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“About four in the morning.”
Keith banged the ledge in front of Victor. “Do you realize that you are under oath?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you just lie to this court?”
Champ objected. The judge overruled her.
“I didn’t lie.”
“Sure, you did,” Keith replied pleasantly. “Isn’t it true that you did not leave Annabelle’s apartment until after the police removed her body from the bathroom?”
Judge Veronsky had to bang the gavel three times and threaten to clear the room before order was restored.
“Objection!” yelled Champ.
“Overruled,” droned Judge Veronsky. “The witness will answer the question.”
“No, that is not true.” Victor was sobbing loudly now.
“You skipped an important part of your conversation with Annabelle.”
“What do you mean?”
“Isn’t it true that Annabelle Murray offered you one million dollars that night to sign away any claim to Dora and get out of town?”
“That’s a lie.”
Keith’s voice dripped with disgust. “Oh, really? Your Honor, I’d like to recall Joe Long to the stand.”
Victor threw up his hands. “There’s no need to do that. Yes, Annabelle offered me the money, but I refused her offer.”
Keith smiled broadly. “Good. Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“I didn’t kill her!” Victor shouted.
“We’ll come back to that,” Keith replied. “For now, I just want you to think about the time you left Annabelle’s apartment. We know that the fight over the money and relinquishing your parental rights took up a couple of hours. Would you say that you left at the same time Sarah Jane Rizzelli was on her way upstairs?”
“Maybe.”
“How did you get out of the building, Victor?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that I have the video surveillance tape, which shows everyone that came into and went out of that front door starting at five that morning. You are not on that tape. How did you get out of the building?”
“I don’t remember,” Victor said sullenly.
“Does the name George Jakes ring a bell?”
Victor looked genuinely confused. “No, it doesn’t.”
“Perhaps he didn’t tell you his name. He is the maintenance man who let you out through the service entrance. By that time, Annabelle Welburn Murray was lying dead in the bathroom. You slipped George five twenty-dollar bills for the favor. Surely you remember him now, right, Victor?”
Victor said nothing.
“The witness will answer,” Veronsky said.
