“There was this one guy, from our brother school, but we didn’t have sex. He wrote poetry, too. I showed him my poems, and he said they were ‘pedestrian.’”
“Oh please. What a jerk.”
“Anyway, it never came to anything. I never even went on a date with him.”
“His loss.”
“Thanks.” Anna giggled again. “This is kind of fun, hanging with my mom.”
“Aw, I feel the same way about my daughter.” Maggie spotted the lights of the King of Prussia Mall and aimed for the exit ramp.
“I think I’m going to like living here.”
“I think you are, too,” Maggie said, hopeful.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Noah, After
TRIAL, DAY 5
Linda gestured to the projection screen, where the Petition for Protection From Abuse was showing. “Dr. Alderman, that hearing on the Petition for the Protection From Abuse took place on an emergency basis on Monday, May 8, did it not?”
“Yes.”
“The hearing lasted only a single morning, isn’t that true?”
“Yes.”
“And there were only two witnesses, isn’t that correct?”
“Yes.”
“And isn’t it true that Anna testified at that hearing on her own behalf?”
“Yes.”
“And you testified on your own behalf, isn’t that correct?”
“Yes.”
“You had your present counsel, Thomas Owusu, represent you at this hearing, didn’t you, Dr. Alderman?”
“Yes.”
“However, Anna relied upon legal services, did she not?”
“Yes.” Noah suspected he knew why Anna had used a legal services lawyer, but Thomas had told him to keep that to himself. Anna’s trust fund never came into the record at the PFA hearing,and using legal services made her look helpless and sympathetic, in contrast to the rich, powerful doctor.
“You were present when Anna testified, were you not?” Linda strode to counsel table, picked up a packet, and returned to the stand with them.
“Yes.”
Linda turned to face Judge Gardner. “Your Honor, may we approach the bench for a sidebar?”
“Certainly,” Judge Gardner answered, and Thomas shot up and barreled toward the dais. Noah was close enough to hear whatever they were going to say, though he assumed the jury couldn’t, in theory.
Linda cleared her throat. “Your Honor, the audiofile from the PFA hearing has become available and I would like to move it into evidence and play that to impeach Dr. Alderman.”
