Linda’s eyes flared in disbelief. “Dr. Alderman, are you trying to tell us that Anna, a teenager, couldn’t take aselfie?”
“No.”
“If Anna asked you to take the photos, why didn’t she give you her phone to take them?”
Noah realized the answer, but couldn’t say it. Thomas would kill him. “I don’t know.”
“But you never sent Anna the photos so she could post them, did you? I can show you your phone, if you need your recollection refreshed.” Linda gestured at the evidence table, where exhibits were bagged and tagged.
“No, I never did. I must have forgotten to.” Noah got the implication. The fact that he hadn’t sent them made it look as if Anna hadn’t asked him to take them.
“Dr. Alderman, didn’t there come a time when you became aware that Anna was the sole heiress to a 50-million-dollar fortune?”
“Yes.”
“You were very friendly to Anna when she moved in, weren’t you?”
“Yes.” Noah could see that Linda was making a connection for the jury, but he had to fight back. “I was trying to be a good stepfather, that’s all.”
“Isn’t it true that you offered to give Anna a driving lesson?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t it also true that she already knew how to drive?”
“Yes.” Noah hated not defending himself. The truth was, Maggie had wanted him to take Anna out so they could get to know each other.
“Dr. Alderman, isn’t it true that you found out about Anna’s vast wealth before you offered to take her on a driving lesson?”
“Yes.” Noah heard the jury rustling.
“During the driving lesson, it was just you and Anna, alone in the car, isn’t that correct?”
Noah couldn’t keep it in any longer. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean anything. It’s normal.”
Linda pursed her lips. “Dr. Alderman, Anna was young, beautiful, and rich, wasn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t it true that as soon as you met Anna, you decided to make sexual advances on her?”
“No.”
“But you were attracted to Anna, were you not?”
“No.” Noah had to lie.
“You weren’t attracted to this lovely young woman, whom you took so many photos of, in a bathing suit?”
“No.”
“Dr. Alderman, didn’t you attempt to seduce Anna?”
“No, I was a married man, and we had a great marriage before—” Noah stopped himself, mid-sentence. It wouldn’t sound right. It would sound terrible.
“Before what?”
“Before. Just before.”
