This witness either scored major points for the prosecution or he's a lying flesh-peddler.

That's offense-defense for you.

After admitted accomplice Walter Alexander testified during Tuesday's preliminary hearing in Las Vegas that his old golfing buddy, O.J. Simpson, asked him to bring guns to a Sept. 13 meeting with two sports memorabilia collectors, Simpson's attorney accused Alexander of having offered his testimony to the highest bidder.

According to a police transcript, Alexander told authorities in September that Simpson, who has said he had no knowledge of guns being involved, had asked Alexander to bring a firearm to up the intimidation factor.

He echoed those statements in court during the third day of a hearing that will determine whether Simpson and two others go to trial on armed robbery charges, saying that the erstwhile murder defendant wanted him to come in packing.

Out by the pool at the posh Palms resort a few hours before the alleged heist, "he asked me if I could watch his back," after which "he leaned forward and it was kind of like, 'Hey, do you think you can get some heat?' " Alexander testified. "'Just in case things go wrong—just in case, you know, they may have heat, you know, can you bring some heat?' "

Simpson attorney Yale Galanter then got Alexander to admit he had offered to tweak his testimony in Simpson's favor, at one point, in exchange for "help" from a mutual friend.

"I really felt that he was set up," Alexander said, referring to the former NFL star's claim that he only went to meet with collectors Bruce Fromong and Alfredy Beardsley at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino because he was told they were in possession of items that had been pilfered from his storage locker.

"So, I felt like I could lean toward that angle rather than telling the truth," continued Alexander, who, along with Charles Cashmore and Mike McClinton, has pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit robbery in exchange for his testimony.

"So, truth got left at the door because your testimony is for sale?" asked Simpson attorney Yale Galanter.

"I told the truth," Alexander replied, adding that he told a friend he needed "some help" fighting the charges before he struck his deal with the Clark County District Attorney's Office.

"Once [Simpson] confirmed he was not going to do anything to help me with the situation, I was making plans to get out of town," Alexander said.

Then came the pimp talk.

"Have you ever sold flesh?" Galanter asked, to which the witness said no. He's in the real estate business, thank you very much.

Galanter then insisted to Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure that the defense had evidence that Alexander trafficked in prostitutes. The attorney is seeking to undermine the character of the various defense witnesses.

Attorneys for Simpson's remaining codefendants, Charles Erlich and Clarence Stewart Jr., also questioned Alexander, pointing out during their cross-examination that neither of their clients carried a weapon to the meeting but that Alexander and at least one of his fellow dealmakers did.

Alexander testified earlier in the day that McClinton had volunteered to bring guns (police later found weapons whose descriptions matched those given by the alleged victims at McClinton house) and that McClinton, who was toting a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, provided him with a .22-caliber pistol.

When he saw McClinton waving a gun around inside the hotel room as the others scooped up a reported $80,000 worth of signed footballs, baseballs and other memorabilia, he thought, "Man, you're in some trouble, dude," Alexander said. "I'm realizing that a robbery had taken place. I'm feeling like, 'Man, you're in trouble.' "

Later, Simpson joked about the incident, Alexander said, telling his pal, "Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but not if you're O.J. Simpson."

Aside from that prescient remark, however, previous testimony has suggested Simpson didn't understand what the big to-do was about.

Memorabilia dealer Thomas Riccio, who arranged the meeting and reserved the hotel room in his name, testified last week that Simpson called him afterward and asked what all the gun talk was about.

"There's a real good chance he didn't see it," Riccio said. "He was standing several feet in front of the guy that had the gun."

Originally, Alexander said Tuesday, Simpson told them to keep the guns in their holsters, but right before they entered the room, he told McClinton to "put the gun in your hand." Afterward, he added, Simpson told them to stick to this story—no guns were involved.

McClinton, as expected, corroborated Alexander's version of events.

"I brought my weapon because O.J. Simpson wanted me to have a weapon," he testified. "I never pointed it at nobody's face. I remember having the weapon in my hand, but I didn't wave it around," he added, contradicting Beardsley's testimony that McClinton had gotten a little gun-happy—so much so that at one point Simpson told him to "put that thing down."

Bonaventure will decide following the hearing, which began Nov. 8, whether there's enough evidence to try Simpson, Erlich and Stewart on criminal charges, including armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary, assault and conspiracy.

Simpson, 60, could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.