Page 117 of Resurrection Walk

“Nonresponsive?” he said. “He didn’t get the chance to finish his response.”

The judge wasn’t interested in parrying with the lawyers.

“Let’s just move on to the next question,” Coelho said. “Continue, Ms. McPherson.”

Haller sat down. Bosch looked over at him for the first time during the cross. Haller nodded and did a small fist shake with his hand close to his chest. Bosch took it as a not-so-secretStay stronggesture.

“Mr. Bosch,” McPherson said, pulling Bosch’s attention back. “Are you ill?”

Haller jumped up from his seat.

“Your Honor, what is this?” he said indignantly. “Counsel has no business asking about the witness’s health. What does it have to do with any question before this court?”

The judge cast a stern eye on McPherson.

“Ms. McPherson, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“Your Honor,” McPherson said, “if the court will indulge me, it will become quite clear what I’m doing, and Mr. Haller is well aware of what I’m doing. The witness’s health is an issue if it affects his work.”

“You may proceed,” the judge said. “Cautiously.”

“Thank you, Your Honor,” McPherson said. Focusing again on the witness stand, she asked, “Mr. Bosch, are you presently being treated for a medical condition?”

“No,” Bosch said.

McPherson looked surprised but quickly covered it.

“Then have you recently been treated for a medical condition?” she asked.

Bosch hesitated as he thought about how to phrase his answer.

“I was being treated earlier this year,” he finally said.

“Treated for what?” McPherson said.

Haller, apparently sensing where this could go, stood again to object.

“Your Honor, last week my asking a witness for her cell number had Mr. Morris jumping out of his shoes,” he said. “But now it’s okay to drag a witness’s personal medical history into the case? Aren’t there limits to invasion of privacy in this court?”

“Mr. Haller makes a good point, Ms. McPherson,” Coelho said.

“Your Honor, the witness’s medical status is important to this case, and I can demonstrate why if I am allowed to continue,” McPherson said. “Mr. Haller knows this and that is why he is jumping out ofhisshoes.”

“Make it fast, Ms. McPherson,” the judge said. “My patience is wearing thin.”

Haller sat down and the judge told Bosch he must answer the question.

“I was being treated for cancer,” Bosch said. “I was part of a clinical trial that ended almost six months ago.”

“And was the treatment successful?” McPherson asked.

“The doctors seemed to think so. They said I’m in partial remission.”

“And this clinical trial, was it to test a drug therapy?”

“Yes.”

“Using what drug?”

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