Part 30 (1/2)
”Are they serious problems?” Alexander asked as the three of them went out into the entrance foyer to get their coats. He squeezed Paula's shoulder affectionately. ”Can I be of help?”
Paula gave him a grateful smile. ”Thanks, 'Sandy, it's sweet of you to offer. I've got things under control . . .” She hesitated before adding, ”Dale Stevens was determined to resign as president this afternoon. I spent over an hour on the phone with him, convinced him to stay on. He has a number of enemies on the board, unmitigated troublemakers who try to tie his hands whenever they can.*' She shook her head ruefully. ”What I should have said a moment ago is that he's agreed to stay on as president until the end of the year. All I've done really is buy myself a little time.”
Chapter Twenty-seven.
”John Crawford has offered to explain the procedure in a coroner's court,” Daisy said, looking from Edwina to Anthony. ”He feels it will help us to be more relaxed about the inquest.”
Anthony said, ”It certainly would. Aunt Daisy.” He stood up. ”I'll go and fetch Bridget. I think she ought to hear what your family solicitor has to say. Excuse me, I won't be a moment.”
As he left the library, Daisy rose and joined Edwina on the sofa. She took her half sister's hand in hers and squeezed it, looking deeply into her care-wom face. ”Try not to worry, Edwina. In' a few hours this tragedy will be behind us. We must go on, you know, endeavor to get on with our lives as best we can.”
”Yes, Daisy, and thank you for your concern. Ill be all right,” Edwina murmured in a tired voice. The last few days of anxiety and strain had taken their toll, and she looked exhausted, near total collapse. The black dress she had cho-, sen to wear, stark and unrelieved by jewelry or any accent color, did nothing to enhance her appearance. It appeared to drain what bit of color she had from her face, emphasizing her pallor more than ever. She looked ill, and her age showed p.r.o.nouncedly this morning.
Grat.i.tude suddenly flickered in Edwina's silvery gray eyes as she added quietly, ”I don't know what I would have done without you and Jim. Where is he, Daisy?”
”Right now he's on the phone to Paula, and I believe he has a few calls to make to people on the paper. But he'll join us as soon as he's finished. It's not really essential for him to be briefed. He knows the inner workings of a coroner's court since he used to cover inquests in his early days as a reporter.”
”Oh yes, of course, he would understand about those things.” Edwina s.h.i.+fted her glance to the clock on the mantelpiece at the other side of the handsome paneled room. ”It's almost eight-thirty. We'll have to leave soon to drive into Cork. It'll take us well over an hour, perhaps an hour and a half, you know.”
Detecting the nervousness and panic in Edwina's voice, Daisy said rea.s.suringly, ”We've plenty of time. The inquest is set for eleven, and this session with John won't take very long. He said he could cover the important points in about ten minutes. After that we can start out, drive in at a leisurely pace. Do stay calm, my dear.”
”I'm fine, really. Just a little tired. I didn't sleep very well.”
”I don't think any of us did,” Daisy said with a slight smile. ”I'm going to have another cup of coffee. Would you like one?”
”No, thank you, Daisy.” Edwina sat rigidly on the sofa, twisting her hands in her lap, her chest tight with apprehension. For four days and nights she had lived with this terrible fear for her son. She could not wait to go to the county court, to get the inquest over and done with, so that the cloud surrounding him would be lifted. Only then would she be able to relax. She would willingly give her life for Anthony. He was the only person who mattered to her, and once the inquiry into the cause of Min's death was over, she would support him in anything he wished to do, even if that meant accepting Sally Harte, of whom she did not approve. Until the day she died she would regret her pa.s.sive role in the trouble that had developed between Min and Anthony in the past few weeks. Anthony had asked her to intercede, to reason with her, insisting she could influence his estranged wife to proceed with the divorce as originally agreed. Arid perhaps she could have, but she would never know, for she had refused. Now poor Min was dead. She would still be alive if I had spoken to her, Edwina thought for the umpteenth time. The pain in her heart intensified. Her guilt soared.
Daisy brought her cup of coffee and sat down in the chair opposite. She said, ”Have you decided what you want to do? Will you come to London for a few days' rest after the funeral?”
