"Unfortunately, no. The victim's body had been cremated at the point I was brought into the case."

"Dr. Orozco, if you had been able to do your own autopsy, what would you have done differently than was described in Dr. Perez' report?"

"Objection, calls for speculation," Chernow chimed in.

"Expert hypothetical, Your Honor."

"Overruled. It is in the nature of an expert hypothetical question, in reverse manner," said the Judge. "You may answer, Doctor."

"I would have tested tissue samples for abnormal pathology such as cancer cells. I would have tested the tissues for infectious bacteria."

"Didn't you perform these tests on tissue samples that had been saved from the autopsy?"

"Yes, some tissue samples were made available to me, but not enough to make comprehensive tests that could result in any conclusions."

"Dr. Orozco, as a result of your review, do you have an opinion within a reasonable degree of medical certainty what caused Ms. Densmore's death?

"Yes, I do."

"Would you please tell the jury your opinion?"

"In my opinion, Ms. Densmore's death was caused by acute respiratory failure."

"Is that consistent with ricin poisoning?"

"It could be, but there was no indication from Dr. Perez' report besides his conclusion that ricin was to blame. Absolutely no pathological evidence at all. It could have been any number of other factors which caused her respiratory system to shut down, according to the medical history and forensic evidence."

"Such as what?"

"Tracheal or lung cancer, for one. Common pneumonia for another. Unless I had found ricin on her clothes or in the immediate vicinity of the death scene, there is no way I could conclusively determine that it was ricin poisoning."

"No further questions, your honor."

"Cross?"

"Thank you, your honor," said Chernow.

"Dr. Orozco, wouldn't your opinion be different if you knew that an environmental sample of ricin were found?"

"That depends on the environmental sample. Certainly, if the deceased were found dead and there was ricin in the immediate environment, yes."

"And, you did not examine the body?"

"That's what I said."

"So then, your opinion is based on pure speculation, isn't it Doctor?"

"Objection, Your Honor, argumentative."

"It is argumentative, but I will allow the answer."

"No. My opinion is based on the reports. I didn't have to speculate about anything," said Dr. Orozco, innocently.

"No further questions, Your Honor."

"Mr. Marks?"

"Nothing further, Your Honor."

"Then we will break for the afternoon recess and resume at 1:30.

For a change of scene, Brent met Angela for lunch at The Gallery Cafe. It was always a pleasant retreat to pass through the art gallery first and admire all the new arrivals, before exiting to the dining area in the beautiful stone courtyard. Angela sat in the corner, behind the fountain. Among the flowers bursting from the vine covered stone walls and the magnificent orchids, her beauty stood out above all the rest.

"So, you're on the home stretch?" she asked.

"I figure one more day."

"Any chance you can join me tonight?"

"I can't go out or anything."

"I know. I thought I would come over."

"I'd love to have you, but I'll be preparing."

"Not the whole night."

Brent smiled, as he thought to himself how lucky it was that fate put this woman right in his path. She was truly the nicest person he had ever known. He raised his glass of red wine to her, and said, "Angela, you are by far the most wonderful person I have ever met, not to mention the most beautiful. Here is to you, and my incredible luck for having met you."

Angela's cheeks flushed, and she smiled.

"Where did that come from?"

"From my heart."

Brent and Angela spent an hour in this lovely oasis, and almost didn't notice that the time had passed and it was time to come back to reality.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX.

Back in the tightly filled courtroom, all eyes were on Nancy as she took the stand in her own defense. Brent saw that the reporters in the gallery were at ready position, with their steno books open and pencils sharpened.

"Mrs. Haskins, are you are aware that you have a Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination, and that you do not have to testify in this case?"

"Yes."

"And you realize that the People have the burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, that you have no obligation to do or say anything, and that, by giving up your right to remain silent, you are waiving that right?"

"Objection compound," said Chernow, interrupting the drama that the jury was fixed on.

"I'll allow it," said the Judge.

"I have nothing to hide," said Nancy, looking at the jury. "I'm innocent," she exclaimed, with an affirming nod.

"Mrs. Haskins, did you like Ms. Densmore as a person?"

"No, I didn't care for her at all. That's no secret. Oh, but I didn't kill her," she added, raising a few smiles from the men on the jury.

"Move to strike the last sentence, Your Honor," objected Chernow.

"Denied. Please continue, Mr. Marks."

