The Sudoku Puzzle Murders (23 page)

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Authors: Parnell Hall

BOOK: The Sudoku Puzzle Murders
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Cora strode out into the middle of the court. “For my first witness I would like to call Dennis Pride.”
Judge Hobbs smiled. “Ah. That’s a refreshing change. Calling the very person your petition concerns. Perhaps we can clear up this matter.”
“I certainly hope so, Your Honor.”
Dennis took the witness stand.
“Mr. Pride, you were arrested for the murder of Lester Mathews.”
“Objection,” Becky said. “Anyone can be arrested.”
“Sustained. Ms. Felton, you can’t impeach a witness by showing he’s been arrested. Only convictions are relevant.”
“I’m not trying to impeach him, Your Honor. That was merely preliminary.”
“I don’t care what phase of the testimony it was. Keep it within the law.”
“Mr. Pride, do you have an agreement with the prosecutor regarding immunity?”
“Objection.”
“Overruled. Witness may answer.”
“I am a prosecution witness. The prosecutor has granted me immunity to anything that might technically or otherwise violate my probation.”
“That was for acts already done, wasn’t it?”
Dennis frowned. “I beg your pardon?”
“He granted you immunity from prosecution for anything you might have
done
. In the
past
. This wasn’t a blank check to go out and do anything you felt like because you had immunity.”
“No. Of course not.”
“That was two days ago. So anything you’ve done in the past two days the cops could nail you on. Isn’t that right, Mr. Prosecutor?”
“Objection,” Henry Firth said. “
I’m
not the witness. I’m not the one being questioned here.”
“You should be,” Cora said. “You’re the one who granted immunity.”
Judge Hobbs banged the gavel. “That will do. We will have no more asides. The point is valid. Unless anyone wishes to argue it. Even if they do, the point is valid. The witness was granted immunity. That immunity ends as of the time it was granted. No acts committed
after
the grant of immunity are
covered
by the grant of immunity. Is that clear?”
“Would that include violating the restraining order?” Becky said. “Because, if so, I am going to suggest that my client leave the stand and not say another word until I have had a chance to talk to the prosecutor.”
“That would seem the prudent course of action,” Judge Hobbs observed.
“There’s no need,” Henry Firth said. “I’m willing to stipulate that my immunity with regard to the restraining order shall extend until such time as the court shall rule on whether or not to lift it.”
“With that assurance, may we proceed?”
“Absolutely,” Becky said.
“Great,” Cora said. “On the night of the murder of the second private eye, Lester Mathews, you were in the bar of the Country Kitchen, were you not?”
“Yes, I was.”
“You were there when Mr. Yoshiaki left with his wife?”
“That’s right.”
“You’re sure it was Mr. Yoshiaki?”
“Yes, I am.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because I saw him the night before. Talking to my ex-wife.”
“Where was this?”
“Same place. The Country Kitchen bar.”
“You’re sure it was the same man?”
“Yes, I am.”
“It couldn’t have been another Asian man you mistook for him?”
“All Asians don’t look alike.”
“I didn’t say they do. I’m asking if it’s possible you made a mistake?”
“No. I saw him leaving with his wife.”
“What did you do?”
“I followed him.”
“Why?”
“To see if he went home with his wife. Or if he dropped her off and went out again.”
“What did he do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“I lost him.”
“But you followed him when he left the Country Kitchen?”
“That’s right.”
“Did you see anyone
else
following him when he left the Country Kitchen?”
“No, I did not.”
“The detective who was killed. You didn’t see the detective follow him?”
“No, I did not.”
“Your witness,” Cora said.
Henry Firth stood up, smiled. “No questions,” he said, and sat down.
Judge Hobbs frowned. “No questions?”
“None, Your Honor.”
“I don’t understand. You oppose the motion, yet you have no questions?”
“I haven’t heard anything I need to challenge. Has Your Honor heard anything that would warrant lifting the restraining order?”
“I’m not the one being questioned,” Judge Hobbs said testily.
“I beg your pardon, Your Honor.”
“Do you have any more witnesses?”
“I have several, Your Honor,” Cora said.
“I’d like to expedite this. Who do you intend to call?”
“Let’s see. I have Aoki, and Aoki’s wife, Reiko. I have Hideki Takiyama. I have Mary Dobbs, a waitress from the Country Kitchen, Mr. Meachem, the owner of Meachem’s Antique Shop, Mrs. Clemson who lives across the street from him, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson, from Jacobson’s bed-and-breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Murdock from Murdock’s bed-and-breakfast. I have Harvey Beerbaum, who will interpret some puzzles, Barney Nathan, medical examiner, who can testify to the time of death.”
“Wait a minute. What time of death? We’re talking about a restraining order. All of these people are irrelevant.”
“Not at all, Your Honor. The restraining order on Dennis Pride is interfering with the solution to two murders. It needs to be lifted.”
“Which I vigorously oppose,” the prosecutor said.
Judge Hobbs frowned. “On what grounds? Don’t you want these murders solved?”
