Hale,” Judge Whitmore said, not looking up from her desk.

She motioned to the court clerk sitting below the bench.

“Clerk, please take the item and set it by the courtroom microphone.”

The clerk came forward, took the purple plastic toy phone from Sophie’s hand, and laid it flat beside the microphone on the wooden ledge.

The clerk pressed the tiny playback switch on the side of the purple gadget.

A little red light on the case blinked once.