The Innocent Woman

nothing.
    “Come on, give me a break,” Steve said. “What did you tell the cops?”
    “Nothing much.”
    “You must have said something. Stams drags you out there, shows you the drawer. It’s a big shock. You must have said something then.”
    “I didn’t.”
    “You didn’t say, That can’t be right?”
    “Maybe I did.”
    “You didn’t say, The cops must have closed it?”
    “I may have said that.”
    “And then Stams starts working on you: I thought you called us from here; I thought you called us right away; I thought no one was in here between the time you called us and the time we got here. So if you found the drawer open, who closed the drawer?”
    Amy said nothing. Looked down.
    “Didn’t he say something like that?” Steve said.
    “Yeah.”
    “So what did you say then?”
    “I said, I want to call my lawyer.”
    “That’s all.”
    “Yeah, that’s all.”
    Steve exhaled. “Well, thank goodness for small favors. Okay, you called your lawyer and I’m here. What can I do for you?”
    Amy looked at him. “Get me out of here.”
    “That may not be so easy. First let’s have your story. What did you tell the cops?”
    “I told them everything.”
    Steve grimaced. “You don’t know how bad that sounds. What do you mean, everything?”
    “I mean about being arrested and the trial.”
    “That’s okay. What about tonight?”
    “I went out to dinner with a friend.”
    “Where?”
    “At a restaurant near my apartment.”
    “When?”
    “From six-thirty to seven-thirty.”
    “What happened then?”
    “He had to work, and I went home.”
    “At seven-thirty?”
    “Right.”
    “Who’s the friend?”
    “Larry Cunningham.”
    “Known him long?”
    “Why?”
    “For one thing, it tells me how good a witness he’ll be. Anyway, he left you at the restaurant?”
    “That’s right.”
    “That’s what you told the cops?”
    “Yes.”
    “Is that what really happened?”
    “Yes.”
    “He left and you went home?”
    “Right.”
    “What happened then?”
    “I told the cops I watched TV for a while, then I got the idea about cleaning out my desk.”
    “That’s what you told them?”
    “Yes.”
    “But that’s not what happened?”
    Amy looked at him. “You know what happened. I didn’t watch TV. I went right down.”
    “Why?”
    Amy blinked. “What?”
    “Why did you go down then? That’s the one thing that makes no sense. The trial’s over, you’re found innocent. What was so important about cleaning out your desk?”
    “Nothing really, but...”
    “But what?”
    “I don’t know. I just wanted to do it because I could.”
    “Because it’s there?” Steve said. “The mountain climbing defense. I’m sorry, but that’s hard to swallow.”
    “Well, it happens to be the truth.”
    “That’s fine,” Steve said. “So, you went there to clean out your desk. Tell me, did you take any bags with you? Or cartons? Anything to put your stuff in?”
    “No.”
    “No? Why not? How were you going to carry your stuff?”
    “There were plenty of bags and cartons in the office.”
    “Good answer,” Steve said. “You were obviously prepared for that one—you came right in with it. Did the cops ask you that too?”
    “Yes, of course.”
    Steve nodded. “Which is why you’re prepared. Now. But tell me—when the cops asked you—were you prepared then? Did you come right back with the answer, or did you have to think about it?”
    Amy stuck out her chin. “You know, I really resent this.”
    “Oh?”
    “You’re acting like you don’t believe a word I say.”
    “No, I’m acting like a lawyer. Your story has to stand up, have no holes in it whatsoever. If I can pick it apart, the D.A. can pick it apart. If that happens, you’re through. Which is why I had you clam up and stop talking. I can’t take the risk till your story’s air-tight.” Steve exhaled. “Try and understand the concept. Right now you’re keeping quiet, but at some point I’ve got to decide do you tell your story or not. The way things stand right now, you don’t. But if you ever do, it’s going to depend on your being able to answer questions without blowing your cool. So if my questions piss you off, try to think of them as a dress rehearsal.” He smiled grimly. “And if you think I’m skeptical and sarcastic, wait’ll you hear the D.A.”
    Amy glared at him defiantly for a moment. Then her eyes faltered. She shivered slightly. “Okay,” she said. “Okay.” Then her face