The Innocent Woman by Parnell Hall Read Free Book Online Page B

know?”
    “I counted it.”
    “You personally counted it, or you watched Frank Fletcher count it?”
    “Both. I watched Frank count it, then I counted it myself.”
    “And there was two hundred and seventy-five dollars?”
    “That’s right.”
    “And Fletcher added five hundred dollars, making a total of seven hundred and seventy-five dollars?”
    “That’s right.”
    “He put the five hundred in after you had counted the two hundred and seventy-five?”
    “That’s right.”
    “Did you count the money after he put the five hundred dollars in. That is, after he added the five hundred dollars, did you count the money again and get seven hundred and seventy-five?”
    “Yes, I did.”
    “Before that, you had counted the two hundred and seventy-five dollars that was originally in the box?”
    “That’s right.”
    “Any chance you were mistaken in the amount?”
    “Absolutely not?”
    “And why is that?”
    “Because I concentrated on what I was doing.”
    “I see,” Steve said. “And if you were concentrating on counting the money, how can you be sure while you counted the two hundred and seventy-five dollars, Frank Fletcher didn’t substitute some of the bills of the five hundred dollars before he added it to the box?”
    Lowery smiled. “That couldn’t have happened.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because that five hundred dollars was sitting in plain sight right in front of me on the desk?”
    “You’re sure of that?”
    “Absolutely.”
    A.D.A. Pearson made sure the jurors could see his broad grin.
    Steve Winslow frowned. He looked mighty displeased with the answers he’d been getting. He rubbed his head. “Mr. Lowery, let me make sure I understand this. Is it your testimony that you personally counted the money in the petty cash box before and after Frank Fletcher put the five hundred dollars in; that you saw him put the five hundred dollars in; that you are certain that it was the same five hundred dollars Mr. Macklin wrote the serial numbers of; that there was no chance Mr. Fletcher substituted any of those bills before he put them in the box; that after he put the bills in, you counted the money in the petty cash box and came up with a total of seven hundred and seventy-five dollars? Is that right?”
    “Absolutely. That’s exactly what happened.”
    “Is it also your testimony that on Monday morning, May 3rd you personally counted the money in the petty cash box and determined a hundred dollars was gone?”
    “That’s right.”
    “I see,” Steve said. “Is it then your testimony that when you counted the money on Monday, May 3rd, there was six hundred and seventy-five dollars in the petty cash box?”
    Lowery frowned.
    “Is that right?” Steve said.
    Lowery shifted position on the witness stand. “No, that is not right,” he said.
    “Oh?” Steve said. “I thought you counted the money on Friday and determined there was seven hundred and seventy-five dollars in the box. Then you counted the money on Monday and determined a hundred dollars was missing. Granted math was never my strong suit, but even I would expect six hundred and seventy-five dollars would be left. Are you saying this was not the case?”
    “No, it wasn’t.”
    “And why is that?”
    Lowery shifted position on the stand again. He cleared his throat. “You have to understand. We are an active firm. In the process of doing business. It wasn’t as if we could close our doors just because this incident occurred.”
    Steve Winslow raised his eyebrows. “Oh, I see. Are you trying to say the petty cash drawer was in use?”
    “Exactly.”
    Steve smiled. “So. Are you telling me money was removed from the petty cash drawer—”
    “Objection, Your Honor!”
    “Overruled.”
    “Are you telling me money was removed from the drawer between the time you counted the money on Friday, April 30th and the time you counted the money again on Monday, May 3rd?”
    Marvin Lowery looked peeved. His eyes were narrowed, and his