After Anna(34)

There, in the back. Anna had skipped ahead of him, her ponytail swinging. Noah had thought it was cute and carefree until he’d realized, later, that nothing Anna did was carefree. On the contrary, everything she did was calculated to produce an effect. She may have been seventeen, but she was the most manipulative woman he had ever met.

Noah, here they are, and they even have a sample, so you can feel the thread count.

Which ones do you want? Your call.

I want whatever feels the softest. This feels soft. Anna had fingered the material of the first sample, her lips curving into an oddly suggestive smile. Don’t you want to feel it, Noah? Don’t you want to see how soft it really is?

What? Noah didn’t know if he heard her correctly, though her facial expression had turned suddenly seductive, her blue eyes glittering.

Noah, don’t you want to see if I’m as soft as you think?

Noah still didn’t think he’d heard her correctly, but Caleb came running up rattling boxes of Sugar Babies, and Anna’s features had rearranged themselves back into a sweet, innocent mask.

Noah felt his gut clench at the memory, another red flag that he’d ignored. In retrospect, he’d gotten a glimpse of who Anna really was then, manipulating them all. The craziest thing was that he had been wondering how soft she really was. Not consciously, but in the primal part of his brain where he wasn’t a suburban husband and father, but a man. There had been something about the way her jacket kept opening and closing over her dress, teasing glimpses of her cleavage. The pinkish skin of her breasts swelled over the top, and she was so young, and it was Saturday night. He’d been looking for sheets, but what he really wanted was sex.

Noah should’ve known to watch himself, after that. But he hadn’t, and that was the reason he was on trial for murder today, with Linda approaching the stand wearing the smirk she had on after Noah’s testimony about the text.

‘Dr Alderman, what time did you leave the gym, do you know?’

‘At about 8:15.’

‘You didn’t go straight home after you left the gym, did you?’

‘No, I did not.’

‘What did you do?’

‘I went to the car to get my wallet and phone, then to the grocery store to pick up some prepared food for dinner.’

‘By the way, whoever sent this text did not steal your wallet, isn’t that correct?’

‘Yes.’

Linda signaled her paralegal, who recalled a grocery store receipt to the projector screen. ‘Dr Alderman, I’m showing you Commonwealth Exhibit 45, which has been previously admitted. You see that receipt, don’t you?’

‘Yes.’

‘The receipt shows that you left the store at 9:03 P.M., does it not?’

‘Yes.’

‘Dr Alderman, you then drove directly home, did you not?’

‘Yes.’

‘Dr Alderman, how long did it take you to drive home?’

‘About twenty minutes. I pulled into my driveway at 9:30 behind Anna’s car.’

‘You weren’t surprised to see Anna’s car in your driveway, were you?’

‘Yes, I was.’

‘Why were you surprised if you had sent a text asking her to meet you at your house?’

‘I didn’t send the text.’

Linda mock-slapped her forehead. ‘So that’s your story and you’re sticking to it?’

Thomas rose. ‘Objection, Your Honor. The prosecutor’s comments are improper and prejudicial.’

‘Sustained.’ Judge Gardner waved Thomas back into his seat. ‘Ms Swain-Pettit, you’re on notice.’

‘Thank you, Your Honor.’ Linda turned to face Noah, folding her arms. ‘Dr Alderman, what happened when you returned home?’

‘I got out of my car with the groceries, and Anna’s car was in my driveway. I looked inside the car and she wasn’t there.’ Noah had told this on direct, so he summarized it now. ‘I kept going to the house, and it was dark. The porch light was off. I looked around since I knew that Anna didn’t have a key, so she would be outside.’

Linda kept her arms folded, letting him speak without interruption, and Noah realized that this would be the first time that Maggie would hear his story from start to finish. He prayed she would believe him, and so would the jury. When he’d told it on direct, they had listened attentively, but Noah knew Linda was having him tell it again so she could destroy him.

‘I saw that she was lying on the porch floor, and I thought she had fallen asleep, so I set the grocery bag down and said, “Why are you here?” But when she didn’t move, I went over to her and realized that she was dead.’

‘How did you realize she was dead?’

‘She didn’t move or answer, then I touched her arm and there was no response, so I went closer to her and I looked into her face. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I could see her eyes were open.’ Noah realized he was volunteering but he felt shaken, knowing that Maggie was hearing every word. ‘I felt for a pulse at her neck, then at her wrist, and there was no pulse, but the skin on her neck was warm, so I tried CPR. I began chest compressions, and at the same time I got my phone out of my pocket and called 911 and put them on speaker while I did the compressions.’

Linda frowned. ‘How did you determine she had been strangled if it was dark?’