“You sure? Because it seems like she would have boyfriends. She’s pretty.”
“I know, but she didn’t date. I even talked to her therapist about it. She barely had any friends except the one. Jamie.” Maggie leaned closer, not to be overheard. “I don’t think she’s had sex yet.”
Noah’s lips parted in surprise. “You think she’s a virgin?”
“Shhh.” Maggie glanced at the staircase. “Don’t make a big thing of it.”
“I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. You looked surprised.”
“I am, but I’m not making a big thing of it.”
“Lower your voice, okay? And please don’t say anything to her.”
“Of course I wouldn’t.” Noah rolled his eyes, looking like Caleb. “But I don’t think she’s a virgin.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t,” Noah shot back, then seemed to catch himself.
“What makes you say that? Do you know something I don’t?”
“No, not at all.”
“She’s only seventeen years old, Noah.”
“Honey, lots of girls have sex before they’re seventeen these days. This is the age of selfies and duck lips.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do.” Noah looked away again, and Maggie sensed the conversation was making him uncomfortable, which was odd. He didn’t shy away from sex talk, and if anything, he was more sexual than she was. Or maybe less tired. Or maybe a man.
“What’s up with you?”
“Nothing.” Noah put the Allen wrench on the snack tray. “I’ll take this for you.”
“Thanks.”
“Not a problem.” Noah left the kitchen with the tray, and Maggie followed, wondering why he was acting so strangely.
Chapter Twenty-five
Noah, After
TRIAL, DAY 5
Linda strode back to counsel table, picked up an exhibit, then returned to the stand, holding it close to her chest. Thomas had warned him that her holding-the-exhibit trick was intended to make him nervous, but it didn’t work because he was already nervous. He tried to see Maggie in the back of the gallery but he couldn’t. She had to be hiding from him. He didn’t blame her.
“Dr. Alderman, isn’t it true that you told the 911 dispatcher that you didn’t want to stay on the phone because you had to administer chest compressions?”
“Yes.”
“But isn’t it true that after you hung up with the dispatcher, you called your lawyer?”
Noah blinked. “Yes.”
“So you were able to make another phone call and continue compressions, even though you told the 911 dispatcher that you could not?”
