Loomis will ride this horse to the finish line. “Tell us, Lieutenant Cordova, about the events that led to the arrest of the accused, Roberto Salazar, for the murder of Cheryl Lynn Steinmetz.” Cordova goes over everything in painstaking and convincing detail, prompted every so often by a fat one down the middle tossed by Loomis. By the time he finishes, it’s four-thirty, so Judge Suzuki calls it a day. Cross-examination will start in the morning. Joe and I both scribbled copious notes while Cordova was talking, which we will pore over tonight to see if there are any discrepancies in his testimony in comparison with his previous statements about the murders. We will also burn a few bucks out of petty cash to get an expedited court reporter’s transcript. Cordova sounded airtight to me; he’s been prepped for months. He and the eyewitness are the essentials of their case, along with the recovered panties. He had to be infallible, as will she. But there are always differences between now and then, small shadings that can be exploited, if you can find them.
