Nothing Lasts Forever

“You’ll do more than that!” Judge Young snapped. “You’ll rephrase your attitude. I’m warning you, you pull one more stunt like that and I’ll declare a mistrial.”

“Yes, your honor.”

When they returned to the courtroom, Judge Young said to the jury, “The jury will completely disregard the prosecutor’s last question.” She turned to the prosecutor. “You may go on.”

Gus Venable walked back to the witness box. “Dr. Taylor, you must have been very surprised when you were informed that the man you murdered left you one million dollars.”

Alan Penn was on his feet. “Objection!”

“Sustained.” Judge Young turned to Venable. “You’re trying my patience.”

“I apologize, your honor.” He turned back to the witness. ”You must have been on very friendly terms with your patient. I mean, it isn’t every day that an almost complete stranger leaves us a million dollars, is it?”

Paige Taylor flushed slightly. “Our friendship was in the context of a doctor-patient relationship.”

“Wasn’t it a little more than that? A man doesn’t cut his beloved wife and family out of his will and leave a million dollars to a stranger without some kind of persuasion. Those talks you claimed to have had with him about his business problems …”

Judge Young leaned forward and said warningly, “Mr. Venable …” The prosecutor raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. He turned back to the defendant. “So you and John Cronin had a friendly chat. He told you personal things about himself, and he liked you and respected you. Would you say that’s a fair summation, doctor?”

“Yes.”

“And for doing that he gave you a million dollars?”

Paige looked out at the courtroom. She said nothing. She had no answer.

Venable started to walk back toward the prosecutor’s table, then suddenly turned to face the defendant again.

“Dr. Taylor, you testified earlier that you had no idea that John Cronin was going to leave you any money, or that he was going to cut his family out of his will.”

“That’s correct.”

“How much does a resident doctor make at Embarcadero County Hospital?”

Alan Penn was on his feet. “Objection! I don’t see—”

“It’s a proper question. The witness may answer.”

“Thirty-eight thousand dollars a year.”

Venable said sympathetically, “That’s not very much these days, is it? And out of that, there are deductions and taxes and living expenses. That wouldn’t leave enough to take a luxury vacation trip, say, to London or Paris or Venice, would it?”

“I suppose not.”

“No. So you didn’t plan to take a vacation like that, because you knew you couldn’t afford it.”

“That’s correct.”

Alan Penn was on his feet again. “Your honor …”

Judge Young turned to the prosecutor. “Where is this leading, Mr. Venable?”

“I just want to establish that the defendant could not plan a luxury trip without getting the money from someone.”

“She’s already answered the question.”

Alan Penn knew he had to do something. His heart wasn’t in it, but he approached the witness box with all the good cheer of a man who had just won the lottery.

“Dr. Taylor, do you remember picking up these travel brochures?”

“Yes.”

“Were you planning to go to Europe or to charter a yacht?”

“Of course not. It was all sort of a joke, an impossible dream. My friends and I thought it would lift our spirits. We were very tired, and … it seemed like a good idea at the time.” Her voice trailed off.

Alan Penn glanced covertly at the jury. Their faces registered pure disbelief.

Gus Venable was questioning the defendant on reexamination. “Dr. Taylor, are you acquainted with Dr. Lawrence Barker?”

She had a sudden memory flash. I’m going to kill Lawrence Barker. I’ll do it slowly. I’ll let him suffer first … then I’ll kill him. “Yes. I know Dr. Barker.”

“In what connection?”

“Dr. Barker and I have often worked together during the past two years.”

“Would you say that he’s a competent doctor?”

Alan Penn jumped up from his chair. “I object, your honor. The witness …”

But before he could finish or Judge Young could rule, Paige answered, “He’s more than competent. He’s brilliant.”

Penn sank back in his chair, too stunned to speak.

“Would you care to elaborate on that?”

“Dr. Barker is one of the most renowned cardiovascular surgeons in the world. He has a large private practice, but he donates three days a week to Embarcadero County Hospital.”

“So you have a high regard for his judgment in medical matters?”

“Yes.”

“And do you feel he would be capable of judging another doctor’s competence?”

Penn willed Paige to say I don’t know.

She hesitated. “Yes.”

Gus Venable turned to the jury, “You’ve heard the defendant testify that she had a high regard for Dr. Barker’s medical judgment. I hope she listened carefully to Dr. Barker’s judgment about her competence … or the lack of it.”