Tim Vicary - A Game of Proof

‘Hi there, sunshine!’

‘What?’ She looked up, took her hands away from her eyes.

‘Are you OK?’ It was Savendra, his cheerful face suddenly registering concern.

‘Not really, Savvy. No.’

‘What is it? Family row?’

‘Worse than that. Family’s vanished. Emily’s gone walkabout.’

‘What are you talking about?’ He sat down in front of the desk. Sarah explained, briefly, trying to make light of it. ‘Of course she’ll come back, it’s just a mega teenage tantrum aimed at causing us all maximum embarrassment, that’s all …’

‘The police are searching, and you’re still here?’

‘Of course I’m here. I’ve got a case to defend, haven’t I? Last day, speeches, summing up, verdict. You remember verdicts?’

‘Yes, but … you could get it adjourned. These are exceptional circumstances beyond your control, surely. The judge — who is it, Gray — he’ll understand.’

‘Will he? Perhaps — but what will he understand? That I can’t be a mother and a barrister at the same time? That the courts have to make special allowances for women? That everything gets slowed up because of my daughter’s stupid tantrum? No, Savvy …’

‘He won’t see it like that …’

‘He will, Savvy, he will, because he’s an unreconstructed chauvinist who thinks women should be at home doing the dishes and not in court at all. And even if he doesn’t think it others will. It’ll go the rounds, you know it will. “That Sarah Newby, she knows her stuff but she’s not reliable. Family problems, likely to take a day off to look after the kids. Better off with a man.” That’s what they’ll say.’

Savendra shook his head. ‘There’s world of difference between looking after the kids and looking for them, Sarah. The courts aren’t completely full of sharks and jackals, you know.’

‘Aren’t they, Savvy? Which courts do you work in?’ A wry, bitter smile dispelled the tears that had been threatening.

‘Well …’ Savendra saw the point. All barristers needed good cases to build up their reputation. Of all those who took law degrees less than 10 % took bar exams; of those called to the bar only 50 % found a place in chambers; of those who found a place in chambers only a tiny fraction made a living in their first years. If a colleague dropped a case for whatever reason, there was a feeding frenzy of others to snap it up.

‘Anyway, Bob’s there. They don’t sack headmasters for taking a day off. It’s called role reversal, Savvy, it’s the new idea for twenty-first century woman. And man.’

‘Well.’ He reached across to pat her gently on the arm. ‘Where do you think she is?’

‘ If I knew that don’t you think I’d be there now? ’ Sarah’s eyes would have shrivelled him to a burnt crisp on the seat of his chair, if they hadn’t been suddenly softened by tears. ‘Anyway Emily’s just trying to get at me, Savvy. To criticise my success. I won’t let her.’

The contrasting sentiments were so harsh and shocking Savendra could find no response. He decided to step back from this emotional quicksand onto safer ground.

‘So do you think you’ll get the rapist off?’

‘Rapist?’ Emily dragged into the back of a van, driven hundreds of miles to the south of England, sealed in a cellar to die of abuse and starvation … ‘Oh, you mean Harker?’

‘Of course. Who else?’

‘Do my best.’ She indicated the notes on her desk. ‘He claims he’s innocent, Savvy.’

‘So you have to defend him.’

‘That’s my job.’

‘Mine too.’

The two barristers smiled at each other, knowing how seldom it was that they really believed in the innocence of the clients they defended. Savendra got to his feet. ‘I wish you luck, then. But if you want me to take over …’

‘No chance.’

He shut the door softly behind him, leaving her alone with her notes.

After Sarah’s dramatic departure Terry looked at Bob Newby with concern. The man seemed unable to keep still. He paced up and down the room anxiously..

‘What now, Mr — Inspector Bates, isn’t it?’

‘Bateson, sir. Well, I think you should stay here, sir, in case your daughter rings or simply turns up …’

‘You think she’ll turn up, just like that?’

‘Quite often that’s exactly what happens, sir. And it’s important that someone’s here to meet her or she might just go off again.’

‘I’m sure you’re right. But I’d feel better out there doing something, not just sitting still. That’s why Sarah should be here.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Terry agreed, but it was not his place to do anything about it.

‘ Bitch.’

The word was spoken softly, so Terry pretended not to hear. He turned to sergeant Hendry. ‘Tom, have you got a constable to stay with Mr Newby? In case …’

‘I’m not a child, you know!’ Bob snapped. ‘You get your men out searching — I may be upset but I do see the sense in what you’re saying.’

‘All right, sir, thanks. But Tom’ll call in regularly, keep you in the picture. Here’s my mobile number, if you need it. Now, er, can I have the address of that son of yours?’

Bob took a deep breath, trying to regain self control. As he wrote the address he muttered: ‘He’s my stepson, really. Sarah had him before we met. He’s a brickie — works here there and everywhere.’

‘All right, sir, I’ll find out. And we’ll check that phone box too.’

As Terry turned to go, Bob clutched his arm. ‘You’ve run this sort of search before, haven’t you? What are the chances?’

Terry saw fear in the man’s eyes, a barely suppressed panic that could quickly break through. ‘Well, in two cases out of three the child just turns up of its own accord. So the chances are good, if you look at it that way. But we’ll do our best to find her even if she doesn’t.’

Outside he said: ‘Keep an eye on him, Tom. He’s likely to crack any time.’

And as he left he wondered: would I go to pieces like that if Jessica or Esther vanished? Perhaps — who knows.

Would I let my wife treat me as Sarah treated him?

No way.

No wife anyhow.

In the cramped cell below the court, Gary Harker scowled at his lawyers.

‘I’ve thought about it and I’m going in the box.’

‘Why?’ Sarah stood by the door, wig in hand, Lucy beside her.

‘Well if I don’t, the judge is going to slag me off, in’t he? You said so yourself. I’m not going down just because of some crap advice my brief gave me.’

‘ As your brief,’ Sarah said firmly, ‘I’m giving you the best advice possible. If you don’t give evidence the judge is entitled to draw the jury’s attention to your silence, Mr Harker; but if you go into the box, with your temper, the prosecution are going to hang you out to dry.’

‘What’s that bloody mean when it’s at home?’

‘Julian Lloyd-Davies is going to needle you about all the lies you’ve told, until you swear and curse and the jury despise you. He’s an expert — he’ll run rings round you.’

‘I have given evidence before, you know! You think I’m fucking stupid or what?’

‘I think you have a violent temper which you find hard to control.’

‘Well, that’s a load of crap, that is, thanks a lot! Me own bloody brief trying to bollock me before the trial! Fucking pair of slags!’

Sarah drew a deep breath. ‘I’m trying to present your case in the best light possible, Mr Harker. If you want to dismiss me and defend yourself you’re quite at liberty to do so.’

Gary considered it. ‘No, that’s not what I want, you know that.’

‘Right then. Well my advice is that if you go into that box and start swearing at people like you are now, you’ll destroy yourself more effectively than the judge ever could. So I suggest you exercise your right to keep silent, and let the judge say what he likes.’