Trial of Passion by William Deverell

you choose Garibaldi?”
    â€œI’m not sure. I think my brain may have snapped.”
    Nelson finally sees this as a joke and stops writing it down. Heremoves his hat, wipes his sweating brow. I note that my various comestibles have by now entirely disappeared down the man’s ravenous maw.
    â€œSo, that’s it? For your career? No more cases?”
    â€œIn fact, I just turned one down.”
    â€œWhat sort of case?”
    â€œOh, a sexual assault —”
    â€œIt isn’t that law professor’s case?”
    I am sorry I have stumbled into this, but Nelson seems hugely titillated, his eyes bugging slightly. “I heard he kidnapped one of his students, took all her clothes off and chained her up, and took a bull-whip to her until she was bleeding.”
    â€œI ought not to discuss it.”
    â€œThen made love to her over and over until she couldn’t take it any more. Do you think he did it?” There seems something almost obsessive about his interest.
    â€œNelson, I judge not my fellow man. And one shouldn’t really discuss a matter that is before the courts.”
    His only response is a burp. Oh, pompous Beauchamp. Making peace with God and nature. Judging not my fellow man. But how innocent in God’s eyes is our dashing acting dean of law? Does that matter? Do I care?
    I am retired. That’s all the news that’s fit to print.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MS. BLUEMAN
Q
Your name and occupation for the record?
A
Sergeant Henry Chekoff, detective, West Vancouver Municipal Police.
Q
You’ve been a police officer for how many years?
A
Going on ten.
Q
Tell me what you did in connection with this case.
A
Well, your honour, I came on duty at nine o’clock on the morning of November twenty-eighth and there was a message on my desk to go to 141 Palmer Avenue, complaint of a sexual assault.
Q
This complaint had not been investigated earlier? During the night?
A
Well, I was told the allegations —
THE COURT:
Just what you saw and did, sergeant.
A
We’re pretty badly understaffed during the graveyard shift, so I guess I was the first officer to attend the, ah, alleged scene.
Q
Okay, so you went to 141 Palmer Avenue that morning?
A
Well, I did. Um, I attended at nine-twenty hours and there was a gentleman out front there raking some leaves.
Q
Do you see that person in court?
A
Yes, sitting beside Mr. Cleaver.
Q
Indicating the accused. Can you tell us about his demeanour?
A
Well, he seemed normal. He was clean-shaven. Casually dressed. He was surprised when I identified myself, but he wasn’t unpleasant.
MS. BLUEMAN:
Entering a voir dire, your honour.
MR. CLEAVER:
Not necessary. For the purposes of this preliminary hearing I agree the statements are voluntary.
THE COURT:
Very well.
Q
What conversation did you have with him?
A
Well, I said I was here to investigate a complaint about an incident that was supposed to have happened the night before. I asked him if he knew a Kimberley Martin. And he said, “Yes, she was here last night” And he said . . . Can I look at my notes?
THE COURT:
Go ahead.
A
He said, um, “Has something happened to her? I was worried. She disappeared” I then related to him the substance of the complaint that he had confined her and assaulted her sexually, and he didn’t say anything at first, just looked kind of puzzled. And then he said, “Is this some kind of practical joke?” and I said, “No, not that I’m aware.” He went sort of white, and said, “I did no such thing.” I said, “Are you saying you didn’t touch her?” And he said, “Didn’t touch her? Of course I touched her. I took her to bed.”
THE COURT:
Just a minute. “Of course I touched her. I took her to bed.”
A
And he then added, “She was very drunk.”
Q
Was there any more conversation?
A
Well, basically no, because he wanted to call his lawyer, but he invited me into