Cronshaw smiled.
‘Did he now? That’s very interesting. Only on the first day?’
‘That’s all we’ve found. There was a problem with the system on the Friday, but he certainly didn’t get into the court that day. When Hanlon was called as a witness we checked the identities of everyone who entered the courtroom.’
‘And he hasn’t been seen since?’
‘No. And he’s not been back to his parole address in Coventry either, which is a bit of a worry. Some of his things are still there, but there’s been no sign of him for several days. He has an appointment with his probation officer today at five pm. I don’t suppose he’s going to show up though.’ Hood glanced at his watch. ‘It’s nearly four-thirty, now.’
‘Let me know either way, will you? If Manning has taken an interest in this trial, he’s probably looking out for Doyle’s interests. Whatever those interests may be.’ He appeared deep in thought. ‘There’s been no indication of any interference with the jury?’
‘None. They’ve all been warned by the judge to inform the jury bailiff if any approach is made to them. No reports of anything so far. And we are keeping an eye on them while they’re in and around the court building.’
Cronshaw pulled out a chair and invited Hood to sit down.
‘Manning must be staying somewhere. And if he’s in the Nottingham area, it should be possible to find him. As far as we know he has no reason, apart from this trial, for being here?’
Hood agreed.
‘He’s supposed to be in Coventry for his appointment and sleep at his parole address. Do you want us to bring him in?’
Cronshaw nodded.
‘Yes, but discreetly. We don’t want it getting into the newspapers. You can always arrest him for being in breach of his parole conditions if you have a word first with his probation officer.’
He smiled then suddenly became serious.
‘I’m not sure what’s going on Mr Hood, but there’s definitely something afoot. And whatever it is, it will come to a head when the verdict comes in.’
* * * *
Cronshaw returned to the robing room and gave the news to his junior. Markham-Moore had been turning matters over in his mind in his leader’s absence. The fact that Dudley Manning had shown an interest in Julia Hamilton’s trial did not come as a great surprise to him.
‘I suppose he must be Doyle’s man in all this, given that they were so close at Draycott Heath?’
‘That’s a reasonable working hypothesis, yes,’ replied Cronshaw. ‘But nothing is as it seems in this case. It’s perfectly possible he could be working on behalf of someone else for all we know. There’s not much to look forward to if you’re a struck-off dentist once you leave prison. I suspect he’d be willing to work for anyone if the money’s right.’
Markham-Moore nodded.
‘But he doesn’t have any real criminal connections? He was done for fraud in his dental practice wasn’t he?’
‘Yes. He may not have any connections but Doyle does. And if he’s looking out for Doyle’s interests there’s no saying who he could have been introduced to.’
‘Could he be connected with Hanlon’s escape?’
‘It’s a possibility. We should certainly not reject it out of hand. It depends where Doyle fits in with all this, assuming he’s Doyle’s man, of course. We mustn’t overlook that he breached his parole conditions almost as soon as he got out. That must mean he’s not intending to stick around. He’s intelligent enough to realise he’ll be straight back inside if he’s picked up. But a disappearing act takes money. Lots of it. Look at Duffy. His transformation into Patrick Lafferty must have required a sizeable investment.’
‘Doyle has money. And he won’t have to repay Grayling now.’
‘That will depend on who becomes top dog. Debts like Doyle’s will probably still be enforced, whether he likes it or not unless, of course, he becomes the enforcer.’
‘You think Doyle might be hand in glove with Hanlon?’
‘No, I don’t. Rivals more likely. I suspect if Hanlon got his hands on Doyle, the outcome would be a funeral for one or the other.’
‘So it all comes back to Hanlon?’
‘It does, and that’s where it stops, at least for the moment. Yes, my money is on Hanlon… or perhaps someone with even more clout than him. If it is someone else, the question is, Edward, who out there is powerful enough to control Joseph Hanlon? There can’t be many capable of that.’
‘Another IRA man?’
