I Died on a Tuesday, page 26
Something made her glance up to the spectators’ gallery. She was right. Lewis was there, waving down at her as if enjoying a play at the theatre. How dare he?
Both lawyers were being called to the judge now – the prosecution and the defence. There were urgent whisperings. Something was happening. The judge was nodding. The prosecution looked annoyed; the defence pleased.
She caught rumblings from the clerk. A new witness was being summoned.
‘Calling Sam Senior.’
A man in a long sack-like tunic came in, dressed as though he belonged to some kind of cult. His head was shaved. Despite his look, Vanessa immediately warmed to his kind face.
‘Is it true that you are the brother of Eric Sharp, formerly known as Jacob Senior?’ asks the defence lawyer.
‘It is.’
‘And is it also true that you were present on the day that Janie White was injured?’
‘It is.’
‘Can you tell the court what happened?’
‘Yes. Everything that Robbie has said is true: my brother was drunk and high and unable to drive safely. Robbie was the only one who had the balls to take over. It was impossible to steer properly – the van was already going fast. We went round a corner and, well … we hit something. It certainly wasn’t intentional.’
The jurors looked shocked. Clearly, they had been siding with Jacob, but now here was someone corroborating Robbie’s version of events.
‘We all got out,’ continued Sam. ‘We were stunned. Dazed. Robbie wanted to call the police but Jacob held a knife to Robbie’s throat and said we had to get out of there.’
There was a gasp from one of the jurors.
‘I see. What did you do?’
‘I should have stepped in but I was too scared. Jacob, well, he took after our dad. I loved them both, but you didn’t want to get on the wrong side of either of them.’
‘What about the other boy, Matt Watson?’
‘He seemed too shocked to talk much.’
‘What happened next?’
‘We drove back. My dad got rid of the van like Robbie said. He told us we weren’t to tell anyone about it and that he’d fix it. Then he said he wanted a private word with Robbie but I listened in through the door. He said he’d kill Robbie’s parents and everyone he loved if he told anyone what really happened. “If it ever comes out, you take the blame. Get it?” Those were his words.’
There was an uneasy stirring amongst the jury. ‘Matt and his family did a moonlight flit that night,’ continued Sam. ‘I have no idea where and I haven’t heard from him since. Either they were scared or Dad paid them to leave and keep their mouths shut. It was how he worked. Jacob took Matt’s place. At first our fans liked him but then a reviewer criticized his voice and our sales plummeted. New bands came along and it all went downhill from there. Our contract ended and, not long after that, the record company signed up Robbie as a solo artist.’
Sam carried on rapidly as if scared someone might stop him. ‘Jacob was livid when Robbie got big. No one wanted to sign us up on our own, you see. We were nothing without him. Our dad had another word and said that his threat still stood. So Robbie swore that he wouldn’t tell anyone about the accident. But Jacob has never forgiven him for going out on his own and doing so well.’
‘That’s complete bullshit,’ Jacob interrupted furiously.
‘Silence,’ said Judge.
‘Of course he’d say that,’ Sam continued. ‘But it’s the truth. It’s why I left to join a group of people who believe in peace and doing the right thing. I have nothing to gain from this.’ Sam faced the jury. ‘I’m telling the truth.’
Something had changed in their attitudes, observed Vanessa. The jurors were clearly shocked and confused. In fact, she feared, they weren’t sure who to believe.
Outside the court, while Derek looked after Janie, Vanessa checked her phone.
It was all over the internet.
Recluse musician Sam Senior pleads for Robbie’s release in shock reappearance. Older brother Jacob – now known as Eric Sharp – claims Robbie is guilty.
Where did that leave Janie? It wasn’t fair. She needed justice. Vanessa simmered with white-hot rage.
Someone had to do something about this.
93
Judge
Send Robbie Manning down or else the world will find out what you did to your stepmother.
The words go round and round in his head, as they have done since he first read them. He tries to think it through rationally.
The whispers in court say that Jacob, who’d been in a remand prison for a drugs offence, had somehow escaped a custodial sentence by shopping his former bandmate Robbie. Deals were not uncommon, although Judge has always felt they were wrong. Part of the agreement was that neither Jacob nor his brother Sam would be prosecuted for not reporting the accident.
Apparently, Jacob had insisted that Sam should be included in this. Perhaps Jacob, despite seeming completely obnoxious, had a brotherly conscience.
And now yet another witness has come forward. A woman this time.
He could, of course, turn down the application. But there is no legal reason to do so – plenty of witnesses have been permitted to speak at the last minute over the years. But there is a chance, Judge tells himself, that she might overturn Jacob’s statement and that Robbie could go free without him – Judge – doing anything. It might be the right decision. After all, Robbie had been a young man who had made a bad choice. Now he’s sorry. Who does that sound like?
‘You can dress yourself up in fancy robes and words, Richard Baker,’ he tells himself. ‘But at the end of the day, you deserve to go down for life yourself.’
Usually, it comforts Judge to arrive home after a case. But not today. As he sits down in his favourite chair by the fire, everything around him seems to scream ‘murderer’. The glass of whisky that isn’t doing its usual knock-out trick. The leather chair that’s making his back ache in a way it’s never done before. The old photograph on the walnut-inlaid side table, of him and Ian on holiday in Skye.