”Perhaps I should get away from here,” Edwina began and stopped, looking at the door as Anthony came in with Bridget O'Donnell, the housekeeper at Clonloughlin.
”Mlady, Mrs. Amory,” Bridget said, inclining her head, taking the chair Anthony indicated.
Daisy, always gracious, smiled at her. ”As you know, Mr. Crawford is our solicitor and he came over from London to help in any way'he can. He is going to explain a few things to us, Bridget, as I'm sure Lord Dunvale has told you. However, I just want to add that there's nothing to be alarmed about.”
”Oh, I'm not worried, Mrs. Amory, not at all,” Bridget answered quickly, in a clipped tone that partially obscured the lilting bur, meeting Daisy's gaze unblinkingly. ”It's a very simple matter, telling the truth, and that's what I aim to do.' A small smug smile flicked across her narrow pale mouth and she sat back, crossed her legs. Her red hair gleamed in the sunlight, its fiery hue contrasting markedly with her icy-cold blue eyes.
Daisy's opinion that Bridget O'Donnell was a cool customer, calculating and sure of herself, was reaffirmed. She did not particularly like this woman, whom she guessed to be about thirty-five or thereabouts, even though she did not look it.
Glancing away, Daisy turned to Anthony, but before she had a chance to say anything the door opened to admit John , Crawford, the son of Emma's solicitor of many years and now a senior partner in the firm of Crawford, Creighton, Phipps and Crawford. Of medium height and build, he was nevertheless ramrod straight and had a military bearing which combined with his forceful personality to give him an aura of presence. At forty-six he had sandy hair peppered with gray, right, informed brown eyes in a pleasant face that was oddly bland, and did nothing to reveal a razor-sharp legal brain of great brilliance.
”Good morning. Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said briskly, striding forward to join them at the windowed end of the long book-filled room. Daisy offered him coffee but he declined. He remained standing behind a chair, his hands resting lightly on its back. He looked completely relaxed and untroubled, and as he always did with his clients, he endeavored to convey a feeling of supreme confidence whatever his private thoughts and opinions were.
Crawford said, ”I realize this is going to be quite an ordeal for you this morning, and so I thought it might help if I gave you a rundown on the manner in which a coroner's court is conducted. Understanding something about the proceedings may lessen everyone's nervousness, I hope.” His eyes swept over the four of them. ”Feel free to ask any questions as I go along. Since none of you has attended an inquest before, let me first say that the coroner's court is conducted in a rather informal way. However-” He paused, looked at them keenly, and, speaking slowly, as if to give added emphasis to his words, went on, ”I must stress that the informality in no way lessens its importance. It is one of the highest courts in the land, and it is ruled by the law of evidence. Any questions?” A sandy brow lifted. ”All right, on to the next-”
”Excuse me, John,” Daisy said, ”could you please clarify what you mean by informal. I don't quite understand.”
”Ah yes, of course. By informal I mean that the coroner is not wearing robes. He is dressed in a business suit. Also, the manner of speaking is less formal than other courts. The coroner chats informally with the interested parties before evidence is given on the witness stand under oath.”
”Thank you, John. One other question. The coroner is usually a solicitor, a barrister, or a doctor with legal training, isn't he?”
”That is quite correct, Daisy. The coroner is not a judge, even though he is in fact making the ruling. He also has a very wide lat.i.tude in his conduct of an inquiry. If there are no other questions, I shall continue. I now come to a most important point, and it is this: The coroner will accept hearsay in this court, which is not common practice in other courts of law under British justice, where hearsay is inadmissible evidence.”
Anthony leaned forward. ”What does that mean?” He shook his head. ”It can't mean what I think it does!” he went on to exclaim, his voice more high-pitched than normal.
”Yes, Lord Dunvale, it does. A coroner will listen to something a person has heard but does not know to be true . . . rumor, gossip, if you will.”
”I see,” Anthony said in a more composed voice, even though he was experiencing inner alarm at the thought of the gossip which had been rife in the village for months.
Edwina and Daisy exchanged worried glances. Neither said a word.
