Nothing Ventured

‘No, m’lud, I was simply reading Mr Stern’s testimony from the tribunal report.’

The judge nodded gravely.

‘Mr Stern, you told the court just a few moments ago that you were only disciplined on three occasions, but that was the fifth occasion, and I haven’t finished yet.’

All three judges had their eyes fixed on the witness.

‘I meant for three different offences.’

‘So you don’t always say what you mean.’

Stern looked as if he was about to respond, but just clenched his fists.

‘Then let’s move on to the sixth incident, after which a full inquiry took place, and you were suspended for six months.’

‘On full pay, after which the charges were dropped.’

‘That’s not entirely accurate, is it, Mr Stern? You actually took early retirement only weeks before the inquiry was completed. And on that occasion, you were charged with stealing four thousand pounds from a prisoner while he was in custody.’

‘He was a drug dealer.’

‘Was he indeed?’ said Sir Julian. ‘So you consider it’s acceptable for a police officer to steal from a drug dealer?’

‘I didn’t say that. You’re putting words in my mouth. In any case, he withdrew the allegation the following day.’

‘I’m sure he did. However—’

‘I think we should move on, Sir Julian,’ interrupted Lord Justice Arnott, ‘to the role this officer played at Mr Rainsford’s trial.’

‘As you wish, m’lud,’ said Sir Julian, nodding to Grace, who handed him the second file. ‘At Mr Rainsford’s trial, Mr Stern, would I be right in thinking you were the senior officer investigating the crime?’

‘Yes, I was,’ said Stern, looking as if he thought he was back on safer ground.

‘Did you, in the course of your investigations, ever consider trying to find the short, heavily built man my client repeatedly told you ran past him in the corridor of his office, on the night of the murder?’

‘The mystery man, you mean?’ said Stern. ‘Why bother, when he was nothing more than a figment of Rainsford’s imagination.’

‘And you also made no attempt to trace the anonymous caller who reported Mr Kirkland’s death to the police.’

‘Isn’t that what anonymous means?’ said Stern, who laughed, but no one else did.

‘Didn’t it occur to you, Mr Stern, that the anonymous call could only have come from someone who had actually witnessed the crime?’

‘But Rainsford confessed. What more do you want?’

‘I want justice,’ said Sir Julian. ‘And with that seemingly innocent remark, Mr Stern, you have raised the crucial unanswered question in this case. Who is the honest broker – you, or Mr Rainsford?’

‘I am,’ said Stern, ‘as the jury concluded.’

‘Then you won’t have any trouble convincing three judges, will you?’

Stern stared up at the bench, at three men who gave no clue what they were thinking.

Sir Julian allowed their lordships a moment before he continued, ‘Was Mr Rainsford telling the truth when he said his original statement, which you took down, consisted of three pages, one of which subsequently went missing? Or are we to believe, as you stated under oath in the witness box during the trial, that there were only ever two pages?’

‘There never was a middle page,’ said Stern.

‘Middle page, Mr Stern? I made no mention of a middle page.’