“I dispute the premise. The one thing has nothing to do with the other. I can solve these crimes without Dennis Pride’s help.”
“Really?” Cora said. “At the moment you have Mr. Yoshiaki charged with them. Do you actually think he did it?”
“The evidence would so indicate.”
“You’re basing that on Mr. Pride’s testimony?”
“What if I am?”
“Then you better lift Mr. Pride’s restraining order.”
Judge Hobbs’s gavel came down with force. “That will do! What are you, children? I would think you both know better.”
“Sorry, Your Honor,” Cora said. “I was putting on witnesses. May I proceed?”
“You’re going to call all these people?”
“I hope not, Your Honor. I’m going to call as many as necessary. Call Aoki Yoshiaki.”
Aoki got up, was sworn, took the stand.
Judge Hobbs frowned at him suspiciously, addressed the prosecutor. “Mr. Firth. Correct me if I’m wrong, but is this not the gentleman you have currently charged with the crimes?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“The prosecution has no objection to his testifying at this time?”
“Absolutely not, Your Honor. We welcome it.”
“Well, his
attorney
should object. Ms. Baldwin. You are Mr. Yoshiaki’s attorney of record?”
“That’s right, Your Honor.”
“Yet you’re also appearing for Mr. Pride.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”
“No, Your Honor.”
“Are you willing to allow Mr. Yoshiaki to testify?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“While he’s a defendant in a murder case?”
“That’s right, Your Honor.”
“There you are. We have an obvious conflict of interest, and that proves it.”
“No, it doesn’t Your Honor,” Cora said.
Judge Hobbs nearly struck himself with his gavel. “I beg your pardon?”
“It’s not a conflict of interest. Ms. Baldwin is perfectly capable of looking out for Mr. Yoshiaki’s interests. I’m sure she will object to any question that might incriminate him. I appreciate your concern, but I assure you there is no problem.”
“Very well,” Judge Hobbs said. “But be careful.”
“Thank you, Your Honor. Mr. Yoshiaki, are you acquainted with Dennis Pride, the subject of this petition?”
“No, I am not.”
“Have you seen him before?”
“Yes.”
“Where would that be?”
“In the bar of the Country Kitchen.”
“On what occasion?”
“The night he saw me there.”
“With Sherry Carter?”
“No. With my wife. The night I was there with my wife.”
“The night he claims he followed you?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see him following you?”
“No.”
“Would
you have seen someone following you?”
He frowned. “I do not understand the question.”
“Were you paying attention to see if anyone was following you? Did you think that was a possibility?”
“No.”
“When you got in the car with your wife, where did you go?”
“To the bed-and-breakfast. Where we are staying.”
“Murdock’s bed-and-breakfast?”
“If that is their name.”
“The people sitting right there. Are they the owners of the bed-and-breakfast? The people who rented you the room?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Did you see them that night when you went into the bed-and-breakfast with your wife?”
“Objection,” Becky said. “That’s leading and suggestive and assumes facts not in evidence. No one has testified that he went inside with his wife, or that he encountered the Murdocks when he did.”
“That’s why they’re here to testify,” Cora said. “But I don’t want to clutter up the stand with an unnecessary parade of witnesses. I’ll withdraw the question, and ask another. Mr. Yoshiaki, you’re acquainted with Hideki Takiyama?”
“Yes.”
“Are you aware he was born in America?” As the witness hesitated, Cora added, “I remind you, I heard you make a remark to that effect.”
“I am aware of it, yes.”
“As an American citizen, he has a Social Security number. Do you know it?”
“The Social Security number?”
“Yes.”
“No. Why should I?”
“It has been suggested you used it to frame him.”
“I did not. That is ridiculous.”
“That’s how it seems to you?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Okay. Then let’s ask him.”
Cora dismissed Aoki and called Hideki to the stand.
“Mr. Takiyama, why did you come here to this town?”
“I came to sign you to a contract to write a sudoku book.”
“Did you do so?”
“No, I did not.”
“Why is that?”
“Mr. Yoshiaki learned of my plans, and got there first.”
“Did this make you mad?”
“It was not honorable.”
“You believe in honor?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you know Aoki’s wife?”
“I know Reiko.”
“What do you think of her?”
“She is a fine woman. It is a shame that she made a bad marriage.”
“And Dennis Pride, the subject of this petition? Are you acquainted with him?”
“I do not know him. I know who he is.”
“Did you ever try to kill him?”
There were gasps in the courtroom, followed by a low rumble that swelled into a din.
Judge Hobbs banged the gavel.
Hideki, shocked by the question, had time to recover. “Of course not.”
“With the samurai sword you stole from his car. Did you ever try to kill him with that?”
“Samurai sword
I
stole … . ?”
“From his car. Yes.
That
samurai sword. Isn’t that why you stole it?”
“I did not steal the samurai sword!”
“And if a witness saw you take it from his car … ?”
“They are lying!
You
are lying! There is no witness! I did not take it!”
“Really?” Cora frowned. “That’s funny. I thought you stole the sword to kill Dennis Pride.”

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