"Why didn't you like her, Mrs. Haskins?"

"Well, I understand that the Homeowners Association has a right to collect their money. And I understand that they can use foreclosure in certain circumstances."

Nancy looked at the jury. The older folks seemed to empathize with her, by the looks on their faces.

"But Barbara was never human about it. She never considered that this was my home, and never gave me a chance to try to work things out. All she wanted to do was to take my house."

"Did the Homeowners Association take your house?"

"No, you stopped them in court," she said proudly, a nice testimonial for Brent's lawyering skills.

"So, after you stopped the foreclosure in court, you had no further need to fight with the Homeowners Association, did you?"

"No, I didn't. All I had to do was come up with a payment plan."

"Your Honor, I ask that the Court take judicial notice of the order of the Superior Court in the case of Haskins v. Orange Grove Homeowners Association, and that it be admitted into evidence as Defense Exhibit C."

"No objection? It is received."

"And I would like Your Honor to note that the order halting the foreclosure was granted one day before Barbara Densmore's death."

"So noted."

"Mrs. Haskins, can you describe the incident where you told Ms. Densmore to "shove" her ticket?"

"That's embarrassing, Brent." Nancy's cheeks turned pink, even though they had gone over it before.

"Please, explain to the jury what happened."

Nancy sighed and took a deep breath.

"Well, that day was a terrible one for me. My husband had just recently died and I was sad, upset and lonely. I saw Barbara writing out one of her tickets for something they always write out tickets for everything if your lawn is not mowed good enough, if your trash cans aren't taken back into the garage soon enough you name it, they have a ticket for it," she said to the jury, with a stern look.

"Anyway, Barbara came running up to me, waving that ticket and I tell you I didn't want any part of it. And I got so mad, well, you know what I said," she exclaimed, turning a little redder.

"Can you explain why you told Barbara Densmore and Frances Templeton that you wished them dead?"

"I think everyone has said that at one time or another. I didn't mean it!"

"Then, why did you say it?"

"They just made me so upset, I didn't know what else to say. I could never hurt anyone, no matter what! You have to believe me!" she implored, looking at the jury with wounded eyes.

"Did you have any personal problems with Barbara?"

"Oh, heavens no!" said Nancy, looking right in at the jurors. "It was just that darn homeowners association I had problems with. If it wasn't Barbara, it would have been someone else. We had others before her and they were just as bad."

"Mrs. Haskins, did you kill Barbara Densmore?"

"No, Brent, I swear as God is my witness I didn't. And I'm so afraid from this whole thing." Tears rolled down Nancy's cheeks, and the women on the jury all looked like they were going to cry with her. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I just can't imagine that anyone would even think such a thing, let alone actually accuse me of murder!"

Brent paused and looked at the jury. From his point of view, they all looked as if they imagined Nancy in her kitchen, baking cookies, instead of concocting poisonous booby traps and putting them in flower bouquets.

Chernow was so eager to cross examine Nancy, it seemed as if he would pee his pants. He was wiggling in his chair and biting on the top of his pen the entire time, in between making furious notes.

"Your Honor, is it about time for the afternoon break?" Brent asked. "It looks like it may be time for a bathroom break," he added, nodding in Chernow's direction. There were some chuckles from the gallery and some smiles from the jury, but the Judge didn't notice Chernow sitting there looking as if he was busting his bladder.

"I say we press on, Your Honor," Chernow insisted.

"Just didn't want anyone getting green, Your Honor."

Several members of the jury laughed. They had noticed. The judge looked at the wall clock.

"Indeed it is time for the break," said the Judge. "Court will be in recess for fifteen minutes."

Normally Brent would not want to give the opposition any extra time to work on their cross, but, in this case, he didn't care because he knew that there was nothing that Brad could throw at Nancy that she could not handle, and he wanted the testimony she had just given to ferment.

Nancy sat back in the witness box, all lonely and afraid. She remembered what Brent had told her. Just tell the truth and everything will work out. But she just couldn't wait to get off that stand and out of that courtroom.

"Mrs. Haskins," asked Chernow, "Isn't it true that you didn't like Ms. Densmore?"

"Yes, I already said that."

"You hated her, didn't you, Mrs. Haskins?"

"No, I didn't hate her. She just wasn't one of my favorite people. Whenever I had contact with her it was never pleasant."