"Can you give us the exact date?"
"Friday, June 19th."
"And the place, and the time of day?"
"My office in Winchester. About ten in the evening."
"Please describe this occasion in your own way."
"Well, my secretary Miss Anderson had been out sick several days, so Jim
and I were swamped with work. I left the office my usual time, took home
some stuff. Jim said he'd stay and work late. Evening, found I'd
forgotten something, drove back for it, near ten o'clock. Light on in
Jim's office, door of the outer office braced open way I'd left it, for
fresh air--guess that's how I came to go in so quiet, wasn't trying to,
certainly. Passed doorway of Jim's office, saw Miss Blake was--in
there." Judd swallowed and coughed. "Compromising situation."
"Do you mean they were embracing, something like that?"
"Call it that. Divan. Jim's office. Wouldn't've believed it."
"Was an innocent interpretation possible? She'd felt faint, or--"
"Nothing like that, sir. Slacks, underthings, arm of divan."
"Are you saying Miss Blake was nude?"
"Wearing a--a blouse."
The listeners were too intent to snigger.
"Was Doherty also undressed?"
"Part--partly."
"Were they, to your knowledge, engaged in sexual intercourse?"
"They--yes, they were."
Short of breath, the courtroom sighed.
"What did you do, Mr. Judd?"
"Stepped back--got papers I wanted--left."
"They didn't learn of your presence, so far as you know?"
"No," he said, his breath still a burden to him. "No."
"You can be certain they didn't see you in the doorway--how?"
"Their eyes were closed."
"Your witness, Mr. Warner."
Warner remained by the defense table, standing, his hands pressing
heavily on the back of his chair. Callista looked as though she had
heard some dull distasteful gossip about a neighbor. "Mr. Judd, did you
speak of this episode later to James Doherty--or to anyone?"
"To Jim, yes." Judd's face showed unhealthy mottling. "Following Monday.
Only right, I thought--had to have it out."
"You told him what you had inadvertently seen?"
"Yes. Felt I owed him that. Said--you want what I said?"
"I think you might give the substance of the conversation."
"Well, I--said it wouldn't do. Said, what about Ann? Jim was perfectly
frank, honest. Told me he realized--whole affair--terrible mistake,
shouldn't've started. Said he was breaking it off. Of course I--only too
glad to leave it at that, trust Jim's conscience, religious upbringing
and so on. Least said, soonest--and so on."
"There was no question of dissolving your partnership with him?"
"Dissolving--heavens no! Never entered my head."
"You could find it in your heart to forgive him?"
"Not the way I'd put it, sir. You just can't condemn a man for--for one
moral lapse. Could happen to any hotblooded young man."
"You are describing James Doherty as hotblooded?"
Callista Blake lowered her face in her hands. She was not weeping; her
breathing was slow and regular. Perhaps, Judge Mann thought, she needed
to shut away the voices, the faces, the nearness of her accusers. He
noticed the newsmen scribbling busily a moment, and heard among the
spectators a rustling, shifting, sighing, as if they were in some
manner bound to her and could not move till her motion released them.
"I don't know. Jim's a good boy. Just sort of slipped."
"The woman tempted him?"
Hunter protested: "Counsel has strayed far from the matter of direct
examination, and is trying to put words in the witness's mouth."
"Rephrase your question, Mr. Warner."
"I'll withdraw it." Warner was speaking gently, absently. "Mr. Judd, you
were deeply concerned for James Doherty?"
"Of course. Terrible thing, specially if Ann--"
"Yes, you were concerned for Mrs. Doherty too, weren't you?"
"Of course."
"For anyone else?"
"What? Why, if you mean myself, I suppose--oh, I don't know."
"You weren't concerned for anyone else?"
"I don't get your drift."
"If you don't understand that question, I have no others."
"I--I--"
"I have no other questions, Mr. Judd."
Disturbed, not immediately certain of the cause, Judge Mann asked: "Do
you wish to make a redirect examination, Mr. Hunter?"
"No, your Honor, not necessary. I--"
Judd's right hand groped toward his left arm and sagged away. He looked
not exactly frightened, more as though shocked by some astonishing news.
He said: "I wish I--" As if meekly, apologetically, he tumbled out of
the witness chair in a slow sprawl.