‘Possibly. But we can be sure of one thing. Grayling had a hand in most of the serious crime around these parts and his death has created a vacuum. Someone out there is determined to fill it – to take over – unless, of course, they already have?’
Markham-Moore paused. His next suggestion was not entirely serious.
‘Julia Hamilton, perhaps? Sexual equality is becoming all the rage and she’s as vicious and self-centred as any man I’ve ever come across.’
Cronshaw smiled.
‘I don’t think so. She’s been in custody for the last few months which will have been too much of a drawback, although I agree with your assessment of her character.’ He paused. ‘But suppose she really is involved with someone else… someone other than Doyle?’
Markham-Moore pondered the question for a moment.
‘The father of her child?’
‘Exactly! That’s what’s been exercising me recently. What wouldn’t such a man do to protect his child and its mother, particularly a mother with the looks of Julia Hamilton?’
‘And she’s saying Doyle is the father to keep him off her back and to protect the man she’s really into.’
‘A distinct possibility. She’s not only an accomplished actress. She’s utterly ruthless, despite all the charm.’
Markham-Moore sighed. ‘What does the Attorney think?’
Cronshaw laughed.
‘None of this has even crossed his mind for a moment. You can ask him yourself tomorrow. He’ll be here for the summing up. He seems to have survived Prime Minister’s questions relatively unscathed, which is more than can be said for the Home Secretary. He had a fairly torrid time, at the hands of members of his own party, too. The chief inspector watched some of the proceedings on TV while we were in court. We should be able to catch the highlights on the evening news.’
Chapter Forty-Five
The judge started his summing-up promptly at ten o’clock on Thursday morning. The Attorney had arrived in good time and sat quietly next to Cronshaw. He intended to return to London as soon as the jury retired. He would not be present for the verdict.
It was also Gold Cup day and the judge was determined to get the jury out by noon. Twelve runners had been declared for the big race at Cheltenham and the going was officially good to firm, which would suit his horse, as he now regarded Looks Like Trouble. The favourite, See More Business, had won the race the year before but on good to soft ground - and then only by a length. The judge expected a faster pace this year and was quite impressed with Marcus Beamer’s analysis of both the form and the conditions. He was, in truth, fairly optimistic of a more positive outcome in the race than he was in the trial. His money was now on a hung jury. Cronshaw’s cross examination had rescued the Crown, he thought, at least in the minds of some of the jurors.
But he was determined to see the race – live. To that end, he had arranged for a television to be delivered to his chambers, much to the disgust of Keith, who had pointed out several reasons why it might be considered inappropriate. The judge ignored him. He fully intended to watch the race, untroubled by considerations of Julia Hamilton’s trial or the scruples of his clerk who, as always, eventually did his bidding.
Not that he had ignored his judicial responsibilities. He had worked hard on his summing-up and prepared his remarks prudently, adopting a very neutral appr
oach. Every prosecution point was countered by a point in favour of the defence and vice versa. He very properly emphasised the defendant’s good character and was quite disparaging about Hanlon. He directed the jury to approach his evidence with extreme caution. It was obvious, he suggested, that his prime purpose in giving evidence had been to engineer his own escape from custody. Finally, he informed them that the verdict required by the court was one upon which they were all agreed. A unanimous verdict.
By 12.15pm he had finished. Yvette Robertson, who had taken over from Marcus Beamer, stood and addressed the three jury bailiffs, each of whom held a copy of the New Testament in their right hands. She spoke quickly but clearly as if reciting a well rehearsed formula.
‘You will keep this jury in some private and convenient place. You will not suffer any person to speak to them nor will you speak to them yourselves concerning the trial this day without the leave of the court unless it be to ask them if they are agreed upon their verdict.’
The bailiffs nodded and muttered acceptance of their obligation before inviting the jurors to follow them out of the court room. The judge waited patiently as they slowly gathered up their notes and jury bundles and left the jury box. He then smiled at counsel, informing them he would not take a verdict between one o’clock and a quarter past two.
