Taken at the Flood - Agatha Christie [53]
David moved slowly back to his seat. He bent his head and whispered to Rosaleen Cloade.
‘Major Porter.’
Hemming and hawing a little, Major Porter took the stand. He stood there, an erect soldierly figure, as though on parade. Only the way he moistened his lips showed the intense nervousness from which he was suffering.
‘You are George Douglas Porter, late Major of the Royal African Rifles?’
‘Yes.’
‘How well did you know Robert Underhay?’
In a parade-ground voice Major Porter barked out places and dates.
‘You have viewed the body of the deceased?’
‘Yes.’
‘Can you identify that body?’
‘Yes. It is the body of Robert Underhay.’
A buzz of excitement went round the court.
‘You state that positively and without the least doubt?’
‘I do.’
‘There is no possibility of your being mistaken?’
‘None.’
‘Thank you, Major Porter. Mrs Gordon Cloade.’
Rosaleen rose. She passed Major Porter. He looked at her with some curiosity. She did not even glance at him.
‘Mrs Cloade, you were taken by the police to see the body of the deceased?’
She shivered.
‘Yes.’
‘You stated definitely that it was the body of a man completely unknown to you?’
‘Yes.’
‘In view of the statement just made by Major Porter would you like to withdraw or amend your own statement?’
‘No.’
‘You still assert definitely that the body was not that of your husband, Robert Underhay?’
‘It was not my husband’s body. It was a man I had never seen in my life.’
‘Come now, Mrs Cloade, Major Porter has definitely recognized it as the body of his friend Robert Underhay.’
Rosaleen said expressionlessly:
‘Major Porter is mistaken.’
‘You are not under oath in this court, Mrs Cloade. But it is likely that you will be under oath in another court shortly. Are you prepared then to swear that the body is not that of Robert Underhay but of an unknown stranger?’
‘I am prepared to swear that it is not the body of my husband but of a man quite unknown to me.’
Her voice was clear and unfaltering. Her eyes met the coroner unshrinkingly.
He murmured: ‘You can stand down.’
Then, removing his pince-nez, he addressed the jury.
They were there to discover how this man came to his death. As to that, there could be little question. There could be no idea of accident or suicide. Nor could there be any suggestion of manslaughter. There remained only one verdict — wilful murder. As to the identity of the dead man, that was not clearly established.
They had heard one witness, a man of upright character and probity whose word could be relied upon, say that the body was that of a former friend of his, Robert Underhay. On the other hand Robert Underhay’s death from fever in Africa had been established apparently to the satisfaction of the local authorities and no question had then been raised. In contradiction of Major Porter’s statement, Robert Underhay’s widow, now Mrs Gordon Cloade, stated positively that the body was not that of Robert Underhay. These were diametrically opposite statements. Passing from the question of identity they would have to decide if there was any evidence to show whose hand had murdered the deceased. They might think that the evidence pointed to a certain person, but a good deal of evidence was needed before a case could be made out — evidence and motive and opportunity. The person must have been seen by someone in the vicinity of the crime at the appropriate time. If there was not such evidence the best verdict was that of Wilful Murder without sufficient evidence to show by whose hand. Such a verdict would leave the police free to pursue the necessary inquiries.
He then dismissed them to consider their verdict.
They took three quarters of an hour.
They returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against David Hunter.
Chapter 5
‘I was afraid they’d do it,’ said the coroner apologetically. ‘Local prejudice! Feeling rather than logic.’
The coroner, the Chief Constable, Superintendent Spence and Hercule Poirot were all in consultation together after the inquest.
‘You did your best,’ said the Chief Constable.
‘It’s premature, to say the least of it,