The Innocent Woman

drawer?”
    “That’s right.”
    “Twenty-five twenty dollar bills?”
    “That is correct.”
    “You counted them?”
    “He counted them and I counted them.”
    “And there were twenty-five?”
    “Yes, there were.”
    “So when you said earlier in response to Mr. Pearson’s question that you didn’t know how many serial numbers you had written down, you would have to count them, that was incorrect?”
    Macklin’s smile was somewhat superior. “Not at all,” he said. “I meant exactly what I said. I had not counted the serial numbers. Nor had I numbered them. I had counted the bills, and knew them to be twenty-five. And I had written down the serial numbers for those bills, so I could assume I had written down twenty-five numbers. But I’m not allowed to testify to what I assume . Only what I know .”
    At the prosecution table, A.D.A. Pearson let the jurors see his broad grin.
    “I’m glad to hear it,” Steve said. “But you know now from counting that you wrote twenty-five serial numbers in your notebook?”
    “That’s right.”
    “And you knew then from counting that Mr. Fletcher gave you twenty-five twenty dollar bills?”
    “That’s right.”
    “And it was those same bills that you wrote the serial numbers of down in your notebook?”
    “That’s right.”
    “And those same bills that you returned to Mr. Fletcher?”
    “That’s right.”
    “And those same bills that Mr. Fletcher put in the cash box and put in the desk?”
    Macklin nodded. “Absolutely. The same ones.”
    “And you know that because you are a trained observer, and if Mr. Fletcher had substituted any bills for the ones you’d given him, you’d have seen him do it. Is that right?”
    “Yes, it is.”
    Steve Winslow nodded. “I see. Mr. Macklin, do you have x-ray vision?”
    Macklin blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
    “X-ray vision. You know. Like Superman. Can you see through walls?”
    “Objection, Your Honor,” Pearson said. “Of all the ridiculous—”
    Judge Dalrymple banged the gavel. “That will do. If you have an objection, state it in legal terms.”
    “Incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial.”
    “It goes to his qualifications, Your Honor.”
    “Nonsense,” Pearson said. “That’s a facetious question. It—”
    The gavel cut him off again. “You will argue objections at the sidebar, counselor,” Judge Dalrymple snapped. “Only in this case no argument is necessary. The objection is sustained.”
    “I’ll withdraw the question and ask another. Mr. Macklin, are you clairvoyant?”
    “Same objection.”
    “Same ruling. Mr. Winslow, if you have a point to make, please lay the groundwork first.”
    “Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Macklin, I believe you stated Mr. Fletcher could not have substituted any twenty dollar bills for the ones you gave him because you’re a trained observer and you would have seen him do it. Is that right?”
    “Yes, it is.”
    “You also stated that when the defendant arrived for work Monday morning you identified yourself as a private detective and removed two bills from her possession. Is that right?”
    “Yes, it is.”
    “I believe you stated that you had to identify yourself to Miss Dearborn because she had never seen you before?”
    “That’s right.”
    “She didn’t see you on Friday when you wrote down the serial numbers from the bills?”
    “No, of course not. She wasn’t there.”
    “She wasn’t?”
    “No. That was the whole point. I came while she was out to lunch.”
    “And left before she returned from lunch?”
    “Yes, of course.”
    “And did Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Lowery leave with you?”
    “No. Why would they do that?”
    “So you left alone?”
    “Yes, of course.”
    “Well, Mr. Macklin,” Steve said. “So, when you testify that Mr. Fletcher could not have substituted any bills, because as a trained observer you would have seen him do it, is it not a fact that unless you’re clairvoyant or have x-ray vision, you would have no way of knowing whether he made such a substitution after you had left his office and before the defendant returned from lunch?”
    Pearson lunged to his feet to object, but Judge Dalrymple’s banged the gavel and cut him off. Gesturing with it, Dalrymple said, “Sidebar.”
    A.D.A. Pearson could hardly contain himself waiting for the court reporter to get set up. When he was finally allowed to speak, it was like opening the flood gates.
    “Your Honor, Your Honor,” he said. “This is totally outrageous.