"Mr. Carson?"
"I don't... I'm not in charge of cleaning schedules."
Isaac walked to the defense table, picked up a single sheet of paper, and held it up. "This is the official cleaning assignment log for March 14th, signed by the facilities manager. It shows that Elijah Ingram was assigned to the west wing, third floor: bathrooms, conference rooms, judges' chambers." He looked at Carson. "The west wing, Mr. Carson. Third floor. Not the east wing, not the second floor, not anywhere near the IT room."
Carson opened his mouth, closed it.
"My father was never on that floor. The log confirms it. His keycard swipe data confirms it. So I have to ask: if my father was three floors away and an entire wing apart, how exactly did you see him carrying boxes from the IT room?"
"I... maybe I got the time wrong."
"The time, or the person?"
Sullivan stood. "Objection! Counsel is badgering the witness."
Whitmore didn't even look at Sullivan. "Overruled. The witness may answer."
Carson wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "I saw what I saw."
Isaac nodded slowly. Then he pulled out the second document. "Mr. Carson, I'm holding the courthouse maintenance access log for the IT room. Every person who enters that room is required to sign in: date, time, name, signature. It's policy." He held it up so the judge could see. "On March 14th, there are three entries: 8:00 a.m., Thomas Briley, IT department. 2:15 p.m., Thomas Briley again. And then..." Isaac paused, letting the silence do the work. "...11:45 p.m., Bradley Carson."
The gallery stirred. Murmurs. A sharp inhale from somewhere in the back row.
"That's your signature, Mr. Carson. Your handwriting. You signed into the IT room at 11:45 p.m.—fifteen minutes after you claim you saw my father stealing from that same room."
Carson's face went gray. "I had a reason to be there. I was checking on equipment."
"Checking on equipment at 11:45 at night? Fifteen minutes after a theft you supposedly witnessed?" Isaac took one step closer. "You watched someone steal $15,000 worth of computers, and your response was to walk into the crime scene, sign your name, and say nothing until the next morning?"