John Crawford, aware of their uneasiness, cleared his throat, continued, ”Let me qualify hearsay more fully, as it applies in the coroner's court. In this instance, hearsay might be words spoken by the deceased, immediately prior to his or her death, to a member of the family, a friend, a doctor, or a solicitor. A witness might say that the deceased has threatened to commit suicide on one or numerous occasions. Or may venture the opinion that said deceased was depressed. The coroner will take note of these points. Perhaps another example would be useful. A good ill.u.s.tration: Based on the evidence he has gathered, a policeman could pa.s.s the opinion to the coroner, that he believes the deceased has committed suicide. Or then again, a policeman might say his findings lead him to believe that death was accidental. The coroner does take such opinions into account. I would also like to stress that hearsay of this nature does have a bearing on the case and indeed on the rest of the questions posed by the coroner.”
”Do the police question any of the witnesses?” Anthony asked.
”No, no. Never. That is not permissible in a coroner's court. Only the coroner is empowered to ask the questions.” Crawford swung around as the door opened. . Michael Lamont, the estate manager at Clonloughlin, entered swiftly, closed the door behind him. Tall and heavy-set, he had a shock of dark curly hair and a merry weather-beaten face that matched a jovial manner. As he hurried across the floor he apologized profusely.
Anthony said quickly, ”I'll fill you in later, Michael. John's been explaining the procedure ... the way in which an inquest is conducted.”
Nodding his understanding, Lamont sat down next to Ed-wina on the sofa, acknowledged the other women with a quick smile. He said, ”I did attend an inquest once before, so I'm vaguely aware of the form.”
”Good, good,” Crawford exclaimed, with a brief nod. ”I shall get on with this as quickly as possible. There may or may not be a jury of six or eight people. Either way, the coroner imposes his will; if necessary talks the jury around to his way of thinking and what he feels is right. But it is the coroner who decides and p.r.o.nounces the verdict-of misadventure, suicide, accidental death, natural causes, or-” He paused, added quietly, ”-or murder.”
There was a deathly silence as this word hung in the air.
It was Anthony who broke it. ”What if the coroner is uncertain? What if he can't decide whether it was suicide, an accident, or murder?”
”Ah yes, well, in that instance the coroner would have to leave an open verdict. . . He might p.r.o.nounce that a person or persons unknown could be responsible for the death of the deceased and that they could be brought to justice at a later date.”
Edwina, watching her son intently, gasped and turned ashen; Michael Lamont reached out and took her hand, whispered something to her.
Crawford glanced at them, then brought his attention back to Anthony. ”The pathologist's report, the findings of his autopsy, usually clarify cause of death, and without any question of doubt.”
”I understand,” Anthony said in a low voice.
Crawford announced, ”I've covered the most important points, I believe. I would like to add that I am most confident that the inquest will progress in a normal, routine manner.” His eyes rested on Michael Lamont. ”You will probably be the first witness, since you were the one who found Lady Dunvale's” body. The Clonloughlin police sergeant will give evidence after you. Then we will hear medical testimony- from the local doctor who did the initial examination and from the pathologist who conducted the second examination and performed the autopsy. Does anyone need further clarification on any specific point?”
”Yes,” Anthony said. ”Just a couple. I presume I shall be questioned. But what about my mother? And Bridget?”
”1 see no reason for the Dowager Countess to be called to the witness stand, since she really cannot contribute anything. You will have to give evidence, and, most probably, so will Miss O'Donnell. It's very likely that the coroner will chat to all of you in an informal way, before the main witnesses are called, as'I explained earlier. Nothing to worry about.” Crawford glanced at his watch. ”I suggest we leave here in the next ten minutes or so.” Turning to Daisy, who had risen, he asked, ”Where's Jim? Perhaps you ought to let him know we're going to leave shortly to drive into Cork.”
”Yes,” Daisy said. ”I'll tell him right away. I've got to go upstairs for my things.”
Fifteen minutes later the small group left Clonloughlin House.
Eclwina, Anthony, Bridget O'Donnell, and Michael Lament traveled in the first car, with Michael at the wheel.