Ian. The only person who knew the truth about his stepmother. Or so he’d thought.
For two pins, Judge would have picked up the phone to ring Vanessa. In fact, his hand with those bloody liver spots (a sign of age, if anything was) is hovering over it right now. But he can’t. It isn’t ethical. They’ve worked on the same court cases before, of course. But they’ve never ever discussed them until after the verdict.
But then, of all the people Judge knew, Vanessa would understand. Or would she? Suppose she was shocked by what he’d done? Horrified? She was an upright person. He was meant to be upright too.
‘What should I do?’ he asks Ian’s photograph.
The young man with the striped scarf smiles back at him. If they’d known then about the cancer, would they have defied society and just moved in together as Ian had always wanted?
And then it comes to him.
Ian always used to tease him about worrying too much and ‘letting your imagination run away with you’.
And he was right.
Facts. That’s what he needed. Facts about that blackmail note for starters.
Judge reaches for the phone. ‘Gary? I hope I’m not disturbing your evening. I have a job for you. I’m sure I don’t need to mention that it’s highly confidential …’
94
Robbie
Robbie’s heart went into overtime when Sam turned up to give evidence. Or so it felt.
It wasn’t just his old friend’s reappearance after all these years. It was what he’d then said in court, which went entirely against everything he’d said before. Hadn’t Sam always told him to forget the accident? To ‘pretend it hadn’t happened’?
Then after the band broke up and Robbie had gone solo, Sam had just disappeared.
And now what was with the sack-like robe? Had Sam found religion? If so, could that be the reason behind his change of heart?
And as for Jacob’s evidence, that had been a pack of lies. Of course he’d been drunk and high. Otherwise, Robbie would never have taken the wheel. But Jacob had been so persuasive in his arguments. He’d come across as charming and convincing. It was clear that the jury believed him.
Guilty. That’s what they’ll say. Guilty.
Now, Robbie sits in his cell and weeps. He weeps for poor Janie. He weeps for his wife and children. And a small part – the part he doesn’t like – weeps for himself.
There’s an electronic bleep as the door opens, revealing a different prison guard from before. He seems, Robbie observes, like one of those weary middle-aged men whose face reveals more experience of life than the sum of his years might allow for.
‘Got a message,’ he says. ‘I’m not meant to give it to you but I’ve always liked your music.’ He looks down at the stack of CDs under his arm. ‘Thought you might sign some of my albums first.’
He doesn’t actually add the words ‘in exchange for this message’ but the meaning is implicit.
‘Of course,’ says Robbie, going into automatic celebrity mode despite the fear and dread running through him. ‘Got a pen?’
They didn’t allow him to have one here, no doubt in case he’d use it to poke out someone’s eye or do some other terrible injury.
When he finishes, the guard gives him an odd look. ‘You don’t remember me, do you?’
Robbie feels a cold shiver going through him. This man didn’t look very different from one of the drug addicts he used to deliver to in Plymouth.
‘Just kidding,’ says the guard. ‘The thing is, we all thought we knew you. It’s always the same with celebrities. We cheer for them like a football team until someone does something bad or stupid and then we feel we’ve wasted all our time and money and stuff. ’Cos you’re just like us.’
‘Right,’ said Robbie, handing back the pen.
‘Except you’re not. You’re downright evil.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Robbie mumbles.
‘My problem is that I don’t know which side to believe. If you’re telling the truth, I can see why you might have driven off. But if you’re lying, then I don’t want to give you the message after all.’
‘Please,’ says Robbie.
‘Say it one more time,’ says the guard.
‘Please.’
‘Kneel and repeat.’
Robbie is beyond dignity. He’ll do anything to get a message from Irena.
‘Fancy,’ says the guard. ‘The famous Robbie Manning is kneeling down in front of me. Can’t wait to tell the boys at the Horse and Slipper tonight.’
He passes Robbie the note.
Irena’s distinctive writing jumps out at him.
You told the truth. It was the correct thing to do. It’s going to be all right. XXX
Robbie’s heart soars. So she still loves him! But how does she know it will be all right? Has she rooted up some more evidence somehow? Or is she just trying to be supportive?
‘Your wife’s correct,’ says the guard. ‘Afraid I couldn’t resist reading the message first. Always best to tell the truth. Mind you, if I was a betting man – which I am – I’d say the jury will send you down. Maybe they’d be right to.’
Anger bursts out of him. ‘Why did you want me to sign your CDs, then, if you think I did it?’
‘Are you kidding, mate? They’ll be worth even more if you’re found guilty. I guess we’ll see what happens tomorrow.’
‘What do you mean? What’s happening tomorrow?’
‘Haven’t you heard?’
The guard obviously knows darned well that Robbie hasn’t heard. ‘The prosecution is bringing in another witness.’
‘Who?’ Robbie asks, feeling his chest thump.
‘I’ll let your lawyer tell you that one, shall I?’
Then he leaves, the cell door clicking ominously behind him.
