A Matter for the Jury by Peter Murphy Page A

days, you mark my words. She should be removed. I’ve told the River Board, but they never listen to me. Might as well be talking to myself.’
    â€˜Do you know her name?’ Arnold asked.
    Billy nodded.
    â€˜ Rosemary D ’, he replied. ‘That’s what they call her. Bloody nuisance, that’s what I call her.’
    â€˜Have you ever been on board?’
    Billy’s focus seemed to slip again.
    Success to every gentleman that lives in Lincolnshire …
    â€˜Why would I want to board her?’
    Arnold spread his arms out wide.
    â€˜Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps to check on her lights, or to see if you could find out who owns her, who you could approach about moving her?’
    â€˜No. Never.’
    Success to every poacher that wants to sell a hare …
    â€˜Well, there we are, then,’ Arnold said. He paused again, waiting for Phillips to signal that he was ready. ‘You see, Billy, the reason I ask is this. We have reason to believe that the lady who owns the cross and chain I showed you lost it on Saturday night while she was on board the Rosemary D . So I’m wondering, if she lost it on the Rosemary D , what was it doing on the opposite bank, down by your lock on Tuesday? Can you help me about that at all?’
    Bad luck to every gamekeeper that will not sell his deer …
    â€˜I don’t know, do I? Perhaps she made a mistake. Perhaps she lost it later, down by the lock.’
    Arnold produced another photograph from the stack of papers.
    â€˜Well, the problem with that, Billy, is that she wasn’t in any condition to move from the Rosemary D down to the lock. This is what she looked like on Monday morning.’
    Arnold pushed the photograph towards Billy, who pushed it back violently, barely glancing at it .
    â€˜I don’t want to look at that.’
    â€˜I can’t say I blame you. It’s not very nice, is it, Billy?’
    â€˜Take it away.’
    â€˜All right. I’m just trying to show you how important it is that you tell me where you found the cross and chain you gave to Eve.’
    â€˜I already told you.’
    â€˜But you haven’t told me the truth, have you, Billy?’
    â€˜Yes, I have.’
    â€˜If necessary,’ Arnold said, ‘I can show you on the photo the mark that was made on her neck when the thief to ok the chain off her. Would you like to see it again?’
    Billy turned almost all the way around in his chair.
    â€˜No. Take it away.’
    Oh, ’tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year.
    Silence. Then suddenly, unprompted…
    â€˜All right, I found it near that craft, the Rosemary D .’
    Phillips looked up sharply. A raised finger asked for time. Arnold waited.
    â€˜Well, that wasn’t too difficult, was it? Why didn’t you say so before?’
    The focus seemed to return.
    â€˜It wasn’t nothing to do with that,’ Billy protested.
    â€˜To do with what?’
    â€˜That – in that photograph.’
    â€˜I don’t remember suggesting it was,’ Arnold said. ‘So, where exactly did you find it?’
    â€˜It was like I said,’ Billy replied defiantly. ‘It was on the bank, in the grass. I saw it shining. I picked it up and went home.’
    â€˜Not on Tuesday, you didn’t,’ Arnold said. ‘Since Monday, the whole area has been cordoned off. It’s a crime scene – police officers swarming all over it.’
    â€˜I never said it was Tuesday.’
    Arnold looked at Phillips, who nodded.
    â€˜You did, actually, Billy,’ he said.
    â€˜Well, that was wrong, then.’
    â€˜Well, when was it, then?’
    Oh, ’tis my delight …
    There was a knock on the door. Without waiting for a response, PC Willis opened the door and stepped smartly into the room. Arnold was momentarily vexed, but he knew that an officer as experienced as Willis would not interrupt a detective superintendent in