It wasn't a complete victory, but Simone had planted seeds of doubt about the prosecution's evidence. She noticed several jurors watching Franklin with newfound skepticism as he left the stand.
"The prosecution calls Margaret Whitman," Hale announced, her voice slightly less confident than before.
An elegantly dressed woman took the stand, introducing herself as the CFO of Bancroft Developments. Her testimony focused on the company's financial records, attempting to establish motive by claiming the Johnsons were in severe financial distress.
This time, Simone let the direct examination proceed without objection, taking detailed notes. When her turn came, she approached with quiet confidence.
"Mrs. Whitman, you testified about my family's financial difficulties. Could you specify what records you reviewed to reach that conclusion?"
"Certainly. We obtained credit reports, bank statements, and property records showing multiple late payments and declining account balances."
Simone nodded thoughtfully. "And when did you obtain these records?"
"During our standard due diligence process when evaluating properties for acquisition."
"You mean when Bancroft Developments was trying to buy our house?"
"Objection!" Hale stood. "Relevance."
"Goes to motive, Your Honor," Simone replied. "The prosecution claims we were in financial distress. I'm establishing the timeline of their knowledge."
Kessler frowned, but nodded. "Proceed."
Simone turned back to Whitman. "So you reviewed our financial records as part of a potential property purchase. When was that?"
"Approximately six months ago."
"Before or after my parents declined Bancroft's offer?"