The logic of what I said seemed to hit everyone in the room as they realized that my observation was correct.
“Another good question,” the judge said, turning her eyes to the Masons. “I seriously hope that what Mr. Haller is suggesting here is not the truth.”
“Your Honor, again, we had nothing to do with this,” Marcus said. “I can promise you that.”
“Can you promise that Victor Wendt didn’t have anything to do with it?” I asked.
The silence that followed that question was punctuated by a buzzfrom the judge’s desk phone. She answered and then said, “Ask for a marshal to bring him back.”
She hung up and looked at me.
“Your investigator is here,” she said. “I can assure you, Mr. Haller, that if he says the wrong thing, he’s going to jail.”
43
CISCO WASN’T EXACTLYdressed for an audience with a federal judge. He was in faded jeans, boots, a tight-fitting white T-shirt, and a black leather riding jacket. He had gotten my message and obviously rode to the courthouse without any stops. I had known him for more than two decades and could read his face and demeanor. Judging by the way he raised an eyebrow when he saw me, he had no idea what he was walking into.
“Thank you, Deputy,” Ruhlin said to the marshal who had escorted Cisco in. “If you could stand outside the door for me, I would appreciate that.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the marshal said.
He stepped out and Ruhlin directed Cisco to take one of the chairs from the table and bring it over to the desk. I moved my chair to make room for him to slide into the line of men facing the judge.
“Do you know why you are here, sir?” Ruhlin asked.
“I sure don’t, Judge,” Cisco responded.
“Well, I can show you.”
“Please.”
Ruhlin once again cued up the video and she turned the laptop so Cisco could watch it. She kept her eyes on him while it played. Cisco was nodding his head before it ended.
“Okay, that’s me, if that’s what you want to know,” Cisco said.
“I know it’s you,” Ruhlin said sharply. “I want to know what you were doing there.”
“Well, I was following a lead. Turned out to be a wild-goose chase and… that’s it.”
“Do you know who that woman is?”
Cisco shook his head.
“Uh, not really,” he said. “She didn’t give me the chance to find out.”
“Are you telling this court that you didn’t know that she is a juror in this case?” Ruhlin asked.
Cisco’s head snapped back as if he had been punched in the jaw.
“Whoa, wait, no—in this case?” he said. “No, I didn’t know she was a juror.”
Cisco raised his right hand as if taking an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
“We’ve been in trial all week,” Ruhlin said. “How could you not know her?”
“Your Honor?” I said.
“Let him answer the question,” Ruhlin ordered sharply.
