Page 15 of The 1 Lawyer

“Congratulations, Dr. Ellis. It’s quite an honor to be awarded that post, is it not?”

His face froze. In an unfriendly voice, he said, “It is.” He knew what was coming next.

“Who is the immediate past president of that medical society?”

His eyes darted to the defense table. “Dr. Caro.”

I stepped back so he could have an unobstructed view of my client. “Are you referring to Dr. Daniel Caro, who sits in this courtroom today?”

“Yes.”

“Dr. Ellis, how long have you been acquainted with Dr. Caro?”

He paused to think. “Ten years. Closer to eleven, maybe.”

“Did you know him in a personal or professional capacity?”

“Both, I guess.”

Henry Gordon-James had tensed up at the counsel table. I saw him drop his pen and press both hands against the table’s edge, ready to rise.

“And in those ten—eleven?—years, isn’t it true that you have known Dr. Caro to be a peaceable, nonviolent man?”

Ellis started to agree, but his response was drowned out by Gordon-James.

“Objection! This is improper cross-examination, a flagrant violation of the rules of evidence.”

I stayed cool. “Your Honor, Mississippi Rules of Evidence four-oh-four permits the defense to offer evidence of character.”

The DA pointed an accusatory finger at me. “This is not your witness! You’re outside the scope of direct examination.”

Judge Walker took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Sustained. But the defense may call the doctor during their case and inquire, if they wish. Defense counsel is correct about rule four-oh-four. The time isn’t right, that’s all.”

It was okay. I’d made my point. And Gordon-James knew it. He looked disgruntled as he sat down.

When cross-examination was over and I joined Caro at the defense table, my client and I exchanged a glance. For the first time since the trial began, he gave me a nod of approval.

CHAPTER 13

I WOULD have appreciated Caro’s nod more if I’d known it would be the high point of my day.

Things went downhill fast. The DA called witnesses to piece together the last time the victim was seen alive, a story that was pretty damning from a defense point of view.

A waitress from the high-end steak house at Lucky Sevens, Hiram Caro’s casino, testified she’d served dinner to my client and the victim on the night she went missing. After the server cleared the salad course, she saw Daniel Caro and Aurora Gates arguing, flinging angry whispers across the table. The fight grew so heated that the waitress was hesitant to interrupt. Their fish entrées grew cold while she waited for the spat to die down.

I’d glanced at the front row of the courtroom and seen Iris Caro step out prior to the waitress’s testimony. I couldn’t fault her for that. It would have been tough for Iris to listen to the waitress describing the lovers’ spat between her husband and the victim.

The next witness was a young guy who worked in valet parking at the casino. He’d brought Aurora’s 2017 black Volkswagen Jetta to her. Caro’s car was much more distinctive; everyone knew he drove a silver Bentley coupe. He tooled around town in it like he was a member of the British royal family.

The valet was young, but his testimony was unshakable. He’d held the door open for Aurora Gates as she got behind the wheel. He said she looked like she’d been crying. And when he was asked to identify the man sitting next to Aurora as she drove off that night, he pointed his finger straight at Caro.

It looked bad.

And then the DNA expert from the crime lab took the stand. As the DA questioned the witness, I sat at the counsel table trying my damnedest to look relaxed. It was a challenge.

Gordon-James said: “Mr. McNabb, what experience and training do you have in regard to forensic DNA analysis?”

He had plenty, and he didn’t omit any of his education, training, and certifications. We wouldn’t have grounds to attack his expertise. I tapped my pen on the legal pad, waiting for the bomb.

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