Murder Club - Mark Pearson [37]
Stephanie Hewson took another sip of her water and the prosecuting attorney waited for her to collect herself.
‘Please tell the court exactly what happened, Miss Hewson.’
‘I left the station at approximately ten to eleven.’
‘Had you looked at your watch?’
‘No, but the ten-thirty train was on time from Marylebone. It takes about twelve minutes to get to Harrow, and so a few minutes to walk up the steps, through the concourse and out the back entrance.’
‘The one that leads out to the hill, and not to the shopping centre?’
‘Yes. I walked down the steps and up to the alleyway that runs through to Roxborough Park.’
‘Were you aware of being followed?’
The defence counsel stood smoothly to his feet. ‘Objection, My Lord, it has not been established that Miss Hewson was indeed followed. Counsel is leading the witness yet again!’
‘Sustained.’ The judge threw Selena Carrow a look. ‘You really do know better than this.’
‘Sorry, Your Honour.’ If she meant it, it wasn’t evident in her expression. She turned to the witness stand again. ‘At that time were you aware of anyone else?’
‘No, I was not. I was walking home and didn’t notice anybody else out. But, like I said earlier, I was lost in my thoughts a little.’
The prosecution lawyer consulted her notes. ‘Yes, you said you were in a happy mood.’
‘Relevance, Your Honour?’ asked Hector Douglas.
The judge gestured to the prosecution counsel.
‘State of mind, Your Honour. We intend to establish that the accused, Michael Robinson, targeted Miss Hewson, that he followed her home on the train, that he pursued her down the alleyway that she has just described. That Miss Hewson was not aware of anyone else that night was because her thoughts were preoccupied.’
‘Your Honour,’ Douglas stood up. ‘My client has never denied being on that train – he lives in Harrow. That her mind was elsewhere prior to this terrible assault taking place is evident in that she has mistakenly identified my client as the man who attacked her.’
‘Sit down.’ The judge rapped her gavel sharply. ‘You will have ample opportunity to cross-examine, Mr Douglas. Please continue, Miss Carrow.’
‘I am obliged, My Lord. Miss Hewson, please tell us what happened next.’
‘I came out of the alleyway into Roxborough Avenue, when a man suddenly appeared behind me and said that if I screamed, he would kill me.’
‘And did you believe him?’
‘Your Honour, leading the witness!’
‘Sustained.’
‘He had a knife in his hand, which he held to my side. I was too terrified to scream.’
‘This alleyway, and the one opposite, is overlooked by housing.’
‘Yes, there are apartments. But I was too scared to call for help. His voice …’ She took another sip of water. ‘His voice was ugly, terrifying!’
‘So, as you say, you were in fear for your life?’
‘Yes.’
‘What happened next?’
‘He stood beside me telling me to keep my head down, so as not to see his face, and led me into the alley that leads to the hill.’
‘And did you see his face?’
‘Not at that time.’
Selena Carrow consulted her notes again. ‘So he led you across the road into the opposite alleyway. This is the one that runs alongside the Catholic church of Our Lady and St Thomas, past a junior school and out onto Harrow Hill itself.’
‘Yes, only we didn’t go so far.’
‘What did happen then, Miss Hewson?’
‘Just past the church, before the primary school, there is a Scout hut.’
The lawyer made a show of consulting her notes again. ‘The Seventeenth Roxborough?’
‘Yes. He opened the door and pushed me inside, telling me to be quiet.’
‘How did he open the door?’
‘He had a key.’
Selena Carrow turned pointedly and looked at Michael Robinson for a moment or two, letting the jury see the scorn on her face.
‘Can you tell the court, please, what took place in that hut, Miss Hewson.’
‘He closed the door behind him; it was dark inside.’
‘Even though it was a moonlit night?’
‘The windows were grimy, it was dark. He came in, like I said, and closed the door. He ordered me not to look round. He said he would