John Matthews - Past Imperfect

'Twenty-nine years.'

'Was this involvement made clear to Prosecutor Corbeix when you first approached him with the case?'

'Yes it was.'

Corbeix raised a hand to interrupt. Barielle broke off from asking questions and nodded.

'Much of this was entered in my initial file folder, your justice.' Corbeix half-raised. Thankfully no pains had hit at the previous instructions , and the last few days had been clear. But now he could feel the first onset of muscle cramps. 'We have made no secret of Chief Inspector Fornier's involvement with Monique Rosselot.'

'I appreciate that. But if you indulge me a moment more. Or, in this case, defence counsel.' Barielle gestured towards Thibault. 'Hopefully all will become clear.'

Barielle had already cleared the small hearing room for ten minutes private consultation with Thibault before resuming with the questions. All instruction questions had to be posed by the examining magistrate to avoid direct intimidation of witnesses.

'What initially caused your involvement in the re-opened investigation?' Barielle asked Dominic.

'The fact that I was one of the only people still traceable connected with the original investigation when Marinella Calvan first made contact.'

'And the reason for your continuing involvement?'

'Very much the same reason: knowledge of the original investigation. I was therefore in a far better position to piece things together from any new evidence uncovered.'

'At what point was the case handed over to Inspector Malliene to head?'

'After my discussing the case with Prosecutor Corbeix.'

'And what were the reasons for this?'

'Partly because Inspector Malliene was under the Aix jurisdiction, from where the case would be prosecuted, and partly because Monsieur Corbeix was concerned about any possible bias that I might bring because of my attachment to Monique Rosselot.'

'I see.' Barielle's tone was flat. 'And not purely as a smoke screen, a cover for any perceived bias?'

'No. Inspector Malliene had full signing-off powers. He was fully at liberty to discount or discard any portion of the investigative enquiry with which he didn't agree.'

'Inspector Malliene was controlling the investigation?'

'Yes.'

'So as the chief investigative officer, let us see: what exactly did Inspector Malliene do in this case? Then let us compare with what his normal duties as someone leading the investigation should be…'

As Barielle continued with a chain of questions tying down Malliene's and Fornier's respective investigative involvement, Corbeix looked down. He doodled absently on a pad. Concentric, diminishing squares: everything closing in. A cold tingle ran up the back of his neck. The rest of his body was too numbed, too cramped and bombarded by steroids to feel anything. Either Thibault suspected Malliene had been just a front, or he'd been tipped off internally. And now he'd convinced Barielle, who was like a fox with a rabbit now that he'd gripped hold. Corbeix' fist gripped tight on his pen. Damn Thibault . He'd hardly been able to give Thibault even a decent run for his money. Any minute now Thibault would cry bias, Barielle would probably agree, and Thibault would call for a mistrial. It could all be over before he'd finished doodling.

At one point, Fornier fought back: 'Because so much of the later evidence linked to earlier findings — obviously it fell upon me to do most of the legwork. To run things any other way just wouldn't have worked.'

But it did little good. The overriding image was that it had been Fornier's investigation with Malliene just a nominated figurehead. Barielle wasn't happy.

Barielle asked Fornier's political persuasion, and then dismissed him. Odd question, thought Corbeix, looking up briefly. Malliene, who had already appeared before Fornier, was recalled.

Malliene tried to beef up his own role and involvement, but as the questioning focused on what exactly he'd done at each stage, it was easy to read between the lines.

At one point, Corbeix half switched off. There was nothing he could do. He rubbed his eyes, felt them stinging as the muscle spasms gripped harder. Often the two came together: blurring of vision, sometimes extreme vertigo and dizziness. But now it was just a faint haze and a watery stinging. Through the haze, the proceedings washed around him. Barielle would finish his questioning, a quick summation and demand for a mis-trial from Thibault, and Barielle would rule. Hopefully, Fornier's small fight back and Malliene's attempts at claiming stronger involvement, however transparent, might at least cast some doubt. If not…

Corbeix looked up sharply as he heard his name called. That was quick, he thought. Malliene had been dismissed, but surely Thibault was just starting his summation? He nodded and raised up, but he could feel the pain jarring his legs, the spasms biting sharper. It took him a moment to re-focus on what was being said.

'I find this all highly irregular,' Barielle commented.

'Under normal circumstances, yes,' Thibault agreed. He held out a palm to indicate Corbeix without looking across at him. 'But as I think has already been clearly demonstrated, these are not normal circumstances. This is merely an extension of the earlier points raised about bias against my client. Though, as I think you will see, equally as valid.'

Barielle looked awkwardly towards Corbeix and waved Thibault towards him. After a short spell in the clinches with Thibault pointing to a page in his folder, Barielle waved for Corbeix to sit down and shrugged apologetically: sorry this could take a while, or for what might be coming?

And suddenly it hit Corbeix: Thibault was trying to get Barielle to question him! Outrageous. What on earth did Thibault have up his sleeve? What could he hope to achieve? Bias? One chink of intense clarity struggling up through the haze.

At length, Thibault returned to his seat. Barielle looked up at Corbeix. 'I'm sorry, counsellor Corbeix. I know that this is somewhat irregular. But some questions have arisen regarding your involvement which require clarification.' Barielle scanned the typewritten sheet Thibault had left with him a moment longer. 'I understand that you are ill, counsellor Corbeix. Can you tell me, what is the nature of your illness?'

'I have multiple sclerosis.'

'And has this been diagnosed very long?'

'About three years now.' Corbeix glared at Thibault, outraged that his illness should come under attack. 'But this is no particular secret. I informed the Garde de Sceaux at the Palais as long ago as last October. My semi-retirement aiming towards full retirement has already been planned. I just don't see the relevance of all this.'

'I know. I know.' Barielle held one hand up, calming. 'I know that your semi-retirement has already been planned.' Barielle read from the sheet. 'And as part of that semi-retirement, you had planned to hand your case load over to Prosecutor Galimbert, I understand.'

'Yes, that's correct.'

'Except this case, I believe.' Barielle stared at Corbeix directly. 'This is the only case you're not handing over to him.'

Corbeix blinked heavily. Suddenly he could see where it was all heading. God , was there anything that Thibault hadn't discovered? 'Yes.'

'What is the reason for that?'

'I discussed it with Galimbert, but he just wasn't keen. I decided to continue myself.'

'Even though you had previously decided that you might be too ill to continue with full case loads in court after the summer recess?'

'Yes. The final decision was perhaps against my better judgement. But if Galimbert wasn't keen, what choice was there? Also, there were the extreme complexities of the case.'

Curt nod and tight smile from Barielle. 'What political persuasion is Prosecutor Galimbert?'