A balding, chubby-faced man in his late thirties with a strong New York accent, Murphy conveyed an impression of keen intelligence and driving energy. After the grand jury hearings, he had told her that her testimony was the main reason Ted had been indicted. She knew he considered that high praise.

Now he opened a thick file: The People of the State of New York v. Andrew Edward Winters III. "I know how hard this is for you," he said. "You're going to be forced to relive your sister's death, and with that all the pain you experienced. And you're going to testify against a man you liked and trusted."

"Ted killed Leila; the man I knew doesn't exist."

"There are no 'ifs' in this case. He deprived your sister of her life; it's my job-with your help-to see that he's deprived of his freedom. The trial will be a terrible ordeal for you, but I promise that once it's over it will be easier to get on with your own life. After you are sworn, you will be asked to state your name. I know 'Lange' is your stage name. Be sure to tell the jury your legal name is LaSalle. Let's review your testimony again.

"You will be asked if you lived with your sister."

"No, when I left college I got my own apartment."

"Are your parents living?"

"No, my mother died three years after Leila and I came to New York, and I never knew my father."

"Now let's review again your testimony, starting with the day before the murder."

"I had been out of town for three months with a stock company… I got in on Friday night, March twenty-eighth, just in time to catch the last preview of Leila's play."

"How did you find your sister?"