Chapter 35 - On the Witness Stand
|
For five grueling hours, the defense team tried everything in their power to break me on cross-examination.
Richard Hayes, Vance's lead attorney, paced back and forth in front of the witness box like a theater actor trying to command the stage.
"Ms. Rowan," Hayes scoffed, holding up a printout.
"Isn't it true that you initiated this audit out of a sense of personal vengeance against your ex-husband, Owen Sterling?"
"Objection," Prosecutor Vance called out. "Relevance."
"Overruled," Judge Miller interjected. "The witness may answer."
I looked at Hayes with a look of polite, professional amusement.
"Mr. Hayes," I began, my voice entirely composed, "numbers do not have feelings. They do not possess a sense of vengeance, nor do they harbor romantic bitterness. An audit is a mathematical evaluation of reality."
"Answer the question, Ms. Rowan!" Hayes demanded, leaning over the rail.
"Were you angry?"
"When I began my analysis, I was looking for missing funds from my personal account," I answered clearly, looking past him to the jury.
"What I found was a massive criminal enterprise that stole tax dollars from the citizens of Chicago. Whether I felt angry, happy, or indifferent does not change the fact that line item 402 on page twelve of Exhibit B proves your client authorized a five-million-dollar bribe to a public official."
Someone in the gallery let out a quiet laugh. Hayes’ face turned dark red.
"Let me direct your attention to the routing numbers on Exhibit C," Hayes stammered, frantically flipping through his binder, trying to pivot away from the disaster he had created.
"Please do," I replied pleasantly.
"I've memorized them. Which ledger would you like to start with?"
By the time the cross-examination concluded, Hayes looked defeated and sweating profusely. He sat down at his table without asking another question.
May you like
"You may step down, Ms. Rowan," Judge Miller said, offering me a rare, respectful nod from the bench.
"Thank you, Your Honor," I replied, stepping out of the box with total grace.