‘We’ll be here quite a bit longer than that,’ whispered Felicity Garrard to her leader. ‘There won’t be a verdict before tomorrow, if then.’
* * * *
As they arrived in their room, the jurors adopted a more formal and serious attitude than before. The nature of the task they had been set and the responsibility it placed upon them had been brought home to them by the judge’s summing-up. He had repeatedly emphasised that the decision was for them, not for him, and he had directed them to ensure that they applied the burden and standard of proof with rigour. It was for the prosecution to prove the Defendant’s guilt, not for her to prove her innocence. As they took their places around the table, they looked at each other in silence. Their first task was to elect a foreman.
‘Any volunteers?’ asked Bryan. He looked at his fellow jurors in turn. No-one replied. Several jurors shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Most glanced at Miss Duston then at Bryan.
‘Well, someone has to do it.’
‘What about you?’ said Jimmy Murphy, with just a hint of sarcasm. ‘You’ve had a lot to say so far.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ asked Bryan, sharply. ‘I’m only one of twelve. Like the judge said, we all have to have our say. But I don’t fancy having to stand up in court and deliver our verdict, that’s all.’
‘I propose Miss Duston,’ said Paul Green, quietly. ‘She’s made a comprehensive note of the evidence and she seems to me to have adopted a very fair attitude throughout the trial. I think she’d be ideal.’
Several others murmured their approval. Miss Duston shook her head.
‘It’s a big responsibility,’ she replied. ‘I think I’d prefer it if someone else took it on. How about you Paul?’
Green smiled. ‘I think in a trial like this, it will look better if we have a woman as foreman.’
‘I agree,’ said Hannah Mathews. ‘You men are too influenced by her looks. Not that I’m in favour of convicting her. Not at the moment anyway.’ She assumed a painful expression. ‘I can’t get her poor boy out of my mind. He should be with his mother.’
All the jurors now concentrated their gaze on Miss Duston, but no-one said anything.
‘Alright,’ she said eventually, ‘I’ll do it, but I shall expect everyone to make a contribution. I shall just chair our discussions like the judge said.’
There was a general murmur of agreement – and relief.
‘I suppose we should start with a vote – just to see how the land lies,’ suggested Bryan. ‘If you think that’s a good idea, Miss Duston?’
‘What? Before we’ve even discussed the evidence?’ said Hannah.
‘I suppose it might help,’ agreed Miss Duston. ‘Just as a starting point, of course. Then we can go round the table and we can all try and support our initial view.’ She smiled. ‘We should all listen to each other and, you never know, some of us might be persuaded to change our minds.’ She smiled again, took out her pen and made a note of the first vote. Each juror in turn gave his or her initial impression. Seven voted ‘not guilty’ and two ‘guilty’. The other three, which included Miss Duston herself were ‘don’t knows’.
‘Shall we start with those who think she’s guilty?’ asked the newly appointed foreman. ‘Paul, tell us why you are sure she’s guilty.’
Paul Green shook his head vigorously.
‘I’m not saying I’m a hundred per cent sure. It’s just my initial view on the evidence. I’m quite prepared to listen to what the rest of you think before I reach a final decision.’ He paused. ‘I believe it all turns on whether we can be sure she went to Hastings. If she did, she must be guilty. There’d be no other reason for her being there, like Mr Cronshaw said. If we can’t be sure about that, it wouldn’t be right to convict her. On balance, I reckon she did go there – to see Grayling for herself. She wouldn’t have got involved with something as serious as this without checking it all out directly with the top man.’
‘I don’t disagree with your point,’ said Bryan with some force. ‘But “on balance” isn’t good enough, is it? That’s what the judge said, remember? But I agree the main issue in the case is what you said. Did she go to Hastings? I just don’t see how we can be sure she did. She was probably fitted up by Grayling and Duffy to make it look like Doyle organised it all. They had to fit her up because Doyle was in custody. He couldn’t have organised it from where he was, so they had to make it look like she did. Hence the rigged phone call. And the only way they could frame her was to have her meeting with Grayling in Hastings. We can stay here for a week if you like – I’m not for convicting her.’ He sat back in his chair and stretched out his legs.
