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“Yes, but I have got it back.”
“We shall get to that,” Daniel assured her, but he had no objection to her explaining. The jury would need to hear, and if Daniel was prevented from asking her, then Kitteridge surely would be.
“Did your father accuse Philip Sidney of the robbery and the assault on you?” he continued.
“Yes. But…”
“But what?” he asked gently.
“But Mr. Sidney worked at the British Embassy, and he had diplomatic immunity if he wished to claim it. He did, and left America. He…” Studiously she did not look at where he sat in the dock. “He came back to England.”
“Where he was accused of having embezzled money while still at the British Embassy in Washington?”
“Yes.”
“Miss Thorwood, were you acquainted with Mr. Sidney, socially?”
“Yes…a little.”
“Did your parents approve of him?”
“I…” She looked embarrassed. That in itself was an answer.
“Never mind.” He smiled at her. “Were you fond of Miss Trelawny? I have heard many things about her. I believe she was brave, eccentric, at times very funny.”
“Yes.” All the shadows passed out of Rebecca’s face. For a brief moment it was filled with the joy of memory. “We wrote to each other often. She would tell the most wonderful stories.”
“Will you sell her house in Alderney? Or will you live in it one day?”
The idea seemed to distress her. “Oh, no! I wouldn’t dream of selling it!”
“Thank you, Miss Thorwood. I would like to hear some of these stories from Miss Trelawny, but this is not the time or place. Will you wait there in case Mr. Hillyer has some questions for
you?”
Hillyer stood up, straightening his shoulders. For a moment, he seemed undecided what to say. He did not even glance at Daniel. “Thank you, Miss Thorwood. My sympathies for the death of your godmother, but I cannot see how it is relevant to this miserable affair, except that Mr. Pitt has felt it appropriate to draw the jury’s attention to the other wretched crime Mr. Sidney is accused of, for which he saw fit to evade all responsibility by fleeing Washington and using his diplomatic immunity to escape the country altogether. It paints an even blacker picture of him. It is for your legal adviser to deal with, as to whether Sidney has been…adequately represented.” Hillyer sat down, looking surprisingly wretched.
Daniel felt guilty for putting him through this, but to have told Hillyer of his plans would have been a far deeper betrayal of Sidney, and of the law. He had to advise him of additional witnesses, but that was all. Hillyer had to tell him, as well, if he intended to call someone to advise him of Morley Cross’s time of death.
Daniel dared not look at Sidney himself.
The judge addressed Daniel grimly. “I hope this is not as ugly as it seems, Mr. Pitt? I warn you, it is your duty to defend Mr. Sidney, whatever may be your personal opinion of him. I cannot believe that you don’t understand this. I hope you have no such misguided plan as to ask for a mistrial? The consequences for you would be very grave indeed.”
Daniel stood up. He was embarrassed that he was trembling. “No, Your Honor. I believe Mr. Sidney is innocent of all charges, but I have to show the whole story, or it will not make sense.”
“Then you are off to an excellent start,” the judge said drily. “So far this makes no sense whatsoever! Call your next witness.”
Daniel’s mind raced. Could he tell the story without either Tobias or Bernadette Thorwood testifying? He must keep it as simple as possible. The charge was theft by embezzlement. The real crime was the murder of May Trelawny. And if they brought it up, as they were bound to do, the murder of Morley Cross as well. He must not make any claims he could not justify, but neither must he be so oblique that he lost the jurors’ understanding. He needed to make the decision quickly. The judge was already growing impatient. He must keep it together. Do something dramatic. “I call Dr. James Mullane.”
Hillyer looked utterly bewildered. He had been informed, of course, as was required, but he had no idea who Mullane was.
Mullane accordingly took the stand. He faced Daniel and waited.
“Where do you live, Dr. Mullane?”
“On the island of Alderney. It is one of the smaller Channel Islands.”
“And you are a doctor of medicine?”
