Read Online A Game of Proof by Tim Vicary - Free Book Online Page B

beds once again. Thank you. That’s all.’
    As the meeting broke up Churchill approached Terry. ‘You’re still set on this Harker for the Hooded Rapist , than, Terence?’
    Terry winced. Terence was his christian name but he hated anyone to use it. To him it sounded like some cheap gangster, not himself at all. Terry was uncertain if Churchill knew, or cared, much about the tragedy that had shattered his personal life; but he certainly did know which version of his name he preferred to be called by, because Terry had told him, several times. The man was persisting in this Terence business deliberately, to get under his skin. He decided to ignore it.
    ‘I’ve known Gary a long time, sir. He’s moved from petty theft to assault, GBH and rape over a period of ten years. He has exactly the profile we’re looking for.’
    ‘Yes, but the DNA in the Whitaker case wasn’t his, was it, old son? So until we have positive evidence to the contrary, I suggest you assume that Harker didn’t murder Clayton or attack this schoolgirl either, and get out there looking for the man who did.’ He paused. ‘Any reason why Harker won’t be convicted?’
    ‘I don’t think so, no sir. I’m giving evidence against him tomorrow.’
    ‘Yes, well make sure you don’t cock that up, at least. He’s your one good catch so far. But there are more sharks than him - this Steersby case proves it. You’ve caught one, Terence - but we need two!’
    With an odd supercilious smile on his face, Churchill held up two fingers to illustrate his point. Two fingers that looked, to Terry’s eyes, uncannily like the first V-sign from his new boss.
    For her second day on the witness stand, Sharon Gilbert appeared in a navy blue skirt and jacket over a white blouse. It conveyed exactly the right impression -  sober, respectable, the sort of thing a business secretary might wear. She flicked back a curl of hair as Sarah began.
    ‘Ms Gilbert, I believe Gary Harker lived with you for a year, didn’t he?’
    ‘About a year, yes.’
    ‘And during that time you slept in the same bed together, had regular sexual intercourse, and generally behaved as man and wife. Is that right?’
    ‘Yes. That’s right.’ Sharon nodded suspiciously, unable to disagree so far.
    ‘You must have been very fond of him, then?’
    ‘Well ... yes, I was at first ...’
    ‘Were you in love with him?’
    Sharon smiled contemptuously. ‘’Course not, no!’
    ‘Really? Not in love?’ Sarah glanced at the jury. ‘But you let him move into your house, slept with him every night. How did you feel about him, exactly?’
    Sharon looked confused. ‘Well, I mean, I quite fancied him, like - he was a good lay, we had some laughs together.’
    ‘I see. He was good for sex and a laugh, but you didn’t love him.’
    ‘Love him? No.’
    ‘All right. But during that year you had the house to look after, and  two children to bring up. Did Gary help you with that - contribute to the housekeeping, perhaps?’
    ‘Well, yes, ‘cause I made him. We wouldn’t have had money to eat, else.’
    ‘So he gave you money. Did he ever play with the children, take them places?’
    ‘Well, yeah, he did sometimes, what do you think?’
    ‘But they weren’t his children, were they? How did Gary get on with their father?’
    ‘With their fathers? Well, I dunno if he met them. I suppose he met Wayne’s dad once or twice, ‘cause he took him to football. But not Katie’s dad - he’s gone. I never see him.’
    So far, so good, Sarah thought. She was treading a thin line, as the judge had warned in chambers. It was no longer an acceptable defence to cross-examine a rape victim about her sex life, in order to suggest that the woman was so immoral that she somehow asked for it; but it was quite legitimate to ask about her relationship with the accused. And if Sharon chose to reveal that her children had two different fathers, and that she shacked up with Gary for sex rather than love, then so