The Collected Short Stories - Jeffrey Archer [67]
“Thank you, Dr. Mallins,” said Sir Humphrey. “No more questions.”
Sir Humphrey’s next witness was Mrs. Rita Johnson, the lady who claimed she had seen everything.
“Mrs. Johnson, on the evening of April 7, did you see a man leave the apartment house where Miss Moorland lived?” Sir Humphrey asked.
“Yes, I did.”
“At about what time was that?”
“A few minutes after six.”
“Please tell the court what happened next.”
“He walked across the road, removed a parking ticket, got into his car, and drove away.”
“Do you see that man in the court today?”
“Yes,” she said firmly, pointing to Menzies, who at this suggestion shook his head vigorously.
“No more questions.”
Mr. Scott rose slowly again.
“What did you say was the make of the car the man got into?”
“I can’t be sure,” Mrs. Johnson said, “but I think it was a BMW.”
“Not a Rover, as you first told the police the following morning?”
The witness did not reply.
“And did you actually see the man in question remove a parking ticket from the car windshield?” Mr. Scott asked.
“I think so, sir, but it all happened so quickly.”
“I’m sure it did,” said Mr. Scott. “In fact, I suggest to you that it happened so quickly that you’ve got the wrong man and the wrong car.”
“No, sir,” she replied, but without the same conviction with which she had delivered her earlier replies.
Sir Humphrey did not reexamine Mrs. Johnson. I realized that he wanted her evidence to be forgotten by the jury as quickly as possible. As it was, when she left the witness box she also left everyone in court in considerable doubt.
Carla’s daily cleaning woman, Maria Lucia, was far more convincing. She stated unequivocally that she had seen Menzies in the living room of the apartment that afternoon when she arrived a little before five. However, she had, she admitted, never seen him before that day.
“But isn’t it true,” asked Sir Humphrey, “that you usually only work in the mornings?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Although Miss Moorland was in the habit of bringing work home on a Thursday afternoon, so it was convenient for me to come in and collect my wages.”
“And how was Miss Moorland dressed that afternoon?” asked Sir Humphrey.
“In her blue robe,” replied the cleaning woman.
“Is this how she usually dressed on a Thursday afternoon?”
“No, sir, but I assumed she was going to have a bath before going out that evening.”
“But when you left the apartment was she still with Mr. Menzies?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you remember anything else she was wearing that day?”
“Yes, sir. Underneath the morning coat she wore a red negligee.”
My negligee was duly produced, and Maria Lucia identified it. At this point I stared directly at the witness, but she showed not a flicker of recognition. I thanked all the gods in the pantheon that I had never once been to visit Carla in the morning.
“Please wait there,” were Sir Humphrey’s final words to Miss Lucia.
Mr. Scott rose to cross-examine.
“Miss Lucia, you have told the court that the purpose of the visit was to collect your wages. How long were you at the apartment on this occasion?”
“I did a little cleaning up in the kitchen and ironed a blouse, perhaps twenty minutes.”
“Did you see Miss Moorland during this time?”
“Yes, I went into the living room to ask if she would like some more coffee, but she said no.”
“Was Mr. Menzies with her at the time?”
“Yes, he was.”
“Were you at any time aware of a quarrel between the two of them or even raised voices?”
“No, sir.”
“When you saw them together did Miss Moorland show any signs of distress or need of help?”
“No, sir.”
“Then what happened?”
“Miss Moorland joined me in the kitchen a few minutes later and gave me my wages, and I let myself out.”
“When you were alone in the kitchen with Miss Moorland, did she give any sign of being afraid of her guest?”
“No, sir.”
“No more questions, My Lord.”
Sir Humphrey did not reexamine Maria Lucia and informed the judge that he had completed the case for the prosecution. Mr. Justice Buchanan nodded and said he felt that was enough for the day; but I wasn’t convinced it was enough