“Nova, did they say anything else to you?”
She was sniffling, starting to sob. “Yeah. One of them said I had pretty eyes.”
CHAPTER
66
Your Honor! May we approach?”
Reeves and Lindquist were both on their feet. I waved them over to the side of the bench. Then I looked toward the defense table. “Care to join, Mr. Meyers?” He jumped up and hustled over, too.
I told the clerk to take Nova into my chambers.
Judges learn to be human polygraph machines, so we can weigh the testimony and credibility of witnesses. I have pretty good radar for telling the difference between the truth and a lie. A judge who can’t spot a liar should be in a different line of work.
I knew that what Nova had just said was explosive. I also knew it was the truth. I could feel it in my bones.
It took me about five minutes to hear all the objections and arguments about her testimony, from both sides. I listened hard to all three lawyers. I really did. Then I said three words.
“Noted. Step back.”
I turned to the bailiff. “Retrieve Miss Jones, and call the jury back in.”
When everybody was back in place, I looked down at Lindquist. “Your witness.”
I watched her walk up to the witness stand, holding her legal pad in a death grip as she looked directly at Nova. I already knew where her questions would start.
“Nova. On March 23, at midnight, where did you go?”
“I went to the clinic. To Dr. Bria’s office.”
“Dr. Gaines’s office in Union Springs? In Bullock County, Alabama?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They’d established venue with that question and answer. Nova was still speaking in hushed tones, but she’d regained her composure.
“How did you arrive at Dr. Gaines’s office?”
“Nurse Bass drove me in her car. I was waiting by the side of the building, our apartment building. In the shadow, so no one could see.”
“Why did you wait in the shadow?”
“My mama didn’t know about it. I sneaked out the window. Real quiet, so my sisters wouldn’t wake up.”
“When you arrived at Dr. Gaines’s office, what happened?”
“We went in the back door. I put on a blue nightgown thing.” She paused for a moment, then added, “Dr. Bria was nice to me. She said she was gonna help me.”
Lindquist’s voice turned hard. “Help you with what, Nova?”
“I was pregnant. Scared. I didn’t want to have a baby. I was so scared.”
That lawyer’s face was like stone, no mercy. “What happened next?”
“I laid down on a table in her office, the one with a paper cover. Put my feet up.” Nova’s voice broke then, but she recovered. “Doctor said it wouldn’t take long.”
“And then what happened?”