‘Me neither,’ said Nathan. ‘It’s a set-up.’
Miss Duston interrupted.
‘Perhaps we should let Paul explain why he thinks she did go to Hastings and how she got there. That’s what concerns me. We know Maguire couldn’t have taken her, so who did?’
‘Do we have to be sure about that?’ asked Jimmy. ’Does it matter how she got there, if we’re sure that she did?’
‘Of course we do,’ countered Bryan. ‘How can we be sure she went there if we aren’t sure how she got there? All we know for certain is that Kelly Maguire didn’t take her. She was in hospital. I think we can all agree that.’
Everyone nodded. Paul Green then explained his thinking on the issue.
‘It is surely logical to begin with Duffy. Why should he lie? We mustn’t overlook that all the others pleaded guilty because of his statement to the police. That must support his credibility as a witness, don’t you think? As for how she got to Hastings, could it have been the German woman who took her?’
He looked round the table. No-one said anything. Bryan sighed in exasperation and shook his head, but he acknowledged Miss Dustan’s raised finger and bit his tongue.
‘It’s a bit like doing a jigsaw,’ Paul continued. ‘If you put all the pieces together - the phone number on the catalogue from the National Portrait Gallery, the crossed sevens and the fact that Julia Hamilton knew Grayling had an ex-directory number – then throw in Duffy’s evidence, it all builds up a picture. That picture makes me very suspicious as to whether she’s telling the truth about her movements on the sixteenth of March.’
‘But she was in London in the late afternoon – even if she didn’t go to the National Portrait Gallery. How did she get from Hastings to London to meet up with Savage? I can’t see it.’
Nathan Jennings and Bryan were clearly heading for a not guilty verdict. Nothing Paul Green could say would change their minds. One of the ‘don’t kno
ws’ then spoke up. He was the oldest of the jurors. He had said very little during the trial and was not minded to change his approach now that a decision had to be made. He wasn’t one for pushing his own view about anything. He blinked rapidly as he spoke in a soft whisper.
‘I don’t know what to think, I really don’t. There’s something about her I don’t like.’ He paused. ‘I find her deeply unattractive, in her personality I mean. Everything seems to be centred on her, but at the same time I don’t feel very happy about convicting her. Hanlon going over the wall is very worrying. I can’t quite get it out of my mind that she might have been framed.’ He smiled. ‘But I’ll go along with the majority view.’
‘Hanlon escaping does it for me too,’ said Hannah Mathews, folding her arms. ‘He’s obviously a serious villain. If he could set that up from where he was in prison, he could easily have set up Julia too. And what about the visit on the twenty-fourth of February? If she did make that phone call, it stands to reason it was her first contact with Grayling. So what was Kelly Maguire doing in the judge’s home in February? Grayling must have sent her there, so Grayling and Duffy must have been working on this long before that phone call was made.’
‘Exactly,’ said Bryan. ‘That’s why the phone call has to be a set-up. Someone’s trying to frame her. That number written on the catalogue is probably part of it too.’
‘That is a worry, I agree,’ said Miss Duston. She remembered what Dudley Manning had said to her about someone wanting Julia convicted. She wasn’t going to reveal it to the others, but it continued to trouble her. Could someone have written that number on the brochure just to make it look bad for her? She asked what the others thought about it.
‘I agree with Bryan,’ said Nathan Jennings. ‘Someone’s put that there to make her look guilty. That German woman, perhaps? What was her name?’
‘Maxine Kruger,’ said Hannah. ‘Sounds like a very nasty piece of work, if you ask me.’
‘What if she is?’ objected Bryan. ‘We know nothing about her or her background. And the judge said we’re not to speculate. I don’t think we can be swayed just because the prosecution mentioned her name. Why didn’t they call her?’
A Private and Convenient Place Page 37