The Short Forever (Stone Barrington 8)

“That’s right.”

“Have you done any criminal work?”

“Yes, and I was a police officer for many years before I began to practice law.”

“And you’re a partner, now, in Woodman and Weld?” the barrister asked, rasing his eyebrows.

“I’m of counsel. I work out of my own office.”

“I see,” Pickering replied, though clearly he didn’t.

“I do much of their criminal work.”

Pickering’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, I see.” Now he really did. “Well, that should make our conversation easier. I’m glad you’re someone who will understand the, ah, limits of my questions.”

“You mean the limits of my answers, don’t you?”

“Quite so. A death of this sort is always a delicate matter, and, if we handle it properly, we can dispose of the entire incident at this inquest.”

“I hope so,” Stone replied.

“I’m a bit concerned about Mr. Cabot’s attitude.”

“We talked about it. I don’t think he’ll be of particular concern to you.”

“James Cutler’s body came up in a fisherman’s trawl in the middle of the Channel, late last night. It’s being examined now.”

“I expect that death will be determined to have been caused by blunt trauma to the head or drowning, or both,” Stone said.

“Very probably. Will you give me your account of the events of yesterday?”

Stone related his story quickly, without embellishment.

Pickering nodded as he spoke. He took no notes. “Tell me, Mr. Barrington,” he said, “are you an experienced yachtsman?”

“I’ve done a lot of sailing, but not recently.”

“Are you aware that the standard procedure in such an event is for the crew not to enter the water to help?”

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nbsp; “Yes, I’m aware of that, and I considered it before going after James.”

“And what was your thought process, may I ask?”

“If someone goes into the water after a man overboard, then there are two men to be rescued, instead of one, but in this instance I believed that the blow from the boom would have rendered James unconscious, and that he would be unable to help himself.”

“Mmmm,” Pickering muttered in an affirmative fashion. “I expect you did the right thing. Did you see or touch Cutler after you went in?”

“No, I swam to where I thought he might be and dove for him, but I never saw or touched him.”

“Are you familiar with the tides in the Solent?”

“No.”

“The tide turned while you were sailing toward Cowes, so by the time you came off the wind and sailed toward the Beaulieu River, the tide would have been ebbing, and you might have had a couple of knots under you.”

“That would have made no difference in my search, since James, the yacht, and I would have all been equally affected by the tide.”