Dead in the Water

the quay, watching them.”
    “Did they still seem to be a happy couple?”
    “Yes, they were laughing as they sailed past the quay. They waved and called out a good-bye.”
    “Did anyone but Allison Manning ever see Paul Manning after that?”
    “No. I believe I was the last to see him.”
    “You have interviewed Mrs. Manning extensively about their experiences after leaving Puerto Rico, have you not?”
    “Yes, I have.”
    “Did you question her closely about the events that occurred on the occasion of Paul Manning’s death?”
    “Yes, I did.”
    “Did Allison Manning say anything to you about those events that you found to be inconsistent with the impression you had formed of the couple in the Canary Islands?”
    “No, she did not. Everything she told me had the absolute ring of truth.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Forrester; no further questions.”
    “Sir Winston?” the judge said.
    “Thank you, Your Lordship. Mr. Forrester, do you consider yourself to be an expert on marriage?”
    “No, hardly.”
    “Are you not presently involved in a divorce from your own wife?”
    “Yes, I am.”
    “So do you think that, on the basis of two brief meetings, you could pronounce their marriage a happy and successful one?”
    “That was my impression.”
    “I ask you again, do you think you are qualified to judge the Mannings’ marriage, one way or the other, after meeting them for only a few hours?”
    “Well, I’m certainly no marriage counselor, but…”
    “Mr. Forrester, I ask you again: are you qualified to judge the state of their marriage?”
    “Well, I’m certainly no marriage counselor.”
    “Answer the question: are you qualified? Yes or no?”
    “No,” Forrester admitted.
    “Did you ever see the couple again after they sailed from the Canaries?”
    “No, just Mrs. Manning.”
    “You were not aboard the yacht with them when it sailed, were you?”
    “No, I wasn’t.”
    “So you have no personal knowledge of what occurred aboard that yacht when Paul Manning died?”
    “I have Mrs. Manning’s account.”
    “But you have no personal knowledge of these events, do you?”
    “No.”
    “I have no further questions of this witness.” Sir Winston sat down.
    Stone stood. “Your Lordship, I have a brief redirect.”
    “Proceed.”
    “Mr. Forrester, you saw Mr. and Mrs. Manning together in the Canaries, didn’t you?”
    “Yes, I did.”
    “And you were the last person alive to see them together?”
    “Yes, I was.”
    “Relying on your judgment as a journalist and as a human being, do you believe them to have been happily married?”
    “I certainly do.”
    “Do you believe Allison Manning’s account of her husband’s death to be true?”
    “Yes, I certainly do.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Forrester, I have no further questions.”
    “You may step down, Mr. Forrester,” the judge said. “Mr. Barrington, do you wish to call any other witnesses?”
    “Yes, Your Lordship. The defense calls Mrs. Allison Manning.”
    Stone watched Allison as she left the dock and walked to the witness box. She seemed relaxed, serene; she certainly looked beautiful. If I can just get her through this , he thought, and if she stands up under cross without losing it, I can win this case .
    Allison took hold of the Bible and swore to tell the truth.

Chapter
55
    S tone waited while Allison arranged herself in the witness chair and recited her full name and address. He began questioning her slowly about her family background and education, letting her settle down and deal with easy questions. She was following his instruction, making eye contact with the jurors as she answered. Then he began to get to the meat of the matter.
    “Mrs. Manning, when and how did you first meet your husband, Paul?”
    “It was a little over five years ago,” she said. “I was working as an art director with an advertising agency in New York, and I was invited to dinner at the home of my boss. Paul was a guest, too.”
    “Did you hit it off immediately?”
    “Yes, we did. Paul took me home in a taxi and asked me out for dinner that weekend.”
    “And did you begin to see him on a regular basis after that?”
    “Yes, we began seeing each other two or three times a week, and before long, we were spending most of our time together.”
    “Was Paul working as a writer at that time?”
    “Yes, he had given up his newspaper career and was writing his third novel when we met.”
    “Was he a very successful writer at that