'I'm pointing at the one right there beat her to death and y'all didn't have guts enough to prosecute in the first degree,' the aunt said.
'Objection,' I said.
'Sustained. Jury will disregard the witness's last remark,' the judge said.
But the pointed finger of accusation, the anger that seemed to indicate an unspoken knowledge about Lucas's guilt would not leave the jury's memory because of a judge's admonition. After Marvin sat back down, I rose and approached within five feet of the stand.
'Ms Hazlitt, I interviewed you right after your niece's death, correct?' I said.
'You come out to the house, if that's what you mean.'
'I asked you about someone she had slapped at Shorty's the night she was attacked, correct?'
'I told you she never hurt nobody in her life, too.'
'You surely did. Then you told me something like, "It was them hurt her." Isn't that correct?'
'I don't recall that.'
'Then I asked you who "them" was, who were those other people who had harmed her in the past. Isn't that correct?'
'Objection, counsel's testifying, Your Honor. The witness already stated she didn't remember,' Marvin said.
'Where are you going with this, Mr Holland?' the judge said.
'The witness obviously has hostile feelings toward the defendant. However, in a previous conversation she indicated her niece had been injured in some fashion by people other than Lucas Smothers.'
'There's no evidence of this conversation. Mr Holland is putting words in the witness's mouth and then questioning her about them. It's bizarre,' Marvin said.
'I'll give you a short piece of rope, Mr Holland,' the judge said.
'Ms Hazlitt, did you tell me people other than Lucas Smothers had harmed your niece?'
'Objection, your honor. He's doing it again,' Marvin said.
'Sustained. Last warning, counselor,' the judge said.
'I apologize, your honor. I'll rephrase the question. Ms Hazlitt, did you indicate someone other than Lucas had harmed Roseanne in the past?' I said.
'I don't recall that,' the aunt replied.
'You didn't refer to her male friends as people who had "gotten the scent of it", or as "dogs sniffing around a brooder house"?'
Marvin was on his feet again, but the judge spoke before he could.
'That's it. Both of you approach the bench,' she said. She leaned forward and covered the microphone with her palm. 'You two guys are starting to piss me off, particularly you, Mr Holland. This isn't the trial of the century. You got problems with each other, settle them outside. And you, Mr Holland, either you join the Screen Actors Guild or put an end to these diddle-doo theatrics. Are we clear on this?'
At lunchtime Lucas, Temple, and I walked across the square to the Mexican grocery store and ordered takeout from the small café in back, then carried it back to my office. Vernon Smothers caught up with us on the sidewalk. He had put on a tie and coat and white shirt, and his face was sweating in the sun.
'What's going on? When you gonna put on them damn deputies destroyed evidence?' he said.
'I'll talk with you about it later, Vernon,' I said.
'That's my son. I'm supposed to figure out his trial by watching the evening news?'
I glanced at Temple. She touched Lucas on the arm and walked with him into the foyer and up the stairs of my building.
'I can't call the deputy I need. Why? I don't even know where she is. Why? She shot two guys out at the skeet club. You want me to go on?' I said.