95
Vanessa
Something was up with Judge. She could tell. When she’d passed him in one of the long court corridors before the case, he had deliberately looked the other way as if he didn’t know her, let alone recently shared supper with her.
Usually when they were doing a case together, he’d smile at her in a slightly different way from how he smiled at others. The kindly judge. That’s what he was known as.
But today his eyes had been cold, the way Jack’s used to be if she’d displeased him.
She had enough to worry about as it was. That message from Lewis had unnerved her. She kept expecting another, asking for something more, but it didn’t come.
It would, though. She was sure of that.
If she didn’t hear from him by the weekend, she’d need to get in touch about seeing little Thomas, and hopefully her daughter.
Wasn’t that why she’d paid all that money?
‘You silly idiot,’ said Jack. ‘Did you honestly think that fraudster would keep his part of the deal?’
Yes, actually. Despite everything, she still had faith in Lewis. Should Vanessa feel stupid for that? She wasn’t sure.
‘You have no right to speak, Jack,’ she shot back. ‘Not after what you did.’
Meanwhile, Janie had asked if she could watch the rest of the court proceedings. Witnesses were allowed to do that after they’d given evidence.
But Janie didn’t wish to sit in the courtroom. She was too tired, her father had explained. Yesterday’s proceedings had taken it out of her. She wanted to watch it on the monitor in one of the small rooms at the back. And she wanted Vanessa to be there too.
Usually Vanessa would have been keen to find out what really happened. To guess what the outcome might be. She always felt this about cases because in a way, she had been part of the action. Sometimes it was as though she was a wardrobe mistress or a companion to someone who was acting in a play.
But now, as she sat next to Janie, who was looking pale and exhausted, her mind was spinning in circles. When would Lewis introduce her to Molly? What if he didn’t? Supposing he wouldn’t let her see little Thomas again? How cruel would it be to finally find her family and then lose them all over again?
I don’t think I could bear that, Vanessa thought. For a minute, she wanted to run right out of this room, find Lewis and get him to – make him, somehow – take her to his mother. Her daughter.
What was she doing here in court, trying to help others when she needed to fix her own life?
But she couldn’t. Not without causing a scene, anyway. They were calling someone now to take the witness stand. It was a woman of about fifty at a guess. Despite her distress, Vanessa felt herself going into outfit appraisal mode, out of habit from her old job. It also helped to calm her down. The new witness was probably a size 16. She would suit spring colours like a warm green or orangey red, or maybe a peachy pink.
‘I believe you were walking a little further down the road at the time the accident took place,’ said the defence barrister. Her face was rather sweaty, Vanessa noticed. She’d always thought those heavy wigs must be uncomfortable.
‘Yes,’ the woman answered, trembling. ‘It was very early in the morning. There weren’t any houses on that stretch and no one else was around. I was a few yards away when I heard this terrible screech of brakes as this huge white van ploughed into a girl on a bike. I was in such shock that I just stood there. I don’t think the young men saw me. They were too busy arguing about what to do. I heard every word.’
‘Can you tell me why you didn’t go to help, or even report the accident?’
She looked embarrassed.
‘I wasn’t meant to be there. I just ducked round a corner and hid, I’m afraid.’
‘And why was that?’
‘I had told my husband that I was staying with a girlfriend. Instead I … Well I was staying with a different sort of girlfriend, if you know what I mean.’
‘And what made you come forward now?’
‘I read about the case in the papers and felt it was my duty.’
‘Yet you didn’t feel it was your duty before?’
The woman was getting redder. ‘I was young and … and I didn’t make the decision I should have done. I was scared I’d get caught if I made a 999 call. I knew I might have to make a statement and then my husband would find out …’
Her voice tailed away.
‘But you don’t mind coming clean now?’
‘No. I feel I owe it to Janie White. You see, her accident made me think. I realized how short life could be. So five years later – it took me that long to pluck up the courage – I left my husband and moved in with Angie. We’ve been very happy ever since. But I’ve always felt guilty about not reporting the accident. When I read about the trial in the papers, I decided I needed to come forward to tell the jury about the argument I’d heard.’
‘And what exactly did you hear?’ asked the barrister.
She took an audible breath.
‘Robbie said he wanted to call the police. Then Jacob took this knife out of his pocket – I saw it glinting in the sun – and said that if Robbie did that, he’d kill him. Then they all climbed back into the van. I should have rung the police but I thought the girl was dead. I went over and looked. It was horrible. It certainly seemed like she’d gone.’ Tears were running down her face. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘You appear to have overheard quite a lot,’ said the prosecution barrister, cross-examining.
‘The road was empty and their voices were loud,’ the woman replied defensively ‘Jacob’s was particularly distinctive. It was rasping and growly.’
‘She’s right!’ sang Janie, in the monitor room. ‘I remember now hearing a second voice like the one she describes. It’s coming back to me. It was arguing with Robbie, saying they couldn’t call the police and had to get out of here.’
‘That doesn’t change anything,’ Derek snapped, putting his arm around her. ‘They abandoned you, didn’t they?’
‘Actually,’ said Vanessa, ‘I think it’s really significant that Janie agrees with this witness. Can you wait there for a few minutes while I find someone?’
