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Daniel did not need to look at the jury to know that he had their attention. They liked Miriam’s brevity, and that she had brought them pictures they could very clearly understand. It was also a relief to be talking of petty theft, rather than violence.
Daniel smiled at Miriam. “Does this mean that wherever the money went, either to the correct place or some other, Mr. Sidney did not sign it out?”
She had the papers in two piles in front of her. “He signed these ones,” she answered, pointing to one pile. “He did not sign those.” She touched the other pile.
“Thank you, Miss fford Croft. Now, to turn to the far grimmer matter of Miss Trelawny’s death. Have—”
At last Hillyer stood up. “Your Honor, Miss fford Croft can have no knowledge in this matter. I don’t doubt her forensic skills, but we are not accusing Sidney of having had any part in Miss Trelawny’s death. Miss fford Croft’s speculation on the matter, however percipient, is completely irrelevant here.”
The judge looked at Daniel, his eyebrows raised.
Hillyer was right. Daniel felt as if a hole had opened up in the floor in front of him, and he had fallen straight into it. He should have guarded against this.
“Uh…if you please, Your Honor,” he began, aware of all eyes in the room upon him. “The question arose of…Mr. Sidney having been guilty of the assault on Miss Thorwood, and of stealing the pendant that had belonged to Miss Trelawny. It seems to be the beginning of—”
“Yes, yes.” The judge agreed impatiently. “The theft of the piece of jewelry seems to be the beginning of whatever the point is that you are laboring to reach. You are leading us on a winding trail, Mr. Pitt. Does it lead anywhere? Did Mr. Sidney steal it or not?”
“No, Your Honor, he did not,” Daniel said firmly. “Miss Trelawny was murdered, as Dr. Mullane testified. Her possession of the house on Alderney was the key to it, and the fact that she bequeathed it to Miss Thorwood.”
“Well, tie it up, Mr. Pitt. The court’s patience is not endless.”
“Yes, Your Honor.” Daniel did not look toward Hillyer. “Miss fford Croft, did you this last weekend go to Alderney and visit the house of the late Miss Trelawny?”
“Yes, I did. I will summarize for the court what I found relevant, if you wish?”
“I do…thank you,” Daniel agreed.
“Keep it relevant, Miss fford Croft,” the judge warned. “And with minimum displays of your undisputed skills, if you please.”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Miriam said meekly. “I believe Dr. Mullane has told you how Miss Trelawny died. If his account is correct, then there’s evidence to substantiate it: injuries such as he described would have left a great deal of blood. I searched the stable floor for the stains that would unavoidably have been left. I found the massive stains of blood and took samples.”
“But you said it had been washed out!” Daniel interrupted her. The jury had to follow this, and believe it.
“Yes,” Miriam agreed. “But roughly washed out. It was a concrete floor, full of irregularities. Lots of places had been missed. And it was covered with straw. I also examined the horse and found on it, not yet healed, the wound of the thorn that came from the saddle.”
“And what do these things prove?” Daniel asked.
“A very elaborately set-up plot,” she replied.
There was silence in the room. Every eye was upon her.
“How?” Daniel prompted.
“The blood was that of a pig,” Miriam replied.
The judge leaned forward. “What did you say, madam?”
“That the blood was that of a pig, Your Honor,” Miriam repeated.
“And how on earth would you know?” he asked. “Blood is blood.”
“With respect, Your Honor, it is now possible to tell the source of blood, animal or human. This was pig’s blood, and most definitely not that of Miss Trelawny. And incidentally, the horse was uninjured, apart from the sore made by the thorn.”
“And how do you explain this?” the judge asked, his face puckered with concentration.
“I don’t, Your Honor,” she replied. “All I can say is that I do not believe that Miss Trelawny died in the stable, but somewhere else, probably close by. It is a small island. And the place would have been one out of sight of any dwelling. And it has rained several times since her death. We also looked for the weapon used and did not find that either. My guess is that it is in the sea, probably in the deep water close to Miss Trelawny’s own property. It would not be hard for a strong man to hurl it into the sea, only fifty or so yards from the house itself.”
“Thank you, Miss fford Croft,” the judge acknowledged. He looked at Daniel. “Have you anything further to ask this witness?” There was both apprehension and curiosity in his expression.
