Brian Freemantle - The Namedropper

‘Dr Abrahams,’ resumed Beckwith. ‘If an infection is resisted – defeated – by natural immunity or medication, do such antibodies or antigens remain traceable within a patient’s blood?’

‘For a time,’ replied the doctor. ‘That length of time depends, understandably, upon the type of infection or disease and the treatment to defeat it.’

‘Let us come to sexually transmitted diseases and infections,’ invited Beckwith.

For the first time the lawyer’s pause was for breath, not to tempt the judge’s impatience but Pullinger seized it. ‘Not a moment too soon, Mr Beckwith.’

‘Observing, as always, your honour’s guidance,’ responded Beckwith, just as swiftly. To the doctor the lawyer continued, ‘You have extensive experience of the identification and treatment of sexually transmitted disease, do you not, Dr Abrahams?’

‘I do.’

‘Is the manifestation of antibodies and antigens that you have described applicable in sexually transmitted diseases?’

‘Yes.’

‘In syphilis?’

‘Yes.’

‘In gonorrhoea?’

‘Yes.’

‘What about chlamydia or to use its more accurate clinical name, Chlamydia trachomatis?’

‘Yes.’

‘Within the last month you examined the man I represent in court today, Harvey William Jordan, for venereal infection, specifically Chlamydia trachomatis, did you not?’

‘I did. I also extended that examination to include syphilis and gonorrhoea.’

‘Can you describe, as simply as possible for the court’s benefit, how you conducted those examinations?’

‘I took invasive urogenital swabs, as well as those from the throat and rectum. I also took blood and urine samples.’

‘What were your findings?’

‘Negative, to every test for every possible infection.’

‘Specifically in the case of chlamydia, the tests are clinically referred to as polymerase chain reaction, PCP, or ligase chain reaction, LCR, a sensitive detection method for chlamydia DNA?’

‘Yes.’

‘Which were negative?’

‘Your expert witness has already attested to that,’ came in Pullinger.

‘I am anxious that there should be no doubt whatsoever of the findings, your honour,’ said Beckwith.

‘You have established that to my satisfaction, Mr Beckwith. I am still waiting to discover the other point you have promised me.’

‘Dr Abrahams,’ returned Beckwith, ‘had my client, Harvey Jordan, suffered any venereal infection that required medical treatment would the antibodies or antigens resulting from that treatment have been evident in his blood, even though he had been successfully cured by treatment from a doctor or specialist other than yourself of which you had been unaware.’

‘Yes, in the case of syphilis and HIV, possibly in the case of chlamydia’

‘Were there any such antibodies or antigens?

‘No.’

‘What is the irrefutable medical conclusions from the absence of any antibodies or antigens from the blood of Harvey Jordan?’

‘That he has never suffered or contracted a venereal infection.’

‘Which is very specifically spelled out and made clear in Dr Abrahams’ medical report already supplied to this court!’ exploded the now very visibly flushed Mr Justice Pullinger.

‘But not in any other medical report laid before this court, those of Alfred Appleton and Leanne Jefferies, both of which were delayed until the very last possible moment for presentation before your honour,’ Beckwith pointed out, finally sitting beside Jordan.

Pullinger did recess the court, from which Bartle and Wolfson hurried out, trailed by their respective clients and the two venerealogists. Beckwith went through the rail for another, although brief, consultation with Abrahams.

Reid crossed from his table when Beckwith returned and said, ‘That was brilliant.’

‘I was flying by the seat of my pants from the conversation I had with Dr Abrahams,’ admitted Beckwith.

‘Even more brilliant,’ insisted Reid.

‘I’d only heard of Pullinger by reputation,’ said Beckwith. ‘I didn’t imagine he’d really be such a son of a bitch.’

‘You think there’s something to be found in the medical reports of the other side?’ prodded Jordan.

‘That’s the way Abrahams told me to go,’ said Beckwith. ‘I’m going to press as hard as I can to find out.’

‘And I’m going to risk trying an application about Sharon Borowski: as many applications as I can, while I think Pullinger will be favouring us,’ disclosed Reid. ‘If he slaps me down, he slaps me down.’

Jordan saw that Alyce was still staring straight ahead, ignoring everybody. When he pushed his chair back Beckwith said, ‘Where are you going?’

‘Stretch my legs. Say hello to Alyce. No reason why I shouldn’t, now that we’re in court, is there?’

Beckwith shrugged.

Reid said, ‘Keep it brief.’

Alyce didn’t look in his direction as Jordan approached and there was a hesitation even when he reached her table and said, ‘Hi!’

‘Hello.’

‘How are you?’

‘Hating every moment of it! I was looking forward to it – facing him down – but now I’m here I feel… ashamed, I suppose. We had to sneak in… There were television cameras… It was awful.’

‘Did they get photographs of you?’

‘Bob doesn’t think so.’ She looked across at the two remaining lawyers. ‘What’s going on… I don’t understand what Dan is doing?’

‘The medical reports on your husband and the woman are incomplete.’

‘Does it matter?’

‘It could, quiet a lot,’ said Jordan, carefully.

‘Is it to do with what Bob said about you?’

‘What did Bob say about me?’ said Jordan, only just keeping the demand out of his voice.

‘That you were clever and that you’d found something that helped me… about what I was telling him.’

‘It could be. Let’s see how the rest of the day goes.’

‘I don’t want to see how the rest of the day goes. I want to run away and hide and not come out for a long time.’

‘That’s…’ started Jordan but stopped.

‘That’s what?’

Jordan’s first thought had been to describe it as childish. Instead he said, ‘Giving up, with no reason to give up.’ His mind butterflying beyond his conversation with Alyce, Jordan thought it was difficult to conceive how someone like her could have gone to bed – had grunting on top of her – someone as heavy and animal-like as the man he’d just seen for the first time in court. Beckwith and Reid were properly listening to what he said now – despising him as well for being a smartass and he didn’t give a damn about that – and he’d go on pushing if he had to until what he’d read, but obviously not expertly understood, from the venereal case notes of Alfred Appleton and Leanne Jefferies was explained. But what if the case notes didn’t mean anything? Everything would rebound back upon them. Like Beckwith, Jordan hadn’t believed that the judge could be such a cantankerous old bastard.

‘What’s she like?’

‘Who?’ said Jordan, momentarily lost in his own thoughts.

‘The woman he fucked, Leanne?’

‘I don’t believe you haven’t looked at her!’

‘I haven’t looked… don’t want to look.’

Jordan still didn’t believe her. ‘Much older than she really is, compared to you. Doesn’t compare at all – as well – with you…’

‘Perhaps she does things I wouldn’t.’

‘After France I can’t imagine what that might have been.’

Alyce shook her head, dismissing the memory. ‘I’m going to ask Bob if it’s absolutely necessary for me to be in court.’

‘Would that be a good idea?’

‘That’s what I want. Why shouldn’t it be all right?’