clear and confident. ‘No, not at all. Most young people are more likely to die from accidental death than from natural causes. So accidental death coverage is something we encourage.’
Lange has no further questions, and the witness is sent back to his seat.
Stephanie feels her shoulders relax slightly. So far, it has gone well. But Erica hasn’t given her evidence yet.
As if her mind has been read, Erica Voss is called to the stand, and Stephanie feels her heart begin to race. She watches Erica walk with noticeable poise to the witness box, and then turns her attention to the jurors – how are they reacting to her? Everything boils down to whom they will believe – this woman, or her husband.
‘Ms Voss,’ Ms Spellman says, ‘do you know Patrick Kilgour?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘Can you please explain the nature of your relationship with him?’
She nods. ‘I met Patrick through Lindsey, his wife. Lindsey and I were friends. In spite of that’ – she hesitates and then says, ‘I had an affair with her husband, Patrick, in the weeks before her death.’
There’s a frisson of heightened interest in the courtroom. This is what they’re all here for, Stephanie thinks bitterly. This much has been leaked; there had been mention of a possible affair in the newspaper. She has just confirmed it.
‘A sexual affair?’
‘Yes.’
‘Was this affair casual, or would you say it was serious?’
Erica appears to take a moment to compose herself and says clearly, ‘It was serious. We were in love.’
Stephanie hears murmurs in the courtroom and several gasps. The jurors are looking at Erica with great interest. Stephanie glances at her husband beside her; his profile is set, his jaw tight. He’s staring at Erica as if he loathes her.
‘How often did you meet?’
‘It began one night when a bunch of us had got together for drinks. Lindsey had gone home earlier. Patrick and I both got drunk. We ended up back at my apartment, in bed. After that, we took every opportunity we could to be together, but it wasn’t easy, because he was married, and Lindsey wanted him at home.’ She adds, ‘We would meet at lunchtimes during the week. His wife would make him a lunch to take to work, but he’d come to my apartment and we’d make love.’
Stephanie hears the murmur of disapproval go around the courtroom.
‘Did the two of you ever talk about being together, about telling his wife?’
‘Yes. He told me he didn’t love her, and he resented being tied down by her. He didn’t want a baby at that stage in his life. They argued a lot. He said he wanted to be with me.’
‘Did you or he ever talk about making concrete plans to be together?’
Erica bites her lip. ‘Not in so many words. He said he wanted to be free of her. But I thought he was talking about divorce, not murder.’
Another gasp around the courtroom; the judge bangs his gavel and everyone falls silent, riveted by her testimony.
‘Tell us what happened on January 10, 2009.’
‘I got a phone call from Greg Miller. He was a friend of Patrick’s, from work. We all used to socialize together. He called me and said there had been an accident. I got over there as fast as I could.’
‘Did you talk to Patrick?’
‘No. I was in shock. He was hysterical, sobbing. But then, when no one was looking, he caught my eye, and – the look in his eyes was one of triumph.’
‘Triumph?’
‘Yes. I knew then that he’d killed her on purpose, and that he thought he was going to get away with it.’ She pauses, looks suitably upset – the first break in her composure. ‘I think he expected me to be … glad.’
Another murmur of shock makes its way across the courtroom.
‘Did you speak to him after that?’
She shakes her head. ‘Not then. He tried to speak to me but I avoided him. I went to the funeral and I avoided him there too. I thought he’d killed her on purpose, because of me, but I was too afraid to say anything. I was afraid the police would think I was involved in it. I felt guilty – I thought he’d murdered her to be with me. I couldn’t even look at him after that. I knew what he’d done.’ She pauses and then adds, ‘And by then I knew I was pregnant with his child.’
More consternation in the courtroom. Stephanie tries to read the mood of the jurors, but she can’t