Page 71 of Fifty-Fifty

and black pearl bracelet with a few metal charms. Alexandra didn’t spin the bracelet on her wrist, as if she was fidgeting. Instead she rubbed the leather, turned the pearls, and felt the charms between her fingers as if she were exploring their feel for the first time.

‘Is Hillary Clinton President of the United States?’

‘No.’

While these questions went on, there were lines flitting across the twin screens, and Johnson was making notes and clicking on a mouse. This was new

technology. Kate thought they were a long way from reams of paper feeding from a machine with a needle jumping across it in wavy lines.

‘Is today Wednesday?’

‘No.’

‘Was it snowing when you came into the building?’

‘No.’

‘Did you murder Frank Avellino?’

‘No.’

‘Did your sister kill Frank Avellino?’

‘Yes.’

‘Have you lied in any of your answers so far?’

‘No.’

Johnson glanced over his shoulder, nodded toward Dreyer who let out a sigh and then gave Johnson the thumbs up. Johnson reached down with his left hand, then came up with something in a clear plastic bag.

‘Did you murder Frank Avellino with this knife?’

Pause. Alexandra stared at the thing in front of her as Kate got up and unleashed a tirade at Dreyer – her voice and indignation rising in her throat with every word.

‘This is an ambush. This test is over. I agreed to let your examiner ask questions, not show my client the knife that was used to murder her father – that’s completely outrageous. Have you no shame?’

Dreyer had his hands up in placation. Bloch strode over to Alexandra. She still hadn’t answered the question. She had turned away from the knife, hiding her eyes from it. Her chest heaving. Bloch tore the pads and sensors from her skin.

‘This is inadmissible. We’ve had enough and we’re leaving. My client is a victim. How dare you show her the weapon used to kill her father? What kind of

a sick animal does that?’ said Kate.

‘She’s not a victim until twelve people on a jury say she’s not guilty, Miss Brooks. You know that. The facts of what happened here can be referred to in cross-examination. Tell your client I’m not falling for her fake tears.’

Bloch walked Alexandra to the door, Kate followed them out. In the corridor Kate bumped into the back of Bloch. She was standing still, staring straight ahead. If Kate hadn’t been standing behind them, she would’ve missed Bloch reach up and firmly take hold of Alexandra’s right arm.

Stepping to one side, Kate looked ahead.

At the other end of the corridor was the reason Bloch stopped. Eddie Flynn, Harry Ford and Harper were coming toward them with their client, Sofia.

Kate swung around and saw Dreyer coming out of the examination room. He moved ahead of them and stopped. They would have to walk past him, and the

other defense team, to get out of the building.

Kate didn’t want Alexandra to have to face this moment so soon.

One of Alexandra’s fears was having to sit in the same room as her sister.