“It may be marked,” said Judge Carver quietly, eyeing it steadily and gravely for a moment before he returned to his notes.
“Got that?” inquired Mr. Farr briskly, handing it over to the clerk of the court. “I offer it in evidence.”
“Are there any objections?” inquired Judge Carver.
“Your Honour, I fail to see what necessity there is for——”
The judge cut sharply across Lambert’s voice: “You are not required to be the arbiter of that, Mr. Lambert. The state is conducting its case without your assistance, to the best of my knowledge. Do you object, and if so, on what grounds?”
Mr. Lambert’s ruddy countenance became a shade more ruddy. He opened his mouth, thought better of it, and closed it with an audible snap. “No objection.”
“Mr. Conroy, did you notice whether the slippers were stained?”
“Yes—yes, they were considerably stained.”
“What type of slippers were they?”
“They were shiny slippers, with very high heels and some kind of bright, sparkling little buckles, I believe.”