The Fourth Estate

“Did you on Saturday 6 October, at around three o’clock in the afternoon, have cause to enter the cricket pavilion?”

“Yes, sir,” said Keith without hesitation. “I often have to visit the pavilion in connection with my responsibility for the appeal.”

“Yes, of course,” said the headmaster. “Quite right and proper that you should do so.” Mr. Clarke looked grave, and nodded his agreement.

“And can you tell me in your own words what you encountered when you entered the pavilion on that particular Saturday?”

Keith wanted to smirk when he heard the word “encountered,” but somehow managed to keep a serious look on his face.

“Take your time,” said Mr. Jessop. “And whatever your feelings are, you mustn’t regard this as sneaking.”

Don’t worry, thought Keith, I won’t. He pondered whether this was the occasion to settle two old scores at the same time. But perhaps he would gain more by …

“You might also care to consider that several reputations rest on your interpretation of what took place on that unfortunate afternoon.” It was the word “reputations” that helped Keith to make up his mind. He frowned as if contemplating deeply the implications of what he was about to say, and wondered just how much longer he could stretch out the agony.

“When I entered the pavilion, Headmaster,” he began, trying to sound unusually responsible, “I found the room in complete darkness, which puzzled me until I discovered that all the blinds had been pulled down. I was even more surprised to hear noises coming from the visitors’ changing rooms, as I knew the First Eleven were playing away that day. I fumbled around for the light switch, and when I flicked it on, I was shocked to see…” Keith hesitated, trying to make it sound as if he felt too embarrassed to continue.

“There is no need for you to worry that you are letting down a friend, Townsend,” prompted the headmaster. “You can rely on our discretion.”

Which is more than you can on mine, thought Keith.

“… to see your daughter and Duncan Alexander lying naked in the slips cradle.” Keith paused again, and this time the headmaster didn’t press him to continue. So he took even longer. “Whatever had been taking place must have stopped the moment I switched the light on.” He hesitated once more.

“This is not easy for me either, Townsend, as you may well appreciate,” said the headmaster.

“I do appreciate it, sir,” said Keith, pleased by the way he was managing to string the whole episode out.

“In your opinion were they having, or had they had, sexual intercourse?”

“I feel fairly confident, Headmaster, that sexual intercourse had already taken place,” said Keith, hoping his reply sounded inconclusive.

“But can you be certain?” asked the headmaster.

“Yes, I think so, sir,” said Keith, after a long pause, “because…”

“Don’t feel embarrassed, Townsend. You must understand that my only interest is in getting at the truth.”

But that may not be my only interest, thought Keith, who was not in the slightest embarrassed, although it was obvious that the other two men in the room were.

“You must tell us exactly what you saw, Townsend.”

“It wasn’t so much what I saw, sir, as what I heard,” said Keith.

The headmaster lowered his head, and took some time to recover. “The next question is most distasteful for me, Townsend. Because not only will it be necessary for me to rely on your memory, but also on your judgment.”

“I will do my best, sir.”

It was the headmaster’s turn to hesitate, and Keith almost had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from saying, “Take your time, sir.”

“In your judgment, Townsend, and remember we’re speaking in confidence, did it appear to you, in so far as you could tell, that my daughter was, so to speak…” he hesitated again, “… complying?” Keith doubted if the headmaster had put a more clumsy sentence together in his entire life.

Keith allowed him to sweat for a few more seconds before he replied firmly, “I am in no doubt, sir, on that particular question.” Both men looked directly at him. “It was not a case of rape.”

Mr. Jessop showed no reaction, but simply asked, “How can you be so sure?”

“Because, sir, neither of the voices I heard before I turned the light on was raised in anger or fear. They were those of two people who were obviously—how shall I put it, sir?—enjoying themselves.”

“Can you be certain of that beyond reasonable doubt, Townsend?” asked the headmaster.