The Inheritance

‘I know that. That’s what I just said.’

‘No, I don’t mean that. I believe that the inspector will have something else to say about the Mercedes car on the night of the murder, and it’s important that my client told the police about it before the further information became available to them.’

‘All right. Well, get on with it then.’

‘Thank you, my lord. Inspector, were there any other relevant reports of a black Mercedes in the vicinity of Moreton Manor on that night?’

‘Yes. There was a car of that type stopped for speeding on the road from Moreton to Oxford. It was stopped at 11:15 p.m. The driver gave his name as Noirtier and provided an address in Oxford, which subsequently turned out to be false. He did not respond to a summons to attend court, and there has been no trace of him since. The record of the stop says that he was aged about thirty and spoke with a thick foreign accent.’

‘Did you notice the black Mercedes when you arrived at the manor house, Inspector?’

‘No. But I wasn’t the first to arrive.’

‘Yes. Officer Clayton may be able to help us. Returning to my client’s account of events in interview, Inspector, he told you that he wore his hat and coat on his first visit to the main gate. Isn’t that right?’

‘Yes.’

‘But he then left them in the study after his interview with Professor Cade.’

‘Yes, that’s what he said.’

‘The weather conditions on that night are going to be relevant here, Inspector. Would you agree that there was some light rain in the early part of the evening?’

‘Yes, it died out about eight, and it was dry after that.’

‘And the temperature was in fact quite warm.’

‘I’d say it was average for the time of year. There was some wind, as I said earlier.’

‘Thank you. Now, there’s just one other area that I want to cover with you, Inspector. My client, Stephen Cade, told you in interview about somebody else with a motive and desire to kill his father. That’s right, isn’t it?’

‘He talked about certain events involving his father that occurred in northern France in the summer of 1944.’ Trave spoke slowly, as if he were choosing his words carefully.

‘Basically, Stephen told you that he and his brother Silas discovered about two years ago that their father and Sergeant Ritter, as he then was, had killed a French family and their servants at a place called Marjean, in order to obtain a valuable medieval manuscript known as the Marjean codex.’

‘Yes. That’s what he said.’

‘And that the professor was subsequently shot and wounded in his left lung during a visit to France in 1956, which was the cause of the serious ill health that he suffered from during the last three years of his life.’

‘I believe so.’

‘And finally that the professor received a blackmail letter the following year, threatening to expose him if he did not go to London and hand over the codex.’

‘Yes.’

‘Is that a fair summary of what the defendant told you in interview about this aspect of the case, Inspector?’

‘Yes, I suppose so.’ Trave looked uncomfortable.

‘Well, then, I’m sure you know what my next question is going to be. Why didn’t you go to Marjean to investigate for yourself who shot Professor Cade in 1956 and sent him the blackmail letter the following year?’

Trave gave Swift a look of quick penetration, and then closed his eyes hard, as if he wanted to blot something out of his consciousness. When he opened them again he was looking at Gerald Thompson, and he was still looking at the prosecutor when he gave his reply.

‘It was a prosecution decision,’ he said quietly.

‘But was it your decision?’

Gerald Thompson gave Trave no chance to answer Swift’s question. ‘With respect, Mr Swift’s question is an improper one, my lord,’ he said, getting to his feet. ‘The decision to charge the defendant was based on very strong evidence of motive, opportunity, and fingerprint connection to the gun and the locked door of the study. The defendant’s interview did not change any of this, and it is not for the prosecution to build a defence.’

‘No, you’re quite right. It isn’t,’ said the judge nodding emphatically in agreement. ‘If you have an alternative explanation for the victim’s murder, then advance it in the proper way, Mr Swift. Don’t attack the prosecution for not doing your own work.’

Swift turned his head away from the judge’s glare and made a series of mental calculations. He itched to take on Murdoch, who seemed intent on conducting the trial on just the legal side of bias. But the unanswered question might play best on the jury’s mind if it remained unanswered, and he could make more mileage out of Marjean when it came to cross-examining Ritter. He had one good question left to ask the officer. He’d ask it and leave the French business hanging in the air for the present.

‘It’s right, isn’t it, Inspector, that my client, Stephen Cade, is a young man without any previous convictions? He had never been arrested before the night of his father’s murder and it was the first time he had been interviewed by the police.’

‘Yes, that’s true,’ said Trave. ‘He is a man of good character.’

Swift felt a note of resignation or even sadness in the policeman’s voice and half-wished that he had persisted with his questions about the investigation, but it was too late now. The policeman’s evidence was over.

It was the mid-morning recess and Trave waited for Thompson to come out of court. He knew he was wasting his time, but he still had to try.

‘What do you want, Inspector?’ asked the prosecutor. He didn’t make any attempt to conceal his irritation.

‘A moment of your time.’

‘Very well.’

The two men walked over to a corner of the great hall outside the court. Trave was at least a foot higher than the barrister, and his attempt to walk with a stoop so as to bring their heads closer together only accentuated Thompson’s consciousness of his shortness. The barrister’s irritation grew into outright anger.

‘What’s wrong with you, Trave?’ he said. ‘Are you trying to prosecute that young hooligan or are you trying to defend him?’

‘What are you talking about, Mr Thompson?’ Trave was unprepared for the prosecutor’s sudden verbal assault.

‘I’m talking about your evidence. About the doubt and uncertainty that you’ve been helping friend Swift throw around in there.’

‘I told the truth, Mr Thompson,’ said Trave, becoming annoyed himself. ‘And yes, I do have doubts. Frankly, I don’t understand why you don’t too. The truth is I didn’t investigate this case properly. I see that now and I feel bad about it. It’s not too late for me to go to France.’

‘Yes, it is.’ Thompson almost spat out the words. ‘Stephen Cade is guilty. I’ve got his fingerprints on the weapon and the key. Ritter heard him unlock the door. And in a few minutes the jury is going to hear from the victim’s solicitor about his motive. A powerful motive, Mr Trave. Now I’m not going to allow you or friend Swift in there to muddy the water. Do you hear me, Inspector? Stay out of it. Your work on this case is over.’

Thompson pushed past Trave, and the artificially heightened heels of his shiny black patent-leather shoes rang on the marble floor as he crossed to the door of the courtroom. After a moment Trave followed him. His work might be over, but he felt an obligation to see out its results. He sat down, waiting for Thompson to call his next witness.

Several minutes later a small balding man in a tight-fitting pinstripe suit came into court, fidgeting with his bowler hat.

‘Charles Blackburn’s my name. I’m a solicitor by profession,’ he announced in a slightly pompous voice after taking the oath.

‘Is it correct that one of your clients was the late Professor John Cade?’ asked Thompson, getting straight to the point.

‘That’s right.’