorite teacher at school. His nickname was 'Chips,' as in 'Mr. Chips.' ”
“You've heard some medical experts say that he is insane, a severe split personality? How does that strike you?”
“Frankly, it is the only way I can comprehend what happened.”
“Dr. Temkin, I know this is a hard question under the circumstances, but was the defendant a friend of yours?”
“Yes. He was a friend of mine.”
“Is he still a friend of yours?”
“I want to see Gary get the help he needs.”
“And so do 1, ” said Nathan. “So do 1. ”
Anthony Nathan fired his first real salvo late on Friday of the trial's second week. It was as dramatic as it was unexpected. It started with a side-bench conference Nathan and Mary Warner had with Judge Kaplan.
During the conference, Mary Warner raised her voice for one of the few times during the trial.
I object! I must object to this.. 'Your Honor,
- stunt. This is a stunt!'
The courtroom was already buzzing. The press, in front-row seats, was alert. Judge Kaplan had apparently ruled in favor of the defense.
Mary Warner returned to her seat, but she had lost some of her composure. “Why weren't we informed of this beforehand?” she called out. “Why wasn't this revealed in pretrial?”
Nathan held up his hands and actually quieted the room. He gave everyone the news. “I call Dr. Alex Cross as a defense witness. I am calling him as a hostile and uncooperative witness, but a witness for the defense nonetheless. ”
I was the 'stunt.,,
T'
Part Four remember
Maggie Rose i I a
Along Came A Spider
CHAPTER 60
