The objection is sustained. It’s too late. A high titter rings out, followed by the thunderclap of a loud “Ha, ha!” from a man in the jury. For a moment it seems the room will break apart in laughter.
But in the first few rows, the community holds the line, stonily looking straight ahead. And at this moment it is clear to Katherine, more definitively than it has ever been, that she is beloved. She straightens her shoulders.
“I gave him money,” she says steadily, “because he needed it and I wanted him to have it.”
“To your knowledge, what did Dagou do with the ten thousand dollars?”
“He bought radio equipment. He put new tires on his truck. He bought new strings for his bass, and a gym membership.”
“Did he spend all ten thousand?”
Of course, it’s possible Dagou spent all ten thousand. He’s not in the habit of saving; he’s inherited Winnie’s extravagance. New tires, illegal radio equipment. Who knew what else? But if he did spend the money, she’s not aware of it. She frowns. It’s possible he spent the money on Brenda. But could even Dagou—adding infatuation to his prodigality—make all of ten thousand vanish in a matter of weeks?
“I don’t know,” Katherine says. More urgent in her mind is the question of why the prosecution is focused on tracing every possible source of income, on nailing down precisely how little money Dagou had. Her testimony is finished; she has permission to sit in the gallery. Mary Wa embraces her. She leans into Mary for several minutes, comforted by the familiar smell of the Oriental Food Mart, troubled by the puzzle of the prosecution’s plan, relieved she hasn’t been asked to reveal her secret. She takes a few deep breaths. The next witness for the defense is Brenda Wozicek.
The Testimony of Brenda Wozicek
Creak! Chairs protest as people crane to watch her enter, followed by the gray-haired bailiff. Even in the courtroom, she can’t control her magnetism. Some actually rise as she passes, as if this is a wedding and she’s the bride. She takes her place at the stand. For perhaps a minute, everyone stares at her in silent judgment. Must the fabric of her jacket wrap around her body like that? Must her hair dip in that wayward curl over her forehead? Must her eyes be so vividly blue? And her blouse: it suits her, even Ken Fan can’t take his eyes off of her, but must she have chosen a scarlet blouse?
“I’m his fiancée,” she’s saying to Jerry Stern. For all her physical presence, she speaks quietly. Everyone leans forward, and she turns to them, eyes shining with a righteous light. An uncomfortable whispering arises from the gallery. Only Katherine appears wrapped in calm. “He’s also the son of my late boss, Leo Chao,” Brenda says.
“How long have you known the defendant?” Jerry asks.
“I knew Dagou—William—in high school.”
“Did you know him well?”
“No. Our groups didn’t overlap.”
“When did the two of you become involved?”
“Shortly after I started working at the restaurant.”
“You were sexually involved?”
“Yes.”
“Were you officially involved at the time?”
“No.” Brenda’s lips twist. Her self-possession, her surety would be absurd if it were not for the arresting curve of her mouth.
“Did this change on the night of December twenty-fourth, morning of the twenty-fifth?”
“Yes, we became officially involved. After the party.”
“Why that night and not before?”
“Well, for one thing, William had a kind of understanding with Katherine Corcoran. The way he described it, the relationship wasn’t sexual anymore and they were just good friends but they had never officially ended their engagement. Because his mother was in poor health, and she was close to Katherine—and because Katherine was like a member of the family. It was kept up out of politeness, but I knew Dagou would end it immediately, if …”
“If what?”
“If and when we became officially involved.”
“Did you and William ever discuss the possibility of moving in together?”
Brenda shakes her head, bemused. “No.”
Jerry nods. “During your time as Leo Chao’s employee, did you go down to the freezer room?”
“No. It didn’t have anything to do with my job, which was to seat people, bring their drinks, take their orders, bring their food.”
Jerry glances through his notes. “Let’s visit the morning of December twenty-fifth. Did William Chao come to your house after the party at the Fine Chao?”
“Yes.”
“At approximately what time did William Chao arrive at your house after the party?”
“Between midnight and twelve-thirty.”
“What was his frame of mind when he visited you during the morning of December twenty-fifth?”
“He seemed relaxed, much happier than he’d been lately.”
“Would you say a weight had been lifted from his shoulders?”
“Yes. The party had gone well and that cheered him up. The party was for his mother. He was devoted to her. He’d wanted the party to be special, in her honor.”
“Can you tell the jury what was said?”
“Well, he told me his father had only been joking, and he hadn’t sold the restaurant.”
“Did he say he had shut Leo Chao into the freezer room?”
Brenda frowns. “No.”
“Please elaborate on this.”
“He told me he’d been so upset with his father—for being so domineering—that he’d created a plan. But he specifically said he didn’t carry it out.”
“Please describe what he said.”
“He said his father had double-crossed him in a terrible way, had promised him the restaurant and then announced he would sell it. And then told him the whole thing was a joke! He’d waited years for the time when he would be able to live his own life. He said his life would begin when his father was dead, and not before. And that after the party when his father went downstairs, all he had to do was to step in, remove the key, and leave, shutting the door. But he didn’t do it. Couldn’t, didn’t do it.”
Jerry waits for a moment, looking thoughtfully at Brenda. “How did you respond to this?”
“I told him I was glad he didn’t do it.”
“To reiterate, William specifically told you he did not shut his father into the freezer room?”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe him?”
“Yes, I—”
“Objection: relevance.”
“Objection sustained.”
“After this conversation, he was in your presence until the following morning?”
“Yes—he was with me all night.”
“When did you go to sleep?”
“We didn’t fall asleep until after four o’clock. I heard the bells ringing. The next morning, I woke first around eleven-thirty and went downstairs to make some coffee. Dagou was asleep upstairs until early afternoon, when the police knocked on the door.”
Jerry examines his notes again. He has just a few more questions, he says. Had William ever discussed inheritance laws with her? Maybe, she can’t remember. Does she remember him telling her he understood the law to provide that his mother would inherit everything should his father die? No. Did she herself know the law? Yes. “Did William tell you he was trying to please his mother with an extravagant party so she would give him the restaurant after his father’s death?” No, of course not.