Chapter 3

The arresting officers testified, one echoing the others testimony. Was the defendant cooperative when she was placed under arrest? Yes, she was. Did she offer resistance? No, she didn’t. The questions were brief, the answers even briefer. When Farrow said, “Your witness,” she had no questions. The officers had told the truth, and she couldn’t refute their testimony.

“Call your next witness, Mr. Farrow,” Kingsley said.

“I call Dr. Peter Hallman to the stand.”

Dr. Hallman looked as if he had just emerged fresh from medical school. Stylishly long black hair caressed the back of his neck. The beginnings of a black beard gave him a rather sinister appearance. When he swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, he stared at the gallery, a would-be actor auditioning for a play, his glorious moment in the sun.

“Dr. Hallman,” Farrow said, standing beside the table, “I understand you’re a practicing physician at Westover General Hospital.”

“That’s correct.”

“And you’ve been there how long?”

“Six years.”

“In your own words, could you tell this court what transpired on the night of April 22^nd of this year.” Resting one hand on his papers, Farrow waited.

“I was getting ready to leave for the night,” Hallman said, “when they brought in this young woman...”

“Could you clarify ‘they?’”

“The ambulance, of course. He gawked at Farrow with a look that said, ‘How else do you think she got there?’

“Is this young woman in the courtroom, Dr. Hallman?”

“Yes, that’s her right there.” Long, well-manicured fingers pointed at Lana Northwood.”

“Let the records show that the witness indicated Lana Northwood. Dr. Hallman, what time did the ambulance bring her to the hospital?”

“I would say ... about nine.”

“Go on, Dr. Hallman.”

“Seems like she’d climbed into the tiger cage at the zoo. Her arms were covered with scratches ... some of them quite severe. Her face ... She was crying during the examination. I tried to get her to calm down, tell me what had happened, but she was too ... distraught. I guess it was too much for her.”

“So you believe Miss Northwood’s mental state may have been affected during this crisis.”

“Objection, Your Honor,” Sendrhea protested. “Dr. Hallman is a physician, not a psychiatrist, therefore he is not qualified to comment on Miss Northwood’s mental state.”

“I will sustain that,” Kingsley said. “Stick to the facts, Dr. Hallman.”

“Did you finally get to talk with her?” Farrow said.

“Half an hour later,” Hallman said. “She told me what happened.”

“She told you an alien scratched her, is that right?”

“Objection. Leading.” Sendrhea remained in her chair, glaring at Farrow. What was he trying to do? Maybe he thought because of his expertise as a prosecuting attorney, and the fact that she wasn’t well-versed with the provincial legal system he’d have no problems trying tactics like this.

“Sustained.” Kingsley had interlocked his fingers. “Watch your line of questioning, Mr. Farrow?”

“To the best of your recollection, what did Miss Northwood say?” Farrow asked.

“She told me one of those furry aliens scratched her?”

“Those were her exact words?”

“Yes.”

“A furry alien.”

“That’s right.”

“Did she refer to this ... furry alien by name?”

“As I recall, she did not.”

“Did she describe the alien?”

“How could she? They all look alike.”

Sendrhea rose to her hindpaws. “Objections, Your Honor.”

“On what grounds?” Kingsley asked.

“The witness is injecting his own opinion,” she said. “We don’t all look alike. Males have those fine hairs at ... uh, around the perimeter of their ears.”

“It’s hard to tell males from females when you can’t see the male’s...”

“Males have genitalia, but they keep it inside most of the time.”

Kingsley banged the gavel three times. “We’re not here to discuss the male’s reproductive organs. Objection sustained.”

Farrow tapped his pen on the table, looked at it. “Dr. Hallman, how would you describe Miss Northwood’s wounds?”

“Serious.”

“Serious? Life threatening?”

“I wouldn’t say that. When she was brought into the hospital she had been severely scratched. Her arms and face...”

“Dr. Hallman has already stated that fact,” Sendrhea said, remaining in her chair.

“I was merely questioning Dr. Hallman as to the details of Miss Northwood’s wounds,” Farrow said.

“Do we really need to hear that?” Sendrhea asked.

Kingsley leaned forward. “I’m rather curious as to the nature of these wounds. Proceed, Dr. Farrow.”

“Dr. Hallman.” Farrow indicated the physician with his hand stretched out toward the witness stand.

“Both her arms had furrows, you know, taking into consideration that the aliens have four digits on one ... uh, paw, and therefore, four claws. Both her left and right cheeks had scratch marks, although these were not as serious as the ones on her arms. Miss Northwood also received scratch marks on her abdomen in a sort of ... crisscross manner. Like she was scratched left to right, and then up and down over the same wound.”