Brian Freemantle - A Mind to Kill

‘… and I have no further questions,’ the man concluded, surrendering Rebecca Nicholls to cross-examination like a well-chewed bone upon which there was no meat left.

‘You haven’t the slightest idea – any way of knowing – if Gerald Lomax confessed his adultery to his wife, have you?’ attacked Jeremy Hall, at once.

‘We’d talked about his doing so.’

‘But you don’t know that he had done it?’

‘No.’

Hall lifted Rebecca’s statement from the mound of papers in front of him, hefting it as if testing its weight to attract the jury’s interest. ‘What you’ve told the court today is at considerable variance with what you told Superintendent Bentley, isn’t it?’

‘I don’t remember.’

‘You don’t remember?’

‘I had just seen the man I loved slaughtered, in front of my eyes! Seen his blood burst everywhere!’

‘No, you hadn’t! Your full statement was made to Superintendent Bentley several days after that.’

‘I still don’t remember.’

There was a tug at Jennifer’s elbow, with the hand offering the handkerchief. Hurriedly she dried herself. Jane said, ‘ I’m not going to have you taken out of court but everyone’s still got to think you’re a drooling idiot.’

‘Then let me help you, Ms Nicholls,’ offered Hall, beckoning the usher. ‘I’ve marked a section, at the top of the third page: the page of a statement you’ve signed and agreed as an accurate account of your conversation with Superintendent Bentley. Doesn’t that marked section say, and I quote, “But Jennifer never knew”?’

‘Yes.’

‘That’s very different from what you’re asking the jury to believe today, isn’t it, Ms Nicholls?’

‘I was still in shock. I’ve had time to think about it, since.’

‘I quote again, from a paragraph marked just a little lower from that to which I’ve referred. Doesn’t that say “She didn’t kill Gerry because of me”?’

‘Yes. But I told the police he’d promised me he would get a divorce.’

‘But didn’t you also say, in the third marked passage, that Gerald Lomax had not told his wife of your affair. Or asked for a divorce. And didn’t you go on to say – and again, my Lord, I quote – “He said he’d tell me before he did. But he didn’t say anything. So he didn’t”?’

‘I may have done.’

‘Ms Nicholls, it’s in a statement you signed as an accurate account of your conversation with the superintendent.’

‘I’ve told you, I was still shocked!’

‘You’d been with Gerald Lomax the night before he was killed, hadn’t you? Like you were every night when he remained in London?’

‘Yes.’

‘In his flat?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did you make love?’

‘Mr Hall!’ interrupted the judge, while Keflin-Brown was still only halfway to his feet. ‘Is there a point to this line of questioning?’

‘An extremely important one,’ insisted Hall. He had no intention of considering it after the inevitable result of the trial, because it would not be in Jennifer Lomax’s interest, but he was convinced that by now the transcript would already show sufficient unfair bias for an appeal to be lodged.

‘Be very careful, Mr Hall. I shall be paying particular attention,’ said Jarvis.

‘You slept with Gerald Lomax the night before he died?’ resumed Hall.

‘Yes.’ Rebecca was tiny-voiced again.

‘You had no secrets from each other, did you?’

‘No.’

‘And he’d promised to tell you, before he asked Jennifer for a divorce?’

‘Yes.’

‘And he did want to marry you?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘To clear the way for you and he to marry, a divorce would have been the most important thing in Gerald Lomax’s life at that moment, wouldn’t it! He’d promised to tell you. You had no secrets from each other. Yet the night before he was murdered – by a woman it is being suggested was driven to kill by insane jealousy – in the intimate surroundings of the bedroom, he said nothing to you whatsoever about having confessed his adultery to his wife?’

‘No.’ There was very little defiance any more and practically no voice.

‘So he hadn’t told Jennifer Lomax what would have caused her to commit this terrible crime, had he? This whole-’

‘My Lord,’ broke in Keflin-Brown. ‘How can this witness testify to what might or might not have taken place when she was not in Hampshire the previous weekend?’

‘That was an inept question, Mr Hall,’ criticized the judge.

‘Questioning an inference that the jury have been asked to draw from uncorroborated testimony in Ms Nicholls’ evidence-in-chief,’ fought back Hall, refusing to be bullied. ‘But let me try to find my answer from a different direction. To your knowledge, had Gerald Lomax ever deceived you?’

‘ Wonder who else he was screwing. There would have had to be someone, wouldn’t there?’

‘No.’

‘ Doesn’t know him like we do, does she?’

‘Held anything back from you?’

‘No.’

‘Broken a promise to you?’

‘No.’

‘He had promised to alert you, in advance, of his confessing everything to Mrs Lomax and demanding the divorce that would give him custody of Emily?’

‘Yes.’

‘But had not, at any time prior to the murder, told you that he had done so?’

‘No.’

‘That is a very beautiful ring. When did you buy it?’

‘I told you, when we talked about getting married.’

‘That wasn’t the question. What was the date when you bought it?’

‘I don’t remember.’

‘Ms Nicholls! You’ve told the court it’s your engagement ring, the token of your intended marriage. Buying it was surely one of the most significant moments of your life?’

‘We are meandering towards a point, aren’t we, Mr Hall?’ demanded the judge.

Bastard! thought Hall, curbing the frustrated anger the moment it came. ‘Hopefully, my Lord.’

‘An ambition shared by us both.’

‘Then perhaps I can continue, my Lord?’ Hall allowed himself, careless of the immediate tightening of Jarvis’s face. ‘Wasn’t it a moment to remember, Ms Nicholls?’

‘Yes.’

‘So when was it?’

‘Five or six months ago.’

‘Still not sure,’ said Hall. ‘Was it a surprise, given to you over a candle-lit dinner? Or did you buy it together?’

‘We bought it together.’

‘And you’ve worn it ever since? For five or six months?’

‘Yes.’

‘So people you work with would have noticed it. It is, after all, a very distinctive piece of jewellery. They would probably be able to give an even more reliable timing than five or six months.’

‘ I can see where he’s getting to, can’t you? Clever bastard, isn’t he? Pity there’s nothing he can do to help you.’

‘Maybe. You’ll have to ask them.’

‘I intend to, Ms Nicholls. Every one of them who’s called to give evidence after you. You sure you can’t give a more specific date?’

‘No.’

‘What shop did you buy it in?’

The woman began nipping her bottom lip between her teeth. ‘Garrards.’

‘Who will, of course, have a record of the sale. So we can establish a positive date by simply approaching them, can’t we?’

‘ That’s you fucked, Rebecca. He really is a clever bastard.’

‘I suppose so.’

‘Would it embarrass you if I did indeed obtain a sales receipt?’

‘No.’ There was no longer any defiance. Rebecca Nicholls was blinking a lot, constantly nibbling her lower lip, several times looking nervously towards the judge, who had stopped intervening.

‘Wouldn’t such a receipt show that your ring is a much more recent acquisition?’